Tyrone Corbett, Producer, Shares Recording Secrets on Blog Talk Radio
It’s not often you have the attention of an esteemed independent producer like Tyrone Corbett for a full 60-minutes. Corbett is half of the powerhouse duo that makes magic at Bo-Ty Productions, LLC. The other half of Bo-Ty Productions, LLC is Robert Donzella, and together this record label and production team is raising the stakes in independent music.
Today, Tyrone Corbett will critique two tracks generously donated by F-Jam Collaboration Studios on Rising Star University powered by Blog Talk Radio. The tracks, “Jazz Junket,” and “No Time To Waste” are in the working stage of production. You’ll be able to hear and learn how a track takes shape and form and understand how “it takes a village” to make music happen the right way.
Bo-Ty Productions, LLC recently dropped four winning tunes that are catching fire. Anwar Robinson, Season 4 American Idol Finalist, released “Night’s Hot” and “Exceptional,” while Bryan Galligan, The Prince of Pop, is turning heads with “Little Pompeii” and “2nd Time Around.” Corbett will also take time to comment on the production of these hits.
Blog Talk Radio offers a wide array of listening and participation options: You can stream the show live via internet by clicking http://www.blogtalkradio.com/musician-edition and talk to other listeners in the chat room. The chat room is a great place to write in questions or send in shout-outs. With option two, you can listen live via phone by dialing 347 884 9980 . Option 3 is the ‘listener’s” option where you can stream any broadcast any time you like. The show is archived and available for listening at all times. Option 4 gives you the ability to subscribe to the Musician-Edition podcast and and always have the latest broadcasts delivered right to your playlist or iPod/iPhone. Finally, option 5 is On-Demand. Visit the web page at Musician-Edition and scroll down to the “On Demand” episodes. You’ll be able to download an MP3 or share the broadcast with a friend.
Tyrone Corbett and Robert Donzella are names you’ll want to remember in the music business. Their companies, “Bo-Ty Productions, LLC,” and “9 Mile Road Music Publishing” will soon be household names.
Rising Star University is open to the general public through Blog Talk Radio. Rising Star Artists‘ musicians hear from an industry insider or expert where a broad range of topics are covered. Rising Star University is a great way for musicians to learn some of the tricks that are used in the music biz. Starting in October, Rising Star Artists’ members will also receive a narrated slide show with more in-depth information and helpful links.
To register for Rising Star University Alerts, click HERE to fill out the form.
Music Review – American Idol Anwar Robinson “Night’s Hot”
Night's Hot
New music always excites me. I crack open the CD or watch the bar move as the download is delivered from my wireless. Today, I’m breaking down a new track from Anwar Robinson, called “Night’s Hot”.
The song is a perfect romantic ballad-like tune that draws you into the night. It has an earthy aphrodisiac quality that wafts around you like a fine perfume. Before you know it, you’re knee deep in the mood of the song. Even after the song ends, you’ll notice a lasting romantic state of mind.
Anwar blows out some great riffs…urban and earthy. The background vocals are smooth, sweet and sexy. Impressive from the first note, “Night’s Hot” is mixed to perfection. The instrumentals are flawless and you get an old school soul vibe juxtaposed with Anwar’s trademark style – polished and steamy. It’s no accident that Robinson was a Top Ten finalist on Idol.
I need to comment on the production quality of this track. “Night’s Hot” starts off with a catchy drum beat that anchors it’s earthy ambiance. The background instrumental arrangements have heat, so put your headphones on and listen for all the little little nuggets weaving in and out.
After some checking, I found out that “Night’s Hot” was produced by Bo-Ty Productions. The studio has been cranking out hits for a few years and recently decided to embrace the power of the internet. Tyrone Corbett and Robert Donzella have a catalog that would make any major label drool with envy. Just goes to show how much of an impact Indie Music labels are having on the music industry. Indie labels and music are putting major labels on notice when they produce quality music like “Night’s Hot.
Break-Out Production Company is a Star Maker
Bo-Ty Productions lights up the music industry.
- Most overnight success stories come from years of hard work, perseverence and sweat equity. Bo-Ty Productions takes the conventions of those qualities to weave a fabric of timeless music. Every artist produced by Bo-Ty is assured to get that “A” list polish that doesn’t wear off with time. So, why write about a production company? Isn’t it the artist that supplies the talent?
Artists come in all degrees of experience. If you looked through a kalidescope you’d see how the facets change with a slight twist of the lens. There are a gigabytes of statistics to back me up. Patrick Foster, Media Correspondent for the London Times wrote an in-depth article about digital music sales, in December of 2008. Foster writes, “…more than 10 million of the 13 million tracks avalable on the internet failed to find a single buyer last year.” Will Page, chief economist of the MCPS-PRS alliance (the UK royalty collection society), found that for the online singles market, 80% of all revenue came from around 52,000 tracks. Most of the 52,000 tracks sold went to big hits…Alicia Keys, Rhianna, Lil Wayne, Josh Groban, Taylor Swift…you get the idea.
