CREATING A BUZZ

There's no question that building a successful music career is a lot of hard work, but it can be done. You have control over your career and you can create your opportunities and create your own buzz. How? Here's some tips on: Creating your own gigs, getting press, getting your fan numbers up and networking.

Read this article Create A Buzz: If You Build It They Will Come!


[Resource http://www.xanga.com/Artistopia/574198048/create-a-buzz-if-you-build-it-they-will-come.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, indie, independent, musician

"TIME AFTER TIME" - THE INSIDE STORY

Get an insider look at a professional recording studio experience.

Producer/Engineer William Wittman remembers the techniques and equipment he used to record Cyndi Lauper's song "Time After Time".

This came from ProSoundWeb.com, community forum - Time After Time (the inside story)


Time After Time:

started in Record Plant Studio B which had an API and an MM1200.
Westlake monitors (in fact one of the very FIRST Hidley control rooms).

the studio had been rebuilt by the staff and was a medium sized but EXTREMELY live room.
Bouncy, splashy, diffused.. sounded like an empty warehouse. But GREAT.
But uncontrollable.
People either loved or hated recording in there.
I loved it.

We started that track with a Linn drum.

to that we overdubbed Rob Hyman playing a Juno 60 (which is the main synth) using its internal stereo chorus.
and at the SAME TIME, Peter Wood, playing a Memory Moog, doubling the basic part in real time.
To get some stereo variation, when the "horns" come in on the B-Verse ("You say , go slow..."), it's another Memory Moog part but it's double tracked, one on the left and one on the right.

The bass is Rob playing on I THINK a Prophet V (rev 1) but it COULD be the Memory Moog.

We also overdubbed Anton Fig playing the cross stick and bass drum, but the Linn shaker remains.
RE20 on the bass drum under some packing blankets.
KM-84 on the snare.
IN the mix I took the shaker (I just realised we always CALLED it a shaker, but actually it's the Linn Cabasa), through an Eventide Flanger to make it dance around in stereo a bit and get it out of the dead centre, where it was too demanding.
It sounded better being a little diffused... less artificial.

We did a pass of the guitar downstairs in Studio B... but this was very near the end of the record (it was the last song to go on) and we were due to move upstairs to the Mixroom

The guitar was Eric Bazilian's Strat through Record Plant's 50 watt Marshall 2x12 JMP combo.
It's got an 87 on it, probably compressed a bit with an La2a.
the first pass didn't seem to be "it".

The vocal is a U-47 - API 525 compressor.
the Verses were SO soft that I had the pre quite cranked up to get a good, full shot at It.
Then she'd hit the chorus and BAM.. distortion.
After experimenting a BIT with multiple mics and trying to ride the pre or A/B switch pres and other wanker-y, we ended up just overdubbing the choruses separately.

it DOES still have a kind of slightly distorted quality in the chorus, but that's also just part of how she SOUNDS in that range.
If you stick your ear in front of her mouth, you hear that sound.

Rob overdubbed the harmony vocal and that was that.

Then we moved up to the Mixroom, which had a customised Trident 56 in TSM.
we set up the same amp and Eric overdubbed the final guitar playing in the control room between the two speakers with the amp in the little overdub room.
At that point Cyndi mentioned Don't Stand So Close as a way to think about the verse guitar... since that said "chorus" to me, I put the Publison DHM-89 harmoniser on it and set it for a very short delay with a bit of pitch shift on each side, one side up the other down.

and that's the guitar chorusing.
If I SAW a DHM-89 I would probably remember just how i set it, but it was a kind of chorus-y ADT sound that i had sussed on the thing already.
I'd used it on a vocal on another record.
I don't think I'd used it on a guitar though.

In the final mix, I actually bring in the scratch track from downstairs in the "solo" section as an extra guitar.

the mix was fairly straightforward. I remember I did do a different delay for the chorus than for the verses so that the chorus would open up a bit.
again with a Publison DHM-89.

the stereo mix has an Audio&Design Recording Compex (F760x-RS) on it in a kind of "parallel" compression.
The TSM had a quad pan pot and a network that summed the rear quad busses into the front for stereo.
So I put the A&D on the REAR buss inserts and then could use the front-rear pan pots to determine how much a sound goes into the compressor.
I know I, for example, didn't put any shaker into the compressor, and had the vocal about half in half out.

The only reverb is an EMT250.

it's mixed (with no automation, just edits as necessary) to 1/4 15ips 456 at 6 over 250 nW/m on at ATR 102.
That was the multi alignment as well but at 30ips.

no NR.

and it was mixed very much on the big Westlakes, and fairly LOUD.
not on bookshelves.

I was CHECKING the mixes on ROR cubes (kind of like Auratones that don't suck), and when I'd listen on the ROR's I'd throw on 20:1 heavy compression... just to get an idea of what a car radio tuned to FM was going to be like.
Just as a quick, how's the vocal? how's the snare?" kind of thing.
Mostly I MIXED on the bigs.


[Resource http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/15674/220242/15109/#msg_220410]

technorati tags:music+recording+tips, recording+music, indie, independent, musician

ELIMINATING WRITER'S BLOCK

Want to eliminate writers block forever? This is from Corey Stewart.

Here s a link to a free e-Report called 11 Ways To Eliminate Writers Block FOREVER!


[Resource http://quikonnex.com/channel/item/26144]

technorati tags:eliminate+writers+block, song+writing, free+resources, indie, independent, musician

CREATING REALISTIC SEQUENCED DRUM PARTS

Drummers have long been the target of musician jokes and often regarded as replaceable, after all you can get a drum machine but you can't get a singing or guitar machine.

But finding an acceptable substitute for your drummer is not easy and many recordings require the sound of 'real' drums. Although a sequenced part will never be a perfect imitation, there are a number of things you can do to make it sound more convincing.

This article goes in to some detail about Creating Realistic Sequenced Drum Parts


[Resource http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct99/articles/20tips.htm]

technorati tags:recording+music, recording+drums, sequenced+drums, electronic+drums, indie, independent, musician

MAKE YOUR OWN VOCAL POP FILTER

For the definitive collection of DIY pop filter instructions visit HomeTracked where you'll find a method to suit your crafting abilities.

Needlepoint, coffee can lid, sock, gaffer tape, coat hangers and even fake fur!


