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 :)

Quality Vs. Quantity: Performing In Second Life

Something I’ve noticed about myself when considering going to a concert in Second Life is that I look at who is playing at a certain time, say 7 pm slt/pdt, and if there is a performer that I enjoy but performs multiple shows a day many days a week, I will pass over their show for someone who does not play as much. I will basically say to myself “Oh X will have more shows tomorrow or later tonight, I will maybe catch them then.”

I’ve known performers in SL that are doing multiple shows a day, sometimes with only an hour between shows. I really feel like they are doing a disservice to both their career and the venues that are booking them. Second Life.

Playing multiple shows close together will affect your potential draw. People will have more possible times where they can come see you, so instead of having one really well attended show, you end up with several less attended. The exception for this in SL is if you put 6 hours between your shows, which will be targeting different time zones. If you have a show at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm, you are essentially targeting the same basic audience but if you have a 2pm show and 8pm show, there are different people on for each time period.

As a venue owner and longtime venue manager, I have also seen how overbooking negatively impacts the venue. The owner pays for a performer to come play, often the venue has stores or something that helps them generate income to pay for the performers. If you are losing draw because you are booking a lot of shows close together, you devalue yourself to the venue since your draw suffers and consequently, the venue traffic. Then venue owners will be less likely to rebook you and even want to pay less because you are not bringing in the traffic to justify  paying the full price. There are venues who book and pay for shows for the love of music and do not have an expectation of draw. However, since many venues have stores that pay rent - as their main source of revenue - they will simply will not pay performers if traffic is not repeatedly maintained.

Potentially, in performing fewer shows, you can actually generate more money. You can charge a little more per show and expect higher attendance. This means better tips for you and better donations to a happier venue (who is more likely to have you back).

Also, by performing less, you can help reduce the 6pm to 8pm slt “event congestion”. On any given day there could be 50+ concerts happening at 7pm slt. Having so many possible concerts at one time also can hurt attendance. If you eliminate a few shows a week during those “prime times” it can help the community over all.

Music and Social Media

There was a Facebook discussion started today about music and social media. That discussion inspired this blog post, so thank you Rapture.

As someone who successfully manages independent musicians, social media has been a huge help. It is social media that is changing the face of the music scene as we know it.

I remember when I was a kid reading about music in magazines and seeing shows and interviews on television. Back then, if you wanted to see independent musicians perform, you had to go to your local club or bar and if you are like me who lives in a small town, your choices were very limited.


Now, because of social media, independent musicians have so many other ways to get heard and get their music to people they otherwise might not be able to with out a "big break".  The ways of clamoring for the attention of an A&R rep from a big name music company are changing tremendously.

The face of the music industry is changing and I am excited about it. The world is at our fingertips and musicians now need to consider all their options for promoting their music.

Anyone can have a website these days. A musicians website is like their business card. However it offers more than a business card.It should have the details of the musician's musical career on it, such as, their biography, pictures, samples of their music, contact info for fans and for business, links to all their social media and any other info you would want people to see.

Social media is more socially interactive and about building relationships with your fans. Places like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others are ways to reach out to fans and share your life and important news. So, which social media outlets do you use?

Social media changes and new things come out and become popular. So, I say to take some time and see which ones appeal most to you. If you feel like keeping up with it all spreads you too thin, then choose the few that you think the majority of your fan base uses the most. Not everyone is on all social media, so it is important to have several places for fans to connect with you. Take a look at the various ways each social media site connects you to your fans. If you don't do the research, you could be missing out on something great. It pays to stay informed.

"Using Social Networking has become a mainstay in my music career. With millions of people from all over the world on these websites, it changes the model of "grass roots" and provides a great set of power tools for indie artists to reach new fans and get them talking about your music." - Seth Regan

Also, this is where your management can help and I've seen some "managers" take a back seat in this role. Managers are supposed to do more than just book your shows and send a few notices around. They should be an important part of your business, the business of your music. There is nothing wrong with your manager posting on your fan page about your upcoming shows, new song releases or any business aspect of your music. They can also search for groups with in social media to post your info to in order to expand your reach. Your management is there to help your career, utilize them.

