I'm always interested in hearing new and cool directions that people in the music industry are taking to set themselves apart from the crowd. In a recent partnership between Budweiser and Will.i.am, the alcohol powerhouse has released his new single, "Great Times", on a vinyl-pressed magazine ad that can be played on any turntable. Although this advertisement is currently running only in Brazilian Magazines, it could be something that we see in the U.S. should it prove to be effective.

-Mike

(Billboard.biz) - Budweiser InBev Partners with Will.i.am on Playable Vinyl Magazine Ad

You know vinyl is making a comeback when advertisers jump on the bandwagon. Still, Budweiser has released a vinyl single that's quite a bit cooler than your average 7-inch.

To promote its partnership in Brazil with Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am, the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand pressed his new song "Great Times" into a vinyl magazine advertisement playable on any turntable. Client and agency (Agência Africa São Paulo) claim this is a first, although that's wishful thinking -- they're banking on people not actually remembering the '70s, when playable page-size vinyl was packaged inside music magazines quite often.

Still, kudos to Bud for being the first brand to bring it back. (And grudging kudos to Will.i.am, who seems to have never met a brand he didn't want to endorse.)

Now, who's up for releasing some new TV spots on VHS?

Read the entire article here!

In a music landscape where more and more music is being sold digitally every year, it’s becoming increasingly important for artists to be familiar with all the digital distribution services out there. Making an informed decision on which service to use could actually have more of an impact on your wallet than you think. This week we interviewed Emmanuel Zunz, CEO and Founder of digital distro service ONErpm, to see what sets his company apart from its competitors. Give it a read to see if ONErpm might be the best option for you when it comes to placing your tunes in all the right online sales outlets.

Indie Ambassador: What sets ONErpm apart? Why should an artist choose you instead of one of the other digital distribution services out there?

ONErpm: Four things set us apart: (1) We offer the greatest number of music stores at the lowest price (2) We don't charge annual fees; (3) Greater flexibility: We give artists complete control over all aspects of how they want to distribute and sell their music globally (which territories, pricing, number of stores, free downloads, etc.) with the tools to do it; and (4) We work hard to promote artists to increase their sales.

Regarding this last point, we take a value-added approach to distributing music, meaning we actively pitch services like iTunes to promote releases that have sales potential. So if you're an artist that is starting to get traction and we see that you deserve a marketing push, we'll use our relationships to get involved. The idea being is that if you were going to sell 500 albums in one year, with us, you might sell 1000 or more as a result of a feature we pitched to iTunes. Yes, we keep 15% of royalties, but you still walk away with more money had you not had received that additional marketing push.

In summary, an artist will save money with us because we don't charge annual fees, and will make more money because we deliver to more stores and help promote releases.

Indie Ambassador: It seems as if one of the biggest differences between ONErpm and other music distribution services is the ability to sell your music directly on Facebook. Are artists and labels actually finding Facebook to be a viable place to sell their music these days?

ONErpm: It's still in the early days. Facebook has not yet become a music destination, despite the integration with the streaming services, but it’s still evolving. The idea behind the Facebook store is to capture impulse buys and give artists an easy way to promote their music as well as sell it, whereas many other apps are focused only on the promotion. In that sense our app is really a download store that is integrated with Facebook.

Indie Ambassador: Tell us more about your Facebook app. How does it integrate with timeline?

ONErpm: We have found the best way to integrate with timeline is to provide a variety of sharing options. Fans can easily share any album or track to their timeline. They can also share the artist's entire store (meaning the share links back to the store page, not to one specific album or track). We also offer a widget listeners can share on their timeline, and fans can comment on the releases, which automatically posts the album to their timeline. We have some additional sharing features that we have not rolled out yet, but one includes giving the customer the option of sharing the album after the purchase.

Another cool feature of the app is that all the artist stores are interconnected, so that a fan can jump from one artist page to the next and maintain items in their shopping cart. This allows us to build out a recommendation engine, suggesting new music to fans, thus boosting music discovery on Facebook. Finally, the app is very visible on an artist's page, such as in this example: https://www.facebook.com/EmicidaOficial

Indie Ambassador: Why do tracks sell for a maximum of $.89 cents through ONErpm instead of the typical $.99 found on other services? What is ONErpm’s cut?

ONErpm: We keep 15% of sales from our own store and from our Facebook app. I think pricing of digital music is constantly evolving, so we offer 3 different default price tiers for tracks, the lowest being at 49 cents. We can, however, accommodate higher pricing as well (99 cents and above) if necessary. We also allow artists and labels to offer their music for free in exchange for an email address.