[Resource http://www.hometracked.com/2006/05/28/homemade-pop-filters/]

technorati tags:make+your+own+pop+filter, vocal+tips, recording+vocals, indie, independent, musician

SCRIGGLE IT

Here's a website with what looks like some great free features for managing your fans, creating a EPK and creating a fan email list.

Check it out at Scriggle It

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

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, internet+music+marketing, promote+music+online, indie, indie, independent, musician

FREE DIGITAL VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Adobe has just launched a Web based video remix and editing technology. A partnership between Adobe and Photobucket integrates this new technology with the Photobucket user experience.

This will give the 35 million Photobucket users direct and free access to world-class digital video editing tools.

Click here for a tutorial on "Creating a Remix with Adobe"

[Resource http://remixtheory.net/?p=132]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, photobucket+video+editing, free+music+marketing+tools, free+video+editing, indie, independent, musician

THE BASICS OF VOCAL HARMONY

Here's a podcast that will take you through some basics of vocal harmonising including : tutti harmony, unison singing, parallel and contrary motion, call and response.

When you've had a listen to the podcast, you can check then out audio examples which also include a description of the song's production qualities. Very nice!

Great stuff for budding producers, singers and recording enthusiasts.

The Basics of Vocal Harmony

[Resource http://blog.pandora.com/archives/podcast/2006/11/this_is_my_firs.html]

technorati tags:singing+techniques, music+production, music+recording+tips, recording+vocals, indie, independent, musician

CREATING THE RIGHT DIGITAL MUSIC MARKETING MIX

Here are some "Insights On Creating A Digital Music Campaign".

"As more marketers attempt to partner with established online music and video hubs like MySpace, and upstarts like Ruckus Network, GoFish, and Music Choice, they need to figure out which programs work, how to execute them, and how to measure their effectiveness."

The moral of this article is try and test what works for you. There are many tools on the Internet that can help your career, try them, find out how they work and measure their effectiveness.

[Resource http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2007/03/01/insights-on-creating-a-digital-music-campaign/?rss1]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, sell+your+independent+music, internet+music+promotion, indie, independent, musician

CREATING AN INTERNET BUZZ

Florida band The Postmarks are "excited and nervous" as they wait to see how their debut self titled Cd sells.

The Postmarks are one of a growing number of bands using the Internet to gain a following and they are now waiting to see if the buzz they have generated translates into Cd sales.

"With the release of the band's self-titled debut album.....(they) have been the subject of building Internet buzz and "a tsunami of publicity. Their first single, "Goodbye," has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, and the song has made the top 10 of the college music charts.....Remixes of the album's tracks were made available for free download via their MySpace blog, and college radio and new fans gobbled it up."

Read this story here - Postmarks put their stamp on marketing in the blogosphere

The Postmarks at MySpace

[Resource http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0702280026feb28,1,681554.story?coll=chi-techtopheds-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, internet+marketing, indie, myspace+marketing, indie, independent, musician

QUEEN OF MYSPACE

It could only happen in Hollywood! Or maybe not.

Tila Tequila (from Hollywood, California, USA) is well known on MySpace for being "the most popular female" on MySpace. Not a bad effort! But that's not enough, her next big challenge is to change the music industry.

Tila joined MySpace in 2003 and has since attracted 1.7 million friends - getting in early on MySpace no doubt helped.

But that's not all folks - seems Andy Warhol might just be right about the 15 minutes of fame thing. Tila has had a cameo movie appearance, made history for her music video for "I Love U", the first video to be specifically shot for cellular phones and has turned down 2 record deals to prove she can make it big on her own.

Just in case you thought I had made a typo - no, I checked: 58,124,729 views (I thought it might have been her phone number!) and 1,921,328 comments. As of this blog's posting.

Is that more friends than Tom has?

Another thing that probably doesn't hurt her profile. The young, sexy and revealing photos. Oh well, sex sells and good on Tila I say. Use marketing savvy but always be true to yourself and your own unique image.

PS If you're reading this blog - I am a real person behind all this digital stuff! Maybe you could visit my MySpace site and add me as your friend, don't be shy. The link is at the top left of this blog.

[Resource http://thesouthend.typepad.com/tsenews/2007/03/tila_tequila_an.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, internet+music+promotion, myspace+music+marketing, indie, indie, indie, independent, musician

CAN YOU DIRECT STRAIGHT LINES?

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a music clip director, head over to MySpace Silverchair and enter a comp to create a clip for Silverchair's new song "Straight Lines".

You don't need software - you can get it free via this website for Mac or PC. You don't need a camera, all the chosen shots are ready to edit!

The winner will get a signed (presumably by Silverchair!) gold record plaque, the band's new album and you'll get to meet the band.

Anyone else seeing a trend in artists 'out sourcing' various marketing to their fans - and for free!

I guess it keeps everyone happy.

[Resource http://www.myspace.com/silverchair]

technorati tags:create+music+video, music+video+silverchair, music+video+competition,

WHY GIVING AWAY MUSIC IS GOOD FOR SMALL BANDS

DRM may be bad news for large bands but for smaller bands and artists it can be exploited for your benefit.

Write songs for the purpose of attracting fans and getting them to your live shows. Make your income from live performances and selling merchandise and you'll find that fans still buy your Cd's.

The 'personal touch' and 'real experience' of seeing and hearing music can't be downloaded.

In this article I came across, a small independent music producer tell this story of his brother's band:

"Small bands need to give their recorded music away freely online in order to get more people to come to their shows. My brother's band Maps & Atlases [maps-atlases.com] just went on a 7 day tour to the East Coast and ended up in a tiny university town called East Stroudsburg, PA. Instead of showing up to no crowd, the venue was packed -- a rarity for the town and venue. Why did this happen? Maps & Atlases released their EP for free online. They sold out of their first EP (2000 copies) during their 2006 tour, and they're coming up fast on selling out their second pressing, even though the music is easily downloaded online. Why do fans pay for albums? They get face time with the band, they get autographs, and they know that buying the merch direct will keep the band writing and touring."

Click here to read the full article.

This is not too different from a previous blog post I made called

GIVE AWAY YOUR MUSIC AND SELL YOUR SHOW


[Resource http://slashdot.org/articles/07/02/28/1633233.shtml]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, independent, musician

THE DRUM MACHINE THAT LEARNS FROM DRUMMERS

This came from the Website CreateDigitalMusic.com where you can read the full review.

