Getting Your License

It's not a secret that music licensing is one of the best ways for a musician to support themselves in the industry's current climate. Of course you don't have to sell too many people on the idea of having their song used in a movie, television show or commercial. However most musicians do need to be sold on the fact that this is a reality. Sure, the odds are still against you, but you gain an advantage by putting a little extra effort it. A lot of it has to do with finding the right "Music Supervisor" (the person in charge of the music). Make a list of a few TV shows and movies that use a style of music similar to what you naturally produce. Find their name in the credits and do your homework. Find out what else they've done, find out what they're currently working on. Then send a carefully crafted email that concisely portrays what your song (or songs) sound like and link it a carefully crafted website or press kit where they can listen to and/or download it.

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Making the Most of an Opening Slot

When an up and coming band gets a gig, or series of gigs, opening for a major national act, it is often considered a make-it or break-it opportunity. While this is basically/usually true, "breaking-it" might not mean exactly what you think it does. It is more than just nailing your set. There are rules that are absolutely not made to be broken. For instance, no matter how well you're doing, do not go longer than your allotted set time. No matter how well you and the headliners might be getting along, do not assume any sort of entitlement or sharing when it come to their groupie or green room perks. While the obvious goal of an opportunity like this is to gain more fans, you're not a headliner yet and acting professional will help ensure that you get other opportunities like this in the future.

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Starting a Cover Band: Navigating "The Darkside" of Musicianship

For an artist who is passionate about their own creative work, or a skilled musician who is passionate about joining in someone else’s vision (i.e., drummers), being in a cover band is one of the lamest dark alleys one could hide in. While there may be something to that perspective, those whom have shed the high-minded monkey from their backs can tell you that it’s a pretty solid and low pressure way of supporting yourself while doing something you love.

Of course, it will only work if you go about it in the right way. While you should already by thinking of your original music as a business/product, at least on a publicity level, a cover band endeavor should be thought of a business almost exclusively. Say you’re starting a Guns ‘n’ Roses cover band; think about what kind of people will be hiring you and what they would expect from your performance and cater to that. While your lead guitarist may be able to nail all of Slash’s solos, people are not going to get the experience they want if he is bald so don’t hesitate to invest in some wigs and costumes if your have to.

You also want to make sure that you have a solid website. A band who plays original material can getaway with a minimalist website, or in some cases just Facebook/Bandcamp. This because people looking for them will already have some idea of who they are. No one is going to find them by typing “band who sounds like the white stripes” into a search engine. But for a cover band, outside of getting a referral or being seen by chance at a local bar, this is one of the only ways to be found and you are in direct competition with other cover bands and strippers so it is important to step-up your marketing pitch.

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Social Media Choreography

Social media is arguably the most important and effective method of promoting your music. There are a lot of ways to go about it and of course what you post needs to reflect the unique character of your music but above all, your strategy needs to be both consistent and persistent. For starters, if you have an announcement about an upcoming album, show, music video, etc., don’t just post it once and hope it shows up on the right people’s news feeds. Also, the best way to make sure you are posting consistently is to write the text ahead of time and use a service such as Hootsuite to choreograph when posts will go up. This will make your social media campaign ‘forget-proof’ and ensure that you won’t get caught on Facebook while you’re at work.  

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Choosing Your Voice

When a band feels that it’s time to make their plunge into the mainstream, or at least fringe visibility, they often look into hiring a publicist. A publicist, ideally, would get them coverage in SPIN, Pitchfork, or whatever media outlet is most appropriate to their sound. Before you turnover your dreams of stardom wrapped in handfuls of money to a PR firm, there are some questions you need to ask them.

This is especially true if their answer to your initial inquiry is an unflinching “yes”. As much as you’d like to believe it’s because you have such a promising career ahead of you, it is most likely because they will take on anyone who can afford their services, and will not do much (or not do much well) in the way of performing services.

By asking them questions about where they have recently received coverage, how many bands are on their roster, what ideas they might have for your band…you can determine their level of engagement, interest, and ultimately the value of the services they provide.  

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/5-questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-music-publicist.html

YOU DON’T HAVE TO “BRING IT ALL BACK HOME” ANYMORE

The only problem with creative inspiration is that you never know when it is going to strike. Sometimes you’re driving, sometimes you’re waiting for a bus, sometimes you’re out with friends, or worst of all, you’re at work. This is part of why those who can afford to be unemployed for a while often take advantage of their privilege.

The advances offered by rapidly developing technology over the past 5 or 6 years have not only provided multiple platforms for an artist to she their music, but also new ways to make it. There are various apps available including Evernote and H2n from Zoom, for writing, recording, and producing your music wherever you are and wherever you have to be.

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