Duane Buford (former band member of Ministry) Talks About Artist and Product Management

      As a music professional and entrepreneur, I recognize the importance of consulting with and learning from those who have paved the way for others, through their own success. Obtaining sound advice from such experts is critical to your success in many ways. Consequently, I decided to interview Duane Buford, who is an award-winning composer, sound designer, entrepreneur, and former member of the well-known band, Ministry. Since he was once an artist in a famous band, and now functions in the role of product manager within his own company, he was a logical choice for acquiring practical knowledge on the subjects of artist and product management.

     

      Duane told me that he used to record and work on music at a studio located on North Halsted in Chicago, called Chicago Trax Studio. It was there that he made the connection with Ministry members, who heard his original music, liked it, and eventually asked him to join the group. His role as a group member included doing the programming for a couple of albums, and becoming the touring keyboardist from 1996 to 1999. According to Screenmag, Buford worked on commercials for advertising agencies like Leo Burnett, at a music house. Eventually this outside passion led to his exit from the group, and the creation of his business in 2003, DuaneBuford.com, which is a music for media business. According to Duane, there were no hard feelings about his leaving, because it was just time for him to move on so that he could pursue his personal endeavors.

     

      Duane spoke about the artist management experience he had as a member of ministry, which he says was an excellent one. There was one manager for Ministry, and some of the other bands he managed were extremely famous, large bands. Despite the fact that the artist manager had a large roster, he was very effective at his job because nothing ever faltered. Duane said that his income was never touched or short, because the manager was very professional and honest. Consequently, the band and the artist manager did not experience any legal issues or problems between them. For example, the backstage riders, tour accommodations, etcetera, were exactly the way that they should have been, and everything was always done to the letter. Duane stated the manager certainly earned his salary because all aspects were handled properly, such as contracts, touring, merchandising, and recording aspects; and he was excellent at planning and organizing. Additionally, the manager never had to control individual band member personalities or tempers, because there were rarely any issues at all. Furthermore, if anything did occur, the band handled the issue, so he never had to intervene or deal with any interpersonal issues.

    

      Duane’s position on artist management was that if an artist manager can bring something significant to the table, then the manager is definitely worth having and it will be beneficial for the artist. For example, many artist managers have been in the business for many years, and have consequently developed numerous lucrative relationships with various important people, and such a situation could possibly result in millions of dollars for both the artist and the manager.

      Now that Duane has been in business for himself for many years, he has learned quite a lot about product management.  Specifically, he talked about his firsthand experience with the five core competencies of product management. They are listed in the “Product Manager’s Field Guide” from Full Sail University as the following: 1) drive business results 2) deliver results through people 3) ensure market-driven direction 4) guide product “fit” and function and 5) manage multiple priorities. Duane’s insights on these topics are listed in the sections following below.

• Drive business results – Duane stated that in music, you never know what type of genre a specific client will need, whether it is a film score, vocals for a video game, or a 30-second song for a commercial. Therefore, he said that you have to know what each project will technically entail, and you must know what each project needs in order to deliver what the client needs.

• Deliver Results through people – Duane contracts out people for different projects and different reasons. He advised that you never hire your friends or romantic interests. Buford stated that it is important to get the right people to build your team and to ensure that it is an appropriate fit. He also advised that whomever you get, has to have a great attitude and an excellent work ethic.  Duane added that you must know whom you are working with, in anticipation of what they might or might not do.

• Ensure market-driven direction - At his level of work, Duane does not really deal with ensuring market-driven direction, so he had no comments on this particular competency.

• Guide Product Fit and Function – Duane basically stated that a fit would only come about if you were ready to do the job, and you have to be the appropriate musician for the project. He also added that you have to know your job in regard to music, music theory, composition, engineering skills, and the gear you are using. A great book Duane recommended that musicians and composers read is "Dance Music Manual" by Rick Snoman, because it teaches you how to become a self-contained musician.