When I listen to the tracks that sell, I’m struck by the gap. Josh Groban has a magnificent singing voice and I don’t have to look up the crawl to see who’s singing. Same goes for Lil Wayne’s voice – it has style and character, but I don’t put him in the same catagory as Luther Vandross. So what makes a Lil Wayne tune so memorable? Production. His producers take his talents and amplify them so he sounds like a super star. Josh Groban’s voice stands on its own, but he only writes a few of his songs. He needs to find music that fits his voice and style. No one can be a hit making superstar on their own.
Back to why write about a production company. If recording artists want sales, they have to take a raw, serious look at their production value. Yes, you can buy recording equipment. You can even auto-tune. Not the point. While some self-produced music is very good, there are too many mediocre songs that make music searches more of a chore than an adventure. So why not take the plunge and ‘Go Pro’ without worrying how to differentiate your tracks from the other 10 million tracks gathering dust on download shelves.
Bo-Ty Productions is a star factory. It’s amazing to me that most people I talk to aren’t aware of them. I’ve been aware of them for years and am never surprised by the dedication and commitment they give to every single project they produce. Principals Tyrone Corbett and Robert Donzella know how to squeeze out every drop of talent in an artist and then kick it up a notch. What’s so great about this company is that you don’t have to dig out evey coin under the seat cushions – they are as modest about their superstar talents and their pricing. The contrast of modest pricing and superior production is what makes Bo-Ty Productions such a find. With a long history of music biz experience and talent behind them, Bo-Ty Productions is one of the industry’s best kept secrets…until now.
Bo-Ty is about to make a splash on the music scene. Not only are they releasing two chart worthy singles; “Night’s Hot” by Anwar Robinson and “Little Pompeii” by Bryan Galligan, they’re kicking in the doors of cyber space and are launching both their production and publishing sites at the same time. Visit Bo-Ty Productions now to get your project off the ground.
Gettin’ Indie With it – EMI sues Grooveshank
I just read a blog from Hypebot that talks about yet another war between majors and start-ups. The roadblocks are extraordinary. If I had a catalog numbering in the millions I would do anything I could to proliferate the music in any way possible. The major 4 labels have no trouble making deals with Google or Virgin Records, but God forbid, a new start-up is on the horizon and all they can think of is sabatoge. Have they looked at their sales lately? Makes you wonder.
It’s not that I dislike major labels – I LOVE THEM. There are times like these that make me scratch my head and think, huh? Music is a medium that’s perfect for sharing. Of course, there are certain tunes, you want to keep to yourself because they hold some special meaning in your life…but the majority of the time, you want to reach out to your friends and say, “Look what I found!” . Does it really matter if you share you music through iTunes or NewTunes (I just made NewTunes up).
Sharing music is a completely organic experience. You can talk about a tune for days…you can be surprised by hearing the tune as you are out for lunch at a restaurant. What else but music can cause a table of people can say in unison, “I love that song!” or “Who is that?”, or “I really want to get that”. How often do work mates get together and sponteneously react to the same thing? It’s rare and something only music can evoke.
My thinking is that rather than fight with a major and get all distracted by law suits and red tape…why not just add Indie Music to the mix and direct license with them? Better yet, try something like I’m doing where I don’t even offer major label music. Not because I don’t like majors, but because they already have enough distribution to last a lifetime.
It’s the Indie Musician that will rise to the top after these wars are over. You can do your own thing and stay out of the fray. You can team up with sites like mine and build your own following. And, after the spoils of war are over, you’ll be left standing and music people will respect that you took the high road.
The music business is not always friendly and people don’t often get to be ‘rock stars’. It’s publicity like a war on music that gets music fans in a cynical mood. Music lovers are just that. People who love music. Why keep it locked away in a vault where only a handful of people have the combination? If major labels want to see their sales soar, trust the people who love music and open that vault. Otherwise, the catalog will get dusty and go bad, like an untended winecellar.
First Impressions in 30 Seconds
Trouble Selling Your Music? How to put that “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” into your website!
Here’s a staggering fact for you to ponder. Netcraft reported there was a 6 million…yes, an increase of 6 million websites from March 2009 to April 2009. Even more shocking is that there are well over 231 million active websites all trying to get your attention. Think about the odds. You have a 1 in 231 million chance to get noticed on the web. Where do you think that puts you on a search engine …?
