Brain Grenade Entertainment LLC

A central focus in the Freedom Solution Recording Plan (FSRP) is the budget. Whether you work with our layout, have us design a business plan for your recording, or are planning a full scale release, it does add up to a lot of money.

Gone are the days where you can put out a demo, get signed and then have someone else do everything else for you. To be in control, to maintain your own work and your rights, is a much smarter way to go. However, this does require you to set up quite a budget, one you are going to need to some how raise and put together, to effectively achieve the release at it’s fullest capacity with the best chance for success.

This comes down to fundraising and finding investors for your project. The first step is having the business plan and the organization to explain, in detail, the execution of each step and why as well as how it will work. The next step is finding the actual funding.

If you are doing a project such as the FSRP it is very possible to fundraise and acquire the full capitol through fundraising.

This is not about just looking for donations to record your album. That is one element of it, but you need to look at the larger picture, just as the FSRP business plan allows you to.

The business plan justifies the core ideas why someone should donate to your project.

Below is one of the basic reviews of the FSRP with 9 basic bullet points.

The FSRP stands for Freedom Solutions Recording Plan. It is a new approach moving artists into the mainstream industry with stronger recordings, heightened presence and with greater control of their music, all while helping a worthy cause or charity.

This packet presents the artist with a detailed "project manifesto" that demonstrates how to produce and release a recording. The FSRP approach explains and itemizes everything that will be needed from the business plan and pre-production fundraising through to the recording, promotion, and final release.

The basics of the FSRP are as follows…

1. Set up a business plan to outline every step of the recording and marketing process clearly and concisely.

2. Show the artist how to find funding through investors or fundraising.

3. Make sure an artist is in sole control of their music, their image and their likeness.

4. Help the artist sustain their success by introducing them to the full spectrum of sales, licensing and performance options in the industry.

5. Empower an artist with the solid industry knowledge and problem-solving skills necessary to make responsible career decisions.

6. Create a recording and all related marketing, branding and promotional materials at a level of quality that meets or exceeds industry standards.

7.   Create a cost saving production package that saves an average of 75% over what artists spend on production in Los Angeles or New York.

8.    Positions the artist favorably by donating a percentage of the recording's profits to a charity they believe in.

9.    Allow artists to go forward as musicians, philanthropists, and role models while achieving self-sustainable success.

Now, each of these points are good reasons to produce a project this way….but they are also strong reasons when asking for donations to help fund your project.

Look at them again from the point of view of making a pitch for a donation….

1. Set up a business plan to outline every step of the recording and marketing process clearly and concisely.

– This artist is organized, professional and paying attention to detail with a plan that shows the project can be executed correctly and come to fruition.

2. Show the artist how to find funding through investors or fundraising.

– The artist is being shown how to take a different approach to obtain capitol and not lose the percentages that are normally associated with recordings.

3. Make sure an artist is in sole control of their music, their image and their likeness.

- The artist is being empowered to stay in control and not be abused by the industry as so many have been in the past.

4. Help the artist sustain their success by introducing them to the full spectrum of sales, licensing and performance options in the industry.

- This is a good sales or donation point. It shows that many avenues and options are being offered with opportunities to make profits in more ways that just the record itself.

5. Empower an artist with the solid industry knowledge and problem-solving skills necessary to make responsible career decisions.

- This shows a donor or investor that they are giving to a project that teaches the artist how to properly approach the industry and gives the widest spectrum of choices and ideas to create success.

6. Create a recording and all related marketing, branding and promotional materials at a level of quality that meets or exceeds industry standards.

- A recording being made with all materials prepared gives a potential donor the faith that the right steps are being taken to allot for the best chance at success.

7. Create a cost saving production package that saves an average of 75% over what artists spend on production in Los Angeles or New York.

- This shows that the budget is well organized. The other side of this is to show a comparison donation. When a donor gives a certain amount, it is, in a way, like they are giving 75% over that amount in retrospect to the industry costs.

8. Positions the artist favorably by donating a percentage of the recording's profits to a charity they believe in.

- This is a key part, by donating to the artist; the donor is in many ways setting themselves up to be an integral part in giving to the charity the artist is donating to, since their seed money assisted in creating the product that will give a percentage of each sale to the chosen charity.