A newly developed software called BillaBoop, and here's what the creator has to say:

"BillaBoop is a real-time audio driven drum controller which allows the user to control up to 3 drum instruments. The user can control any drum synth with the voice (beat box), or any object or musical instrument. Unlike other audio-driven systems which require a lot of parameter tuning to be able to discriminate the sounds you are playing, BillaBoop incorporates an efficient Machine Learning component which enables the system to learn by demonstration."

[Resource http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/02/23/play-drums-with-sound-via-software-that-learns-from-you/]

technorati tags:digital+music, indie, independent, musician

VIRTUAL MARKETING

Marketing in a world that doesn't exist sounds pretty extraordinary, especially when some of the largest companies in the real world (Toyota, General Motors, Warner Bros. records, IBM, Adidas+ many more) are spending up big on marketing for the online 3D virtual community "Second Life".

"Designing attractions to capture the attention of those online visitors is becoming big business as major corporations move to establish marketing footholds in 3-D virtual worlds such as "Second Life," which was founded in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Lab."

Read the full article from Forbes.com here.

[Resource http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/02/25/ap3460111.html]

technorati tags:music+promotion, market+your+music,
independent, musician

WHO'S ENDLESS WIRE

For a band with a legend of being one of the top British bands ever and influencing many bands such as Green Day, it must be tough to write new material and have it live up to their original heyday.

The Who have released their first recording in almost 25 years and the album titled "Endless Wire" is receiving critical praise from Rolling Stone, Mojo and All Music Guide.

You can read here "An interview with the Who's Pete Townsend".

[Resource http://www.presstelegram.com/entertainment/ci_5300147]

technorati tags:songwriting, pete+townsend, the+who,

TIPS FOR SONGWRITERS

How do you come up with and original chord progression or a song that stands out from the crowd as unique? With millions of songs around, how do you find something that hasn't already been done a zillion times over? Start here with these couple of great tips for songwriters.

For further reading, go to the website Blogging Muses where you'll find a whole bunch of articles all about songwriting.


[Resource http://www.bloggingmuses.com/archives/songwriting_tips_project_an_update_000619.php]

technorati tags:music+songwriting, music+chord+progression, song+structure, writing+original+music, songwriting+tips, indie, independent, musician

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR ROCK BAND

Here a a few easy quick tips for cover bands that can greatly improve your band. Small things that are overlooked by bands that are big things to the audience.

Rock Bands - Tips to improve your band

[Resource http://www.recordingreview.com/articles/articles/92/1/Rock-bands-tips-to-improve-your-band/Rock-bands-tips-to-improve-your-band.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, live+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, indie, independent, musician

BRICKFISH

A San Diego company called Brickfish has come up with an interesting way to do marketing.

Invite other people to come up with ideas for free.

Rock band, Incubus has tried it out by letting Internet users design an album cover and were delivered 150 Cd artwork designs.

The cost charged by Brickfish (from $5000) is probably out of reach of most independent musicians, however here's an idea. Use your own fan base to get free marketing ideas and offer a prize to the winner. You could ask for ideas on innovative Cd launches or your new Cd releases.

Read the article "Why not let Internet junkies do your marketing for you?"



[Resource http://venturebeat.com/2007/02/20/brickfish-lets-you-tap-the-masses-for-marketing/]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+marketing, indie, independent, musician

YOUR BAND WILL BREAK UP!

Well hopefully not at least until you've played some great music together and had a lot of fun :-)

When things are going great for your band, it’s easy to think that great things will continue to happen. Well, it’s very tough keeping 4 or 5 people together over the years. This article will discuss the unfortunate truth that your band will break up and will give some tips for you to confront and hopefully avoid it.

Your Band Will Break Up - Prepare ahead of time

[Resource http://www.recordingreview.com/articles/articles/140/1/Your-Band-Will-Break-Up---Prepare-Ahead-of-Time/Being-Prepared-For-Band-Breakups.html]

technorati tags:independent+music, live+music, indie, independent, musician

RECORDING TO PLEASE THE FANS AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

If you think your music's great, record it!

So how can you make sure that your recordings do justice to your songs so that they appeal to both your fans and the industry?

Here are some really practical and valuable tips to consider before you hit the record button.

I wont bother summing them up, I think you should read them yourself here at The Fifth Column Online Magazine.



[Resource http://www.fifthcolumnmagazine.com/?p=151]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, recording+tips, sell+your+music, recording+music, indie, independent, musician

STARTING A BAND

Starting A Band? Here's a few tips.

This article may save you a few huge headaches down the road when it comes to starting and keeping together a band.

A Beginners Guide To Starting A Band

[Resource http://www.recordingreview.com/articles/articles/67/1/Starting-A-Band-A-Few-Tips/A-Beginners-Guide-To-Starting-A-Band.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, live+music, starting+a+band, indie, independent, musician

SMASHING THE MYTH OF THE PRESS RELEASE

"Publicity "gurus" are springing up all over the Internet touting the press release as the answer to all marketing ills. Just knock out a release, mass e-mail it to journalists, sit back and wait for Oprah to call.

Here's the reality: the press release is no more important to your potential of scoring free publicity than the demo tape was to our musician friend. If he had no talent, if his songs sounded like garbage, the best recorded demo tape in the world wouldn't get him signed. Ditto for the publicity seeker. If you don't have a story to tell, your press release is utterly worthless."

To read 4 great tips for making a press release worth writing read: Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

[Resource http://www.your-lease.co.uk/leasearticles10.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, music+press+release, music+promotion+marketing, independent+music+promotion, indie, independent, musician

THE ABC OF GETTING A RECORD DEAL

The one thing all record labels have in common when looking for an artist is this. They all want someone who is marketable. Exactly what does marketable mean?

Labels and independent artists all want the same thing, to be able to sell your band (or you as a solo act) and your music and other merchandise. And what sells is a whole package that a certain group of people can identify with. Unfortunately, your music alone will probably not be enough to convince a record label that they can 'sell' you. Other marketing factors are your band name, logo, publicity photos, stage presentation and even who your fans are.

Whether you are marketing yourself directly to your audience or pitching your act to a record label, you'll still need to learn to market yourself if you are serious about building a music career.

