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Merch has always been a big deal for bands, and is just getting more important with vampires like Spotify and Live Nation Entertainment out there gouging prices on whatever they can get their claws on. But the merch equation is a complex one. The most accessible stuff is almost by definition a lowest common denominator product, and that works great for simplification of revenue streams and profits but isn’t so great for creating a truly spectacular brand. For a band (or any brand, really) to truly stand out, it needs to take risks. To establish itself as a curious entity that’s willing to experiment from time to time. These explorations don’t necessarily pay off in the long run, but are nevertheless necessary for identifying niche or nascent ecosystems to drive networks of commerce forward in a meaningful direction. While trying to remain humble, Ive recently been doing this with the branded beers Ive been brewing, as well as producing new forms of merch like branded tenugui or senso. And its going great! But Im definitely still on that journey to what Id call success. However, there are far more experimental outfits in the underground creating so many wacky variations on a theme you can’t begin to imagine. One of my favorites. Though, is Tokyo’s noisegrind vets Sete Star Sept’s 3.5” floppy disc trilogy. Absolute masterclass in aggressive inanity! https://lnkd.in/gR2iwpwb #music #japan #japanesemusic #mondaymorningmusic #marketing #branding #merch #sales

Attention Musicians! Unlock the secrets to landing high-paying corporate gigs and watch your earnings soar! 🚀💸 Follow me for insider tips and tricks! 🎵

New Post: BMI Is Selling: What This Means for Songwriters (Guest Column) - https://lnkd.in/gaPvPgYc - By now, you’ve heard the news that BMI is selling its interests to a shareholder group assembled by the private equity firm, New Mountain Capital. The sale has come with questions and consternation from songwriter advocacy groups — including the Music Artist Coalition, where I am a board member — and U.S. music attorneys. These songwriter advocates asked for (1) transparency about the sale and (2) a window of time after the sale that would allow unhappy songwriters to leave. Most questions remain unanswered, and BMI has not opened a window for songwriters to leave. But the sale seems to be proceeding anyway, subject to “regulatory approval.” Given that, here’s what you should watch out for as a songwriter, a songwriter representative or someone who benefits from administration or co-ownership of a songwriter’s songs. Related BMI Sells to New Mountain Capital 11/28/2023 1. What Does This Mean? In short, it means that BMI, which has been a not-for-profit organization since its founding in 1939, has turned into a for-profit organization and sold to a private equity company. Private equity companies acquire companies that they believe are undervalued in hopes of realizing a significant return on their investment in a relatively short period of time. This is called a “holding period.” While some private equity periods fall outside the average, in 2023 the average “holding period” for a private equity fund with a company it buys is just over seven years, which is the longest it has been in over two decades (in 2022 it was just under 6 years). According to press reports citing sources, BMI in its first year as a for-profit entity has generated about $130 million in earnings before interest, taxes depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). In order for the shareholder group to be successful, it will need to continue to grow profits or EBITDA from where they are today. To do that, they have to increase revenue and/or decrease expenses.  The concern underpinning the sale is that BMI has historically grown revenue in order to pass it on to songwriters and publishers. The only revenue BMI traditionally held back was to cover its overhead. Turning to a for-profit model with private equity owners means that BMI’s shareholders will expect to participate in the profits BMI generates (through distributions or leveraging BMI), which may mean that less of the revenue generated will be distributed to the writers and their publishers. 2. How Does This Compare With My Other Options? That is one of the unanswered questions. BMI’s goal is that there will b

You don’t have to be a performer to take the Storytell stage. We want to know YOU- a real story from your life as it happened, as you see it. You don’t have to be particularly funny or clever. The process is more about vulnerability and preparation than comfort on stage. Come as you are, and take time to work your story out so that you’re ready to tell it. Each person who pitches a story (instructions in link) meets with a creative team member to workshop their story to prepare for the stage. The 6 people who are chosen will get 10 minutes to tell a real story from their life to an empathetic audience who’s ready to laugh, and rooting for you. The theme for our next event is “On the Job” and is June 15. If you’ve got a story that can be fit into this theme in any way, consider pitching! To pitch a story or to listen to stories from previous events click here: https://lnkd.in/gQEA2ZzU Text Peggy Ray 270-293-2723 with any questions.