9. Allow artists to go forward as musicians, philanthropists, and role models while achieving self-sustainable success.

-This shows the donor they are giving to a project that is attempting to make change in the industry. This represents more than just a simple recording.

This does not even scratch the surface of justifications as to why someone should donate to your project.

The idea and starting point is to read through your plan and pull out the points that hit you the most. It is up to the artist to raise the funds. It is about the artist finding the right way to address and explain the concept to each person, business or contact they reach.

Each potential donor or investor should be approached in a personal way that addresses them specifically.

Don't try to create a cookie cutter template of a letter, a pitch or approach. Customize it to the specific contact.

Remember it is also not about money with every contact. There are different approaches that will allow you to ask one person.

This series of fundraising blogs will have many parts to it. Over time, I will cover: the people to ask, the organizations to ask, how to ask, how to track your progress and acknowledge your strengths. Every Wednesday a new blog dedicated to fundraising will be posted here on Myspace.

I will also display basic elements that are used by FSRP artists, from releases, to funding letters as well as how to organize events and shows that can help you raise money.

For the end of this blog, I am displaying a basic template type fundraising press release. This is just one of the ways you can approach people to achieve your goal budget that has every basis covered.

::::Press Release::::

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For Immediate Release

The Acme Band with their”out of control rock and soul” sound from Seattle, Washington prepare to launch their career to the next level while protecting their music and giving an unprecedented 25% percent of the profits to charity.

Seattle, Wa. – November 4th, 2008/BGE – Brain Grenade Entertainment LLC is working with The Acme Band to record and release a new CD as well as a basic distribution, marketing and promotional plan with the required assisting materials to help them reach the next step of their career. PME, The Acme Band as well as their friends, fans and family are working toward completing this project by fundraising and finding investors to cover the basic budget costs, starting The Acme Band out with no percentage or contractual obligations to anyone, as they pursue taking their career to the next level.

The Acme Band, based out of Seattle Washington, has blasted off for a musical journey through the universe of soul, funk, rock and blues. As likely to be inspired by Weezer or N. E. R. D. as they are by Otis Redding or Led Zeppelin, The Acme band will surely move your head, your heart, and your ass. The Acme Band is out of control rock and soul.

The Acme Band is also bringing the presence of the group’s creativity and versatility beyond their music and bringing it to charity as well; 25% of the profits from this album will be donated to a music education foundation for children. The Acme Band is showing their commitment to their music and their career while also showing a commitment to a cause the band believes in.

The Acme Band has covered all the bases, another thing not happening in music today. The group has worked with their producer to set up a strict budget to take the project all the way from preproduction to the press release to the launch of the album. BGE’s Founder and The Acme Band’s producer for this recording, Loren Weisman, explains his firm’s interest in The Acme Band and this project by saying “This group has the attention to detail and drive to bring this project from start to completion with the best, most professional results as well as the best chance to find long term self sufficient success.”

The Acme Band is fundraising and finding investors for all the capital that will be needed to bring this project from the preproduction stages all the way through the release by implementing the Freedom Solutions Recording Plan from PME. The Acme Band is putting out this album free of debt, obligations and free from any third parties to take percentages.

Visit www.braingrenadeentertainment.com or www.theacmeband.com or www.myspace.com/theacmeband for more information on The Acme Band and their upcoming album as well as sound samples and information about how to donate to this revolutionary project.

Contact:
Loren Weisman
Brain Grenade Entertainment
1425 Broadway, #449, Seattle, Washington, 98122-3854
PH: 206.331-3948
EM: pr@braingrenademusic.com
WB: www.braingrenadeentertainment.com

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I won't lie and tell you that it’s easy to obtain the funds. It's a great challenge. However, if you have the attention to detail, the drive, the ability to problem solve, adapt and try things that are not always the most comfortable, you will succeed.

Actually, all those traits are needed to succeed in music anyways, so isn't this a great stepping stone towards creating the product you need, as it prepares you for an industry where you will have to apply all the above traits over and over again.