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Forward Archives – Marketing Tips |
Critical
Things You Should Know About Publicity by Ariel Hyatt
Let's face it, many artists don't really understand what publicity
is. And why should you? We are not born with this knowledge and most
publicists probably have no idea how to play an instrument. A music
publicist is hired as a member of your team to represent you to the
media. Media is defined traditionally as editors and writers at newspapers,
magazines, college journals, and television. Some publicists may also
cover radio for interviews on tour stops, and some cover internet
PR, but not all traditional publicists do. |
OnlineGigs
presents: Booking Your Act
You can only saturate your local market for so long before you
start to cannibalize your fan base. Eventually you will either need
to expand your performance radius or simply reduce the number of local
live shows. Attempting to play out and do more traveling means more
opportunities. |
View
From the Top by Andre Calilhanna
When I was performing, all I was interested in was writing songs,
rehearsing, recording, and performing. The business side – booking,
promoting, getting radio play, etc. – was a distant second to
the artistic side. Yet, it’s a huge factor in an artist’s
success. |
What
is "Podsafe" Music? by David Wimble
Podsafe is a term referring to any work which specifically allows
its use in podcasting, regardless of restrictions it might have in
other realms. |
Double
Your Gig Revenue! by Tony van Veen
Merch sales are an easy way to make more money as a gigging indie
artist. |
43
Million Compelling Reasons to Use MySpace.com by Andre Calilhanna
The online community is more than an addiction – it's
a marketing dream come true. |
Indie
Artists Entertain American Soldiers Overseas by Jude Martin
The AFE has helped bands play abroad and find new fans at military
bases around the world. |
House
Concerts: A new way to reach out to new fans
From Bruce Haring’s How NOT to Destroy Your Career in Music:
Avoiding the Common Mistakes Most Musicians Make. |
Promotional
Tools and Merchandise
by Rishon Blumberg
Promotional tools and merchandise are two important – and often
underappreciated – marketing elements that gigging artists on
all levels should consider employing. While both serve as advertising
and marketing, merchandise sales can also be an important source of
income. |
Demystifying
Distribution for Independents by
Evan Koch
For many up-and-coming acts, distribution
is this mysterious, elusive, and ultra-important “missing ingredient”
that enables major labels to turn their artists into mega-stars while
indie bands are doomed to struggle in obscurity. Luckily, this perception
is overblown, and the tools an indie artist needs to successfully
distribute its product are neither mysterious nor elusive. |
College
Radio Promotion by
Eugene Foley
As
an indie artist, college radio may be your only viable outlet, and
it can be a powerful medium. College students are traditionally big
music fans, and if they embrace your record, the sky is the limit.
But even at college radio, “who you know” is very important.
Personal relationships with radio station program and music directors
are the main reason unsigned, independent artists hire radio promoters.
For that reason, whenever financially possible, I recommend hiring
a professional and reputable radio promotion company. |
What
Kind of Jobs Are There in the MRI? by
Keith Hatschek
When I first started teaching a class on careers in the MRI, people
asked, “Well, what jobs are there besides songwriter, musician,
or recording engineer?” Look carefully anywhere that music or
sound is needed, and you’ll discover dozens of jobs to investigate.
The list at the end of this chapter reveals a range of jobs. Affiliated
music and sound careers abound in the film, theater, and educational
arenas. Education is an often-overlooked career path, but it’s
essential, because if no one is learning how to make music, there
won’t be any music – or at least a whole lot less of it. |
The
DM Spotlight
Former Disc Makers employees are hitting the
big time. We can always say we knew them when. News from clients and
former Disc Makers employees who are making a splash in the headlines. |
Life
As A Musical Gypsy by
Andre Calilhanna
In 1997, Christy Martin and Aodh
Óg Ó Tuama hit the road as Four Shillings Short, playing
music that blends Celtic, folk, East Indian, and medieval musical
stylings into an expressly singular sound. “When we met in 1995,
Aodh Óg (pronounced Ayog) and I were in local bay-area bands
playing the San Francisco/San José circuit,” remembers
Martin. “But we decided we wanted to go beyond the fishbowl
and try playing nationally, so we booked a tour: 60 gigs in 90 days,
and we drove 30,000 miles and basically hit every major metropolitan
area in the U.S.” |
Succeeding
in Music, Part IV: Optimizing Music Trade Shows Through Planning,
Presentation, and Follow-Up by
John Stiernberg
As a musician, you may have considered
attending or participating in one of the many music business seminars,
conferences, or trade shows produced year round all over the country.
