Promotion Is The Start - But 'Connecting' Is The Key

Let me give you a scenario: You're out on the town with your mates, checking out a couple of original bands. The first band comes on, they play an hour of cool rocking songs, they finish and head back off the stage. The second band comes on, they also play an hour of some cool songs, they finish up, they come off stage and go mingling with the crowd - one of the members comes up to you, introduces himself, asks if you're having a good night, did you enjoy the music etc.

Tell me something: a week later - which band are you going to remember? The one that went on stage, did their thing and left again; or the one that went on stage, played their songs and then came down and chatted to you? Well, for me, it's definitely the latter. There's something about being approached by someone that's just been on stage and now they are giving their sole attention to you. It makes you feel special and that your opinion matters. Suffice to say, it's one thing to go out and play, but it's quite another to gain, connect with and keep a fan.

You see, promoting your band isn't just about getting people to hear your music and like it. It's also about connecting with those people and keeping them coming back for more. Your fans are going to be your bread and butter... treat them right, look after them, and they will help you promote your band more than you could ever hope. Because one form of promotion that beats all others, is word of mouth. Each of those fans, going and telling each of their friends about you - is the end result you want.

I was reading a while back how Billy Corgan (formerly Smashing Pumpkins) spends as much as an hour a day on the his MySpace site exchanging messages with his fans. He says "For me, it is a way to connect with my fans on a one-on-one basis in a way that I wasn't able to do before. It's much closer to the feedback that I would get from someone on the street".

So, remember, promotion starts the process - but gaining and connecting with fans is the goal.

Free Downloads To Promote? Or Not...

While the internet does have it's major disadvantages, it's been suggested to me from a couple of people, ways of counteracting the imbalance. The main suggestion regarding giving music away for free.

I'm not for that idea, like I said in my previous post, I think that music is worth something because the artist puts so much into creating and recording it. The suggestion that has been made: record one more track than what you need, don't include it on the album and give it away free. (Thanks to Danny and Richard - both had the same thoughts).

Now doesn't that make more sense?! And as suggested, you call it a 'b-side' demo. You are then a) giving away a track that isn't on the album anyway, it's a track that is created for the sole purpose of giving away; b) it's kind of like a taster for people then... they hear it and think "wow, if this is what is considered b-side then I gotta hear the album". People are going to want to hear more!

I think it's a great idea! And have decided that this is what will happen with the band that I manage. Their second album is due out at the end of the year - so one more song will be recorded for the sole purpose of giving away as a free download. It was also suggested to me that this particular song being given away be a cover song. It just so happens that this band do a killer version of "Somebody Told Me" (by the Killers). The boys aren't too keen on doing a cover, but we'll see what becomes. Either way, be it one of their own or a cover, the free download is sure to grab attention if it's quality material. And from a professional band, what more would you expect.

Beware: The Internet's Dark Side

Yes, the internet has a down side for bands and musicians. Over time, I have thought of the internet as a wicked promotion tool for getting your music out there. I still think that it is, however, it has its down side.

Online is a really hard market to be honest, because it's all too easy for people to sit and listen to your music whenever they want. Sure they love it - but something needs to happen to make them go that step further and PURCHASE it. But then, why are they going to purchase it when they can log on, listen to their favourite tunes whenever they want without having to part with a cent?

Perfect example, is that earlier today the band got an email that said "ooh I LOVE your music, I have favourited it, and come on every day JUST so I can listen to it, can't wait to hear more!".

Now, that kind of annoys me (remember, I am thinking as a manager/promoter/business person - not as a musician). I'm sitting here thinking to myself - well, these guys have spent a lot of time and money creating and recording these songs and you're too cheap to do anything but favourite it and listen for free!

Seriously, how is that supposed to motivate a musician? I know there are a ton of musicians out there that won't agree with me, and that don't give a damn about the money. That's fine if you don't wish music to be your fulltime career. But if you DO want it to be your fulltime career then you need to treat it like a business, because that's what it is. If you ran a different type of business and provided services for free, or gave away products - I can tell you now, that business wouldn't last very long.

