Author: David Nevue

Publisher:  Midnight Raid Productions

The following interview was conducted by NORM GOLDMAN:  Editor of Bookpleasures. CLICK TO VIEW  Norm Goldman's Reviews     

To read Norm's  Review of  How To Promote Your Music Successfully On The Internet CLICK HERE  

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of the book reviewing and author interviewing site, Bookpleasures.com is excited to have as our guest,  independent musician and composer, David Nevue.  David is also the author of How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet.

Good day David and thank you for agreeing to participate in our Interview.

David:

You’re very welcome.

Norm:

David, could you tell our audience something about yourself and how did you get started in the music business?

David:

I started writing and recording my own music for solo piano back in 1980’s, when “New Age” music was very popular and mainstream. My musical inspiration in those early years was pianist George Winston. I don’t think I’d be doing what I’m doing today were it not for his example as an artist and composer.

I released my first album of piano solos in 1992, and my second in 1995. During those early years, I pursued the record labels hoping to be “signed.” At that time, there really wasn’t any other way to get your music into people’s hands other than just performing and hoping that at some point you’d be “discovered.” If you weren’t on a major label, there really wasn’t much hope of taking your music to the next level.

Then came the Internet. I started promoting my music online in 1995. At that time, the public really wasn’t aware of the Internet yet - it was still a fringe technology. Even so, I had some success selling my CDs online and that’s when my book started coming together. In late 1997, I published the first edition of  How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet I needed a web site to market and sell that from, so I developed the Music Biz Academy web site.

The most important thing to me was always the music, though. I view the book as a side project. For years I took everything I made online and reinvested it back in my music career. By 2001, I was able to quit my day job, and I’ve been doing the “music business” full time ever since. Right now, I’m working on my tenth album.

Norm:

What made you want to write How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet? How did you get the inspiration for this book?

David:

I was trying many different ways to promote my music online and I needed somewhere to put all that information. There was way too much “stuff” to do and to remember. So, I started sketching out my experiences in outline form and pretty soon I had a few dozen pages of information. Turning that into a formal book seemed the natural thing to do. I figured I might sell a few copies here and there and might be able help other musicians find success online, too. I had no idea when I put out the first edition of the book that it would take off like it did.

Norm:

Do you believe that with the Internet the playing field has been leveled insofar as musicians are concerned and they can now have a better opportunity to make a living?

David:

Oh yes, absolutely. More relatively “unknown” independent are artists making money from their music. It’s all about niche marketing. An independent artist can sell 5,000-10,000 CDs a year and do very well. And that doesn’t include performance fees, digital download sales, ringtones or merchandise. By comparison, a recording artist on a major label is in deep financial trouble if they don’t sell well over a million units. So if an independent artist goes it alone, they’re going to be much better off financially and creatively if they can find their niche.

Norm:

Musicians often complain that there are not enough hours in the day to practice, arrange and write their music and at the same time attend to the business of getting gigs. How do you go about organizing and managing your time?

David:

It’s tough. I mean, I do all of the above plus run and maintain an Internet radio station, manage concerts for that, update a book, and promote my music online. On top of that, I have my family and church life. So there’s far more to do than I have time to do. I’ve come to realize that I simply can’t do it all and I’ll never be able to. So I have to prioritize. I just take it one day at a time and start my morning with the attitude of “what do I have to do today.” I focus on what I need to do right now, and try my best, within reason, to let tomorrow take care of tomorrow.

Norm:

How important is touring and what benefits can a musician hope to receive from touring?

David:

The importance of touring is dependant on an artist’s particular goals. Many artists just prefer to write, record, and sell what music they can. I did this for many, many years, and was very happy being a “non-touring” artist.

However, about two years ago I started booking short tours for myself. I really noticed the impact on sales. Wherever I go to perform, I see a definite spike in my CD and download sales from that area for months afterward. So once you start touring, word gets out about your show and people start sharing the music they bought at the concert with their friends and family. So touring definitely gives a boost to both music sales and building a fan base.

The negative thing about touring, though, is that the more you do it, the less time and opportunity you have to write new material. So really you need a balance of touring and then taking time off to write and record. This is a balance I’ve had a very difficult time maintaining. My writing/recording process is much slower now than it used to be, and that’s due to so much traveling. It’s not easy on the family life, either.

Norm:

How does a musician go about setting up a community of Internet fans and to continually keep these fans interested in them?

David:

As, an artist, you need to do your best to build a relationship with your fan base. You need to be approachable, and fans need to know that they are important to you. My approach has been to consider my fans my “friends,” and to treat them as such. So when your “friends” see your success, they want to help you out. I get them involved in promotions, spreading the word about my music, and I ask their opinions on new songs, new album art and so on. I make it a two-way relationship, and that keeps them interested in what I’m doing. It’s interactive.

No doubt, you’ve heard all about MySpace. That’s been a really great tool for me the last few months. I get a lot of newsletter signups from that, and have sold quite a few CDs through it. It’s a wonderful tool for developing those relationships.

Norm:

How has cyberspace affect the way we appreciate music from a passive to an active role?

David:

Well, it’s more interactive, that’s for sure. As consumers, we’re not just spoon-fed anymore. We’re introduced to new music from our friends, and five minutes later we can download it to our iPod. Basically, it’s a consumers market now. More and more we’ll see consumers “break new bands” simply as a result of word of mouth and grass roots enthusiasm.

Norm:

Could you tell us something about the emergence of Internet radio and have you used it to promote your music and yourself?

David:

It’s another one of those things I did out of necessity. There weren’t any Internet radio stations playing my style of music, so I decided to create my own. I started Whisperings: Solo Piano Radio back in August of 2003. After just two and a half years, we became the #1 broadcast on Live365.com, streaming to well over a half-million listeners a month. So that obviously creates a great opportunity for me to promote my music to people interested in my particular music genre. As far as I’m concerned, Whisperings is still in its infancy, too. I think it’s only going to get bigger. 

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

David:

I guess the biggest “challenge” is just finding the time to keep updating it. The Internet changes so fast, I have to keep it current, otherwise it goes out of date very quickly. I used to update my book four times a year, but the bigger the book got, the longer it’s taken to update. The last couple of years, I’ve updated it just twice a year and that barely feels sufficient.

Norm:

Will there be any unique ways in marketing and selling your book?

David:

No, I just sell it via my Music Biz Academy web site. I consider my book to be a side thing, not the main thing. My music is the main thing. So with my book, my attitude has always just been that whoever finds it and wants to buy it, finds it and buys it. I’ll sell as many as I sell. Fortunately, that has been quite a lot. Again, it’s back to niche marketing. Mine is really the only book of note available on the subject of promoting music online, so I benefit from that.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered and what is next for David Nevue?

David:

Right now, I’m devoting a lot of time to setting up new broadcast servers for Whisperings radio. In addition, I’m working on two new albums of music. And then, in the fall I’ve got a few concerts set up for myself and Whisperings radio. It’s also getting time to update the book again. So I’ve got quite enough to occupy me for the rest of the year.

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

You’re welcome, and thanks again.

David