What do music fans want from the bands? The Labels? The Promoters? Help us out!

FuturesEnd

Member
Sep 12, 2008
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Greetings, music fans!

We live in a world where, over the past 15 years, it has gotten even harder to create marketable music that supports itself. What I am referring to is not necessarily making a ton of money in the music business to support the artists desire for a Ferrari and beach front property in Monte Carlo, but in the way that will allow the artists to put together tours, record better quality albums, and bring the fans the merchandise that they want.

With the advent of the internet, quality recording software and hardware at far more reasonable prices than ever before in history, it has become much easier for the bands to make themselves known to the world, but it still takes the kind of money to deliver great records and to hit the road in support of them that - let's face it - most artists just don't have.

We know from our own experience as fans and from talking to so many people, that so many of our favorite bands - especially in the prog/power genre of metal - don't ever seem to get to the United States if they are from Europe, or if they are from this side of the ocean, out West toward California to play. The issue - more often than not - is the lack of funds that it takes to make something like that happen.

A number of the smaller record labels that sign music from our favorite genre of music don't generally provide tour support, merchandise, or the kind of high visibility advertising that could create the sales necessary to putting their bands on the road. We have also seen this kind of thing for some of the higher profile bands that we know and love. Futures End has been very fortunate in the kind of support that we get from Nightmare Records, the fans, and the promoters and are very grateful to have gotten the kind of commitment from all of you that it takes to start the machinery of success. It has been an incredible blessing.

The band, our management, and our label have all gotten together on the issue of illegal downloads and have all agreed that there is no way for us to fight it. It is a losing battle and for some reason it actually seems to generate some disdain for the bands and the labels that simply wish to be compensated for their efforts. It is really our goal to try and find a way to bridge the gap between the artists and those who wish to possess the music in terms of both the illegal down loaders, and those who pay for the music alike.

So here we are asking you to help us out, to help us understand what you would like to see from us as a band, from our label, from the promoters and management, that would generate interest that will translate into sales of music, merchandise, and tickets for live events. We are officially asking to pick your collective brains and see what ideas you all have that may make the business of making music, then playing it live for you wherever you are in the world easier. What can WE do for YOU, the listeners, the fans, the promoters, and the media?

Help us out! We would love to hear your ideas! You can post them here, or email us at: christian@futuresendmusic.com

Thanks everyone! We are really excited to see what kinds of things would make the difference for you all!

Christian Wentz
Futures End Cheese Grater
 
So, what I want? More money. I can't afford all the cds I wanna buy. But you won't give me some, you want some of mine. ;)

I better stop joking...
I bet you find here a crowd that acually supports bands and most of us buy cds, Christian. Not sure if we are the ones who really can give you good tips for 'converting the sheep'. Being adressed anyway, I'll start over and freely tell you what my thoughts are. (in general, don't take it as a personal cricism please)

1. Stand out!
There are so many bands in the meantime, that even sub-genres have their 'generic' bands. Why would I spend my tight budget for a band that sounds like 100 other bands. Give me something in your music that grabs my attention.

2. Spread the world!
Send out promos to every internet radio of proper genre you can find. The fans are hanging there and rely on it. Lance of Nightmare does do that as far as I know. I know of bands that found a label through station masters, because most of them have set up the station for supporting their beloved music and do have connections.
DON'T rely on myspace and facebook. It's good having a site where people can look up and hear what you're doing. But: I even haven't an account on both, but I get spammed down with myspace links so much that I even don't click on them anymore.

3. Have a good website!
Beautiful logo animations are nice, but when I have to stare at a progress bar for 60 seconds (as on yours at the moment) I'm gone.
If you want me to listen to your music, please let me do that on purpose. I'm streaming my beloved internet station when I open band websites. If they blast me with a second stream instantly, I immediately close them.

4. Have your cds distributed in all markets
I'm tired of ordering in the US. A lot of my money simply buys nothing over there. If it is not the retailer who doesn't send me the cd it is the mailing company that fails in delivering.
Ordering from other EU countries than mine produces ridiculous shipping cost which I'm not gonna pay for.

5. Fair prices please.
Who are you, demading 25 euro for a simple cd? Plus shipping costs...

6. Have a good booklet design.
I don't ask for a Lord-Of-The-Rings-size booklet, but I actually want to read the lyrics and your guys names, as well as anything else (including copyrights and release date etc).
(Matthias, did you hear that? ;) )

7. Play live at my area (or at least progpower europe)
Convince me that you actually can play the whole stuff without a massive protools session that edits and fixes everything.
You don't actually have to study poses, just play it! :D

8. Have enough t-shirts of all sizes with you
Too many oversized t-shirts do dwell in my wardrobe already.


Hehe, so that's all I wanted to complain about recently.

Regarding the downloaders and non-supportive fans I think we're lost anyway. Besides the failure of the big giant media conglomerates that do business instead of music, the loss of music fans is result of another problem I was blogging about months ago.
If anyone wants to read it:
http://progrockin.blogspot.com/2009/04/we-do-abuse-music.html
 
Raimond,

Thanks for your kind reply and your insight! We definitely appreciate your input. Believe it or not, we ARE listening to what you say. Our agenda has nothing to do with fame and fortune, and everything to do with connecting with people that love music and offering our own brand of it to them in the hopes they will dig it. It is much easier to do that when the album is selling! If there is anything else you think of at all regarding this post, please don't hesitate to contact us with your ideas at christian@futuresendmusic.com

By the way, what you get when you go to www.futuresendmusic.com is just a placeholder. The site goes live this week and I will let ya know when it is up! If you have any ideas or criticisms regarding the site and its content, we would love to hear from you on that as well!

Christian Wentz
Futures End Cheese Grater
 
I am getting tired of bands using "Digipaks" for their releases. I always buy my music as supporting the bands I love is the most important thing to me, so when I buy a CD it is something that I shall carry with me through the next 60 years of my life. Digipacks, being made of cardboard are just too flimsy. Plus, once they break you can't replace them as the digipak is the artwork and case in one. At least with jewel cases I can buy a new jewel case if it cracks. So please - encourage your record label to release your CD in a good old fashioned plastic case!

Ray's point of playing live in "my area" is obviously the grail, but I realise you can't play every town in every country. So when you do play in London for instance (I'm from England) please remember that some fans have to take a 90 minute train to see you. This means that you really must try and take peoples' jouney times into consideration. I saw Textures a few weeks ago, they had 3 support acts so when they came on (I only really went to see Textures) it was already 9:45. 30 minutes into their set there was a steady stream of people leaving to catch the last train home. Progressive Nation 09 was done brilliantly this year - it was four bands (so same number of bands as the textures gig) but they started at 6:20, meaning we could get a good 4 hours plus of rocking music before we had to start thinking about leaving.

That's all for now :)

p.s. As with Ray these two points are just general observations, not personal attacks :)
 
You gotta add some extra care to those, Zaii. As the name says they're Digipacks, no jewel cases. ;)
 
Thanks guys!
Believe me, we aren't taking any of your suggestions personally. It is important to us to find out what is important to you! All of the suggestions and ideas we have gotten are discussed with the band, the management and the label. I know that as a music fan as well as a musician I have my own rants and complaints as well. We are really just trying to figure out how best to make friends with the industry, the fans, and the promoters so that everyone can happily bang their heads!

Thanks again!
Christian Wentz
Futures End