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How Music Works: Youbloom — teaching you how to make a living from music

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Donal Lunny youbloom
Donal Lunny, one of the artists taking part in this year’s Youbloom festival and conference for bands and musicians. Photograph: Aidan Crawley

The old music industry models have splintered and shattered in different directions and platforms. Beyoncé just released a visual album that was announced via a HBO TV special. Drake streamed Views From The Six exclusively on Apple Music. Kanye West continues to tinker away on The Life Of Pablo after its been released. Adele doesn’t tour if she can help it. Taylor Swift still refuses to stream her hit album 1989 on Spotify.

That level of impact and control is reserved for the megastars, those who are lucky to have established themselves and have an audience listening – the 1 per cent? Everyone else is still figuring out how they can make their art their life’s work. Those people are the focus of Youbloom, a conference and music festival taking place in Dublin next month.

“Seventy-five per cent of the revenues of the music business go to the superstars – which numbers maybe the low hundreds worldwide,” says Phil Harrington, the CEO of Youbloom. “So it’s not the 1 per cent, it’s the .0001 per cent of artists that earn the most. The rest take the crumbs, not even, the crumb off the table. It’s very unbalanced.”

The new DIY and the old industry

Youbloom’s aim is to help those crumb-earning independent musicians succeed on their own terms by to empower them with knowledge about how music works, facilitating networking and a connect to established and experienced industry figures.

“The question I thought to myself, that became central to Youbloom , is ‘What is it going to take for an artist to make a decent living, if they’re good enough?” says Harrington. “What has to happen? How is this going to be solved?”

Today’s bands can utilize social media, crowdfunding, data analytics, new tech and platforms to get noticed but Harrington says these modern tools have yet to translate into career sustainability and that a lot of opportunities can still come from the old-school idea of networking and showcasing.

“We haven’t yet got to a place where the science and the art of using these tools results in more and more artists becoming viable, but it is coming.”
Now coming into its fourth year in Dublin (it is taking place for the third time in Los Angeles later this year), Youbloom’s purpose has previously included the idea of a data co-op between artists to a song contest as suggested by Bob Geldof.

Geldof invested in Harrington’s forays into video when he acquired the rights to JVC in the early 1980s. They shared an accountant and Harrington got to know more about the music business as a result.

Before that, Harrington had trained as a doctor, but he developed an interest in alternative medicine, which lead to music therapy under the name Voce, something he has done at raves, Burning Man festival and Irish prisons in Portlaoise and Spike Island. At the workshops, Harrington teaches a technique of “releasing your voice in order to explore your inner self.”

“When I do them, I wake up the next day feeling so renewed, everything is back in alignment. It’s a healing experience.”
Harrington’s interest in helping people through music transfers to Youbloom. Once the song contest was established, Nigel Grainge, who signed Thin Lizzy, Sinead O’Connor and Geldof’s Boomtown Rats, got involved by listening to the song contest entries and the idea morphed into the Youbloom music festival and summit.
‘A band or singer-songwriter is basically a little microbusiness’

This year’s event features panels about music synchronisation, approaching the media, music rights, US artist visas, royalties and touring Brazil. There are opportunities for networking and speed sessions.

“Our tagline is learn, connect, play,” says Harrington. “The first tenet of that is the artist learning the business of music. A band or singer-songwriter is basically a little microbusiness. It’s a complex business – there are lot of different elements to understand. Most artists don’t expect to be signed to a major label now. They understand that they have to do a lot themselves.“

Speakers at the conference are drawn largely from the established industry, including publisher of DIY Magazine Rupert Vereker, publisher Steve Lindsay, lawyer Eileen O’Gorman, artist manager and arts immigration expert Matthew Covey and Irish musician Donal Lunny.

“We reserve spots for artists to engage with the industry. On top of that we create mixtapes and collect data from the band and we promote them to industry, the partners and sponsors. If we see an opportunity to connect a band to an industry person – whether it’s management, sync or otherwise, we’ll make it happen.”

