Indie Music Marketer .com

This is a paper on how to promote your band, over the past 12 months I have been in contact with a hundreds of bands looking to become famous in LA. Everyone wants to a hit! Well it all comes down to being discovered! You can be the best band in the world and if you don&;t market yourself right well good luck! Lets analysis fortune 500 companies. Take a look at there budgets They dump 35% to 65 % or more of their profits back into marketing and advertisements every year. Becoming and remaining number one requires a lot of work. Advancing to more and more new customers not only requires more and more marketing but keeping the old ones happy! 

Wanting to Promote your band with Live performances and marketing new ideas well you have come to the right spot. 

Once people have bought a bands CD and their tee shirt, and seen the band live now what? Note, promoting a band is a lot of more then just t-shirts and cd&;s hell anyone can do that! You need to promote in many ways, just look at fortune 500 companies they email, do giveaways, mini dvd discs promo&;s, cold calling, internet marketing etc. You must do at least 3 forms of promoting to get a response out of your audience. The newsiest one for bands is musicmp3 ringtones which we will get into later. 

We will go over many ways of promoting your band: 

1. Great item that I have seen so far are mini DVD discs called pocketreels. GOTO www.pocketreels.com for more info on how to pick them up. These mini dvds can go a far way just think what people would do if you handed them a mini dvd. They go crazy and they are super impressed! Place a nice video of your band on it and see how many new customers you receive at your next show! 

2. Having a photograph or videoagrapher at your shows to help promote your band is a good thing. They can take pictures and or videos and upload the images or videos to your website which can boost mailing lists and a fan club! And then they may be compelled to come to your next show and bring more friends or soak in the opportunities for fame and the live music experience itself. For video or photographer outlets call PR Productions at 310-694-8350 for CALIFORNIA only. They have the best crews around but they are not cheap. Shoots start at $400 + editing. 

3. That brings us to a mailing list, each visitor to your website you should be collecting their email address so you can send them useful information like when your next show is going to be. 

4. Promoting your band is not easy so do your self a favor and get a good publicist to promote your band. A good one can get you in 3 to 4 magazines and newspapers in one month for free, of course you have to pay the publicist but it will be well worth it. It can range from $400 to $2000. Note you can do this part yourself if you know how to negotiate with editors. 

5. Promote your band by creating a really cool website! Check out http://www.royacom.com to make yourself a website with a CMS system. CMS stands for Content Management system A good website will cost: starting at $1000 but it will have video, email list generators, photo section and best of all easy management. They are a little bit more then a regular website but the ROI 

Or return on investment is greater then a plain website. You can change show times just like myspace and it makes it really easy for owners to manage so in the long run you save big! 

6. Make a professional music video for your band or gig. This will help with promoting your band. High quality Video can be found at many locations for a crew with experience one west coast call 310-694-8350 for east coast goto the best New york production company click link or goto http://suitespotnyc.com/ 

7. Saving the best for last Another great way to promote your band is by making a mp3 ringtone, or polyphonic ringtonefor example you can download a nickelback ringtone and wow free advertising everytime someone calls that person and bam there is a song on your phone. You need help making your own mp3 or polyphonic ringtone please goto A-FREE-RINGTONE.COM By making a ringtone like nickelback you can have your song ringing all over the world! 

Your goal is to continue to reach more and more locals. Develop more ways to attract people&;s attention. Always have something on you to promote yourself with. 

Just for example. In an area with one million people, if you are getting less than 100 people to every show, perhaps you could be doing much more to reach more of the people in the community? 

It's tough out there, and you must be relentless every day to meet new people, shake hands and hand out your mini DVD discs or if you can&;t afford mini DVD discs get free business cards by click here and smile at people who are passing by you on the street and in stores when you are out shopping alone or with friends, in bars carousing. Go out and meet new people. Walk up to people, introduce yourself, Hi, my name is Scott I play at ___ ___ place on blank night. What do you do? Here is my promo disc (mini DVD) with my video or here is my business card with my website on it. You can download my mp3 ringtone (or my polyphonic ringtone) for free at this address. ì Hand them a card with the information on it. Note always test all information you hand out before hitting the road. Nothing is worse then a fan going home and something you handing them not working! 

