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Posted by Broadjam on Mar 28, 2008 in Broadjam Blog
RECENT COMMENTS …
Broadjam is an international web community for musicians and their friends. It’s a place to discuss music, collaborate with other artists and submit songs for exciting professional opportunities. With the wide range of features and services Broadjam has to offer, there are tons of ways you can use Broadjam. We want to hear from you…how do you use Broadjam?
Posted by Broadjam on Mar 20, 2008 in Broadjam Blog
RECENT COMMENTS …
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Jun 5, 2008/12:32 pmHi, I’m a little late here, but I’m a Free Member of BroadJam and I was interested in submitting some song for the Film/TV destination program.
I would like to know, if it’s not too personal, how much in royalities and licensing fees do the guys who finally pick you music (MTV, Viacom, etc.) pay? Is it in the $1000’s? And how much do you usually recieve in publishing?
Thanks for any answers…
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Apr 9, 2008/2:23 pmI just wanna send a HUGE thank you to Broadjam for helping me boost my career! Like many I held off for so long on setting up a website for fear of the costs and hassle involved, but Broadjam not only made it EASY they have inspired me to digitize my entire catalog and SELL SONGS!!! Having such a valuable home on the web is CRUCIAL to success and I am getting more clicks everyday! Having worked with members of White Zombie, Cirque du Soliel, Bad Company, Molly Hatchet and more I can say that BROADJAM’s Services are some of the most professional and valuable tools any artist, at any level can find! THANKS!
SVH
Solo Artist & Singer/Guitarist for Healer and Kurai
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Mar 30, 2008/8:50 pmHello George (pianoman1) and to all:
I know you sent me an e-mail to thank me for speaking up and for the support. I thought i’d answer it here maybe for the benefit of other members. I have been very vocal on all of these blogs since after the Web Transition began, (when i did not realize such a thing was going on.) I had many issues with the site and I realized all communications are done in a blog format. I laid out many points in frustration that I will not repeat here, (look in the archives) I have strong thoughts on the handling of the web transition itself and the on-going issues with it.
Speaking to your e-mail…. I know one of your issues was in submitting 400+ songs and geting nowwhere fast. Hopefully, the law of averages will favor you soon. I’ve been guilty of submitting a lot of material at other sites and this one too, hoping for the ” big break”.
Nobody said this would be easy. But i’ve learned a few things quickly.
(1) As one example, TAXI has a lot of Listings from Music Libraries. And Music Libraries may or may not shop your material. Most are no different than Broadjam, where we can sell downloads etc.. But I learned why spend the $5 per song at Taxi/SonicBird/Indie 911, etc.. on these kind of listing submissions when you can go to many, many Music Libraries DIRECTLY who will take your stuff. For Free. Very few won’t….ie: The Music Library being one. And you may have to “audition” a few songs for some sites but very few actually work exclusively with a middle man (ie: Taxi) There goal is to build a Library and they are open for business from artists directly. On these Music Sites A/R people may scan what they’re looking for. Or the sites actively shop your product (ie: Royalty free places but ONE NEEDS TO VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ROYALTY FREE SITES).
(2) Your frustration and others with the system Broadjam is using, is that it would be nice if we had a bit more of transparency on BJ TV/Film submissions. I understand it is “review” based on what gets forwarded first, but it would be nice to know that my song “ABC” was # 34 on a list of songs forwarded for submission # 123. (NY TV SERIES SEEKING….)
A simple e-mail to me for the money I spent. Also, I’d be curious to know for the artists that have the good fortune for a Licence deal for TV/Film….where their song placement was…..in the first 5 or in the first 10?….or were they the 100th song? Does the Submission Listing A/R even bother with songs after the first 10—20 they receive?? It would be nice to know and maybe Roy and staff will take note on this.
