Conference Report: DIY Convention,
Hollywood CA, February 2006
Ever wonder if a music conference is worth your
time, money, and effort? We sent Film Music Composer and MBADC Columnist
Keith Kehrer to the DIY Convention to find out.
By Keith Kehrer
I love going to conferences. You get to meet new people and learn new
things. The DIY Convention is for people who are forging their own path in
music and film. It was well organized and I thought the topics for the
panels (and what the keynote speakers had to say) were interesting and
thought provoking. The entertainment industry is changing rapidly, and it is
good to hear from the people who are part of that change.
In my opinion, this conference is good for songwriters, musicians,
composers, filmmakers, producers and anyone aspiring to make connections and
learn how things are done in the music and film industry. Bring your
business cards and demo CD’s, and don’t be afraid to ask questions and
approach people. Conventions are not for the shy of heart I would say.
I’m going to lay out the key points for each panel and keynote, and things
to think about.
KEYNOTE: Derek Sivers of CDBaby
Derek is a driving force in the independent music industry and had many
interesting things to say. The key things he mentioned were that doing a
unique cover song can help your CD, Do It Yourself does not mean doing it
all yourself and that being persistent is polite.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION AND OTHER CONTENT PATHS
Moderator: Bruce Haring, DIY Convention
Panelists:
Derek Sivers, CD Baby
Mark Roemer, FilmBaby
Darren Giles, CustomFlix
Evan Saxon, producer
Brian Zisk, Future of Music Coalition
Noel Ramos, IndieGate
Dave Richards, ClickPop Records
This was an interesting panel. Digital distribution is becoming a really
viable way to achieve success in the music industry. What I learned is that
digital distribution is not the magic bullet for success. You still have to
be smart and hard to build your fan base and be open to new things and new
opportunities, which turn up just about every day. You must build a
community of people online and offline that love, support and promote
what you do.
LICENSING YOUR MUSIC
Moderator: Ray Yee, BMI
Panelists:
Michelle Belcher, BMG Publishing
Season Kent, music supervisor, Houlihan Film Music
JoJo Villanueva, music supervisor, Format Entertainment
Shannon Madden, Format Entertainment
Louis Clark, MTV's "The Real World
Licensing music is becoming a very lucrative way to make money with your
music. There is lot involved in licensing, but the main things are to learn
how it works and make sure people know how to get in touch with you to buy
your music. Also, spend time doing your research on the market.
KEYNOTE: A Conversation With…Chris Vrenna, Moderator: Bruce Haring, DIY
Convention
Chris is a very interesting guy. He wrote the music for the video games
“Doom 3” and Quake 4”. He was originally with Nine Inch Nails. I only
caught part of his keynote, but was able to talk to him after that. He is
very much a techy, into all the new tools available to create and manipulate
music.
Continued... |
