It's A Numbers Game

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Stephen Vidano

9/6/2009 11:28:52 AM

For those of you who are "dipping your toe" in the pool of Tune Society I'd like to make a small suggestion and an observation.

This is a numbers game. The more tunes you have up the more likely you will license music on a regular basis, and the more you will reap the benefit of your music.

As more people upload music it will become increasingly more difficult to get your music "heard". So now is the perfect time to upload. Not just 5 tunes, or 10 tunes or 20 tunes. Have a goal of 100 minimum. Simple tunes are just as effective as highly produced, multi-track extravaganzas.

I KNOW...I know...this sounds like a sales pitch. But I'm only sharing this because I've seen the results of what can happen when someone inundates the site with as much music as possible. Even though we are still in BETA mode, there are positive results happening.

So, if you are satisfied with only having the minimum tunes online to be "Approved" then that's fine. But I'm asking artists to "re-think" that strategy. Stick it ALL up there. And stick VERSIONS of tunes up there. It MATTERS! Pull the piano line from a tune and make that a different version. Then upload that. Pull the vocals from a tune and upload that version. Pull everything but the percussion and make that a version.

We live in a day and age where PEOPLE WANT OPTIONS. They want to pick and choose. "I love that tune, but I hate the oboe." Or "I wish I only had the percussion bed to that song."

This approach doubles, triples and quadruples your music...and your odds. And each time you upload a different version it goes online at the same "approved" price of $59.99.

So, what do you have to lose?

One last observation and I'll shut up. There is a tune on Tune Society called "Song For Sleep" written by an artist named TheScribes. Go take a listen to it.

LINK: http://www.tunesociety.com/music/550-tsSong-Song-for-Sleep

It is so simple it's almost laughable. BUT...it's the fourth most downloaded song on the site! Does it matter whether I gave it a 1 "Bird" rating or a 5 "Bird" rating? No, it doesn't. The point is that this is the web...and the users get to decide. People all over the world are making decisions about "what they like" and "what they want to buy" all the time. And many times those decisions are exactly OPPOSITE of what I would choose. And that's a GOOD THING!

And THAT'S the beauty of the web.

So, increase your odds. Put up stuff that you think "isn't up to par." Just get it up there and let the users decide.

You might find yourself making money on tunes you never thought you could...OR SHOULD! :)

Thanks everyone for all of your support and participation. I love the diversity and creativity you all bring to the table.

Peace out from The Bird.

Tom Gannaway

9/10/2009 8:27:19 AM

Hey Stephen,

Thanks for the encouragement and reminder to get our stuff on site, regardless of its simplicity or perceived lack of marketability.

To your point, I know Christmas is a ways off, but as it draws nearer, are you open to artists uploading arrangements of public domain Christmas tunes? Or do you want to steer clear of that genre?

Regards,

Tom Gannaway

Stephen Vidano

9/10/2009 11:57:06 AM

Tom,

Good question.

Currently, our model is strictly tunes that are "owned" by the artist...free and clear.

There are too many issues that we just can't track if we allowed artists to upload "public domain" works. So, we are currently trying to keep the lines very clear and straight forward.

Of course Christmas tunes are GREAT! They just need to be owned by you the artist.

Stephen

Chris Targia

10/13/2009 1:14:00 PM

Stephen-

This is a great post! I have an additional question, we are not allowed to upload "public domain" works, but what its something not just out of copyright, if a uploaded a variation on a Bach fugue, would that be acceptable? or does that fall into the same category?

-Chris

Stephen Vidano

10/14/2009 3:01:22 PM

Chris,

If it's YOUR RECORDING of the tune then I think you're good to go. This is the only way we are handling "public domain" tunes right now. But I would be very sure that a song is "free and clear". I know that Bach is.

Just a comment on songs that people are not sure about. If you're not sure...then don't re-record it. And don't upload it.

Stephen

Amity Sampley

11/6/2009 2:13:08 PM

This post has been removed.

Amity Sampley

11/6/2009 2:14:09 PM

Thanks Steve! I know this is true! Thank you for this site!

Amity Sampley

World Champ Recordings

11/6/2009 11:38:42 PM

Thanks for the opportunity to sign up and try out the site. Seems like a winning concept.

I tried to start a new thread for these questions, but got a "server error" when trying to do so.

So, quickly.... just a few questions for the users or Stephen...

