My grandson, Garrett, who has just turned 7, has become the joy of my life. Any grandparent will understand. It's truly amazing how quickly they grow up, but there is a time in a young child's life when you could tell him the sky is yellow, or the furry little animal running around the house barking is an elephant, and he will believe you because he trusts you and your word. I would never do this, of course, because I love Garrett and I want him to learn correctly and mature. Eventually he would realize as he grew and became educated that his "Poppa" was lying to him. I could not live with myself. However this is exactly what we do to our "babies" in Southern Gospel Music, and frankly, I cannot bear to see it happening any longer.
Our industry makes a big spectacle of holding seminars and teaching sessions for our new artists, but we don't tell these "babies" the truth. The record companies and compilation mills that are telling them the sky is yellow know that the truth will hurt the relationship and kill their chance to make money off the unsuspecting "wannabees" of the industry.
What would any of us do if we discovered that someone was teaching our child bad information?
I think it's fair to say the first reaction would be anger, not at the child, but at the teacher. Then we would tell the child the truth. I could not sit back and allow someone to get Garrett's hopes up by telling him a lie, knowing that it was just a matter of time until his heart was broken and his hopes were dashed. If you understand this then you know how I feel about the industry I love.
I am not against anyone becoming successful, but I am against taking advantage of "wannabees". This is not honest, nor is it right before the God we all sing about.
The number one question asked by groups is; "What can we do to get our name out there?" Sadly, the answer they get is; "You have to get a song on the radio".
This is a bold faced lie! If any manufacturer has a product that is inferior that does not appeal to the buying public, the only benefit that will come from advertising that product is that more people will know how bad it is. The truth is we have many young groups in this category, yet we continue to advertise them in the mistaken belief that the buying public will overlook their bad singing. This brings me to this month's topic: The thousands of dollars that up and coming groups are wasting on radio promotion.
Let me tell you about two events that I recently witnessed with my own eyes. The first occurred at a studio which I won't name since they were not a party to the event that brought tears to my eyes. A promoter rented the studio and hired a band. In the hallways were 10 or 12 groups. Each group got a turn in the studio. The musicians would hastily write out a chart and rehearse an intro and then the group would record their song. This was made into a compilation and sent out to radio. I was told that each of these groups paid around $1000.00 to be a part of this fiasco. You do the math. You've never heard the names, or the songs any of these groups trusted would help them "make it" in the Southern Gospel Music Business. This is happening all over Southern Gospel Music today. Not all the companies are as blatant as this individual, but some of them are very well known, and perpetrating the same hoax nonetheless. These wolves don't even bother to hide in sheep's clothing anymore.
The other event took place last year at the NQC. I was invited to attend a showcase. The room was full of artists and their families, and perhaps 10 or 15 fans. In essence, the groups, all from one area of the country, were singing to each other. The emcee would introduce each group by saying "Here they are, singing their current radio single, The Farfisa Family!" (I made up that name.) None of these groups had reached a point in their career where they would be considered professional in their appearance or singing, and yet someone had convinced them to spend their money promoting a radio single. Am I the only person in America who sees something wrong with this picture? Who sold these groups on a radio promotion? Somebody please help me! Are we not destroying our own industry by our greed and dishonesty?
So let's talk about radio promotion.
What is the truth about radio Promotion?
Who does or doesn't need radio Promotion?
What is the purpose of radio Promotion?
Let's start with the answer to the last question.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF RADIO PROMOTION?
In my view, there are three purposes of radio.
If you have achieved purpose #1, which is ministry to the listener, you will almost automatically achieve purpose #2 drive listeners to the bookstores to purchase the music they've heard on the radio. In fact, this is the one true test of an effective radio song. James Blackwood once told me Nick, even if the people are swinging from the chandeliers during your performance, if they're not walking out with your product under their arms, you haven't done the job. In my 41 years in this business I have learned that James was right on target. The product table and the bookstores are the two places where hype ends and truth reigns supreme.
