TOM WAITS TO JUDGE YOUR MUSIC

INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION

Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Robert Smith, Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse), and more are all judging the contest.

The competition welcomes original songs from musicians (amateur through professional) everywhere, judging them in one of 18 categories: Rock, Pop/Top 40, AAA (AdultAlbumAlternative), Americana, Jazz, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Latin,R&B/Hip-Hop,Country, World Music, Gospel/Christian, Instrumental, Dance/Electronica, Blues, Children's Music, Lyrics Only, Teen, and Performance. Entrants can submit as many tracks as they care to in one or more genres.

[Resource http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/2006/8/23/Brian_Wilson_Tom_Waits_Judge_Your_Music]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

THE ROOT CAUSE OF MUSIC SUCCESS

REVEALED: The Root Cause for Music Success - And How To Rapidly Achieve It Is To Build A Success Mindset!

Are you sick and tired of..

• Not being able to promote your music to a wider crowd?

• Not being able to grow a large fans base?

• Not being able to get enough gigs to large enough crowds that can produce media attention?

• Not getting your band into the spotlight?

• Not sure how to get signed?

• Not enough money to help you through...

Would you like to learn the secrets that can make a musician successful?

My friend, Kavit Haria is a world-renowned Musicians Coach supporting talented artists worldwide through personal coaching and seminars to work to achieve their great potential. He has performed with and interviewed many great musicians and music industry professionals in the world and has summarised all the tools for music success in FIVE SIMPLE PRINCIPLES and shares this through his ebook "The Five Principles of Music Success" and his national seminars.

If you're ready to get serious about your music career, click here to find out more about the book:

[Resource http://www.innerrhythm.org/ebook/]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

DO YOU MOOG?

Synth pioneer Robert Moog's daughter Michelle, has set up a foundation called The Bob Moog Foundation for Electronic Music.

Amoungst scholorships, event sponsorship and an outreach program for disadvantaged children, the foundation has introduced a podcast called Moog Foundation Podcast.

The idea is to feature artists performing Moog-based music and they are looking for submissions for future podcasts.

Read here to find out how you can submit your music.

[Resource http://www.synthtopia.com/news/06_08/Bob_Moog_Podcast.html]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

NEW TACTICS FOR NEW MUSIC

Read here of the successful tactics used by indie musician Justin Hunter from Katoomba NSW.

"I've had some serious knock backs. . .

At 17, he finished all of his grades, and began to perform at local cafes.

After getting $70 tips a night, it became apparent his tunes were striking a chord with listeners.

A friend suggested Justin put his music onto cd. With a ‘what have Igot to lose' mentality, he produced 200 copies. They sold in four days.

If you haven't guessed already, Justin is an upbeat, unflinching optimist. His musical career is built upon his demeanour, and it's finally starting to pay off.

[Resource http://bluemountains.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=features&story_id=502934&category=News%20Features&m=8&y=2006]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

NEW MUSIC MARKETING STRATEGIES

This article tells how Cory Brown, the owner of a California based record label sells the music of his stable of 20 bands.

Cory tells about the fundamental changes that have occurred in he the last 2 years in marketing of music and how he has shifted from a 'traditional' marketing strategy to online and digital marketing.

"What once was a waiting game -- bands hoping to catch the attention of high-powered record executives -- has become an exercise in vigilance, with bands seeking out new ways to reach an audience and make their own luck."

Read the full article here

[Resource http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/11554445104100.xml&coll=1]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

LAUNCH YOUR INDIE MUSIC CAREER ON THE INTERNET

Here's how one US based indie musician launched a music career using iTunes and MySpace.

"She has no financial backing or marketing plan, but with the help ofnew technology, the 25-year-old who performs as Jaymay has quickly graduated from Manhattan open-mic nights to become a folk music darling."

"I've been offered conventional contracts from major record labels and very indie-friendly, unconventional contracts," Seerman said during abreak from recording. "They have offered me everything I could want."

