Zelf-promotie tips. Nr. 1
Door: Janine – Skanky Publicity http://www.skankypublicity.com/
Promo-kits helpen bij het krijgen van optredens, pers, airplay, aandacht van labels en mensen werkzaam in de music-biz, ze vormen dus een onmisbaar onderdeel van je music p.r. strategie. Je hebt een gedrukte pers-kit nodig, ook al staat al dezelfde info ook op je website. Het pakket dat je naar de media stuurt moet iets verschillen van je boekings-kit voor programmeurs van zalen en festivals. Er is gebleken dat 80% van alle pers-pakketjes na ontvangst op de stapel blijven liggen, daar zijn verschillende redenen voor. Schrijvers hebben het vaak druk en krijgen een overvloed aan informatie op hun bureau waardoor ze een pak met teveel (ongeorganiseerde) informatie vaak laten links liggen (bijvoorbeeld een te gedetaileerde bio bestaande uit 3 pagina's van een nog onbekende band). Ook hebben ze geen tijd om informatie zelf op en uit te zoeken als die ontbreekt, het is daarom belangrijk je informatie kort, krachtig en duidelijk te organiseren zodat je het de schrijver zo makkelijk mogelijk maakt.
Hieronder de basis onderdelen van de promo-kit:
*Zorg dat op alle onderdelen van de promokit je contact-gegevens en website staan!
De persoonlijke-brief:
Voeg altijd (naar wie je je pakket ook stuurt) een korte maar persoonlijke brief bij je pakket met daarin je uitleg en bedoeling waarom je de informatie opstuurt en wat je er graag mee wilt bereiken. Als er op een redactie gewoon een bio en cd aankomt van een nog onbekende band zonder verdere uitleg, tussen alle 50 tot 100 andere pakketjes die daar diezelfde week waarscheinlijk ook binnenkomen dan is de kans groot dat je vergeten wordt of onbeluisterd ergens op een stapel blijft liggen.
De Bio:
De bio is heel belangrijk, het lijkt makkelijk maar veel bands gaan hiermee de fout in.
Schrijf een interessante en makkelijk leesbare biografie van maximaal een bladzijde.
Probeer de biografie als een echt artikel te schrijven dat zonder veel wijzigingen in een tijdschrift geplaatst kan worden. Als een journalist onder tijdsdruk staat kan hij je bio zo publiceren of er een paar goede zinnen uitpikken zonder dat het hem/haar veel moeite kost.
Vermeld altijd ergens bovenaan, in de eerste paar regels wat voor soort muziek je maakt, wat je sound en stijl is en waar je voor staat. Dit is een van de eerste dingen die de lezer wil weten.
OP basis daarvan wordt vaak bepaald of het interessant en relevant genoeg is om verder te lezen. Je kunt het beste een paar genre of stijl verwijzingen geven naar andere bands/artiesten. Veel bands houden hier niet van omdat ze uniek willen zijn maar het is wel heel gemakkelijk voor een journalist die jou muziek nog niet kent. Verwerk een kort overzicht van je muzikale geschiedenis en een paar van de belangrijke of relevante optredens die je gespeeld hebt in je biografie.
Het is aan te raden een muziek-journalist in te huren voor het maken van je bio. Een goed geschreven en spannend verhaal over je band klaar voor publicatie is altijd beter dan een droge lijst gebeurtenissen of een warrig verhaal. Update de biografie zo nu en dan.
De CD:
Dit kan je nieuwste release zijn of als je een preview of samenvatting van je muziek wilt geven een proffesioneel bedrukte CD-R met bijpassend gedrukt artwork of een bedrukte cd-wallet. Liever geen cd-rtjes die er te D.I.Y. uitzien. Je verkoopt je muziek en image evenzeer aan een journalist als aan een fan, maak hier dus niet teveel onderscheid in. Het beste kun je de gehele look van je promo-pakket overeenstemmen met het artwork van de cd zodat het er uitnodigend uitziet en niet als een paar thuis-geprinte velletjes begeleid door een gebrande cd zonder artwork. Stuur hetzelfde pakket zonder de cd aan schrijvers die minder prioriteit hebben of niet gevraagd of toegezegd hebben je cd te willen ontvangen. Als je de follow up doet kan je de schrijver dan bij interesse alsnog een cd sturen.