Whether you are an exhibitor, panelist, or attendee, these conferences
represent an important business opportunity. |
Management
Options
A manager can help an artist formulate goals and create a strategic
plan. An artist looks to a manager to be a motivator, counselor, confidant,
diplomat, and day-to-day business person. The right personal manager
can mean success beyond one’s wildest imagination – but
with the wrong personal manager, the results can be devastating. |
Get
your titles displayed on media players
When you’re listening to music on your computer, do you ever
wonder why some CDs will display the name of the artist and the song
on your player while others just display “Disc 1, Track 1?”
Chances are it’s not a difference in the CDs, as most commercial
CDs do not contain any of this information. The difference lies in
CDDB® technology. |
SoundExchange
pays royalties to performers!
For the better part of a century, musical performers haven’t
received royalties for radio airplay in the United States. That’s
no longer the case on digital, satellite, and Internet radio–
now when a song gets played on these mediums, SoundExchange collects
payment for the performers. |
Disc
Makers Industry Access: Don't overlook the importance of good
design
The look of your CD is an integral part of the finished package. It
seems obvious, but it’s often the element of the process that
artists are willing to compromise. It may not be the intention, but
it is often the result if the package and design aren’t given
the proper energy and attention. |
Succeeding
in Music, Part III: Three Steps To Success In the Music Business
by John Stiernberg
There are no gimmicks or secrets to success in any business. Planning
is the best shortcut, and it is a lot less costly than the trial-and-error
alternatives. Still, there are common-sense lessons from the big
world of business that can be applied to the uncommon world of music.
These lessons often present a simple solution to a complex problem. |
Want
to Quit Your Day Job? Lessons learned by Mara
You’re slaving away at your day job, playing your music
at night and on the weekends, and it seems you’ll never have
enough time to write, record and tour when 40 hours of your week are
cashed in for that steady paycheck. You can’t help but think,
“If only I could quit my job to work on my music full time,
I’d be able to make it.” |
Using
Music to Connect to Abused Children
In her 26 years as an educator in Springfield, IL, Sherry Frachey
has seen a lot. Unfortunately, much of what she sees is the tragedy
that stems from the violence and abuse inflicted on some of the children
in her school district. As a member of the Student Assistance Program
for the past three years, Frachey has worked first-hand with troubled
children and deals with the devastating effects abuse, violence, life
on the streets, and troubles at home have on their lives. |
Succeeding
in Music, Part II: Clarifying Your Musical Mission Statement by
John Stiernberg
Each of us has a unique combination of education, experience,
aspirations, and motivation. Consequently, each of us is likely to
answer the question of “Why am I in the music business?”
differently from the next person. What makes you tick? What motivates
you? How do the answers to these questions relate to your career and
business plan? This article explores this topic and offers suggestions
for clarifying your business mission, vision, and values. |
The
Power of Possibility by Nadine Condon
If you are serious about a music career, forget about production
points, production deals, record deals, major labels, rip-offs, one-offs,
radio airplay, selling out, pop, rock, country, managers, illegal
downloads, and the evil necessity of attorneys. Some tips from Music
business veteran Nadine Condon. |
Succeeding
in Music, Part I: Does a Band Need a Business Plan? by John
Stiernberg
Frequently, musicians plunge into the music business with strong
instrumental or vocal chops and a lot of ambition, but without a
business plan. Too often the results are disappointment and burnout
rather than artistic and financial success. |
Website
Management – Part I by Patrick Faucher
Just having a place in cyberspace is no guarantee that a web site
will further an artist’s career. In the first of a two-part
article, Web expert Patrick Faucher shares caveats and tips for creating
a Web site that is a successful business tool. |
Website
Management – Part II by Patrick Faucher
Just having a place in cyberspace is no guarantee that a website will
further an artist’s career. In the second of our two-part series,
web expert Patrick Faucher explores the essential features common
to successful artist websites. |
How
to Get Targeted Traffic to Your Website by Chris Standring
(Summer 2004)
While you have probably heard of reciprocal link trading, most
artist Web sites don’t use this concept to its full advantage.
