During the past several years, technology has transformed the music business. The Internet in particular has forever changed the way musicians do things. The Web has revolutionized everything about being an indie musician, from creating the simple band mailing list to manufacturing and distributing CDs.
One thing technology hasn't changed, however, is the value of personal relationships. Networking face-to-face and developing contacts is still an essential part of getting ahead as a musician. Although the most fruitful contacts are those who've known and worked with you personally, you can also develop connections in other ways — one of the best of which is the music conference.
A music business conference doesn't differ much from a conference or convention of professionals from any other business. It is a place where musicians can network, exchange services, find out about advances in the field, and generally learn more about their profession.
Most music conferences take place in a conference area within a hotel, but they are also held in convention centers, theaters, universities, and other public facilities. Conferences come in all shapes and sizes, and attendance ranges from a few dozen people to several thousand.
WHAT'S IN A CONFERENCE
Most music industry conferences consist of similar elements, including the following:
Panels
A panel comprises a collection of experts discussing their area of industry expertise. Audience participation is usually encouraged. Common topics include management, distribution, radio, marketing, and production.
Panels are an excellent way to meet and size up your fellow attendees. A conference consisting of thousands of people can be intimidating. If nothing else, sitting through a demo-listening session or an A&R panel will put you at ease as you discover that you're not the only one who has things to learn.
Trade show
Many conferences include a trade-show area where companies involved with the industry set up booths to inform attendees about their services or products. Trade shows can vary in size from just a few to hundreds of booths.
The trade-show floor is usually the conference's main networking area, because people go to there to kill time between panels. If you have a showcase, this is a good place to promote it because you'll have access to hundreds of people.
Mentor sessions
These are one-on-one meetings between attendees and industry professionals such as A&R representatives, managers, and booking agents. Sessions usually last from 10 to 20 minutes, and often you must sign up in advance.
Mentor sessions are a great way to meet people who might otherwise be inaccessible. You can make excellent use of them by checking the list of available mentors before your trip and doing research on their place in the music business. For example, if you're trying to get a booking agent, attend sessions with booking agents. Don't pitch your material; just ask what you need to do to get the attention of a booking agent. If you have something that an agent wants, he or she will let you know.
Showcases
Bands and musicians send in their demos and other press a few months ahead of the conference in hopes of being picked for a showcase at one of the various local clubs participating in the event. This is a good opportunity to get yourself in front of some industry professionals, but don't expect to walk away with a record deal.
Having a showcase can be a great icebreaker when you're meeting people at a music conference. It's much more effective to approach people and say, “Hi. I'm in a band, and we're playing tonight. I hope you can come!” while handing them a flyer than it is to just say, “Hi. I'm in a band.”
Getting a showcase slot at a music conference can be difficult. Sometimes obtaining one has less to do with how good your music is than on whom you know on the selection committee. Having good music often plays only a small part in getting accepted.
Dozens of bands often apply for a single showcase slot, making the odds that you'll be picked for an official showcase slim. Don't let that discourage you. If you don't get picked, rent a club yourself and hold an unofficial event. In the end, most people won't know the difference — you'll look like a renegade to those who do, and you'll get the same results. A person hanging out in a club listening to good music doesn't care who's sponsoring the event.
Parties
Any conference worth anything will have several parties for people to meet each other, conduct business, and fill up on food and drink. As with a showcase, you can set up a party on your own, and it provides a great chance to meet people.
WHERE SHOULD I GO?
The music business is open to new people, but it will not come to you. Music conferences can play an important part in helping you get out there and(0,'to it. Attending a conference won't in itself land you a record deal, but it will offer you great panels and networking opportunities. The music business is composed of knowledge and relationships, and a good conference will provide both. If nothing else, you can swap gigs with the musicians and bands you meet.
In the United States, about 15 to 20 major music business conferences are held every year. Although they all want your money, logic dictates that you probably will have to limit your attendance to one or two at most. The competition for your dollar is fierce. How to choose? Research an event independently and ask past attendees if they got their money's worth. (Many conferences hype the role they play in getting bands signed. Don't believe it. Bands do not get signed simply from playing conferences. It might help indirectly, but many other factors are involved.)
All things being equal, if you can attend only one conference, go to something close to where you live and work. Contacts in your own region are important, and it's a lot easier to swap gigs with a band that works nearby than it is with one that plays 1,500 miles away.
Go prepared. Bring plenty of business cards. Be aware that you need to start planning for a showcase or party months in advance. CDs or press packages are less important than you might think, though it's good to have them along just in case. Most people that you want to give them to won't have room in their luggage, and you can easily mail them when you get back.
THINGS TO AVOID
Painful experience will teach you which conferences are worthwhile and which are not. Until then, here are some things to avoid.
“Pay to play” showcases
Although a showcase application fee (about $25) is standard and accepted, never attend a conference where you must buy your showcase slot. At such events, any A&R staff that attend are there because they are being paid expenses. They don't care about finding new bands.
This type of showcase is typically found at second-rate conferences that exploit desperate musicians' desire for the big break. Such conferences aren't too hard to spot. A great resource to check on those events (and other similar scams) is the Songshark Information page at www.geocities.com/songshark.
Daytime showcases
Conferences — even the legitimate ones — often have a stage set in the trade-show area that will let you perform for a fee. Don't do it. People go to the trade show to network, and the merchants are there to sell products. Loud music in the background keeps business from being conducted; hence, bands on the daytime stage are not usually well received.
Compilation CDs
Most conferences produce compilation CDs that bands can pay to be included on. Doing so, however, is seldom a good investment, as almost nobody listens to them.
Of course, a “good investment” is relative. If the price is right, almost any type of promotion is good. If you can get the No. 1 spot on the disc, for instance, or if the promotion is packaged with something else such as a free pass, an ad in the conference guide, or a trade-show booth, buying a track on a compilation might be a good deal. On its own, however, it's not something I recommend.
Bag inserts
Conventions give attendees plastic bags full of complimentary and promotional materials — magazines, flyers, CDs. Be aware that almost nobody pays attention to showcase flyers or listens to CDs included in the goody bags. Paying good money to have your stuff included in these is the practical equivalent of “shotgunning” (sending demos to a huge mailing list without doing research first). You're much more likely to make a bigger impact on people if you hand them the flyer personally. Circulate, shake hands, and talk to people. Inserting the flyer in a goody bag takes away a valuable icebreaker!
PLAN OF ACTION
You need to have an idea of what you want to accomplish before setting out for a music conference. Are you looking to meet a specific attendee? Do you have a certain goal, such as securing distribution? Researching things ahead of time and having a basic plan will better enable you to attain your goals.
Regardless of your goal (and even if you don't have one), make an effort to meet as many people as possible. The music industry is relatively small, and it's not uncommon for people to switch positions and companies. Just because someone is in CD manufacturing today doesn't mean that he or she won't be working for a distribution company tomorrow. The more people you meet now, the better chance you have of being taken care of in the future.
Make an impact: that's the bottom line when attending a music conference — or doing anything in the music industry, for that matter. Be memorable, be professional, and have a proven product. People aren't in this business to help you; they're in it to help themselves. If you have something good to offer people and can convince them that they can get something out of the deal, you'll go far.
