Bob Lefsetz heeft behoorlijke profeet-allures in de Amerikaanse muziekbusiness. Maar wat hij zegt, heeft ook wel vaak zin. Zijn raad van vandaag: als startende band met een beperkte fanbase moet je je concentreren op singles. Weinig mensen zitten op een album te wachten.
Albums are for fans. Singles are for newbies.
So, if you’re nobody, and you’re not live-based, focus on the single, that’s all people want. Hook ‘em with a few singles and you’ve suddenly got fans. Who want more. Does this mean a full-length, with fifteen tracks and seventy eight minutes of music? Probably not. After all, they’ve just come to know you. You don’t want to get married after the first date. So, feed ‘em three or four tracks. At an incredibly discounted price on iTunes if you must, a package price. Build slowly. And whenever you get a good-sized fan base, don’t overload them all at once! Today’s albums are incomprehensible. Too long, never mind too expensive. Better to put out three tracks five times a year than fifteen all at once. Not only do you maintain your buzz, your audience stays bonded, doesn’t go on a hejira somewhere else, waiting years for your next opus, possibly forgetting you in the interim..
If you’ve already got a fan base, release that album if you must. But know that non-fans don’t care. And, if they come to care via airplay, old wave media, they only want THE TRACK! If you learn of an act from a friend, you might want an album. But if you’re dipping your toes, you don’t want to get soaking wet!
So if you’re making an album, don’t think of world domination. Think of satiating your fans. If you must, include a catchy single for radio airplay. But it probably won’t get airplay and will quite possibly alienate your core audience. If you’re only about the core, don’t sell out, feed your homies. But, if you want someone new, sell individual tracks online, allow people a taste. Better yet, give them a taste for free, just like dope dealers. If you’re purveying really good shit, people will want more and will get hooked.
Ik neem alvast zijn raad ten harte.