Look at how you and each of your band members present themselves, what is your overall 'image'? Be original and professional, it's great to have influences but find a look and style that is original to your band.

Here's an article called The Marketing ABCs of How to Get a Record Deal which goes into a bit of detail about exactly which areas you should look at and some suggestions to improve your marketability.

Once you've got that sorted you can start to look at some marketing strategies that you can use.

Here are some links for self promotion tools that will put your band ahead most other bands and most importantly help you market and sell your music. Click here or visit one of the pages below:

50 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet

How To use Video to Promote Your Music Online

Ezine Music Marketing

[Resource http://www.articlesmaker.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/the-marketing-abcs-of-how-to-get-a-record-deal.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+promoter, indie, indie, indie, indie, independent, musician

PIRACY NOT THE ONLY ENEMY

Are the major records companies becoming the dinosaurs of the music industry?

We always hear about how free downloads are affecting their sales but are there other factors?

This article insists that Piracy isn’t the only enemy and even offers an analogy between music and water to describe the two things music companies are not doing very well.


[Resource http://www.newsday.com/features/printedition/ny-ffcol5094444feb18,0,4441697.column?coll=ny-top-headlines&track=mostemailedlink]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, indie, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+press+release, music+industry, music+distribution, major+record+label , music+promoter, indie, independent, musician

7 TIPS TO GET YOUR PRESS RELEASE NOTICED

If you intend to let people know about your new Cd or a gig and you don't have your own PR person you'll have to do one of two things.

Pay a public relations agency to write one for you, or learn to write one yourself.

To make sure you have all the basics covered and you know how to write a press release that doesn't fly under the radar, take a look at "7 Tips to Getting Your Press Release Noticed".


[Resource http://www.your-lease.co.uk/leasearticles12.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+promotion, indie, market+your+music, promote+your+music, music+press+release, music+promoter, indie, independent, musician

TIPS AND TRICKS TO GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE

This is a Q and A article I came across on the Australian Triple j website. It's an edited chat with John Watson, band manager for successful Australian bands Little Birdy, Missy Higgins and The Dissociatives and Kirileigh Lynch triple j's assistant music director.

They discuss website promotion verses street press promotion, how to go about getting a manager, sending demo Cd's to touring bands and A&R, does the Cd cover design make a difference to whether the Cd will get listened to and marketing your music to community radio.

And plenty more great tips which you can read here.


[Resource http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/music/tipsntricks.htm]

technorati tags: little+birdy, missy+higgins, the+dissociatives, indie+music+promotion, market+your+music, indie, independent, musician

ONLINE MUSIC'S CRUNCH TIME

The debate is on.

Since Steve Jobs open letter last week ("Thoughts On Music") about DRM, much has since been written about the direction online music should take.

This article "Crunch Time Coming For Online Music", gives a good account of the background and reasons behind the debate.



[Resource http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/February/10/style/stories/08style.htm]

technorati tags:digital+music+downloads, digital+rights+management, drm, internet+music+promotion, indie, independent, musician

ARE YOU MAKING THESE MISTAKES?

Do you know the 10 things every independent musician should know to help their career?

Sometimes it takes only a small and simple idea to produce big changes to results.

Here's an article I came across called 1o Things Every Independent Musician Should Know To Help Their Career and I think it's worth a read to see if you making some of these mistakes?


[Resource http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/140227/10_things_every_independent_musician.html]

technorati tags:promote+your+music, indie, independent, musician

ADWORD MARKETING TIPS

Do you use Google adwords as part of your marketing strategy?

If so, you may be interested in an article I came across with an example of how one small change can increase your traffic by over 200%. Read about it here.


[Resource http://blog.mindvalleylabs.com/marketing/sure-fire-headline-for-google-adwords-boosts-roi-by-200/]

technorati tags:google+adwords, music+marketing, internet+marketing, indie, indie, indie, indie+musician

NEXTUNE

NexTune is a music marketing company bridging the gap between the music industry and technology.

You can read in this press release (below) how NexTune are providing for retailers, records labels, music consumers and have found a largely ignored online music Cd market.

NexTune Bridges The Gap BetweenThe Music Industry and Technology

[Resource http://sev.prnewswire.com/music/20070212/CLM07912022007-1.html]

technorati tags:digital music downloads, indie, music distribution, indie, nextune, promote+your+ music, sell+your+independent+music, indie+music+promotion, indie, independent, musician

WAITING FOR THE MUSE

Would you like to be able to choose from dozens of songs for your next recording?

If you're not naturally a prolific songwriter, you might find these tips helpful to get those songs coming. It's not a magic pill, it's just common sense and a method used by some of the worlds best songwriters.

Read, "Songwriting, and being ready for the muse".



[Resource http://davedturner.blogspot.com/2007/02/songwriting-and-being-ready-for-muse.html]

technorati tags:independent+music+career, free+music+career+resources, songwriting, independent, indie+musician, independent, musician

YOU PICK THE HITS - SONG COMPETITION

Here's a song competition with a twist on the usual.

The judges are not industry professionals, songs are judged by the public and it's an online competition. The cost to enter is USD$30 per song for each category (eg. 1 song entered in 2 categories would cost $60).

The 2007 song entry deadline is April 23. For entry forms and details, go to U-Pick the Hits.

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

THE EASY WAY TO GET GIGS

Would you like an easy way to keep all your gigs organised?

The Indie Musician's new resource 'The Easy Way To Get Gigs' is a FREE resource written by a musician for musicians.

To get your free resource, join The Indie Musician's free "Tools For Success" program here.

The Indie Musician

MAKE YOUR OWN FREE LOGO IN MINUTES

If you're taking your music marketing seriously, you should have a logo. You can use this to 'brand' your music or band as well using them as banner links on websites.

If you're not a graphic designer and/or you haven't got some lazy money sitting around, your problems are solved!

Cool Text is a free Graphics Generator website where you can create and download your unique logo in a few minutes. There's plenty of choice from layout design to color, font and size and you'll get your own jpg file to download in seconds from completing your design.

As they say...."Here's one I did earlier"

[Resource http://cooltext.com/]

FAST GUITAR

There's a saying about music that "less is more" and it's easy as a producer and performer to add to rather than take out parts from songs. Restraint can be important.

