The art of hustle

“Their problem is, they’re functioning in the old system of waiting to be swept off their feet by a label or some giganto marketing push that’s going to propel them to stardom,” says a record executive who has met with the band and asked not to be named. “The new paradigm calls for you to take care of your own niche first.”

The new paradigm. Maximizing outside revenue streams. Monetizing digital content. CDs as loss leaders. More and more you hear these buzz phrases thrown around by the type of people who, back in the ’90s, would’ve been arguing abstractly about whether Kurt Cobain was a hypocrite or a savior. It’s finally a DIY world (bereft of political context, of course). Musicians across all genres are necessarily, obsessively business-minded; it’s not just gimme-the-loot rappers anymore. Since the Internet can reach millions of consumers directly, even standard indie labels may soon be pass é — managers and booking agents wield the influence. The money isn’t in record sales (down 20 percent this year), but in diversifying your brand beyond hoodie/T-shirt merch — just recently, press releases have hyped Beck’s Sketchel shoulder bag, an All-American Rejects-designed Pepsi can, a skate-shoe partnership between Etnies and Chester Bennington’s tattoo studio, and an Urban Outfitters indie-rock tour featuring the Ponys, Voxtrot, and Tapes ‘N Tapes. Artists who have yet to release a record are pursuing publishing and sponsorship deals. One of the most talked-about indie bands of the past few years — Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — is perhaps more notable for its no-label business model than its music.

But the problem with a DIY approach is that you have to do it yourself. And that means a generation of artists who spend countless hours attempting to manage their own affairs and hustle every angle. But what if you’re not Pete Wentz or Jay-Z or Arcade Fire? What if you can’t trade on a punk or hip-hop or indie tradition? What if your numerous marketing ideas haven’t quite panned out? What if you’ve got a killer MySpace page and consistently draw 300 people in clubs three states away and sell several thousand copies of your self-released record, but can barely pay the rent? What if you were a passing industry fancy a couple years back, but now that you’re a far better band, interest has waned? What if you’re so anxious to jump-start your career that you let your manager come hat in hand to the freaking guy from Hinder?

What if you’re Uncrowned?

Supporting musicians with successful strategies on a budget.

Come by our page, theres plenty to pick up about new developments in the music industry in our blogs and theres a whole lot of free info and articles at our self promotions hub. Get some scope checking out our overview of online promotion strategies and if you’re interested our artist packages or brand new campaign packages including CD’s, posters and a dedicated online distribution, promotion and videomarketing program.

All the best with your music, from Kurb
For direct enquiries get us on gmail as kurbpromo