Keep reading here to find out how Jamie "Jaymay" Kristine Seerman has managed to get more than 75,000 people to listen to her songs, sales of more than 1,300 EPs and 2,500 songs sold on iTunes.

[Resource http://news.com.com/Using+iTunes,+MySpace+to+launch+a+music+career/2100-1027_3-6103185.html]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

10 STEPS TO BECOMING A POWERFUL STREET PERFORMER

Kristen Anderberg has been performing as a successful busker for almost 30 years and shares in this articles some tips and things she's learned along the way.

Some (if not all) of these principles could be applied to 'stage' performing as well.

"In my fantasy world of women’s equality and a high artistic bar for street performance, I would probably recommend the following steps for a woman street performer, if my opinion was asked: 1) Memorize your music/act, 2) Stand up!, 3) Learn how to be loud, 4) Don't be a Linda McCartney, 5) Don't resort to cheesey signs, 6) Grow emotional armor,7) Excel at something, 8) Learn to perform clothed first, 9) Do not let men choose or arrange your material, 10) Lead, don't follow; Create, don't imitate!"

Read the full article here

[Resource http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/15/18297687.php]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

DUET WITH MYSPACE

"Social-networking site MySpace's growing role as a powerful force inthe music business is sparking followers, which are offering broader features for bands and music fans in hopes of attracting the giant's audience.

On Monday, relative newcomer TagWorld launched its own music ambitions with the support of a core group of popular indie rock groups, including The Shins and Death Cab For Cutie. Like MySpace, it's offering a home for bands to post songs and connect directly to fans, but TagWorld is hoping that its design attracts viewers more specifically interested in exploring and listening to music."

Finish reading article here

[Resource http://news.com.com/Rivals+try+to+sing+along+with+MySpace/2100-1027_3-5991785.html?tag=nl]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

GOOGLE MUSIC TRENDS

From the Google Labs project, Google has launched 'Google Music Trends'.

Now you can check out the musical tastes of a broad community of Google Talk listeners.

This new Google tool could prove itself to be a valuable tool in marketing for indie musicians.

"Learn how to opt in to Music Trends to contribute your vote, or download Google Talk now to get started. You don't need to be a Google Talk user to simply view the Music Trends page and learn more about the music that people are listening to…"

[Resource http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/index.php?p=345]

technorati tags:indie, indpendent, musician

I LIKE MUSIC

The latest news from UK website ILikeMusic is the announcement of a partership with Ministry OfSound.

"Determinedly independent, www.ilikemusic.com proves that a small team of genuine music enthusiasts can more than hold their own against music sites that have a lot of cash, but little soul. As such, I Like Music is testament to the opportunity for organic growth that the Internet provides, and the importance of fresh content and good visitor figures. Five years after taking the site to the public by launching at Music Live, the small but talented team have a great understanding of good quality music and very well established industry contacts."

"The partnership sees Ministry of Sound take on digital media representation for I Like Music, introducing the independent site to the commercial world for the first time."

Read all about it here

[Resource http://www.ilikemusic.com/music_news/I_Like_Music_Partnership_With_Ministry_of_Sound-2808]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

INDEPENDENT - THE WAIFS WAY

It's always great to read about the success of independent artists and amoungst their stories are 'clues' to their success.

This comes from a recent interview in the San Francisco Chronicle with Australian band The Waifs

"...We made a cassette of six tunes to get gigs and sold 1,800 copies, which funded our first album. We started our own indie label and sold almost 30,000 records out of the back of our van. We'd pop into local record stores and leave them albums. Donna developed a distribution network and started dealing directly with big chain stores, which was unheard of. I did the publicity and Josh did the booking. When our first album jumped onto the charts, it took everyone by surprise. We were already one of the biggest touring acts, but nobody in the music business had heard of us. We'd been working underground, outside the normal music industry channels."

Read complete article here

[Resource http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/20/PKG4OK4J981.DTL&type=music]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

EXCLUDE SOME PEOPLE

Here's some good advice from those indie CD sales experts CDBaby!