(3) Part of the Frustration in song submissions is the “generalization” of the actual listing’s. Song requirements aren’t as specific as they would be on sites like Sonicbirds or Taxi. In other words, they detail a SPECIFIC genre needed maybe something like “pure Country sounding like Traditional artist like George Jones”. With BJ TV/Film opportunities they tend to be wide ranging, (not always though)….. and its hard to know what song i might have that may be the best shot at a listing. I favor more specific type of listings that help us not waste money.Anyway, Pianoman1 this may or may not help you but i did want to respond for the benefit of all. I hope other people use all or some of the blogs to help Pianoman1, Earl, Jim, Shekhar and Cameron by voicing concerns and offering support. ( i believe there’s 86,000+ )
This will be my last blog .Thanks
Steve Dafoe
Recently, Broadjam’s Customer Service group launched a blog on blogspot.com, broadjamcs.blogspot.com. This blog discusses Broadjam artists, new features, tips on how to use your Broadjam profile, and industry news. Check out Broadjam’s Customer Service blog and let us know what you think.
Use HTML - Over the last few years I’ve learned lots of ways to use my Broadjam hosted website to its fullest. There are little things you can do to make your website more appealing to visitors, but you’ll need a Primo Mob membership to do it. Currently Broadjam.com is offering 25% off any new signups and renewals. Just type Broadjam08 into the promotion code field.
Here is one of my recommendations:
Use HTML - Basic HTML will work on most of your profile pages on Broadjam as well as on your Content Editor. Basic HTML is easy to use and can make your website function and look better. I learned basic HTML from tizag.com. Using text links and image links is a great way to guide visitors through your website as well as to spice up certain pages. Look at what I did for my Bio page on djsportico.com. I took a small image that I uploaded at another website and then linked the image to the bio page of my Broadjam profile. Also, check out my links page for Dencity.org. You could tell someone to check out your news page and make the word “News” link to it. If you move your mouse over the menu buttons of your website and right click and choose Copy Shortcut, you’ll receive the direct URL to that page.
I prefer to use ImageShack.us to upload my images. They don’t add any watermarks to images, it’s free, and it’s easy to use. All you have to do is upload an image and then use the direct link option they give you. You’ll probably need to resize most of your images, so be prepared to spend some quality time on your website.
Posted by Broadjam on Mar 18, 2008 in Broadjam Blog
RECENT COMMENTS …
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Apr 10, 2008/10:58 amNot that anyone is reading this…..but now when I use Firefox to upload a song, which is a pain…..it says “success”…but the song is cut to 35 seconds….wassup with that?
Troubled in Portland
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Apr 8, 2008/9:49 am
FYI
Tried to upload a song using Safari…..sent me to an error page…..Tried Firefox…it worked.
BC
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Mar 30, 2008/8:50 pm
Hello George (pianoman1) and to all:
I know you sent me an e-mail to thank me for speaking up and for the support. I thought i’d answer it here maybe for the benefit of other members. I have been very vocal on all of these blogs since after the Web Transition began, (when i did not realize such a thing was going on.) I had many issues with the site and I realized all communications are done in a blog format. I laid out many points in frustration that I will not repeat here, (look in the archives) I have strong thoughts on the handling of the web transition itself and the on-going issues with it.
Speaking to your e-mail…. I know one of your issues was in submitting 400+ songs and geting nowwhere fast. Hopefully, the law of averages will favor you soon. I’ve been guilty of submitting a lot of material at other sites and this one too, hoping for the ” big break”.
Nobody said this would be easy. But i’ve learned a few things quickly.
(1) As one example, TAXI has a lot of Listings from Music Libraries. And Music Libraries may or may not shop your material. Most are no different than Broadjam, where we can sell downloads etc.. But I learned why spend the $5 per song at Taxi/SonicBird/Indie 911, etc.. on these kind of listing submissions when you can go to many, many Music Libraries DIRECTLY who will take your stuff. For Free. Very few won’t….ie: The Music Library being one. And you may have to “audition” a few songs for some sites but very few actually work exclusively with a middle man (ie: Taxi) There goal is to build a Library and they are open for business from artists directly. On these Music Sites A/R people may scan what they’re looking for. Or the sites actively shop your product (ie: Royalty free places but ONE NEEDS TO VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ROYALTY FREE SITES).