Adopt a band

At night, the focus moves to seven Dublin city venues featuring performances from Irish and international bands, playing for the industry and fans alike.
Artists who apply via Sonicbids and Youbloom’s own database are assessed based on social media engagement, live activity, Youtube live performances, fanbase and their answers to the Youbloom application form. The artists that are invited must pay their own way.

“Bands finance themselves to come in. The business model doesn’t afford to be able to pay those expenses. What we see are bands coming in from the US or South America and they put together a tour over two or three weeks and apply to a bunch of festivals and conferences and if they’re accepted it forms the basis of their tour.

“We do a thing called adopt a band. The local artist adopt the band coming in to Dublin. They help them with accommodation, get them gear and help them out.”
Youbloom success stories have included bands signing publishing deals, recording with an established producer, touring opportunities and management.

“We had a band called Cartoon from Brazil who played both in London and LA; they brought both the industry and the local audience to their gigs. They ended up getting signed to a Japanese label.”

Harrington says the bands that are interested in connecting to experienced industry at Youbloom are those who understand what they need to be proactive in order to make a living out of their music to make even a sliver of what the Beyoncés and Drakes are making.

“The A&R guys used to help out the bands by offering advice and talking to them. Then 10 or 12 years ago, they disappeared when the budgets at the major labels dried up. Artists were still doing gigs but the A&R people weren’t there. Then, three or four years ago, the bands would get down to business after the show, instead of partying. That’s something you’re seeing more and more – the artists realise they have to do it for themselves.”

Youbloom takes place from June 1st to 3rd in Dublin. Tickets are €100 for the weekend.

A Californian in Dublin: Travels of a Busker

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It takes a lot of nerve to walk out on the street with an instrument in hand and start playing and singing for everyone to hear. But what about hopping on a plane and walking out onto the streets of a totally foreign city to do the same? That takes more than nerve – that takes cojones. Californian busker Albert Khalbourji did just that when he flew to Ireland with only one thing in mind: to share his music. Along the way, he had more than his fair share of adventures, which he recounts for youbloom here in A Californian in Dublin: Travels of a Busker.

Busking in Dublin

DAY ONE

I arrived in Dublin from England on the 15th of March ready to busk my heart away! I had my guitar and harmonica and my handy dandy backpack. I was determined to start playing as soon as I got off the rather short flight but the weather was against me. It was extremely cold. In California, where I’m from, the weather had never affected my busking, so this was new. I headed off to Blessington, the place I would call home for the next two weeks!

I left the shop with my guitar and walked through the beautiful St. Stephen’s Green Park. I thought I had seen a lot of green in England but Ireland is engulfed with nature!

DAY TWO

The next time I went to Dublin was St. Patrick’s Day. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining brighter than I had seen in awhile! I figured I would go into town and play on Grafton Street. On the bus to Dublin I met this nice lady named Ciara who struck up a conversation about music with me. We were talking about all sorts of bands, most of whom I’ve never heard, but then we got onto the topic of why I was in Ireland. Why hadn’t I stayed in sunny California? The truth was, I was determined to share my music with the world and what better place to take my folky acoustic style to than Ireland!? I didn’t end up busking on St. Patrick’s Day, opting instead to hang out with some great Irish people and celebrate a great holiday!

No one turned their heads to listen, but that was something I was used to; not everyone has time to listen. The world is changing, people are continuously on the move.

DAY THREE

I was starting to get the hang of taking the bus into Dublin (might I add the buses have Wifi!?). Today was the day I would go into town and busk my heart away. I arrived in Dublin and went to a sandwich shop. I can’t recall the name, but they made fantastic sandwiches. I didn’t know what I wanted so I told them to surprise me! And they did! It was called a California Chicken – an amazing sandwich. I left the shop with my guitar and walked through the beautiful St. Stephen’s Green Park. I thought I had seen a lot of green in England but Ireland is engulfed with nature!

One thing I noticed while I was in Ireland is that the people are very caring and they appreciate good music!

Travels of a Busker
Albert with hero and legend Donovan!

