THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC

The business of music has three components: production, marketing and distribution. Each of these components is susceptible to technological changes that threaten to destabilize the established mechanisms of the music industry. It is difficult to have a discussion about music distribution without discussing music marketing because the distribution parameters are dependent in part, at least upon the success of the marketing plan. Furthermore, these dual aspects of the music business are becoming increasingly intertwined where both can occur in the same place and at the same time.
Distributors get records into retail stores, and record labels get customers into retail stores through promotion and marketing tactics. An artiste must make sure that there is a market for his style of music and prove it to distributors by showing them how many records he had sold through live sales (performance in shows and concerts), internet sales, and any other alternative methods.
Distributors will only be as good as your marketing plans to sell the record. No artiste should expect the entire work to be done on his behalf, remember all that the distribution firm does, is to get records into the stores. An artiste or the label must work on the product relentlessly on as many fronts as possible with commercial and non commercial airplay, internet airplay and sales campaigns, on and offline publicity ideas and touring…eternally touring; everything necessary to create the much needed demand.
The label/artiste must keep the distributor updated on any and all promotion and marketing plans and results, as they develop. Trying to work with distributors without a realistic budget to participate in promotional opportunities would be a big mistake.
You must make sure that your distributor has the ability to help you setup various retail promotions such as: coop advertising (where you must be prepared to pay the costs of media ads for select retailers), in-store artist appearances, in-store listening station programs, and furnishing POP’s (point of purchase posters and other graphics).
I want to believe that it is clear up to this level. Most of us can now understand the difference between marketing and distribution. I hear many artistes every day including the established ones saying they are still looking for a marketer. In my humble judgment, you or your record label should be the marketer of your album because the much market you are able to create for your product will determine the success of the distribution. We are getting so many things wrong. Alaba market should not be the alpha and omega i.e the major determinant of what happens in the distribution market. These guys are mere wholesalers and retailers (and vendors if you like) but the industry has decided to turn them into demi-gods. All that most artistes think about now is how to give their albums out completely to one Alaba so called marketer who in return gives them a paltry amount of money in exchange for their intellectual properties which in the actual sense should put food on their table forever. They even praise them now. “We go to Alaba and make some money”. This much Weird MC reiterated in the lyrics of one of the verses on her song; Riranwo.

Granted, we can’t completely rule out Alaba for we still need to thank these guys for their assistance in getting out the albums on the street, but it is time to move on to the next level..for more info on music promotions on mixtap and nationwid club and streets promotions for artist personality or brand and marketing plan or idea on setting up music business or record label call +2348085088437. Lagos Nigeria

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