Having said that, there's a place for using different techniques for adding color to your songs. Fast guitar playing is one method and something which many guitarists aspire to. So here are some myths about playing fast guitar and some techniques you can apply to learn how you can be a faster guitar player.

How To Play Fast Guitar

[Resource http://guitar-reviews.blogspot.com/2007/02/how-to-play-fast-guitar.html]

SECTRETS OF A GREAT PRODUCER

Here's the story of music producer Rick Rubin, who has worked with artists as diverse as Beastie Boys, Slayer, Neil Diamond and Johnny Cash. His latest work has been a Grammy award winning album with The Dixie Chicks, helping them rescue their career and direction.

He is "a song doctor", "very decisive and knows when a song is right" and above all "he's a good listener".

In one of his rare interviews Rubin himself says "I don't even know what a traditional producer is or does".

Click here to read more about Rick's career and influences.


[Resource http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1501119/story.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10423736]

APPLE GETS SQAUSHED

Apple may dominate the download music market but, with a potential subscriber base of 690 billion people, mobile music is a market share that mobile network operators and music companies are not going to let go to Apple.

Already, 23 mobile network operators have signed up to use a software called MusicStation which has been developed by UK firm Omnifone and will be pre-loaded on to new handsets including Nokia and Motorola.

Onifone hope to have their service up and running in all countries for when Apple iPhone launches in Europe.


[Resource http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=45784&src=site-marq]

WRITE PRESS RELEASES THAT DAZZLE

"When a reporter is wowed, intrigued, surprised or captivated by your press release, you can be pretty sure you’ll get some media coverage. And for most businesses, positive media coverage is worth its weight in gold. The bad news: Although truckloads of news releases fill reporters’ inboxes every day, few of them are dazzling, or even interesting."

Nancy Jackson, owner of The Write Shop is a former editor and speaks from experience in this article about how you can avoid having your press release ending up in the garbage.

Read "Press Releases That Dazzle"


[Resource http://www.your-lease.co.uk/leasearticles16.html]

CAN YOU BE A SESSION MUSICIAN?

Can you really earn a decent living playing bass, drums, guitar, etc?

Just how realistic is it for you to make a living from playing music? This article will explain the realities of being a session musician. Earning A Living As A Session Musician


[Resource http://www.recordingreview.com/articles/articles/186/1/Can-You-Be-A-Session-Musician/Earning-A-Living-As-A-Session-Musician.html]

PERSONALISED ONLINE RADIO

Here is a review of 4 slightly different websites that each offer a personalised listening experience where you can choose to be exposed to new music that suits your listening tastes.

The reviews are for Pandora, The Hype Machine, Last FM and Fine Tune.

Read the reviews here.


[Resources http://www.watchmojo.com/music/blog/?p=818]

PASSING THE AUDITION

You find an ad for a band who require the services of someone just like you. You contact them, things go well and they invite you to an audition. You could just turn up and play of course, or you could take a look at these 16 tips on increasing your chances of winning the band audition and turn up prepared.

Auditioning For A Band?

[Resource http://www.mediatricks.com/how-to-audition/auditioning-for-a-band/]

MUSIC INDUSTRY FACES FUTURE

As more and more singers and recording artists enjoy the freedom of being independent and having control over their music and its distribution, what does the future hold for the majors.

Boston based Entertainment and media lawyer George Tobia talks here about challenges faced by the music industry. Will lawyers become the new 'major record companies'?

[Resource http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070209005343&newsLang=en]

SONG FOR AUSTRALIA

This is fantastic! I came across this story and I thought it worthy of a mention for it's unique and inspiring story.

Manjit Boparai was a teacher and author from India before emigrating to Australia in 1988. He moved his family to Brisbane in the mid 1990's and took a job as a taxi driver.

With the opportunity to tell overseas visitors riding in his cab, what a great and diverse country Australia really is, Manjit decided to write a song so he could play it to his cab riding audience.

The song Manjit wrote in 2003, "Song Australia" was on high rotation in his Brisbane taxi until March 2005 when Manjit's cab picked up film maker Faramarz K-Rahber. Manjit told Faramarz of his dream to make a Bollywood music video and between them they set out to make it happen.

Working with Australia's SBS television Manjit and Faramarz produced a documentary and music video showing off Australia and its wonderful multi cultural population.

Read the lyrics to "Song Australia" here.

Manjit's website for "Song Australia" is here.

As an independent musician there are some excellent lessons here on marketing and never giving up on your dreams.



[Resource http://www.music-videos.duncans.tv/2007/song-for-australia/]

BARENAKED MARKETING

For Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, the decision to go 'green' is proving popular with their younger environmentally conscious fans.

The band tour in bio diesel buses and trucks, use bio degradable cups, real plates and even have a plan for recycling their old guitar strings.

This independent band who were formerly signed to a major label now have greater creative and marketing scope as an indie band including recycling their music.

Read here, all about the new environmentally friendly incentives and marketing tricks of the men who are Barenaked Ladies.



[Resource http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/lifestyle/story.html?id=060932e6-76cb-45d4-b941-f6661d62be08]

GET PAID FOR PRACTICING

Here's an article I came across that tells you how you can do just that. Get paid for practicing. It was written from the personal experience of Kevin Brown, a saxophone player who has spent the last 36 of his 40 playing years, getting paid to practice.

This is well worth a read for some ideas. Read it here.

[Resource http://geoffandwen.com/blind/newsarticle.asp?u_id=17473]

MUSIC BUSINESS RADIO WANTS YOUR DEMO

Music Business Radio does a podcast show each week. They play and review 6 or 7 songs in each weekly episode to a worldwide audience as well as industry guests.

They accept music of all genres and you can send your Cd to:

Tuned In Broadcasting
ATTN: Music Business Radio
1310 Clinton St. Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37203

You can subscribe to the free podcast here


[Resource http://www.indiemusician.com/music_business/2007/02/music_business_.html]

ITUNES - SELLING SONGS TO SUCKERS!

Here's an article in response to the Steve Jobs article "Thoughts On Music".

Read here why this writer thinks Steve's latest comments are correct but not the issue. This writer feels that those who are buying songs from the iTunes music store, are suckers.

[Resource http://media.seekingalpha.com/article/26283]

STEVE'S THOUGHTS ON MUSIC

Read what Steve Jobs has to say on DRM (Digital Rights Management) from Apple's "Hot News" section.

