The Alabama Band Announces First Tour Since Retirement

While perusing through my Twitter feed this afternoon, I came across a tweet from CMT (Country Music Television) that forced an audible, high-pitched scream to emit from my lips. Did I read that right?!.... Alabama has come out of retirement to tour?? My eyes had, in fact, not failed me, the legendary Alabama Band was emerging from a near 10-year retirement to announce an official, multi-date tour. 

The 40th Anniversary Tour, "Back to the Bowery," is a celebration of 40 wonderful years since their first gig at the dive bar known as "The Bowery." Lead singer Randy Owen will join band members Teddy Gentry (bassist) and Jeff Cook (guitarist-fiddler) for a 10-city tour beginning in Myrtle Beach, S.C. More tour dates are slated to be announced at a later date. As their first official tour since their alleged retirement in 2002, the tour announcement came as quite a shock to many devoted fans and music industry professionals. Nonetheless, Alabama fans all across the world are celebrating in light of today's tour announcement and supposed official return to the music scene. 

"I'm so excited to celebrate 40 years since our first show at the Bowery," said lead singer Randy Owen. "We still love one another, have played music together all these years and are blessed to still be around. Most importantly, we are ever grateful for the fans, many having been with us since we used to play for tips, so to be able to go back out and play for them will make this a very special year."

In addition to the approaching tour, the band has announced plans to host a cruise in October entitled the "Alabama and Friends Festival at Sea." The cruise is slated to depart from Miami. More specific information about the upcoming cruise and tour will be available at a later date. 

To find out further information about the band's hiatus from retirement and their newly announced tour, visit the band or CMT's website. 

-This post was based on information derived from CMT's website. All photo rights belong to The Alabama Band and CMT television network.- 

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A Public Relations Equation for a Music Industry Solution

With all this talk of a digital revolution within the modern-day music industry, you must be wondering where the public relations part of the equation, the purpose of this blog, fits into the "music industry solution." The answer is simple. They are one in the same. 

How can this be? How could the digital distribution revolution that threatened to abolish the recording industry, as we knew it, only a few short years ago be a part of the public relations equation to the music industry's ultimate solution? Once again, the answer is simple. 

The public relations profession, like many other modern professions, has recognized the powerful influence of social media and digital communication and, as a result, has harnessed its influence and directed it toward accomplishing their industrial goals and objectives. Because of the public relations professions' understanding of the modern marvel known as digital communication, the industry has been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of audience engagement and organizational transparency. 

Within the context of the music and recording industry, the same theory and methods of public relations sustain. The music industry solution is not to ignore digital distribution and Internet-mediated communication, it is to embrace it. As many recording industry conglomerates and independent labels have recently demonstrated, the music industry has slowly, but surely, began to recognize, harness and embrace the digital and social revolution. 

You might be wondering by now how public relations (PR) can help to improve and further legitimize the traditional recording label within the age of digital music. That, in and of itself, is a legitimate question and concern. As I mentioned earlier, I personally believe that the solution to the music industry's current anguish over industrial legitimacy within an era of digital distribution, self-promotion and social communication can be answered with two simple letters, "PR." 

Compared to the recording industry's traditional and widely accepted methods of music promotion and artist publicity, public relations is a relatively new concept to the music industry. In years past, the music industry has heavily relied on marketing and advertising-based methods of promotion to sell records and concert tickets, as well as publicize new and existing artists. Considering the increased popularity of digital distribution and social media platforms devoted to music lovers and entertainment junkies, I believe that a public relations-rooted approach to music promotion and artist publicity is more appropriate in light of a modernized recording industry. 

In my next post, I will highlight a few more concrete reasons why I believe public relations is a big part of the music industry solution for both today and years to come. 

Go Digital or Go Home

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog, graduate school has quite the knack for getting in the way of life outside the classroom. In my last post, I discussed a few of the issues and opportunities that have rolled in on the coattails of a seemingly daunting digital music age. Today, I would like to elaborate a little more upon this fundamental paradigm shift within the music industry and, ultimately, suggest a few strategies for turning this "virtual threat" into a "virtual opportunity." 

Regardless of whether or not the music and recording industry chooses the "fight or flight" approach to digital distribution, the trend is obviously here to stay. With this in mind, it seems as if the choice is an obvious one. In the beginning of the digital transition, the recording industry was extremely apprehensive and, often times, close-minded to the new technological advances. In the recording industry's defense, however, the transfer from retail to digital was quite an intimidating transition at the time, and it seemed as if it would eliminate a large majority of their diminishing profit margin. 

Over the years, the recording industry began to realize that digital music distribution was something that they simply could not ignore. The dreaded iTunes, iPod and iPhone were here to stay, no offense Apple. After much reflection and restructuring, the music industry now understands and values the vast opportunity that lies amid the land of social media, infinite domain names and virtual music libraries. 

However, with much opportunity comes much challenge. Although the chance for virtual exposure and unprecedented sales has rapidly increased, the availability and accessibility of music has also increased with digital distribution. This means that recording labels are able to offer music dating back as far as they can remember, as well as the albums that were made since the integration of the iPod and the cellphone. Some early adopting recording labels and artists have transitioned to strictly digital distribution, meaning a physical copy (CD) of their music simply does not exist in any retail store.

Digital music distribution has also brought about a unique purchasing alternative for the music consumer that allows them to purchase individual songs from an album without purchasing the entire 10 to 12 song album. For consumers, it allows them to purchase the songs that they really want without being tied down to the entire album. For recording label executives, however, it means that consumers are able to spend anywhere from $1 to $5 getting what they really want, and the standard $9 to $15 album is virtually out the cyber window. 

What does this mean for the recording industry? No more filler songs on albums. Every single song cut has to stand on its own two feet, because that is exactly how it will be evaluated by the listener, all "on its own." Select loyal music consumers will still purchase the entire album, if it's a good one, but the majority will evaluate each song individually to determine if it is worthy of the 99-cent price of admission. 

Personally, I believe that this concept of song individualism is a healthy change for the music industry. Now, maybe we can get our hands, or shall we say our mouse pads, on some albums that are consistently good from cover to cover. 

The digital music transition that the recording industry could not foreshadow so many years ago has now turned into a land mine of opportunity, revenue and infinite success. Despite our love loss over the tangible record, we understand that digital is, indeed, an opportunity for success and not a threat to the recording industry's legacy and legitimacy.