Dorrothy Mae was an incredibly vibrant and dear partner on my dog walks. Every morning or afternoon, when I walked the dogs I would pass her house and she would be out walking as well. She wore a white sun hat (big) and white chandelier earrings (long) and had an 80 lb frame only 5 ft tall. She talked and talked about the day, not so much about her life. It was the sun, it was the wind, it was the cold it was the dark, but her life was not nearly as important to her beyond that moment.
One day I was walking my dog and I saw 5 cars in front of her house, I knew something was wrong... and I had felt it coming for a few weeks. A week went by before I finally cornered a relative in his car, napping, and I asked him "is everything OK with Dorothy?" and he said "No, we don't expect her to make it." I knew that none of her family knew me, but I knew her... But I also knew, this was a private time - one delegated to family members, not casual aquaintences, but OH, I wanted to be there - I wanted to hug her and thank her and embelish on those small moments, walking the dogs, that were ours. I wanted to share with her how her white hat and white earrings always brought out beauty in her. She knew they did, and that's why she wore them. I wanted to remind her of that - I wanted to give her a hug, goodbye. I wasn't invited, there for I didn't, but I wont make the same mistake with Wanda.
She lives across the street from Dorothy Mae. She heard what happened but is suffering from dementia and forgets things. But she now walks with me and the dogs. And she knows she's the next one to go on the street. She said to me, as I walked her back up her driveway, "I''m going to see my husband again - it won't be like this, but it will be better. We'll all be happy again." And I know she's right, and I want to give her that hug before she goes, and I want to ask her to look up my grandparents, my father, my friends and my aquaintences, and let them know, I too am coming. Maybe not this year, maybe not this decade, but I'm coming...
Radio Mavens Logo
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Capitalizing On Radio Airplay And Promotion
It's important to understand a very basic principle; radio is a PARTNER in your career as an artist! Although most partners will voice opinions about how to operate your business, radio rarely does. On top of that, you only get one chance to make a great first impression. Radio wants to know you are actively trying to increase their listener-ship by actively building your own fan base, and that is the symbiotic relationship that they rely on when deciding who gets their spins.
Given that information, and assuming you are ready to embark on radio promotion, there are several steps that need to be taken in order to have the best shot at getting royalties and downloads.
#1: Embed your metadata in the mastering process. CDs will carry a layer of metadata about the recordings such as dates, artist, genre, copyright owner, etc. The metadata, not normally displayed by CD players, can be accessed and displayed by specialized music playback and/or editing applications. It is all too common for radio to receive a CD, they put it in their computer, the track name comes up as Track 01, with the artist and album columns blank (unknown). What that means is when they get ready to report their playlist to the PROs or Sound Exchange, it will show segments of airplay with the report "Artist Unknown." If you expect the MD or PD to type in your info by hand, take off your rose colored glasses and put yourself in their shoes. They don't care if you don't care, plain and simple.
#2: Register with Sound Exchange and the PROs as an Artist, Label and Publisher. If you are not registered how will they know where to send the royalty check? It's your job to sign the forms, assign a SS# to your accounts and instruct them on how you wish to be paid. Trust me, they aren't going to seek you out - they make interest on the money that is not distributed so why would they? Don't wait, go register!
#3: Fan Base, Fan Base, Fan Base! As a solo artist, "1000 True Fans" equals on the average, $100,000 a year in income. If each of those True Fans spends $100 a year on your concerts, CDs, T-shirts, Hats, DVDs etc... you will achieve a decent living from those sales. There are close to 7 billion people on the planet earth and all you need are 1000 of them to Tweet about you, Facebook you, come to your gigs and buy whatever you put out that is new, and you are making a living. The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website. This small circle of diehard fans, which can provide you with a living, is surrounded by concentric circles of Lesser Fans. These folks will not purchase everything you do, and may not seek out direct contact, but they will buy much of what you produce. The processes you develop to feed your True Fans will also nurture Lesser Fans. As you acquire new True Fans, you can also add many more Lesser Fans. If you keep going, you may indeed end up with millions of fans and reach a hit. I don't know of any artist who is not interested in having a million fans.
#4: Put those fans to work. Tell them what you need them to do. Tell them to tell their friends to "like" your Facebook page, "fan" your ReverbNation site, call their local radio station and request your song, email their favorite internet station and rave about you, play your music on LastFM and "scrobble" it, repost your gigs on their pages, etc... etc...
#5: Create a promotion for radio that ties into their favorite charity or local non-profit. Give radio a reason to spin you, other than the obvious - that "they LOVE your song!" Royalty from radio is directly related to how many spins you are getting from terrestrial radio and how many streams are picked up on internet radio. Your fans can make all the difference in how much airplay you get, but by partnering with radio on a "Good Will" project, this gives them even more incentive to support your music.
#6: Submit your music to as many online music libraries as you can find - Start up your own personal radio playlists on as many sites as possible - Slacker, LastFM, Cloud, etc... Be actively played as often as possible.
Although there are many ways to build a music career, let's face it, even if all you get the first year is enough money to replace the bad transmission in your overworked touring van, you're ahead of the game...
Given that information, and assuming you are ready to embark on radio promotion, there are several steps that need to be taken in order to have the best shot at getting royalties and downloads.
#1: Embed your metadata in the mastering process. CDs will carry a layer of metadata about the recordings such as dates, artist, genre, copyright owner, etc. The metadata, not normally displayed by CD players, can be accessed and displayed by specialized music playback and/or editing applications. It is all too common for radio to receive a CD, they put it in their computer, the track name comes up as Track 01, with the artist and album columns blank (unknown). What that means is when they get ready to report their playlist to the PROs or Sound Exchange, it will show segments of airplay with the report "Artist Unknown." If you expect the MD or PD to type in your info by hand, take off your rose colored glasses and put yourself in their shoes. They don't care if you don't care, plain and simple.
#2: Register with Sound Exchange and the PROs as an Artist, Label and Publisher. If you are not registered how will they know where to send the royalty check? It's your job to sign the forms, assign a SS# to your accounts and instruct them on how you wish to be paid. Trust me, they aren't going to seek you out - they make interest on the money that is not distributed so why would they? Don't wait, go register!