Have a stack of Mini DVD discs or business cards or flyers in your pocket at all times ready to hand out. Make sure on your Mini DVD, Business card or flyer you have your contact information, website, and the next local performance. You do this 20+ times per hour for 2-3 hours and then youre distributing at least 50 mini DVD discs or business cards or flyers in those 3 hours. 

You then go back to your car and re-stock. Grab something refreshing to drink, munch on a a sandwich, or whatever, and move on to the next part of town, or the next gathering of people. Or go to the next live gig, the next bar, the next scene etc. and you keep it going. 

Once or twice a week, you hit Kinko&;s, or the copier next to your office desk and you photocopy flyers and any designs you&;ve created for promotion of your demos, etc. Better yet think ahead and goto gotprint.com much better deals then Kinko&;s. (EXAMPLE 5000 post cards for $99 full color first side!) 

Sell yourself. Meet with people and sell yourself. They dont know what youre doing. And unless you sell yourself, they wont care about what youre doing. They want to care, but they depend upon YOU to make that happen. People want so badly to care about something besides there problems. They want something to believe in. Entertainment helps take them there. You can be that entertainer, that leader of willing people of all ages that helps them to believe that there just might be something in this world worth caring about. They want to listen to you, and they want you to tell them about something that really matters to you. So, stay informed and develop interests in topics that may be discussed, even debated. Maybe you are trying to make a difference in the world - one person and one performance at a time. People want to believe in this and they want to believe in you. so, get out there and make it happen. 

Remember go armed for battle you would not go into a war forgetting your gun would you? Look at it this way you rather have a tank and machine gun with you when you goto war so do the same with life. Make sure you have mini dvd discs, your own ringtone songs, postcards with info, website and publicist! Good luck and most of all have fun with what you do! BLOG your experience at http://promote-band.blogspot.com/ Hope all this helps J 

Itís one of the oldest riddles in the history of music: If a band rocks hard in the forest and thereís no one there to hear itÖdid it ever really happen? Itís a fact: you may be the most talented musician in the galaxy, but if no knows about you, youíll probably never advance past playing to your one and only fan in the mirror in your momís garage. 

Writing, recording and performing terrific music is half the battle, but the other half may be even tougher than the challenge of creating a #1 hitÖthe task of publicizing it. Without publicity, your great opus might very well sit, gathering dust on your closet floor with the other 999 copies you had printed, cased and shrink-wrapped. Getting your name/your bandís name out there is quintessentially the most crucial step to: gigs, management, fans, radio, label exposure and rock ëní roll stardom. 

But what if your new found press is not-so-positive? Should you turn away a chance to pimp your band to the masses if the article is entitled, ìWorst Bands In The History Of Soundî or ìCDs You Wouldnít Listen To If They Washed Up Next To You On A Desert Islandî? Is all press ìgood pressî? Is it always a positive move for your band if the average music lover reads your name in print; even if the articleís content is not exactly what youíd frame for your dad on his birthday? In a word, ìHell Yeah!î...Well, that was two words. 

The following are a few tips that may help you to utilize both the positive and the negative press that may come your way: 

1.) Never Turn Down Press---If people are talking about you, youíre doing something right. Donít throw away free exposure by becoming your own publicist and deciding who can say what about you. Brittney Spears can afford to hire a PR genius to nix an upcoming article on ìOverweight Pop Stars Looking For A Comeback After Two Kids.î You, however, should tell your vocalist to pooch out her gut, grab her babies and smile for the camera. The only thing more important in the music business than who you know is who knows you. So, remember, ìbad press" is good and ìgood pressî is outstanding. 

