1. GET A GOOD NAME.
* - Many times I've heard, "My friend told me about 3 places where I could sell my CD online, but CD Baby was the only one whose name I could remember."
* - Make sure you can get "yourname.com" because that's where everyone will look first. If you can't get the ".com", consider a different name.
* - If you're a solo performer, have the guts to go by a fun stage name. It won't seem like "you" at first, but that could work in your favor, because you could promote this Fictional You more objectively than you could promote the Real You.
2. SPEND ALMOST NOTHING, AND SEE IF PEOPLE LOVE YOU ANYWAY.
* - Start a business for under $1000. Launch it. Tell friends. Tell your email list. Tell newsgroups and newswires. Spend nothing.
* - If you have a great idea (or great music), people will be drawn to it by word of mouth. You won't need marketing money to convince them. If the idea (or music) alone sells itself, you've "got it" and everything else will fall into place.
* - Taking this idea even further, try announcing 5 future plans/businesses/bands to friends and strangers. See which one gets the biggest response. Run with that one and let the other 4 fall.
* - But no matter what, spend almost nothing. If your business idea doesn't fly with one employee and $1000, it won't work with 120 employees and $20 million. If your 8-track demo isn't beloved so much that people are bootlegging it and sending your MP3s to friends around the world (without you asking them to) - then don't think that spending $30,000 in the studio will make it better.
3. DON'T BE THE CHEAPEST
* - Name your expensive price and be proud of it.
* - All the uncreative people are battling to be the cheapest. Fine. Let them. There are plenty of people who want the best of the best, and will pay whatever it costs.
* - Would you rather be Ferrari or Hyundai? Calvin Klein or Kmart Special? Which set of customers would you rather deal with?
* - Do you want to be known as the cheapest act in town?
* - If more than 50% of the people complain about your price, you're too expensive. BUT, if less than 20% of the people complain about your price, you're too cheap.
* - Being expensive lets you focus on being the best, and dealing with people that want the best.
4. USE THE OTHER HALF OF YOUR BRAIN MORE
* - The "other half" meaning whatever half you're not using enough.
* - Songwriters: take a tip from Bach. Bach wrote some of the most logical, formulaic music in history, and it's beautiful! Too many songwriters go from pure whimsy and mood, while ignoring craft and structure, and refusing to experiment or dare alter their initial inspiration.
* - Buy a book on the Craft of Songwriting. Transcribe every note and word of your 20 favorite songs. Analyze and do your version of it. Apply the techniques to your music. You're an imperfect mirror. Even your imitation will be you.
* - Businesses: take a tip from Southwest Airlines and Virgin. Go nuts! The best thing I ever did for CD Baby was to make it one of the goofiest places you'll ever deal with. We accept pizza as payment for CDs. Our order confirmation letter is a full piece of fiction, describing the pampering, silk pillows, gold envelopes, and private jets of your CD's travel from us to you. People laugh themselves silly, and come back again and again.
* - Watch a Monty Python movie. Bring the office to a keg party. Answer the phone in a cartoon voice.
* - Only you know which half of your brain isn't being used enough. Buck the trend. Use it. Balance is key.
5. SOCIAL TIME MEANS EVERYTHING
* - Everything great that ever happens in your career will always start with Someone You Know.
* - People do business with people they already know and like. And mutual friends are your way into that circle.
* - I tried to get into composing for film/TV for quite a while, with no luck. Then I gave a great backrub to a girl at my sister's wedding, and next thing you know I've got a $10,000 contract to compose 2 minutes of music for Nike. (She worked at Nike's ad agency and they were sick of their usual music guy.)
* - Meet everyone you can, and talk about anything but work. Then let them know what you do, but don't dwell on it. Next thing you know, the guy who laughed at your story invites you to an MTV party the following week, where you meet a great video director who likes your shirt, finds out you both love Doctor John, and now wants to hear your CD.
* - You can scowl and grumble at that previous example, but it happens every day. It's depressing to be outside of it, and it's a blast to be in the middle of it.
* - Read everything written by Andy Warhol. You'll find out why.
Derek Sivers is founder of www.CDBaby.com an on-line store for independent musicians to sell their CD's. www.CDBaby.net is a resource for musicians to further their careers.