Blogs are another way to build a relationship with your fans. If you have more to say than a post on Facebook or Twitter allows on a certain topic, blog it. Maybe you have had an experience that you want to share about a gig or an instrument or anything you think your fans might like to read.

There are so many options now for indie musicians, it's up to manager and artist to work together and find out which direction is best for them.

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

Curvy Avatar In A Skinny Virtual World

My Avatar - Kalli Birman in SL

In Second Life we can choose to be whatever we wish to be. Well, I just want to be me. There are times I like to dress up as a mermaid, fairy or elf but that is usually just for a day or for an event.

I think one of the things that attracts people to SL is that they CAN be whatever they want. Be a human, be a robot, a dragon, skinny, fat, tiny or anything else you can imagine.

Working in Second Life is a full time job for me. It is how I make my living and have decided that the best thing I can be is myself. Often people will create an avie that is more an idealized version of themselves or what they wish they could be.

However, just like in real life, the fashion industry leans more towards skinny avatars and as you can see in the pictures here, my avatar is a bit more curvy. Which is 100% my choice. No one forced me to raise those sliders. However, it does make shopping hard sometimes.

I cannot wear 99% of mesh clothing because even the biggest "Standard Size" is too small for me. So, I have to rely on clothes made with system layers and prims or sculpties until the mesh deformer becomes standard in the viewer. I accept that as a limitation of having a more realistic shape.

I have gotten really good at adjusting prims and sculpts, one by one, to fit my avatar and still make the clothing look like the designer intended.

Size Scripts are the big the problem for me. Sizing scripts often only increases or decreases the entire prim or sculpt or each individual prim by a percent. They do not move individual pieces up or down or shift the angle. Just increase or decrease size. That doesn't work for me.

Photo by Spartin Parx

I have hips and a butt. My avie is very proportionate but increasing prim parts overall just makes them bigger where I might only need a little stretch in the hips or across the chest.

Many of the designers in Second Life have gone to only using size scripts and taking away the modify rights. That makes it so I cannot shop in their store and I LOVE to shop in SL. I have found a few designers who are willing to send me things with modify rights but that is the exception not the rule.

I completely understand not wanting your designs messed up or textures changed or other things that can happen when people have mod rights. However, it does leave out some SLers that do want a more curvy shape. I am not suggesting you change the actual design but please give us modify rights.

I like being a curvy avatar and feeling more like the real me. I'm an independent fierce woman and I think my shape is sexy and I receive a lot of compliments from both men and women. Beauty is subjective, each person has their own ideas on what beautiful is to them. So people should feel free to have the avie shape they find most appealing and not concern yourself with what other people may think.

I wouldn't even mind paying a little more to have modify rights. I just want to be able to try to make clothes work for my avatar. So please designers, consider leaving mod rights, even if you keep using size scripts for those who like them. It's like by not allowing me to modify to fit, you are telling me that you don't want my money or that because I choose to have curves that I don't matter. Please take my money!

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.

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

Finding The RIGHT One In SL or RL

Last night I posted this on Facebook:

A friend and I were talking about the subject of dating tonight and he said to me...

"So you dream big, and won't let yourself be side tracked by anything or anyone that is not going to advance your dream"

My response to that was "I'm very driven and I want to be with someone who wants to be part of my dream"

The more I think about it... the more I am sure that is accurate... if the person we are with is the right person, they will share in our hopes and dreams and help us work towards achieving them!

I felt the need to expand upon this because it really has stirred something inside me... I guess it stirred up some anger. There are always going to be compromises in relationships, where to eat, what movie to watch, what car to purchase, but not your life's dreams and goals!

I work full time in Second Life as my career, therefore, 95% of the time I spend in SL is for work purposes. That being said, I also have wonderful friends in Second Life that I could just not do with out. The friends I speak to the most are the friends I also work with like Seth Regan (known in SL as Mankind Tracer), my best friend, who is my business partner and the musician I manage. Often times we will be talking about work or music and also life, kids, books etc. The friends I don't work with, I just am not able to keep up with as much, but I know most understand that while I may be logged into SL, it is not for recreation and when I have a moment here or there, I do message them or join them at a concert. They also know that they can message me because I have mad multitasking skills and can chat in IM with them while I have 4 or 5 IMs going. Response time might be a little slower but that is just how it is.

