Dropcards

Dropcards speaks to Favored Nations Records

[As part of our continuing client spotlight series, we are exploring the opinions, advice, and experiences of some of the brightest minds in the entertainment industry. Please feel free to be part of the conversation by emailing us hello@dropcards.com.]

Favored Nations is an independent label started by guitar hero Steve Vai. Household name Guitar Heroes like Tommy Emmanuel, Andy Timmons, Eric Johnson as well Steve Vai all call Favored Nations home. The label has also been aggressive in branching in to wider directions with recent signings of 80’s metallers LA GUNS and comedian Jim Florentine.

 Dropcards VP Steve Ceragno sits with Daniel Dalton, COO at Favored Nations Records

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     Tell me a little bit about how you got the gig with Favored Nations.

 In late 2009, I had just returned home to LA. after graduating from Loyola University New Orleans with a degree in Music Industry Studies. I ended up meeting Steve Vai at his home and he offered for me to come in and intern part time doing work for the label. He also wanted me to work out with him in his home gym (I was running a fitness business at the time.) After only two months of interning, Steve asked me if I would run Favored Nations. Before I knew it, I was overseeing all elements of an established independent label operating worldwide, working directly with one of the most legendary guitarists of all time. I would be diving head first into A&R, licensing, worldwide distribution, digital / new media, marketing, publicity and everything else that came along with running a major business… I was 22 years old. 

     What should bands be doing that get them noticed by a label?

Without question, the most important thing any artist can do is to be great… be beyond great. Make music that is so great that when people hear it they have to call their friends to tell them about it. If you do everything right except that step, you still might run into problems. Greatness is more important than it has ever been. Understand it takes time to get there, but once you’re there, your hard work is recognized and rewarded. I buy every Joe Bonamassa record that comes out… I don’t even need to preview it. I am certain that it’s going to be good, and I like contributing in some small way to an artist that has worked hard to achieve greatness. 

Greatness aside, you need to understand that a record label is a business. While it certainly is more complex and detailed than what I’m about to say, it doesn’t hurt to visualize signing with a label the same way you would signing up for a bank loan. The label will not sign you if they do not think  that at some point they can turn a profit with you. As an artist, the best way that you can convince a label that your band can be profitable, is to already be profitable. I encourage every artist to stop spending their time thinking about what it is a label can do for them, but instead spend all of their time thinking what they can bring to the table themselves. The more an artist goes out and makes things happen for themselves and their band, the more a label will be attracted to them, and the more negotiating power the artist will have when/if they want to join forces with a label.

Is getting your music as mp3s out there and to an audience more important than gigging and building up a fanbase? You often hear that gigging around your local area and beyond is the only way to establish yourself, but is this really less important than spreading your music to a wide audience?

 One is not as effective without the other, in my opinion. You should be doing both. Your live show should be so great that it drives people to buy / download your music, and your music should be so great that it drives them to see you live. This does however bring up an issue that I speak with bands about all the time, which is playing live too much in your local area. When you are a brand new band and you are just starting to get your stage presence together, then I think you should be playing wherever you can as much as you can, preferably in non traditional venues like parties. These gigs aren’t to build a fan base or sell merch as much as they are to make sure your band is tight live and that your show is great. 

 After you get to that point, the all too common mistake that most bands make is to keep playing weekly or bi weekly in the same 20 mile zone, with only a handful of friends showing up most of the time. Stop playing gigs just for the sake of playing gigs. It’s a waste of your time, your money, and it over-saturates your market. Your friends and parents can only stand seeing you play a handful of times. You should only be playing shows that will positively effect your fan base, or are financially rewarding.  