Indie Ambassador: It seems like you guys have some useful tools and options for labels on ONErpm. How do you help and work with independent labels?

ONErpm: Our Facebook store app was really designed for labels. It allows labels to install as many stores as they want on Facebook, each configured differently, and manage everything from one place. For example, the Chicago Blues label Alligator Records has a Facebook store for their label page showcasing their entire discography, but they have also installed the ONErpm store for each of their artist pages. So in total they have over 50 different stores with us, one for each of their artists.

All of the features we offer indie artists are the same for labels. But we can work with labels that have large catalogs differently to ingest their content. We offer several different solutions to receive the music, so that labels don't have to manually submit metadata and upload music through the site.

Indie Ambassador: Does ONErpm have any particularly innovative partnerships with labels you can elaborate on?

ONErpm: Perhaps the most innovative partnerships we have are with digital distributors INgrooves Fontana and Virtual Label. Not only will we be powering their labels’ Facebook stores, but we will also begin distributing their content to digital music services in Brazil and Latin America like Sonora, UOL megastore, and mobile services. Sonora is the leading streaming service in Latin America. Now that we have an office in Brazil, our proximity to these services allows us to foster better relationships and maximize the potential of music coming from our label and distribution clients in the USA and Europe.

Indie Ambassador: Where do you see the music commerce landscape in five years? Will everything be digital?

ONErpm: I think there will always be demand for physical products, but they will be offered in limited quantities to die-hard fans, as collector items. The big question is will streaming overtake downloads. I'm not convinced that it will, because I think consumers still like to maintain ownership over their music collection they love, even if that equates to storing an MP3 on a hard-drive. But...I'm not getting any younger and new generations of music fans may not have that emotional attachment to "owning" music. And streaming services do an excellent job of giving the impression that you own the music that's in your account.

Indie Ambassador: Any exciting upcoming features you can tell us about?

ONErpm: Hmmm I think my CTO would kill me if I gave him more work....but, yes, we're looking to roll out a mobile app, in partnership with another company, sometime this summer. That's all I can say for now

UPDATE [2:46 pm]: WFNX has posted a thank you note on their blog.

It’s a somber day for Boston radio. WFNX is being sold to the monopolizing conglomerate Clear Channel. For someone who has listened to WFNX practically since birth, this change is one tough pill to swallow. This just means more people are going to turn away from traditional radio, a medium that has been slowly phasing out over the past decade.  Imagining the cheeky commentary turned into iHeart radio jabber is painful to think about. Specifics of the buy are still being discussed, but what gory details of WFNX’s sad end do exist can be found below. Check for updates as they come in on the Phoenix's website.

-Cheryl

(Boston Phoenix) BREAKING: 101.7 WFNX is being sold to ClearChannel pending FCC approval

UPDATE [12:13 pm]: Clear Channel has released a statement regarding its purchase of WFNX. 

UPDATE [11:19 am]: I'm told that WFNX's intellectual property -- including the call letters, the archives, interviews, videos, etc. -- are being retained by Phoenix Media/Communications Group in the deal that sends 101.7 FM to Clear Channel, leaving open the possibility that WFNX could live on as a non-terrestrial radio station of some sort. It's also far too soon to speculate whether that's likely to happen.

The following memo was just sent to staff here at the Boston Phoenix. We'll have further updates as we get them.

    Dear Members of the PM/CG Family:

    Because this is an emotional announcement to make, let me cut right to the chase.

    This morning I met with the staff of WFNX  to announce the pending sale of the station to Clear Channel Communications.

    Over the years, WFNX has done spectacular things. Since 1983 the station has played an historic role in bringing new music to audiences in and around Boston. We introduced Nirvana and Pearl Jam to wider audiences in 1991. Together with the Boston Phoenix we staged the notorious Green Day concert at the Hatch Shell in 1994. Three years later, FNX and the Phoenix organized a group reading and broadcast of Allen Ginsberg’s controversial poem Howl, featuring talents as varied as rocker Peter Wolf and Poet Lauriat Robert Pinsky, along with civil liberties attorney Harvey Silverglate and me. We’ve formed creative partnerships with local museums and many other important not-for-profit organizations such as the AIDS Action Committee. In addition, for years we broadcast One In Ten, the only program on a commercial radio station in the nation dedicated to the issues and lifestyles of the GLBT community. And throughout it all, FNX has continued to break new music, most recently the work of Foster the People, Fun, and Gotye -- to name just three. 

    Here comes the catch....