I found myself on Grafton street and felt intimidated by the many passing people. I made my way to the pub from the night before and found a little flower stand set up outside. I built up some courage and started to play my guitar little ways away from the flowers. No one turned their heads to listen, but that was something I was used to; not everyone has time to listen. The world is changing, people are continuously on the move. And my acoustic guitar is just too quiet without its amp, meaning I can only play so loud before the sound gets jumbled. Sometimes I will sing but I usually play the harmonica instead. I think it can be agreed that it’s louder and more attractive than my voice!

On the night of the 20th, I missed my bus back to Blessington so I had to stay in Dublin with nothing but my guitar.

The flower lady came up to me and told me to move to a better spot, one she was pointing at, a spot where people would hear me better. One thing I noticed while I was in Ireland is that the people are very caring and they appreciate good music! I began to play and blow my heart into my harmonica and I made my first euro! It’s always exciting to make the first quid. After an hour or so, the weather became more frigid and my fingers froze! Busking in Ireland or England – or anywhere cold, really – takes a lot of willpower. It’s tough just to get up and go outside, nevermind stand in the cold and play. I do a little jig as I play, just to stay warm.

Travels of a Busker
Albert kicking it with Dublin’s own Phil Lynott…statue.

On the night of the 20th, I missed my bus back to Blessington so I had to stay in Dublin with nothing but my guitar.I roamed Grafton street busking from one pub to another because I ran out of money. But I noticed that I made more money when people were drunk, which perhaps is no surprise. People enjoyed my music and I enjoyed their company. As time went on, the colder it became. I wandered around looking for a place to sit because it had begun to rain. I found a shop that was out of the way of the weather and set myself up. I sat and waited til the sunrise came. Not long after the that I got up and started my day. Busking on Grafton street was really an experience I will never forget.

It was like I was lucky the whole time I was there.

FINAL THOUGHTS

One thing that helped me along my journey was carrying my guitar with me all the time. Not only did I get to play but people always seemed shocked that it’s not in a case. I’ve had people in a pub ask me to play a song, so I play something funny like Piano Man on guitar. The whole place starts singing. I’ve even gotten to play a few songs at a pub because the bartender struck up a conversation about my music. All in all, busking around Ireland was very fun and successful. I learned a lot about myself and I can’t wait to go back! It was like I was lucky the whole time I was there.

**Are your cojones the size of Albert’s? Could you busk your way around a city halfway around the world? Have you done it already? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

British Festival Hygiene: Top Tips

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Festivals are all about having fun and enjoying yourself but they aren’t always the most sanitary environments. With everything from rain, mud, hot sun and days without a proper shower, you need all the help you can get to keep up your personal hygiene.

When a double layer of deodorant no longer cuts it you’ll need some ideas for how to stay healthy and hygienic – here are some of our top tips.

Avoid jeans

It’s all about choosing the right clothes. It’s important to remember that even though festivals typically take place in the spring and summer months, in Britain, yeah,  you can expect it to rain.

british festival hygiene
it never fails

You’re going to need to bring a waterproof jacket, but it’s also a good idea to choose clothes that are light and fast-drying. Jeans might look cool, but are neither of those things. There’s nothing as unpleasant as walking around in heavy, soaking jeans – it can lead to a really awful festival experience. In most cases, shorts are a much better idea as they’ll keep you cool when it gets hot but will dry off quickly when the inevitable downpour strikes.

Bring your wellies

Good footwear is vital for your festival wellbeing so make sure you bring a pair of wellies. Failing that, a pair of sturdy walking boots will be fine – just expect them to get quite muddy.

If you don’t have wellies or walking boots you will need to buy some, but make sure you break them in before the festival. If you don’t, you’re likely to end up with painful blisters which won’t be much fun when you’re on your feet all day.

british festival hygiene
boots are best

On the same note it’s a very good idea to bring more changes of socks than you think you will need. Even with boots or wellies, it’s probable that your feet will get wet at some point and if it rains especially heavily you could find yourself in need of dry socks quite often.

Important products

There are some products and items that are absolutely essential to keep your health and hygiene at optimum level at a festival.

