Bobbyisms: Thoughts on success in music
I write about random things a
lot. I write a lot about random
things. Back in 2010 when Conan
O'Brien was coming to the end of
his newly appointed yet short-lived
gig as the host of The Tonight
Show, he found a shrewd form of
payback with NBC for their decision
by way of a few very expensive
licenses for use of music on
the show. You may recall that
O'Brien won the position of the
new host of the show in 2009 when
Jay Leno moved into a network
primetime show, though less than
six months later the network decided
to restore Leno as host.
Reports conflict on the license amounts, but NBC allegedly paid up to $250,000 to play The Beatles' “Lovely Rita” once while Tom Hanks appeared on the show, and up to $500,000 for a one-time use of the Rolling Stones' “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,” casting an expensive light on a side of the music business that usually remains pretty quiet.
Music licensing doesn't normally attract a lot of attention, but it's one of the few ways that music can still be profitable — behind every instance in which we interact with music on a day-to-day basis, from commercial radio to television ads, background music at a restaurant to telephone hold music at a hospital. An extensive rubric exists to mandate the fees for businesses and commercial works by their size and influence, though typically even licenses for film or TV commercials don't often exceed a six-figure amount.
Although according to musicnews.com, we may be on the verge of change. While working on her next album, Adele is making headlines as she considers an expensive new licensing deal following the recent expiry of her existing agreement. Experts are projecting this is going to be a huge deal in light of the success she saw with two smash albums and the powerful title track from Skyfall, the latest film in the James Bond franchise. Rumours have it the British singer is considering a new agreement that could be worth in excess of £10 million.
Although the industry is kind of broken, there are still occasional success stories like this one, as astronomically improbable as being discovered on YouTube and becoming an international superstar. Now more than ever, there really aren't any such things as overnight success stories.
Finding success in music takes a long time, there's no other way to go about it. Don't be fooled by legends of the old industry; decades past have their lore about drugs, money and power, but the fact is simply that success in music can't be bought anymore because album sales don't provide the return on the investment — you can't take a shortcut around putting the time you need into growth. But that's okay, because you have a lot to do to get your career off the ground, and frankly you need all the time you can get anyway.
Think of your music career like you think of your time in post-secondary; the idea of spending three to five years building your knowledge and experience seems insurmountable if you look at it as one daunting task, but the reality is that you need to build and grow your relationship with your potential bandmates and peers — local scene members from booking agents to music writers — in addition to your audience in person and online. You also need to build a presence online through your website and social profiles, and all of that without scratching the surface of the business side of being in a band. So take your time, because you need it.
On a personal note, I want to draw your attention to the departure of our beloved editor Erika Faust after over three years with Interrobang. She has been a driving force for quality in the paper, challenging writers, designers and everyone involved to strive for the highest level of quality possible, and I couldn't have lasted as long as I have without her incredible insight, guidance and patience. While the quality and direction of Interrobang will surely carry on uncompromised, it's certainly due to the considerable accomplishments of a very gifted writer and editor. Cheers to you Erika, and congratulations! I'm out of words.
Reports conflict on the license amounts, but NBC allegedly paid up to $250,000 to play The Beatles' “Lovely Rita” once while Tom Hanks appeared on the show, and up to $500,000 for a one-time use of the Rolling Stones' “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,” casting an expensive light on a side of the music business that usually remains pretty quiet.
Music licensing doesn't normally attract a lot of attention, but it's one of the few ways that music can still be profitable — behind every instance in which we interact with music on a day-to-day basis, from commercial radio to television ads, background music at a restaurant to telephone hold music at a hospital. An extensive rubric exists to mandate the fees for businesses and commercial works by their size and influence, though typically even licenses for film or TV commercials don't often exceed a six-figure amount.
Although according to musicnews.com, we may be on the verge of change. While working on her next album, Adele is making headlines as she considers an expensive new licensing deal following the recent expiry of her existing agreement. Experts are projecting this is going to be a huge deal in light of the success she saw with two smash albums and the powerful title track from Skyfall, the latest film in the James Bond franchise. Rumours have it the British singer is considering a new agreement that could be worth in excess of £10 million.
Although the industry is kind of broken, there are still occasional success stories like this one, as astronomically improbable as being discovered on YouTube and becoming an international superstar. Now more than ever, there really aren't any such things as overnight success stories.
Finding success in music takes a long time, there's no other way to go about it. Don't be fooled by legends of the old industry; decades past have their lore about drugs, money and power, but the fact is simply that success in music can't be bought anymore because album sales don't provide the return on the investment — you can't take a shortcut around putting the time you need into growth. But that's okay, because you have a lot to do to get your career off the ground, and frankly you need all the time you can get anyway.
Think of your music career like you think of your time in post-secondary; the idea of spending three to five years building your knowledge and experience seems insurmountable if you look at it as one daunting task, but the reality is that you need to build and grow your relationship with your potential bandmates and peers — local scene members from booking agents to music writers — in addition to your audience in person and online. You also need to build a presence online through your website and social profiles, and all of that without scratching the surface of the business side of being in a band. So take your time, because you need it.
On a personal note, I want to draw your attention to the departure of our beloved editor Erika Faust after over three years with Interrobang. She has been a driving force for quality in the paper, challenging writers, designers and everyone involved to strive for the highest level of quality possible, and I couldn't have lasted as long as I have without her incredible insight, guidance and patience. While the quality and direction of Interrobang will surely carry on uncompromised, it's certainly due to the considerable accomplishments of a very gifted writer and editor. Cheers to you Erika, and congratulations! I'm out of words.