Read the entire article here! 

Attention Boston Soundmakers! We are excited to announce that Indie Ambassador is hosting the 2012 Boston SoundCloud Global Meetup Day tomorrow, May 17th, from 7-10 PM at our offices in Charlestown, MA. We’re working with local SoundCloud Heroes and Strewnshank Productions to put together a fun evening of sound, food, drink, and creative engagement. We're pulling out all the stops for this event because we want Boston to have the best Global Meetup Day event in the world! There'll be an iso-confession booth, live painting from IanSanity, DJ sets from Gentlemen Hall bassist Ro Richard, interactive social photography, and snacks and refreshments from none other than Magners Irish Cider, vitaminwater, PBR, Staff Meal Food Truck, and Pretzel Crisps!

The event is free and open to the public, but you need to RSVP.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday!

-Ben!

Current Projects: 
Music Riot

Hometown: 
Franklin, MA

Music Riot Links: 
Facebook | Twitter | Homepage

We’ve had some pretty cool interns here at IA over the last few years, and we’re proud to announce that our newest team member, Cheryl Rafuse, fits that mold quite nicely. A student at Emerson College, Cheryl’s been perceptive to the fact that the Boston music community is more disjointed than it should be, especially when it comes to the collegiate music community. Intent on connecting the dots between various scenes and professionals, Cheryl created Music Riot as part of her entrepreneurship minor. Read what she has to say about the project in the interview below, and if you’re interested in being a part of it, be sure to make it out to the Music Riot: On The Roof event in Kenmore Square on May 26th!

Indie Ambassador: What’s your story?

Music Riot: Music Riot’s story is pretty simple. I tried to start creating a network in the Boston music community and realized it was not going to be nearly as simple as the marketing world here. There was no organization, and a lot of people who sort of knew of each other but didn’t feel really connected. So when I needed a solid idea for my entrepreneurship minor at Emerson, I thought it would be cool to create something community based. Music Riot came out of that idea.

Indie Ambassador: What is the purpose of Music Riot?

MR: Music Riot is meant to be a place for aspiring college students and young professionals looking to get into the music industry here in Boston to meet like-minded people and form a community. It’s meant to bring together the music community that is existing in Boston as well as pass on advice and knowledge to the younger level of the industry. Boston has this weird thing where industry professionals and students will silo themselves off based on the genre of music they’re involved in, or what college they attend. Music Riot is meant to break down a few of those barriers to build a community around the idea that as more people get connected, Boston will become more of a friendly place towards new talent and more open networks.

Indie Ambassador: When you say that Boston area students with an interest in the music industry have a tendency to “Silo,” what do you mean?

MR: If you’re a student at Berklee, chances are you know all the Berklee bands and attend Berklee events. If you go to Northeastern you probably know all the NU bands and go to their events. Or whatever school you go to you probably go to a few of your own college’s music or networking type events. But when it comes to venturing onto another campus for an event, whether it be a concert or a networking event, the chances of a student actively deciding to pass over the threshold of another college’s front door is slim. Students get really comfortable in the bubble their particular school offers. At Emerson we frequently talk about “the Emerson bubble.” It’s a strange problem.

Rafuse: A boss in the music community and on rollerblades

Indie Ambassador: Is any of this a fault on the part of the universities?

MR: I don’t think so. I think it’s more the idea that each school has solidified a niche community simply by what they have to offer their students. A certain type of person decides Berklee is for them, just as a certain type of person finds Boston University to be their second home. When students go to other campuses, unless they already know some of the people there it’s easy to feel like you’re trespassing on somebody else’s turf.

Indie Ambassador: What is Music Riot doing to bring together this fractured community?

MR: For the summer we’re building the community. Piecing it together by having events that aren’t on college campuses. The goal is still networking, but on a neutral ground. You could say that people could do the same thing at any show around town, but when you’re at a show you can’t necessarily tell the people who are there just to see the band and the people whose life is music and are developing a career in it.

Indie Ambassador: Are you interested in helping established professionals network as well or only students?

MR: Music Riot is focusing on the college level because that’s where the most ‘silo-ing’ seems to take place. Established professionals are welcome and encouraged to come to our events, however, because the music industry isn’t just college kids.

Indie Ambassador: Getting your audience in one place at the same time is only half the battle. How do you plan to keep them coming back and actively participating?

MR: Once summer is over Music Riot has hopes to move into professional venues. Our plan is to have events that provide as much value to the Boston music community as possible. Events, starting in September, will include networking time, a speaker, panel, or moderated discussion, and a local band or two. Then rioters will be sure to meet some new people, learn a couple things, and hear a pretty sweet band, all in one night.