Let's talk about purpose #2 drive listeners to the bookstores. Your radio exposure should be as wide as the distribution of your product. If your only radio exposure is on your local Christian radio station, then you don't need to pay thousands of dollars to a national company. All you have to do is drive down to your local Christian bookstore and ask your neighbor Bob to carry some of your products. There is no purpose for a local group to pay a company to do national radio promotion if the product is not distributed nationally. It is a dis-service to the listener if they cannot purchase something they heard on the radio at their local bookstore. We all know how frustrating it is to hear about a new product only to discover it is not on the shelves of the stores near us. It is sheer lunacy for any company to advertise a product and not make that product available at the retail level, yet that's exactly what we do in Southern Gospel Music. There are scores of companies whose only design is to make you a recording, sell you a small amount of product and put you on a compilation. There are one or two of these companies that have the ability to distribute product and they do so for a few select artists and then use that as a selling point to lure wannabees, like lambs to the slaughter. They can never distribute the recordings of most of these groups because no one will buy them and then the bookstores will return all the unsold product which will wind up in garages all across America. I have no doubt that some garages would have 2 or 3 different projects stacked up. So, if your group is not yet at the level to have your product distributed nationally, you shouldn't even be thinking of being on the radio, and if anybody offers you one of their deals that includes radio promotion, the first question you should ask is: Will our product be made available in bookstores?
Which brings us to Radio Purpose #3 " driving listeners to live performances.
A group should be full-time or rapidly approaching full-time before considering a major radio promotion, or to be considered for radio. The members of a part-time group usually have to be at work on Monday morning. This limits their travel to a very small area, usually one or two states. From a business perspective, to what end does it benefit a group from Georgia or Alabama to have a song on the chart of a radio station in Kansas or Illinois" The likelihood of them going full time and singing in either of these places is extremely remote, which negates the third purpose of radio, that of driving listeners to live performances. Once again we have provided a dis-service to the listener. There are those who will argue that these occasional blips on radio charts will help a group go full time sooner. My response to that is "name one". I know of no group that rose to the ranks of professional through radio play without having the rest of their house in order. The first order of business for any group is to prepare themselves musically and in their business practices for the day when radio will truly be a benefit to them. Radio promotion is not something to be experimented with, like dipping your toe in the water to test it. The pro groups are always looking to the next song to promote while "wannabees" are pooling their funds to get one song on a compilation. Having a new song on the radio is a career long commitment, which is why I say that only full time groups should consider it. Further, radio play will not help you if you can't sing, or know little or nothing about music, or haven't yet learned the business side of the music industry, or still don't know how to keep your group booked. These are the things you should be working on. Don't worry about radio promotion. When you are ready for radio it will still be there.
WHO DOESN'T NEED RADIO PROMOTION?
Any group whose recordings are not available in bookstores - any group that is not full time or rapidly approaching full time ministry...any group that has not made a career-long commitment to keep songs on the air, one after another - Any group that cannot sing, or has made an inferior quality recording. If your group meets these criteria you do not need radio promotion! Do not allow anyone, regardless of their name or stature in the industry, to sweet talk you into it. There is a verse in God's word: James 4:17 Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin. (The Living Bible) I can only give you the facts as I view them, but you have the responsibility to be good stewards of the ministry The Father has blessed you with.
Most folks seem to agree that there is an overabundance of poor music on Southern Gospel Radio. The problem is in agreeing on how and where to draw the line and what standard to use to determine who should or shouldn't be on the air. Well, I have a suggestion, perhaps even the answer to that question which I will share with you next month. Whether we have the intestinal fortitude to follow it through remains to be seen.
If you feel as strongly about this as I do, please email this to your friends and encourage them to do the same.
I welcome your comments. You can reach me at nick@nickbruno.com .
God bless you,
Nick Bruno
Author: Nick Bruno
| Author's Website: http://www.nickbruno.com/
Written: 04/30/2004
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Category: Monthly ArticlesThe Gospel Truth
Comments: 14
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WOW, what an article. I'm so glad your on our side. grin
There's a fourth purpose to radio . . . to offer a compelling product on the air that's professional enough to convince Fans to listen and in turn Advertisers to advertise. SG radio shoots itself in the foot by playing wannabees, effectively reducing their listening audience and thereby, their advertising dollars.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
I've read your book, once. Plan on reading it again. This article should have been in the book too, Nick.
Thanks for being honest with your opinions. They are beginning to sound more and more like common sense to me. You keep teaching and I'll keep praying.I think it just points out that many have more stars in their eyes than talent in their souls, and there are plenty of people willing to take advantage of it. It's just too bad that it is happening in Christian music.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
- Galatians 5:25.