This may seem like a strange thing to say but it does make a lot of sense.

Read all these tips here.

"Proudly say what you're NOT"

"You can't please everyone in this world. Recklessly exclude people."

"Loudly leave out 99% of the world."

[Resource http://cdbaby.net/proudly-exclude-most]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

ADELAIDE HIP-HOP MAKES HISTORY

Read here how the Hilltop Hoods have made Australian music history.

"...the first time an Australian hip-hop act had debuted at the top of the charts."

"The hip-hop community was overjoyed because it signalled the end of an era when Aussie hip-hop was dismissed by many as nothing more than a pale imitation of American hip-hop. It was also a wake-up call to the music industry that there was a mainstream market and fan base for this type of music."

[Resourcehttp://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20069697-5003421,00.html]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

NEW RADIO STARS

“The radio industry wants to hear from artists and bands who have at least three songs ready to be played on commercial radio but who have not yet been signed by a record label,”

"The search for new and emerging Australian music talent is on again with the commercial radio industry announcing that the New Artist to Radio Showcase (NA2R), its annual event, aimed at unveiling the chart-toppers of tomorrow, will be held on October 13 in Sydney. The NA2R will be held in conjunction with the Australian Radio Conference and 2006 Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) at Luna Park."

Read more here.

[Resource http://www.commercialradio.com.au/]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

9 ONLINE BRANDING TIPS

9 Ways to Create a Rock-Solid
Brand Identity Online

by Bob Baker

Branding has been a business buzzword for many years. But the term has implications far beyond corporate logos, slick packaging and commercial jingles. Effective branding is all about telling customers who you are, what you do and how you do it. Despite a sluggish economy and uncertainty throughout the world, more people are spending time and money online than ever before. That's why it's vitally important for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs alike to use the Internet to make an impact.

Here are nine tips to help you carve a focused identity online.

1. Define your brand up front. When visitors arrive at your web site, let them know immediately what you do and why they should care. Far too many web sites shroud their identity in flashy graphics and ambiguous slogans without telling people what the company or person actually does. View your site through the eyes of a new visitor. Does it spell out exactly what your brand stands for? If not, redesign it so your purpose and identity are unmistakable. For example, Terri Lonier's Working Solo site at www.workingsolo.com does a good job of establishing her as a resource for freelancers. The opening paragraph lets visitors know exactly who the site is for.

2. Lead with what you do, not who you are. It may defy logic,but making your company name the most visible element on your home page may not be the most effective way to reinforce your brand. A web-basedor e-mail marketing message should state a benefit right off the bat. Which of these paints a clearer identity: The business name "Dog Owner Central" displayed in large letters or the more specific description "Training tips for busy dog owners"?

3. Use a real person as a figure head. The online world can be a cold, mechanical place. Your branding efforts are more effective when you add a recognizable, consistent human element. Think of the way Dave Thomas used to promote Wendy's. If your company has a CEO or spokesperson who is closely identified with the company offline, make sure that connection carries to the cyberworld. If you run a business by yourself, by all means, put your name, photo and personal message on your web site. Nothing creates mystery and distrust more than a site that is void of a human contact and asks visitors to send e-mail to the "webmaster."

4. Develop a fan-club mentality. Most online marketers try to generate readers, visitors or users. I encourage you to switch gears and create fans. "Users" are people who visit your web site, subscribe to your newsletter or buy your products and services. "Fans," on the other hand, cheer you on, rave about you to their friends, and eagerly follow everything you do. Which would you rather have?

5. Make good use of words. Verbal content is not only king, it's the entire kingdom. Even though designers try to squeeze as much graphic impact as they can out of limited bandwidths, what matters most online are the words you use. I don't buy into the less-is-more, bullet-point mentality of writing for the web. To create fans online,you must deliver useful brand-related information and speak to readers in a conversational tone. If it takes more than one or two scrolling screens to do that, so be it. As an example, illustrator Bob Staake has designed a web site that uses his personality effectively at www.bobstaake.com.