I’ve done some research to help you get your music noticed and looked for ways for you to stand out in a very crowded e-market. I want you to be noticed because you’re taking a big risk. Music is a window to your soul and you’ll need a tough skin combined with an open mind to reap the rewards from all the blood, sweat and tears you’ve devoted to your art.
The tips are listed as shake, rattle and roll. There is no particular order for taking action. You don’t need to shake before you rattle or roll.
SHAKE
It’s the music – not you – that potential fans are interested in. I know…I know…you want a website with your name on it and you definitely need one. Music is what you want to sell, yes? Then tell people about your music. Before you select a name for your CD, do a domain search to make sure you can register a domain just for your CD. Do this for every CD you release. Here’s an example of a CD title, ”Thundering Turkeys Burning in Hell”. I checked on the name and amazingly, this name hasn’t been registered. Congrats! You’ve accomplished your first step. Differentiation. You’re already more noticeable.
Next, you’ll need to identify your sound. Of course, no one sounds like you or has ever written anything that sounds like your music, so let’s stipulate that’s a given. Give people who haven’t heard of you or your music get a sense of style by how you describe your music. Your potential fans need a reason to compel them to click. Imagine looking for new music and seeing this description, “You’ve never heard anything like this!”. Is it rock, classical, jazz, pop? There are millions of Cd’s to choose from and I know I don’t have the time to fish for something I’ve never heard before. It could be alligators mating. I don’t know what an alligator sounds like while mating and I’m not anxious to find out. So, I skip right past the unknown and move on to a description that grabs my attention. You’ve got your shake on.
RATTLE
If I were the musician that recorded “Thundering Turkeys Burning in Hell”, I would come up with a few words that capture the essence of my sound. Try this on for size, ”Thundering Turkeys Burning in Hell” is an in your face Marilyn Manson meets Joni Mitchell album. Now I’m curious. I may not like Marilyn Manson’s lyrics, but I love Joni Mitchell. This is a combo I need to hear and definitely worth a click. A music critic/editor/blogger may pick up on the title and say something like: ”Thundering Turkeys Burning in Hell” is devilishly clever and written as profoundly and poetically as any Joni Mitchell song. Regardless of a music lover’s musical taste, you’ll definitely get more clicks. Don’t get stuck in the “there’s nothing out there like this” rut. It’s the carpool lane to invisible-ville.
Invite reviews or comments rather than a simple 5-star rating system. I say give away 100 downloads and instead of payment, ask for an opinion. Maybe even 150 downloads. A common measuring stick for live performances says that if you can get at least 150 people to show up for a gig, you have reach. Reach that’s beyond, family, friends, and associates. Those 100 or 150 downloads is your launching pad. If you can get 100-150 people blogging, writing and talking about you, your reach will expand. If you do this consistently, your next release will go much smoother. If word has gotten out that you give away the first 100 downloads for opinions, fans will be waiting at their screens for the track to appear. Cost to you; $97.50 in advertising that you didn’t have to reach into your pocket for. That’s assuming you gave away 150 downloads and would have earned $0.65 per download. If the tracks had been streamed, your cost would be $4.50 assuming $0.03 per download. Again, not out of pocket and dramatically less expensive than typical advertising.
When the reviews start coming in, don’t take the bad opinions personally. If someone took the time to write, it means they’ve clicked and most importantly, listened. Those opinion writers will talk about your music to others. My take on bad reviews is they may be just constructive criticism written poorly, so read carefully and with an open mind. Even if the review is mean-spirited, you can use it to get attention. ”Here’s what people who hate my music have to say about me”. There’s going to be a buzz about you and the tweets will start flowing. People will want to listen just to see for themselves if it’s really all that bad. You’ve got your rattle on.
ROLL
How often do you reach out to your fans on a personal level? Is it daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, every 6 months, once a year, whenever the mood strikes you? There’s nothing better than an authentic consistent connection to your fans. Why? Sustainability, loyalty, tolerance. You will produce more than one CD. They may not all be as popular as “Thundering Turkeys Burning in Hell”. How can you keep your fans from thinking you’re a one hit wonder and drop you like a Polaroid picture? That’s where consistent contact comes into play and remember the authentic part.
Sustainability applies to you, your sound and your ability to produce music that people will buy.
Loyalty is built by developing relationships and loyalty allows for tolerance. What if your follow-up CD, ”Ant Eating Flesh”, where you’ve experimented with an electric harp, doesn’t quite make the grade? The reason isn’t important for this example. You need tolerance to experiment with an album or to have a bad idea so that your fans will buy it even if they know it’s not your best work. That’s not to say you have license to get lazy and produce bad music, it does mean that you can have a rotten egg and not fall off the radar.