#3: Fan Base, Fan Base, Fan Base! As a solo artist, "1000 True Fans" equals on the average, $100,000 a year in income. If each of those True Fans spends $100 a year on your concerts, CDs, T-shirts, Hats, DVDs etc... you will achieve a decent living from those sales. There are close to 7 billion people on the planet earth and all you need are 1000 of them to Tweet about you, Facebook you, come to your gigs and buy whatever you put out that is new, and you are making a living. The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website. This small circle of diehard fans, which can provide you with a living, is surrounded by concentric circles of Lesser Fans. These folks will not purchase everything you do, and may not seek out direct contact, but they will buy much of what you produce. The processes you develop to feed your True Fans will also nurture Lesser Fans. As you acquire new True Fans, you can also add many more Lesser Fans. If you keep going, you may indeed end up with millions of fans and reach a hit. I don't know of any artist who is not interested in having a million fans.
#4: Put those fans to work. Tell them what you need them to do. Tell them to tell their friends to "like" your Facebook page, "fan" your ReverbNation site, call their local radio station and request your song, email their favorite internet station and rave about you, play your music on LastFM and "scrobble" it, repost your gigs on their pages, etc... etc...
#5: Create a promotion for radio that ties into their favorite charity or local non-profit. Give radio a reason to spin you, other than the obvious - that "they LOVE your song!" Royalty from radio is directly related to how many spins you are getting from terrestrial radio and how many streams are picked up on internet radio. Your fans can make all the difference in how much airplay you get, but by partnering with radio on a "Good Will" project, this gives them even more incentive to support your music.
#6: Submit your music to as many online music libraries as you can find - Start up your own personal radio playlists on as many sites as possible - Slacker, LastFM, Cloud, etc... Be actively played as often as possible.
Although there are many ways to build a music career, let's face it, even if all you get the first year is enough money to replace the bad transmission in your overworked touring van, you're ahead of the game...
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
YouTube - Sean Hayes - "Powerful Stuff"
What is it about this guys voice that is so delicious? YouTube - Sean Hayes - "Powerful Stuff"
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Americana Radio: Mary Beth Cross "Before I Go" - Stream/Download
This is a CD worth grabbing of folk music from around the world reproduced by Mary Beth Cross, a fine folk singer in her own right. I find it feminine and complex - cool stuff Gmail - Americana Radio: Mary Beth Cross "Before I Go" - Stream/Download - radiomavens@gmail.com
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
NIXA Country (40)
Awesome radio station playing Country and supporting Independent Artists!!! NIXA Country (40)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
JAZZRADIO.com - About JazzRadio
If you like Jazz music you're probably going to like this online station....JAZZRADIO.com - About JazzRadio
Thursday, May 12, 2011
YouTube Launches Top 100 Chart for Music
YouTube says: The YouTube 100 measures song traffic across official music videos, user-uploaded videos and viral debuts, and uses this data to provide a holistic view of song popularity. The new chart is published weekly, and shines a new light on the YouTube community’s engagement and creativity.
The YouTube music chart is located on the YouTube Music page. Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and other pop stars fill out most of the list, but there is defiantly some classic YouTube oddities such as “Darth Vader vs Hitler. Epic Rap Battles of History 2” that made the list.
Do you think this is good for indie artists or just another way to promote mainstream music?"
My answer to that is this...
There are several sites I have seen that are combining “Mainstream” and “Indie” numbers in charts etc. The problem with this is it’s like comparing AAA baseball attendance with Pro ball playoff ticket sales – they have nothing in common. Charts should be indicators of the strengths and weaknesses of “like” competitors. You wouldn’t put a welterweight boxer in a ring with a heavy weight boxer and expect a fair fight. The problem is we don’t have a way of honestly measuring one artist against another in order to more fairly categorize them yet. What determines the difference between an Indie, a Major Indie and a Major artist? When we come up with that answer we will have created a more fair charting system that all artists will appreciate.
The YouTube music chart is located on the YouTube Music page. Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and other pop stars fill out most of the list, but there is defiantly some classic YouTube oddities such as “Darth Vader vs Hitler. Epic Rap Battles of History 2” that made the list.
Do you think this is good for indie artists or just another way to promote mainstream music?"
My answer to that is this...
There are several sites I have seen that are combining “Mainstream” and “Indie” numbers in charts etc. The problem with this is it’s like comparing AAA baseball attendance with Pro ball playoff ticket sales – they have nothing in common. Charts should be indicators of the strengths and weaknesses of “like” competitors. You wouldn’t put a welterweight boxer in a ring with a heavy weight boxer and expect a fair fight. The problem is we don’t have a way of honestly measuring one artist against another in order to more fairly categorize them yet. What determines the difference between an Indie, a Major Indie and a Major artist? When we come up with that answer we will have created a more fair charting system that all artists will appreciate.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tennesse Back Roads
I took a wonderful drive today from Downtown Nashville to East Franklin and took some back roads to get there. I was so amazed at how beautiful the farm/ranch land is 'round these parts and how many hidden treasures there are just a short drive from the city. I had to go through 2 one-lane tunnels to get to where I was going and realized it had been a long time since I had slowed down long enough to even contemplate the way time can stand still in some parts of Tennessee. After that wonderful drive I had the fantastic pleasure of spending the afternoon with Chas Sandford and his lovely girlfriend Ashley. We worked out a few ideas for promoting his new album, "Wag More, Bark Less" and then I took the amazing drive back home. What a treat and what an amazing talent - what a lovely day and what a fool I am for not getting out into the country more often.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I needed to hear this again today so I thought I would reshare it:
"LOVE recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls ---to arrive at its destination, full of hope." Don't ya just love Maya Angelou !!!!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
The New Music Industry is Not Coming: BY: Author Taurean Casey
We can all stop waiting for the “new music industry” to arrive. The new music industry is not coming, it is here already. The only thing that will change is change. New models reshaping the way music is marketed and distributed will continue to change the landscape, and there will be many. Right now we have an emergence of abundance within the music industry. There are countless new artists emerging and the same goes for the ways of consuming those artists. This will not change; the emergence will continue to evolve as humans will continue to evolve. With that being said, there will be a shaping and weeding out process. The shaping and weeding out process will define which artists and which models work best for you individually, the consumer. The process of definition for the music consumer will cross all boundaries including race, gender, and age. I would like to include money, but I can’t help but to imagine the rich kid who only wants to see their favorite artist live, so they pay for live shows whenever they decide to.