Remember Napster? The music-sharing service that shook up the industry in 1999? While it might seem like ancient history, Napster's story holds a valuable lesson for businesses today: the importance of adapting to new technology. Just like Napster revolutionized how we listen to music, new tech solutions are constantly emerging that can transform your business operations. Don't get left behind! Let us help you harness the power of technology to streamline your operations, improve efficiency, and stay ahead of the curve. Contact us today to explore how we can support your St Louis business growth. #StLouisBusiness #ITSupport #TechSolutions #BusinessGrowth #Napster https://lnkd.in/eP_Wg7Y

https://lnkd.in/ggJsnfJ2 Unlock the secrets of monetizing your YouTube channel and turning your passion into profit. Learn the ins and outs of YouTube monetization in this comprehensive guide. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more monetization tips! #sales

Hi Linkedin fam, I’d love to share the release of my debut original song (nothing less than a product for me) - Ye Ilteja, ideated, designed and developed by me! 🎸 Following your passion along with your professional work is not at all a feasible task, but I guess time management and prioritisation are the keys. It all started with a problem statement in my head back in 2020 when I was pursuing B. Tech at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, but what was the problem?  It was simple - Nothing was turning out to be great in terms of my music interests despite being able to participate in almost every musical event. I asked myself the question - Why? and turned out that I’m lacking originality, and it was high time for me to start creating some original music and eliminate dependencies by learning a few musical instruments and basic music production. The very next moment, I dived into creating a catchy hook melody that wouldn’t leave my head, but without thinking of any plan of action and analysing the threats! And this turned out to be a mistake which led me to drop the desire to create original music. Jan'24 was the time for me to change the status of my "pending" task to "in progress" but before that, I had to fix my mistakes by creating a proper roadmap (I legit did that x) by breaking my task into subtasks and stories, analysing the efforts and bandwidth required for each. This is when the product management magic really kicked in. Sketching out the structure of the song and a concept for the album art was like the wireframing phase. Writing the music and lyrics was not at all as exhausting or tiring experience as that of writing PRDs! Co-ordinating and communicating the requirements with Abhyudaya Adulkar (the rockstar who recorded the guitar and ukulele) and Joy Bhardwaj (the sound engineer and magician) felt like negotiating with the engineering ;) Just kidding, they actually made it easier for me. We A/B tested different bridges and sections (a key change can really elevate the mood!) and the QA cycle was long enough that we finalised the draft all the way from v1 to v14. The Result? I finally released my first original song, written, composed and sung by me - Ye Ilteja on June 14, 2024. Though my music distribution service provider TuneCore released my music 12 hours prior to what was scheduled, but I’m glad that prod par kuch nahi fatta!! What’s next?  I’m not just the product manager of Ye Ilteja, but the salesperson and a user too. This post is itself a result of the sales plan xD. Hence, I’m calling out my whole Linkedin fam and music lovers to please check out my song and give it a listen! This would help me generate some user data so that I’ll be able to track the success metrics and identify the gaps! That’s the 0 to 1 journey of my original music and I’m all set to scale it from 1 to 10.  Stream "Ye Ilteja" : https://lnkd.in/gaM8xGtX 🎵 Times Internet Spotify #productmanagement #musicians #indiemusic

Synergy and vision can create the most incredible outcome. Next chapter starts now for KISS. https://lnkd.in/ehy5xacF

If you haven't tried Suno.ai then you must. It is awesome, prompt-to-music in seconds. Here is something I created. I am sure someone with a keen sense of music can create something more amazing with it. https://lnkd.in/eRKsJsbd #sunoai #prompttomusic #texttomusic

New Post: Bundles of Optimism: What You Should Know About Spotify’s Earnings - https://lnkd.in/gpbJwXzN - Spotify’s stock surged 12% on Tuesday after Spotify reported quarterly earnings that beat subscriber growth and profit margin expectations. In a wide-ranging discussion of the company’s earnings that touched on the controversy sparked by Spotify’s audiobook bundling, its plans for a premium music tier and missing its target for monthly active user growth, Spotify chief Daniel Ek said the company he helped found 18 years ago is reaching a turning point. “While many believe that Spotify has a great product, we needed to prove that we could also be a great business,” Ek said. “I think we’re really starting to show this now.” Here’s what else you should know about the global streaming giant’s most recent quarterly earnings and what was said on the call. Related Spotify’s 7 Million New Subscribers Bumps Revenue Up 20% 07/23/2024 “It was a very strong quarter across most of our key metrics” Ek said at the top of the webcast. The streaming giant, which has for most of its 18-year history failed to be profitable, reported its third-straight profitable quarter spurred on by the addition of seven million net new subscribers, an expanded gross profit margin of 29.2% and 490 million euros ($533 million) in free cash flow, the most in the company’s history. However, the company missed its internal target for total monthly active users (MAUs), reporting a total of 626 million MAUs compared with a goal of 631 million. Ek said they are tackling this by enhancing free products to boost engagement and retention in developing markets. Related Spotify Unveils Basic, Music-Only Subscription Tier at Reduced Price in U.S. 06/21/2024 The bundle controversy When Spotify announced plans to raise subscription prices in the U.S. and the addition of 15 hours of audiobooks per month in May, it also asserted it could pay a discounted “bundle” rate to songwriters for premium streams that Billboard estimates could cut songwriters’ and music publishers’ royalty payments by $150 million. The Mechanical Licensing Collective sued Spotify, claiming it “improperly” classified its premium tiers as bundles. Ek declined to comment on the lawsuit, but defended Spotify saying that it paid out a record-high amount to music labels and publishers in 2023 and will “beat those numbers