I think musicians deserve to be paid for their efforts and contributions to the artistic community. But I also think that there are too many platforms that allow the exploitation of musicians and what they create. For example: MySpace - do you know the developers make millions of dollars??! What do the artists that provide the music for the community get? ZIP.

It's made me think twice about the internet and exactly how much music to have available. If you're a big, well-known band that can afford to tour - then it's a different story, I think having your songs up for people to listen to can only aid your cause, because if you're touring, chances are you will gain new fans who will pay to come to your shows. But when you're a band that is just starting out and trying to get known, can you expect to make money online from it and tour? That, my friend, is my million dollar question.

Time To Organise A Tour: Where To Begin?

I briefly mentioned it in my last post, but with the band's second album due out at the end of the year, it's time to think about organising a tour - at least of the North Island. Even though the end of the year is 6 months away, the time to start getting it sorted is right now.

Wow, it's going to be a lot of work - a lot of promotion, a lot of organising and a lot of learning. I think that the promotion is going to be the hardest part - how do you market a band in a brand new city? Or rather, half a dozen cities they have never played in. The best thing I can think of there is that it's important to try and get to a couple of those cities and play before the tour. Even if it's just once - just to get the name out there.

I don't know how big a part the internet could play with this - but I think it's a factor in promoting. Try and build the fan base online at least - let's face it, if they hear the music, love it then they might just be keen on coming to a live show.

Over the next 2 days we are going to be compiling a list of the cities/towns we want to visit, after that it's a matter of researching which particular venues would be most suitable. I have been thinking about how we can incorporate our plan - of how to sell out a show - into this tour, so that we end up with packed out venues and no loss of money. The only problem with that is getting those tickets "sold" before the show. Have a read here so that you know what I'm talking about. Will keep you updated as I go.

Merchandise: Extra Income Source

I have spent a lot of time over the past few days working on the online merchandise store for the band's website. I have never really been a big believer in things like that - hence haven't organised this sooner. However, after reading a couple of articles online (I'm always researching and learning from the internet!), I have come to think it's a rather huge income stream opportunity that I've been missing out on.

I was reading an article that said "For many touring bands the sale of merch is what allows them to eat. Superstar acts can sell as much as $5 per head in merch. Think about that for a moment. If you’re Bon Jovi and you’re playing a stadium that holds 50,000 people and you sell $5 in merch per person, you’ve just made an additional $250,000! OK, you’re not as big as Bon Jovi (yet), but the same kinds of economics can work for you".

Let's just think about it - for a start, if someone buys a t-shirt at a gig, it's generally on impulse. It's something they can take away and reminds them of the wicked night they had, or they may just buy it because it looks pretty damn funky. Either way, for you - it's a sale. At least have the possibility of this income stream by looking into it - even if for now, it's just online.

The best thing about online shops is that they are (generally) free to set up, upload your designs (or some sites have designs you're able to use), set your commission (how much you want to make on it) and link to your shop from your website! How easy is that! You don't need to be a graphic designer and you don't need to know HTML!! (However, any knowledge you have on those subjects certainly helps!). Now, the sites I have tried are: Spreadshirt and CafePress. I have gone with Spreadshirt for several reasons - 1) their items were cheaper, 2) larger product range, 3) more payment options (credit card, money order or paypal), Cafepress had only credit card; and finally 4) I can really customise it (including adding my own header) to make it look and feel like the band's website - with cafepress, you can only customise it that much if you pay a monthly fee. Don't be put off Cafepress though, it's still a great place - and the customer service is brilliant.

So... second album is up and coming [check], website updated [check], merchandise store open [check], must be time to start organising a tour...? It's June now, album release is due for near the end of the year... yep, it's about time to get on to that! How the hell do you put together a tour? Well... stick around... we can all learn together. I will log here every step we make, and fill you in on how each step goes. What a ride!