The music industry of yesterday consisted of great control. If one could just control the few available key aspects, they could and have controlled the market. Distribution in the days of music consumption yesterday consisted of record stores. This is something that I am very fond of, as I remember being a kid working in my grandfather’s record store in Northern New Jersey. I remember the days of going to one-stops in Brooklyn early Saturday mornings and rushing back to New Jersey to make it in time for opening. The distribution dollars still led back to the same few places. Huge media conglomerates controlled distribution channels and consumption channels through radio, tv, and later on portable devices. This took MAJOR funding. It was unthinkable to go against these conglomerates in this state of the music industry. The costs of producing, distributing, and marketing a record were extremely expensive. Even if you had the funding to produce a record, marketing and distribution channels were still tied up with the large media conglomerates.
With the emergence of new music technology, the scope has broadened on all levels. Technology has made way for new opportunities, thus creating new models. The internet has eliminated a lot of past costs within the music industry; this goes for the way music is recorded, the format of music, the marketing, and especially the distribution outlets. New models have taken away the control aspect. A child can be born, grow up developing their musical talent, gather people who can assist in the process, record an album, market that album, distribute that album, get paid, and repeat the process over and over without ever dealing with a record label for their entire career. And that’s just the basic capability of an artist operating in today’s music industry.
Right now we are looking at three entities that are battling in the “Who’s Going to Shape the Music Industry Showdown.” None of these entities are record labels; in fact they are all technology companies. They are Apple, Amazon, and Google. Does this spell doom for major record labels, I doubt it, but who knows? That’s the beauty of the current state of the music industry. It is imploded with an unforeseen greatness of potential. In the coming days, we will see artists partner with entities that we never would have imagined, in fact it’s happening now! Incredibly amazing talents that we never would have heard of in the days of yesterday now have a shot. Sure there will be lesser talents also with opportunities, but if you don’t want to listen to them DON’T. You now have that power in today’s world. The control of the experience has returned to the user, where it should have and always be. So has the music industry changed from what we once known? YES, and it will continue to change, but you will hold the reigns. Follow the technology at your own discretion. The new music industry is here, and from the looks of it, the new music industry will always be here.
The music industry of yesterday consisted of great control. If one could just control the few available key aspects, they could and have controlled the market. Distribution in the days of music consumption yesterday consisted of record stores. This is something that I am very fond of, as I remember being a kid working in my grandfather’s record store in Northern New Jersey. I remember the days of going to one-stops in Brooklyn early Saturday mornings and rushing back to New Jersey to make it in time for opening. The distribution dollars still led back to the same few places. Huge media conglomerates controlled distribution channels and consumption channels through radio, tv, and later on portable devices. This took MAJOR funding. It was unthinkable to go against these conglomerates in this state of the music industry. The costs of producing, distributing, and marketing a record were extremely expensive. Even if you had the funding to produce a record, marketing and distribution channels were still tied up with the large media conglomerates.
With the emergence of new music technology, the scope has broadened on all levels. Technology has made way for new opportunities, thus creating new models. The internet has eliminated a lot of past costs within the music industry; this goes for the way music is recorded, the format of music, the marketing, and especially the distribution outlets. New models have taken away the control aspect. A child can be born, grow up developing their musical talent, gather people who can assist in the process, record an album, market that album, distribute that album, get paid, and repeat the process over and over without ever dealing with a record label for their entire career. And that’s just the basic capability of an artist operating in today’s music industry.
Right now we are looking at three entities that are battling in the “Who’s Going to Shape the Music Industry Showdown.” None of these entities are record labels; in fact they are all technology companies. They are Apple, Amazon, and Google. Does this spell doom for major record labels, I doubt it, but who knows? That’s the beauty of the current state of the music industry. It is imploded with an unforeseen greatness of potential. In the coming days, we will see artists partner with entities that we never would have imagined, in fact it’s happening now! Incredibly amazing talents that we never would have heard of in the days of yesterday now have a shot. Sure there will be lesser talents also with opportunities, but if you don’t want to listen to them DON’T. You now have that power in today’s world. The control of the experience has returned to the user, where it should have and always be. So has the music industry changed from what we once known? YES, and it will continue to change, but you will hold the reigns. Follow the technology at your own discretion. The new music industry is here, and from the looks of it, the new music industry will always be here.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Marty Zwilling: Ten Ways To Optimize Your Investor Pitch Time
The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is 10 minutes. Even if you have booked an hour with a VC, you should plan to talk only for the first 15 minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation.
If you start by pitching your extended life story, that's the wrong point. Equally bad is an extended pitch on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology. Here are some tips on the right approach and the right points to hit:
1. Match your material to the time allotted. If you have 10 minutes, that means no more than 10 slides. Then match your pace to cover all the material. I've seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. An obvious effort to keep talking after the time limit won't save your day with investors.
2. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. I outlined what investors expect to see in an earlier article ("Ten Slides Make a Killer Investor Presentation"). These are tuned to the 10-minute limit, but are just as adequate if the investor gives you an hour.
3. Check the setup and set the stage. If the projector doesn't work, or won't connect to your laptop, you are the one that loses. Have at least one backup plan, such as copies of your slides to hand out and discuss, in case all else fails. The first words out of your mouth should be "Can everyone hear me and read the screen?"
4. Research your audience before presenting. The most respected presenters are the ones who have done the research before hand to know who is in the audience, and have tailored their message to these interests. If you know only a few people in the audience, acknowledge them, and convince the others that this is not a random cold call for you.
5. Dress appropriately and professionally. It's always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Business casual is the standard. Remember that most investors are from a generation where faded and torn jeans were on the wrong side of success in business.
6. Let the top person do all the talking. Tag team shows don't work in short venues. More importantly, investors want to see and hear the top guy -- typically the founder or CEO. They will be judging his aptitude, his character and his passion. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.
7. First, get their attention with your elevator pitch. Start with the problem and your solution. These are your hooks, and they better be covered in the first 30 seconds. State your value proposition, and what specifically you are offering to whom. Skip the acronyms, history of the company and the colorful autobiography.
8. Lead with facts, but skip the details. Skip the generic marketing phrases like more user friendly, massive opportunity, and paradigm shifting. "According to Gartner, the opportunity is 100 million by 2015, with 12% compounded growth." Investors don't need to know the implementation details of your patent or customer support plan.
9. Don't forget to ask for the order. How much money do you need, and what percent of your company are you willing give up for that amount? If you want investor interest, the business parameters of a deal should be presented as clearly as the product parameters.
10. Close by asking for questions and promising follow-up. Acknowledging feedback and actually listening for ways to improve will always lead to a positive impression. You should answer questions with data if you have it, but avoid defensive responses in favor of a promise to follow-up after the meeting.
