Marketing for Second Life Venues

Marketing your venue is important to both the venue and the performers you hire. I’m sure you would like to see that the money you are putting out to hire performers, pay tier and staff is being put to its best use. One of the ways to do that is to market your venue shows to get the best possible audience you can. As most of you are aware, I manage and am business partners with musician Seth Regan, also known as Mankind Tracer in Second Life. When we are promoting anything, the following are just a few of the things we do to get the information out there to the SL public.

One of the important ways you can market shows at your venue is to list them in Second Life events. This is a very critical step in marketing as the majority of fans are looking in events to see who is performing. You should list in events as early as possible. If you book the performer a month before they actually play then list it right then because the sooner you can, the closer to the top of the event listing for that time you will be. Make sure to ask the performers if they have any promotional text just for SL Events.

When you are hiring musicians to perform at your venue, consider the time you are booking them and have realistic expectations. In SL the most live shows are starting between 6pm and 8pm. There could be 40 other shows happening at the same time and there are only so many concurrent users to attend those shows. This makes marketing even more important because if people do not know what is happening at your venue then how will they show up?

In SL another great resource is SL event groups. You can join groups and send notices and group messages about your events. There are a plethora of groups out there like Musical Metaverse, Live Music 24, Shooting Star and many more. If you do not have many group spots left, you can create an alt and join the groups and then log into your alt 30 minutes before the show and send notices.

Seth Regan performing at To The Stars live music venue.

Social media is also another great way to market your shows. Facebook has tons of groups specifically for Second Life and SL Events. There are a lot of SLers that have Facebook accounts either as their avatar or under their real life name and they use FB as a way to communicate. There is Google Plus and Twitter as well but with both of those, you need to follow people for them to follow you back, there are few groups on G+ that are SL events related and you cannot have groups on Twitter. There is also Second Friends, an SL only social media website where you can create groups, a profile, blog and list events for free.

Another great marketing tool is booking performers back to back that play similar styles of music. Then you will get carry over from one performer to the next keeping people at your venue longer. Also, keep consistent events, even if it is just once a week for a couple of hours will let people know that they can count on your venue at those times to have performances.

These are just a few ideas on how to market the shows at your venue. You can also take cues from real life and adapt them to Second Life. Think outside of what everyone else is doing or not doing to come up with some fun creative ways to get the word out there and build up a regular crowd who come back week to week. Coming soon, Seth will be posting a follow up to this topic on his blog with even more great marketing tips for SL venues.

Thank You For Being A Friend

I have had since last Sunday to gather my thoughts and try to find a way to say thank you to all the people who co-ordinated, performed and showed up to the benefit held in my honor in Second Life. Words have really escaped me.

I really do no feel there are enough words in the English language to express how truly honored I feel at this show of love, thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity.

I was very hesitant to allow Seth and Ayesha plan a benefit in my honor. Seth said to me "Brandy, you have so many friends in SL that would love to bring you a casserole, take you to lunch, take the kids for a night to give you some time to feel better or any number of things they could do if we all lived closer. Being so far apart, this is the only way they could do anything for you, so let them help you the only way they can."

So I agreed and they commenced with planning. Five hours of live music and so many people showing up. I was so overwhelmed with the love and friendship. I was so speechless and in tears.

I don't really have any family here that can help me and my closest friends work multiple jobs and just cannot be available. So you all, my Second Life family and friends, many of you I have not even met face to face, Last Sunday, you brought casseroles, cookies, a pot roast, gas cards, etc and said here, let me help you. I am even getting all weepy (in a happy way) thinking about it still.

Thank you Seth and Ayesha for putting the event together. Thank you to Max, Tamra, Beamer, Joel and Seth for performing. Thanks to Noma who was supposed to perform but due to health issues could not. Thank you to everyone who showed up and donated or even just showed their love and support by being there and those who couldn't come to the benefit but showed their support in other ways.

You are all amazing people behind your avatars. I would like to dedicate this song to you. This is Seth's original song and he often dedicates it to me during his shows because it is about friendship and we are the best of friends. Now I give this song to you all because you have shown such great friendship in a time now when I need it and showed up "with a symphony" and casserole :)

Second Life Performers Support Each Other

One of the things I love about the live music scene in Second Life is how much performers support each other.

I am arranging an event in Second Life in support of Seth Regan’s (Mankind Tracer) Indiegogo campaign to help fund his next album, “Left of Center”. If you are reading this and don’t know who Seth and I are, he is my best friend, business partner and I manage his musical career. He is one of the most generous people I know. He is always there for me when I need someone and for others too. So arranging this event was the least I could do for him. If you don’t know his music...check HERE.

I approached a few performers and asked them to do 30 minute sets during this event. Without a blink Noma Falta, Maximillion Kleene and Savannah Coronet said yes. I also wanted to make the event more than just music, so I asked well known SL stand-up comic Lauren Weyland to be involved as well and she agreed right away.  Find the event deails HERE.