• Manage Multiple Priorities – Buford explained that there was no one else to help him, so he was forced to do multiple things at once. However, he has attorneys and accountants he calls when necessary. He also uses Excel spreadsheets a lot, as well as his Smartphone and iPad, so he can stay connected when away from the computer. He advised that it is important to keep good documentation, and to keep it in one place such as the Cloud.  Duane also uses Google Drive, and in Gmail he separates his mail through labeling, so it stays organized for reference later. Additionally, he uses Outlook and Sky Drive, and he keeps his music cues where they can be accessed instantly anywhere, and at any time. For Duane, this is critical for managing multiple priorities successfully. Although time management has been a constant challenge for Duane, he advised not to let too many projects overwhelm your time and to try to stay organized. He said that you should work on the most important thing that needs your attention, and then work your way down to the less important things.

      In essence, Duane Buford is a jack-of-all-trades, definitely a leader in his industry, a great source for advice, and an excellent example for any entertainment business professional to study for multiple reasons. I encourage you to visit his website and to also search for other music professionals like him, in order to learn as much as possible about artist and product management, especially if this is your chosen career field.

Product Management Advice Applied to Song Production

      Art of Audio Productions (AOAP) currently only offers songwriting and vocal arrangement services for music geared towards youth. However, in the future I plan to have a “Song Production” department, which will handle the creation and production of all aspects of music products for young people. As such, it is important to consider the viability of the songs the company will sell, in terms of their marketability and ability to be sold successfully. Although AOAP will not be handing the product management of the songs produced, it is definitely something to consider as I enter the creative process. If AOAP will not be able to consistently create phenomenal songs, that are both marketable and appealing to its target market, then the company will have failed to meet this objective. Therefore, to help avoid disappointing both AOAP customers and young music consumers, it would be sensible to research aspects of product management, to include examining those who professionally manage music products on a day-to-day basis.

      In my research, I found not only information on product management, but also an interesting article on

Hypebot from a professional in this field. The article is about managing the product of music subscription streaming, written by Jon Maples, who is the VP of Product and Content for Rhapsody. In his article, he offers advice to two of his competitors concerning their strategy to obtain more subscribers. Maples points out to both Spotify and Rdio that they are making expensive mistakes with their recent advertising campaigns for television, which was a mistake that Rhapsody already made years ago with its Droga-5 bubbles ad. He basically states that by creating these types of ad campaigns, the selling of the service itself gets lost in the end, and consumers do not end up actually signing up for the service as a result. Specifically, to be successful, Maples asserts that the focus needs to be switched from the creative visuals and music itself, to actually explaining the services these music-streaming companies offer. As a veteran in his field, with over ten years of experience, it is logical to assume that he might be able to provide good advice based upon firsthand experience. Additionally, he also gives specific statistics about plays and follows for Rdio that seem to further prove his point. In a Geekwire article, Taylor Soper discusses Maples’ advice, and provides Rhapsody financial statistics from recent years that could also support Maples’ position as well.

      Now, how can this advice about product management be applied to the production of songs? I believe that the basic idea to take away from what Maples is advising, is that product management is successful when you stick to the basics of selling and promoting the product itself. For example, if AOAP intends to create a drum and bass song, then it should be evident that the song is actually a product that belongs in that category, and that it is appealing to the consumers who listen to that genre of music. With clear authenticity; great lyrics; phenomenal music; and quality, artistic production of songs; hopefully it should be relatively easy for a product manager to be successful and for numerous units to sell as a result, as long as focus remains on the appealing aspects of the songs and the artists singing them. It is easy to manage a product when it is obvious that it is more than just good!      

Rico Maatre: An Entertainment Professional’s Insight Into the Art of Negotiation

      Since I am both an artist and an audio engineer, I decided to conduct an interview with an accomplished, seasoned, saxophonist, audio engineer, producer, composer, and recording artist, Rico Maatre. This interview will provide one expert’s experiences as a means of delving into the intricacies of negotiating deals in the entertainment industry:

•             Can you please provide me with your name, and a brief synopsis of everything you do, including any titles and/or businesses you own, within the entertainment industry?

      “My name is Rico Collins, but I am professionally known as Rico Maatre. I have two businesses: M Double A Productions and RMC Entertainment. The first one is my main business that is an audio production house providing pre-to-post production, to include recording, mixing, mastering, and independent artist development. RMC Entertainment is an entertainment company where the main artist featured is myself, and I am a contemporary jazz saxophonist of many years.”

•        Is negotiating and/or deal-making a primary part of your business, and can you elaborate as to how?