Most importantly, don't forget to practice, practice, practice. Just because you have given a thousand pitches in your life, don't assume you can finesse this one by reading the bullet points in real time from the slides that your team put together for you. You need to be totally familiar and comfortable with your pitch to give it effectively.
Forget the theory that you can "rise to the occasion" and impress everyone with your dynamic speaking ability. If you are pitching the wrong point in the wrong way, the occasion will be more the demise than the rise of your dream.
Marty Zwilling: Ten Ways To Optimize Your Investor Pitch Time
If you start by pitching your extended life story, that's the wrong point. Equally bad is an extended pitch on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology. Here are some tips on the right approach and the right points to hit:
1. Match your material to the time allotted. If you have 10 minutes, that means no more than 10 slides. Then match your pace to cover all the material. I've seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. An obvious effort to keep talking after the time limit won't save your day with investors.
2. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. I outlined what investors expect to see in an earlier article ("Ten Slides Make a Killer Investor Presentation"). These are tuned to the 10-minute limit, but are just as adequate if the investor gives you an hour.
3. Check the setup and set the stage. If the projector doesn't work, or won't connect to your laptop, you are the one that loses. Have at least one backup plan, such as copies of your slides to hand out and discuss, in case all else fails. The first words out of your mouth should be "Can everyone hear me and read the screen?"
4. Research your audience before presenting. The most respected presenters are the ones who have done the research before hand to know who is in the audience, and have tailored their message to these interests. If you know only a few people in the audience, acknowledge them, and convince the others that this is not a random cold call for you.
5. Dress appropriately and professionally. It's always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Business casual is the standard. Remember that most investors are from a generation where faded and torn jeans were on the wrong side of success in business.
6. Let the top person do all the talking. Tag team shows don't work in short venues. More importantly, investors want to see and hear the top guy -- typically the founder or CEO. They will be judging his aptitude, his character and his passion. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.
7. First, get their attention with your elevator pitch. Start with the problem and your solution. These are your hooks, and they better be covered in the first 30 seconds. State your value proposition, and what specifically you are offering to whom. Skip the acronyms, history of the company and the colorful autobiography.
8. Lead with facts, but skip the details. Skip the generic marketing phrases like more user friendly, massive opportunity, and paradigm shifting. "According to Gartner, the opportunity is 100 million by 2015, with 12% compounded growth." Investors don't need to know the implementation details of your patent or customer support plan.
9. Don't forget to ask for the order. How much money do you need, and what percent of your company are you willing give up for that amount? If you want investor interest, the business parameters of a deal should be presented as clearly as the product parameters.
10. Close by asking for questions and promising follow-up. Acknowledging feedback and actually listening for ways to improve will always lead to a positive impression. You should answer questions with data if you have it, but avoid defensive responses in favor of a promise to follow-up after the meeting.
Most importantly, don't forget to practice, practice, practice. Just because you have given a thousand pitches in your life, don't assume you can finesse this one by reading the bullet points in real time from the slides that your team put together for you. You need to be totally familiar and comfortable with your pitch to give it effectively.
Forget the theory that you can "rise to the occasion" and impress everyone with your dynamic speaking ability. If you are pitching the wrong point in the wrong way, the occasion will be more the demise than the rise of your dream.
Marty Zwilling: Ten Ways To Optimize Your Investor Pitch Time
How to Write Engaging Newsletters – Ariel’s Greeting, Guts, & Getting! | Ariel Publicity
Ariel and her PR team explain the importance of writing an engaging newsletter to your fans, once a month, and the how tos of it:
Are You Still Not Sending Newsletters? A New Study Proves You Should Be…
Boston based research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey has recently completed a study that all musicians should know about.
Here are the important highlights:
“Three-quarters of web users are likely to share content with friends and family, and nearly half do so at least once a week. But while much social networking content is built around such shared items, most people still prefer to use email to pass along items of interest.”
The study goes on to say: “Overall, 86% of survey respondents said they used email to share content, while just 49% said they used Facebook. Broken down by age, the preference for email is more pronounced, as users get older. And only the youngest group polled, those ages 18 to 24, reverses the trend, with 76% sharing via Facebook, compared with 70% via email.
So, if your audience is older than 24 you better be thinking about your newsletter strategy now!
In conclusion the study says: “Rather than focusing on sharing content they thought the recipients would find helpful or relevant (58%), most respondents cared more about what they thought was interesting or amusing (72%).
Here’s the entire study if you want to read it (with lots of pretty graphs too): http://bit.ly/b4dfcI
So, ask yourself: Are you including content in your newsletters that is interesting and amusing. If you are just talking about your next show and or your next release then you may be missing the mark.
Long story short, in the online world, email is still king when it comes to generating revenue. You make relationships with fans on your social networks, and turn them into customers with your newsletter.
Greeting – Make it Personal
Share something non-music related here. Pull people in on a human level. Make them care about you as a person, not just as a musician.
Some ideas:
* Vacation
* Something that you like / a theme of Fun, Beauty etc.
* Whatever you are reading or listening to
* TV and movies you are into, why you liked them
Post photos of these personal touches on Flickr, Facebook, MySpace, your homepage, etc.
Guts – The Body of the Newsletter
What are you up to as an artist? Are you in the studio? Are you touring? Writing new tracks? Remember people love and connect to stories, so TELL STORIES
Getting – Put Readers Into Action With Your Call To Action (CTA)
This is the part of the newsletter that gets your fans to take action. This is the most critical part of the newsletter:
Examples of Calls To Action For Community Building
TIP: Do these before any Calls to Action asking for $
* Follow on Twitter
* Like your Facebook Fan Page
* Listen to a new track on MySpace and friend you
* Vote for you in any contest you may be in
* Comment on your blog
* Review you on iTunes, Amazon or CD Baby
* Invite them out to hang with you at a bar, club, coffee house, another person’s show, etc. This is great for bonding with fans on another level.
* Have them watch a video of you on YouTube & subscribe
* Send them a survey to fill out or a contest to participate in
* You could also simply ask them to have a free download – a special gift makes you memorable!
Examples of Calls To Action For Money (once you’ve developed rapport)
* Invite them to an upcoming show
* Invite them to buy your music iTunes, or CD Baby: 1 track or a whole album
* Sell a merch item – a hat, a T-shirt, etc.
* Let them know that you play backyard BBQs and private parties; have them email you if they are interested (money maker!)
* Record personalized songs upon request (money maker!)
TIP: There should only be one Call to Action per newsletter. Fans will get confused and choose nothing if they have more than one choice.
