[Fmpro] cd baby

[Robert Stanton]

Doug,
Thank you for your insightful thoughts and kind words as well.  I think
you're right about the concept of selling yourself.  I've been in this
business for about 30 years (music in general, not film music) and I've come
to learn its all about relationships - and that includes just life in
general.  I'd much rather work with a terrific person who can do the job
than a diva or prima donna who is fantastic but brings a lot of turmoil and
problems into the fold.  Having said that, 'money' is often the final
determining factor - it tends to speak louder than most of the other voices.


Thanks for taking the time it took to write all that good stuff! ;-)
Best, Robert 

Robert Scott Stanton
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
zolessi at comcast.net
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=822049

-----Original Message-----
From: fmpro-bounces+zolessi=comcast.net at nxport.com
[mailto:fmpro-bounces+zolessi=comcast.net at nxport.com] On Behalf Of info
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 12:05 PM
To: fmpro at nxport.com
Subject: Re: [Fmpro] cd baby

Hey Robert, 

I am the last person in the world from whom you would want an opinion about
marketability. I am one of those guys who likes to create music and only
deals with the business/sales/marketing side of it when dragged into it
kicking and screaming. The market is not my strength or passion.

Rather than saying, "most music is not commercially viable", it may have
been more accurate for me to say, "the market for most music is extremely
difficult to find". I believe there is a mass market and niche markets. If
you are writing in any conventional style/genre, then you are competing in
the mass market. Neither "good" music nor "very good" music will stand up to
the competition in this market. You must be writing something that is
"absolutely phenomenal" to be heard above the din (this entire discussion
presumes that you are not already well-connected with the purse-string
holders in the business. That's another way to sell your music.) For the
niche markets, depending on the niche, "good" music may be "good enough" to
be marketable, but you often have to not only find that niche, but you have
to define the niche as well.

I've stopped marketing my music because I'm not outstanding enough to
compete in the mainstream and I'm not a good enough marketer to have found
or accurately defined my niche. Instead, I try to market what I can identify
that I am really good at. Instead of marketing my ability to produce music
that sounds better, by itself, than anything you've ever heard, I market my
ability to produce music that fits and enhances the story line of your film
or video better than anything you've ever heard. I've also established, and
try to maintain, a reputation among the directors I know as a really easy
guy to work with. I'm selling "me" instead of "my music", which is harder in
some ways and easier in some ways (closes some markets, opens others). If
you're a film director, I want to be "the guy you want to work with". 

Having said that, I did listen to your music. Without regard to marketing: I
liked it! You've definitely got some musical skills. I preferred "The Poet's
Waltz" and "La Reine" over the others. I think this is because I could
follow the structure and development better through these two pieces. Just a
personal preference - I'm a structure kind of guy. 

Regarding UPC codes: Last time I checked (it's been a while) it was over
$700 to buy a UPC code outright, but many replicators will supply one of
their subcodes free or at nominal cost when you replicate with them. Works
just as well as having your own code. Oasis would be one example. I
personally had good luck with them and liked their service.  

Doug

> From: "Robert Stanton" <zolessi at comcast.net<mailto:zolessi at comcast.net>>

> ... I have to figure out how to do the UPC code thing and get
>some 'professional' (look wise) CDs made.  If anyone knows an economical
way
>of doing that or a company that doesn't have ridiculous minimums please let
>me know...

> ... would love to know what your take is on the marketability of my
material since you mentioned you think
> most is not commercially viable. ...
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