When you reach the part where your shake and rattle are on, then you’ll need to keep on truckin’. Google adwords is a great free place to look up the traffic on keyword searches. You’ll need to keep attracting new visitors to your site. First, keyword your name and the Cd’s title. But, the remaining keywords should be relevant to you and your music and rank highly in the keyword search world.
Let’s suppose that your focal instrument is the electric harp. Before using up my keyword space, I’d check it out on Google adwords or any other free keyword look-up website. I did a keyword search on electric harp and it didn’t make to the top ten searches. However, there were 1 million searches for the word “harp”, so I’d drop the electric. Use this logic for your keywords and you’re sure to increase traffic and bring curiosity to your site. You’ve got your roll on.
These tips are just to get you started. Now get down to business and shake, rattle and roll!
HD Radio ~ Alluring, Sexy (in a radio way) and HERE!
What would you say if I told you that analog radios will soon occupy space at the Smithsonian Museum? Radio’s on the brink of a renaissance. Think about it… there are 1,800 broadcast stations and 900 more local FM HD2 & HD3 stations on the way, some are already here. What’s going to occupy all of that air space? Is there enough programming to fill up the time or are we going to hear rebroadcasts of shows aired earlier in the day? Music lovers instantly warm up to the idea of static-free radio and don’t mind making the transition to a new HD format, unlike the feet dragging that’s going on in TV.
Satellite radio gave us an appetite for more interesting programming and fewer commercials. It’s sweet to drive from city to city and never have to change stations. But, HD radio doesn’t require a subscription. It’s sexy, it’s edgy and it’s here. Yes, you’ll need to buy a new radio and yes, it’ll cost you about $500 to buy your Sonic ES2 radio. I suggest you start saving or sell your dining room set … you don’t really eat in there do you? This is not an advertisement for Sonic ES2 radios, it’s just a very cool bundled set of options that happens to be a crescent shaped iPod dock, alarm clock, power bass, iTunes tagging, AM, FM and HD radio. What if you just heard a song on the radio you really like? No prob, just push a button and tag it. Then you can buy it through iTunes in just a couple of button pushing minutes. How cool is that?
So why should Indie Musicians care about all this? Think. Think really hard. Think about a commercial, non subscription radio station looking for programming. Think about an Indie Top 40. Think about a whole station devoted to experimental, alternative, prog rock 24/7. Think about a talk show on AM radio that has the quality of an analog FM station. Think about the number of local stations that are going to need content and need it soon. Are you ready for this? Is your music mastered in HD+? There’s still a window of opportunity to re-think production and sound quality. HD radio will be able to pick up those little nuances in your music, so it needs to be tight and flawless. Otherwise, music fans will start a blog about all the flaws and start dissing bands that don’t sound as good as they do on analog.
Now for the alluring, sexy part. In the very near future, Indie Artists with vision, skill and business saavy will be on the forefront of the music scene. The music scene will literally explode by the addition of choice – a Declaration of Independence for Indies. Over 2 million independent artists are chomping at the bit to find a home for their music and HD radio may be the next frontier. HD ushers in the future and the future is now. We know major labels are losing market share every day because of their business model. Major labels are not bad businesses; it’s just that their size is not change friendly. In all fairness, their overhead is huge. Flip the coin and suddenly it’s an Indie’s world, because you have one great advantage – you can turn on a dime.
Now is the time for Indie Musicians to assemble a virtual dream team. You’ll need someone to remaster your current catalog, you’ll need promotion, marketing, press releases and advertising to let the radio people know you have content HD ready. You’ll need to join a forum to get ideas about mixing and production in an HD world, if you’re a do-it-yourselfer. If you’re not, you may need to find a producer familiar with HD and the possibilities you now have at your fingertips. You’ll want to be attractive to those hungry ears that look for little nuggets in every track.
So here we go. Give away 100 free HD+ downloads. Get people jazzed. Have your fans call in to local HD stations and start asking for your music. The fan has one track in their pocket and if it’s well produced, they will let other people know about it. Make sure you’re using a service that keeps track of the IP and the number of downloads so that when the max is reached you can auto respond with a message that sets up a sense of urgency when the fan gets email from you. They won’t want miss a chance for a free download again. Consistent urgency is a good way to put you on the must open email list.
Singer Songwriters – 15 worthwhile minutes
I was running through my email and noticed one subject title, “Free Songwriting Tutorial”. Normally, I would delete the message, but I looked up and saw the email was from the Berklee School of Music. THIS IS A GREAT TOOL! Makes me wish I was an alumni of the school.
http://bit.ly/ZzqJu
The Music Maven
Generation Indie Blog for Rising Stars and Recording Artists that want to be in control of their own music.
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