A Note About Subject Lines
Keep your subject line short and sweet; no more than 55 characters!
Studies show that including the reader’s first name in the subject line grabs their attention and increases your open rate (the amount of people who open your email).
Most newsletter management programs can easily insert first names right into the subject line; please consult with yours on how to do so.
Send Newsletters Regularly & Consistently
It is important to deliver your newsletter letter on a consistent basis. Fans will look forward to this email every month.
I recommend sending out newsletters once a month. Plan the issues in advance that you will send out your newsletter. Separate yourself from the countless artists who never hold themselves accountable, and stick to a consistent schedule; your fans will notice.How to Write Engaging Newsletters – Ariel’s Greeting, Guts, & Getting! | Ariel Publicity
Are You Still Not Sending Newsletters? A New Study Proves You Should Be…
Boston based research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey has recently completed a study that all musicians should know about.
Here are the important highlights:
“Three-quarters of web users are likely to share content with friends and family, and nearly half do so at least once a week. But while much social networking content is built around such shared items, most people still prefer to use email to pass along items of interest.”
The study goes on to say: “Overall, 86% of survey respondents said they used email to share content, while just 49% said they used Facebook. Broken down by age, the preference for email is more pronounced, as users get older. And only the youngest group polled, those ages 18 to 24, reverses the trend, with 76% sharing via Facebook, compared with 70% via email.
So, if your audience is older than 24 you better be thinking about your newsletter strategy now!
In conclusion the study says: “Rather than focusing on sharing content they thought the recipients would find helpful or relevant (58%), most respondents cared more about what they thought was interesting or amusing (72%).
Here’s the entire study if you want to read it (with lots of pretty graphs too): http://bit.ly/b4dfcI
So, ask yourself: Are you including content in your newsletters that is interesting and amusing. If you are just talking about your next show and or your next release then you may be missing the mark.
Long story short, in the online world, email is still king when it comes to generating revenue. You make relationships with fans on your social networks, and turn them into customers with your newsletter.
Greeting – Make it Personal
Share something non-music related here. Pull people in on a human level. Make them care about you as a person, not just as a musician.
Some ideas:
* Vacation
* Something that you like / a theme of Fun, Beauty etc.
* Whatever you are reading or listening to
* TV and movies you are into, why you liked them
Post photos of these personal touches on Flickr, Facebook, MySpace, your homepage, etc.
Guts – The Body of the Newsletter
What are you up to as an artist? Are you in the studio? Are you touring? Writing new tracks? Remember people love and connect to stories, so TELL STORIES
Getting – Put Readers Into Action With Your Call To Action (CTA)
This is the part of the newsletter that gets your fans to take action. This is the most critical part of the newsletter:
Examples of Calls To Action For Community Building
TIP: Do these before any Calls to Action asking for $
* Follow on Twitter
* Like your Facebook Fan Page
* Listen to a new track on MySpace and friend you
* Vote for you in any contest you may be in
* Comment on your blog
* Review you on iTunes, Amazon or CD Baby
* Invite them out to hang with you at a bar, club, coffee house, another person’s show, etc. This is great for bonding with fans on another level.
* Have them watch a video of you on YouTube & subscribe
* Send them a survey to fill out or a contest to participate in
* You could also simply ask them to have a free download – a special gift makes you memorable!
Examples of Calls To Action For Money (once you’ve developed rapport)
* Invite them to an upcoming show
* Invite them to buy your music iTunes, or CD Baby: 1 track or a whole album
* Sell a merch item – a hat, a T-shirt, etc.
* Let them know that you play backyard BBQs and private parties; have them email you if they are interested (money maker!)
* Record personalized songs upon request (money maker!)
TIP: There should only be one Call to Action per newsletter. Fans will get confused and choose nothing if they have more than one choice.
A Note About Subject Lines
Keep your subject line short and sweet; no more than 55 characters!
Studies show that including the reader’s first name in the subject line grabs their attention and increases your open rate (the amount of people who open your email).
Most newsletter management programs can easily insert first names right into the subject line; please consult with yours on how to do so.
Send Newsletters Regularly & Consistently
It is important to deliver your newsletter letter on a consistent basis. Fans will look forward to this email every month.
I recommend sending out newsletters once a month. Plan the issues in advance that you will send out your newsletter. Separate yourself from the countless artists who never hold themselves accountable, and stick to a consistent schedule; your fans will notice.How to Write Engaging Newsletters – Ariel’s Greeting, Guts, & Getting! | Ariel Publicity
Strategy and steps for online shameless self-promotion
Cut from an interview Dave did with Ariel PR:
Dave Carter: Based on the Musicadium study I think it comes back to basic marketing – deliberately and thoughtfully construct a web presence that engages the type of people you want to speak to through media they use. This sounds simple but in practice it can be very difficult and requires a lot of trial and error.
Step One: Find Them & Strategize
Figure out whom you want to talk to, where they’re listening and what you have to offer them. Then develop a strategy that helps you attract and engage your target audience through the types of media and services they use. An effective promotional strategy is useless if it doesn’t result in outcomes that mean something to you and so it’s also important to think about what you actually want to get out of the exercise (a bigger email list? more punters at gigs? better gigs? increased merch or recording sales? radio airplay?) and how you will achieve this.
Based on my observations very few of the artists studied had considered their online strategy in this way.
Step Two: Start in the Real World
My own personal advice to artists just starting out would be to make sure you’ve got something happening off-line – this doesn’t have to mean international touring or massive radio exposure but I think that for most people the online space is still an extension of the real world. Your online promotion should to be an extension of your off-line promotion and they should both result in outcomes that mean something to you.
As a starting point I would suggest a new artist might want:
– Something that tells the world who they are, what they’re doing (gigs etc.) and find out more about them (like a website)
– Some sort of regularly updated content like a blog, vlog or similar
– A way to communicate with their fans, like a Facebook page or similar
– Third-party hosted streaming content, ideally in a format that can be easily shared such as YouTube videos and streaming widgets. I’d include Myspace pages and Flickr photo’s in this category.
– Downloadable content (this could be through digital retailers but doesn’t have to be)
– A way for fans to give them something of value (not necessarily money and not necessarily in exchange for downloadable content)
– A way to collect information from their fans (email, location) that can be used to promote future events / releases via email
– Links between each site and service the artist is using, with prominent links to content, ways for fans to give them their details and / or something else of value.
This might be as simple as a Blog (who you are and what you’re doing with updated content), Twitter account (communication with fans), Last.FM page (streaming content), an email list (collecting information on fans) and having recordings distributed via the iTunes Music Store (downloadable content in exchange for $).