This sort of support from SL performers just made me smile ear to ear. Seth has given over 6 years to the Second Life music community with live concerts, donating his time and shows to charity events and even helping friends with personal events to cover a need. It is great to see performers coming together to support him.

Check out Seth’s Indiegogo campaign HERE

My heartfelt thanks go out to Noma, Max, Savannah and Lauren!

Help Seth Regan Produce His New CD "Left of Center"

Seth Regan, known in Second Life as "Mankind Tracer", has just launched a new Indiegogo campaign. The goal of this campaign is to help raise some of the funds needed to get into the studio to record, produce and get the word out about his next album, "Left of Center".

If you don't know who Seth is, he has been performing in Second Life since November 2006 and is considered by many to be SL's top rock artist. He has been asked to headline major Linden Labs Second Life events like the Second Life Birthdays, Winter Fest, Burning Man (now Burn2) and other significant launches. He has also been awarded some of Second Life's most prestigious awards such as, most recently a Lifetime Achievement Award from "Best of SL Magazine".

With your help, he will be able to professionally record and produce his next original album "Left of Center". This campaign on Indiegogo makes it possible for family, friends and fans from all over the world to help Seth to achieve this goal. As many of you know from either knowing me or reading my blog, Seth is my very best friend and business partner. So this is extra important to me and I appreciate any help you can give.

Depending on what “Level” you donate at, there are some cool and unique perks that you'll receive by helping Seth get this album recorded and produced. Some include Free Music and Limited Edition T-Shirts, while others offer a Live Concert in Second Life or Facebook... even at your home!

Jump on over to Indiegogo and read all the details and how you can help out one of Second Life's own in reaching his goals to share his original music with Second Life and the world.

View the Campaign Here

Seth Regan Official Website

Seth Regan on YouTube

Second Life "Tribute" Shows

Today I ran across a group notice in Second Life that said:


Sat10th Nov =DURAN DURAN LIVE= 11.00 AM
.☺/ .: ★Ѡℍ◎:  ♫ DURAN DURAN in CONCERT ♫
./▌ .: ★ѠℍΔT: ♫Show ♪ by XXXXXXXX
./ \ .: ★Ѡℍ∈ᴙ∈: ✩XXXXX✩ 11.00 AM
THE POP ROCK GODS OF THE 80'S!  DURAN DURAN
WILL PERFORM LIVE THEIR BEST TUNES in THE DESERT!
AMAZING STAGE, INCREDIBLE LOOK ALIKE AVATARS!
BEST DURAN DURAN IN SL!

(names removed)

I have seen these sort of notices countless times. No where on this notice says that it is a recording being streamed into SL or that it is a "tribute" show. The way this notice is written is made to look like Duran Duran is actually performing live, when in actuality, it is a recording of a live Duran Duran show and there is nothing connecting this to the real Duran Duran.

I'm not a newb in SL, I get what it is and what they are doing and my question is... do they have the licensing to use the real Duran Duran's music and likeness? When I inquired to the owner of the company I was told that it was none of my concern.

I'm sure these people put a lot of time and effort into making avatars, doing lighting and putting on instruments. I've noticed that these shows do get people there and I think there is an entertainment value to them. However, they still need to be held accountable for their advertising and licensing.

This is not a live music performance, they should not be listed in Live Music in SL Events because there is nothing LIVE about the music, they should be stating that it is a "tribute" show.... saying "Duran Duran WILL perform live their best tunes" is false advertising because Duran Duran is not performing, it is only a recording of a Duran Duran performance.

I'm by no means saying these people should not do these "tribute" shows. What I am saying is advertise them as what they really are, make sure you can use the music, name and likeness legally and don't list them as Live Music when they are not.

I do encourage everyone to check out real live performers. There is a huge live music scene in Second Life and they need your support. Some of my favorites include Seth Regan (naturally), Maximillion Kleene, Tamra Hayden, The Follow (a 3 person live band) and many others. Just search the live music category in SL Events and you will find a wide variety of live performers of many genres and skill level. Check out several so you can get a feel for what is available.

My business partner, Seth Regan, also wrote on the subject of "tribute" shows: Seth's Blog

Second Life Supports Seth Regan / Mankind Tracer

("Paper Cup" is Seth Regan's Original Song entered into the Contest)

For 6 years straight, Seth has been entertaining us, raising money for our charities, creating fun SL events and much more. WE HAVE THE POWER to show our appreciation for all he has contributed to SL! I know we would all like to see one of our own succeed.

The way it works is very simple. The more increase in fans he receives on his Social Profiles from now until December 23, the higher up he will move in the contest. In order to support him, take just a few minutes to “Like” Seth on Facebook, “Follow” him on Twitter, MySpace and SoundCloud, and “Subscribe” to his YouTube channel.

Take just a few minutes to support Seth's Social Profiles

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/sethreganmusic

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/sgregan

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/sethreganmusic

MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/sethregan

SOUNDCLOUD: http://www.soundcloud.com/sethreganmusic

You can find out more about the contest here: http://songwriter.whooznxt.com/

SLoupon Launch!

