Marketing is all the activities and processes of planning, communicating and executing a product, with a price, the promotion and the placement of an item to an end user. Your music is your stock which you are then supplying to the end user - the music fan. In the middle of you and the fan is a big space on how to bridge this gap. You may think that if you just get a record deal with some label, your prayers are answered and this instant bridge is built across that space. This is for the most part, not how things work today.
As an aspiring indie or unsigned singer, songwriter, or a musician in a band you can not do just a few things to promote yourself and expect success in your music career. Offline and online music promotion and marketing exposure is an ongoing process in this Diy age. Music companies are finding for artists that already have fan bases, sold Cds, and are proven ready to move up to a higher level. Presented here are more than 100 tips and ideas for you to think about and tweak as you will, to get noticed, gain fans, and get heard. You have to find a way to stand above the crowd, for talent alone is not enough.
Wireless Network Bridge Kit
Promo Tip #1 A music artist must start somewhere, that's ordinarily locally, but it's good to not just dive in without a plan. But begin you must. Create a plan with some ideas and set goals as to what you need to perform weekly, monthly, and yearly. Start small and make it progressive. Reach bench marks and keep at it.
Promo Tip #2 Image is everything. Image is the perfect box - artist/band name, look, performance, merchandise, and style, to how that brand is marketed. A stage name can be a graphic statement of the image you or your band project. Be unique and intelligent to look at in some way....build your own unique stage persona.
Promo Tip #3 Word of mouth has all the time been the best promotion - tell population what you do. Get population talking. Create your buzz by just giving adequate info to get population interested, but hold some secrets close.
Promo Tip #4 Those that promote the most win.
Promo Tip #5 You may be a truly great talent, but without getting out there and consistently marketing yourself, networking, meeting the right people, maintaining your image, and being humble, your talent will only get you so far.
Promo Tip #6 Be innovative in your promotional efforts! The Internet has made it inherent to hear a Lot more music, from a Lot more artists. You are now a very small fish in a very large pond - you will need to find a way to stand out, above and glow in the dark. Think beyond the box on every promo tip.
Promo Tip #7 Learn web basics to use the Net to your advantage. The Internet thrives on links, quality content, keywords and consistency. Properly use the tools of the Internet to build your online brand.
Promo Tip #8 Create a web site. Buy your own artist name or band name Url for your web site, keep it simple, easy to remember, make sure it loads quickly and is easy to navigate.
Promo Tip #9 Submit your web link to online music directories, hunt engines, good music reserved supply sites, in the best inherent graphic category. Use niche sites like tour date sites, lifestyle, regional, music magazine, music ezines, music Blogs and similarly themed sites.
Promo Tip #10 Use Myspace, Tagworld, Frappr, Facebook and any of the good collective networks and enlarge your fan base. Update on a regular schedule.
Promo Tip #11 Go beyond the collective networks and sign up to the best indie and unsigned music artist sites. Add a full profile, good photos, your best music, Update the info ordinarily and Do Not Redirect them with only a itsybitsy info to find out more at other site. These indie communities are built to attract music biz personnel as well, to browse for the talent needed for discrete projects. While you have the viewers concentration and time, have the prominent info right there, don't waste their time with a redirect link! consist of a link to your main site, if they want to learn more they will go to it.
Promo Tip #12 Hand out your Cds (or demos). Have your web link printed on the Cd. consist of your band name and palpate info as well. Remember, your name on the work is more prominent than the name of the work. Hand the Cd to club owners that highlight your type of music.
Promo Tip #13 Send press releases and reviews of your shows to local print newspapers, magazines and event papers. When writing press releases, read up on "press publish tips" and the like to tweak your presentation.
Promo Tip #14 pro photos mean you take yourself seriously. All photos in your press kit should be quality photos, not just your main bio picture. The money spent on a photographer that can capture your music "image" is money well spent.
Promo Tip #15 derive addresses and email addresses (email is free!) to keep your fans current on what you are up to. When building your lists, try to list their location - city, state and zip with a bit of personal input about that fan. This is a great way to Create a more personal and targeted mailing list without bombarding population that are too far away to attend a show.
Promo Tip #16 convention and convention and practice. Longevity in the music enterprise means learning new things, constantly creating, and all the time improving.
Promo Tip #17 Zero in on your target. Know where they hang out, where they shop, what they do for fun, and hit them where they live - online and off. Your audience is a exact crowd of population so don't waste time being where they are not.
Promo Tip #18 Play, play and play some more. Get gigs in one part of town on Friday and other part of town on Saturday. Do mini tours surface of your town.
Promo Tip #19 Create your own support group of family, friends, and school mates - delineate well with them on your plans and goals to help spread the word on you, where you plan to go and how you plan on getting there. Delegate tasks to the standard people.
Promo Tip #20 Online send out press releases and reviews of shows via all standard sites.
Promo Tip #21 Get online air play. There are a lot of indie radio webcasts, join sites and do what you have to do to get on the playlists.
Promo Tip #22 Create an intelligent banner to drop in your forum signatures or other online locations. Many message boards will let you leave a link and/or banner in your signature, but don't like blatant advertising.
Promo Tip #23 Brand your name across the world and be ever mindful of the image you wish to portray whenever out in collective or online. When it's in print, it's permanent.
Promo Tip #24 There is such a thing as overkill, in that it is good to delineate your band/music as "we sound similar to the Beatles" rather than "we are the biggest thing since Led Zeppelin!" (or good than). So word your record accordingly.