It’s not the tools that count it’s how you use them…
But for this to be effective the artist involved would need to really work at building a fan-base through these services and off-line activities. It’s not the tools that count it’s how you use them.
Dave Carter: Based on the Musicadium study I think it comes back to basic marketing – deliberately and thoughtfully construct a web presence that engages the type of people you want to speak to through media they use. This sounds simple but in practice it can be very difficult and requires a lot of trial and error.
Step One: Find Them & Strategize
Figure out whom you want to talk to, where they’re listening and what you have to offer them. Then develop a strategy that helps you attract and engage your target audience through the types of media and services they use. An effective promotional strategy is useless if it doesn’t result in outcomes that mean something to you and so it’s also important to think about what you actually want to get out of the exercise (a bigger email list? more punters at gigs? better gigs? increased merch or recording sales? radio airplay?) and how you will achieve this.
Based on my observations very few of the artists studied had considered their online strategy in this way.
Step Two: Start in the Real World
My own personal advice to artists just starting out would be to make sure you’ve got something happening off-line – this doesn’t have to mean international touring or massive radio exposure but I think that for most people the online space is still an extension of the real world. Your online promotion should to be an extension of your off-line promotion and they should both result in outcomes that mean something to you.
As a starting point I would suggest a new artist might want:
– Something that tells the world who they are, what they’re doing (gigs etc.) and find out more about them (like a website)
– Some sort of regularly updated content like a blog, vlog or similar
– A way to communicate with their fans, like a Facebook page or similar
– Third-party hosted streaming content, ideally in a format that can be easily shared such as YouTube videos and streaming widgets. I’d include Myspace pages and Flickr photo’s in this category.
– Downloadable content (this could be through digital retailers but doesn’t have to be)
– A way for fans to give them something of value (not necessarily money and not necessarily in exchange for downloadable content)
– A way to collect information from their fans (email, location) that can be used to promote future events / releases via email
– Links between each site and service the artist is using, with prominent links to content, ways for fans to give them their details and / or something else of value.
This might be as simple as a Blog (who you are and what you’re doing with updated content), Twitter account (communication with fans), Last.FM page (streaming content), an email list (collecting information on fans) and having recordings distributed via the iTunes Music Store (downloadable content in exchange for $).
It’s not the tools that count it’s how you use them…
But for this to be effective the artist involved would need to really work at building a fan-base through these services and off-line activities. It’s not the tools that count it’s how you use them.
How To Post A Perfect Press Kit On Your Website | Ariel Publicity
How To Post A Perfect Press Kit On Your Website
This is a revised excerpt from my book, Music Success in Nine Weeks, and it talks about an asset that no matter what we all face with new digital solutions, new platforms and apps that we’re going to be forced to learn, we should always remember: Your press kit. It’s up to you to post your press information clearly and succinctly, so that you’re easy to find and write about.
Posting an accessible press kit to share with journalists and new media makers ( bloggers, podcasters, etc.) is good common sense.
Editors need access to your information quickly, because they are constantly under deadline. If you do not make it easy for them to get your information from your site, they may move onto another one of the 50 artists that are playing in their town that same week.
1. YOUR MUSIC – ALBUM OR LIVE TRACKS
Make sure you have some music available at your website or a very obvious link to your MySpace page where people can hear the music instantly. Many newspapers are now including online listings where they include MP3s of artists coming to town, so make it easy for them to grab the tracks to add to their own sites – this is additional excellent exposure for you.
2. YOUR BIOGRAPHY – MUST INCLUDE YOUR PITCH
Make sure you have a short, succinct bio that can be easily located on your site, in addition to the long form one, the blogs and all of the opinions from each band member – which are fun for your fans but not for music writers who will be looking to get quick information. Make sure this bio can be easily cut-and-pasted so writers can drop it into a preview or a column.
CREATE A SHORT VERSION FOR THE CALENDAR EDITOR
Make sure you add your PITCH /USP (Unique Selling Point) as a stand-alone portion to your bio that sums up your sound for calendar editors. It should be no more than 10 words.
TIP: Post 3 versions of your bios
1. Long Form
2. In 50 Words
3. In 1 sentence (10 words or less)
TIP: Make sure the bio can be easily cut-and-pasted!
Do NOT have your bio in Flash format; make sure that editors can easily cut and paste it right off of your site.
3. YOUR PHOTOS – MAKE THEM EASY TO FIND AND DOWNLOAD
Thumbnails are great for quick and easy loading but are detrimental for use in newspapers. You should always have a few downloadable photos on your site in at least 300 dpi / jpg format.
TIP: Create an easy-to-see link that says “click here for a hi res / low res jpg.” That way photo editors can get to them easily. When the photos are downloaded; make sure they are properly named with your name or your band’s name, so that photo editors can find them in folders and on messy desktops!
TIP: Remember to change your photos a few times a year – so if you play the same markets over and over, you can give the media multiple options for covering you.
TIP: Put the band members’ names from left to right (l-r) under the band photo to give journalists a point of reference. (Many publications publish photos with all band members’ names from left to right to save the writers the trouble of having to ask for the names.)
4. INCLUDE YOUR ALBUM COVER & ADDITIONAL ARTWORK
You also want to make sure you include your cover art in both hi res and lo res (jpg format). This way if your CD is being reviewed, the reviewer can download the artwork to add to the review. If you have additional assets like band logos or graphics add them here as well.
5. INCLUDE PRESS CLIPS OR FAN TESTIMONIALS IF YOU HAVE THEM
What you say about you is one thing…. However: What others say about you is trusted in a different way. So, if you have articles that were written about you or great quotes to add from fans – do it! (if you don’t just ask your fans to contribute to your site – they will be happy to do so)
FINAL TIP: Sonicbids.com is a fabulous place to build and maintain a perfect press kit and you won’t need a web designer to help you – so build your perfect press kit there, link to it and VOILA!
Here’s to YOUR SUCCESS!How To Post A Perfect Press Kit On Your Website | Ariel Publicity
This is a revised excerpt from my book, Music Success in Nine Weeks, and it talks about an asset that no matter what we all face with new digital solutions, new platforms and apps that we’re going to be forced to learn, we should always remember: Your press kit. It’s up to you to post your press information clearly and succinctly, so that you’re easy to find and write about.
Posting an accessible press kit to share with journalists and new media makers ( bloggers, podcasters, etc.) is good common sense.