6. Make sure visual elements reinforce your identity. While words are important, the look of your web site must also support your brand image. Is your brand best served by hard edges or softer, rounded shapes? Do primary colors capture your personality or would earth tones be a better match? Find the design scheme that best compliments your identity.

7. Become a one-stop destination. Let's say your company sells unicorn-themed knick-knacks, posters and greeting cards. You might simply post an online catalog and a few profiles of your products. However, a far better approach would be to set up your siteas a clearing house for all things unicorn-related -- articles on the history of unicorns, personal stories from customers who have been touched by their unicorn possessions, unicorn-related photo galleries and message boards, etc. Your online presence should establish you as the primary resource in your field. For a great example of this concept in action, check out Hot Air Ballooning at www.launch.net.

8. Publish an e-mail newsletter. Having a brand-centered website is great, but you must rely on people taking it upon themselves to visit it. Offering a free e-mail newsletter allows you to build a database of subscribers who are specifically interested in what your brand represents. Best yet, being able to deliver your message bye-mail puts you in control of the frequency with which your audience is exposed to your brand. Repetition is crucial. To generate subscribers,place a newsletter sign-up form on every page of your site. Note how I've done this at my www.thebuzzfactor.com site.

9. Be visible through online forums. Small business owners should also regularly post to online forums, such as message boards and discussion lists widely read by people likely to be attracted to the brand. If your area of expertise caters to motorcycle enthusiasts, make sure you offer useful information -- not just a sales pitch -- in the places where motorcycle enthusiasts gather. Be sure to include a link to your web site in a signature file at the end of each message.

The Internet is still a gold mine of opportunity, especially for those who use it to create a recognizable brand identity. Use these tips to create your own indelible image online.

Bob Baker is the author of "Branding Yourself Online: How to Use the Internet to Become a Celebrity or Expert in Your Field." Download two chapters and get more branding tips at www.BrandingYourselfOnline.com.

[Resource http://www.bob-baker.com/branding/9ways.html]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

HOW TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL RECORDING ARTIST

InternetDJ Guide: How to Become a Professional Recording Artist

"Stepping up - taking dreams to success. Study this thorough article from our editor on how to succeed in the industry as an artist. Only on InternetDJ."

"...We have seen the file sharing revolution come and go as well as the rise of iTunes but now the field is opening up with a multitude of other companies jumping on the bandwagon. The end result is the death of the major labels and the rise of the successful independent artist."

Read the entire article here.

[Resource http://www.internetdj.com/article.php?storyid=805]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

BASS PLAYING TECHNIQUES

At this link you'll find some short videos on various bass techniques.

Click here.

[Resource http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhYbrORmJ5I]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

BOOSTING YOUR CD SALES AND FAN BASE

Promote your music with a newsletter.

In this article, Ty explains how to go about creating a quality newsletter.

"Who Else Wants To Sky Rocket Their CD Sales, Fan Base And Indie Music Career?"

by Ty Cohen

[Resource http://www.isnare.com/?aid=504&ca=Marketing]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

JUST DIVINE

Female musicians - If you're looking for a bit of female inspiration - think Chrissie Amphlett. Our very own Australian rock n roll icon.

Chrissie's band The Divinyls will be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Read here about Chrissie's latest musical adventures, as told to the Melbourne 'Age'.

"...the most dangerous and thrilling rock'n'roll front woman we have ever seen."

"Rocker-turned-musical-star Chrissie Amphlett has spent the past 10 years recovering from her torrid time in the Divinyls. But will the band's induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame wake old demons?"

[Resource http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/a-fine-line/2006/08/03/1154198267687.html]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician

A SUCCESSFUL MUSIC WEBSITE

Structure Of A Successful Music Website

By: Dan Meiyers

Click here to read some ideas to include in your website and the main purpose of each.

[Resource http://www.isnare.com/?aid=2996&ca=Marketing]

technorati tags:indie, independent, musician