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/]