ThatRetailChick

It’s my job to sell music.  But that is not how I look at my job.  I have been very blessed to have been working in music retail for 14 years and my customers are more than just customers to me.  We are connected through music.

The importance of what I do is making sure that I introduce people to music that fits the soundtrack of their life at that particular moment.  Sounds easy right?  Greeting someone and in that moment thinking, “of all the music that I’ve heard what would make them the happiest right now?”  Yeah, after I say it that way…not so easy. 

You only get one chance to make your first impression and introductions are priceless.

I am more than a music retailer; I am a fan of music.  And at the end of the day when I walk out of the store, I know that I have made someone a fan of music as well.  So, I say that to say thanks to all the musicians,  that I am a fan of and all of the label distribution reps that introduced me to them.  It has been my pleasure making others a fan of your music as well.  I will continue to do so for as long as I can.

Sincerely,

*That Retail Chick*

I have been in music retail for 14 years now and I can say with much certainty that the “artist turned label owner” trend is not working very well when it comes to sales.  You want reasons…Oh Boy Do I Have Reasons…

My Boy is My A&R…

Really???  So just because he liked some classic rap tunes, they have the ear to find talent?  WOW, if that’s all it takes where do I apply.  I would have thought that after the first couple of artists your boy signed did not do well, a bell would have went off in the “artist turned record label owners” head.  “DING – Maybe I should hire someone a little more qualified to find new artist for my label.” 

  Is there a “No one can be better than me on my own label” thing going on that we shouldn’t talk about?

That’s the way things are looking so far.  When LA Reid signed Usher to La Face, Babyface wasn’t thinking “Damn…he better not be bigger than me!”  La Face was an investment that was meant to turn a profit!  A record label is a business and businesses are supposed to make money.  So quit trippin’ and help your artist sell records like you do!  But don’t send them out and say…”you gotta grind” with no help from your label.  You might just have too many artists and not enough employees to run the label.

Let’s Hire Interns!!!  We can use them for FREE!!!

 Well, unfortunately free help is not always the best help.  Interns with no one to train them have no experience in promotions & no business savvy.  Plus, the next time I see an “intern” come in the store with a couple of posters, flyers, and some free cd’s, then slap them down on the counter and say “dis from “_______” label…it’s dey new artist.”  I might have to call your label out!  Please start hiring companies that are trained to do street promotions.  I’m tired of giving lessons on how to put up a display!

I got an EMPIRE…and my artists…well…they cool.

I also do not understand why artist turned record label owners are great at building their own personal empires and the record label only turns a profit when their album comes out.  I mean dang!  I see clothing lines, TV shows, BIG WHIPS, new jewelry, nice houses on MTV cribs.  I really want to know, are there any marketing plans?  Is there a budget (no matter how big or small)?  Does your new artist get anything more than some mixtapes, a video, and the chance to book some shows?   

Speaking of booking shows…when did record labels become booking agencies???

I know that show money is good money (unless you signed the artist to a 360 label & management deal). One hit song can take an artist around the world and that’s dope.  But if all you have is one hit record on your roster, and that record has ran its course, what’s next?  Where is your brilliant team of Record Label Executives to keep the momentum going? Where is the marketing plan that outlines your artists’ road map to possible success?  It probably doesn’t exist because all your execs and employees are sitting around trying to book shows to make their next dollar.

This is a P.S.A. from your music retail fairy godmother…That Retail Chick

Urban
Last Week	This Week	Artist	Song	Spins
3	1	GUCCI MANE	Wasted f/Plies	3584
1	2	JAY-Z/RIHANNA/KANYE WEST	Run This Town	3535
4	3	DRAKE KANYE LIL WAYNE EMINEM	Forever	3377
2	4	PLEASURE P	Under	3264
9	5	LETOYA	Regret f/Ludacris	2662
5	6	MARIO	Break Up f/Gucci Mane	2597
8	7	R. KELLY	Number One f/K. Hilson	2577
11	8	JAY-Z	Empire State Of Mind f/A. Keys	2513
6	9	DRAKE	Successful f/Lil Wayne	2357
7	10	MAXWELL	Pretty Wings	2128
18	11	USHER	Papers	2122
15	12	TREY SONGZ	I Invented Sex f/Drake	2079
14	13	CHRIS BROWN	I Can Transform Ya f/Lil Wayne	1828
12	14	ALICIA KEYS	Doesn’t Mean Anything	1813
10	15	TREY SONGZ	LOL Smiley Face f/Gucci Mane	1764
16	16	CLIPSE	I’m Good f/Pharrell WIlliams	1656
13	17	YO GOTTI	5 Star	1569
20	18	BIRDMAN	Money To Blow f/Lil Wayne	1512
25	19	50 CENT	Baby By Me	1330
19	20	FABOLOUS	Throw It In The Bag f/Dream	1320
21	21	THE-DREAM	Sweat It Out	1261
23	22	ESTER DEAN	Drop It Low	1238
24	23	MAXWELL	Bad Habits	1225
27	24	FABOLOUS F/KERI HILSON	Everything, Everyday…	1024
22	25	DORROUGH	Ice Cream Paint Job	993
30	26	MELANIE FIONA	It Kills Me	965
31	27	MARQUES HOUSTON	Body	933
35	28	OMARION	I Get It In f/Gucci Mane	903
32	29	MARIO	Thinkin’ About You	877
26	30	MARIAH CAREY	Obsessed	809