SLoupon will have it's official launch at The Village in Second Life on Friday, Sept. 14 at 2pm slt/pdt.

What is SLoupon?

SLoupon Join/Info Kiosk

DEFINITION: SLoupon (sloo-pon) Noun. A group discount system in Second Life whose members can enjoy a discount of up to 50% on merchandise from SLoupon member merchants all across the grid. SLouponer - Noun. SLouponing - Verb. IE "Hey, let's all go SLouponing!"SLoupon is a monthly subscription based service in which only members of the SLoupon Group will have access to the reduced price items by registered merchants. Each merchant will place items substantially discounted for SLoupon Group members only... things like apparel, hair, animations, skins, and more.

By joining, you will be entitled to discounts of up to 50% and more on many products and services. Make sure to get your friends and family in on the savings too by having them join too!

To take full advantage of SLouponing, you'll need to join the inworld "SLoupon Group" by visiting one of the SLoupon Kiosks and joining. After you've become a SLoupon member, you may also register on the website to stay on top of all current deals, join the Forums, create your own Profile, network with other SLouponers, get a list of all participating merchants and more.

SLoupon currently has over 40 participating merchants including Gizza Creations, Paris Metro Couture, MEB, Tres Beau, Alice Project, Xclusives Animation, PipSqueeks, KO Textures and many more!

SLoupon membership will not be $L2500 or some high amount. Considering the state of the global economy, we've decided to make it easily affordable for even the newest of noobs and it will only be $L350 per month, which can quickly be recouped on one or two SLoupon purchases.

SLoupon was created by Seth Regan and myself (Mankind Tracer & Kalli Birman in SL). We will offer great deals for residents and at the same time, provide stores more exposure to the SL populous. 

If you are interested in becoming a SLoupon Merchant please go to this link: 
SLoupon Merchant Information

Musicians and Venues Working Together

In an effort to assist live music venues, many of which pay for their overhead out of their own pockets to provide live entertainment, Seth Regan (Mankind Tracer in SL) and I have recently started offering venues something which we believe to be a reasonable solution.

The first idea Seth had was to only have one tip jar for venue and musician. Since the majority of audiences tip the artists considerably more than the venues, Seth offered to automatically split the tips he receives with the venue and remove the venue tip jar completely. This could work to the venues benefit in several ways.

The first benefit of splitting the tips, using only Seth's tip jar, is that at a concert with 60 people or more in attendance (Seth's average draw) it can get very laggy. This way, people only have to find one tip jar.

Another benefit is that there will be less "tip that, tip this" in local chat. This allows people to socialize more with less interruption.

During the week, we approached the venue, Ground Zero, owned by our friends Thea and GMetal, about this idea. They were both very open to trying a something new. We decided to try it out that coming Saturday.

After the concert, we all got together on Skype, discussed the outcome and worked out the numbers. We found that the venue saw a 33% increase in tips. Also, Thea and GMetal reported that several people expressed to them how they enjoyed the lack of "tip reminders" in local chat and it was a much more fun and relaxed show with greater audience interaction.

With this success, Seth and I didn't want to rest on our laurels, so we decided to revisit something we had discussed in the past: Sponsorship.

We then approached long time live music venue owner Liz Harley at Key West, where Seth's next show was scheduled. We asked if she was open to the idea of not only having paying sponsors to reduce the cost she pays Seth as a booking fee, but to also try the tip split as well. After informing her of the success at Ground Zero, Liz was very receptive to trying a new approach.

Seth and I got to work and found three sponsors for that show.

I'm happy to say that this show was also a success! The venue made good tips from the split. Further, the reduced booking fee kept money in her pocket. Liz was very pleased at the outcome, as were the sponsors and the idea of having sponsors was well received by the people attending the show.

We have decided to continue on with this model of splitting tips and getting businesses to sponsor Seth's shows. We are also continuing our brainstorming to try to come up with new ways to help the venues reduce their out of pocket expenses.

While this model may or may not work for every venue and performer, I felt it was worth mentioning to perhaps encourage more ideas but also to just inform that there are different ways to do things.

If you own a business (SL or RL) and would like to discuss sponsoring Seth's shows, please contact me by email brandy@sethregan.com or message in Second Life (Kalli Birman).

Video Premiere and Vintage Glam

Seth Regan / Mankind Tracer

Seth Regan / Mankind Tracer in SL, whom I manage, premiered his new video on the 5th at The Rose Theatre Opera House (add to your "must visit" list) to a packed sim. His video "Behind The Second Life Music" ( CLICK HERE TO WATCH) is more than just a music video. Seth speaks about his over 5.5 year very successful career in Second Life and the SL Music Industry. Sharing his insights for musicians who might be considering coming into Second Life and other tidbits.

After the show and premier, I decided to get up on stage and take a few snapshots of the fab outfit I wore for the premiere. If you know me at all, you know I love vintage clothing! So I decided to glam it up with a very Marilyn Monroe look.

