Independent Musician Stays Ahead Of Digital Curve
On Jan. 15, 2008, a 22-year-old man with curly hair, a musical gift and a barista gig at Starbucks, quit his job and never looked back. More than four and a half years later, Ari Herstand continues to support himself as a full-time independent musician in Los Angeles.
The musician, who is best known for his innovative live looping technique (the technique live records, loops and layers multiple instruments on the spot), has built and maintained a wide and prominent online presence. Herstand has his own website, Youtube and Tumblr pages, a Facebook profile and fan page, an online store and that’s just scratching the surface. Of course, he’s on Twitter with his music available on iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, Band Camp and Amazon.
“Putting a cohesive online package together is the most important thing a band can do these days,” said Herstand. “All sites need to be connected and cohesive.”
Herstand’s extensive digital presence helped the artist reach wider audiences, in part resulting in his music appearing on TV shows such as “One Tree Hill” and “The Real World.” It also contributed to Herstand’s ability to book notable shows, opening for the likes of Ben Folds and Joshua Radin, to name a few.
The added exposure spurred by the TV shows and live performances allowed Herstand to develop an even bigger following. The websites and social media platforms, which were already in place, only served to maintain and expand the new fan base. Herstand was on to something.
In December of 2011, Herstand launched a Kickstarter campaign in the hopes of raising $12,000 to fund his next album. In just 36 days, the goal was more than achieved at a total of $13,544.
Granted, Herstand came of age when the Internet was hitting its stride, but even he admits that expanding his digital presence was never easy.
“It takes hard work to succeed in the music biz,” said Herstand. “You can’t cut corners on anything you do, especially not Kickstarter.”
Herstand was so successful in creating a sustainable music career that he created his very own music business website called Ari’s Take. The site, which is subtitled “The Biz Behind Full-Time Independent Music,” offers detailed advice to aspiring musicians and features blog entries, such as “It Doesn’t Take A Web Genius” and “The Hardest Part About Being Your Own Manager.”
“Bands that really succeed don’t just work their asses off in rehearsal, they have their act together in every other business aspect of their project,” said Herstand.
And bands are listening to Herstand.
“Ari is the first person I turn to for advice on anything music business-related,” said a touring member of the band Why?, Sarah Winters. “It’s especially wonderful, because his advice is coming from a place of actual experience.”
“He’s done everything from putting up posters and handing out flyers to opening for Ben Folds and charting on iTunes,” added touring guitarist and songwriter Michael Daum. “He knows his (expletive).”
Herstand devoted one post to explaining how he was able to find success on Kickstarter. In the blog entry, he emphasizes the importance of the rewards that the campaign starter offers. The quality of the accompanying video and the ability to foster a “we’re-in-this-together” attitude are two other elements Herstand cites as critical to Kickstarter success.
On Ari’s Take, the young musician cautions aspiring artists to make sure they’re in tune with a digital climate that’s always evolving. “It’s important to get on the sites that are important, and the way you know what is important is by what the pulse of the scene dictates,” said Herstand. He makes a clear distinction between an objective “pulse of the scene” and the artist and his/her peers’ subjective assessment. “If Reverbnation happens to explode in three months and you’re not on it, well then it will be like you don’t exist.”
A week before Spotify had even launched in the United States, Herstand made sure all his albums were already on there. He did so by staying informed via industry blogs and thought leaders. “You need to stay on top of all the trends and newest technology,” said Herstand. “You can’t be a late adapter.”
As certain social media sites increase in popularity, other sites follow a negative trajectory.
“If you push your Myspace now, it seems like you don’t really understand where music has gone,” said Herstand. “Myspace is dead. Will it get reinvented? Maybe. But in 2012, sending people to your Myspace page is like taking your prom date to McDonald’s. It’s just trashy.”
Herstand’s peers genuinely seem to respect his business acumen. “Ari is definitely one of the most forward-thinking musicians I know,” said LA singer-songwriter Will Hutchinson. “(He’s) the king of music networking and music innovation.”
Relying on digital technology so heavily, however, can have major drawbacks. On Saturday, Sept. 29, Herstand’s laptop bag was stolen while he was at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minn. According to Herstand’s Facebook fan page, “All of my music, demos, lyrics, rough ideas, video (50 GIGS from in studio footage) and everything else that is digital and important in my life is in that bag.” Herstand’s 1 TB external hard drive with all his backup data was in the bag, as well.
For a man who has prided himself on staying ahead of the digital curve, he’s desperate to recover his precious belongings- his career, his life.
Herstand initially offered a $1,200 award for the safe return of these items, but has since bumped the reward up to $2,000. Unfortunately for Herstand, there are no takers so far.
Despite the significant obstacles, Herstand is moving forward with his plan to release a new album by the end of the year. This weekend will be a busy one for Herstand, who looks forward to playing live shows in his home state of Minnesota on Oct. 19 and 20 before returning to Malibu, Calif. to perform on Sunday, Oct. 21.