Theory: How To Sell Out A Show

I am back, and have been chatting with the lead singer about playing live and the options we have. He came up with this great idea - now, from everything I have heard, in theory it looks like it could work and it could work well. Important to note, that we haven't tried it yet obviously, but it's definitely got potential. Check it out and see what you think:

How To Sell Out A Show

• Firstly, print 600 tickets (or maximum capacity of venue) that will cost $5 to purchase.
• You then get people along by going out and selling them a ticket however, not many people will be interested in buying a ticket to see a band they have never heard of. So you then offer them a ticket (or a couple of tickets) for free. Be sure to tell them "look, there's only 40 tickets left, how bout I give you tickets for you and a couple of mates free!". This way (although you don't have only 40 tickets left) you are giving that person the idea that it's going to be a great night out because a) it's nearly sold out already; and b) they are getting in free! This will encourage and make it successful before it actually is. And let's face it, people love to get something for nothing. But ensure that you are only giving these tickets to people that are really keen to go.
  
• An added idea for getting the tickets out to people is to pass on 50 or so to local radio stations to give away, and possibly other media outlets. The whole point of this is to make the even look successful before it actually is! If people think a venue is selling out - it encourages them to go... they don't want to miss out.
• You then get the venue to pay you $350 (if not more) for costs (based on getting half those tickets/heads along). Let's face it - they will be on the make with a (near) full bar, and you shouldn't have to fork out money and let the show cost you. So the venue gets full, sells drinks and makes more money on the bar, and you (the band) gets an audience, thus gaining exposure and starting your following.
  
• On the night, put a $5 door charge on for extra's who didn't get a ticket. If the venue is pumping, but you're not at capacity - you will always get people off the street wanting to join the party.
  
• Now I suggest you do this as a once off to help build a profile in each city.
  
• No advertising is needed as tickets are given away to get the numbers along. However, posters can be put up though for general awareness, also get it into all the local gig guides - including local radio.

Hope this helps - I happen to think it's got great potential for a band just starting out! A big ups to the lead singer for this idea... I think he has a hidden talent for marketing!! haha

Negativeland

Well I thought I would follow up with where I'm at today. I have to say, it's not much better than yesterday unfortunately. My way of thinking right now seems pretty narrow and I am trying to broaden that. I have had a discussion with the lead singer of the band this morning and we both have very different views on this - but I do understand where he's coming from.

Basically, he is saying that unless we have a major marketing campaign backing us, then playing live is pointless - nobody knows you, nobody is going to pay to see you. Let's face it - that's how the big guys do it - saturate the airwaves with your tracks. However, major campaign = money, and that is something we just don't have at this stage after investing in the studio gear to record these albums. I, on the other hand think that playing live is where it's at. I'm not saying it's as good as a major marketing campaign, but I think it's the next best thing. The part that I am not sure about is this - no matter how much you promote a gig, how can you expect people to come along and pay $5 to come and see a band that they have never heard of before? Simple: you can't. Therefore, you need it to be free entry. Now, if it's free entry - then how do you cover costs?? i.e promoting, PA (if the venue doesn't supply) etc.

Is it just a matter of playing live and letting it cost you money until you build up a small fan base in that area? Or is there a better, smarter alternative to this? Do you get other bands involved and make a night of it? What if there is no other band that would be willing to play for free? Let's face it, if you're a band that is doing really well locally, and have a fan base, then you're probably past playing shows without getting some reward. Especially if you're that good.

These are all just things that I'm focusing on right now and that are going through my head. I have a couple of idea's that may or may not work, they need work but as soon as I get them in order I will let you know. But I think all these points I have bought up are valid points - especially when it comes to getting attendance at gigs. I think that's a major factor. Then again - there's always the way that Bon Jovi did it, Jon said that at their first gig they played to about 5 people, the next gig at that same place, they played to about 10 people. After that, it started to grow... until they ended up selling out. My question is, that was 20-30 years ago - is that still the way now? Or, again, is there a better, smarter way.

Not Every Day Is A Good Day

The past few days have been very hard. I have been trying to keep focussed and get a marketing plan sorted out. But to be honest, I have found it all very draining. I believe in this with a passion - I know I have one of the hottest bands in New Zealand under me, but my lack of experience in marketing is really starting to show and it's taking it's toll on me - emotionally.