(2) Your frustration and others with the system Broadjam is using, is that it would be nice if we had a bit more of transparency on BJ TV/Film submissions. I understand it is “review” based on what gets forwarded first, but it would be nice to know that my song “ABC” was # 34 on a list of songs forwarded for submission # 123. (NY TV SERIES SEEKING….)
A simple e-mail to me for the money I spent. Also, I’d be curious to know for the artists that have the good fortune for a Licence deal for TV/Film….where their song placement was…..in the first 5 or in the first 10?….or were they the 100th song? Does the Submission Listing A/R even bother with songs after the first 10—20 they receive?? It would be nice to know and maybe Roy and staff will take note on this.
(3) Part of the Frustration in song submissions is the “generalization” of the actual listing’s. Song requirements aren’t as specific as they would be on sites like Sonicbirds or Taxi. In other words, they detail a SPECIFIC genre needed maybe something like “pure Country sounding like Traditional artist like George Jones”. With BJ TV/Film opportunities they tend to be wide ranging, (not always though)….. and its hard to know what song i might have that may be the best shot at a listing. I favor more specific type of listings that help us not waste money.Anyway, Pianoman1 this may or may not help you but i did want to respond for the benefit of all. I hope other people use all or some of the blogs to help Pianoman1, Earl, Jim, Shekhar and Cameron by voicing concerns and offering support. ( i believe there’s 86,000+ )
This will be my last blog .Thanks
Steve Dafoe
We’ve all faced the challenges - it’s 1am and you’re on a creative roll when suddenly, your computer crashes, inspiration is lost, and you’re facing a technical nightmare. Call OBEDIA. They’re available any time, day or night, to help you with your technical problems and put you ahead of the learning curve for new software.
And now, you can get answers right here on broadjam. If you have any technical problems, need any “how-to” tips and tricks or just need advice on what to buy, post your questions on the OBEDIA Q & A Blog. Answers will be posted the following week for all broadjam members to read and learn from Obedia’s expertise.
About OBEDIA:
OBEDIA provides 24/7 training and support for all the major computer-based recording systems. They work with clients worldwide, ranging from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals. OBEDIA also has an impressive list of industry clients, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, AMD, the Grammy Foundation and many others.
Posted by Broadjam on Mar 13, 2008 in Broadjam Blog
RECENT COMMENTS …
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Mar 25, 2008/9:15 amthe Optimizing your PC for Audio tips section is spot on ! cheers !
I’ve been in NYC the past couple of days at the Billboard Music & Money conference. It’s an interesting collection of industry executives who come together once a year for this event. It’s always a good education to attend these things and keep my nose in the biz. Clive Davis was one of the keynote speakers and it was inspiring to hear him talk. One of his comments, and I’ll paraphrase him, was that it all starts with the song. And he went on to say that it’s pretty much impossible to sell records without good songs. If anyone would know, it’s him And the guy never seems to age - he must be doing what he loves!
Later that night I went to BB King’s on 42nd street to see The Hooters. I stood and watched these guys play their hearts out for 2+ hours. As I was standing there, I was thinking of what Clive Davis said earlier that day. The Hooters are cream-of-the-crop songwriters. Besides their own string of hits, they’ve written many others including “Time After Time” for Cyndi Lauper and “One Of Us” for Joan Osborn.
I’ve known the band for quite a while, and the engineer of their most current record, John Senior, has been a good friend since we both worked at Ensoniq Corp. I have always been a fan and thought it would be tough for them to one-up their effort. I got an advance copy of their new record a few months ago and I believe it’s their best yet.