      “Yes! It is definitely one of the biggest parts of the business on both sides. Although I have set rates for things, we really try to work with people who have set budgets to provide them with affordable prices. We also meet talented people who might have potential, ambition, and drive, so we may want to work with them, and we negotiate rates in both cases. On the entertainment side, if I am contracted to do a wedding or a reunion, they may want me to perform one or two sets for the gig. In that case, I will negotiate with them about the prices per set, based upon their budget and certain aspects of the situation as a whole. In general, I negotiate with people on a weekly basis.”

•           What is your opinion about bargaining over positions, where each person defends their position in a negotiation, and then they grant exceptions to reach an agreement where each has compromised? Do you employ this method of negotiating, or do you use the method of principled negotiation, where the dispute is settled by focusing on the merits instead of positions?

      “I believe that I dabble a little in both at times. However, I mainly start off in a negotiation by using the principled method of negotiation, but the foundation is derived from a positional standpoint. What I mean is, that I have a stern foundation that is unspoken with my company, because I bring a substantial amount of expertise and experience to the table, and sometimes I have to bring people back to reality about what I will and will not negotiate about, or how much I am willing to lower my rates. Some people are not honest, and they wish to take advantage from the start, so with those types of people I tend to lean more towards positional bargaining at some points during the negotiation. Also, being a service provider in this industry, you get a lot of people who are inexperienced with being in a studio, with artist development, or with people giving them guidance, and so they are ignorant as to what these things reasonably cost. However, if I encounter someone who is an inexperienced student with a dream, for example, I will employ principled negotiation tactics; opposed to dealing with someone who is more experienced, with a larger budget, who knows what standard prices are in this industry, and with them the negotiation may end up being a bit positional.”

•            When negotiating with people whom you have established relationships with already, do you sometimes find it hard to separate the people, their problems, perceptions, emotions, and the relationship itself, from the business at hand?

      “Oh yeah! I am so glad you asked me that because I have a million stories about that very type of situation!"

•             Can you please give me one example of such a negotiation and how you eventually handled it? Was communication a barrier? Also, was an agreement made in the end that was satisfactory to all parties?

      “Let me give you one with a happy ending! I have an artist that I sometimes feature from time to time on my albums. When we first started working together, he was supposed to be producing for another artist that he was bringing to me for an engineering project, but that situation did not work out because of conflicts with the artist. It turns out that the producer himself was also a singer/rapper, and we ended up working together, but from the beginning it was a negotiation. The relationship began because I wanted a partner for outsourcing, but he wanted to be mentored in engineering, to become my friend, and to be featured on some of my albums. We negotiated and came to a mutual agreement based upon what we both wanted. The relationship then began to form outside of business, and he started to mix the friendship with business, by forgetting what we agreed upon in the original negotiation. We agreed up front what his rates would be for engineering his entire album, while incorporating the engineering mentoring aspect, and outsourcing his talent for my projects. I was charging him less because he was a student, with a part-time job, and he was a phenomenal artist. Additionally, he agreed to bring me other artists to engineer for, which would help to make up the difference in what I was not charging him. However, the more our personal friendship developed, the more he failed to hold up his end of the bargain, and none of the promised clients were showing up. I had to end up coming in with a stern fist to resolve the situation, by reiterating aspects of the agreement, clearing up miscommunication on my part, and being firm about the boundaries I had set in place for his usage of the studio. He understood more about what he was doing wrong by my showing him, more so than by my telling him. I had to show him that we needed to remain focused on the business at hand, which was the terms of our original agreement, and that I was not going to allow our newfound friendship, or his incorrect assumptions, to change things. I remained neutral and professional at all times, and effectively separated both myself and him from the problem.”

•             Have you ever been involved in a negotiation where the other party used dirty tricks, such as deliberate deception, phony facts, or ambiguous authority, in order to manipulate the situation to their benefit?

      “I definitely have, but I am the type of person to shut that down real quick! However, I can provide you with a story about how I was unaware that the person was using dirty tricks, and had someone not stepped in right away, I would have been duped!”

•           Can you please give me one example of such a negotiation and how you eventually handled that situation?

