PROMOTING YOUR WAY TO MAKING $$

So you've got a band and you've got some songs.....and you've even got a demo.

Then what ?

The big Q for musicians is, how to promote their music.

Here's an idea worth considering, I kinda like it. See what you think

I came accross this article at 'Go Articles', which you can get to to if you click here

Promote Your Way to Making Music and Money

By Reese Thomas

You've spent years learning how to play, and although your
expectations do not include playing for 20,000 fans at the local
arena, it would be nice to have a gig somewhere other than your
back porch. The difference between sitting home and playing for
play is often how you promote your self and your act. You can
create an effective local promotional campaign that will enable
you to play and get paid. You do have to have a listenable act,
whether it's a single, duo or full band; you do have to play
music that people want to hear. Once you have this product,
however, you still have to promote it. Paying jobs do not just
happen; often it's left to you to make them happen.

You first need to create your promotional materials. A good
promo kit is crucial; this is often the first impression you
will make with the entertainment buyer. Many musicians believe
recording a demo CD is an essential first step, I disagree. I
have not used an audio demo to book a job in many years; my
promo kit consists of nice business cards, an attractive logo I
print on the header of all written correspondence, a portfolio
of references, quotes and pictures, a list of sample songs, and
my secret weapon. This item in my promotional toolbox is so
effective; I don't know why everybody isn't using it.

To duplicate my secret weapon, you need to create an full color
11"x17" poster. This can be done on your home computer with any
one of a number of graphics programs. You need to include simple
but attractive graphics, your act's name, a very brief
description of what you do, a photo of the act, and a white
rectangle about 4" x 8" located either near the center, or at
the top. If you do not have the expertise create this poster,
find a friend that does, check out your local high school's art
department or pay somebody in your local newspaper's advertising
department a few dollars to do it 'on the side.'. Have them save
it in PDF format on a CD. Take your CD to your local Officemax,
Staples or other office superstore. They can make a digital
11"x17" print very reasonably. Then you should have them make 5
full color copies from your 'master' and laminate them.

Now you have five very glossy, very professional and very
effective promotional tools. When you attempt to book a job,
take a dry erase marker and write in the empty white space
"appearing at Fred's Restaurant (or whatever business you are
trying to book) Saturday the 2nd" and explain that giving him
several of these to display is just one way you help him promote
his event. You can re-use these many times, and they always make
a huge impression. I've been told several times "I never thought
of having music at my event, but when I saw your poster with my
name on it, it just seemed like a wonderful idea."

Getting the word out and booking jobs is your final step. You
will probably want to play some free gigs in the beginning.
Offer your services for any social occasion you can think of,
your town's civic festivals, church bazaars or anyplace a crowd
forms. Bring a camera and have somebody take some pictures. One
local band in my home town stage rented a hall on a Monday
night, asked all of their friends to dress up and come to the
party and hired (for a nominal fee) a local newspaper
photographer to shoot for an hour and save every picture on a
CD. They ended up designing their poster as a collage; it was
one of the most attractive pieces of promotional materials I
have ever seen.

You might go to the local radio station that plays music similar
to what you do; tell the advertising director you would be
willing to play select radio remotes free for the publicity. You
might even wind up with a local radio personality saying nice
things about you that you can use in your promotional materials,
Try to write every complimentary quote down anybody of
prominence says about you; when they say it ask them "can I
quote you ?"

Once your act has a track record, you are set to book some
paying jobs. Find out what other acts are making in your area,
approach businesses, make your pitch, and don't get discouraged
at first. Do not make the mistake of pricing yourself too cheap,
not only will you earn the enmity of other performers in the
area, but the buyers will perceive you as cut rate as well. I
have a cardinal rule; I'll work for free for a worthy charity
event occasionally, but I'll never work cheap.

When you look for paying gigs, be creative, do not limit
yourself. I always use the term 'entertainment buyer,' rather
than 'club owner.' While bars are still one market for live
music, there are many other venues. I have made money performing
for malls, car dealerships, gated communities, weddings,
retirement parties, boat dealerships, fraternal organizations,
radio remotes, fairs, festivals, company parties, restaurants,
flea markets, bowling alleys, RV parks as well as bars and
lounges. You need to check your area out, not just for who has
live music, but who could use live music and might be willing to
pay for it.