2.) Make Sure They Print Your Name---The single most important key to success in entertainment is the recognition of your name. A magazine may print, ìThe John Smith Band sounds like a toilet flushing.î Weeks later, most people will only remember that they have heard the band name. This is the beauty of press. Plus, even if rabid music listeners now associate your band with potties, they will probably check you out just to see if youíre really that terrible. How many songs/bands do you think are horrific yet, when they come on the radio, you listen anyway? Name recognition is essential to the success of your band. Whether theyíre praising or dissing, everybody needs to be talking about you. 

3.) Turn Bad Press Into Good---Thereís no way around itÖbad press happens. Even the hottest band in the world has just as many hate sites as fan sites. But what reads to you as bad press doesnít always have to translate as bad press in your press package and mailers and on your web site. There are two easy ways, to turn bad press into good. First, edit it. Itís your press after all and not every word can be bad. Simply omit the parts that make you want to run screaming and leave the rest to make up at least a decent review. Second, interpret the negative as positive. No matter whatís in the article, act like you think itís a great thing. Turn criticism into irony, insults into humor, and bad ratings into humility. Make it seem as if the reviewer was on your side and donít let on that it upset you at all. Again, in the long run, it will only matter that you got the publicity nod in the first place. 

4.) Complaining Only Makes Bad Press Worse---Bad press will come and go, but your making an issue out of it will surely last longer than the review itself. Press is only as current as its latest issue and soon enough, what feels like the ruin of your band will be replaced by the ruin of someone elseís. But, repeat mentions of it on your websites, My Space pages, etc. will keep the negativity alive as long as you refuse to let it go. I realize that your art is precious to you and that youíre easily hurt by bad press but continuing to ruminate on it, only serves to keep the wound open way past the original issue date. The energy you put into bad press should be focused onto getting newer, better press for the band. You will remember the bad press long after everyone else has forgotten about it so let it go and move onto more positive things. 

No one every said that the music business was going to be all sugar and spice and everything nice, so it should come as no surprise that youíll probably garner as much bad press as good. Foster the positive publicity as much as you can and chalk up the negativity to a small pothole on your road to success. Itís true that it doesnít matter what they say as long as theyíre talking about you so be thankful for the free PR, take the high road, and let the bad reviews roll by your band and into oblivion where they belong. Itís unrealistic to think that you can get everyone to like your music, so make it your goal to get everyone to remember your name. 

Congratulations! Your debut CD is now recorded, replicated, packaged, and ready for market. Itís an amazing feeling to see the fruit of your labor in front of you, nicely packaged as a CD thatís ready to be sold alongside the big wigs in the industry. One small problem: you don't have the backing and capital that the big wigs do to promote your CD... and you just know your CD can be a huge success in the market. 

Promoting a CD can seem like a daunting task at first, especially if you haven't done anything like this before. Here are a few tips and ideas on how you can get started promoting, and selling your music CD. 

1. First, you should plan a launch party. Tell all your friends and fans when the CD is going to launch, and generate some buzz. Let local papers and shops know as well, and have them help you spread the word. 

2. Network - tell everyone you know about your new CD. Ransack that mental rolodex of yours, and hit everyone you know, and tell them to do the same. Believe it or not, this is probably your best resource! 

3. Have a website before your CD launches, and use it to promote your CD. Set up a page on myspace and other similar sites that allow navigators to sample your new tracks. 

4. Look into setting up an email list for your fans. Before the CD launches, send out an email letting everyone know. Itís cheap, itís easy and itís a fast way to get the word out about this and other upcoming events. 

5. Write a press release and put it on your website. You can find lots of examples and instructions of how to do this online. 

6. Contact the music reporter(s) at your local newspaper(s). Don't leave out the smaller papers - sometimes they are the heart and soul of the local music scene. 

6. Offer a free copy of your CD to local radio stations. Remember the school stations - they frequently tend to favor local artists. If they play it, it could pay off quite well for you. 

7. Approach internet radio stations, and offer them the rights to play your CD for free. Every time they play a track, you receive free advertising. 

8. Call DJ's and DJ companies and offer a free copy. If they play your CD, that's more free advertising. 

9. Get a barcode for your CD. This can help encourage retailers to sell your CD. 

10. Get your CD sold at online distributers, such as cdbaby.com or amazon.com 

11. Sell merchandise with your name or the band's name on it. This is not only a little extra revenue - it's great advertising. 