      “Since I gave you one example from the studio, this example comes from my entertainment business. I actually believed this guy! I went to visit a restaurant/nightclub venue that provides performance, which some friends had recommended that I go check out to possibly perform at. When I got out there, I started talking to someone who I thought was the DJ, since the owner was not around. It turns out that he was the owner’s brother, who originally told me that he was the stand-in for the DJ when he took breaks, and then he ended up telling me that he was the talent buyer for his brother also. That is where it all started, because I then began discussing with him what I do as a performer, and the possibility of performing either by myself or with a band, along with prices, because I get straight to the point. Finally, the owner walks up and he ends up sending the one I met initially to go do something for him. During that time, in our conversation it is revealed to me by the owner, that his brother is actually none of the things he said he was, but instead is just someone who desires to be a DJ and talent buyer! The owner said that he had never put him in charge of any of those things, and had he not come up when he did, I have no idea how far this guy would have taken this misrepresentation of his authority! What if he had actually booked me on a certain date, without the owner’s consent or knowledge, and there was another artist performing? Whatever agreement I would have had with him would have been null and void, and I might have wasted my money and time getting there if the owner had booked another artist on the same day since he didn’t know about me! The name of the restaurant was the last name of both the brothers, so I had no reason to suspect that he was lying about anything. In fact, he could have even pretended to be the actual owner and I would have been none the wiser!"

•        Do you feel that your negotiations overall have been generally successful? Why or why not? Also, is there anything that you would change about the methods you have been using, if they have not been successful?

      “Overall, percentage-wise they have been successful, due to the changes I have made by learning from my mistakes during negotiations. If it were not for the changes I have made, that percentage for success would not be as high as it is. The mixture of the two types of negotiating, positional and principled negotiation has been the key to my success, even though I lean more towards principled negotiation. The foundation of the two businesses in a negotiation is that I have a threshold for both. One of the things that I put in play that definitely helps to alleviate problems, such as deception, haggling, and hard bargaining, is the fact that I am service provider who stays in control the entire time, despite negotiating based upon merits. I have to be firm in the end though, to prevent people from trying to take advantage of me. Specifically, I require in a negotiation for either business, that people pay in advance or give me a deposit, and that the terms of the agreement is put in writing with all terms clearly stated, and approved by both parties via signatures and initialing.”

•            Do you have any advice to other entrepreneurs, entertainers, or artists in regards to negotiating and deal making?

      “I suggest that you always have a safety net and negotiate above that threshold. This should be a ground rule that is not uncomfortable for the client, and everything above it is negotiable, but that rule must be in play so that you are not taken advantage of. Also, always have everything regarding an agreement that is reached put in writing, in order to protect all parties involved.”

•            Can you please provide our readers with your contact, release, and/or social media information, along with any websites you would like them to visit?

      “Of course! I just released an album entitled “Only Pluto Understands Me” and it can be purchased on either iTunes or Amazon, via digital download and in the near future you will be able to purchase a physical CD from Amazon. It is currently on Rhapsody and Spotify, and will soon be on Pandora as well. My contact information and applicable links are as follows:”

Rico Maatre

(872) 228-6227

M Double A Productions email

RMC Entertainment email

To Purchase Music:

Rico Maatre on iTunes

Rico Maatre on Amazon

Social Media:

Twitter

Facebook

Facebook Artist Page

Reverbnation

I hope this interview has provided some helpful information about negotiating, for anyone who is in the entertainment industry.

Now, maybe more than just Pluto understands Rico Maatre!

Kidz Bop: A Kid-friendly Alternative for Entertainment

       For many years, children have desired various forms of entertainment. In particular, music and film topped the list for children and teenagers, until the video game craze took over and became a formidable force within the entertainment industry. Consequently, the music, TV, film, and video industries were forced to become more creative in order to remain popular in the minds of teens and kids. One example of this is the Kidz Bop brand that was originally launched in 2000 to provide alternative versions of pop songs mainly for young people aged 5-12 years.