Every time you play live, you need to ask yourself, “Why am I playing this show?” Are you opening for a band that is of the same style but has a ton more fans? That’s a good reason, but you better make sure you have an email list, merch, and promotional material ready to nab those fans and make them your own, or else you’re just wasting your time. Give them a dropcard, so they don’t forget your band’s name by the time they drive home. Maximize your gigs. Play events or venues that have a built in audience with similar tastes and values. Drive one or two hours out of the way to play with a band that has a following in that territory. Make your live show an event. Why would I spend $10 to see your band this week, when I can see them next week at a free show around the corner? Why would I even see that show, knowing that I could see you play just about any time? Be creative. 

    Can you tell me how you approach Social media for the label?

Since Favored Nations at it’s core is a guitar label, and my feeling being that great guitar playing is a most impressive visual experience, I like utilizing videos of our artists which we can feature on social media outlets. Social media by nature is so immediate that it has become one of our main tools for promotion. Through our facebook/twitter we’re always featuring giveaway contests, videos, mp3s, and news updates. Additionally, Favored Nations has it’s own digital outlet called Digital Nations, which a lot of artists are finding is a more proactive and cost efficient way to continuously release their music as opposed to the cost involved with physical distribution.

What pitfalls or fads should a band avoid not to waste time on?

Don’t take shortcuts… with anything.  If a band hires a second rate web artist to make them a second rate website for a second rate fee, I’m going to think they’re a second rate band when they show it to me. It’s very difficult to correct a bad first impression. The same can be said for an artist that sends me a demo in a paper sleeve with a sharpee track list and a note that says “Our singer had bronchitis during these recordings, so keep that in mind.” It’s the equivalent of writing your resume with crayon on a Denny’s napkin; it doesn’t matter if you have all of the qualifications. Your lack of care for your presentation will kill your success. 

I know that it’s not cheap to pay for quality, but stop thinking of it as an expense and start thinking of it as an investment. Convincing people that you’re already successful is half the battle towards achieving success. Fake it till you make it. 

 If you’re in a band, make the small investment to have a band agreement drafted by a lawyer to outline the inner-workings of your band. Do this early on, before money and success complicate the issue. More bands have probably broken up over this than anything, and it only costs a couple hundred dollars and an uncomfortable, yet necessary conversation. 

     One of the things I did as a musician was ignore rejection, and always kept a positive outlook. Would you agree with the old Joe Perry quote “Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing?”

 I suggest taking the time to have an honest conversation with yourself and list all of the things you have ultimately decided in your heart you want to do, and how you plan on doing them. From there, you must pursue it beyond your fullest extent and with no apologies. You must be willing to do the things that nobody else wants to do to get there. If friends or family get in your way and try to convince you that you can’t accomplish your dreams, get rid of them. Don’t let anyone bring you down. If this is what you really want, it won’t be a difficult decision.   

Favored Nations have been known to be creative in offering a lot of ‘value adds’ to enhance the value of your release for your fans and customers.  Most recently Dropcards did a VIP Pass for Steve Vai’s vinyl release “Where the Wild Things Are” containing the ‘Naked Tracks’ as well as a chance to meet Steve at a live concert. How important is it for a band/artist to create added value for their fans?

 Added value, in my opinion, is the name of the game now. This is especially true in a rough economy. If I have $10 to spend on music, I want to get the most bang for my buck. The two factors at play are quality and convenience. I also think having a choice is important. I like having packages available on artist’s websites. It is extremely valuable, and it gives the fan a choice. For instance maybe Package A has a CD, Tshirt and poster for $20, package B has a CD, vinyl, tshirt, poster and signed mug for $40, and package C has the same as package B plus a meet and greet and limited edition guitar strap for $80. From my understanding, research has shown that the more expensive and involved package is usually the most popular. Give people a choice, and collect their information so you can keep them up to date with all of your happenings. 

Lastly, as a guitar player and established musician yourself, who is the one artist you would love to jam with????

 For the last 10 years, I haven’t gone to bed at night without visualizing myself jamming to “Movin’ Out” with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. I know you said one artist, but it’s gotta be those two. I’m excited to make that happen; it’ll happen.   