Here's a small sample (below) taken from the article "Thoughts On Music"

"Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the “big four” music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI. These four companies control the distribution of over 70% of the world’s music. When Apple approached these companies to license their music to distribute legally over the Internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied. The solution was to create a DRM system, which envelopes each song purchased from the iTunes store in special and secret software so that it cannot be played on unauthorized devices."

[Resource http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/]

STRUMMING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT

Color your guitar playing by ditching the plectrum and trying pick-hand techniques.

At Reasons To Ditch Your Guitar Pick you'll find a bundle of tricks and techniques that will open up a 'tool box' of new sounds to give your recordings and live performances a twist.

For those looking for more guitar info, be sure to take a look at Guitarz-For-Ever which is packed with all things guitar related.

[Resource http://guitar-tips.musikal-instruments.com/guitar-tips/reasons-to-ditch-your-guitar-pick/]

CRACKING THE US AND EUROPEAN MARKET

Here's an article from the Google group "Australian Music News And Reviews Group". There's a bit of a chat with successful singer songwriter John Butler of the John Butler Trio about the challenges of cracking the US and European market.

Despite spending the last seven years trying to get the attention of the huge American market, the John Butler Trio are only now starting to get recognition and their hard work is paying off. The John Butler Trio can now look forward to knowing within the next tour or two they will break even financially before they leave Australia.

If you're thinking of taking your music, live to the US or European markets, expect a far larger audience, a diverse and unpredictable musical appetite.

You can read this article here.


[Resource http://groups.google.com/group/australian-music-news-and-reviews-group/browse_thread/thread/6dfb1eccc3f4b520/8c93428daeb48315?q=australian+music&rnum=10#8c93428daeb48315]

HOME SWEET HOME STUDIO

If you've ever dreamt of building your own professional home recording studio you'll know there's a lot of decisions to make. Like what equipment are you going to buy for one.

Here's a story from the Seattle Times that how a musician couple built their dream studio, what equipment they chose and how they sourced it to fit their budget.

Read about it here.

[Resource http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2003551767_homestudio03.html]

BRING THE BAND HOME

A while back I made a post to this blog that talked about an alternative to performing your music in pubs and clubs. "A Stay At Home Gig" was about a US concept offering the musician and the audience an intimate and unique live music experience.

Another US based organisation, House Concerts provide links to dozens of houses in 38 states where audience are sure to be appreciative and you'll get your music heard.

I also hinted that the 'home gigs' idea may provide a hidden audience and a legitimate way for a band/artist to find new audiences.

People may choose to stay at home for a gig because of transport or location issues, family commitments or just a desire to avoid a pub type of environment. These types of gigs seem to be getting quite a lot of community support.

House Concerts Australia is an Australian concept offering a similar type of live music opportunity. They not entirely new in Australia, singer Deborah Conway did a series of home concerts in 2004 to promote her Cd 'Summertown'. And some good advice from Deborah Conway for independent artists selling Cd's "...it's really up to artists to find new and imaginative ways of getting there music out there".

For some tips on how you can do a house concerts take a look at House Concerts. PS It's a different website to House Concerts mentioned above.


[Resource http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/band-in-the-backyard/2007/01/30/1169919330426.html]

WATCH AND LEARN

Here's how a band clocked up nearly ten million watches on YouTube. Although this video has only been up at YouTube for four months it has so far been viewed an incredible 9,880,273 times.

This is a perfect example of how a band can harness the amazing power of social networking and teamed it with a unique idea (ie. the video).

With marketing ideas like this, Sick Puppies are sure to be huge. Who wouldn't love to have a video that is viewed by so many people. This really is mind blowing stuff!!




In case you are missing the big sharp point, here's what makes this video such a hit.

1. A unique, true and inspiring story
2. A good song
3. Some marketing

The brilliant thing about this marketing tool is that you only really need an idea and ideas are everywhere and they're free and unlimited. You have the same potential to come up with an original idea of your own and create your own video with the potential for millions of views. You can give your songs the kind of mass marketing previously available only to the major record labels and their marketing teams.

P.S You may have noticed that this video was shot in Pitt Street Mall, Sydney, Australia. Proof that sometimes you don't need to travel to far off distant shores to find a good story.



[Resource http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4]

MUSIC AT MARKET PRICES

Here's a unique way of selling your music. Amie Street is aiming to make independent music easier and more affordable for consumers to discover. The unique factor with this website is that the prices are set by market forces.

Your music starts off by being offered for free then depending on how many people download it, the price increases as the song becomes more popular to a maximum of USD.98 (98 cents).

Along with a social networking style of promotion where members are rewarded for 'discovering' new songs before they go popular, Amie Street promote artists by interviewing and posting their videos as well as organising showcase concerts in New York.

Artists featured on Amie Street retain full ownership of their work and receive 70% of every sale after a USD5 covering bandwidth, storage and transactions costs.



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

HOW TO BE A VIRAL VIDEO STAR

More than 70 million videos are watched on YouTube daily. The question is, how do you get your video to stand out in the crowd.

One way is to rise up the YouTube charts by getting yourself in the top 100 videos. Firstly, you have to have a unique video, something funny, quirky, interesting or clever would help. Next, you have to upload your video, tag it with relevant subjects then create your audience.

Want to know what works and what doesn't? For some ideas and tips go this article "The experts' tips on how to become a YouTube Viral video star" and you'll get some ideas including a tip from a spokesman for YouTube. Like other forms of successful social marketing, it works the most effectively by you being active in a community.



[Resource http://www.presstelegram.com/entertainment/ci_5118793]

PHONE A FRIEND

The immense popularity of social networking is still considered a puzzling phenomenon for some. Now with companies like Boost Mobile (Hookt) and MySpace (Helio), cellular phones are becoming another popular way of social networking by attracting people to join a chat room where they can search for new friends to communicate to via text message. Its growing popularity is looking like taking social networking, blogging and uploading videos and photos mobile.

Click here to read how a Los Angeles based photographer and actress uses Helio and MySpace mobile social networking tools to regularly contact and market to her 4000 strong list of 'friends'.

[Resource http://www.courant.com/technology/hc-businessoflife0130.artjan30,0,5269658.story?track=rss]

SELL YOUR MUSIC AT MYSPACE

SnoCap, MySpace and Merlin are working together to launch an initiative that would allow artists to sell their music directly from MySpace.