De Foto:
Een goede bandfoto is belangrijk Probeer een originele, opvallende en proffessioneel uitziende foto toe te voegen. Het beste kan je deze als postkaart laten drukken dan is hij multifunctioneel, ziet er goed uit en kan je hem ook als handtekening-kaart of zelfs visitekaart gebruiken.. Op de achterkant adverteer je dan bijvoorbeeld je nieuwe cd. Laat deze kaart qua ontwerp aansluiten bij het andere artwork van je promo pak. Tips: Close-ups foto’s zijn meestal het beste. Probeer de foto er niet te geposeerd uit te laten zien en probeer niet in een rechte lijn naast elkaar te staan en zorg dat de foto niet te saai is. Zorg dat kledingstukken van de verschillende bandleden niet teveel met elkaar in conflict zijn qua kleur en stijl. (Dat komt nog vaker voor dan je zou denken)
De Pers-pagina:
Voeg 1-5 pagina’s met daarop ge-organiseerde cd-reviews, artikels en quotes uit de pers over jou band. Liefts ook weer op papier met bijpassend design.
Een schrijver raakt hierdoor vaak geinspireerd om ook iets te schrijven en krijgt een beeld van je geschiedenis als band.
[Als er nog niets over je band is geschreven stuur je pakket dan eerst naar de lokale pers en vraag aan hen of ze iets willen schrijven of anders per e-mail commentaar willen geven op je pakket. Voeg deze mening (als hij positief is) als quote aan je pers-pagina toe.
Zoek op websites van bands in jou stijl of genre naar de pers-pagina. Maak contact met de journalisten op die pagina en vraag of ze ook jou nieuwe cd willen ontvangen.]
Hopelijk helpen deze tips!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Want a hit? Do it yourself
Telegraph.co.uk
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 23/10/2003
What do David Gray, Damien Rice and Jamie Cullum have in common? Well, apart from being among the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful musical artists to have emerged from Britain in recent years, all of them kick-started their careers by recording and releasing albums on their own independent labels. They are among a new breed of DIY stars, artists who have risen to the top almost entirely under their own steam.
DIY artist: Damien Rice
It has never been easier to make a record than it is now. Computers and digital recording technology have put the means of production into the hands of the musician. So, if you can make a record that sounds every bit as polished as an expensive studio recording, press copies and produce an eye-catching sleeve with the aid of graphics programmes, what do you need a major record company for?
"Several million pounds to spend on marketing and promotion," is Dougie Souness's wry answer to that question. Souness is manager of critically acclaimed Scottish alt.country band Cosmic Rough Riders, who have released three albums on their own label, Measured Records, as well as one compilation on Alan McGee's Poptones. Between them, they have notched up almost 100,000 sales and scored four Top 40 singles.
"It's all very well making your own record and having it manufactured, but what you need is somebody to get that record into the shops," says Souness. "Distribution is the key element. Then you need marketing, press, radio - all the things a major record company needs. Self-releasing is like corner shops against supermarket chains. It's very hard to get volume sales. But what you do get is 100 per cent control over the music, artwork, everything."
"I'm not sure if the correct term is self-release or self-abuse," says Don Sebastiano, who has been going down this route for his debut solo album, The Spaghetti Tree. The former leader of indie band Yeah, Sebastiano is a singer-songwriter who sets quirky lyrics about love, politics and football to a sophisticated, Beatle-y musical backdrop.
"I'm not particularly fashionable, I'm too old to audition for S Club Juniors, but I've got all this music inside me that needs a way out, or I'm liable to explode. So, if no one else was prepared to do it, I thought I'd better have a go myself."
Sebastiano enterprisingly set up sponsorship deals with local businesses (this is certainly the first album to carry an advert for the Rosslyn Hill Dental Clinic in Hampstead) and arranged cheap manufacturing deals through his former label, Cherry Red. His biggest source of frustration has been getting his album into the shops.
"I asked to see the buyer at a major store next to a venue where I was doing a gig," he says. After several fruitless attempts to arrange a meeting, he was told to speak to the "duty manager".
"I was halfway into my sales pitch when I noticed he had 'Security' embroidered on the pocket of his shirt. I might be the world's smallest record label, but I think I should have been accorded a bit more respect than just being fobbed off with the security guard!"
The Barefoot Doctor is a cheekily unconventional spiritual guru, who has put his name to everything from books to bath oils, all sold via his website. He has now added Om Baby, a kind of funky self-help album, to that cornucopia of delights, neatly side-stepping point-of-sale problems by making it an internet-only release.
