Last year, here on the Voices blog, I asked you all for your thoughts on how to finance and put out my next record. I got some swell advice, as well as some good wishes. Many agreed that the patronage system–asking fans to donate money–was a promising idea.

I really had no idea if I would make it, or end up embarrassed with just my mom donating at the “polished rock level.” By the way, the polished rock level (free early download) was $10. But you could donate all the way up to “weapons-grade plutonium” ($10,000), where you get to sing a duet with me. One businesswoman from the United Kingdom, named Jo Pottinger, flew in last month to sing and, honestly, did a bang-up job.

So, how have I spent my money so far? Well, I got production help from my pal Don Was (The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt). He got me a great rate at the old A&M studios (where Carole King did “Tapestry,” Joni Mitchell did “Blue” and where so many of my favorites recorded). Normally, I would never be able to afford to record there.

He also hooked me up with some of my favorite old-time session players, like Jim Keltner, who played on all those Beatles solo records. We recorded old-school and played live with not much overdubbing–and that includes the vocals.

I wanted to have the energy and looseness of some of my favorite childhood records, before everything got so quantized and auto-tuned. And because of that, we did it really fast.

Oh, I have also booked a day where I will sing and play guitar on 10 songs to a click track. My idea is to release it with the audio files so that people (pro or amateur) can put the tracks on their garage band or pro-tools and mix, produce and deconstruct the songs as they see fit. Thinking of having a contest for the best production.

So, now that I have spent a little more than half my budget on recording, plus another $10,000 on various stuff (donation prizes, Webmaster fees, the PayPal percentage, iPhone apps), I have around $25,000 left to play with.

I still don’t want to license the record to any of the labels. But now I have to figure out how to do all the things they traditionally do (distribution, marketing, publicity) and take advantage of the opportunities with new media (which they have not been so great at).

There have been more than a few companies that have come to me with their new paradigms for how to make money in this digital age–mostly how they can make money. I am trying to look at all of them (some do sound sort of promising and intriguing).

Oh, and I still want to have hard copies available too–I have a friend who will make a mini graphic novel that would include two pages for every story (song).

So here I am, asking you smartypants AllThingsD.com people for ideas. You do seem to know more than most in the “industry.”

By the way, I reopened the Jillsnextrecord site recently, upon request, for those who told me they wanted to donate and have their names in the liner notes (or sung in a song). If any of you are interested–and I’m just saying–it will still be up until we go to the printers in a week or two.

The Qtrax debacle is getting most of the attention this week, with Warner Music’s ridiculous CEO compensation close behind, but there is promising news in the music industry worth noting. Late last year, there was much fuss around Radiohead’s decision to eschew usual distribution schemes and release “In Rainbows” in a variety of formats, among them free downloads. It was no surprise that the marketing plan worked well and, more recently, helped the on-CD version of the new album top many sales charts. Radiohead is an extremely popular band; of course its experiment did well. But if there’s going to be a music industry anymore, it’s going to be because nonplatinum performers can make a living as musicians.

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How would you like to be an executive producer at a promising new record company (or at least buy a T-shirt that says you are)?

What about having your own theme song?

Have you ever wanted to have a concert at your house with a semi-famous singer-songwriter?

And how would you like to sing with me, despite your lack of talent, on my next big hit?

A few months ago, I came to the readers of AllThingsD.com for advice on how to put out my next album (CD, digital release, 8-track cassette).

After some very thoughtful and useful comments (and one really bummer letter from some black hole of a human), I have decided to make my first move.

I am launching a Web site for fans and empathetic acquaintances to contribute to my recording fund in exchange for fab prizes and services.

As I told you before, I have always relied upon the evil or rather inept record company to pay for the studio, musicians, producer, publicity, marketing and the rest.

For that, all I got were lousy deals, two records out of print with no rights to self-release them and paranoid executives who thought that the cover of my CD was too provocative for Wal-Mart. I had an illustration of a Prozac capsule, which they apparently thought was too pro-drugs.

Mind you, I was glad, and still am, that I was signed back then. It was the only game going. But now I am asking you to check out my Web site, before anyone else, and either tell me what you think, or better yet, dive in and add to the tote board.

Oh, by the way, I have new songs, which I am finally proud of, great musicians and the amazing Don Was on board.

Here’s my site: Jill’s Next Record.

What do I do now?

In 1991, I released my first record on MCA (or MCI, as my mom always mistakenly told her friends, hoping to impress them). I was bummed, as I had just missed the opportunity to have my face big on an album cover. But vinyl was over, and the CD format (with the long cardboard box–remember that?) was the wave of the future.

Since then, I have been dropped by two major labels and languished on two indies that both went bankrupt.

Well, no one in my world (the music industry) seems to really know what to do. That’s why I am asking you D geeks if you have any ideas.

Right now I have plenty of what I think are really swell songs. Here’s one:

None of my musician friends are mourning the demise of the record industry. Most of us got crummy deals anyway and never saw a penny of royalties. My nephews expect really expensive birthday gifts from me, as they think that I must be rolling in dough, having been on MTV a few times. I always acquiesce, not wanting to tell them the truth.

For us, in this YouTube, long-tail, Kara-and-Walt world, it’s an exciting time. But it’s also confusing. How do I release my next recordings? Do I still put out a CD in the traditional way, or just go digital? Do I send demos one last time to the remaining majors or go indie (this time with a company that lasts longer than a year) and get a, say, 50/50 deal? Do I just finance the whole thing myself–musicians, studio, marketing, publicist, radio, promo, video, etc.? And where do I get the money? How do I pay the rent? How do I support my gambling and morphine habits?

One thing I am doing is working with the guys at QiGO (who presented their invention, a key-shaped USB device that launches a predetermined Web site when connected to a computer, this year at D5). One of my strong points is my live performance (I have heard). I sell my CDs at the concerts, but people who are fans already have them. Plus, some feel that the recordings do not, and cannot have, the fun and spontaneity of a live show. Some artists drag a bunch of CD burners to tape their shows. People will stand in line for hours to get a copy of the concert they just saw. I had this idea with Dan Klitsner (co-founder of QiGO) that we could sell his little USB keys, people could go home and the next day they could download the show. We gave away keys at my last New York show, and everyone seemed to really like it. (We are still working out the kinks.)

Now to the question of how to finance a new album (I still like saying “album”). I once had this idea of asking my fans to chip in and become “stockholders,” sort of like investors in Broadway shows. So one fan could give maybe $100, and a wealthier one could give a grand or more. Once the record breaks even, they would get their money back and subsequently a cut of the profits–if any. And they would all feel part of the success of a smash-hit record–fun! My manager and lawyer were so not into it and discouraged me. They said it would be a nightmare on all fronts. I still do kind of like the idea. Plus, these days, to make a record does not cost as much as it once did. Everybody and everybody’s brother has Pro Tools or GarageBand in their computers. The big-time studios have had to cut down their rates substantially.

Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?

Help.

By the way, I don’t have a morphine or gambling problem…yet.