customers

Using CDs and DVDs to Boost Response

Lee Purcell

The benefits of CDs and DVDs go far beyond entertainment. They have introduced new opportunities for effective business communication. And that’s especially critical during an era when every marketing and PR expenditure is mercilessly scrutinized.

Discs offer a simple, universal means to convey information to anyone, anywhere. You have to do some serious hunting to find a household that doesn’t have a DVD player, and computer DVD drives will play everything from the latest movie releases to the earliest audio CDs. Read more…

Don’t just monetize, maximize.

Tony van Veen

Tony van VeenThere’s no shortage of information online about how to monetize your music: sell CDs in stores and online, downloads, merch, synch licensing, live gigs, etc. There’s not nearly as much written about how to maximize your revenues once you’ve made use of the above selling opportunities. Here’s a quick list of some common sense things the average artist can easily implement (and which will show instant results): Read more…

Learning To Sell Effectively

Scott James

If you plan on being successful in the music business then you’re going to have to learn how to sell. Whether that means selling out shows, selling CDs, or selling your bass player on the idea that he should start wearing deodorant, you need to learn how to sell. The way that you sell is indicative of how you view the world and will go a long way towards determining your level of true success and happiness.

At least once a day I walk a half mile down the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard to get to Starbucks. I see more sales pitches in a week then most people see in a lifetime. Everywhere I look someone is either trying to get someone to go on a tour, take a personality test, buy their CD, give them money, join their church, or any number of other things. Read more…

Understanding your Competition

John Stiernberg

Applying business strategies to your music career can help you succeed

You and your competitors have one key characteristic in common: you are both going after the same target customer. There are two basic kinds of competition: direct and indirect.

Here’s a quick review of the definitions:
• Direct competition: similar businesses in your product category.
• Indirect competition: any product from outside your product category that goes after the same target customer’s attention and money.

The total competitive environment includes both the direct and indirect competitors. While this may seem obvious, I’ve found that most music people focus primarily on one or the other. Consider these two scenarios: Read more…