      What better way is there to keep children, tweens, and teens interested, other than to insert them directly into the equation? The idea that the Kidz Bop founders Cliff Chenfield and Craig Balsam conceived, to have young people perform covers of current pop hits, was a brilliant example of such. Chenfield speaks to Pacific Standard Magazine about the CD series that has morphed into a million-dollar multimedia business, and he stresses that their intention is to further “kid-cool and parent-friendly” entertainment content for all ages. Kidz Bop is a total hit, as evidenced by the fact that the albums consistently debut high on the Billboard 200 and their website following of over 900,000 youth. Kidz Bop now includes Kidz Star USA Talent Search, which is a national talent search competition for children under the age of 15. The winner wins a major RCA recording contract, cool prize packages, and an appearance in a Kidz Bop commercial and music video. Today, Kidz Bop has become a safely moderated social networking and video site that features games, contests, photo and video uploads, fan pages, and a music-listening forum for kids to have fun and be creative. Kidz Bop even has: books; magazines; clothing; toy instruments; DVDs; a pop dance group; a Wii video game; an iOS app; and even a weekly SiriusXM Radio show called Kidz Bop Block Party. Chenfield mentions on Radio.com that the Kidz Bop success has carved out other opportunities that may include finding, promoting, and developing child stars in the future. By connecting to kids directly from the Internet, and broadening their media offerings, they definitely have the foundation for these endeavors.

      Despite this brand’s success, there are of course people who are anti-Kidz Bop because they feel that the original pop songs are being ruined because of the watered down, kid-friendly versions. I disagree because, as a parent, I do not want my child listening to some of the inappropriate lyrics that many pop songs currently contain, despite the catchy hooks and melodies. The Kidz Bop songs and website provide an outlet for them to enjoy versions of the songs they enjoy that are not harmful to their emotional or social development; as well as social networking that is safe from predators or bullies. For these reasons, Art of Audio Productions would be honored to produce audio for media similar to Kidz Bop’s. It would be amazing to be a part of something that has proven, and continues, to be a positive experience for many, many kids who need entertainment that is tailored just for them! Why not ask a kid what they think?

Audiobooks: An Important Resource for Students

      As an avid reader, I can certainly appreciate the benefits of using my sense of sight for entertainment and/or learning when reading a book. However, as an audio professional and musician, I can also see equal benefits from using the sense of hearing by listening to audiobooks. When you read a book, you are completely reliant upon your imagination to fill in the gaps concerning the details that the book might have left out. For example, although a book can certainly describe a character with great detail, it is up to the reader’s imagination to create the sound of that character’s voice in order to make the story come alive. The beauty of an audiobook, however, is that there is no need to do this because it is already done for you! Listening to an audiobook can be very exciting and can also speed up the process of covering book content, because listening to a book often results in more chapters being covered than reading the traditional way. Additionally, listening to an audiobook can also be done while doing something else simultaneously, such as ironing, cooking, exercising, or getting dressed. This gives you the ability to multitask and get more things done while also being entertained. These are benefits for just about anyone of any age, but what about the importance of the benefits for students?

      On Reading rockets, which is a website that provides resources for teaching children how to read or how to improve reading, it is mentioned that some people do not consider listening to audiobooks part of the reading process. When you read, you should be able to summarize what was read by: providing the character, setting, problem, and solution. Furthermore, that summary indicates that you were successful in comprehending what the book was attempting to convey. If you listen to an audiobook and are able to provide a sufficient summary of what you heard, is that not the same as reading? I submit that it is, and for a young person, it may inspire a greater desire to read books in the traditional manner as well. This is just one possible benefit of listening to audiobooks. Reading Rockets provides a comprehensive list of the many benefits of listening to audiobooks for students, and developing critical listening skills is one of them. Changing Minds gives a definition of critical listening, which involves evaluating what was heard in order to form thoughts, opinions, or judgment, and this is very important for young readers to be able to do after reading any text.

      Young people are easily distracted and are prone to quickly becoming bored. Therefore, it is imperative that the media they are listening to be engaging enough to keep their attention, especially when there is nothing that is visual to accompany it. For these reasons, it is critical that the audio for audiobooks is professionally done in superb quality; that the voiceover actors/actresses are skilled; and that the audio production is creative, entertaining, and fascinating. Audiobooks are becoming increasingly readily available and more affordable for the public, which should increase the consumer demand for this type of media and hopefully make it easier for schools to purchase more audiobooks for school libraries. Consequently, it is the aim of AOAP to consistently create memorable and exciting audio for audiobooks, in order to contribute to the growth and development of students worldwide, because listening is fundamental too!