The dress is Gizza Creations' Lollipop in Black and this is a very versatile dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the sort of event you are attending. If your avie is extra curvy like mine then the sculpted skirt really accentuates those curves with no worries of your hip popping through. If you are one of the unfortunate avatars born with no hips then this skirt will give you the illusion of great feminine curves.


The hair is Bombshell from Shag (store currently moving, check marketplace) in the color Vodka, fishnets that have that sexy seam up the back from Sheer and red platform pumps from Pixel Mode. As always my skin is from League and a diamond bracelet from U&R Dogs (awesome jewelry, just remember to save a copy and remove the size scripts before going to an event).

SL9B Street Fair And Pub Crawl

Second Life's 9th Birthday Party - Street Fair & Pub Crawl: June 19 - June 24.

Since Linden Lab will not be hosting a SL9B event this year and instead have chosen to promote resident's SL9B events....

The Tracer | Birman Agency is coordinating an SL9B Street Fair & Pub Crawl... a 6 day event from June 19th - June 24th.

Over the course of the 6 days, each participating venue will take one day to be the "Featured Venue". Each venue will host 3 hours of live music on their day with three different Live Performers. See each venue for other events happening that day on their sim beyond the official hours of 6-9pm pst.

PERFORMERS SCHEDULE: (ALL TIMES LISTED IN PDT)

June 19 - Club Graffiti

6. Mankind Tracer/Seth Regan “Live on Video” 7. Damian Carbenell 8. Darkshore

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Good%20Day%20Sunshine/141/73/22

____________________________

June 20 - Gwampas Dance Kamp

6. Mandoaa Dragonash 7. Christopher135 Quan 8. AcousticEnergy Nitely

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gwampa%20Castle/202/138/3015

_____________________________

June 21 - Boom Pony

6. Alex Mays 7. Noma Falta 8. Andreas "Anj" Gustafson

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amardon%20East/7/170/26

_______________________________

June 22 - Ground Zero 

6. Dragonfly 7. Vodoo Shilton 8. Mulder Watts

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Atlantizz/28/223/21

________________________________

June 23 - Key West 

6. David Csiszer 7. AMForte 8. Edward Kyomoon

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Key%20West%20Island/48/71/22

_______________________________

June 24 - San Diego 3D

6. August Moons 7. August Moons 8. Max Kleene

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/San%20Diego%20City/240/205/33

Thanks to our sponsors: 

Second Friends, Gizza Creations, Island Dreams Realty, [Cynful] Clothing & Co, Angel Manor, Miss Darcy!, Snowpaws, LYRICA, House Of Dragovar, VelvetRythms, Time Lost Land, The Alice Project.

This event is Produced by the Tracer | Birman Agency in cooperation with all participating venues.

We'll see you at The SL9B Street Fair and Pub Crawl!

Brandy Maltas/ Kalli Birman in SL

Seth Regan/ Mankind Tracer in SL

Know Your Venue's Limits!!!

Mankind Tracer / Seth Regan performing at Club Graffiti

As a venue owner and manager I know how many people can be on the sim where my venues are located. However, many new and old venue owners do not understand this and as someone who does know and has worked in the Second Life land industry with Solace Beach Estates for over 3 years now, I feel the need to get the information out there.

There are several different types of land options in SL, including, Mainland, Private Full Prims Sims and Homesteads.

Each type of land has different limits.

Homesteads:

A homestead sim holds the smallest number of people at 20 and there are also less prims available to use. While this may be a great option for a home, it makes a poor option for a venue. Unless it will be just you and a handful of friends, you are going to want land with a higher limit.

Mainland:

Second Life mainland is the huge original continent that SL started with. Mainland is divided into regions that are all connected. Mainland can hold 40 avatars per region. This option can be acceptable for a small club or venue that plans on booking performers with a more limited draw. Keep in mind, mainland can be very laggy and often you cannot get the region restarted on demand. Also, there is no covenant that states what sort of build can be placed on mainland, so you could buy a parcel of land and the next day have a giant toilet rezzed next to your club.

Private Full Prim Sims:

Often a private full prim sim is the best option for a venue. These sims can hold up to 100 avatars but you would need to check with the person you rent from to see what number they have set. Also, if you rent from a "land baron" you can, often times, have sim restarts scheduled to help with any script lag issues. There is also sometimes a covenant that will keep people from putting up eyesores next to your club.

If you are not sure what the land is that you are looking at, check the region/estate menu and it will tell you what sort and what the avatar limit is (called "agent limit").

When shopping for land please keep in mind the avatar limit. If you want to book popular musicians that have a higher audience draw you need to consider a parcel on privately owned full prim sim. Musicians like Mankind/Seth, The Follow, Max Kleene and others normally will bring in more than 40 people. When you limit yourself to a mainland parcel you limit not only the audience size but also potential venue and musician tips as well. Ask yourself would you book Bon Jovi at the corner pub?