I have been thinking about this next post. I thought about writing one on "how to grow your local fan base", but then I remembered what this blog is all about - and that is: keeping it real. Why write about how to grow a local fan base when I haven't accomplished it yet?! Why search the internet and gather all the information I can find, come up with my own idea's and tell you all about it when I haven't tried it out myself? That's not keeping it real.

So please bear with me in this post as I'm not going through an easy time. I find it very frustrating and I'm just not sure what to do about it or where to go. The hardest part I'm finding is that I bare this all on my own shoulders. It's my sole responsibility and I guess it's wearing me down. I think if I had a person at my side working on it all with me - that could motivate me when I needed it (like now) or inspire me and vice versa then it'd be much easier to keep my head above water.

But sadly at this time, with all the crap we are enduring here locally (yes it still goes on - I heard the band's song that did really well on YouTube was played by one of the local bands at their gig and posted onto YouTube - making full mockery of the band I manage), not only all that, but all the problems with having to pay to play (will explain this in my next post) at venues and needing to organise other bands to play with... well, I'm starting to lose motivation.

But.... I will get through this.... somehow. I will brainstorm over the next 12 hours and let you know what I come up with. I think I need some "me" time to sit where it's quiet and think. I wrote this post to keep you up to date and just let you know where I'm at, and that I haven't forgotten my blog! :)

How To Contact The Industry Bigwigs

Well I must be doing something right here. Over the past couple of weeks, whenever I contact the 'movers & shakers' in the industry (be it management companies, major record labels or even the bigger indie labels), I seem to get replied to now! Yes that does come as a surprise, because I have been managing this band seriously for a year and previously when I would contact any one of those “types”, I always got the brush off or no reply at all!

A month or so ago I contacted the major US indie label Wind-Up Records. Now, a place like that – they have no contact details on their website, and don’t accept unsolicited CD’s. But it just goes to show, if you know who to contact, are polite, use the correct etiquette and get straight to the point, then a response is more likely. By the way – it is no good being an artist or a band member and trying to contact people like this, ensure you get a representative or look at finding someone to manage your band and do it for you. Anyways, Wind-Up Records replied to me and asked me to send a copy of the album over so they could check it out. Turned out that it wasn’t something they were interested in taking further (unfortunately), but have asked me to keep in touch and send them anything else that I think might interest them. WOOT! BONUS for me! What a great contact to have!!

Yesterday I contacted a couple of well-known band managers here in New Zealand and I heard back from one of them today, which was great. He replied "you're doing a great job with your promo" and gave a few suggestions, which was really helpful. I was happy with that and it was great to hear back from someone like that and receive their advice. Once again, it’s great to have a contact like that. So like my previous post – it’s really all about contacting the destination and asking for directions.

Just three things that I really want to point out, that are so important and will make all the difference if you receive a reply or not – 1) Find out who is the correct person to deal with; 2) Be friendly and polite, and get straight to the point; and 3) Do not contact them if you are a band member – get a management company to represent you – or you are wasting your time.

If this helps even one person out there then it is worth it. Once again, I will keep you updated as I go and you’ll be hearing all the success stories here (there have been a few already - including receiving over 300,000 views in the first 5 days of appearing on YouTube) and the failures as well… along with all the drama’s I encounter along the way! There’s already been way too much of that though – with sabotage from a soundman, a local music forum causing trouble, a reviewer that went to great lengths to bring us down, and a bass player that ditched us 6 days before a big showcase!

The Importance Of People Loving You!

We are currently looking at moving out of this area and up to the biggest city in New Zealand. I think, for the genre this band caters to, and the much larger population, that they will be more in their element. Not only that, but there is a much larger range of live music venues - and that's a massive bonus.

Which brings me to my next point. The biggest thing I have learned over the past week is how important large local fanbase is. If you can grow your local following to a reasonable size of loyal fans, then any shows you put on are going to be a blast - and you know you won't have to worry about costs. Let's face it - if you have just 500 fans that are willing to spend $5 to see you play live, that's $2,500! With that money you can put on one hell of a show! Not only that, but if you have the great songs - then it will just get better and better. Doing that is what makes the big guys sit up and take notice!

