Be careful with your intellectual property.

Social marketing advocates like David Meerman Scott talk about giving up control of material and putting it out there on the Internet for free as a way to make a name for yourself in the entertainment world.  Meerman sites as an example, Bec Hollcraft, a nineteen-year-old singer and songwriter who essentially put “tons” of her music up on the Internet for free and reaped the benefits later with a record contract, concert and t-shirt deals. 

A few years ago my ad agency helped an aspiring young musician attempt something very similar to what Bec Hollcraft accomplished.  We built a website that distributed his music nearly for free.  The business model was his and I didn’t understand how he was going to make money, so I shared my concerns with the likeable, talented singer-songwriter (full disclosure: I’m an aspiring guitar player and was concerned for the young artist). 

My musician friend felt exactly like Bec, that if people just heard his music they would come hear him sing and demand would increase and somehow he would get a big record contract or concert tour or movie soundtrack deal or something to pay the bills and feed the starving artist.  He had even been recognized by the New York Times as an up-and-coming aspiring artist, so he had outstanding public relations momentum going his way.  But it didn’t work. 

I think it is great what Bec Hollcraft accomplished and it is a legitimate way to “make it big” but I’m guessing for every Bec that “breaks through” there are thousands of artists who are giving up their intellectual property to the Internet and receiving nothing in return.   Bec did some interesting things on the Internet which helped her cause, but chances are with her talent, if she would have received the opportunity to perform for a record label, her chances of success may have been on par with the path she eventually took. 

It is a confusing world and unlike many of the posts on this blog I don't have all the answers. If you are an artist or a writer, be careful with your intellectual property.