12. Find out if there is a music show on your local TV stations, and see if you can be featured. 

13. Cross-promotional deals - Talk to another similar band, and work out a cross-promotional deal. ie. They promote your CD at their shows, and you promote their CD at your show. Or even better... 

14. Work out cross-promotional deal with several bands. Each band contributes a track or two to a sampler CD. Then each band gives away the sampler CD as a "bonus" with every CD they sell of their own. 

15. Naturally, you should promote your CD at every show you play 

There are lots of things you can do to realize your dream faster. These are some simple ideas on how you can begin to promote your CD, and get the word out to your future fans. Good luck! 

Many people have argued that there are no great piano composers in the modern world. They say that this art died fifty to one hundred years ago. Here are the facts ñ there are still many unbelievable piano composers in the modern world today. However, whilst one cannot argue with their creative skills, they lack basic modern marketing skills. And the world is missing out on this distinguished talent. 

The most affordable and convenient way to market your music today is through the internet. It is used by billions every single year. So why do many piano players fail to market their music online? Why do they go down the traditional route of taking it to a publisher? 

Marketing Method Number One ñ Creating Your Own Website with A List 

If you make the decision to market your music online, it is almost criminal to do so without a website. Your website must be where you send all of your prospective customers. Your website must contain details on how to purchase your music, both online and offline. I would also recommend having a ësampleí piece of music for clientele to listen to for free and to be able to download the score. 

When you are building your website, you must include a list. What is a list? A list is a collection of email addresses of potential customers. Your list should be kept abreast on new pieces of music that you are creating. Also they should receive occasional incentives to remain on your list, eg. a free song or a discount. 

It is much easier to sell to people that know and trust you then to sell to a complete stranger. But so many people in all facets of marketing spend more time on getting more customers than selling to previous customers. Do not make this same mistake. By investing no more than $US200 per year, you could and should have a major increase in sales. 

Marketing Method Number Two ñ Piano Radio Stations 

Piano radio stations are a great way to market your music online. There are numerous radio stations on the World Wide Web that specialize in all sorts of areas, and piano is no exception. Whilst I could only speculate costs, you might be able to get your music played for free, or even better, you might be entitled to royalties from that particular radio station. 

The main difference between radio piano stations and normal piano stations is that online users are able to click on a link that will take them directly to your site. So make sure that the music that you submit to radio stations are some of your best pieces of work and fit the mould of the station. 

Marketing Method Number Three ñ Submitting Your Scores To Directories 

There are numerous cases where piano composers only market their actual music and neglect to market their sheet music. This is such a silly thing to do. If a piano player likes listening to your music, then naturally they would want to learn to play it. Web sites like Free Piano Sheet Music would be more than willing to put your compositions onto their web site for free. Also you would get valuable links from your sheet music to your website. 

Marketing Method Number Four ñ You Tube 

This is the new way to market your music online. You Tube has simply taken the world by storm, not only from a viewers perspective but from a marketing perspective also. Similar to video clips that you see on MTV you are able to create your own video of your music. It does not have to be a complicated task. The easiest way to do it is to record yourself at the piano playing the score and this would be enough. However if you have a theme to your music i.e. the ocean, then you would cut to shot of the beach, i.e. waves crashing on the rocks. Whatever you decide your video clip to be, make sure you put a visible URL at the end of your video as credits, so the viewer can take action to buy your music. 

Marketing Method Number Five ñ Piano Forums 

Forums are an old and popular way to marketing your music, and it still works today. Not only can you specifically market your music in the forum, you can also market your music by just posting messages about anything related to the piano. For example, if there is a discussion about what is the best brand of piano, and you post your comments, you can put a link at the bottom of your post to your website. So not only do you market your music, you also marketing to the right group of people, piano players! 

In conclusion these are much more effective methods of marketing your music then taking it to a publisher. Not only do you have much more control of your music, it is also much cheaper. 

The world deserves to hear your music.