I won't go into detail on how we will go about growing our fanbase just yet - I will do a full post on that real soon - and let you know what my idea's are. So keep following our journey, find out how it all goes... I will keep you fully updated!

Where To Now?

So... the showcase that we had been looking forward to for the past two months has been and gone. Over the past few days, I have felt very disappointed and frustrated with how I felt it all went. I have felt let down and was almost ready to throw in the towel, give it all up, and seek a 9 to 5 job that my family would consider 'normal'.

But then... I read the rave reviews the album has received... I see the emails STILL coming in asking when the boys are touring their country... and I hear the potential songs for the next album they are currently working on....! All of that keeps me going - I know that I have a rock band here that needs to be heard. A band that people are going to love - and that people do already love! I just need to get it out there. I always knew it was never going to be an easy ride...!

First thing I had to do was adjust my attitude. So I had some expectations that weren't met?! That's life. That's the nature of the industry - get over it! Move onwards and upwards. Half the reason I felt so down was because the showcase had been our latest goal - now we had achieved that, but I had set no other goal to work to towards achieving. Yes, we all know "goals" are important - if you don't have a goal in mind then that's something you need to sort out. Let's face it - goals motivate you, they challenge you, they keep you moving forward - always have one (or two!).

So, at this stage, I'm currently putting together a marketing plan. With everything that has happened, I figure that concentrating on their local fanbase here in New Zealand is one of the most important stages of that plan. Hence, that is my focus right now.

He Who Has The Power... Speak!

* Note from this point on, I will use the psydoneum of 'Charlie' for the VIP.

Okay, so it'd been 5 days since the 'showcase' and we hadn't heard anything from Charlie. I thought I would take the opportunity to email him and thank him for organising the show. I also wanted his advice on whether to take up that Canadian PR company on their offer ($799 for promotion via radio in 3 countries for 4-6 weeks - NB: not guaranteed airplay).

So I emailed a thank you note to him and his business partner saying that I'm not sure exactly where we go from here and asked what they thought of the PR offer from that company. I heard back from him later in the day saying "you're welcome" and that he was disappointed no record or radio people turned up. He said the next step is for the guys to start working on being a trio and for the lead singer/guitarist to work on featuring his guitar playing early on in the show - and eliminate the covers. He continued on to say "keep working on the next album and take it from there". Funnily enough he didn't mention anything in regards to my question re the PR Company.

I caught up with the lead singer later on who said that he, too, had emailed Charlie - just wanting to say a personal thank you. He had received a reply saying "that's fine, I think you need to lift your act now and play to your strengths - feature your guitar playing right off - even if it's only to make fans sit up and take notice. Your songs are great, the trio is strong - look how Silverchair have done, it's different - you can do it! Go well and good luck!"

So... with those emails, I figure it's the end of the road with 'Charlie' unfortunately. But I might be wrong - I'm only assuming and probably reading too much between the lines. At the end of the show last Thursday, Charlie did mention that if he were younger, he'd take them on himself - but he doesn't manage bands anymore. He said that he would always be able to help me with the business side of it though.

I guess it's now just a matter of plugging away at it ourselves and seeing what becomes.

Big Strategy #1

I want to share with you a great promotional strategy that originally came from Derek Sivers. I think it's an awesome idea and something we will be putting to use in this showcase:

PHOTOS OF YOUR AUDIENCE ON YOUR WEBSITE.

Secret trick to get people in the audience to sign your mailing list AND be part of your inside club.

1. At every show you do, from now on, bring a camera and a notebook.

2. About halfway through your show, when everyone is having fun, take pictures of the audience, from the stage. Tell them to smile, make a face, hold up their beer, whatever.

3. Afterwards, pass around the notebook and say, "Please write down your email address in this notebook, and in a few days, I'll email you, telling you where you can see YOUR goofy picture on my website."