Merlin, a new force in the music industry, is billing itself as the "fifth major" in the music industry.

Read entire article here.

[Resource http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2007/01/22/snocap-merlin-partner-to-let-indies-sell-music-on-myspace/]

HOME DEMO RECORDING

Here's a few time saving tricks and techniques to get your home demo recording sounding good. This article is written by Frank Fuchs, a former staff songwriter for Sony music and EMI music.

Home Demo Recording

[Resource http://www.hoodhype.com/blog/?p=55]

BUILD YOUR OWN HOME RECORDING STUDIO

There are many options for setting up a home recording studio and even more choice of equipment and software.

If you're a little confused as to where to start the best things would be to ask yourself these 2 questions. What purpose are wanting a studio for? Is it to record demos, gigs, rehearsals or Cd releases. Next, you need to decide what your budget is. Shop around and don't be afraid to ask questions or for a demonstration. Your overall budget and recording requirements will dictate where the money should be spent and on what type of equipment.

At a basic level you'll need, a device to record the sound to, monitors to hear what you've recorded and possibly a microphone. For some more ideas on setting up a recording studio have a look at "Building A Home Recording Studio".

[Resource http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/128125/building_a_home_recording_studio.html]

GIVE AWAY YOUR MUSIC AND SELL YOUR SHOW

Digital music is changing the music industry landscape. And this 'new' landscape is one perfectly suited to independent musicians.

You can become without too much effort or expense, a one person record label. You write songs, you own the copyright and publishing, you finance and own the recordings and you also distribute, market, sell and finally collect the profits from sales. Because you as an independent artist own and therefore have control over your music you can also choose to give it away for free. This isn't such an attractive option for record companies (who rely heavily on sales of product-physical and non physical) but for you-here's why you might consider it as an attractive marketing tool.

Thousands of artists already give away their music for free. Which makes the expectation of 'free' music part of the norm.

Your production and distribution costs are extremely low if you offer 'digital' downloads.

You can use your free 'gift' as a way to build your fan base list.

One thing that can't be downloaded (well technically it can-but without the same experience) is a live performance and that my friend is the area where you as an independent musician have every bit as much opportunity to give a unique performance that makes you or your band worth coming to see.

For the foreseeable future of the music industry, things will change and there will be new technologies but none of these can replace the experience of 'live' music. And, this is where the profits come from.

Click here to read a story I found that tells of similar predictions.

[Resource http://www.longtail.com/the_long_tail/2007/01/give_away_the_m.html]

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BAND IN TEN WORDS OR LESS?

What do you say when people ask you what your band sounds like?

In order to market and sell your music you need to be able to describe it. You also need to describe it accurately and in only a few words.

Ideally your description should describe what a potential listener might expect to hear as well as why they might benefit from listening to your music. Doing this and tagging your website with these keywords will help you generate far more traffic to your website and interest from anyone reading your band/artist description, bio and music magazine articles.

If you're not sure how to go about writing a description for your music, write down some 'keywords' that describe your music and/or the group of people that may listen to it. A description of your music that has some type of 'hook' for a potential fan will give your music a much better chance of being heard than a description like "indie rock" or "pop/rock".

Start brainstorming, what artists is your music similar to? Check out their descriptions if you need some inspiration but find something that sounds intriguing but also tells the reader what they are likely to expect.

Here's some examples that give you an idea of what you might expect to hear if you took a listen to the music:

"Ear bleeding rock", "Melodic hooks that you wont be able to get out of your head", "Drum and bass for dancing to", "Rock 'n roll stripped bare", "Lush layered soundscapes" and "Ambient jazz for lovers.

For more examples take a look here.



[Resource http://www.cursebustersound.com/blog/?p=166]

DO YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE?

Well, a "Second Life" that is.

This is something that has been really intriguing me of late, a website called SecondLife. If you aren't familiar with it, it's an online digital virtual world owned and created by its residents. And residents are in fact the 'users'.

In this 'virtual' world you can create your own 'new' identity and you can also buy, sell and own land along with other items such as entertainment. Second Life boast a 'population' of over 3 million residents since opening in 2003.

Now what really intrigues me about this concept, is the interaction between the real and the virtual world. Swapping your real life dollars for virtual dollars (in the special SecondLife currency "Linden Dollars" and back again into real dollars for use in the real world. This 'new' world has not escaped the attention of 'marketers' and many big organisations such as IBM, Sony, Nissan and Toyota own property and retails stores and even advertise in this Second Life world.

Only time will tell if Second Life is here to stay or a passing fad - but could you be an independent musician and market and sell your music through this virtual world? A folk singer Suzanne Vega performed live in Second Life to a virtual audience with a virtual avatar. An "Avatar" is your persona in the virtual world.

If you're intrigued about this new marketing concept, you may like to have a read of some articles I found here which discuss exactly how big real world companies are marketing in this virtual world and how it sometimes even overlaps with real world.

Strange but true!

[Resource http://rssdiary.marketingstudies.net/content/second_life_1_does_second_life_hold_real_marketing_value.php]

DO SOMETHING TODAY!

Something just occurred to me.

This blog is full of some great posts where you can pick up some fantastic ideas for marketing and promoting your music and while it's great to 'know' all that stuff, 'knowing' and 'doing' are very different. Knowledge is power, right? Wrong. "Applied" knowledge is power.

The point I'm trying to make is this: Don't get all caught up with the 'knowing'. Start 'doing' the things you know or there's not much point in 'knowing' them. Start right now, what area of your music career needs the most work on? Take action today, even doing just one small thing will start the momentum and get you on your way.

What is it you need to do right now to move your music career forward? Want some help? Sign up at this blog page to start receiving your free "Tools For Success" e-zine. We'll not only share some amazing marketing ideas with you, we'll take you through a process that makes sure you take action. Taking action is absolutely paramount, you can't get anywhere without it no matter how much you 'know'.

So whatever it is you are going to do today, take at least one small step towards your goal.

PS Taking "action" is one of the secrets of success.

SUCCESS SECRETS

What do most music artists want? I'm pretty confident in saying that they want to create music (their product) and have people listen to it (like it hopefully) and buy it. So what artists want is simple and the level of fame achieved is simply a representation of numbers. Numbers of fans at your gigs and numbers of Cd's (or mp3's) you sell. Higher numbers=more fame or success or whatever you want to call it.