Something else to consider when renting land is parcel size. Even if you rent land on a sim that can hold 100 avatars, you need to think about stuffing all those avatars into a building for the concert. Make sure your land will be big enough to have a venue that will comfortably house 60-70 avatars and not feel like you are packed in a sardine can.

Do You REALLY Want To Manage a Musician in Second Life?

So, you think you want to manage a musician in Second Life?

Photo by Syx Sixpence

I got very lucky when Seth Regan (Mankind Tracer in SL) and I started working together because he had been managing his own career for 3 years already and knew the ins and outs of the SL music industry. He and I both have backgrounds in business and marketing, the same strong work ethic, similar business beliefs and our philosophies about life and work just mesh well. All that lead us to very quickly becoming not only manager and musician, but best friends as well and still are almost two years later. We have even become business partners in The Tracer|Birman Agency and The Village. It is rare that people will get as fortunate as we have been in this area.

Often times a musician will not understand the business side of music and make no mistake, music is a business.  As a musician manager, you need to really have a good grasp of business. The artist and their music are your products and you are selling them. You will sell them to venues, bloggers, magazines, radio stations and the general public. It will be up to you to sit down with your artist and decide how best to brand and market them. You NEED a business plan and a marketing plan.

Communication with your musician and in general is so important, I cannot stress this enough. Seth and I often are on the phone, skype, or SL voice 6 times a day or more but do not expect that from the musician you manage. As I stated, we are business partners and best friends too, so we are very involved in each others lives. I've have heard from other managers in the past that they can have real issues with communicating with their artist. The musician does not log in except to perform, they won't provide a means to get in touch with them outside of Second Life or there could be days between finding time to discuss important business matters. Other people you will need to communicate with will be venues, the press, fans and the public. If you cannot communicate, how can you effectively manage?

Another thing to keep in mind is that the musician is an artist. Sometimes an artist is a bit touchy on certain topics like their music. "Now keep in mind that I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit"- Eyrkah Badu, singer/songwriter. Everyone has insecurities or things they are sensitive about but sometimes with an artist they can be more sensitive than others. You might find that your musician cannot take constructive (or any) criticism, they might be sensitive about their age, or feel insecure about their talent even. These are personality quirks you have to decide if you can handle or not. When it comes to Seth and his music I can tell him if he is sounding off or if I don't like a song or if he needs to tweek something here or there and it's okay. An artist needs to appreciate professional input as they should always want to sound their best, but sometimes, need that extra set of ears. Seth knows this and truly appreciates my input. However, some people will not want that input or you need to walk on eggshells and choose your words carefully to express things to the musician. Some musicians want to be "true artists" and do not want any advice at all, so my question is... How do you grow as an artist with out at least listening to the input of the people with your best intentions at heart?

The last thing I want to touch on here is commitment. You HAVE to be really committed to your musician. In the course of the time that I have been managing musicians, even before Seth, I have missed 4 shows. I was in world working a show with 102 degree fever and throwing up but I was there and the audience had no idea that I was sick. If you make a commitment to your musician then follow through on every level.

Second Life Manager? Booking Agent? Publicist?

For those of you who don't know by my previous blogs or because you know me personally, one of the things I do in Second Life is Musician Management. Currently I am managing the most recognized rock musician in SL, Mankind Tracer (Seth Regan in RL). Before I managed Mankind, I managed other well known musicians in Second Life.

In my four years in Second Life, I have come to find that not all "managers" are created equal. There are a lot of Musician Managers in SL that are not really managers, they are Booking Agents or Publicist/PR people. Booking Agents and Publicists are very important in the career of the musician as well but they are not managers.

There are many sorts of managers for real life musicians, Artist/Band Manager, Business Manager, Tour Manager, etc. Many times for smaller musicians/bands in RL, one person takes on all these roles, just like in Second Life. However, I think the title of "manager" is not always accurate in some cases in Second Life.

Lets take a look at the possible Second Life positions:

The Manager:

The Artist Manager needs to help direct the career of the artist and research the various people in Second Life such as booking agents, publicists, photographers, machinamists/video directors, stylists/designers, graphic artists and how they play into the artist career plan. The more contacts you have the better equipped you are for the manager job. In managing the career of the musicians they may also help with song selections, sound and give feedback on shows.Unlike in RL, the manager also In SL the manager often assumes the role of the other sort of managers that I have listed. Making sure the artist gets paid and their expenses are covered, checking that the venues have done their parts by listing, promoting and setting up performance space and other details of the show.

The Booking Agent:

The booking agent role is different than what a manager does. The booking agent will work with the artist to agree on dates and times available for performances, how much to charge for bookings and how negotiable that fee is, what the goals are for the "tour" and contact promoters ad venues to pitch the musician and book the performances. They also arrange the contracts regarding fees, equipment (ie the venue must provide a stage) and the rider or terms of the contract. They must have great  communication skills to sell the talent and develop contacts, as well as, communicating with the artist as to when shows are and if anything needs to or has changed with the scheduled shows. In Second Life this role is often taken on by the manager as well or the musician does their own booking.