Probably the best multi-purpose tool in the festival goer’s arsenal is the wet wipe. Covering all manner of sins, wet wipes are even effective as a shower alternative. Along the same lines it is also a good idea to bring along dry shampoo. You will also benefit enormously from hand sanitiser – perfect for when you just need to clean your hands quickly before eating or drinking.

british festival hygiene
that shower in a can feeling

Finally, you absolutely need to bring toilet roll. There are good and bad festival toilets but you are always going to need to bring along your own toilet paper; do not make the mistake of assuming it will always be provided.

Watch out for the sun

Everyone wants there to be plenty of sunshine during their festival experience but if you are lucky enough to have fantastic weather you need to be prepared for it as well. It’s amazing how hot it can get and you need to make sure that you keep nicely hydrated (and not just by drinking beer). Drink plenty of water throughout the day along with any alcohol.

 

You also need to remember to apply plenty of sun cream. Pick one with a high factor and re-apply at least once a day. You’ll thank yourself when you see fellow festival goers sporting burned backs and legs.

6 Things Your Band Should Be Doing on Facebook

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Creating your online presence and growing your fan base is not as easy as some make it out to be. If you were creating your Facebook page for your music five years ago, this would have been a different story. Few artists had band pages, and it was less difficult to get lost in the shuffle of massive social media notifications.

 

Today, though, you need to have a well thought-out plan if you want to see yourself build a high-quality page with an actual engaged audience of your fans.

 

So how do you do this? Let’s look at this six step plan that will help get you up and running and off to gather those ‘likes’ :

 

  1. Know your target market.

 

In business, you have to know your customer base before you go and open your doors. This also rings true as an artist for creating your Facebook fan base. There are nearly 1.5 billion users on Facebook. It is impossible for all of them to fall in love with your music. Even Taylor Swift has haters, and she’s seen as one of the most popular present-day musicians.

 

However, don’t discount everyone. You want to be specific, but you also want to be creative. What does this mean? While Taylor Swift’s fans may not be yours, it’s important to figure how to find more fans that will like your music. You can use Facebook ads to promote your music. When doing so, be sure to get specific on the types of people you’re targeting — not just age groups. What do they like? What do they dislike? Knowing little intricacies like this can help you expand your audience.

 

  1. Now understand how to ‘speak’ to them.

 

Ok, you have your audience. Now you need to start engaging them with the content you add to your page. You’ll want to keep three things in mind each time you post:

 

  • Speak like your target audience – language is key.
  • Think like them – try to approach the topic from their perspective.
  • Act as they would act – research what causes and events are important to your fan base.

 

A great way to do this is by jumping in on a conversation or cause that your potential fans care about. Here’s an example (albeit a non-musical one): A business that sells used machinery lets their audience know that they care about heart health with a Facebook post. Since this topic is relevant to their audience, they create engagement. This human touch is what lets audiences know you’re worth their time.

facebook

You can also take a look at Facebook’s tip about how to create a two-way conversation. You want to garner a response from your audience and create dialogue. Comments move your content through the news feed more frequently so it is seen by more users.

 

  1. Track which content engages the most people.

 

Not every post you’ll create will see the same response and engagement, so keep track of what types of posts seem to attract your audience more than others. It will be an important way for you to discover what works for your fans and what doesn’t. Some ideas to keep in mind:

 

  • Ask questions on your page. People love to answer easy yes/no inquiries or simple either/or choices. Just make sure it’s relevant to your fans.
  • Photos give your audience something to look at. Keep them interesting and people will keep coming back.
  • Fill-in-the-Blanks type posts help your audience easily weigh in, and keeps your content light and funny.
  • Hold an exclusive contest, like a drawing for two free concert tickets for sharing your page. Keep it simple and don’t do it too often.

 

Now, I’m not saying you should pull a Kanye West here, and tweet controversial things just to get engagement. Instead, put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and create and post information that your audience will truly want to read and see.