For the people who do not understand, I only offer you this.... if I had a tradition job, would you be upset if I couldn't talk often while I was at work?

My Second Life is far from typical and I don't expect everyone to “get it” but I do expect to be respected.

If someone wants to be part of my life in a dating capacity, I want them to be proud of the fact that I am driven and goal oriented. If they do not share my goals, I expect them to be supportive in the very least and understand that this is who I am and what I do. Just as I would be supportive of their career and help them any way possible. We should all expect this because if the person we are dating cannot be supportive or helpful in achieving our goals, who will be????

Sometimes you have to face facts that you and the person you are dating want different things and that is okay. I would rather know early on that the paths chosen for life do not match and be able to be friends than frustrate each other trying to make things work. I know I sure don't need the stress of that in my life.

I know people who are so in a hurry to find love that they lose sight of the fact that they need to find the RIGHT person to love. Love is not a race and you will not die from being alone. Take your time and let the right person find you. Cultivate healthy friendships that can give you companionship. This goes for Second Life and real life. I also, firmly believe that the very best relationships have great friendship as the foundation, so take time to get to know someone and find out if you even want the same things in life.

In Second Life we have the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over which is great, however, those people also have a chance to hide behind an avatar and put their “best face forward”. It is even more important to get to know someone you are dating very well in SL. I encourage everyone to use voice or even webcam and Google search their name and before you meet in real life spend the money to do a back ground check. You can never be too cautious!

I guess what this all boils down to is, that if the person is the RIGHT person, SL or RL, they will be supportive of your dreams and want to be part of them, not try to derail them. Sometimes dreams and goals will change as you change and that is fine but your significant other should still be supportive and flexible.

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.

Ladies of SL Music: CoMa & SweetLilly

"Spirit"

This weekend I had the pleasure of listening to two great ladies perform. Each one with their own distinct style and appeal.

The first show I saw was Saturday at Claudia222 Jewell's Art Screamer sim for her new immersive exhibit "Spirit" was CoMa, also known in SL as ColeMarie Soleil. I highly recommend taking a walk around this sim!

CoMa in SL

CoMa sat on a platform and delighted us with an hour of haunting melody and hypnotic voice on this amazing art installation.

Her voice will take you to an etherial place where fairies play and you get lost in the moment. You can check out some of her music on Facebook HERE.

SweetLilly Pinelli

This morning I went to see SweetLilly Pinelli performing at the San Diego 3D sim owned by Solace Beach Estates. She was following Max Kleene, whom I have previous written about. Unfortunately there were so many people there that the sim crashed, but the show was quickly moved to the main Solace Beach stage.

Lilly performed acoustic guitar and performs originals and popular covers. The thing that always comes across about Lilly is that she really is a genuinely sweet person. Her southern charm and charisma will draw you in and take hold, captivating you and bringing you back time after time. Check out Lilly on You Tube HERE.

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

Brandy's Attic Opening Today!

Logo by Seth Regan

You are invited to the launch of Brandy's Attic, a vintage clothing store located in The Village, and everything is priced L$200 or less from quality Second Life content creators. The launch will be held in the park right outside the store today, Wednesday, Feb. 1st at 1pm slt. Mankind Tracer/Seth Regan will be performing live!!

The Village,owned by  Seth Regan and myself, is a 1/4 sim build that has been modeled after Greenwich Village, NYC of the '70s. The build features several great designer stores and a club based on the famous CBGB where the punk movement began.
Brandy's Attic will feature designs from :  DeeTalez, Cynful, Sassy!, La Flat, Angelwings, Mashooka, 1 Hundred, Callie Cline, 24 Shoo Shoes, Paris Metro, Vanity Hair, Azoury. Lou Lou & Co, Siss Boom, Evale, Sakide, Snowpaws and The Jewllery Exchange

Join us for the launch by clicking HERE!

Less Than A Week Left To Hunt!!

You now only have 5 days left on the Where Is The Concert? HUNT!!! Get out there now and get to all 52 locations to be invited to the group that will allow you exclusive access for a first time ever, back to back live video concert featuring Mankind Tracer/Seth Regan and The Follow!

Visit the official hunt website HERE and get started today!