No one’s arguing that the changes in the music industry haven’t tipped the scales in favor of the independents. Not only can you forge a path to success without the help of a label, you can choose from a variety of means to achieve it. But that leaves a number of questions on the table, including whether or not you ought to give your music away for free.
As an indie, CD and download sales can be a huge part of the equation in regard to your income. Read more…
One person may practice an instrument for an hour a day, another for only 10 minutes a day. And yet the person who practices for 10 minutes may make more progress than the one who practices for an hour. Why? Because the person who plays for only 10 minutes may spend that time in focused practice, working on developing new skills.
The person who practices for an hour may spend that time playing songs, pieces, or scales that he or she already knows. Read more…
Lets say you have a concert in two weeks. How would you normally advertise such a thing? Word of mouth? Handbills? Posters on phone poles? Ads in newspapers? Text messages to your friends? Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter Posts? An email blast? Writing a blog post?
Self promotion can be a lot of work. Sometimes all we have time for is a few email reminders, a post on MySpace and a text message on the day of the show. Read more…
I recently had someone on the Disc Makers blog ask me about a promotion they were thinking of doing for their upcoming CD. The idea was to give out 50-100 CDs to fans who were willing to recruit a certain number of their friends to join the band’s Facebook fan page. I thought it brought up some things that are worth thinking about. Here was my response:
My first thought is that you might get a better return on investment with Facebook advertising. Read more…
It’s 5 am and the shrill blast from my alarm clock has successfully propelled me out of bed. Thirty minutes later, I’m on the road to my gym.
Why am I starting this marketing article with a description of my pre-dawn routine? Because while I was trudging along on the treadmill, it occurred to me: Marketing your business is a lot like an exercise program. Here’s how. Read more…
Lil Wayne (aka Weezy F. Baby) is a name that most people who know music are familiar with.
Whether or not you like his work is a different matter entirely. Lil Wayne’s pop superstardom in recent years can largely be attributed to his stranglehold on the rap mixtape market.
Since 2006 Lil Wayne has released a seemingly endless flurry of mixtapes. With each one the bond between Weezy and his audience grows stronger. Read more…
Savvy businesspeople recognize and envision the revenue that mixtapes can generate when marketed wisely. Ludacris, an astute businessman (and my favorite MC), released his A Hustler’s Spirit mixtape in January 2010.
So what’s so special about this particular mixtape?
A Hustler’s Spirit is sponsored by Conjure Cognac–a joint venture between Ludacris and Norwegian cognac house Birkedal Hartmann. Read more…
There are conflicting fundamental truths when it comes to success in the indie music universe.
It’s true, of course, that tools and opportunities exist now that did not in the past. Legitimate worldwide distribution is available through the web, shattering the barriers that existed a scant 10 years ago. Read more…
Your merch display doesn’t have to be attractive, but it has to be ATTRACTING! Whether you’ve pimped out a thrift-store suitcase, constructed a sleek and chic portable display, or simply spread CDs, T-shirts, and candles across one of the venue’s tables, you’ve got to make sure that something besides your undeniable musical genius catches the attention of the people in the audience. Read more…
I recently went to a show at a small L.A. venue called the Baked Potato. The band was phenomenal. One of the best guitar players I’d ever seen. However, half-way through the set he spotted a fan videotaping the show. Apparently he didn’t like that too much and chastised and embarrassed the fan in front of the entire crowd. As much as I loved the band I had to question why they thought it would be a good move to make their fan feel like a jerk in front of everyone for doing something that could help them reach more people. Read more…
Consider this scenario: Let’s say you own a trendy shoe store. To build store traffic, you’ve printed a post card mailing going to 1,000 people. And now you’ve got two equal stacks of addressed mailing pieces in front of you.
In one stack is 500 cards addressed to people on your own list – the marketing database you’ve built customer by customer. You know where they live and what they buy. If you’ve done your homework, you even know how often they come into your store, their shoe sizes, their favorite shoe colors, and whether they buy socks and shoelaces, too. Read more…
So you’ve put your blood, sweat, time, and money into making your brand new CD. 
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