1. When did the site go online, and when will the "beta" period end?

2. What measures is the site using in order to build up a client-base? I don't foresee any problem with musicians becoming involved, but marketing to producers/filmmakers/editors is a competitive endeavor. Does anyone know what the marketing plan is, and where Tunesociety might be with regards to their current reach?

3. Finally, not to promote any other site... but I'm curious who Tunesociety may be competing with? Of course, I can just Google it, but I'm wondering if there are any other sites that offer similar services? Again, not looking to go elsewhere so much as to know why Tunesociety is unique and the best of breed? (Which I suspect may be the case.)

Thanks in advance, and good luck to all...

Chris

11/6/2009 11:56:12 PM

Hi Bryan,

I'll leave it to the other Tune Society staff to respond to your questions, but thanks for letting us know about the Server Error. If you encounter any problems, please report the bug right away so we can fix it! I guess that relates to why we're still in Beta!

Thanks for your interest and I'm sure someone will be replying to your questions soon!

Stephen Vidano

11/7/2009 12:19:26 AM

Bryan,

Thanks for your inquiry. I just emailed you this same response. But I want to post it in this forum so that others can see our response on this and add to any of the ideas and questions.

To be honest, we are in the midst of thinking this through and re-working our approach on a lot of this. We find ourselves in a situation where we KNOW that if we don't have good music that the producers, directors, editors will never come. And at the same time all of the musicians are wanting the buyers to come buy their music. Of course. We want that as well. (But the "buyers" want variety, volume and excellence.)

Sooooo. What do we do?

The first step is that we actually got the sight up! Yeah. :) (I know. Big deal.) But it's actually a big deal to us and we're really trying to balance the building of the music with the purchases.

I have said (to myself and my partners) that until we reach 1000 tunes our focus was / is going to be on building the library first...as well as adding the features we need to make this really helpful to both the composers AND musicians. (For example...we are adding the SHOWCASES section in a few weeks. This will allow people to post media (movies / videos) to the site that have been produced with Tune Society music in them. Share work. Build network. Pick each other's brains. Etc.)

We aren't a company with a mound of cash sitting in the wings ready to hire marketers and IT people. So we know that we have to build systematically, step by step, and try to be smart about where we are putting our efforts.

With all this said...

We are currently in our 7th month of business and are still in the BETA stage of the site (as you mentioned). I am hoping to move out of the BETA mode by about month 12. There are so many features that we have been tweaking and really want to change to get the site to a solid platform. So, we are definitely "young" but the responses we have been receiving are very positive.

We are slowly building up our capital to be able to focus more heavily on marketing. But, in light of PHASE 1, our current marketing strategy is focused on three areas (that can be done fairly inexpensively):

1 - Web marketing that focuses on FORUMS, site advertisements and viral marketing. This is an inexpensive way to slowly get the word out and attract people to our site. It has been a slow burn and has been working well so far. We know we need to do more. Specific sites would be Creative Cow forums, DVinfo.net, YoungComposers.com, Facebook, Twitter, AVID, etc.

2 - Expos and annual events. This would include NAB, SXSW (South By Southwest), Siggraph, etc. We are focused on the next NAB coming up in Springs of 2010.

3 - Artist Digital Marketing Kits - These kits are not finished. But they will be downloadable files that allow artist to place widgets, banners, links, videos, audio, etc. on websites that help market their songs and send people to their music on Tune Society. We will be sending out the link as soon as we are finished with the Marketing Kits.

I would REALLY love to hear any ideas you might have in this area.

We understand that so much more can be done. But, currently we are trying to be wise...do what we can with the finances we have and then build upon that.

Thanks so much for your questions.

Hey, how did you hear about us?

You said you work at a major TV network as a musician? Awesome! Where? How long? (I have too many questions for email!) Ha!

Let's keep talking.

P.S. - I'll get you the information you asked for on the "other sites" in a bit. The long and short of it is that there are many music libraries out there. But no one is doing our exact model. There is royalty free of course. But very few sites are allowing "freedom" for the artist...letting them upload whenever they want...AS WELL AS delete their music whenever they want. That's the big ringer. These music libraries want control. They can't envision a site that could "propel" itself by allowing the artists to truly drive their own tunes. (hmmmm. wacky I know.) We are the ONLY SITE that allows all musicians to upload music...but then implements an APPROVAL level of music that helps keep the 'quality' of certain tunes very high.