The Publicist (PR Person):

A Publicist handles the publicity and press needs of the artist in SL. Publicity helps get people to the shows in Second Life. A publicist must be able to get an artist's name out there in as many ways as possible and consistently research new ways to promote.  Sending group notices to as many places as possible including: SL groups, Facebook, Twitter, Second Friends, bloggers or any other avenue they can find. In second life this role can also be done by the "assistant" or "host" and also could fall on the manager. Again this person's communication skills and professionalism are critical because they are the public face of the performer.

It is immensely important for musicians to consider what their needs are for their careers and what people they will need to work with to make their career plan happen. You can have someone who takes the role of Manager and another person for Booking Agent and Publicist or you can find one person who can do it all. Often I have seen in Second Life that the person being titled manager is not really managing but maybe just doing the job of a Booking Agent or Publicist. Some are just Booking Agents or just Publicists. It can de difficult to find someone in Second Life that can take on all roles and do them well and all these roles are very critical to a musician's career. Sometimes you might find that you don't need a Manager or Booking Agent because you are comfortable handling those aspects on your own. Maybe you just need a host that can do notices and work the crowd. Ultimately, it us up to the artist to figure out what they need in the way of representation and I encourage all performers to sit down with their current staff and sort out what is needed and what works for you and the goals you have set.

If you are interested in performing in Second Life, just email me and I can help connect you or point you in the right direction. brandy@maltasmanagement.com

Seth Regan "Underground" CD Release

Cover Art for "Underground" Created by Seth Regan

Seth Regan, known in SL as Mankind Tracer, will be releasing his fourth CD this weekend with an exclusive event in Second Life. With this newest CD, Regan gifts us with a cathartic landscape.  Song themes include falling down in life and getting back up to dust off and try again and the help that we can get from other people when we let go of our pride and reach out.

Emile Sands-Stratten, venue owner, stated, "Seth's latest effort, 'Underground', takes us on a musical journey as deep as the name promises."

Ground Zero Owner, Theadee, comments "Seth Regan is a talented performer and songwriter.  He writes about themes that I can relate and connect to, especially in songs like 'Do It Again' and 'Underground.' The music that goes with his lyrics is equally amazing and I keep wanting to hear more!"

Seth remains Second Life's most well known "rock star." In the five-and-a-half years that he has been performing live in SL, he has self released 3 CD's and shared them with the SL community. More than that, he released them first into SL.  "Underground" will be Seth's fourth self release into Second Life. Seth has said, "Much of the lyrics and music are incredibly personal to me, I didn't want to hold back on this album." He went on to say "…and as the listeners are in the songs, I just hope they can understand these things that have happened in my own life influencing me and relate on a deeper level."

Previous CD releases include "Beyond the Shade" and Depth of Shadows." They are full of Seth's insightful original music featuring haunting melodies and recognizable vocal performances that pull the listener closer to his meaningful lyrics. Seth's most popular and requested song, "Inside Your Dreams," is a moving ballad played in rotation on many SL radio stations. "Stream of Sound", Seth's third release, contains acoustic version of twelve covers and 4 originals. All recordings for "Stream of Sound"  were voted on and chosen to appear on the album by SL residents.

The Release Party for "Underground" is set for Sunday, April 1, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. SLT at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Good%20Day%20Sunshine/207/79/22 , a location exemplifying the theme of the album, its music, and artwork. Devoted to every aspect of the album's creation, Seth let us know, "I really enjoyed every aspect of bringing this project to fruition."


For more information, promo requests or to set up an interview please contact:

Brandy Maltas/ Kalli Birman in SL
Mankind Tracer Manager
Email - brandy@sethregan.com

Yes, You HAVE To Provide A Stage!

In real life I wouldn't expect a performer to come over in the afternoon and build the stage they are to perform on in the evening, would you?

There are certain things that as a venue owner is expected to provide, for example, a STAGE!!!! Now a stage can be a simple one prim riser with a texture on it, a frying pan with green eggs and ham, a piece of plywood held up by milk crates or a very elaborate set up with stage lights and fog machine. Just something to put a mic stand on and give the artist a place to perform from. It should NOT have to be listed on the confirmation card or in booking info that a musician NEEDS a stage! This stuff is common sense not rocket science.

Another thing that a venue owner is expected to provide is at least some promotion. Including listing the correct date and time and accurate info in SL Events. Sometimes people make mistakes or SL is being buggy... it happens. If an error is made, either by the venue owner or because SL is being buggy, just fix it as soon as it comes to your attention but definitely FIX IT!!!!

If you want to have live music, then promote it. Join groups in SL that you can send notices to about live music. Post in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Second Friends, Google+, etc. Send notices to your own group... send early notices... get the word out there. Also, send friends conferences to let your friends that love and support you know what you are doing. Do you really want to pay a performer and not do everything you can to promote what is happening at YOUR venue??

