Posted: Aug 26, 2019
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Mark Smith, owner of Musical Instru.
"Let’s face it - a promo photo is an extremely powerful part of music, with its ability to catch the attention of fans, bookers, music journalists, and the industry in general. However, while the capabilities of a promo photo can’t be overstated, it all depends on the amount of care you exert into its production. To be honest, your promo photo is just as capable of effectively telling your story as your music, but that’s only if you get it right..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 30, 2018
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post originally featured on Ditto.com.
"Whether it’s with a major media publication or a local music blogger, interviews offer a great avenue for publicity. Nevertheless, they can be a daunting experience for anyone new to the publicity circuit. If you’re worried about an upcoming interview, here’s some advice to help ease the jitters." View Full Article
Posted: Jun 25, 2018
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post originally featured on Ditto.com.
"Musicians often focus on making it onto curated playlists, whether that’s Spotify’s own weekly compilations like New Music Mondays or alternative playlists built by independent users. However, if your aim is to gain more streams, getting on algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar can be much more effective...Before we delve into Release Radar and Discover Weekly individually, here are a couple of pieces of advice that apply to getting on both of these algorithm-based playlists..." View Full Article
Posted: Jun 18, 2018
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Andrew Jones of Checkered Owl Media.
"Most people have noticed that video is often the most effective way to both spread your message AND create engagement with an audience. People watch more and more video all the time...So, with that in mind, we all need to be considering video content. The big question becomes what kind of video to make? What will actually help you stand out from the millions of other videos being created every week? We can help with that. I divide most business video content into four levels..."
Posted: Aug 7, 2017
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michael Corcoran of musicSUBMIT.
"Let’s say you’ve reached out to a few college and internet radio stations with your music...and - gasp - the Radio Station actually replied to say they listened and really dug your stuff...You’re still a few steps away from actually getting the airplay you’ve been promised. If you neglect these final steps, don’t be surprised if your song never gets played on that station." View Full Article
Posted: Mar 27, 2017
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Carlos Castillo of Schwilly Family Musicians - music marketing strategist, web designer, live performance recordist, international road-tripper, lap steel player, and Captain of the Schwilly Family.
"A lot of music biz teachers will tell you that you should commit time to releasing cover songs on YouTube because you’ll get all kinds of organic growth and attention. This is a proven strategy that has been working for several years. But, especially now that so many musicians are applying it, I’m not sure it’s all that it’s cracked up to be anymore. And it’s not as simple as picking songs you like and recording your own versions..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 20, 2017
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Bobby Borg, originally from Music Marketing for the DIY Musician.
"Great interviews don’t happen by accident. Both parties, the interviewer and the interviewee, need to do a great deal of preliminary research. In fact, preparing your complete interview in writing before the interview can serve as helpful research for the busy interviewer and provide additional content that can be posted on your artist websites..." View Full Article
Posted: Nov 21, 2016
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Jonathan Sexton, CEO of Bandposters.
"Touring and building a fanbase is hard, and its a ton of work. It takes a lot of organization, dedication, and hard work to be the band that rises above the rest. The fact is, there are so many things that can go wrong, and it starts from the time the show is booked until the time that the gig is over and you are trying to re-book the club..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 29, 2016
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michael Corcoran of musicSUBMIT.
"It’s best to start promoting before you hit the road, but if you’ve already departed for the first town, you can still find ways to promote the very next show and increase your chances of a successful tour...Here’s one secret: Invite the local music industry folks to come out to your shows...Here’s what you do:" View Full Article
Posted: Nov 16, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Jonathan Sexton, CEO of Bandposters.
Selling out shows in your hometown isn’t easy...Having lead time and a local tribe gives you an opportunity to do something special. But what do you do when you go out of town?..Here are a few ideas to get you started building your fanbase in a new place.
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 28, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Brad Barnett, professional musician and founder of Indie 411.
Most musicians have a general idea of how to promote their upcoming shows...With so many musicians actively promoting their gigs, it comes as a surprise to me that most of them stop there. What I mean by that is they work hard to try and get people out to their event, then don’t do anything to promote or sell their brand once it’s show time...If the goal is to get as many people to know about you as possible, then there are a few things you should be doing at gigs to maximize your reach.
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 21, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michael Corcoran of musicSUBMIT.
"It goes without saying, all bands and musicians want to get their songs on the radio. There’s no point drumming up all the benefits of having your music broadcast to thousands of listeners with one spin on the radio. And of course radio stations want to find songs they think their audiences will want to hear...
But therein lies a nearly century-old problem for both artists and radio stations..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 11, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Hugh Mcintyre via the DIY Musician Blog, originally posted on the SonicBids Blog.