 

  1. Content should be real, relaxed and relevant.

 

Keep your content relevant to your audience and relatable. You may not see results right away, but be patient. Don’t start spamming your page with promotional material. This will just annoy your users. You want to build a relationship that will last over time.

facebook

Make sure you foster that relationship with your fans by posting content that feels real to them. This will build trust, and they’re more likely to continue following and sharing. Once you’ve created this rapport, up your game and post more frequently about gigs and shows. If you’ve done it right, your audience will be hungry for more content.

 

  1. Be prompt.

 

Don’t just post something here or there — like twice a day on Monday, nothing until Wednesday and then three times on Friday. This lack of scheduling won’t help your audience recognize when to look for new content from you. Create a schedule and hold to it.

 

Be creative with your scheduled posts. This will help create a rhyme and reason for them. For example, you could do a ‘Music Monday’ post that highlights what you’re listening to that day. It could be a favorite song, band, or album each week. Then poll your audience — ask them what they are playing on repeat.

 

This is an easy way to keep the beginning of the week light and funny — and your audience will be more likely to tune back in during the week for more serious topics. In order to help you stick to your post schedule and topics, make a list in your planner to help you stay organized and on task.

 

  1. Be sure to measure and monitor your results.

 

You can’t make improvements or build off success if you don’t monitor how your content performs and measure its failures and successes. Be sure to look at your page insights and make notes. Know what kind of metrics, like negative feedback, you should be evaluating to improve your reach and engagement with your audience.

 

If you want Facebook to be successful for your band, you have to pay attention to what is being read, shared and commented on. If a post gets absolutely no engagement whatsoever, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad content. It just means you need to look at the types of adjustments needed to do better next time.

 

Now you have the tools to build and optimize your Facebook page successfully — so get out there and find your fans! It’ll take some hard work and dedication, but the little community you create will very much be worth the effort.

The Three P’s of Recording

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The Three P's of Recording

Last week, I went into White Room Studios in Austin, Texas to begin work on Of The Sun’s new EP, Before A Human Path. This marks possibly the 17th anniversary of the first time I’ve ever “laid down tracks”, as they say. While most of my experience in recording has been in either makeshift or home studios, I’ve done more tracking than I can even remember, and the same principles apply to whether you’re making your first demo or you’ve been invited for a guest session at Abbey Road.

P #1 : Be prepared.  Practice. Practice. Practice. If your art means anything to you at all, be sure that you know how you want it to sound and that you can play it the way you want it to sound. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a crust punk band that’s supposed to sound crappy; practice your crappy-sounding part until you can make it sound the way it’s supposed to…every time.

I’ve seen the nicest engineer I’ve ever met turn into a fire-breathing dragon because the band he was recording couldn’t nail a riff in one of their songs, and they “didn’t know what the problem was”. After take 100-something failed and they started in with their excuses, my friend cut them off and said, “Well maybe you should go home and practice!”

It doesn’t matter how much you’re paying for studio time: if you can’t play your song right, no producer can help you.  

The Three P's of Recording

P #2: Be patient.  I know that time is money, recording doesn’t come cheap, and the pressure is on, but if you’ve taken care of the first step, then only a modicum of patience should be required in the first place.

If you or another member of the band fall off the metronome on your first few tries, relax: it’s cool. You can chalk it up to nerves. And it’s okay to be nervous, but you can’t let that shake your resolve to make the record sound as perfect as it can.

If need be, don’t be afraid to take a break and clear your head. Relax. The old adage that says, “You can’t rush art” does have it’s merits.

The Three P's of Recording

P #3: I would have to point to persistence.

This is where the other two also come into play.  You’ve practiced your parts ad infinitum, and you’ve sat through your bandmates’ tracking sessions, and now it’s your turn. When I was younger, I used to take pride in being able to go in and knock out my bass tracks in one day, most tracks taking one or two takes. But when the final product came out, I would always hear parts that I could have played better. Don’t settle for good enough.  

The mix of performance anxiety and pressure to not rack up an exorbitant studio bill will be in the back of your mind, of course. Yet don’t let that dissuade you from making the best use of your time. If there’s something just a little off about your last attempt, keep going.  Your best take could be your next. 

 

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