tate music group...that's what we've been saying

One of the most important (and most common) discussions we have with the artists we work with focuses on the business aspect of music. It makes sense...since this is called the "music business." The thing we most commonly stress is that the music is just the introduction into the industry - the business is what keeps you there.

Like any business, the product being introduced and promoted rises and falls on its quality and the ability of its creator to sell it to the consumer. The music business is no different. As an artist, your music is the product...and the quality of that music is very important. However, even more important is your ability (as the artist/creator) to promote and sell your product - in this case, your CD. You can have incredible songs and share those with an audience - completely captivating them. If that audience, though, isn't able to get your music and similarly recreate those feelings they had when hearing it live...they will forget about you and your music and move on to the next option.

This is why we (TMG) stress the importance of artists having lots of product and merchandise on hand for all your shows and events. It is not only your best point of sale...it is a way to engage with your audience again...and continue to inspire them by providing your music for them to listen and share over and over. That is both great promotion of your art and excellent business strategy - since a $10 CD at your show will end up as $6-$8 directly to you. Multiply that by 60 fans...and again by 50-60 shows per year - and you're starting to make this a career!

Of course, as you can see, the other aspect of selling your product is your ability to engage and captivate your audience. You have to put on a good show and give your audience something to not only be excited about at the time...but talk about to their friends the next day, week, month. This is how you, as an artist, are really just a salesman with a guitar (or piano, or microphone, etc.). I know that doesn't sound very appealing to most artists...but it is the truth about all business. Having the best product means nothing if you can't sell it to your audience. Time and again, I see incredible artists with no fan base and nothing (financially) to show for their work...because they aren't willing to do the 'salesman' role that is needed for this line of work. On the flip side, less musically talented artists can be some of the most popular and highest grossing artists because they have accepted their sales role and actively engage and inspire their audiences to action - which always involves buying their product (CDs, shirts, hats, etc.).

This is foundational to Tate Music Group and our goals for working with artists. We have been saying this for years and we see the most success from our artists that embrace music not only as an art but ultimately as a business.

Here is a video from Tom Jackson (a major promoter in the music business) stressing these same principles.

tate music group...a great article

I wanted to share this article that ran in the Madera Tribune out of California. I especially want to direct your attention to the booking efforts and expectations. Driven Cure is correct...you can call hundreds of venues, churches, contacts...but you may just have one that says 'Yes'...and you have to be ready to pounce on that opportunity. Besides, you never know who you will meet at that show.

Here is the article:

Local Christian band tours country, releases second album
By Farin Montanez
The Madera Tribune

Two Chowchilla police officers took a leap of faith last year when they turned in their badges and guns and picked up a bass and a microphone to pursue musical ministry. Ex-officers Heath Middleton and Phil Cheatham — joined by Phil’s son Michael and Michael’s friend Justin Webster — took their contemporary Christian band, Driven Cure, on the road. Together they’ve played in venues across the country and will perform next month at Spirit West Coast — one of the largest Christian music events in the country.

Middleton and the Cheathams led the church band at Passion Driven Ministries in Chowchilla for years before deciding to branch off and become an outreach worship group in 2008. “We had a vision to go from church to church to teach people what worship is about — and what worship is about is a relationship with God,” Middleton said. After throwing around names in the police department’s report writing room, Middleton and Cheatham decided on Driven Cure, Cheatham said. “Jesus is the cure,” he said, to which Webster added, “We are driven to bring people to the cure.” The group aims to take listeners on a musical and spiritual journey with their progressive rock worship style, band members say.

The band signed with Oklahoma-based label Tate Music Group in January 2009 and released its first album, Astray No More, that fall. “Lyrically it’s straightforward Christian music that you would hear in church,” said Webster, the band’s lead guitarist. “Heath, the main vocalist, wrote all the songs. We just kind of threw together what we had and got it out there.” The band took more time to perfect its sophomore album, Message, which will be relased August 9. “It’s more metaphorical,’ Webster said. “The albums share the same themes, but the second was a collaborative writing effort.” One of the underlying themes was inspired by a worshiper’s testimony, Phil Cheatham said. “He said he made a mess out of his life, but God made a message,” he said. “God can always use what looks like a rough or tough situation and make it into a message that can benefit that person or other people,” Webster added.