"I've made music all my life," says the Doctor, "but, prior to this, the mechanics of putting a record out were either too complex or too dependent on other forces. I'm getting 29,000 hits a day on my website, so the potential of having a vertical operation in which you produce the music, press it up, and sell it yourself without going through the industry was irresistible to me.
"Financially, being your own label means the artist gets a much bigger slice of the cake - but it's a much smaller cake. But I don't think money is the driving force for most musicians - unless they're loonies, or very young and good-looking! It's a chance to be heard."
"The self-release is a self-starting exercise," according to Alan McBlane, a marketing consultant who advises both majors and independents on strategy. "It's about an artist's belief in his own talent. All it takes is a couple of reviews and radio plays, and bingo - your record is alive, it exists."
He notes that self-releasing has been long-established in the dance market and is becoming increasingly popular in the singer-songwriter field. "We're seeing swathes of these records coming through now, especially in America. Artists don't want to wait around any more. Technology has freed them. And major labels are paying attention. A lot of labels are picking up on records that were self-funded by artists."
The David-and-Goliath romance of the little guy taking on the monolithic music business loses some of its sheen when you see how quickly most successful self-releasing artists sign on with the majors. "Most people would rather risk somebody else's cash than their own," is McBlane's pragmatic observation.
Young singer-songwriter Mark Joseph managed to break into the Top 40 singles chart earlier this year with a home-recorded and self-released single, but within weeks had signed to Warners (picked up by Christian Tattersfield, the same man who signed David Gray and Damien Rice).
"At first I was like, hold on, I got Top 40 on my own, what do I need you for?" says Joseph. "But I had to ask did I want to be an accountant, salesman, marketing and A&R man, or would I rather play music?"
Not everyone has that simple choice. Don Sebastiano has so far managed to persuade a handful of HMV and Fopp stores to stock his album, for November release. But he's not going to stop there.
"I've made a record I'm proud of," he says. "And I'm prepared to get out there and sell it door-to-door if I have to."
For more information on how to hear 'The Spaghetti Tree' visit www.donsebastiano.com. Go to www.barefootdoctorworld.com for 'Om Baby'. Cosmic Rough Riders' 'Too Close To See Far' is available from most major record stores
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/10/23/bopopm23.xml&sSheet=/arts/2003/10/23/ixartleft.html
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 23/10/2003
What do David Gray, Damien Rice and Jamie Cullum have in common? Well, apart from being among the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful musical artists to have emerged from Britain in recent years, all of them kick-started their careers by recording and releasing albums on their own independent labels. They are among a new breed of DIY stars, artists who have risen to the top almost entirely under their own steam.
DIY artist: Damien Rice
It has never been easier to make a record than it is now. Computers and digital recording technology have put the means of production into the hands of the musician. So, if you can make a record that sounds every bit as polished as an expensive studio recording, press copies and produce an eye-catching sleeve with the aid of graphics programmes, what do you need a major record company for?
"Several million pounds to spend on marketing and promotion," is Dougie Souness's wry answer to that question. Souness is manager of critically acclaimed Scottish alt.country band Cosmic Rough Riders, who have released three albums on their own label, Measured Records, as well as one compilation on Alan McGee's Poptones. Between them, they have notched up almost 100,000 sales and scored four Top 40 singles.
"It's all very well making your own record and having it manufactured, but what you need is somebody to get that record into the shops," says Souness. "Distribution is the key element. Then you need marketing, press, radio - all the things a major record company needs. Self-releasing is like corner shops against supermarket chains. It's very hard to get volume sales. But what you do get is 100 per cent control over the music, artwork, everything."
"I'm not sure if the correct term is self-release or self-abuse," says Don Sebastiano, who has been going down this route for his debut solo album, The Spaghetti Tree. The former leader of indie band Yeah, Sebastiano is a singer-songwriter who sets quirky lyrics about love, politics and football to a sophisticated, Beatle-y musical backdrop.
"I'm not particularly fashionable, I'm too old to audition for S Club Juniors, but I've got all this music inside me that needs a way out, or I'm liable to explode. So, if no one else was prepared to do it, I thought I'd better have a go myself."
Sebastiano enterprisingly set up sponsorship deals with local businesses (this is certainly the first album to carry an advert for the Rosslyn Hill Dental Clinic in Hampstead) and arranged cheap manufacturing deals through his former label, Cherry Red. His biggest source of frustration has been getting his album into the shops.