Dropcards Holiday Savings

Bust out the stockings.  It’s that time of the year when all of your fans, loved ones, and loyal followers get download cards.   We honestly can’t think of a better gift idea.
 
To help alleviate the stress of your holiday shopping, we’ll be offering 20% your orders until January 15th and throw in some free ground shipping* when you use coupon code: HOLIDAYSROCK on your next order.
 
Check out our portfolio for ideas and inspiration for your next project.
 

*Offer applies to orders of 10,000 cards or less.  Free shipping applies to FedEx ground in the U.S. only. Limit one per customer. Expires January, 15th 2012.

Get Dropcards Through Your Orchard Account!

Dropcards speaks to Century Media

[As part of our continuing client spotlight series, we are exploring the opinions, advice, and experiences of some of the brightest minds in the entertainment industry. Please feel free to be part of the conversation by emailing us hello@dropcards.com.]

Century Media Records became a major independent label in the 1990’s with the signing of bands like Iced Earth, Eyehategod, and Nevermore. These bands would go on to become quite popular in their respective genres. Century Media has broken major metal bands like Lacuna Coil and Shadows Fall, and has had tremendous success in the past year in developing great new bands like Turisas and Vampires Everywhere. 

Dropcards VP Steve Ceragno sits with Brian Sharp, COO at Century Media.

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Steve: How long have you been with Century Media and how did you get started there?

Brian:  I’m about to start my 15^th year with Century Media.  I originally started working at Metal Blade Records in 1993 while I was simultaneously working at a record store.  I worked at Metal Blade until the end of 1997 when a former Metal Blade employee, Marco Barbieri, convinced me to come to Century Media.  So I started with Century Media in January, 1998.  

Steve: What was your reason for going into the music industry?

Brian: I have always been a huge music fan for my entire life so when I graduated college and was about to start grad school I decided to take some time off from school and got a job at a local record store.  From there I started interning at Metal Blade Records and eventually started working there fulltime.  So I guess my reason for going into the music industry is because I’ve always loved all types of music and got tired of going to school. 

Steve: What should bands be doing that will get them noticed by a label?

Brian: As far as rock bands, I think the key is putting on a great live show and creating a buzz through your live shows.  If you start consistently selling out local shows, promoters will notice and will talk.  Other bands will notice and want you to play with them or promoters will want you on shows when national acts come through.  All of this will lead to being noticed by the people either at labels or who talk to labels.

Steve: As a musician in a band, I was always focused on understanding how the business side of music worked. What do you think most bands are lacking in understanding how the music business works?

Brian: Now days I think bands have a much better understanding of how the music business works.  There is a lot more information available and you can even take classes in how the music industry operates.  One thing that musicians need to be aware of is that if they do get a deal with a record label, that’s when their work really starts.  Especially with rock bands it means they need to tour constantly to build their reputation as a live act and establish a fan base.  It means doing interviews with as many outlets as possible and always being available.  There is a lot of work involved if you want to make a career out of being a professional musician and it can be very rewarding and lucrative but it is still a job and you need to recognize that with that comes responsibilities and sometimes it can involve tedious stuff that you don’t want to do.  Most of the bands on our label can tell you about signing thousands of promo materials for give-aways and specials or having to get up early for interviews when it was the last thing they wanted to do. 

Steve: What’s the difference between a distribution deal and a recording deal?

Brian: From an artist’s point of view, a distribution deal could be for distributing a master which has already been recorded in the final version.  This could also be a licensing deal where an artist would own the copyright to the master and license it to a label for a determined amount of time.  During the term the label would have the rights to produce, distribute and hopefully profit off of the master.  A classic recording deal is when the label pays for the recording of the master and typically owns the master for perpetuity afterwards.  This means that the label has the rights to produce, distribute and profit from the master forever. 

Steve: Century Media has set up pre-release campaigns for new albums by offering a ‘limited edition Dropcards’ on a lanyard with collector art and having the bands sign the cards for sale at venue that the artists are playing at. Has it increased awareness for the artists?

