Published two weeks ago, Kevin Kelly’s “1000 True Fans” has been making waves in creative circles.

In a nutshell, the article demonstrated the theory that an artist (in the general meaning of the word) does not need millions of fans to make a living off his/her art. Kevin went on to demonstrate that having 1000 True Fans would be enough for a solo artist to make a living.

Various articles around the blogosphere and threads on various forums have been discussing the article, dissecting the numbers and examples used by Kevin. Some people have questionned his definition of a True Fan (according to Kevin, this is someone who would spend $100 a year on the artist), some others have questionned some statements in the article such as “modest expenses”,  but one thing is sure: most artists and musicians seem to believe that Kevin’s theory is right. The practical details are up for discussion but many seem to agree on the principle.

So, how useful is it to the songwriter?

Non-performing and non-recording songwriters suffer from their inability to directly take their music to the audience. Generally, they have to concentrate their efforts on looking for a publishing deal or a “cut”, that is getting their song recorded by an artist.

Kevin’s model is mostly based on the artist being able to deliver a “product” to an audience. As such, even if Kevin’s theory rings true, non-performing non-recording songwriters might find it difficult to see how it applies to them.

However, Kevin’s 1000 True Fans principles are most relevant to songwriters.

As a songwriter, this means that you don’t need to team up with a famous artist to make a living from music. You could team up with an unknown artist, a local artist whose voice and performing abilities you like.

If you recruit someone able to record at home (or if the artist has the knowledge), you could create a “product” as a team. Kevin’s theory dictates that if there are 2 people in a team, the team would need 2,000 True Fans. If there are 3 people (let’s say a producer comes on board), you would need 3,000 True Fans.

Kevin’s calculations imply that the True Fan spends US$100  year. For argument’s sake, let’s assume a value of US$50, which would be deemed more accessible by most people. In a team of 3 people, it means you would need 6,000 True Fans.

However, it is likely that some of this money will be spent on merchandise and tickets, none of which would go to the songwriter. Here is when the whole theory falls down for a songwriter…

 … but fear not! The answer is to get involved in more than one project at a time and to cement your place within each team. But is it possible?

Let’s assume an album takes about 2 years of an artist’s life (time to pick the songs, time to record, time to release, time to tour it) and has 12 songs.  Let’s assume you write 2 songs a month. So that’s 48 songs in two years. Of course, no one can write great songs with a consistent rate so let’s assume half of your songs are so-so. It leaves you with 24 songs being potentially picked up by a bunch of different artists over the course of 2 years, or 12 songs a year. 24 songs is enough material for 2 albums! Or for 4 half albums (artists might use a bunch of different songwriters on the same album)! Or for 24 singles (with downloads, the single format is working quite well for independent artists)!

So a songwriter could be part of two or three teams.

The concept of “teams” is very important.

Traditionally, a songwriter only makes pennies per album sale. It’s a percentage of the gross sale price, variable between countries, but it’s never a lot. However, independent artists using Kevin’s principles bypass the traditional music industry practices, and this is where songwriters can learn from it.

If a songwriter is willing to get invested in the final product, to provide resources for it and to promote it, the songwriter can become part of an artist’s team, and take home much more money than the royalties rate.

Providing resources doesn’t mean investing money. You might be able to provide knowledge in an aspect of making the album (for example, designing the cover); you might have marketing skills; you might be able to convince your cousin to make a video of the single for his film school project; you might invest time in participating and moderating the forum on the artist’s website.

Kevin’s principles imply that an artist connect with fans, one at a time, build up a True Fan base step by step, and interact with fans. Well, this work is rather daunting for an artist to take on his/her own. If you can share the load, you can share the benefits.

Independent artists can make a living by connecting directly with their audience, bypassing the music industry. Independent songwriters can make a living by connecting directly with their audience, except that “their” means “their team’s” in this case.

It’s not easy making a living as an independent artist, and it’s not easy to make a living as an independent songwriter. It takes time and hard work. It takes energy and willpower. But it’s possible.

If he/she wants to make any money, a non-performing non-recording songwriter needs to associate with others. But rather than targetting a music publisher or an established artist, who will only pay pennies for each song sale, you could associate yourself with an independent artist, whom you can help in many more ways than writing great songs and who will treat you as a team mate. Of course, it requires time and hard work, energy and willpower. But it’s possible

 Update (8th June):

Back in April, Kevin Kelly, the originator of the “1000 True Fans” theory has published a post titled The case against 1000 true fans on his blog.

Yesterday (7th June), Ernst-Jan Pfauth interviewed Gerd Leonhard, a specialist in media, and Gerb Leonhard said “streaming music is the new radio”. I find this particularly interesting because I’m a user of Napster subscription on-the-go service and i love it. I do not buy any CD or download now, I just pay for my monthly subscription with Napster.

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