A good approach in selling your act to businesses is always put
yourself in the buyer's position. What is it you can offer the
buyer? Keep in mind it is the buyer's needs, not yours that he
or she is concerned with. Statements like "I've always wanted to
play here" should be avoided. Try something like "We are an
exciting act that your clientele would really love and we have a
following." If it is a retail business's special event you are
trying to book, instead of stating "gee, I'd really like to play
for your grand opening, you might say, "I know you are spending
quite a bit advertising your grand opening, why don't you ad
something special so the people you attract really have a
memorable time?"

The sales pitch is definitely not a time for false modesty, you
should sound confident, but never promise something you can't
deliver. The most important thing about selling your act is, be
persistent. Selling yourself will be hard at first, but you'll
learn and it will get easier. You might be turned down the first
20 times, but soon, you'll be playing and getting paid.

About the author:
Reese Thomas is a 35 year veteran of the live music industry.
To check out Reese's site just click here

[Resource http://www.goarticles.com]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

THE SECRETS OF RADIO PROMOTION

Bryan Farrish writes some really good articles for the indie musician, he also runs a website dedicated to promoting indie artists and their music to radio which you can visit if you click here.

Here's one of the many articles he has written which I found at Bob Baker's site.

To take a look at Bob's site click here

How Radio Promotion

Really Works

by Bryan Farrish

One of the most misunderstood facts of marketing a record is that you must promote it to radio. Notice I did not say SEND it to radio, I said promote it. Sending your release to radio, and getting them to play it, are two separate things.The biggest misunderstanding of everyone releasing music is this: They think that you mail it to radio, and if everyone starts playing it, then it's a hit. And if they don't start playing it, then it's no good.

This is NOT how radio works. Eventhe Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says on its website, "When you hear a song on the radio -- this didn't just happen! Labels make investments in artists by paying for both the production and the promotion of the album, and promotion is very expensive."

This misunderstanding stems from a few different sources: (1) Radio itself will tell you to "send it,and if it's good we'll play it"; (2) People see a song "start out" on one station, then "spread" to others, and assume it just "grew" because it was good. Then, when these people "send out" their own music to lots of stations, and it does not catch on, they assume it must have been bad. Not true.

There is a giant promotional vehicle in place behind every successful song. And this promotional vehicle is something you can have with your songs, too. Let's compare this whole situation to something which you can understand: soda pop.

Suppose you like to invent new drinks and you came up with a great soda pop that everyone liked. All your friends liked it better than Coke and all the other sodas. You did a blind test with people you did not even know, and they liked it better than Coke and the rest. So, you decide to market it.

You manufacture a thousand cases,with 24 bottles per case, and discover you can sell it to retailers for only $10 per case, undercutting the $12 they normally pay for Coke and the other brands. Thus, your product tastes better and costs less than every other soda available to all retailers.

So here is what is going to happen: The mom-and-pop stores in your city are going to call you and order several cases each. Next, stores like them in other states will do the same. Next, Ralph's, Delchamp's, Costco, Walmart and all the other large chains are going to call you and order several HUNDRED cases each (you see, it's "growing"). Next, all the Coke and Pepsi machine vendors are going to put your soda in all their machines (because your soda tastes best and cost less).

Next, airlines, stadiums and all the restaurant chains will place their orders. Eventually, the newspapers, TV, and yes, even radio are going to report on these events, because finally everyone is starting to realize that it is the QUALITY of the product (taste) that counts, and not the marketing. Now, if your product would have tasted BAD, it would not have spread like this. But since it tasted GOOD, even to people who didn't know you (and also, since it is priced right), it spread rapidly and became a hit.

Do you really think this is how the soda business works? After all, since your product is now available nationwide, and you have PROVEN that it tastes best, all those companies surely would not make the mistake of continuing to order Coke and all the other sodas, when everyone now agrees that your soda is best. They could not conceivably continue to offer the other sodas, which THEY now even agree tastes worse than yours.