If you get a chance, get a copy of this record, listen carefully and absorb the songwriting. These guys are what Clive Davis was talking about — brilliant writers. Not only that, they’re excellent showmen, and I wish them the best this time around.
Roy
Posted by Broadjam on Mar 9, 2008 in Broadjam Blog
RECENT COMMENTS …
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Mar 10, 2008/4:22 pmYeah, I’ve just checked out the Hooters’ myspace page. Roy’s right. All their songs are well written and extremely hooky. Also, the production’s fairly cut down which helps let the songs themselves come across well.
Regarding songwriting, I was fortunate enough to be in Belfast last month for the 4th Belfast Nashville Songwriter’s Festival where a ‘cream of the crop’ bevvy of grammy-winning writers came over from Nashville and beyond to play and give the best and honest advice to aspiring writers, me included. If you get a chance to go to an event like this, jump at it. It’s a great motivator too. Ralph Murphy from ASCAP ran three songwriting sessions over three days, culminating in each participant to demo their ‘reworked’ song in from of Ralph, Don Schlitz and Pat Alger - this was quite something. I spent about an hour with Benny Gallagher (of Scottish 70’s hit group Gallagher & Lyle) giving great advice on everything from methods to get rid of writer’s block to knowing how to collect your royalties. And the one thing that all these guys stressed - (to paraphrase) it all starts with the song.
If a similar event exists in your neighbourhood - go to it!
After reading this blog I realize I’m not alone in this issue with the Web Transition, in BJ’s attempt to upgrade to keep up with the competition. I certainly give them credit for such a move but since the advent of such undertaking I have had more problems with this web site to the point of asking my self, why would I want to upgrade my member status. is it worth it, I think it goes without saying, the answer is obvious. I entered the Date with a publisher contest with high expectations or a least I felt I had a big shot of making the grade, sort of speak. I ran into the huge problem with trying to review songs let alone trying to get them to load.
if this had any bareing on my chances of getting in the winners circle, well I won’t express my thoughts on that but you can take a wild guess. NOW I’m very curious if my song ever even got reviewed, being that Im not the only one who’s encountered serious problems/issues since the BJ wed transition. I’m not trying to create a problem for BJ but it’s certainly something for those who entered the contest to look into.
Sincerely
I’M NOT ALONE
Plagued by Piracy
Posted: May 2, 2008
A negative news post, however one for all of us in these online indie communities to be aware of. What do you find when you google your name? I wished to see what kind of online presence would surface related to my name and discovered on the 3rd page about half way down, an unauthorized download site advertising my music for sale. On further inspection, it is a site in Russia that is notorious for undercutting itunes with full length album sales by the MB rather than per song. They have taken and re-formatted my songs and my artwork. Regardless of the blatant piracy and illegal licensing of music for digital distribution, this site continues to boast about their legal, moral and ethical conduct, it’s funny really!
Although I’m honoured that they feel my work worthy enough to pirate, it is still a frustration and disappointment for the independent artist. Here’s to the internet and the digital era, the epitome of a double-edged sword swinging in all directions with very little control.
Jeremy
http://www.knightspyder.com
FAIR WARNING TO ALL BROADJAM MEMBERS:
STIR CLEAR OF A COMPANY CALLED STARLIGHT PRODUCTIONS.
I’M NOT SURE HOW THEY GOT MY NAME BUT I HAD FUN WITH
“JOSEPH”. HE’S NOT A PUBLISHER, HE’S NOT AN AGENT OR PROMOTER. HE’S A “CONSULTANT’ AND ALL THE BIG COMPANIES COME TO HIM FOR MUSIC…I WONDER IF HE’S SELLING SWAMPLAND ON THE SIDE. MEMBERSHIP IN THE “CLUB” IS $1500-$4500 DEPENDING ON THE “LEVEL”. WELL, YOU GET THE DRIFT. BEST PART IS HE SAYS HE’S AFFLIATED WITH BILLBOARD…OH YEAH.
GEORGE SLADEK