American Idol: A Delusional Dream

Before I get a bunch of psychotic rabid AI fans ranting and raving, I'm writing this from a personal experience. You see, my daughter who does happen to have true talent and you can actually hear this through her natural ability, not some auto-tune assisted vocal, was booted off of season 7. She was told by some of the judges that she had a beautiful voice and a promising future, but she just wasn't what they were looking for that season. Which led me to start digging into what is really going on over there at AI.

It is a TV show. And a TV show is not going to be about the best singers in the country competing against each week after week, episode after episode. That would be boring. First rule of entertainment: Thou Shalt Not be boring.

"Can you believe this or can you believe that?" That's not boring. That's market appeal. That's what draws the 30-some million viewers that watched on Tuesday night. That, in short, is A SHOW.

So, let's go back to that boring best singer competition and pretend it is a TV show. Add in personalities, egos, people that down right suck, insanity, tempers, contestants crying, contestants screaming, contestants cursing - and then bathe it all in a hot pool of hopes, dreams, delusions of grandeur, spotlights, the taste of fame, the promise of riches and popularity, oh and yes, a few very truly talented singers sprinkled on top. Now you have a TV show, an entertaining, high grossing, well-produced show that has been going nine years strong.

So those people that claim there were better singers who should have! gone farther than this person or that person: they might just be right - but at the same time, the person who didn't advance might not be very interesting. Welcome to entertainment, being interesting is kind of important.

In the end, American Idol is about entertainment, selling ad time and keeping viewership up. It is not about carefully honing in on the best possible talent out there. The show's concept feeds off a jaded and unrealistic view of the music industry.

Still, they aren't lying to anyone. You have to sign a contract to audition, and you give up many rights pertaining to your name, your music and your career. But, come on! Who cares about all that? Who actually reads the contract all the way through? These people are signing on the dotted line to get on the list. The few that do move forward will later learn about the details spelled out in all those paragraphs above that dotted line.

I'm not saying watch the show or don't like the show. I am just saying it is a TV show. It is not the catalyst that many make it out to be. For the average contestant, it is not going to change your life or make it better. It is not going to be your ticket to riches. It is not going to make all your dreams come true. For more than 99% of them, it won't even bring that cherished 15 minutes of fame. It doesn't work that way. After 8 complete seasons, there are only about 15 idol contestants with successful and self-sustaining careers (even with those horrible controlling contracts).

The 4 Dangers of a Self Released Album

"Self release" is all too common of a phrase in today's music market. If we've learned one thing over the last decade in the industry, musicians and upcoming music professionals want to bypass the label as everything as turned "independent." I'm about as independent as they come, but I'm also a realist. As a self-release is artistically liberating on one hand, it is also completely dangerous on the other. Approach a release incorrectly, and not only are you out money and time, but it has a negative ripple effect on a musician's reputation and marketing appeal. To clarify, "independent release" for the purpose of this post, refers to a musicians self released album without using the resources of distributors, labels, marketing professionals, and other industry leaders. To disarm the naysayer, there is always an exception to the rule. As a musicians may latch on to the OK-Go Youtube model to prove a self release can be successful, "you're right" but it's not a realistic model to follow. That's like a college graduate arguing they're not going to work because they plan on winning the lottery. The chances you'll nail it with a self release are limited at best; but before reading further I suggest viewing WHY YOU NEED A RECORD LABEL in order to understand my mindset with this post.

Set ego aside for a minute and become deeply aware with the common pitfalls with a self released album. If you can avoid the following traps you've already set yourself apart from the millions of other bands around the globe. Be smart. Don't hang yourself on a negative release.

1. Match It With Marketing

People get way too excited about a self release, so it is important to distribute the energetic buildup. For musicians, they spend time writing, editing, recording, editing, mastering, editing, and eventually album manufacturing. From start to finish, thousands of creative hours have been poured into to one product, so clearly excitement is running high to get the album on shelves. Problem- where are those shelves? Whatever the amount of time it took to produce the album, the industry rule of thumb is to spend at least equal amount of time marketing the album before it hits the shelves. Example: if you spend 18 months writing and recording, at a minimum you should spend 18 months marketing the album. To have a financially beneficial release, along with elevating your artistic reputation, it is essential to focus on the marketing effort. I get it, really I do……you want to put out the album, but slow it down. Musicians are musicians, they are creators, but they aren't marketing experts. Start by establishing a small buzz about a future release within your current fan base, and massage that buzz until it turns into a frenzy months before the actual release. Spend time finding distributor outlets, organizing future release parties, and maybe even a cross promotional partner. Bottom line, spend the time marketing.

2. Global Release? Really?

If I see an independent musician that's described as "international recording artist" in their bio, I immediately dismiss them. Industry executives look for a variety of key aspects when evaluating an artist, one of which is realistic expectations and business planning. Don't get confused, if you release an album, a release itself doesn't mean you're international icon. About the only thing international about it is the fact it can be found on the internet. YouTube and iTunes does not equate to an international singing sensation. If the intention is to have a global release, have an actual global release! Going global is possible, but it takes additional marketing time, researching market trends, and generating a fan base internationally. If this is the plan, first target a particular country. "Global" isn't a blanket concept within the industry, as it means targeting new markets in far away countries. This is difficult but doable. "Global" is more a marketing trend as opposed to selling two downloads in Tokyo. Get some tips at 5 WAYS TO GO GLOBAL.