Do not use outdated material about the artist. Make sure you have the most up to date bio and promo pictures.  The musician's manager should have provided you with these things ahead of time, however, if you are not sure that what you have is current then just ask. You don't look stupid for asking but you would look stupid using outdated information.

Have I mentioned yet that owning a venue is a business and should be treated as such? Well, I'm saying it now. When you open a venue in Second Life, tips only or paying, it is a BUSINESS!!! If you want your business to succeed you have to have to have a plan. If you have no clue how to manage, promote, plan or any of the very basics, maybe you should reconsider opening a venue right now. Instead, learn how it's done first. Get a job working for a good venue as a host and learn. Take the time to educate yourself.

When considering whether to open a venue or not, you should take a look at how well run venues like Key West, Boom Pony, Ground Zero, The Source, The Rock Store/Whisky a Go Go, Sweet Whispers or others. They have it together!

I could keep going but I think this is enough of a rant for now because I guess it is plain to see how pissed off I am over the events of last night. I know that Seth, my business partner and musician I manage, is also writing on the topic of venues. You should also go read his blog which has more valuable information in it. Link to Seth's Blog HERE.

Through our company, Tracer|Birman Agency,  we also offer training for venue owners and managers. If you get through all the advice written in our blogs and want more advanced information from people who have a combined experience in the SL music industry of over 9 years, please feel free to email us at : results@tracerbirman.com

Managing A Musician in Second Life

I've been managing musicians in Second Life for three years now and I love it! In the past I have managed the music career of Craig Lyons, Guitar Zane and others. Currently, I am managing Mankind Tracer/Seth Regan in real life.

With every musician I have managed, I take it seriously. To me it's no different than a real life job with real commitments and by taking on the management of a musician, they are putting their career into your hands. Second Life offers musicians a global audience that they may never have had in RL. It is a chance to get their name out there and develop their very real fan base and even sell some CDs.

If you want to manage a musician, or currently do, you MUST keep in mind that this is a business. You are in the business of promoting, booking and creative development. Also, I cannot express enough, you are a reflection on the musician you manage and they are a reflection on you. So act professionally.

What do I mean by act professionally? Well, to start with, be kind, to everyone. Be nice to newbies, venue owners, fans, hosts, other managers, musicians....everyone. Even when someone is not being really nice to you, be nice back. Kill them with kindness. There will be times when you might have a disagreement with someone, that is bound to happen eventually, just remember to not lose your temper and keep a professional attitude.

Dress to impress! Think about the shows you have booked and even visit the venue before hand to see what is appropriate for that venue. Don't wear jeans to a ballroom and don't wear a ball gown on the beach. As a musician manager, you have some flexibility because you can dress "rock & roll" or to a theme but keep in mind that it is still unprofessional to have your butt cheeks hanging out or cleavage spilling out all over the place. In Second Life I believe that we have become a bit desensitized to blatant sexuality but as a professional you do need to dress the part. When in doubt go conservative.

Communication is key! You NEED to be able to communicate effectively with many people, such as, the musician, venue owners, hosts, fans, media and others. Make sure you have good communication skills! You can schedule times to sit down to meet with your musician to discuss upcoming gigs if they are very busy in RL or you can just make a point to communicate daily with pertinent information. This is very important to a successful working relationship. Also, communication with venues is super important. If your musician needs to cancel or reschedule or is running late you HAVE to let the venue know or you might not get your musician booked there again.

"When considering a manager to handle your music career, it is imperative that you find someone you communicate well with and understands your vision of what you want for your music career. They need to understand that this is a job that you are counting on them to perform professionally and that you are putting your name, your brand and your trust into their hands."- Mankind Tracer/Seth Regan

These are just some basics of musician management, I do offer one on one training for managers. Right now, I am not taking on new talent in SL, however, if you need a little help with creative development or mentoring you are free to email me. If interested please email me with links to music, your name and the sort of assistance you are looking for:  brandy@maltasmanagement.com

Can I Make Money Performing In Second Life?

Mankind Tracer/Seth Regan @ The Rose Theatre

I was looking at the stats on my blog and it tells me where the traffic comes from. One thing I noticed was was a key word search about "do live musicians get paid in Second Life". I thought this would make for a good blog post.

The truthful answer to that question is... it depends on a lot of factors.

If you are just coming in to perform to have fun and not worried about money, then this post is not about you.

There are musicians who make money in Second Life (SL)... should you quit your day job and start performing exclusively in SL? ... no, absolutely not. If you are a talented musician, and I will emphasis IF, then you could make some supplemental income by performing in Second Life and expand your fan base to a global audience.

There are some key questions you should ask yourself before considering performing in Second Life as a money making venture:

• Are you talented?

Be realistic, do not listen to your mother, she will likely love anything you do and do not listen to your close friends because they will not always be the most honest either. 

• How much money do you expect to spend and make in SL performing?