Promo Tip #25 The music enterprise is in the enterprise to make money. If your occupation is in music, know when to be businesslike.
Promo Tip #26 Learn every area of the enterprise you are in. Knowledge is power.
Promo Tip #27 You must network. Meet people, get out there, shake hands, listen to them as well and let them know about your music. Build those relationships.
Promo Tip #28 Be on friendly terms with other bands and artists in your area.
Promo Tip #29 Create a "street team", online and/or offline...they are core population that wish to help you added your marketing efforts. Give away free tickets, Cds or merchandise to your street team as incentive.
Promo Tip #30 Announce every song, every Cd, decent chart position, contest win, top sales on releases, announce whatever and everything to stay in the public's eye. If you can't write a decent record up for the press release, get someone that can. Write a delineate of every gig and get feedback from local Vips, fans, whomever matters and consist of the best quotes. Is it news worthy? Write and promote it. Get the most mileage you can from your promotional tactics.
Promo Tip #31 Never mail your Cd without a purpose or a palpate person's name on it and expect miracles. Far good that the palpate someone knows to expect your Cd, his or her name is spelled correctly, and you are mailing it to a enterprise that assuredly works with your style of music.
Promo Tip #32 Wear your band! Get a jacket, t-shirts (etc) and add your band name or logo on it. Wear it anywhere and be a walking advertisement. If you have a niche fan base, think of a merchandise item that they need that of course has your name on it!
Promo Tip #33 Create an intelligent band logo. It can be a conversation starter or a inherent contest question.
Promo Tip #34 Join a Songwriting Circle. This is a local idea (though it is inherent straight through the Internet), to meet with other songwriters in your own area and share your songs. You can get feedback on your work, share ideas and tips, possibly collaborate on work, learn about what's happening locally, help each other in many ways. If you wanted to start your own circle or look for one, you could use Craigslist for your Wanted or Needed post. Most ask that you be open minded and dedicated, with a willingness to listen and give feedback.
Promo Tip #35 Burn your best song as a single. On the Cd and cover consist of All palpate info, website, names, etc and distribute that Cd wherever you go, for free.
Promo Tip #36 Have a convention vinyl car wrap created about your music/band and put it on your car. Or a use a magnetic door sign for your car will work as well.
Promo Tip #37 Cross promote online on your web sites with local bands as well. You give them a boost on your site and they give the same back to you. Ask other population to Link To Your music site from their website!
Promo Tip #38 Introducing your band whether in someone or online has a lot of similarity in speech writing techniques, in that you have to grab the reader or listener or viewer in the first 30 seconds. Your occasion line needs to have punch, snag the audience and reel them right in. Remember the rock group Kiss and "Are you ready to Rock?!!" Find your concentration getting line and use it. Don't fall victim to the less inspiring, "um, hi guys, um, we are the 'Example' band..."
Promo Tip #39 Use Internet class ads as well as local newspapers to promote upcoming events and inherent collaborations with others. Print papers and magazines need progress notice so plan accordingly.
Promo Tip #40 Create an online newsletter, with content of value to the receiver. This is an invaluable way to keep fans informed on gigs, news, gossip, new releases and other great info. Send out your newsletter about once a month.
Promo Tip #41 Be outrageous or controversial. Shock value can work, but it can backfire too. Can you verbalize the image? It has worked for many, but was a disaster for many more. Think this tip out.
Promo Tip #42 Create a fan club online and get them to spread your banners, links and supply content for them to spread.
Promo Tip #43 Who are the Vips in your society - who are the favorite population in your area? Get to know them, give them a free Cd and ask them to your show. When they speak, others will listen.
Promo Tip #44 Create a video and get on YouTube. Place your video on all relevant video sites. Video Scrapbook (or Diary) your music band's progress, accomplishments, and jam sessions. This could make for good clips in other projects.
Promo Tip #45 Have a Cd, digital download and other merchandise for sale. Create some sales so you have something to invest in other areas of your marketing effort.
Promo Tip #46 Have star quality, but don't be a big-head. Let population know you are pro and have the quality to be a long lasting star in this business.
Promo Tip #47 Never Spam email.
Promo Tip #48 Have a press kit ready to send out or email. Have it neatly organized with a brief bio, a short record (about 30 words or less) on what you sound like, full length bio, quality photos, music samples, current press releases and quality newsworthy items, song lyrics, radio airplay and chart position information, and detailed palpate information.
Promo Tip #49 Join online music groups and newsgroups.
Promo Tip #50 Be a bit mysterious, hold back and leave them wanting more. Timing is everything for some info, releases, etc.
Promo Tip #51 Create a music catchword of up to 8 words (less is better) that quickly, accurately and in a catchy manner describes your music in a real way.
Promo Tip #52 Give a delineate to get a review, assuredly is the best policy, but never brutality. Many times someone will return the favor and it shows your knowledge, your twist, on the music created.
Promo Tip #53 Print up posters and/or flyers about your upcoming show and post them wherever your type of fans would hang out and consist of your web link, show date, name of Cd, where Cd can be purchased.
Promo Tip #54 Get into podcasting and videocasting yourself or manufacture your music available for podcasting.
Part 2 of 100 Tips to Marketing Your Music continues the remaining promo tips plus some bonus ideas!
100 Tips to store Your Music - Part 1