Indie Ambassador: Do you think the Boston music scene is more closed than scenes in other cities?

MR: To be completely honest I haven’t explored enough cities to definitively say. To me it feels pretty closed, but I also know the music industry is a hard nut to crack on its own. With my limited experience, however, it does seem strange to me that while talking to a friend of mine we had a decent back and forth naming Boston-based record labels and music companies the other had never heard of. That’s fairly disturbing for a city that’s so small. I’m not sure what causes that. I’ve had discussions for hours about it, but if somebody knows, hit me up.

Indie Ambassador: Please promote any upcoming Music Riot events here.

MR: Music Riot will be hosting an event called Music Riot: On the Roof at The Kenmore Rooftop on May 26th at 6pm. All details here!   

Finding a great place to rehearse in Boston is harder than one may think. If you’ve got the luxury of enough space to rehearse in your own home (most Boston apartments are cramped), chances are you’re constrained by the time of day you can practice thanks to the close proximity of your neighbors. If you’ve got a rehearsal space that's so expensive you have to share it with another band, you run the risk of losing track of your gear or having a messy place to rehearse. Most rehearsal spaces don’t have someone working on duty, so there’s really no way to tell who it was that puked in the bathroom and left it for the next guy. Even if all the right components are in place, it's pretty rare to find a rehearsal facility that fosters a sense of community amongst its users. So what is it that Boston needs to solve this rehearsal space predicament? Enter Studio 52.

The third floor of Studio 52 features 49 rehearsal rooms for monthly lease

Community

One key component that Marketing Director Glenn Michael and General Manager Rich Anton wanted to incorporate into the Studio 52 business model was an element of community. Each band or artist that is part of the Studio 52 community will be featured on the Bands & Friends page of their website with a picture, bio blurb, links to their sites, and an mp3 to give everyone an idea of their sound. Artists can also submit shows and other events to their calendar which will also be present on their website. This model has attracted not only musicians to their facility, but photographers and painters alike.

Studio 52 Founders Rich Anton and Glenn Michael

Specs

Studio 52 is located at 52 Everett Street in Allston, MA, and features a number of monthly and hourly practice rooms (currently that number is 49, but in total there will be about 115), all of which are climate-controlled and monitored by a state-of-the-art surveillance system. If you’re leasing a rehearsal room, you’ll be granted a personalized key card to gain access to the building, as well as a key to your individual rehearsal room. The facilities will be open from 11am-3am, although additional time arrangements can be made upon request.

A representative from the Studio 52 team will be present during all hours of operation to oversee the studio’s current 49 rehearsal rooms. The rooms feature 14 ft. ceilings and range in size from 150-390 sq ft. (larger than other rehearsal spaces around town), and are reasonably priced ($300-700 / month depending on size).

One of Studio 52's third floor (unfinished) rehearsal spaces, with stairway and freight elevator access

Show Room

Studio 52 will also feature a small showcase VIP room for bands and artists that are interested in hosting shows on their own accord. Whether you’re in a band that wants to put on a show without the pressures of a traditional venue, or are touring through Boston and need to host a private performance for your fan club, Studio 52’s Showcase room does it all - at an affordable price ($100/hr). The company also plans to film interviews and live performances of Studio 52 bands in this room to be featured on their YouTube channel, which adds the perk of free exposure to the studio’s tenants.

As the facility continues to grow they will be adding a full-fledged recording studio on the first floor, as well as additional hourly and monthly rehearsal rooms. All in all, this badass facility may just be what the local community has been calling for. Being musicians themselves, Glenn Michael and Rich Anton had an answer.

The blueprint of Studio 52's third floor

Show: Ingrid Michaelson
Date: Tuesday, May 15th
Venue: House of Blues
Similar Artists: Sarah Bareilles, Allie Moss
Why: Ingrid writes pleasant, feel good music that displays her incredible vocal range without annoyingly showing it off. This is the perfect show if you’re looking to listen to some great songwriting, chill out and marinate yo-self this Tuesday. (I marinate at least 3 times a day.)

Show: Justin Townes Earle
Date: Wednesday, May 16th
Venue: Somerville Theatre
Similar Artists: Steve Earle, Joe Pug
Why: Three years ago I had the pleasure of of checking out Justin Townes Earle per the suggestion of my friend Aaaron Tashjian of The Madison Square Gardeners in New York City at the 50 capacity venue National Underground. Then, his soleful, honest, and incredible approach to music blew my mind. Skip three years forward and Justin would cause a riot if he were to play such a small venue. The son of music legend Steve Earle, Justin's incredible songwriting has captured the ears of thousands.