"I asked to see the buyer at a major store next to a venue where I was doing a gig," he says. After several fruitless attempts to arrange a meeting, he was told to speak to the "duty manager".
"I was halfway into my sales pitch when I noticed he had 'Security' embroidered on the pocket of his shirt. I might be the world's smallest record label, but I think I should have been accorded a bit more respect than just being fobbed off with the security guard!"
The Barefoot Doctor is a cheekily unconventional spiritual guru, who has put his name to everything from books to bath oils, all sold via his website. He has now added Om Baby, a kind of funky self-help album, to that cornucopia of delights, neatly side-stepping point-of-sale problems by making it an internet-only release.
"I've made music all my life," says the Doctor, "but, prior to this, the mechanics of putting a record out were either too complex or too dependent on other forces. I'm getting 29,000 hits a day on my website, so the potential of having a vertical operation in which you produce the music, press it up, and sell it yourself without going through the industry was irresistible to me.
"Financially, being your own label means the artist gets a much bigger slice of the cake - but it's a much smaller cake. But I don't think money is the driving force for most musicians - unless they're loonies, or very young and good-looking! It's a chance to be heard."
"The self-release is a self-starting exercise," according to Alan McBlane, a marketing consultant who advises both majors and independents on strategy. "It's about an artist's belief in his own talent. All it takes is a couple of reviews and radio plays, and bingo - your record is alive, it exists."
He notes that self-releasing has been long-established in the dance market and is becoming increasingly popular in the singer-songwriter field. "We're seeing swathes of these records coming through now, especially in America. Artists don't want to wait around any more. Technology has freed them. And major labels are paying attention. A lot of labels are picking up on records that were self-funded by artists."
The David-and-Goliath romance of the little guy taking on the monolithic music business loses some of its sheen when you see how quickly most successful self-releasing artists sign on with the majors. "Most people would rather risk somebody else's cash than their own," is McBlane's pragmatic observation.
Young singer-songwriter Mark Joseph managed to break into the Top 40 singles chart earlier this year with a home-recorded and self-released single, but within weeks had signed to Warners (picked up by Christian Tattersfield, the same man who signed David Gray and Damien Rice).
"At first I was like, hold on, I got Top 40 on my own, what do I need you for?" says Joseph. "But I had to ask did I want to be an accountant, salesman, marketing and A&R man, or would I rather play music?"
Not everyone has that simple choice. Don Sebastiano has so far managed to persuade a handful of HMV and Fopp stores to stock his album, for November release. But he's not going to stop there.
"I've made a record I'm proud of," he says. "And I'm prepared to get out there and sell it door-to-door if I have to."
For more information on how to hear 'The Spaghetti Tree' visit www.donsebastiano.com. Go to www.barefootdoctorworld.com for 'Om Baby'. Cosmic Rough Riders' 'Too Close To See Far' is available from most major record stores
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/10/23/bopopm23.xml&sSheet=/arts/2003/10/23/ixartleft.html
My tips on promoting your music - by Derek Sivers
Being behind the scenes at CD Baby, I get to see how some people sell tons of records while some people sell none. Every time someone sold LOTS I asked them how they did it. Here's what I found out, mixed in with some of my own thoughts:
1. Get a database or contact management program
Getting a program to help keep track of all the people you're going to meet is THE most important thing. In order to promote your music you're going to be dealing with large quantities of people. You NEED a program to keep them all straight. Not just a word processor for making labels, but a real database program that keeps track of each person, info about them, history of your communications, and keywords.
Keywords are things like “radio” or “guitar” or “friend”. You should be able to search by these, so that if you want all radio stations in California, you search “CA” in state and “radio” in your keyword.
START THINKING IN QUANTITY. It's not enough now to say, “Oooh I'm getting played on the college station near my house!” You need to get played on 300 college stations at once to even make the smallest dent on a top 200 chart.
Stay in close touch with hundreds of people. Get used to that concept.
My favorite database program is Filemaker Pro because it works the same on Mac and Windows (so you can share databases between them) - and it's totally customizable. And it's the one I can help you with. Other good database programs are ACT, Outlook, Goldmine, and even MS Access. Get one ASAP.
2. Think TEST MARKETING
Okay - you wanna get famous. Yeah yeah yeah. We all do. You want a record deal. It's not so important that you sell that CD you made. It was just meant as a demo to get you the big deal, right? Wrong! Go SELL it! Think “test marketing.”
