BLOG - Flipside Productions & Marketing

WHY NOTHING WILL EVER COMPARE TO PRINCE

12/15/2018

There's always been a notion that if we could emulate the lives of those we admire, then our lives would have the same outcomes as theirs – talented, successful, rich, famous, happy, whatever. That, of course, explains all the "Seven Secrets of…." books and the popularity of biographies as treasure maps to our desired fortunes. Although the lives of successful music artists fall into that same category and there are certainly crafts and skills to be mastered, there are two areas that cannot be duplicated, which are, unfortunately, the two most important things required for success – artistry and luck. Which is why nothing compares to Prince. His was the perfect storm of skills, artistry and luck.

UNWRITTEN RULES TO SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

12/12/2018

Networking and relationship building is such an important skill for success in any business specially music business, where these relationships can take you to places you wouldn’t even imagine. You can gain value by attending events or loose credibility pretty quick when you meet people at events. Here are some tips to help YOU on YOUR Journey!

Do your homework. Research the people who will be at the event in advance. If it is a #1 party, find out who the songwriters are and research the writers and publishers to learn a little about them before you go.

IS YOUR PAYMENT AND AGREEMENT PROCESS LOSING YOU MONEY?

12/8/2018

Collecting your money is a big "MUST" if you are to survive Nashville music business. If you get paid for playing, producing, managing, and/or promoting, collecting payment is crucial to your operation. And yet, perhaps you've made it an afterthought.

Here are the types of scenarios we are seeing as an agency when asked to review client agreements. Agreements such as the one that follows feel like gigantic turn-offs that manifest themselves before an agreement is even finalized.

TOP 5 THINGS “NOT” TO SAY TO A CO-WRITER

12/5/2018

Based on a true story(s). Going to count them short and sweet, in this case pretty much bitter tho. Just never say these to your co-writer.

1. I was up until 4 AM drinking and I’m really hungover.

2. I’ve got no ideas. What about you?

3. I think we can beat that. (Without offering any suggestions for beating it.)

4. It doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to sound cool.

5. I think it would be so cool to write a song where you say “grass” and people think you are going to say “ass” on the rhyming line, but you say “well” instead.

TODAY’S MUSIC SUCKS!

12/1/2018

Years ago, in Iran, my publisher convinced two different Hall of Fame writers to write with me, the new kid in the industry. I had been writing for years and written hundreds of songs, but never with writers this big. I was pumped!

Sennheiser HE1 Experience

11/28/2018

Today was an exciting day for me and I think any other sound engineer who would get to know that Singapore’s one (and so far, the only) Sennheiser HE1’s experience station had been launched in Connection IT, Somerset 313. This headphone is world’s most expensive headphones, standing at €55,000. The announcement was in presence of Sennheiser’s CEO, Mr Daniel Sennheiser and the hands on, 1-to-1 experience with "the beast" was the highlight of the event to me! Here is why.

STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE WRITING COMMERCIAL SONGS

11/24/2018

Here are some ways I try to stay authentic to myself while at the same time trying to get a cut from the commercial song we are working on, specially when the song is ordered by a client to be in a specific way or topic or direction.

4 THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY FIRST CUT

11/21/2018

1. It takes a LOT longer than you think it will in the beginning. I had written for 3 years on my own and about 3-4 years into a writing deal with ZERO cuts before I landed that first one. I was really fortunate that it went to #37 on the charts and became my first Top Forty hit.

2. There is a huge learning curve when you are trying to write commercially. It’s not as simple as “writing a really good song”. There are lots of other elements that go into making a song commercial and getting a song cut.

WHY DID YOU START SONGWRITING?

11/17/2018

Even as professional songwriters, sometimes we get to the point that we keep asking this question over and over to ourselves. Why on earth I started writing in the ﬁrst place?

The situation can get rough. There can be times that you might think of doing any other job, and just give up on writing, at least professional writing! But that exactly is when you need to remind yourself about your goals and dreams when you ﬁrst started this path. What were you looking for? Where were you seeing yourself in 5 years from the time you started? Had you achieved those?

