Q: I am performing more and more, but I don’t have new material recorded to sell at shows. It is online for purchase on Bandcamp, though. To add to that, I barely play any of the old material, so I wanted to ask if you think it wise to sell the old CD’s just to [...]
Having just release a new album, I thought it would be cool to share my thoughts on a very important part of the recording process – finding a producer! I hope these tips point you in the right direction. 1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE AS A MUSICIAN Musicians who don’t know their “sound” often create [...]
Today’s post is the second installment in a 3-part series by Shaun Letang of Music Industry How To. Hey guys, this is part two in the three part series on ‘How To Increase Your Music Website’s Conversion Rates’. Part 1 was all about getting more people on your mailing list, while today we’ll be looking at using your [...]
1. TURNING FACEBOOK LIKES INTO LOVES Just because someone happens to like your page one day, doesn’t mean they’re reading your status updates, visiting regularly, or sharing you with their friends. In fact, they may never visit again. Here’s some practical advice on how to make Facebook fans and keep them. This post wasn’t written in 2012 [...]
THE ARTIST: Acoustic for Autism THE QUESTION: I was curious if you had any tips to help promote a non-profit benefit project that has no budget for marketing? I’ve grown our twitter to almost 4,700 followers and we have 1000 likes on Facebook. But that doesn’t equate to downloads/purchases. We donate 100% of net proceeds to non-profits [...]
THE ARTIST: Michael Gaither (Santa Cruz, CA) THE QUESTION: I’m finishing my third CD. I recently posted my first two records using the Bandcamp widget, so I posted full songs. Im curious: do you have any thoughts, pro or con, about posting full length songs? In a way this just seems more honest. Plus, clips only can [...]
After playing so many shows and talking to so many people after a shows, it gets easier to know what kind of fan will buy a specific item from your merchandise table. We thought we’d write a post based on our own observations. Let us know what you think and definitely add your input. [...]
It’s no surprise that the more content you create, the more interest you generate. The two go hand-in-hand. Without a weekly dose of photos, videos, and/or blogs, you are missing out on new fans, engaged fans, and the opportunity to make your music travel further than your immediate network. Let’s break it down. PICTURES [...]
Everyone knows our media-saavy culture suffers from information overload, but no one has driven the point home like MSN’s Bing Commercials. There’s nothing new under the sun and everything’s already been said. This is why saying the same thing in new ways is the only way to stand out from your competitors, catch people off guard, [...]
To read the first two posts in this series, visit Stand-out Artists and What We Can Learn from Them #1 Stand-out Artists and What We Can Learn from Them #2 Artist #1: Ari Hest Brooklyn, New York’s Ari Hest stands out for several reasons. Aside from his excellent vocals and simple tunes, Ari has found a way to engage his fans [...]
Ah yes…the 1 year mark! Your latest album ain’t so hot anymore and you’re not quite ready to go into the studio again. What do you do? What have you done? Well, this post is certainly open to your suggestions and we definitely want them! BUT here are some immediate thoughts… RELEASE AN EP Do [...]
THE ARTIST: The Beggar Folk (Lancaster, PA) THE QUESTION: We’re trying to figure out how much to charge for our CD release show and we’re throwing around some ideas. We considered $5 to get in and CDs are $5…or $10 to get in and everyone gets a free CD. Any other ideas or lessons from [...]
A friend of mine is super cheap! She likes to make butterred popcorn by coating raw kernals with butter, putting them in a brown lunchbag, sealing the bag, and sticking it in the microwave. I think its funny but give it a try and tell me if it works :) So…in light of coming up with alternative methods, here [...]
It’s funny how quickly the music industry and social media change. One day A is good. The next day B is better. Then a week later, C trumps them both. After trying both CDBaby and Tunecore, I’ve seen my allegiance shift back and forth. So I thought I’d offer pros and cons of each company [...]
THE ARTIST: Brooke Annibale (Pittsburgh, PA) THE QUESTION: How do you feel about singles being released before the entire album…like a teaser? THE ANSWER: I’m especially interested in what readers have to say on this one. Have you done this? Has it worked for you or backfired? How far in advance did you release the [...]