Beer companies test a new product in a few cities across America, to see what a small percent of the population thinks of it, so they can improve it on that small level before sinking millions of dollars into a national roll-out. Think of your band/CD this way. You're testing it small to prove it works - so you can get major money behind it for the big push.
Design a business plan that will sell CDs and earn you money even without a record deal. Then if a major label wants to sign you, you're in a much better position to negotiate, and won't get screwed over. (much)
All of the things I'm going to discuss here are how to get more successful on your own, not just how to get a record deal.
3. This is gonna be WORK
Yes it will be FUN work, but it will be HARD work. You have to really want this. If you HATE talking on the phone, or are terrible at returning calls, or don't really want this music thing to interfere with your day job, then you can stop reading now, and turn over the promotion chores to someone else.
“Whatever scares you, go do it.” If it scares you in an excited way, that's a good sign. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO - IF SOMETHING IS MAKING YOU MISERABLE AND DRAINING YOUR ENERGY, PLEASE STOP. Life is telling you that is not the path for you.
Biggest mistake I ever made was taking a someone's advice on a major career move, even though I walked out of his office with slumped shoulders, miserable. It was good advice, but not for me. (He wanted me to start a record label because I had done so well with my band.) I wasted years of my life unenthusiastically trying to make it happen. I wish I would have paid attention to my lack of enthusiasm and stuck with the things that excited me. Please don't make the same mistake.
4. Think like a publicist
Think like a publicist. When you are promoting, TURN OFF YOUR MUSICIAN BRAIN, and get into publicist mode. Get ready with sound bites, witty one-liners, and colorful descriptions of your music.
Appeal to REAL PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU... (yet!)(Hint: they don't care where your drummer went to school.)When real people ask you who you sound like, they don't want to hear “Uhhh.... No one really.” - You just blew a perfect chance to get someone's attention. You could have said, “A cross between James Brown and the Beatles” and watched their curiosity grow. (Or you can say something even wilder like, “We sound like the Incredible Hulk having sex.”)
You HAVE to read the book, “Guerrilla P.R.” by Michael Levine. Order it today or die in obscurity.
ANNOUNCE THINGS CONSTANTLY. When your CD is up for sale in CD Baby, announce it to the world. When it's in the top 5 sellers, announce it again. When it's the top seller, announce AGAIN. When you win any contest, or climb the college radio charts, or ANYthing - announce it to the world! Stay in the forefront of people's minds.
5. Touring still rules
The biggest selling bands on CD Baby are the ones on tour, signing up everyone to their email list, putting on a great show, doing interviews at all the college radio stations where they go, meeting the local record stores, and WORKIN' IT.
Yeah I know if you have a day job, that's hard. But I'm just tellin' ya what works the best.
6. Leave 'em wanting more
The most effective band websites are not the ones that tell every story behind every song. They're the ones that tell something interesting, suck 'em in, give them SOME music, and leave 'em wanting more.
Hold something back. Put up a few songs on MP3.COM and then direct them to buy your CD. On your website, have your “Buy our CD!” buttons everywhere. INSPIRE PEOPLE TO ACT, instead of read, shrug, and move on.
You REALLY have to inspire someone if you're going to expect them to pull out their credit card, go to a website, find you, and type in all their info. When was the last time YOU did that - and how much did it take to inspire you to do it? It's definitely more than a few good reviews. Someone has to hear it, want it, need it, miss it, remember it.
7. Have fun - do NOT be corporate
Never use corporate marketing-speak.Be weird.Be a real person.Sound like one person speaking to one person.This is a big reason why it's COOL to be indie instead of corporate. Real people respond better to the weird fun stuff.
8. Have someone connected working the INSIDE of the industry while you do the groundwork.
This is my only regret about my own album release a couple years ago. I did a great job at the dirty work described above, but no one was workin' the inside of the industry to get us onto higher-profile tours, press, movies, or distribution. We just kept touring and touring and touring...
To move up in the world, SOMEone needs to be connecting with the gatekeepers to the next level. It's not just about getting a record deal. It can be opening up for Ani DiFranco (like Rachael Sage) or for the Samples (like Seeking Homer).
Please please don't get so caught up inspecting the roots, that you forget to pick the fruit.
9. READ THESE BOOKS - in order of importance
(CLICK ON THE TITLE to get it at Amazon)
Guerilla P.R. - by Michael Levine.This is at the top of my list for a reason. Read it and brainstorm. Take it to heart, and the world will know your name.