Brian:  I think it has increased awareness for the bands to the degree that the Dropcards have probably gotten into the hands of fans who might not have listened to the bands otherwise.   Dropcards are an inexpensive bonus that we can add to our specials.  Anything we can add helps the pre-order look more attractive especially if it is exclusive digital content.

Steve: Lastly, Yankees or Red Sox?

Brian:  Since I grew up in Los Angeles and remember all too well how Reggie Jackson and the Yankees would demolish the Dodgers during the championships in the 1970s, I’m inclined to say Red Sox.  I never had any ill will for the Red Sox, especially since they had such a long dry spell without winning the World Series, but I’m starting to get tired of them recently.  Although I will say, as a Dodger fan, I’d root for either the Yankees or the Red Sox over the San Francisco Giants!

Fall into Dropcards

Fall is finally here on the East Coast of the US. The weather is getting colder, the leaves are turning brown, and the worst part is there’s no more baseball until Spring training.  That said, we’re droppin’ some knowledge on you with an interview with Century Media COO Brian Sharp and talking about our recent project for Batman: Arkman City. Let’s get started, shall we?

Got Video games? Dropcards recently provided download cards for the Batman: Arkham City videogame available in the Collector’s Edition of the PS3 and Xbox. To gave gamers another reason to buy the Collector’s Edition, a Dropcard was inserted as part of the Collector’s Edition Bonus. The soundtrack features 12 original tracks by Daughtry, Panic! At The Disco, Coheed and Cambria, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and more. Every artist featured on the soundtrack contributed their own exclusive interpretations of the stories surrounding Batman in the songs they wrote.  With the Holidays coming, we officially have this on our list for Santa.

Halloween at Dropcards.We’ll give 100 Free Dropcards for the first person to correctly guess who our Customer Relations Managers Melissa and Kristen are dressed as for Halloween. 

Here’s your hint - Party on, Dropcards!

E-mail your guess to Hello@Dropcards.com

Check Out Our New Dashboard. It’s Cool #%@!.

Dropcards, the industry leader in custom music download cards for bands and artists, is proud to announce the release of our new and improved client services dashboard.  The new and improved web application allows customers to manage their download card projects in a better online environment that takes advantage of advances in web technologies, the most notable of which being HTML5.

Users will immediately notice a cleaner, more simple, interface design that carries through to more fan-facing areas of the platform such as a new “artist profile” and embeddable download manager that is completely free of Flash dependence, allowing it to function on a larger range of devices.

Managing Dropcards projects from your dashboard is also even easier and more powerful than before with new features such as the ability to update ID3 tags on the fly, import media from one project in your account to another with the click of a button, and the ability to view and export more granular data on fans who redeemed your card.

Additionally, Dropcards customers now have the option to select alternative hosting methods for powering their download card projects.  Users will still have the option to create an artist profile on www.dropcards.com or use our embeddable download manager to run a project on their own website, but now have the alternate option of using the services offered by third-party companies like our friends at Topspin by simply by exporting codes from their preferred service and then uploading them during the Dropcards checkout process.

Since our inception in 2004, Dropcards has been dedicated to making download card technology user friendly for our customers and their fans alike and these new developments are no exception to that philosophy.  We’re really stoked about these new changes and think that you will be too.

Sign up today for free at www.dropcards.com to take a test drive of the improvements or check out their webinar on Thursday, October 20th at 3PM EST to watch a live demo.  Click here to register.

Hand out some Dropcards this summer.

Remember merch tables? They are these wooden, sometimes plastic objects that display your band’s merchandise for people who like your music and want to buy some stuff.  Sometimes they hold t-shirts, LP’s, and various items with your bands name printed on them.  I recently visited some of these at a music festival this summer and was happy to see a lot of Dropcards sprawled out with signs that said “Take one, they’re free”.