Driven Cure spends much of its time touring — as far east as Nashville and as far west as Hawaii — and the remainder of its time serving as the worship band at Good News Ministries in Madera. “Last April we all resigned from our employments to pursue full-time music ministry,” said Webster, a former construction worker.
Although it has sometimes been difficult adjusting to widely flexible schedules and financial uncertainty — and trying to find a niche in a music industry that is ever evolving — the band members say their passion for music and for God make it all worthwhile. “We don’t want to be doing anything other than this,” Webster said.

The band books its own tours, and will perform “anywhere they’ll let us,” Phil Cheatham said. “We can call 600 venues and 599 of them might say ‘no’ and one person will say yes and we’ll jump on it.” “We play everywhere from as tiny as a little 10-people church to coffee shops to music festivals to as big as the main stage at Spirit West Coast,” said Micheal Cheatham, the band’s drummer and a former marketing student at UC Merced.

Spirit West Coast is a big step for the band, members say. Last year Driven Cure had to “pay to play” at the event, which means their fans had to purchase a certain number of tickets for the group to be able to perform. “We ended up doing more than $10,000 in ticket sales and they put us on the Air One mainstage,” Webster said.
This year the event’s organizer booked the band to play two concerts at the three-day festival, held at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey.

The band is also in the midst of the Igniting the Body Tour — a worship tour featuring Driven Cure and Good News Ministries’ pastor Eddie Gallegos. Tour information can be found on the band’s website, DrivenCure.com.

tate music group...driven cure tour video

What a great video to show the dedication and time it takes in this industry! These are some of the hardest working artists we know...and we love them! Great music and a great display of the joy an artist (or band) can have by doing what they love to do - playing music!

Check out the video and see more from Driven Cure here - http://www.tatemusicgroup.com/epk/?id=15260

tate music group...$72.9 million

That is a lot of money, folks. And it is the amount of money that Dave Matthews Band made last year just by touring/performing alone. Of course, that includes not only tickets but merchandise and sales at the shows.

Not Dave Matthews? Who is? Well, Dave is, of course. But very few others hit that level and take home that payday from gigs and tours in a year. But, the principle this is based on is solid. Play good music, put on good shows, and love your craft and the people that support you. Big or small, that is true for everyone that aspires to grow in this industry. We can't stress enough how important it is for artists to get out and play, play, play...any and all shows you can.

I was at a U2 concert recently and Bono mentioned that the last time they had been in our college town was 25 years ago...playing at a small bar/club down the street from the stadium we were in. Interestingly enough, I had many friends in college play at that exact place. One major difference is that my friends stopped playing and performing and became accountants. Nothing wrong with that...but if you want to make it...you have to keep at it until you do.

So, here is a cool article you can check out about Dave Matthews Band and their tour earnings, etc. http://www.slate.com/id/2279757 This is a tough business...but it can be so rewarding.

tate music group...apps

One of the things we try and stress to every artist we work with is the importance of getting and staying connected to your fan base. Why? Well, for starters, they are your fans. Simple as that. The fans are the ones who will not only buy your album...they will get the T-shirts and buttons, too. And, they're the ones willing to leave Milwaukee on a Friday to make it to a show you have in Cleveland on Saturday...in the middle of winter...and love you even more for it. True fans are dedicated to you and the music...as long as they feel like they are truly a part of you and the music.

For our TMG artists, we want to keep those connections as strong as possible. This is why we put a good amount of stress on social networking and connecting through online sites like myspace, facebook, and twitter. Basically, these sites and services are our modern day equivalent to the fan mail of the 60s and 70s. Artists of that era understood how important it was to answer the letters sent to them by adoring fans and friends. Why? To keep them as adoring fans and to make them realize that they truly are a part of the music.