Making it in the New Music Business - by James RiordanTHE BEST step-by-step idea book that walks you through the whole process from rehearsing your band to signing a record deal. I can't emphasize enough how amazing this book is. Unfortunately it's 10 years old and out of print, but it doesn't cost anything to have Amazon search for a used copy for you.
Guerilla Marketing Excellence - by Jay Conrad LevinsonAgain - a real brainstormer. ANY book in the “Guerrilla Marketing” series will do. There are 5 of them. I like this one. It will spark 1000 good ideas. The fact that these AREN'T written about music is great, because you won't be taking any ideas directly. A success story about a dry-cleaning business will inspire an idea in you that no musician had thought of before.
Life is a Contact Sport - by Ken KragenKen was the manager of Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, and more. That may not be your style of music (I hope not!) - but he has a bunch of great advice and philosophies on networking, honesty, career planning, and more.
Wishcraft - How to Get What You Really Want - by Barbara Sher, Annie GottliebThis has a little too much of the “you ARE a good person!” kind of tone to it, but if you can ignore that, it's an amazing book about gathering the resources that are already around you and making big things happen.
Everything You'd Better Know About the Record Industry - by Kashif, Gary GreenbergIf you REALLY have to have one of those books about the music industry itself (contracts, deals, publishing, money, percentages, etc.) - then this is by FAR the best one I've ever seen. Written by a cool current music producer, not an aged lawyer.
6 Steps to Free Publicity - by Marcia YudkinAnd lastly, one more book about publicity. If you've already read and loved Guerilla P.R., this one will give you even more ideas in the same vein.
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1. Get a database or contact management program
Getting a program to help keep track of all the people you're going to meet is THE most important thing. In order to promote your music you're going to be dealing with large quantities of people. You NEED a program to keep them all straight. Not just a word processor for making labels, but a real database program that keeps track of each person, info about them, history of your communications, and keywords.
Keywords are things like “radio” or “guitar” or “friend”. You should be able to search by these, so that if you want all radio stations in California, you search “CA” in state and “radio” in your keyword.
START THINKING IN QUANTITY. It's not enough now to say, “Oooh I'm getting played on the college station near my house!” You need to get played on 300 college stations at once to even make the smallest dent on a top 200 chart.
Stay in close touch with hundreds of people. Get used to that concept.
My favorite database program is Filemaker Pro because it works the same on Mac and Windows (so you can share databases between them) - and it's totally customizable. And it's the one I can help you with. Other good database programs are ACT, Outlook, Goldmine, and even MS Access. Get one ASAP.
2. Think TEST MARKETING
Okay - you wanna get famous. Yeah yeah yeah. We all do. You want a record deal. It's not so important that you sell that CD you made. It was just meant as a demo to get you the big deal, right? Wrong! Go SELL it! Think “test marketing.”
Beer companies test a new product in a few cities across America, to see what a small percent of the population thinks of it, so they can improve it on that small level before sinking millions of dollars into a national roll-out. Think of your band/CD this way. You're testing it small to prove it works - so you can get major money behind it for the big push.
Design a business plan that will sell CDs and earn you money even without a record deal. Then if a major label wants to sign you, you're in a much better position to negotiate, and won't get screwed over. (much)
All of the things I'm going to discuss here are how to get more successful on your own, not just how to get a record deal.
3. This is gonna be WORK
Yes it will be FUN work, but it will be HARD work. You have to really want this. If you HATE talking on the phone, or are terrible at returning calls, or don't really want this music thing to interfere with your day job, then you can stop reading now, and turn over the promotion chores to someone else.
“Whatever scares you, go do it.” If it scares you in an excited way, that's a good sign. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO - IF SOMETHING IS MAKING YOU MISERABLE AND DRAINING YOUR ENERGY, PLEASE STOP. Life is telling you that is not the path for you.
Biggest mistake I ever made was taking a someone's advice on a major career move, even though I walked out of his office with slumped shoulders, miserable. It was good advice, but not for me. (He wanted me to start a record label because I had done so well with my band.) I wasted years of my life unenthusiastically trying to make it happen. I wish I would have paid attention to my lack of enthusiasm and stuck with the things that excited me. Please don't make the same mistake.
4. Think like a publicist
Think like a publicist. When you are promoting, TURN OFF YOUR MUSICIAN BRAIN, and get into publicist mode. Get ready with sound bites, witty one-liners, and colorful descriptions of your music.
