Eric Alper, Toronto-based PR guru for eOne Music (David’s NMHF label) and others, held a Twitter partay last night answering questions on the music industry (if you don’t follow his tweets, you should (@ThatEricAlper), really good stuff). Here are some highlights from last night:
Welcome to the start of#AskAnything! Have a question about the music biz, trivia, PR, or social media? Ask away using the Hashtag!
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About media
.@mikkypatrick Play live, play live, play live. Oh, and play live. Forget media for now. Just be great. Media will come if you’re great.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About labels
@cmeant Labels will never die. We market, we have the sales, the experience, we present and nurture artists. The good ones, at least.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About radio
@attwittsend Radio has never been more important, and less important, before. We ALL depend on it, but not sole gatekeeper anymore.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
@attwittsend No song is played without a reason. Radio might think audience don’t want deep cuts, too unfamiliar and might turn it off.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
@attwittsend I have never been involved with Payola, so I can’t comment. Like any business, it’s truly about relationships.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About getting radio play
@mikkyandalex Ask radio MDs for best radio pluggers, & hire them (if they’ll take you on.) Next 2 impossible for indie artists without label
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
(ED. Note: NO idea what a radio plugger is… will ask when he has his next chat! 🙂 )
About promotion
@ptopp_ing The best music PR one recently is Daft Punk allowing people to ‘discover’ the music through non-hearing methods. Billboards, etc
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
@ptopp_ing Go here for the complete story: billboard.com/biz/articles/n…
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About labels
@ihatelint A GREAT manager, a GREAT booking agent & Great songs. The 1st will get you the 2nd. The songs are gifts. You have it or you don’t
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
More about labels
@cmeant Mostly every artist leaves their label for another. You gotta find the people who LOVE music and what you do, and know how to make $
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About music trends
.@mrsavage9 I think pop is here to stay for a long time, CHR Radio is perfect for today’s times (YouTube, iTunes, singles.)
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About fan support
@rgoddes Prove it to the fans. Ask them to get involved with promotion. Give them music for free &have them do what they do – talk & share.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
@rgoddes If it’s an album release, ask for their photos, their videos, and make it part of the promotional plan.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About Canada
@gracenc4 The entire population of Canada fits into Tri-State area of NY, NJ and Boston. Long distance to travel & play to that many people.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About promoting a single
.@911turbomusic The best way to promote a single? Write the best song in the world. Seriously. There’s no magic in success.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About press
.@mikkypatrick Play live, play live, play live. Oh, and play live. Forget media for now. Just be great. Media will come if you’re great.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About Internet tools
.@joelvank Ok Go’s creativity with YouTube, hands down. They’ve been right with their videos every. single. time.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
About Canadian booking agents (nice one, Pastel! 😉 😉 😉 )
@pastelpastel Depends on the music. Feldmans, Agency Group, Paquin key ones in Canada. JMA, Canadian Classic Rock, great, too.
— Eric Alper (@ThatEricAlper) June 5, 2013
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So what do you guys think about all this?
P.S. Look who now has his own page on the MoTab site! (thx. @janey79!)
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 
Thank you so much for putting this together for us. I did follow along last night and it was very interesting. I have been following him on Twitter (@ThatEricAlper) for a while and he posts a variety of interesting articles and pictures. Alot of “how to” items also. Not just current stuff but also things from back in the day, which interests me sometimes. His responses about radio play were particularly interesting; just requesting a song really doesn’t help. We need a “radio plugger”. Looking forward to next time he does this.
I missed the live Q&A last night so I’m looking forward to the next one too … I especially like that he knows the Canadian side of the industry so well… we have a vested interest come 2014! 🙂
That makes so much sense about what he said about the population of Canada being so small and how it’s so dang spread out. Haha never really thought of it that way before!
interesting! He answers so many questions I’ve wondered about (only because of David 🙂 )… such as how songs get played on radio (although I’m sure there is more to the story, bts negotiations etc.).
He says it’s next to impossible for indie artists without a label to get played on radio so I’m torn… do not want to see David under the thumb of a big label again (especially one like Jive) but I bet he’d love to hear his songs on radio again. Catch 22 I suppose.
Really interesting to read this TOfan, Eric answered a lot of good questions. Quite the complex biz, the music biz is. Kind of wish that I was neck and neck with a Canadian booking agent (and a radio plugger). 🙂
Aw…nice that David has his own page on the MoTab site!
Also I like you’re tag you’re it tag hahaha 🙂
haha, thx 4 noticing! 🙂 🙂 🙂
So, David needs another REALLY great song.
And yet, we as fans think he has had several that have just been overlooked (Zero Gravity comes to mind instantly). So we’re not the best judges, I guess. Pfui.
Ya, I don’t quite buy the “if the song is great” bit… too many overlooked great songs by David and others for that to be true, and too many crappy songs *cough*Gangnam Style*cough* also … He even says himself that GS was a product of great marketing not going viral (should’ve included his response below) … you’re so right, particularly about ZG!