*coutesy of  USA TODAY*

Just when you thought you were hot…those damn numbers came in and everybody is downloading your album and giving their review before you can make a sale.  Now the question is do those numbers matter?  The answer, well that depends on how you (the artist) feel.
 Here are Music Retails top 10 reasons why your 1st week numbers might be a little shady…
 
 1. My label bought half the CD’s and the deep decline in my second week sales shows how many fans I really have…

 2. I got suckered into this $500 digital distribution deal and I ain’t booked $500 worth of shows!

  3. Man…them numbers don’t matter…let me see what I can get off this chain I just bought!

  4. I don’t know what happened…1 million people downloaded my mix tape…I thought at least 500,000 of them would have purchased my album???

  5. My song gets 3000 spins a week at urban radio…guess we should have spent some of that radio money on marketing huh? 

  6. Why’d I let that DJ put half my album on my mix-tape…and then they used all the good songs!

  7. I was on twitter for 2 months promoting my release date…did they forget???

  8. I made it rain in every club in the southeast, I know them fools had enough money to buy my shit at Best Buy the first week!  Hell it was only 7.99!!!

  9. After we ain’t have no good first week #’s, the street team got their daily cursing out by the CEO (the rapper that owns the record label).  Now we’re REALLY excited about going hard that 2nd week…NOT!

10. My CEO got the clothes, the car, the chain…that dudes’ swag on infinity???  Damn, there goes my marketing budget from the majors…

So how does a song that is #5 on urban radio only sale a little over 30,000 copies in the 1st week of its release??? 

Mario’s release D.N.A. came out to very soft numbers last week as compared to other RNB artist like Trey Songz who sold 135,000 records his first week and is on his 3rd album as well.  And I am baffled because who wasn’t listening to “Break Up”?  And the Gucci feature should have been a shoe in right?

Well, these days in the music industry it takes a lot more than a hit song with a feature to connect with your fans and give them a reason to buy your record.  So there’s the problem.  Now what’s the solution?

Music consumers love to meet there favorite artist.  So I didn’t hear about a Mario in store in my city…did you?  But I did get the countless emails about his club appearances, I heard him on a couple of radio stations, and oh…I saw his picture on some websites.  All of that is great and much needed exposure!!!!  But customers like to see people, get a picture, and possibly even get a disc signed by their favorite artist.  So, in order for his 2nd and 3rd week #’s not to plummet into non-existence here is what I propose the label should do.  First don’t give up on the record!!!  He has some strong songs on the album.  From now on,  every city that you go to please visit 1 music retailer, 1 community service spot, and 1 lifestyle spot.  Make time in your schedule for this.  If the major chain stores are tripping, then go to the independent stores.  Just give them some advance notice so they will have the product.  As for your advertising for the event…if radio is too much, look to your social networking sites!!!! You have this many fans on each one:

 myspace 280,000+
twitter 58,000 +
facebook 66,000 +

Use that to your advantage and announce in stores on those sites as places to meet you & get cd’s signed!!!!  Take pictures, smile, say thank you for your support, connect with the people, and they will follow.

Your Retail Fairy Godmother,

*That Retail Chick*

Welcome to the new music industry.  Where everybody is somebody, anybody can make it, hype is everything, and sales mean nothing.  That is until your 1st week numbers come in!  Then the truth comes out and everybody is talking about your “epic fail.” And everyone includes bloggers, industry execs, and your fans (who by the way used to not care about first week numbers…but since everybody is in the music business now…). 

My big wig industry friend says “Retail Chick you are thinking old music industry instead of new music industry!” I do realize that there are many ways for artists to get paid in this business and album sales is not one of them if you are on a label.  But now the new term among the urban music scene is branding.  But we are behind; rock & pop artist have been doing it for years.  And they are great at it.  Rappers on the other hand want to brand a song, artist, record label, studio, producer, and clothing line, all at the same time.  But first let me ask you…what’s the name of your single again???

Now, since “BRANDING” is the new get money term among the urban music industry these days, I got a little secret for ya.  That new word (BRANDING) sits right up there with marketing and has a lot to do with sales.  And since this is the MUSIC BUSINESS, the focus should be on making a song and an album that is going to be big enough for you to make yourself a household name first.  The branding comes after you have proven that you have the ability to make A LOT of people like you and your music so much that they will go to stores (physically or digitally) and buy your product.  (Oh…and just for the record mix tape sales don’t count here because you probably forgot to put a barcode on it and make that mix tape sale count when you were hot and at the top of your game!)

 But if you are in the beginning phase of your career and want to see how effective your brand is I’ll tell you what to do.   Stick your logo, name, or song title on something then attach a price tag to it!  If that doesn’t work,  your branding efforts were not effective, because your hot single on the radio was only good for show money, at which point no corporation needs you to be the face of their product, because unfortunately your music wasn’t good enough or to sell your cd.