4. At the end of the night, before bed, write up a journal/diary/memoir of that show. Scan and upload all their pictures onto a page of your website. Dedicate a page of your site about that show, with the diary, photos, and a little link on that page that says, "If you were at this show, please introduce yourself!" - so people can contact you.

5. Email everyone that was there that night. Of course EVERYone will go look at your site. How could they not? People are infinitely more interested in themselves than they are in you.

6. Stay in touch with them all!

(p.s. The other hidden idea in this is to make every show a Real Event. A Big Deal. Something worth documenting. This will get you out of the habit of thinking of it as "just another gig." Because for many of your fans, it's not. It's the most fun they've had all month.)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out"

Planning For A Showcase

With the showcase being only one week away, a suggestion was made by a good friend of ours (aka top roadie) to video the events leading up to it. For instance, rehearsals, packing the gear, organising transport etc along with the actual show - or at least, parts of it. With the idea of it all being collated together and used to create a documentary of the event.

I think it's a great idea and has a bit of merit! Always great to have the live footage - even if we take the audio out and throw the studio version of the song onto it. So am just putting down my thoughts on what we can include in it. I'm thinking an interview with the band will be a good base for it - and have bits and pieces of the recorded events spread throughout it.

Also, don't forget these sort of things make great promotional tools! No doubt some parts will end up on YouTube and the like. Also good to keep some parts of these things and make them available for fans only - i.e. those that have signed up to the newsletter on your website. You do have a small form where they can sign up to a newsletter, right?! If not, get one - now! (More on that later). But basically, fans love to get up close and personal with the artist - so if you give them unseen behind the scenes footage, they will love you for it.

So, on that note, if you have a big event coming up - or any event/gig etc, video some backstage footage, or behind the scenes stuff - great way to keep the fans coming back for more.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance"

Breaking Into Commercial Radio

Okey dokey, here's a bit of the good news! It is possible to receive airplay and get playlisted with the commercial radio stations - it has happened to several bands - and not just in New Zealand. But one good example that I would like to share, which you may or may not already know the story of, is the story behind New Zealand band, Blindspott.

Originally typecast as too heavy for radio, the Blindspott eventually earned radio airplay through radio stations being overwhelmed with fans requesting to hear them. And, as they say, the rest is history — a major label bidding war, two number one albums, triple platinum sales, a number one airplay single, sold-out tours, and overseas adventures in South East Asia, Japan, America and Australia.

Certainly goes to show that it's all about getting the music to the people - winning them over one by one. Nurture your fans, look after them - they will become your best asset! Just like I mentioned in a previous blog - you need to treat every single fan like they are number one! Because you never know who they are or how they can help you! Just look at what happened with our YouTube video - all because we replied to a comment and let that person know we appreciated him taking the time to check it out.

There are many stories to success that are similar to the one of Blindspott. However, it's important to note that, though it may sound fairly easy, reality is, it's a lot of hard work. Playing live, connecting with fans, keeping up to date with comments, emails, playing more gigs, organising new gigs etc - all of it is solid hard work - it's not easy. But when you get to that stage and all your fans behind you wanting to hear you on the radio - that's what makes it all worth it.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "If life throws you a curve ball, hit a grand slam off of it"

10 Tips To Get New Fans ...

1. Promote on YouTube - get some good sounding acoustic video's of your music up, keep them interesting. Also video 'behind the scenes' footage and upload that - give fans a glimpse into the 'Rockstar Life'!

2. Social Networking - Get involved in the online social networking buzz e.g. MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, MOG etc - promote your music, upload some tracks and comment on people's profiles. Remember to always reply to every comment or message.

3. Blogging - Yep, it's the new buzz, and another great way to show people the 'behind the scenes' of it all. The good, the bad and the downright ugly - blog it all!

4. Live Gigs - Go out and play live as often as you can - your first gig might start off with a small amount of people (friends and friends of friends), but if you have put the work in and put on a great show, then next time those friends will bring along another friend etc and so on...

5. Internet Radio - Don't underestimate the power of internet radio. It's a great source for getting your music to people that are keen to hear new indie music! That's where they go to get away from the commercial mainstream music that's shoved down their throats.

