music business consultant
executive production of independent music projects
An
executive producer and consultant for independent artists, Lian assists her
clients with studio and live recording planning; live
performance plotting and repertoire development; graphic
design and branding; image
and presentation; photo shoot planning, styling and editing; biography
writing and promotional materials; merchandise
manufacturing; internet
promotion and sales; publishing, copyright and band
rights issues; and domestic
and international distribution.
She is happy to work with her clients on any or all of these important elements,
on an individual basis, tailoring consultation to the artist's needs.
Lian's pricing takes into account that independent music is a labor of love,
and that most artists are providing their own financing. She works with individuals
and bands to decide how they can best manage their resources, and believes that
her input should be paying for itself by making the artists money and creating
visibility, buzz, and a great product.
For select artists, Lian manages, books and promotes their
careers on an ongoing basis. Please check out the management
link below for more info.
Creating
musical recordings and long-term careers takes an enormous amount of work and
dedication. It requires determination, focus and funding to represent the artist's
vision as they hear it themselves. Having been in the music and entertainment
industry her entire life and running her own recording, management and booking
company for the past eleven years, Lian has gathered experience, contacts and
insights that are invaluable for the independent artist.
executive production, studio and live
recording planning
Which studio, how much time, which engineer, which mastering house? Arrangements,
production, outside musicians, programming order? Live performance
video-taping and recording set-up, formats and quality? These issues will
make a huge impact on your project caliber and budget. The executive producer
takes care of the business aspects of your project, so that you can focus on
the art. They provide insight into your needs and wants and how to achieve
them, help develop and stay within a budget, interface with technical personnel,
and take responsibility for the process to avoid unpleasant surprises. Lian
has worked with many of the world's finest studio and live musicians, executive
and co-produced nine CD's and a double live DVD that have been enthusiastically
reviewed by over one hundred major publications worldwide, and will allow you
to focus on your job: the music.
live performance plotting and repertoire development
Lian has been present at hundreds of performances in her life, in front of,
on and behind the stage, and has developed compelling, concise ideas about
how to make a "gig" into
a "SHOW".
Her observations and suggestions can help you bridge the gap between just great
and knockout performances. Mood, tempos, transitions, song order, and making
sure your audience is seeing you in all your many aspects are elemental to
excellent live performing, and should be plotted and planned just as you would
a studio recording. The
greats are not writing a set list just before getting on stage ~ they know
what they are going to play and when, and that allows them the freedom to use
dynamics and pacing to create an exceptional experience. Developing a great
live show will be the key element that pushes your art forward, and helps to
create that elusive buzz.
design and branding
A professional graphic designer of CD covers, web sites, advertising, T-shirts,
merchandise and logos, Lian has a unique visual style, and will help you find
the best representation for your music, by either designing with you personally
or helping you to find the right artists to express your music visually, and
create media coverage by having a strong and evocative brand.
image and presentation
Style, presentation, vibe and energy are all crucial to your
success. In order to make your audience respond to you personally, you've got
to present yourself in a way that makes them proud of you as they vicariously
enjoy your success. Developing personal style that is you, done fabulously,
is the best way to get there. A serious style junkie with an excellent eye
and the desire to distill your personality into a look that expresses you,
Lian can help you to look fantastic but not feel like you are wearing a costume.
photo shoot planning, styling and editing
Which profession photographer should you use? What should you wear, what mood
and look are you going for, and which photos both express your vision and will
encourage media outlets to use your photo rather than the hundreds of other
bands they have available? Great photos are an essential element that when
done correctly can make a huge difference in your career and media coverage.
biography writing and
promotional materials
Having worked as a music and arts features journalist for Associated Press
and numerous music magazines, and written many a biography, Lian is
aware of the difficulty of producing stand-out and unclichéd promotional
materials. Developing a great promo kit will get you more ink, and Lian can
write for you from the ground up, or distill what you've already developed
into a stand-out presentation.
Lian has designed, manufactured and released many CD's and DVD's, as well as done design and production for T-Shirts, stickers, and other promotional materials. She has worked with numerous suppliers and manufacturers, and can either design and produce your materials, and/or assist you in finding the best, most reasonable and most reliable production houses and graphic artists.
Having used the internet for promotion and web-based merchandise sales for over a decade, and having designed tens of web sites, Lian has seen and adapted with enormous changes in this all-important area. She can help identify the best of your many options in developing a strong web presence that not only promotes your music but also sells it.
publishing, copyright and band rights issues
Many great bands have foundered over copyright conflicts and the subsequent pressures. These crucial legal questions regarding writing and publishing credits and splits should be decided before recording a note. Making sure everyone is on the same page, and writing up legal documents to support it, is crucial to future band harmony and business decisions. Lian can help clarifiy the issues, and get legal professionals on board to codify them into contracts.
domestic and international distribution
Lian has worked with "bricks and mortar" (physical) distributors all over the world, and can help you get this still incredibly important avenue of selling your music in place. There are many options in this area, which (for now) is still the major way that customers will buy your music - in stores.