Editors need access to your information quickly, because they are constantly under deadline. If you do not make it easy for them to get your information from your site, they may move onto another one of the 50 artists that are playing in their town that same week.
1. YOUR MUSIC – ALBUM OR LIVE TRACKS
Make sure you have some music available at your website or a very obvious link to your MySpace page where people can hear the music instantly. Many newspapers are now including online listings where they include MP3s of artists coming to town, so make it easy for them to grab the tracks to add to their own sites – this is additional excellent exposure for you.
2. YOUR BIOGRAPHY – MUST INCLUDE YOUR PITCH
Make sure you have a short, succinct bio that can be easily located on your site, in addition to the long form one, the blogs and all of the opinions from each band member – which are fun for your fans but not for music writers who will be looking to get quick information. Make sure this bio can be easily cut-and-pasted so writers can drop it into a preview or a column.
CREATE A SHORT VERSION FOR THE CALENDAR EDITOR
Make sure you add your PITCH /USP (Unique Selling Point) as a stand-alone portion to your bio that sums up your sound for calendar editors. It should be no more than 10 words.
TIP: Post 3 versions of your bios
1. Long Form
2. In 50 Words
3. In 1 sentence (10 words or less)
TIP: Make sure the bio can be easily cut-and-pasted!
Do NOT have your bio in Flash format; make sure that editors can easily cut and paste it right off of your site.
3. YOUR PHOTOS – MAKE THEM EASY TO FIND AND DOWNLOAD
Thumbnails are great for quick and easy loading but are detrimental for use in newspapers. You should always have a few downloadable photos on your site in at least 300 dpi / jpg format.
TIP: Create an easy-to-see link that says “click here for a hi res / low res jpg.” That way photo editors can get to them easily. When the photos are downloaded; make sure they are properly named with your name or your band’s name, so that photo editors can find them in folders and on messy desktops!
TIP: Remember to change your photos a few times a year – so if you play the same markets over and over, you can give the media multiple options for covering you.
TIP: Put the band members’ names from left to right (l-r) under the band photo to give journalists a point of reference. (Many publications publish photos with all band members’ names from left to right to save the writers the trouble of having to ask for the names.)
4. INCLUDE YOUR ALBUM COVER & ADDITIONAL ARTWORK
You also want to make sure you include your cover art in both hi res and lo res (jpg format). This way if your CD is being reviewed, the reviewer can download the artwork to add to the review. If you have additional assets like band logos or graphics add them here as well.
5. INCLUDE PRESS CLIPS OR FAN TESTIMONIALS IF YOU HAVE THEM
What you say about you is one thing…. However: What others say about you is trusted in a different way. So, if you have articles that were written about you or great quotes to add from fans – do it! (if you don’t just ask your fans to contribute to your site – they will be happy to do so)
FINAL TIP: Sonicbids.com is a fabulous place to build and maintain a perfect press kit and you won’t need a web designer to help you – so build your perfect press kit there, link to it and VOILA!
Here’s to YOUR SUCCESS!How To Post A Perfect Press Kit On Your Website | Ariel Publicity
TODAY Show | newsweek: cheatsheet: Tumblr, here’s your...
Cute picture of a child's honest assessment - TODAY Show | newsweek: cheatsheet: Tumblr, here’s your...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
High, Wide and Handsome: It Begins.
High, Wide and Handsome: It Begins.: "Utah Mountain goats in 70 through Colorado It's official! We left Chicago on the 17th and stayed with our wonderful friends Andrew an..."
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Axis of Awesome - 4 Four Chord Song (with song titles)
Guess we know how to write a hit song now! So get going!! ;-)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Radio Promotion 101.5 - A building process
It's not enough these days to be an artist with a fantastic, broadcast worthy, single to release, that every relative, and relative of a relative, thinks it's the best song they've ever heard. Radio stations and their Program Directors have to feel the same way. If you are an independent artist on an independent label, you are subject to their scrutiny of your ability to self promote, including but not limited to, your touring consistency and your willingness to do whatever it takes to please your fans and the station listeners. Remember, every programmer has anywhere from 35 to 100 artists spinning on their station at any given time and put yourself in their shoes - what would you be looking for, if 50 artists were standing at your back door, all with "fantastic" singles, wanting to get airplay, but you only had room to add 5? How would you determine who gets played? Would you judge them solely on appearance and personal style (which of course is not visible on radio?) Would you judge them solely on their music, with no fan base to back them up and no gigs lined up? Would you say to yourself "...now there's a nice kid, I think I'll give him a break" (and believe me, that happens more often than not)... or would you ask yourself "who's got the most potential to hit it big in the industry and who has that 'IT' factor due to not only their personality and style but also their work-ethic and commitment to their career?"
Radio is a subjective industry and pleasing every programmer is probably never going to happen. But one thing is for sure, if you are willing to get out there and you have what it takes to bring in the fans/listeners for a station, chances are you are going to get their attention in return. Radio promotion is a building process and rarely do all the stars line up for you as an artist on a first release. You will need to build the relationships with the stations that support your genre of music and with consistency and by being pro-active over the course of two to three releases you will begin to see the change in how radio receives you. When you help a station maintain and, more importantly, grow their listener-ship, you become like family; and as we all know, family expects a lot of you and not always at the most convenient times.
Still, it makes no sense to invite yourself over to a station for an on-air visit if you are not, at the very least, a local artist with a a full CD for sale, or a touring artist performing in their town, with a single releasing to radio and full CDs for sale. Radio listeners are a pro-active bunch themselves. They show up at the remotes and get autographs and give-aways from their favorite DJs and performers. Listeners want to know that their fan loyalty is going to be a positive experience for them, either through free tickets to a show, winning a CD for listening or the like. They want to know their "Like" button decisions matter and through them the artists they "Like" will reach a pinnacle of success. Yet they also know, there is only so much they can do for an artist and the rest is up to the passion and drive that artist has for himself.
That said, how do you gain the attention of a programmer in order to be invited to a station for an interview, let alone a concert for their listeners? First, have something to talk about, be creating events within your career that are worthy of attention. Donate your time to their causes, have something to give away to their listeners, a fantastic gig coming up, etc... and then hire a promoter to get the music and the word out to them. Any promoter worth their weight in salt keeps an updated list of programmers and their contact information. In addition, every Program Director has a set time when they are willing to take what we in the industry call "music calls." With the downsizing of many corporate businesses these last few years, many PDs are now programming 2, 3, even 4 stations at a time, which makes their time for "chatting" about music pretty non-existant. Many have gone to e-mail over music calls and again, an updated and current contact list is essential if you intend to be effective.