6. Opinion Leaders - There are internet-only publications with readerships in the tens of thousands, whose writers may wish to say nice things about your music - find them and contact them! Their readers rely on their opinion and it will drive traffic to your site.

7. Local Press - Don't forget your local music magazines/newspapers - they will generally be pretty supportive of local talent, so ensure you develop a great relationship with them. Let them know about your album and any news that you wish to announce - they may even have a music section that will review your album.

8. Website - Ensure you have your own website up and running! Not just a random little website that's like a publication - that was Web 1.0 - make it fun, interactive and keep people coming back for more - Google 'Web 2.0' to get an idea of what your website should have!

9. Email List - Whatever you do - ensure that you have an email list!! Those that sign up for it want to hear more from you!!!! So... make it easy for them - it's simple, just name and email space - if you're not sure how, or aren't html literate - visit Freedback Forms, easy as!

10. Promowhoring - Now you're sitting there wondering what the hell this one is?! Once your MySpace and other social networking sites start developing - head to bands sites that have a similar sound to you (that reach the same target market), check out their friends lists or those that leave comments on their page - recommend them your music. Ensure that it's done in a polite manner..! And you're on your way!

YouTube.. Is It Worth It For Musicians?

Now, here's where it all gets interesting. I thought it was time to forget about the so called "commericial" avenues and work on getting it out to the people instead - after all, it is the 'people' that make the difference - always remember that! Don't get hooked on trying to be "commercial". If the people love you, then you'll make it there eventually.

So armed and ready, we uploaded the video to YouTube. In the first 5 days it received over 300,000 views!! How the hell did we do that? I'll tell you how. It all goes back to two crucial elements: 1.) have a damn good song; 2.) look after your fans! The latter one is most important. Reply to every comment - even if it's just to say "thanks". It shows that you actually give a damn and that they are appreciated. After all - they take the time out to not only listen to your music but to comment. Always remember - you never know WHO they are or WHAT they do. Every comment my artist receives gets a reply.

So, in answer to the question of how we 'worked it' on YouTube: it turned out that one of the guys I replied to absolutely loved the song and just happened to run an internet TV station! He decided he really wanted to help promote this band and threw it up on his front page. We were pretty stoked! After that, the views rapidly increased - and so did the email messages of people wanting to know when they are touring!

So... in a nutshell - is YouTube worth it for musicians? Hell YES! That is the people talking! Get the picture? Every single fan has the potential to help you - one way or another, some more than others - but ALL are important!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Identify your problems, but give your power and energy to solutions"

Music Video Time... Did It Work?!

...[continued..] Well, I certainly didn't let the lack of support from commercial radio stations bother me. Actually, it empowered me and made me more determined. I was completely committed to getting this artist out there, and I still am. Next up on my list of things to do, was to get a video done. We had already created a YouTube account and thrown up a couple of acoustic versions, which people really seemed to enjoy.

Time for a real video, now that the album was finished and fully produced and mastered - let's see if the TV stations are any more helpful than radio! We created the video - we did it on a very limited budget, and had a lot of help from friends and contacts we had made - came together nicely. Not the best video - looking back, there are many things I would change - but it was what we could do on little or no budget. Comparing it to other New Zealand music videos - it was in the same league.

So, we sent that off to 2 of the main music video stations here in New Zealand - C4TV and Juice. Result? C4 said they might show it in their Homegrown section - they thought the song was awesome, but didn't think the video did it justice. I'm happy to agree with that. Juice? They were just downright rude! They were not interested - I inquired as to what they thought of the song itself... and they said "it wouldn't fit in amongst Beyonce and Justin Timberlake" (I still have the email - with the very rude tone in it!). I must admit, I had to laugh, because whilst they do play that kind of thing - there's also a tonne of New Zealand content, and this track is by far, as good as (if not better) than any other New Zealand song currently playing.

How the hell do you break into the commercial world ...??? More soon!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A hidden wisdom is like a hidden star; it shines nowhere"

Getting Radio Airplay.... Or Not!