Show: Soundcloud Global Meetup Day
Date: Thursday, May 17th
Venue: RIGHT WHERE I’M TYPING FROM! (Indie Ambassador HQ)
Why: From San Diego to Perth to Tel Aviv to Santiago, we're calling all SoundClouders and sound enthusiasts to get together! Meet up with like-minded Clouders here at IA to connect over Sound, run your own sound scavenger hunt, record spoken word or collaborate on a million other creative things. The sky's the limit! There will be cheap food, free drinks, a SoundBooth experiment, and Gentlemen Hall will be DJ-ing. Let's show the world that the SoundCloud community is the largest community of sound creators on the planet!

Show: Maps and Atlases
Date: Friday, May 18th
Venue: Middle East Downstairs
Similar Artist: Cast Spells, Tera Melos, Colour
Why: Maps and FUCKING Atlases. Where do I start.... how about this impropmtu session they did here at IA last year? Besides being in the room for that, I have seen this band a pretty incredible amount of times and they have never failed to impress. I last saw them at SXSW this year while they were promoting their latest album Beware, Be Grateful. Maps and Atlases have a pretty impressive catalog of over 6 albums, and of all the bands I listen to I can confidently say that all their albums, while different, are consistently captivating (Beware, Be Greateful included). I will absolutely be at this show.

Show: Aziz Ansari
Date: Friday, May 18th
Venue: House of Blues
Similar Artist: Parks and Recreation, Entertainment 720, Suede
Why: I am possibly the biggest Parks and Rec fan I know. A lot of this is due to Aziz’s character in the show, Tom Haverford. His latest DVD, Dangerously Delicious, proves that he not only is an incredible actor, but an even better comedian. His banter with the audience, profane storys, and hilarious take on life is the “freshest” comedy I’ve seen in years. **Note: If you go to the 7:00pm showing of this you can make it to the Maps and Atlases show, which is exactly what I will be doing.

The recession taught companies in all sectors to do more with less, and the music industry is no exception. But is outsourcing the future of the music industry, or just a temporary fix? Will labels that are already notoriously disjointed internally be able to manage the added communication and time commitment that comes with consultancy? You can get a jist of one major label executive's viewpoint on that topic and the importance of actionable analytics in the billboard.biz article below. 

-Aidan

(Billboard.biz) Business Matters: Doing More With Less - A Key Theme at NARM 2012

"We're doing more with less," one major label executive said when asked how his company was doing. Outsourcing is one way to do more with less. Outsourcing lets labels and management companies build a team around an artist or project without hiring full-time staffers. The industry is filled with former record label staffers plying their trade as consultants. There are numerous startups -- RootMusic, Official.fm, Moontoast -- trying to help music companies market and sell music efficiently. Music Reports wants to help companies outsource their royalty accounting. A company like Mtheory provides marketing, strategic and back office services to artist managers, effectively freeing up managers to manage. The list goes on and on and gets larger and larger.

Read the entire article here! 

There's no way musicians in search of advice have the time to read through all the new, helpful content published online every day. We've pulled our four favorite articles from this week and posted them below so you don't have to find the best articles yourself! This week our contemporaries on the Internet covered out-of-town gigs, what "free" beats sites really mean, instructions for creating a business as a music educator, project management tips, and (actually) alternative music promo. 

-Aidan 

Out of Towner
You've built a respectable fan base in your hometown, now what? Chris Robley and Chris Jackson dole out some tips on howw to bring people out to your show in a new market. (CD Baby)

Limitations of "Free" Beats
Musicians who write in genres of music that traditionally have digitial beats, like hip hop or electronic, are often in the beat-purchasing market. But there may be some pretty inhibiting language in that fine print you didn't read...(CD Baby). 

Setting up your Music Teaching Business 
Dyce Kimura thoroughly explains the steps necessary to create your own teaching business, from location to invoicing to gear. (Musician Wages) 

Project Management 
Wesley Verhoeve, founder of Family Records, posted a description of how his company operates in some respects. Obviously it's worth taking a look at if you too work for an indie label, but also acts as great advice if you find yourself managing projects in any facet of the music industry, such as artist management, record production, marketing campaigns, etc. (Wesley Verhoeve)

Alternative Promotion
Think offline. Simon Tam of The Slants pitches some clever ideas for music promo, none of which are directly related to traditional music outlets. (Music Think Tank)