Networking

One of the keys to success in the music industry is not just getting exposure, but getting exposure to, and from, the right people. The old adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is never more true than in this industry which flourishes on the fact that tens of thousands of musicians have their sights set on the same vague goal of unfettered stardom, or at least relevance. You can probably name at least ten bands who sound like Green Day in your city alone, but only one gets to open for them when they come to your town. Chances are that Green Day doesn’t sit at home Googling ‘bands that sound like us in Cleveland’ and handpick the best ones. These opportunities come to groups who just happened to meet the right person at one of their shows, or maybe just in line at Guitar Center. Maybe the bass players girlfriend’s brother is the arts editor at the local paper. Maybe they just got the right gig, at the right venue, on the right night. The point is that ultimately it comes down to luck and meeting or knowing the right person. So it stands to reason that the more people you meet and can have a positive interaction with, the better your chances since you never know what/who will be behind getting you your big break.

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After The Blog Rush

Did your last album get the publicity you expected? Did it do even better than expected? Pat yourself on the back, then shut up and get back to emailing. Don’t be afraid to follow-up with people who gave you a positive review. Start with a “thank you” and re-contact them whenever you have something to promote. Chances are that they wouldn’t mind knowing a little more about you; seeing your new video, checking out your tour dates, etc., and at the very least they probably don’t mind a little flattery. This type of follow-up PR is the best way to insure more press coverage and an equally or more successful campaign when you release your next album. 

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Artists & Managers

It can be very important for an up and coming musician/band to have a manager. However in order for this relationship to be effective, there needs to be a very clear understanding (mostly on the musician’s part) of each other’s roles. For an artist, the story of having a ‘falling out’ with a manager is so common and contrived that younger musicians almost aspire to it, getting the impression that it is a rite of passage towards stardom. But letting a manager do their job, and play their role is much more important than you might think.

As an artist, your personal definition is most closely tied to the quality of your work. Many even make the assumption that if they make good music, piles of money are sure to come their way. The truth is that once you’ve crossed the threshold into actually needing management, the job of the manager is to take the necessary steps to grow that preliminary success. If it seems like they don’t “understand your vision”, you should understand that in fact they do, but their concern is making your vision a reality which may involve steps that you haven’t thought about or don’t approve of, but they are necessary for the manager to do their job effectively.

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Video Marketing

The key to making a video with the highest sharing potential is putting as much as you can into the content, and getting as much as you can out of the content. This means that your video should be well thought out and enjoyable to watch, even for someone who isn’t particularly familiar with your music. You can also create more content from the video making process. “Behind the Scenes” or “Vlogging” (video blogging) can help give listeners/viewers new insights into who you are as a musician(s).

You should also remember that you don’t necessarily need to make a music video in order to take advantage of the medium. Tour diaries or behind-the-scenes looks into a studio session can also generate more/deeper interest in your music.

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How To Make Shirts Without Losing Your Own

Investing in merch products such as t-shirts is a great way to generate a little extra income and help with promotion simultaneously. However it is only a good idea if you follow a model that allows you to make money. This means keeping your costs as low as possible. While it is good to offer high quality shirts (in terms of the fabric) with engaging designs, you don’t want to get carried away. There are several ways to cut costs: Don’t get married to the idea of a two-sided shirt, they are literally twice as expensive. Black t-shirts are more expensive to print on than white or lighter colors and the more colors you use in a design, the more expensive they will be. None of this is to say that you should settle for a design that you hate, but it will be very hard to make any money if you have to sell shirt for $30 or $40 just to make a few bucks. 

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Telling Your Story

An artist’s Bio is a key, but often glossed over, part of an effective marketing campaign. There is a good chance that this will be a potential fan’s, or even more likely a music writer’s introduction to you and your music. It might not seem intuitive as the one making the music, but if you are thinking about your music as a product, then who you are as an artist is a huge part of how people will think aout your “brand”. Let’s face it; no matter how good your music is, unless you’ve invented a series of new instruments and feature a family of bears doing back-up vocals, you probably aren’t doing anything particularly new. It is important to draw people in by revealing something about yourself that makes you standout by creating an intimate connection and being relatable.

When writing your Bio, you want to make sure that you tell a unique story, or at least a common story with unique elements. You also want to avoid making inadequate and/or contrived descriptions of your music. Describing yourself as a cross between two-bands just sounds like it means anything and almost never turns out to be accurate. Not even throwing in something 'clever' such as "on acid" can save you from yawns with this particular device. What's worse is describing your music as "indescribable"...nobody knows what that means and even fewer want to find out.

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