There are some costs to getting started performing in SL. You will need clothes, skin, hair, an instrument or hand mic of you don't play an instrument. You will need to rent a stream to broadcast your performance. You will need real life equipment like a good performance grade mic, a mixer and a monitor or headset to be able to hear yourself. 

When you are first starting out performing in SL, you will likely need to play at some tips only venues until you build up a fan base. Just like in real life, no one will pay you unless you can bring an audience with you. So plan to make only tips for the first several months.

• How much time do you plan on spending just learning the ropes?

When you are new to SL you will need to learn things like where to get a tip jar, how to get dressed, how to adjust your equipment, how to create landmarks, how to talk to people locally and privately. If you are lucky you can find a friend or a mentor that will give you a crash course in these things and other basics.

• Do you need management in SL?

Unless you plan to put in hours of leg work getting to know the various ways of promoting yourself with in SL and networking with venue owners, then you need a manager who already knows people and how to promote you. You need someone you can trust with your reputation and someone who is willing to commit to developing your SL career.

What this all boils down to is expect to invest in a Second Life music career like you would a real life music career. There is time and money to consider and if you do and are talented then you can make some supplemental income. Second Life is not a game, it is a 3D social network and you can use it to help build a fan base globally and help sell some CDs as long as you are realistic about it.

If you are interested in performing in Second Life and need some guidance, please feel free to email me. When you email, please include you tube links so I can get a feel for your music, a phone number or skype name and any other info you wish to include: brandy@maltasmanagement.com

Second Life Business Basics: Promotional Videos

Today's post is about promotional videos or as some call them machinima. As part of your promotions you should consider having a professional video made of your store, land, performance or event. Why you ask? This is another thing you can post to your social media to link to outside of blog posts and flat ads.

If you are a performer it is a great way to showcase yourself in the best possible light performing your best songs. You can include a link to your video in your booking information to give venues and idea of your style and skill before they are able to get to a concert.

If you are a clothing store or land sales business, a video featuring your product or land is a great promotional tool. You can post it to Facebook, Second Friends, Twitter and so on. It is another medium to showcase what you have to offer.

One of the great machinamists that my business partner, Seth Regan, and I have had the privileged to work with is Kaya Angel, owner of The Rose Theatre. He has produced top quality videos for The Rose Theatre, featuring wonderful performers and even worked with Seth and did a Second Life video for his song "Inside Your Dreams". Take a look at his work HERE

Quality is KEY!!! Make sure if you are going to invest in a video that it is the best possible quality and be prepared to pay for that quality. Your friend who knows how to film in SL volunteering to shoot a video, while very kind of them, may not produce the best video for your branding. You also want to make sure the person you hire knows how to make the "audio" track of the video to be the best possible quality. Be careful what is put out there because you want it to reflect you in a positive light.

Second Life Business Basics: Promotions

People work hard to create things in Second Life...clothing, venues, land, music and so much more. They put their time and effort into these things and then don't do a whole lot to promote it. That just doesn't make sense to me.Why create something and not give it some exposure and promotion?

I understand that creating things takes a lot of time but finding time to promote is so important. With SL businesses, artists and content creators, there are many avenues to promote yourself.

For musicians and venues, there are a lot of event based groups that you and or your manager can join to send notices for your shows. Social media is also a great outlet to get the word out about your shows. There is even Second Friends, a social media website created just for SL residents, which is totally free to join, create a group and post events. Also, look at things like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ because there are tons of SLers on them. There are resources out there, you just need to start using them. Also, I cannot stress enough to venue owners, POST YOUR EVENTS IN SL EVENTS... and make sure you use the musician's name in the listing. People looking in the events want to know which musician is playing and when... unless you are a place like The Rose Theatre with a big built in audience that knows The Rose always employs quality entertainment, then Bob Avatar doesn't care about " John Doe's Music Shack", they want to know who is playing there. Try posting the description like (Musician's Name ) @ John Doe's Music Shack

Content creators also have groups in SL they can join to send things to bloggers for review or to send notices to about new releases and sales. Again just like with musicians and venues, social media is a great outlet. Business can join Second Friends as well and create groups, you cannot post things for sale in the blogs, but you can post whatever you want on your page and to your group. You can also utilize SL Events because there is a commercial category.


Seth also has posted blogs with marketing and business suggestions, you can check out his blog HERE

This is just a few simple basic things you can and should do to promote yourself and what you create. If you need further help with promotion, marketing, website design, or the many other services that the Tracer|Birman Agency has to offer please email Seth or I at info@tracerbirman.com

A Little Rock & Roll

Tonight at 9pm pdt, Seth Regan (Mankind Tracer in SL) will be performing at our place, Club Graffiti. I went to my wardrobe to find something to wear. I wanted something red for the upcoming Valentine's Day but I also wanted something a little rock & roll. I found this cute body suit from 1 Hundred and paired it with my favorite jeans. Threw on some jewelry and blonde hair from Truth and there we go...Valentine's Rock & Roll