ok so as i write this i have counted at least 14 seperate threads about this
young man and that is just on the front page of Tipsheet. So JK is doing his best
to ram Alex Day down all our throats pretty much like how the majors
ram their artists down everyone's throats. Now of course this is JK's site so
what the heck that's his call. But this is old model tactics at its best so nothing
to be learned here.

However as this is an industry board, there is no point of all JK's self promotion as it bores most of us we need to grasp something that would be of use to us all otherwise this board will go the same way other musicboards have gone in recent times.

SO I am going to attempt to dissect the Alex Day story so that we can get some good
out of it and learn something.

Alex has 500,000 subscribers on Youtube and sold 100,000 copies of Forever Yours.
Sounds like an amazing feat except with 10 remixes and with fans buying multiple
versions of the song (the same thing Koopa did to land in the top 40 btw) the true
figure of fans buying Alex's music is a lot less. To be really strict, each fan
is buying 10 copies so only 10,000 fans bought Alex's music. Make no mistake this
is still a great achievement and I am not knocking Alex at all for this.

So 500,000 fans equates to 10,000 really fanatical fans who are prepared to buy
whatever his is selling. This is roughly 2% of his fan base (assuming they all bought
10 copies each).

Reading through many of the comments on Facebook, Twitter etc it appears that Alex
has got his fans really motivated but a fair few of them are being manipulated. They
are buying out of a need to make a difference and are not too dissimilar to how religious
people give their tithes. They are dedicated to the cause and this at times is at the
cost of their own lifestyles. Some (students) are spending their last pocket money on
buying Alex's single but for what purpose?

Clearly Alex has got a devoted army, not all of his fans, but a vocal minority with the
wide eyed gleam and zeal of a cult devotee. This of course is the same with some major
artists, who can forget the devoted pop fans camping outside their idols houses. In this
case Alex has got star quality. He is a likeable fellow and pretty down to earth.

But what does this mean for the rest of us who visit Tipsheet? Is this the new model as
JK claims?

Some aspects of it clearly is. Other definitely not.

Alex built up his OWN fanbase on Youtube from blogging (not singing).
Alex communicates with his fans on Youtube, Facebook etc.
Both sort of new model ideals.

Alex (or more likely JK) decided to go for the Christmas number one (not a new model idea
at all, remember Nizlopi?). This became a hook for a campaign that would mobilise his ardent
followers. This resulted in a top 5 hit (a great achievement).

Alex went on a tour signing CDs (definitely an old model idea and a major step backwards for Alex).
There are a few positive things about this but a lot more negative.
The positives are meeting his fans and creating some sort of mayhem and frenzy.

The negatives: selling CDs is so old model it ruins any new model claim by team Alex.
Selling CDs impacts on download sales which is why the downloads have fallen so badly down
the charts.
Selling CDs is very expensive. Consider all the CDs that have to be manufactured. This is old
model on the cheap which is why HMV were selling out quickly and not having stock which of course
disappointed his fans.
The CD signing tour overall is something that team Alex will review and conclude was money NOT
well spent. There are better ways to do the same thing without impacting on Alex's core goal
i.e selling lots of downloads resulting in a number one single.

So new model devotees here is what you can learn from Alex:

1. Build up a fanbase on Youtube. Make your own Youtube videos and build up your subscriber list.
2. Talk to your fanbase so that you develop rapport.
3. Understand the key metrics. For every 1000 fans only 20 will buy your product.
4. Give them a reason to buy.
5. ASK!
6. Don't expect the earth. The best selling Youtubers have sold circa 100,000 units. Don't expect
to sell a million using the new model. You can't grow to that scale without major media attention.
This could change in the future but not now.
7. Sell albums instead of singles. You can make a million this way and that will make everyone take notice. You can also make enough money to dip into the old model and take the majors on.
8. The new model does NOT depend on hits to work. Alex's 2 singles did not gain a lot of new fans
and that is because they are not real hits. He did succeed in selling 50,000 in the UK but if this
was in one CD the true figure would be 5,000 CDs sold. Not a smash hit under any way or shape.


Youtube is the most effective social media tool for sales. Facebook is NOT.
Youtube is where we need to build our fanbase and we need to adopt the 1000 true fans rule
as a matrix.

Now before JK accuses me of being a hater, let me say that Alex is a charming young man and
team Alex have done a fantastic job but it is only scratching the surface of the new model.
The new model is scaleable and should not require a huge amount of money to kick start. Alex
has shown us how he is doing it and in that respect this is new model thinking. I look forward
to your thoughts.

You make many good (but obvious) points and some right (and some wrong) assumptions.

The new model is new thinking - often utilising or adapting old ingredients (CD singles).

The new model means different methods for different acts/artistes/styles/projects.