This is a very interesting subject, Nick. I think it very important to look at the other side of the issue as well.
Who doesn't need radio promotion?
Any group who can't draw a ticket buying crowd to a concert.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
Mike,
I fail to see the Catch-22 situation. A local group who makes a recording can get airplay on local stations in areas where they actively tour, but it makes no sense to push them on a nation wide basis if the group isn't poised to tour the nation as well.
Why do smaller groups touring in only one or two states put so much money into radio and hope to be positioned on a national chart? In most cases, they either lack the resources, the ambition or skills (or a combination of those three areas) to support such a touring schedule.
Any so called "record label" that requires the artist to pay up front is no different from a vanity publisher in the book industry. Every legitimate record label starts each account in the red. This motivates real record labels to:
1. Be sure the artist has talent up front.
2. Be sure the product can be competitive in the market.
3. Market the recording aggressively to both radio and fans.
In effect, it weeds out the wannabees, because when the record label has to earn back the money they invest, they don't give upstarts the opportunity to be involved until they're truly in a position to compete. The vanity record labels have no such motivation, because the artist pays all major expenses for making and promoting a product up front.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
Mike, I didn't realize you owned a record company yourself until I had already made the post above. I hope you don't take what I said personally, and please accept my apology if you did. I'm just speaking about general business practices in the SG record industry from a purely philosophical point of view, certainly not putting down any one person in particular.
I don't think there's anything wrong with furnishing vanity or "custom" type services when the artist demands them. I just don't see the point of pushing an artist to radio if they lack the necessary potential for supporting their hits with a comparable national touring schedule. I think that's what Nick Bruno was emphasizing in his article as well.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
No offence taken, David.
Mike, I agree that promotion is necessary to get the good artists heard. What Bruno is preaching against is promoting bad or middling talent as if it is good talent. Why would a few regional groups put together a showcase at NQC? If each of those groups could draw a huge ticket buying crowd at their regional events back home, then yeah, maybe the rest of the NQC needs to hear about them too, but if not, why go to the bother of promoting them at NQC?
The way new groups create a buzz in their regional areas is by being just as good in concert, if not better than many of the established groups. It's not radio singles that make them successful, it's developing and improving talent. The Crabb Family and the Whisnants are two great examples of groups that started out unknown and became superstars becuase they were so good in concert. Yes, they worked radio hard. They have the talent, so they ought to work radio hard. But the greatest concentration goes into their live events. That area was solid before they pushed their product to radio.
Then there's the flip side. . . I remember a great NC group that was singing on a national level regularly without ever having one Top 80 song. They had great recordings. A few unwise changes and spreading themselves too thin made the group dissolve a few years later.
One thing they always wanted was that Top 80 single, and near the end, finally got one. They published their schedule in the Singing News and bought ads there pushing their latest singles. They'd probably still be together if they'd spent that promotional money on bus payments instead and worked their regional area into a huge support base before trying to develop fans in other areas of the country.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
Way to go Mike.I appreciate you sticking up for promotion.I do know however that their are companies out there that are just taking people's money and running with it and they need to be stopped.Promotion is the same thing as advertisement in any other market or business.You Can't be known,unless you get your name out there and it's should not just be about the industry,but rather about serving God,so Mike ,I appreciate you because in the end,only what we have done for God will Last!God Bless!
Before anyone thinks I'm a total Bruno apologist, let me say that I disagree with Nick Bruno on one of his points. I'm speaking of his idea that groups should have their recordings widely available in retail outlets before considering radio.
Pushing singles to radio should come just before pushing product into retail, IMO. Even the big labels introduce brand new artists in this fashion . . . getting them on the air first, then into stores.
But on everything else in the article above, I agree. Artists need to learn how to put on great concerts first. Developing a devoted fan base in an expanded region of the country comes second. Then IF the group is prepared to make the move financially and tour more widely, pushing singles to nationwide radio and finally into retail makes sense.
I don't think anyone responding to this article has spoken against promotion being done in the right way and at the right time . . . it's just that many, many groups go after radio too early and a few bad promotion companies are only too eager to sell them pie in the sky dreams rather than honesty about their chances. If you aren't yet at the point where you can draw a ticket buying crowd or at least sell a significant number of CDs at your shows, IMO, there's very little radio can do to help further your career.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
Soapbox, Part one
Soapbox, Part two
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