3. Social Media Isn't the Final Answer

MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are all great tools to couple an album release, but it isn't the promotional answer. You ask an independent artist how they plan on marketing/promoting a self release and 9 out of 10 will say social media. This isn't unique, as everyone takes this approach in today's market. It should be a component of your marketing effort, but as you try to stand out with a product in order to upstage your competition, social media follows the same trends as everyone else. Further, when you do use social media, be unique. I follow may too many bands on Twitter, MySpace, and chain e-mails that exhaust people with album alerts. There is fine line to walk between tactfully informing people of an upcoming release, and wearing people the hell out. For example, if you have 30 post a week, and all 30 Twitter updates say "New album out, check it out on iTunes." you're draining a fan base. Your goal is to gain followers, not to lose them. If every one of your posts is geared towards an upcoming album release, you aren't doing anything to attract new clientele because there's nothing on your site to keep people coming back. Be unique with your social media efforts, use them sparingly, and only invest time into social media to enhance release, and NOT to focus on a release.

4. Concert Fans Don't Equal Album Buyers

Perhaps the most important element to keep in mind while planning a self release, is that concert goers don't mean buyers. Another rule of thumb, less than 20% of your estimated fan base will actually purchase an album, and this is pretty liberal. Musicians get trapped into thinking that people who attend their shows will buy albums. Wrong. Any live music fan base is split between people who enjoy live music, people who enjoy going out, people who enjoy local events, and finally- the people who actually care about your music. Finally, don't use your gigs as a gauge. Local musicians who constantly play the same venues, which constantly recycles the same customers, lose their marketing demand. As having gigs on your calendar is good on one hand because it keeps a cash flow coming, playing the same venues is also a self release killer on the other hand. You lose uniqueness by playing the same venues because you are recycling the same material. Regardless of what they tell you (or what you think you hear) fans get stale fast. The same set list, stage show, and production elements becoming exhausting. Just because you inject a new album into the mix doesn't mean there's new energy. In short, do NOT gauge your estimated album sales on the amount of fans who attend the concerts. It's an unrealistic measuring stick.

Six-Grammy Haul for Beyonce

Sunday night Beyoncé Knowles walked out of Los Angeles' Staples Center firmly astride the music kingdom -- and with a six-Grammy haul, top female tally in history.

Shoring up her place as popular music's leading lady, the R&B-pop superstar was the big winner at the 52nd annual Grammys, taking song of the year and best female pop performance for work from her record of bold female empowerment, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce."

But it wasn't an unstoppable romp for Beyoncé. In a uniquely splintered night for music's top awards show, major wins went to young country songstress Taylor Swift (album of the year for "Fearless"), rock revivalists Kings of Leon (record of the year for "Use Somebody") and breezy Georgia act Zac Brown Band (best new artist). The latter two were dark horses given little chance by Vegas oddsmakers.

Beyoncé's two big competitors coming into Sunday -- Swift and Lady Gaga -- earned four and two trophies, respectively.

Hot breakout star Gaga was given opening duties, kicking off the 3 1/2 -hour show with a lively medley that included "Speechless" -- a surprise dual-piano song with a makeup-streaked Elton John. It was a highlight in a slate of hot and cold live sets, which ranged from Green Day's tepid, squirm-worthy performance of "21 Guns" to Swift's shaky Stevie Nicks duet to Jeff Beck's stylish Les Paul homage, "How High the Moon," with Irish vocalist Imelda May.

But it was the mid-show tribute to Michael Jackson that was the Grammys' most-ballyhooed moment. It was a mixed effort: The night's best collection of singers -- including Jennifer Hudson, Usher and Carrie Underwood -- put their voices to Jackson's syrupy "Earth Song," a clunky, politically driven option for celebrating the legacy of pop's biggest solo star.

Brief, poignant speaking appearances by the late Jackson's children, son Prince Michael and daughter Paris, were sure to dominate today's chatter.

"Daddy was supposed to be here," said 11-year-old Paris as she helped accept Jackson's posthumous lifetime achievement award.

The extensive pre-telecast ceremony, where most of the night's 109 awards were doled out, had given Beyoncé four wins and momentum going into the big show, which she promptly affirmed by taking the first televised trophy, song of the year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It"). Even as commercial breaks implored us to stay tuned to see who'd become "queen of the Grammys," the suspense of a showdown with Swift and Gaga seemed solidly in Beyoncé's favor.

That win serves as its own kind of milestone: Song of the year, a songwriting honor, has typically gone to melodic, traditionally crafted compositions. The trophy for "Single Ladies," an assertive rhythmic number, marks the increasingly prestigious status of urban dance music.

It was just the start for Beyoncé, whose hip-hop beau, Jay-Z, smiled on from the audience. (He had his own pair of awards, including best rap solo performance for "D.O.A.") By the time she was done, she'd notched her 16th career Grammy.

Swift, who had earlier professed her giddiness about seeing "some of my heroes" Sunday night, accepted the statuette for best country album by reminiscing about her childhood.

"I just feel like I'm standing here accepting an impossible dream right now," said the 20-year-old, whose award-show glory was famously interrupted by Kanye West in the fall.

On the Detroit ledger, Eminem took his career tally to 11 -- the best of any hip-hop act -- with a pair of wins, including best rap album for his comeback disc, "Relapse." He also made a rare but proficient live appearance, nailing his lines on Drake's "Forever."