Our new model for Alex Day, much of it the product of my experience married to his youth and fresh thinking, relies on very hard work (by him)... some artistes are not capable of such things. So we adapt the model for others.

The old model is old, unoriginal thinking.

Albums make more money - not a good creative reason.
But some albums are creatively inspired - like From Genesis To Revelation; one of the first "concept" albums (still available for purchase).

I spent over 20 years in the record business and can see nothing in the Alex Day scenario that would warrant it to be called a new model. Every release by every artist requires a slightly different approach to marketing and promotion. The techniques used evolve as they are adapted and adopted. Alex Day's team have used many of these (Xmas #1, William Hill betting, Multiple remixes, fan base/club targeting, different formats, personal appearances etc etc) One of the strongest aspects of the Alex Day project has been the internet videos but back in 2006 Sandi Thom did with her webcasts and many others have done so since.

I applaud the success achieved so far but rather than promote the new model promote the new artist.

well said J&B, JK has eaten his own board, no one is posting and no one but a lot of gullible girls who will grow up shortly, are buying this shit.

the credit being taken for the 'noo model' is as expected by someone who has a major chip on his shoulder, who spends half the time saying 'we don't need majors' and the other half saying, 'wake up majors and listen to this genius'. well. the silence is deafening.

There is nothing new in this , it is micro selling using new media, it makes you realise how hard it was in the old days and how easy it is to chart these days. this is no different to the c30 mixtapes of yesteryear where bands just got on with it.

Now please, give it a fucking rest. personally i think the charts should be scrapped, they are meaningless in the days of download, multiple mixes and reentries from dead drug addicts. this is why your twink does not have a deal, 679 , XL ,etc who are the new majors, really don't give a shit and never will.

So d-c and bb, the "new model" is just the same (or different) ingredients as the "old model", simply baked in a different way.

I would agree; just add energy, enthusiasm, originality, quick thinking, new technology, and social networks; a dash of wisdom from an old queen; some new young talent; open minds; charisma...

and remove the tired old suffocation of tired old executives

And voila!

The new model is all about being in control. You control your own marketing and you
market with results you can predict. Alex has built up a following online and anyone can do this.
It requires a bit of money (not a lot) and good content. You see the new model revolves around
Youtube and Facebook and the like. You can build your own tribe easily but you need to have consistency.
Alex has this. Look outside the music industry for a proper example of the new model because it was
created by ordinary people (and Youtube/social media). JK has mixed in a lot of old model techniques
so he has carved out his own new model and that is great for him but I was trying to show everyone that
there is something to learn from Team Alex and we can apply it to our own artists.

The new model is a way of breaking artistes without the traditional big spend and hype of the majors; the problem remains of total lack of filter. Whilst we're showing with Alex that it can be done, the music industry needs filters to find and expose talent. The equivalent of radio and TV.

A) the alternatives don't exist yet; neither powerful enough nor good enough at filtering and as a result we have more popular image music than quality creative talent emerging.

Simon Cowell found a "new model" - an alternative to relying on radio and press - with TV.
We've found a "new model" with Alex - building a fan base and using it well.

But neither solve that filter problem - providing a mass appeal way of first hearing great music.

If I had money, I'd start that internet radio/TV station.

JK you had me until you started on this filter nonsense.
The so called filter exists and has not gone away. The problem is WE DO NOT WANT IT.
The public are switching off radio and tv in their droves. Radio and TV are fooling their advertisers
by lying about their viewing/listening figures. How many people know anyone under 18 who listens to radio?

Radio/TV and the rest of the mainstream press are the filters but the public are rejecting them en masse and you
want to introduce more of the same? Sorry JK this is totally old model thinking and reduces your new model credentials.

We have a brave new world where there are no filters. This is fantastic in the sense that at last
any sort of record has a fighting chance. The negative is that if you depend on the filter you have
no chance as the majors are finding out for all but their biggest artists. The new model is about YOU finding
ways to promote your artists without the filters and their idiotic researchers dictating what the rest of us
should listen to.

The days of the filter are completely OVER. Mainstream radio will never be the same so trying to find one is
foolhardy at best.

You misunderstand me - a FILTER in my mind is something that selects only the best and plays them to millions. Top of the Pops was a superb filter when the chart truly reflected popularity.

So was Top 40 radio when it played the most commercial tunes. It collapsed when it simply played major label priorities that nobody wanted.

Most ordinary people simply don't have the time or inclination to search out their potential favourite tracks. We need something that helps them find the best by filtering out the less good.

No misunderstanding on my part JK. The kind of filter that you're talking about is dead.
Everything has fragmented to such an extent that it's impossible to revive it again. The
world is very different now. One other thing, ask black artists what they thought about
top 40 radio and Top of The Pops. Also ask Pete Waterman what he thinks of the so called
Radio One filter, or Sir Cliff for that matter. Good riddance to the filter.