In addition, there are certain "rules of engagement" that have been learned by most of us promoters through trial and error, and it is through our various interactions with the programmers that we can determine whether or not they are going to take our calls and continue to give us time out of their busy day. Those are decisions that are made on a one-on-one basis and most promoters know who they can count on to at least test a single and who is not going to add an Independent artist, EVER, unless they are a home town kid that has a strong local following. It doesn't do a Chicago station much good to add an artist who's sole fan base is in Arkansas. They need to know that artist can draw a crowd in their town. In addition, every programmer has his/her own personal preferences that are based on their personality and that again is information garnered over months of interaction. One PD may love Country but not Bluegrass and another may love Indie Rock but not Metal. And many times it's not even the PD making that determination, it's the station owner and the advertisers. The worse thing an artist can do is pressure a Program Director to add his/her song to the station playlist when it doesn't fit their style of programming. PDs are very savvy and they can smell a "green horn" from a mile away... some are compassionate and will give you a few minutes of their time and others will eat you for lunch.
If you are just breaking into the music scene and are an emerging band or artist, on a tight budget, you are better off spending a little bit of money on a promoter who knows the ropes and can get the station PDs to take their calls, e-mails and faxes. There are varying degrees and budgets that a promoter can work within and every promoter is different. The least expensive promotion out there these days is digital promotion. The internet and digital delivery systems have leveled the playing field for new artists to compete in the non-commercial market and a small investment can go a long way to getting your name and music out there. Radio, again, is a building process and needs to be repeated many times over for Radio Stations to get that you are serious about your career and you're not going away! You do not want to spend so much money on your first release that you have no budget fir a second third or forth for that matter. It takes time to garner respect as an artist, and even longer to create name recognition. One programmer may think your first release stinks and then see potential in the second, love the third and so on... But once you have earned the respect and attention of radio programmers, there is no other single institution out there that can do more to help you and your career. And remember, there is NO such thing as an "overnight success," and talent is only 1 tenth of the truth, the rest is all hard work.
Be it commercial or non-commercial, terrestrial or internet radio, you need radio working for you, as they will be an essential part of your national and international sales success and SoundScan numbers.
My next blog will be about how to capitalize on Radio Airplay and what it means to the Independent artist and label.
Radio is a subjective industry and pleasing every programmer is probably never going to happen. But one thing is for sure, if you are willing to get out there and you have what it takes to bring in the fans/listeners for a station, chances are you are going to get their attention in return. Radio promotion is a building process and rarely do all the stars line up for you as an artist on a first release. You will need to build the relationships with the stations that support your genre of music and with consistency and by being pro-active over the course of two to three releases you will begin to see the change in how radio receives you. When you help a station maintain and, more importantly, grow their listener-ship, you become like family; and as we all know, family expects a lot of you and not always at the most convenient times.
Still, it makes no sense to invite yourself over to a station for an on-air visit if you are not, at the very least, a local artist with a a full CD for sale, or a touring artist performing in their town, with a single releasing to radio and full CDs for sale. Radio listeners are a pro-active bunch themselves. They show up at the remotes and get autographs and give-aways from their favorite DJs and performers. Listeners want to know that their fan loyalty is going to be a positive experience for them, either through free tickets to a show, winning a CD for listening or the like. They want to know their "Like" button decisions matter and through them the artists they "Like" will reach a pinnacle of success. Yet they also know, there is only so much they can do for an artist and the rest is up to the passion and drive that artist has for himself.
That said, how do you gain the attention of a programmer in order to be invited to a station for an interview, let alone a concert for their listeners? First, have something to talk about, be creating events within your career that are worthy of attention. Donate your time to their causes, have something to give away to their listeners, a fantastic gig coming up, etc... and then hire a promoter to get the music and the word out to them. Any promoter worth their weight in salt keeps an updated list of programmers and their contact information. In addition, every Program Director has a set time when they are willing to take what we in the industry call "music calls." With the downsizing of many corporate businesses these last few years, many PDs are now programming 2, 3, even 4 stations at a time, which makes their time for "chatting" about music pretty non-existant. Many have gone to e-mail over music calls and again, an updated and current contact list is essential if you intend to be effective.
In addition, there are certain "rules of engagement" that have been learned by most of us promoters through trial and error, and it is through our various interactions with the programmers that we can determine whether or not they are going to take our calls and continue to give us time out of their busy day. Those are decisions that are made on a one-on-one basis and most promoters know who they can count on to at least test a single and who is not going to add an Independent artist, EVER, unless they are a home town kid that has a strong local following. It doesn't do a Chicago station much good to add an artist who's sole fan base is in Arkansas. They need to know that artist can draw a crowd in their town. In addition, every programmer has his/her own personal preferences that are based on their personality and that again is information garnered over months of interaction. One PD may love Country but not Bluegrass and another may love Indie Rock but not Metal. And many times it's not even the PD making that determination, it's the station owner and the advertisers. The worse thing an artist can do is pressure a Program Director to add his/her song to the station playlist when it doesn't fit their style of programming. PDs are very savvy and they can smell a "green horn" from a mile away... some are compassionate and will give you a few minutes of their time and others will eat you for lunch.
If you are just breaking into the music scene and are an emerging band or artist, on a tight budget, you are better off spending a little bit of money on a promoter who knows the ropes and can get the station PDs to take their calls, e-mails and faxes. There are varying degrees and budgets that a promoter can work within and every promoter is different. The least expensive promotion out there these days is digital promotion. The internet and digital delivery systems have leveled the playing field for new artists to compete in the non-commercial market and a small investment can go a long way to getting your name and music out there. Radio, again, is a building process and needs to be repeated many times over for Radio Stations to get that you are serious about your career and you're not going away! You do not want to spend so much money on your first release that you have no budget fir a second third or forth for that matter. It takes time to garner respect as an artist, and even longer to create name recognition. One programmer may think your first release stinks and then see potential in the second, love the third and so on... But once you have earned the respect and attention of radio programmers, there is no other single institution out there that can do more to help you and your career. And remember, there is NO such thing as an "overnight success," and talent is only 1 tenth of the truth, the rest is all hard work.
Be it commercial or non-commercial, terrestrial or internet radio, you need radio working for you, as they will be an essential part of your national and international sales success and SoundScan numbers.
My next blog will be about how to capitalize on Radio Airplay and what it means to the Independent artist and label.
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