Today is a wet, rainy day and it's Sunday, so thought I might just give you a recap on where I'm at so far.

I've been running an indie record label/management company full time for about 6 months now. I currently manage only one band at this stage as I would rather focus on one act that has 'hit' potential, rather than 3 that are just pretty good. I spend a lot of time doing the upkeep of all sites (website, Bebo, MySpace etc), replying to every message and every comment, commenting back, adding blogs etc. That alone is a full time job!

We put together a video for the first single this band released off their album, and posted it up on YouTube. Within 5 days it had received over 300,000 views! So I was pretty happy with that, considering that the biggest rock band here in New Zealand has only received 57,000 views! It proved to me that the public were loving it - we received a lot of honours on YouTube and the emails flowed in. It confirmed to me that we had hit the mark with choosing that first song.

So, using the YouTube feedback as our credibility I decided that one way or another, we need to get this song on air. I got hold of the name of every programme director at each radio station fitting the genre, called them and introduced myself. I mentioned that I would like to send them a copy of the album and a couple of weeks later, I called back to follow up. The result I got from them, collectively, were that it was "cheesy" and "wouldn't fit into the playlist" etc. CHEESY???? What the heck? Were they listening to the same track that I was? And the other 300,000 people? I was too polite to mention that many of the current tracks on their playlist were what I would term as "cheesy"! I have sinced learned that getting any kind of air play is a very political venture! In the music industry.. it is not WHAT you know, is is definitely WHO you know.

But... I wasn't about to stop there! No way were they going to knock me down and put me in my place. I was more determined than ever.... [to be continued..]

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Success is your responsibility. You will only accomplish what you believe you can and do what you think is possible"

Promote Your Music .. but where to start?

Let's face it, with the millions of bands (and there's some damn good ones) out there, and the likes of platforms such as MySpace, YouTube and Facebook etc how does one rise above the rest to stand out?

Yes, getting your music out there is damn hard. But I believe it's by winning over one fan at a time. There are so many questions and so many opinions - neither necessarily right or wrong. For example: do you offer free downloads? Do you stream music? If so, just a couple of the songs, or a full album? If people have that so freely, will they bother to buy or download them? There are so many different opinions on these questions that you have to just do what fits right for you and what you're comfortable with. There are pros and cons to it all.

For my artist, I allow all tracks to be downloaded individually - this is because I can remember how often I have been put off buying an album because I was really only loving one or two tracks. This way, people can pick and choose - and if they don't want to buy a full album, they may buy up to half a dozen tracks - but at least it's songs that they really want. I only stream 3 songs across all mediums as I feel that it's better to leave people wanting more. If they want to hear more, then there are previews on the website.

I also decided to sell the album via CD Baby as after reading up about them, it's a great way to sell worldwide and not have to worry about the posting of CD's etc. They do it all for you - and you still get all the information of who buys your CD. They also provide great digital services with the companies they have partnered up with. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. My artist's album was up there 2 days (I hadn't even confirmed the setup for digital distribution) and we already had a sale!

What you also need is one really good song - get that really good song out there, on every medium you can - YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Mog etc. Use something like ReverbNation's widgets to collect fans. These are little widgets you can place on many social networking sites, as well as your own website, where people can input their name and email and ReverbNation collects the details for you. Then you can mass email your fans with news, updates, new tracks etc.

Once you start getting your fans - look after them!! The single most important rule! Personally write to them - don't use formal, corporate language, talk to them like you would a good mate, let them feel part of what you're doing. Continue the fantasy that they have that they are hanging with a 'rock star'. Answer every comment you get on YouTube or MySpace etc, don't let them go un-noticed. They will really appreciate it. I have had a few fans really surprised that they got a reply from the singer!! They were really taken aback, and I know that they are now a fan for life.
Now, I have an awesome resource that has really helped me - I don't agree with everything in it - but like I said, take what you want out of things and do what fits for you. It's a 96 page e-book, so if you're keen for help with new music strategies for the online world, just get in touch.

Ok, well I'll be back!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Opportunity is like a door; when it swings open, you quickly enter because it will not be open forever"