en·dorse verb \in-ˈdȯrs, en-\

en·dorsed | en·dors·ing

transitive verb
To recommend (as a product or service) usually for financial compensation (e.g. shoes endorsed by a pro basketball player).

I love working with artists. Even at this early stage in the company’s growth, i have already had the opportunity to meet and work with several amazing, talented and established artists to tweak and refine instruments so they meet or exceed their needs and expectations. It’s a collaborative process, and i’m proud to be able to craft tools for creative musicians that inspire them in their art, and in turn, to be able to draw inspiration from their experience and ideas.

Many musicians don’t seem to understand how endorsements work… or even that there is actual “work” involved.

Decibel has been getting several endorsement requests per week, and while i’m extremely flattered by the interest, i do find it curious that nearly all of those requests are coming from people seeking to endorse a product they have not personally used or experienced.

Schecter Guitars posted a brilliant and well-written blog entry on their artist endorsement program (and endorsement programs in general), and it gives very clear guidelines as to what is expected, and the “how” and “why” of endorsements. I could not have written a better piece myself, and i strongly recommend all musicians thinking about pursuing endorsement deals give it a thorough read, because i think it does a great job of clarifying the misunderstandings or misinformation many musicians have about how endorsements actually work. And yes, there is actual “work” involved.

To cut to the chase, Decibel is a small company. Really small. About as small as it gets, to be honest. Just one person. Anywhere you see “we” on the site, it really means “me” right now. (I’m trying really hard not to write in the plural.) Things are looking promising for Decibel’s future growth, but it simply does not make sense to cut into the company’s marketing budget with an artist subsidy/endorsement program at this time. For now, Decibel’s primary marketing activities are focused on web and social media, and word-of-mouth. If that ever changes, you will find information on this page.

Cheers,

darren.