We understand the importance of this at Tate Music Group...which is why I am so excited to be able to announce the new iPhone apps that we will be providing for all of our artists. These are AWESOME! They will be vital tools for our artists to use to keep their friends and fans updated on events, thoughts, music, reviews, and everything else...all while on the go! They will also be great sources of income for our artists because they will be apps purchased by fans...which means more sales and royalties to the artist.

They are also just plain cool. I mean, as a Tate Music Group artist, you are going to have your own app. Who else can say that?

tate music group...the state of tate

Last night was the annual Tate Music Group and Tate Publishing Christmas party. What an experience that was. There was great food, presents and prizes, and very unusual entertainment. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Needless to say, it was a night that will not soon be forgotten.

As much as I would love to describe the silly skits that were performed or the amazing generosity shown by the Tate family (raffle prizes and gifts were everywhere), I have another reason for this post.

Every year Ryan Tate, President of Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC, addresses the entire staff in what we call the 'State of Tate Address.' It is a time where he tells us about the past year...what we have accomplished...where we need to improve...and how many sodas and brownie bites we have consumed as a staff in the cafe. Although there were a lot of funny statements made about staff food consumption, two figures really stood out to me and made me that much more thankful to be a part of Tate Music Group and the Tate Publishing family.

1. In 2008, Tate Music Group and Tate Publishing set up over 24,000 events for our arists and authors all over the United States. Also in 2008, Tate Music Group and Tate Publishing sold over 1.4 million CDs and books through events and distribution. That is incredible! What really stands out to me is that these are more than just numbers, they are a true measure of success, hard work, and great business strategy. We have a proven track record and it is apparent that our artists and authors are benefiting greatly from this.

2. In 2008, Tate Music Group and Tate Publishing gave over $660,000 in unsolicited funds to local, national, and overseas ministries focused on proclaiming and furthering the Kingdom of God. Wow! What an incredible incentive for success. It is such a blessing to work for a company that has its priorities in order.

It is no wonder that Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC, which includes Tate Music Group, was voted as one of the best places to work in 2008. For you artists and authors alike, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best company to work with to help you accomplish all your dreams and goals.

I can't wait to see what 2009 brings...

better late than never

There have been quite a few artists who have said to me, "I wish I/we had known about Tate Music Group before we did [insert high dollar production item here] on our own." That statement makes me both happy and sad. Happy for us here at Tate Music Group because it reiterates our belief that what we offer is the best deal going. Sad because I think about the money, the thousand and thousands of dollars, that is spent on producing a CD but having no support after its been created.

I think that is what truly sets us apart here at Tate Music Group. We offer what no one else does or can. What we offer goes beyond just the production and manufacturing of a CD. We offer a partnership with each of our artists to help them, in any way we can, to get to the next level. Sounds different, huh? Well, it is.

Production and manufacturing are very important parts in the music process. We agree with that, which is why we offer those services to all of our artists. The problem is, if you stop there, what do you do now? What do you do with the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of CDs sitting in a closet in your drummer's two-bedroom apartment? How do you get people to seriously consider you for shows, interviews, or openings for larger bands? What about radio? What is the plan for talking to radio stations? Do you send in a CD with a note about you, maybe an EPK? Thousands are doing the same thing. What is truly going to set you apart? And what about distribution? Besides iTunes and CD Baby, where else are you going to get your music represented? How can you get it out of your local music store and into a nationwide distribution channel?

The great thing is that all of these questions can be answered in one of two ways: 1. You can pay for each of these services to happen. There are booking agents, publicists, radio promoters, and distribution managers who will gladly get this going for a not-so-small fee - or - 2. You can sign on with Tate Music Group and you get all of these and more. (Wow, that sounds like a commercial...but it's true.)

That is what makes us different than all the others. We do all we can, all that I have talked about and more, to help our artists to make it, to find success. We care about each of our artists and we want them all to know that TMG is working hard and smart, on their behalf.

So when people tell me they wish they would have known about Tate Music Group first, my response is "Better late than never." We truly care about our artists and we want to serve them any way we can.

By the way, if you wanted to find out more or just have some questions, I'd love to talk to you. Just give me a call at 405-376-4900.