"These days, everybody’s email inboxes are fuller than ever, and people are becoming more and more selective about what newsletters they sign up for. Here are six tips that could help you..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 13, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by BeTH isBell, host of The Flower Power Hour and the New Releases show on KMUD, an FM station in Northern California.
"1. We have a music library at the station where we label and file all CDs, and vinyl records, that we receive from artists, labels, and distributors. What I've noticed is that CDs in jewel cases or digipaks with the artist and album name on spine get pulled for airplay 5x-10x more frequently than CDs in slim cases or sleeves where the artist/album name, and sometimes, the CD itself can't be seen hiding on the shelf squeezed between the CDs in jewel cases. Truth..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 17, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Joy Ike, creator of Grassrootsy.com and Independent Musician, as featured on Grassrootsy.com.
"QUESTION: My name is Jefrey, writing from NYC...Just wanted to ask a quick question - do you consistently see results with the direct to fan marketing with getting emails-for-mp3’s via a squeeze page?"
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 2, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Phil Johnson, as featured in his blog, Big Whiz Bang!
This is the continuation of last week's post "33 Gig Promotion Strategies (And Which Ones Actually Work!) - Part 1", but rather than focusing on Offline Promotion, Phil talks about his online promotional efforts and their successes/failures.
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 26, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Phil Johnson, as featured in his blog, Big Whiz Bang!
"Over the course of a month or so, I tried a ton of promotion techniques. And with this post I want to give you a huge checklist of stuff you can do to promote your own gigs. Some of them worked for me, some didn’t. We’ll get into the hows and whys of each..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Dec 22, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.
"It is no secret that creating and adding to a list of e-mail subscribers is one of the most important marketing tools for singers and bands. It is also one of the most difficult and frustrating tasks to undertake..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Dec 15, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Matt Jones, a full-time singer-songwriter and solo artist, as featured on Pyragraph.
"I’m not sure what your goals are as a musician/artist/songwriter. Many of the people who have relocated to Nashville do so from a desire to be around the best creative people, and to have a much better chance for their music to be noticed on a larger scale. I think most of us have a similar desire..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Dec 1, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Yannick Illunga of The Jazz Spotlight, as featured on The Jazz Spotlight.
"...it is time to promote your gigs...You have to ask yourself this first: How am I going to promote my gigs? The answer is simple: be memorable!..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 22, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Randy Young from the Ottawa based rock band Cherry Suede.
"As musicians, we tend to think we can do it all. We’re independent artists. We’ve got our music, our talent, our fans—and nothing else matters. Well, at least that’s how it works in theory. The reality is we need help, and lots of it. I don’t care how good you are—there is simply not enough time to do everything and still be a master at your craft, which is the music itself. You need tools and you need to outsource. You need to learn how to run your band like a business, and being resistant to this fact is the fastest way to kill off whatever income—and independence—you have left."
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 15, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand. It originally appeared on Ari's Take.
"Of course everyone wants a 5 star album review in Rolling Stone or an 8.7 in Pitchfork, but you have to be realistic about your press pursuits. If you have never received press, there is a very slim chance that you will get an album review in a popular blog or nationally distributed magazine. Your best chance for media coverage is your hometown papers, magazines and blogs or local publications in cities you're touring to..." View Full Article
Posted: Sep 8, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand. It originally appeared on Ari's Take and in Digital Music News.
"Music reviewers know their audience. The average reader doesn't care how you achieved that guitar tone on the bridge of track 3. But if your lead singer went on a spiritual quest for 9 months in the Amazon and came back with 12 songs written on an invented instrument he made out of found objects in the rainforest, now THAT'S a story! When you write your press release or pitch an article, highlight the most interesting aspects of what makes you stand out..." View Full Article
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Jorge Brea, Owner & Managing Director of Symphonic Distribution.
"By now it’s apparent that there is a ton of music out there – over-saturation is a term you may hear often these days. For anyone getting involved with the music industry, there is always a need for more exposure and promotion. If an artist or a record label has it, they will sell better, simple as that...Here are 7 quick tips that you can apply to increase your exposure and potential..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 28, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Erica Sinkovic, CD Baby's Web Product Manager and general music enthusiast, as featured in the DIY Musician Blog.
"Whether you’re an independent artist or signed to an independent label, you’re sure to have a lot on your plate already. Between booking shows, debating merch, planning your next big marketing move, juggling social media-insanity, oh yeah, and writing new material, the last thing you want to add to your plate is a radio campaign...I’m here to tell you: don’t abandon radio."
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