Sorry, but this is NOT going to happen to you and your soda, NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS. Maybe you can now start to understand that radio is not going to play your music NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS unless you MARKET IT TO THEM, giving them business reasons why they should play it. And we are not talking about one or two small college stations, we are instead talking about hundreds of stations (the bigger the better) all over the country, playing the same music from the same artist (you) at the same time, thus CREATING THE HIT.

For a complete description of Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion airplay campaigns, including pricing, send an email to airplay@radio-media.com.

Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion
14230 Ventura Blvd., Suite A
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Phone: 818-905-8038
Fax: 818-905-9149

[Resource http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/radiopromo.html]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician, radio, promotion

SO YOU WANNA BE A ROCK STAR ?

Yes you can be whatever you desire to be

But.....

If you're serious about achieving rock an roll success you're gonna have to work at it. For the majority of musicians, success is no accident and most 'overnight' successes have taken years.

Here's an article to take into consideration if you're serious about success.

Click here to see here to view original article

How to be a Rock Star!

DIY (Do it Yourself) tips on the music business from "The DIY Diva", Carla Lynne Hall.

So you want to be a rock star? Or perhaps you want to sell 5,000 copies of your CD? Or maybe you just want to pack the house for your next gig. “How do I do that?” you ask. In this life, there are no guarantees, but one way to become closer to your goals is to study how other successful musicians and performers got where they are. I’m not just talking about “Behind the Music,” although those shows are an education of their own. I mean studying the techniques that others have used to become successful.

We live in a wonderful time where information is as close as our fingertips, thanks to the Internet. A visit to the Google search engine can lead you to new ideas to take you closer to your dreams of success. Reality shows such as “American Idol” and “Making the Band” give you a private (although biased) peek into the world of the platinum plated music industry. If you’ve decided that you want to reach the top, then you have to do your research before you get there.

In Anthony Robbins’ groundbreaking book, “Unlimited Power,” he writes, “Success leaves clues. It means that if I see anyone in this world producing a result I desire, I can produce the same results if I’m willing to pay the price of time and effort. If you want to achieve success, all you need to do is find a way to model those who have already succeeded.” This is a brilliant concept. Even if you tried, there is no way that you could really be a clone of anyone else. However, you can still learn skills from the best if you’re willing to put in the time. Be original, but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Try these strategies on for size:

Honestly Assess. Ask yourself, and possibly a trusted friend, which areas are strongest and weakest for you. Do you need to work on stage patter? Could your songs be better? Do you feel that you don’t move enough on stage? Do you wish you were more business savvy? Which areas could use some help? To admit weakness is the first step to becoming stronger.

Check it Out. Immerse yourself in all forms of media to find heroes and muses who excel in those areas. Read books, surf the net, watch movies that inspire you. For an extra punch, find biographies of great people outside your industry. If you’re a producer, learning about great inventors and politicians, for example, can lead to new ideas.

Do Your Homework. When you find one or two muses to inspire you, pretend you are a reporter assigned to interview them for Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair. To prepare, you’d study their body of work, from the beginning to the present, and perhaps read biographies and interviews.When you learn as much as you can about them, you soon find that they were no more human than you are. They just kept going when times gotrough (and they always do!), putting one foot in front of the other. Let their stories inspire you but also let them teach you.

Visualize. Imagine, using all of your senses, what it must have been like for your muse to create that masterpiece. What did he do? How did she react? When you are ready, insert yourself as the hero in this daydream. What does it feel like when you are the one reaching that goal? Allow yourself to imagine many wonderful things happening to you.

Work It. Don’t be surprised when you start trying new habits in rea llife that improve your skills. Have you learned to kick around a mic stand from your rock idol? Are you trying a makeup tip that your muse tried? Are you sending thank you notes because your favorite band sends them? Good! These methods work for a reason, and there’s no law saying that you can’t add on techniques that work for others. Try them out,and take your music to the next level.

Carla Lynne Hall is a musician, music biz writer, and the author of The DIY Guide to the Music Biz eBook which is available at http://www.DIYGuide-MusicBiz.com. She is releasing Supernova, the third release on her Moxie Entertainment record label. Samples of Supernova can be heard on http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/carlahall3.

[Resource http://www.netterweb.com/search/fllartclvw.asp?ID=51709]

technorati tags:indie, independent, muso, musician, rock, star