Appeal to REAL PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU... (yet!)(Hint: they don't care where your drummer went to school.)When real people ask you who you sound like, they don't want to hear “Uhhh.... No one really.” - You just blew a perfect chance to get someone's attention. You could have said, “A cross between James Brown and the Beatles” and watched their curiosity grow. (Or you can say something even wilder like, “We sound like the Incredible Hulk having sex.”)
You HAVE to read the book, “Guerrilla P.R.” by Michael Levine. Order it today or die in obscurity.
ANNOUNCE THINGS CONSTANTLY. When your CD is up for sale in CD Baby, announce it to the world. When it's in the top 5 sellers, announce it again. When it's the top seller, announce AGAIN. When you win any contest, or climb the college radio charts, or ANYthing - announce it to the world! Stay in the forefront of people's minds.
5. Touring still rules
The biggest selling bands on CD Baby are the ones on tour, signing up everyone to their email list, putting on a great show, doing interviews at all the college radio stations where they go, meeting the local record stores, and WORKIN' IT.
Yeah I know if you have a day job, that's hard. But I'm just tellin' ya what works the best.
6. Leave 'em wanting more
The most effective band websites are not the ones that tell every story behind every song. They're the ones that tell something interesting, suck 'em in, give them SOME music, and leave 'em wanting more.
Hold something back. Put up a few songs on MP3.COM and then direct them to buy your CD. On your website, have your “Buy our CD!” buttons everywhere. INSPIRE PEOPLE TO ACT, instead of read, shrug, and move on.
You REALLY have to inspire someone if you're going to expect them to pull out their credit card, go to a website, find you, and type in all their info. When was the last time YOU did that - and how much did it take to inspire you to do it? It's definitely more than a few good reviews. Someone has to hear it, want it, need it, miss it, remember it.
7. Have fun - do NOT be corporate
Never use corporate marketing-speak.Be weird.Be a real person.Sound like one person speaking to one person.This is a big reason why it's COOL to be indie instead of corporate. Real people respond better to the weird fun stuff.
8. Have someone connected working the INSIDE of the industry while you do the groundwork.
This is my only regret about my own album release a couple years ago. I did a great job at the dirty work described above, but no one was workin' the inside of the industry to get us onto higher-profile tours, press, movies, or distribution. We just kept touring and touring and touring...
To move up in the world, SOMEone needs to be connecting with the gatekeepers to the next level. It's not just about getting a record deal. It can be opening up for Ani DiFranco (like Rachael Sage) or for the Samples (like Seeking Homer).
Please please don't get so caught up inspecting the roots, that you forget to pick the fruit.
9. READ THESE BOOKS - in order of importance
(CLICK ON THE TITLE to get it at Amazon)
Guerilla P.R. - by Michael Levine.This is at the top of my list for a reason. Read it and brainstorm. Take it to heart, and the world will know your name.
Making it in the New Music Business - by James RiordanTHE BEST step-by-step idea book that walks you through the whole process from rehearsing your band to signing a record deal. I can't emphasize enough how amazing this book is. Unfortunately it's 10 years old and out of print, but it doesn't cost anything to have Amazon search for a used copy for you.
Guerilla Marketing Excellence - by Jay Conrad LevinsonAgain - a real brainstormer. ANY book in the “Guerrilla Marketing” series will do. There are 5 of them. I like this one. It will spark 1000 good ideas. The fact that these AREN'T written about music is great, because you won't be taking any ideas directly. A success story about a dry-cleaning business will inspire an idea in you that no musician had thought of before.
Life is a Contact Sport - by Ken KragenKen was the manager of Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, and more. That may not be your style of music (I hope not!) - but he has a bunch of great advice and philosophies on networking, honesty, career planning, and more.
Wishcraft - How to Get What You Really Want - by Barbara Sher, Annie GottliebThis has a little too much of the “you ARE a good person!” kind of tone to it, but if you can ignore that, it's an amazing book about gathering the resources that are already around you and making big things happen.
Everything You'd Better Know About the Record Industry - by Kashif, Gary GreenbergIf you REALLY have to have one of those books about the music industry itself (contracts, deals, publishing, money, percentages, etc.) - then this is by FAR the best one I've ever seen. Written by a cool current music producer, not an aged lawyer.
6 Steps to Free Publicity - by Marcia YudkinAnd lastly, one more book about publicity. If you've already read and loved Guerilla P.R., this one will give you even more ideas in the same vein.
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