As we all know, there are musicians who are extremely successful (they have high numbers-see above) but they do not appear to the level of talent that seems applicable to success. So how come they get so popular? Marketing is one factor - but it's not that one thing alone that gets you there.

What you need to study is 'success' itself, however you choose to define it. There are people everywhere (in all kinds of businesses or pursuits) who are achieving it and you need to study these successful people and learn what they know.

Below, I've included a link to an article, written by an independent musician who has discovered one of the 'keys' to success and has written about it.

If you want to know what that 'key' is I suggest you read the article in full, which you'll find here.

If you want to learn more 'keys' to success, as well as some amazing marketing strategies, just sign up to the free "The Indie Musician's-Tools For Success" e-zine. You can sign up at this page or at The Indie Musician.



[Resource http://www.kyndmusic.com/2007/01/17/musician-to-do-list-for-2007/]

MAJOR RECORD COMPANY TAKES NEW MARKETING ROAD

US singer/songwriter John Mellencamp enjoyed major commercial success and had several charting hits and albums throughout 1980's. But that kind of popularity doesn't last forever, so how does a record label go about promoting a new Cd by a 'mature' artist who no longer frequents the top 40 but still writes great songs and Cd's?

Learning from the marketing 'mistakes' made with John's last Cd release, the record label UMe/Universal Republic is taking up the challenge in an enthusiastic way and now has a strong idea of what will work this time around.

Find out what these major label marketing strategies are, in this story Mellencamp's Marketing Turnabout


[Resource http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwNjA3NTgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3]

THE INDIE MUSICIAN

Over the last week myself and my partner have been getting the official "The Indie Musician" website ready and online. (That's the website home for the business that operates this blog.)

Although the website is still a 'work in progress', we have some excellent resources available already including, "The Indie Musician's DIY Toolkit".

We like to invite you to sign up to our FREE e-zine "The Indie Musician - Tools For Success" at the home page of "The Indie Musician" or on this blog page. Not only will you get sent our regular feature articles which are packed with excellent ideas, resources and tips, we'll also give you a copy of our exclusive eBook called "The Easy Way To Book Your Gigs" which you won't find anywhere except "The Indie Musician".

J:o

www.TheIndieMusician.com

FROM SONGWRITING TO PUBLISHING, HOW IT WORKS

I found this post on the Zunester website. It gives a nice and simple overview of the 'industry' links in the chain of music from its conception to its earning potential

You can read it here.


[Resource http://www.zunester.com/2007/01/music-store-value-chain.html]

INDIE LABELS JOIN FORCES

In an effort to keep up with the marketing and sales might of major record companies, several indie labels including those behind The White Stripes and Arctic Monkeys have announced a new global deal.

The deal which is conducted by Merlin, a non profit licensing agent who will cut deals on behalf of the independent labels. Merlin will be liaising with download sites and mobile service providers to negotiate better deals with online retailers.

Although 80% of new music comes from independent labels their market share of revenue is only 30%.

To read the story in full, click here.



[Resource http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/21/business/20070121090500&sec=business]

PERFECT 'STAGE' PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT 'STAGE' PRACTICE

There are two types of 'rehearsals' to consider: 'live rehearsal' for the stage and your 'technical ability rehearsal'. Both types of rehearsals are necessary but rehearsing only your technical skills will not set you up well for performing on stage 'live' to an audience.

When you rehearse with your band or practise on your own you are only honing your technical ability and playing skills. This is necessary of course for you to be able to learn to play the parts you need to play but the the problem is that the stage environment is different to the rehearsal room environment.

When you get up in front of an audience there's leads and equipment to avoid, space limitations, sometimes there's no fold back speakers and you can't hear yourself properly, there's often people talking throughout your performance and lighting or special effects can make things more difficult to see etc. Performing live is a different environment from playing your songs at home or at the rehearsal room. Even small things like what clothes you wear on stage can inhibit comfort or maneuverability and it can get very hot under stage lighting.

If you're under rehearsed in 'live' performance you may find yourself stressed or even too relaxed in an environment that is going to be very different to your 'rehearsals' where you're practising your technical skills. This anxiety can throw off even the best of players who 'know' they can play the songs then stumble or don't perform to the best of their ability when they get on stage.

Anxiety is just adrenaline, it's normal and it's very common among performing musicians and public speakers. With experience you can learn to work with it and even use its energy to the advantage of your performance. Here are some things you can do to minimize the effects of anxiety so you don't end up ruining your well rehearsed live performance.

Try rehearsing your 'stage performance' as well as your general band practise and at home practise. Both of these practices serve different purposes but many bands forget to practise their 'stage performance' and just practise their 'material' or technical ability to play.

One thing you can do is to rehearse under 'stage' like conditions. Maybe invite some friends (or strangers) or family members along to a rehearsal for an 'audience'. If you can't do this and you use practise rooms where there are also other bands rehearsing, maybe you can invite them to be your 'audience' and in return, you can sit in as their audience.

Wear what you would wear on stage, clothes that look good but are to practical for performance or are uncomfortable will not help you give your best performance.

Set up some lighting to give you a 'stage' like atmosphere. Direct a light on each band member.

Next, you must treat this 'rehearsal' as if you were playing a gig in front of an audience. That means: walk on to the stage from the side of the room then pick up your instrument, do not stop midway through a song even if you have made a mistake, talk to the audience - introduce yourself and your band and perform your entire set as you would if you were doing a 'real' gig.

Try performing with a 'not so good' sound mix. Try performing with no fold back speakers.

Change the stage set up around the next time you practise and make the performing area smaller or larger or in a corner. Even find a different location to perform your live performance rehearsals.

If you're keen to have an even more 'realistic' stage practise, try doing some physical activity to get your heart rate up. This will produce similar side effects to that of anxiety so you'll become more 'comfortable' with the feeling.

Rehearsing under all these conditions will get you as used to as possible to the feelings and environmental factors that you will face on stage in front of an audience.

The more you practice rehearsing your 'performance' using different stage set ups the more comfortable you will be when you do it for real with an audience of strangers and a stage you've never stepped on.

Of course the more you practise both types of 'rehearsals' the better you'll get and getting better means better shows which means more enjoyment for you and your audience.