WAYS SONGWRITERS SHOOT THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT

11/14/2018

In an almost 15 year music career as a producer and a songwriter, I’ve shot myself in the foot so many times that it’s amazing I still can walk.

I thought I’d share some of them to help you avoid doing the same thing.
Here are some of the worst “shots” I’ve taken in the foot.

Don’t shoot your size 12s the way I did. Learn the easy way – not the hard one!

GUIDE TO BECOMING AN EMPOWERED OR NON-EMPOWERED SONGWRITER

11/10/2018

It struck me today that there are basically two kinds of writers I work with. There are empowered writers and non-empowered writers. Here is how I describe the difference:

PREPARING FOR YOUR PHOTO SHOOT

11/7/2018

The more people I photograph, the more I've come to realize something: a great portrait is a collaboration between photographer and subject. When both are working together the result is far more than what comes from direction alone. Our subjects often aren't experienced in having their photo taken, and don't know a lot about the process.
The number one thing I always start out with when I meet a new client is to explain my style and what to expect from me and what I expect from them; as well as any others they may have with them, as many have spouses, management team, wardrobe stylists, hair and makeup team etc. I encourage them to be themselves… Talk, move, and most importantly, relax and have fun!

4 WAYS A SONG BECOMES “BETTER”

11/3/2018

I’ve been songwriting for years before I started teaching songwriting. The more I have tried to teach, the more I realize that I can only teach what I’ve learned, so I’m continually studying and trying to learn and improve myself. Whether you are trying to write songs for the commercial market or are just writing songs for your own pleasure, here are some things that I think make a song “better”.

5 TYPES OF RECORD DEALS AND THEIR PROS AND CONS

10/31/2018

1. The 360 Deal

Pros:
You're signed to a major label. This comes with all the bells and whistles, like world-class producers, worldwide tours, and a world of potential fans.
Having the label's connections makes your touring and marketing easier. Agents will book shows for you, set up your travel, and get you on radio shows. You just need to sit back, be you, and make good music.

Cons:
If you're a self-built artist, the label could be using you for what you've already created. If you've got a huge fanbase already, millions of YouTube plays, and have cracked radio, a label deal can't offer you much more.
You have the potential to be shelved. If the label doesn't think you've got what it takes, they have the option to do nothing for you. Not to mention, your deal prevents you from doing much without them or their approval.

THE 9 DEADLY SINS OF MUSIC WEBSITES

10/27/2018

With so much interaction happening on social media these days, many musicians think that maintaining their own personal website is a thing of the past. But that couldn't be further from the truth! In fact, artist, musician, composer, and music company websites are more essential than ever for establishing and developing a brand.
Your website is your home base. It's where you ultimately maintain control of what and how you communicate with your fans and/or customers. It's your virtual HQ. And whether you know it or not, it speaks volumes about you and your music before anyone ever hears a note.

THE SONGWRITER’S GUIDE TO CO-WRITING

10/24/2018

One of the skills a successful co-writer will learn is ﬁguring out who they need to be in the room each day. As I start writing each day, I’m trying to ﬁgure out exactly who I need to be in the room that day in order to come out with the best song we can possibly write. The extent to which I play my role best is usually directly proportional to the quality of the song we create.

Here are roles I might play on any given day.

EVERY ARTIST IS A MEDIA COMPANY

10/20/2018

Every company is now a media company. This isn't a new take or an innovative take. It's the reality of today's business landscape. It's the standard. CEO and Marketing expert, Gary Vaynerchuk has talked about it. Consulting firm PWC has written about it. With the barriers to entry to media creation shattered by innovative technology, there's very few reasons not to play in the content creation game.

In most instances, the focus is on traditional businesses evolving as media companies, but I want to talk about why this is essential to artists and how they can employ similar tactics.