Here’s advice on how to do it effectively by targeting the right
sites, maximizing your listings, and really driving traffic to your
site. |
The
Birth of Perreo: Using niche marketing to create a new musical genre
(Spring 2003)
How two record companies helped create and market a new Latin genre.
|
Interview
with Christine Lavin (Fall/Winter 2002)
How this folk legend created a tightly knit musical community and
how that helped her career. |
Image
is Everything: Standing Tall with the Supersuckers (spring 2002)
Interview with the Supersuckers: Take some tips from the "greatest
rock-n-roll band in the world," about how to carry yourself like you
mean it. |
The
DIY Life After Metallica: An Interview with Jason Newsted (fall
2001)
"After 15 years of extensive touring with Metallica, Jason Newsted
decided it was time to pursue some of his other musical interests
that he'd not previously had time for. Newsted spoke with us about
EchoBrain and good old-fashioned DIY promotion." |
Web
Revolutionary (winter 2001)
How Singer/Songwriter Scooter Scudieri sold 1,500 CDs from his house
in West Virginia. |
How
to Sell 60,000 CDs (spring/summer 2001)
All it takes is hard work, talent and classic marketing strategies.
Take a lesson from successful indie country singer April. |
Band
Press Kit Essentials (spring/summer 2001)
Don't send your press kit anywhere without reading this article first.
|
Producing
a Video, Part I (spring/summer 2001)
With digital technology, making a video is now affordable for independent
musicians. Here's how to do it. |
DIY
Web Distribution (fall 2000)
Find out how indie label, Good-Ink Records, set up their own ecommerce
site. |
Tips
on Marketing Your Songs to Publishers
What to do and what to look out for. A must read. |
From
CD to IPO
Learn from this big band leader how to keep your act financially
viable. |
Getting
Free Web Sites
Where to go to get your music in front of millions of people...
for free. |
The
Full-Time Dream
Blues diva Scarlett figured out how to be a full-time musician.
Read how. |
Online
Resources
These Web sites offer great info for indie musicians. |
Meet
the Polka Kings
Eddie Blazoncyzk and Lenny Gomulka have had lucrative careers
as indie artists for over thirty years. Read how. |
Big Fish, Small Pond
Fuel's small town success landed Sony contract. |
Avoiding Distributor Tricks
Don't get ripped off in your quest for distribution. LA attourney
Michael Heicklen warns you what to look for in that contract. |
How To Make Money
Wylie Gustafson, this yodeling cowboy used merchandising to make
money outside of Nashville. Read how. |
The Band Business
Your band is a business. By having it officially recognized as
such by the I.R.S., you can take advantage of tax deductions available
to other business owners. Here's how. |
Polish Your Press Kit
Whether you're criss-crossing the country in a Ford Econoline
or playing in a string quartet once a month at your local library,
you need a press kit. Here's what you need and how to make a good
impression. |
Roy Ayers
Evolution in acid jazz, niche marketing, and leveraging your
back catalog with Puff and Biggy. |
Ellis Paul
Some musicians seek out managers and labels before they're ready,
getting a bad reputation. The industry has been flocking to Ellis
Paul, a Boston singer/songwriter. Find out why. |
Insane Clown Posse
ICP's shocking stage shows and lyrics would put Marilyn Manson
to shame. Their record sales aren't too shabby, either. Find out why. |
Grey Eye Glances
This bookstore powerhouse sells units like the latest Stephen
King bestseller. How Grey Eye Glances invaded Borders and got signed
to Mercury. |
The Distribution Game
Essential information on distribution from former Public Image
Ltd. bassist and current indie maverick, Bret Helm. |
Bobbito Garcia
How ex-barber got his foot in the door and became Bobbito the
Radio DJ, Vibe columnist, label owner, Nike commercial star,
and vintage shoe store owner. |
Big Head Todd and the Monsters
How to be a monster success through touring and building a fan
base as an independant. |
Julie Gold
Pitching songs through networking and persistance. This songwriter
dissects the success of her "From a Distance." |
Doug Robinson
Middleman Schmiddleman. Create a marketing buzz and sell thousands
of albums: the Robinson method. |
Radio Tips from the Experts
Program Directors offer their suggestions on how to best approach
getting airplay. |
How to Get Distribution
Disc Makers client Tonya Rae offers some proven tips. |
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