One of the most important things we can do as musicians is promote own music. Obviously you see the value in your art and by telling people about your shows, upcoming albums and updates they are kept interested in what you’re doing.  Of course it’s important to build a fan base online and eat breath and sleep social networking sometimes, but it’s important to remember the other side of the spectrum. It’s called real life.

Have some human interactions and hand out some Dropcards at your next show. It’s fun.  

Dropcards Summer Style

Roll out the lawn chairs and coolers! It’s that time of the year again. A new summer of music events and releases is underway, and in preparation our staff is standing by to help out with all of your download card needs.  With a range of sizes, Dropcards is your one stop shop for promotional Dropcards and Droptags in our standard, event pass, or VIP pass sizes.  Give your fans a souvenir Dropcard that includes exclusive downloads from your next release or a live recording or your show.  You can even hook up your crew, staff, and VIP’s with some sweet event badges for no frill access to your event. We’ll even help you design them!

Check out all of products Dropcards has to offer here.

Check out these summer specials!
(some limitations may apply)

1) Free Set-Up on orders of 2500 or more. (Mention this blog add when you order!)
2) Buy one order of cards, get your next order for 10% off (within 6 months when you mention this ad)

We’re Hiring: General Manager

About our company 

Established in 2007, Dropcards works with some of the world’s largest entertainment companies and consumer brands to create music download cards and code based promotions.  Our clients range from local musicians and independent record companies to major labels, movie studios and Fortune 500 consumer brands.

We are located in the New York Metro area of New Jersey, USA.  You can visit us online at http://www.dropcards.com.

This is a full-time position and you must be able to work out of our office in Parsippany, New Jersey. 

About this position

The role of General Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a small sales and customer service staff.  This team is responsible for servicing our customers on an in-bound basis as well as achieving a pre-determined amount of daily outbound communications to build and maintain relationships with our customers.  You will be responsible for managing this team to ensure that they are properly servicing our clients and hitting outbound communication goals.

Additional responsibilities include monitoring and consulting on market outreach and product development in addition to forming your own relationships with new clients.

Requirements:

Requirements for this position include:

• 10+ years work experience, with 5+ years of previous sales management experience.
• Strong background in the music and entertainment industry on both an independent and major label level.
• High-energy, enthusiastic personality with the ability to direct professionals and manage others through influence and cooperation.
• Knowledge and understanding of current Internet technologies and trends.
• Ability to occasionally travel for meetings and trade conferences (SXSW, NARM, etc.).
• Experience and discipline in using enterprise level CRM software.

We offer:

Competitive base salary, health and dental benefits, 401k, department performance bonuses and the best work environment in the North Jersey area.

Interested in applying?

Please send a resume along with a cover letter and salary history to jobs (at) dropcards.com with the subject line “General Manager – Dropcards”. Please do not call our office. We will contact you once we receive and review your information.

Pre-Sell Your Album With Dropcards

Pre-selling an album is one of the easiest ways to generate a buzz and get fans excited about your new record.  Selling a download card puts the album in your fans hand before it’s even available. It also gives you time to plan your pre-sale strategy and reward your fans along the way. 

The key to a good pre-sale is to carefully plan ahead and send a clear message to your fans about the perks of pre-ordering. What’s included? For example, our client Bullet For My Valentine included a free video of the making of one of their songs to insentivize the pre-order of their album Fever.  By using a Dropcard they were able to give fans a “key” they could use to unlock the album download later.

Here are some other ideas to consider:

- Sell your pre-order Dropcard as part of a merch package.

- Give your fans a discount for buying the album early.

-  Include bonus material on the Dropcard that will not be on the record.

- Use the Dropcard for the album download as well a fan club card for discounts at shows.

 - Make the Dropcard a VIP pass for your album release show.

Take it from bands like The Word Alive, Eisley, Bullet For My Valentine, The Hold Steady and Kylesa.  Pre-orders are the way to go.  For ideas and tips, give us a call at (800) 608-2811 or shoot us an email.  We’d be happy to help you plan your next pre-order with Dropcards.