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE: SONGWRITING MYTH BUSTERS

10/17/2018

I don’t know how many times each week I hear the words “It’s impossible”. The ridiculous part of it all is that the things they are saying are “impossible” are not impossible at all. Here are some examples I hear all the time: “It’s impossible to get a song cut if you don’t live in U.S. and more particularly New York or LA”. – False.
It’s impossible to get a song cut unless you write it with the artist. – False. I’ve had a number of #1 songs. One was written with the artist. Out of 10 top forty hits, 2 were written with the artist. Out of more than 90 cuts, less than 5 were written with the artist. Writing a great song often trumps writing with the artist.

DOING THE RIGHT THINGS

10/13/2018

I’ve come to believe that successful people do “the right things” more than unsuccessful people. Part of the trick is finding out what the right things are. Early in my career, I wasted a LOT of time doing the wrong things. I bought equipment that I would never use. I spent days and weeks learning how to use it. I continued to write with people even though we didn’t write well together. I wrote ideas that were not likely to be cut. I was working hard, but I wasn’t working smart.
I finally realized that I was going to lose my writing deal if I didn’t step up my game. I looked at successful writers I knew. I saw what they were doing differently. I started figuring out what the right thing were. And I started doing them religiously. Here are the “right things” that I began doing and that I still do.

DON’T BE THAT GUY

10/10/2018

If you want a career in music, great co-writes, meetings with publishers, artist co-writes and the like, you CAN’T be “That Guy”. You know, the guy (or girl) who does these things or anything similar to these. These pointers are symbolic ones, talking of some of the worst behaviors one could so subconsciously.

Drops off a CD with ten songs. Let’s be real. Nobody has time to listen to 30 minutes of music from someone they don’t know. If someone has requested that I send them songs, I usually limit it to 3-4 songs. If they haven’t requested them, I keep it to 1 or 2. Less is more. You want them to ask for more, not to throw your CD in the trash because you overload them.

BRIDGES

10/6/2018

One of the most difficult moments in the process of writing a song is “bridge time”. I have been in many co-writes where we agonized over whether we need a bridge. At one point, early in my career, I came to my publisher to ask him if I needed a bridge in a song I was working on. He asked, “Is there a river to cross?”. I had no idea what he meant, so he said, “Don’t build a bridge if there’s not a river to cross”.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU CHASE

10/4/2018

You can tell a lot about a person by what they are chasing. Some chase money. Some houses or cars. Some chase relationships. Some chase better jobs or promotions. Some chase dreams. I watched an interview one time with Ted Turner. The interviewer asked him what it was like to look at your net worth and, for the first time, see $1,000,000,000. A one and nine zeros. Ted sat there thoughtfully and then he spoke some profound words. With a sigh, he said “It‘s an empty bag, but you don’t know it’s empty until you get it”.

THE 10 CO-WRITING COMMANDMENTS – FOR SONGWRITERS

9/30/2018

Co-writing: The art of sharing your heart felt ideas with another person and trusting the 2 of you will create songwriting magic. This can be tremendously rewarding and often frustrating. But there are some guidelines to make this experience often a great one. If Moses came down from the mountain with a tablet or two on co-writing perhaps this would be chiseled in the stone!

You shalt put nothing else before the song. The Song Is King. Leave your ego at the door. Let the song develop as it wants to develop and not as you are determined to force it.

NON-TRADITIONAL WAYS TO SHARE YOUR MUSIC ONLINE IN 2018

9/26/2018

The internet is a place full of endless music promotion. It can be easy to get lost in the commotion on popular music sharing platforms, such as SoundCloud and Spotify, but there are many other avenues for self-promotion. Spotify streams and SoundCloud plays are important, but you can look to other platforms for sharing your music and growing your audience.

Below are 10 non-traditional ways to share your music in 2018.

EFFECTIVE DEMOS: WHAT PRODUCERS AND PUBLISHERS NEED TO HEAR

9/24/2018

So, you’ve written your latest great song and you want to take the next step and record a demo? Understanding what producers and publishers need to hear in a demo is crucial. Here are some questions every writer should ask his or her self before and after the demo process.

Who will be listening? If you are playing your demo for an experienced producer or A&R person then a simple professional production will often suffice. If you are playing your song for a just-out-of college A&R rep, then they may not have the experience to hear the tune through a simple work tape.