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What Not To Do When Marketing Your Band!

What NOT to do when Marketing your Band

Summary: 6 don’ts when marketing your band 

There are many “don’ts” that people are unaware of when marketing to certain audiences. This blog focuses on marketing don’ts for musicians trying to promote their band throughout communities. Some individuals over promote, while others do not advertise enough. Be sure to follow these six steps, because if you don’t you may send current and potential fans away from supporting your music.

1.             Do not use social media to force sales

             

Social media networks are intended to connect and build relationships with individuals through    possible common interests, etc. These platforms should not be created to force sales on your friends and fans. Make attempts to connect with your fans instead of promoting services and products. Also, do not use Facebook or Twitter as a sales tool; for example, when selling a new T-shirt or album. You should be offering free T-shirts and albums every here and there to show appreciation for your fans.

2.            Do not “spam” your friends

First and foremost, everybody hates spam mail. Sending out a mass e-mail occasionally is okay, but constantly sending out blast e-mails to your fans can get very aggravating. You want to your fans to be excited when receiving an e-mail from your band so make sure they are personal, and interesting. Another way individuals can spam is through Facebook events. As an artist, be sure to only promote the events that you will be performing at. The more events you send out to your fans that do not include you, the more likely they will start ignoring your invitations. This could lead an individual to un-like or un-follow your page and you do not want this to happen. People become your friend on social networks to follow you, not to follow other bands and artists that they are not interested in.

3.             Do not create lengthy advertisements 

It is very important to keep ads simple; lengthy and drawn out advertisements usually are not attention-grabbing to readers. Please, veer far away from creating ads that contain paragraphs and are full of long sentences. Avoid using special words that may confuse readers who are viewing the advertisement. Typically, lengthy and unappealing ads will not attract individuals to continue reading and will draw readers away. Advertisements should always be concise, to the point and attractive when creating promotions for your band. Choose a color and font that your audience will enjoy and can easily read. Whether you are creating an advertisement for an        upcoming show, or a new song release, adding images to an ad can really bring it to life and catch potential listener’s interest.

4.             Don’t be like everybody else  

Bottom line: nobody likes a copycat. There is high competition in the music industry; therefore    musicians should be different and unique. What if there was only one song in the world that    everyone had to listen to, wouldn’t life get boring quickly? When starting a band, you should aim   to be unforgettable and special. Don’t copy an image from another artist, and certainly do not imitate a song from another musician. By being different and developing your own sound, more individuals will become interested and intrigued with your music. The same goes with your “look,” create an eye-catching look so your audience can buzz about you. “Hey, did you see _____’s outfit at the concert? It was awesome!” Lastly, make sure that all advertisements aren’t comparable to other musicians. The last thing you want is someone to mix up your ad with another band due the fact that they were similar in color and phrase.

5.             Do not ignore your fans 

Responding and paying attention to your fans is extremely vital. Do not, I repeat, do not ignore   your fans! Not only can you lose their trust and loyalty, but fans can utilize word-of-mouth     marketing by putting a bad word about your band out in the public. If you have Facebook,Twitter, or a Myspace page etc., be sure to respond to all posts and comments. Just think about it: you don’t have an image without fans, and you don’t have fans without creating connections with individuals. Fans are very valuable aspects in the music world and you need to maintain strong relationships with them. By consistently responding to e-mails or social media alerts, this can help build your trust with each fan which is priceless.

6.             Don’t forget to produce a marketing plan 

Creating a marketing plan tends to be the most overlooked tactic when marketing a band. Many musicians may be focused on producing high quality music instead of generating marketing methods. Marketing plans are important because they set overall goals and help focus on how to achieve specific objectives within a band. One day, sit down with your band and construct a plan covering ideas like: How can we attract and gain more fans? What is our budget? What are some ways to expand our opportunities in the music industry? How can we inspire the public to purchase our music? A marketing plan entails what hopes you have and how to get there, and is something you should absolutely spend time on.

By: Danielle Peterson

Danielle is a Marketing Specialist for Distrophonix LLC. Distrophonix is a company based in Baltimore, MD specializing in music marketing, distribution, Rock Band Encoding, CD pressing, and mastering for musicians worldwide.
 

www.Distrophonix.com

How Do I Get My Music On iTunes?

How do I get my music on iTunes?

It may seem like an obvious statement, but none the less it needs to be said.  “Your music has to be available for sale online.”  Yeah, your fans in your city can buy the CD at your shows.  But that counts for only a small percentage of your potential fan base.  The easiest and cheapest way to release your music globally is through digital distribution.  iTunes has become one of the most popular places where fans buy music ; so you NEED to get your music in there.

I hope that this short article helps you navigate the not so complex world of getting your music on iTunes.

How Do I get my music on iTunes?

There are many of services around that specialize in distributing artists’ music.  Distrophonix is one of those services.   While many distributors charge you a fee to put your music into stores, Distrophonix does not.  It is free to sign up and you get to keep 100% of your rights. They will release your music globally to over 400+ stores including iTunes.  Distrophonix will handle all of the set up and management of your release; as well as tracking your sales and processing your royalties.  That’s right!  You can actually make money selling your music and it doesn’t cost you a dime to sign up through Distrophonix! 

Is iTunes enough?

iTunes is by far the biggest digital music retailer in the world.  They have stores in almost every developed country.  However, not everyone uses iTunes.  Amazon, Spotify, Rhapsody, Napster, and eMusic are other popular mp3 websites.  Don’t miss the chance to sell your music to fans that use the other services.  There are over 400 mp3 stores around, and every single one of them is important. Distrophonix will get your music into practically every mp3 store worldwide. 

Do I need to have some sort of cover art to get into iTunes and the other stores?

Yes, the stores are very strict about this.  Your artwork has to be 1400 by 1400 at 300 dpi.  The artwork also has to include your artist and album name.  If you need help designing a good iTunes album cover, check out Distrophonix’s graphic design services.  http://www.distrophonix.com/graphic-design/

Do I need to have my music mastered before putting it in iTunes?

No you do not.  However, it is highly recommended that you do.  Having your music mastered will help you to have a much more professional sound and it will give a  better listening experience for your fans.  To learn more about mastering check out:  http://www.distrophonix.com/mastering/

Where do I go to sign up to get my music into iTunes and the 400+ other stores?

Distrophonix makes it easy for you to distribute your music.  Simply go to their website, http://www.distrophonix.com/distribution/, click on the “sign up today’ button and the site will walk you through the process.

How do I get people to buy my music on iTunes and the other stores?

Ok… So now your music is posted in over 400 mp3 stores globally…….Now What?   It is time to get to work marketing your music.  Just putting your music into stores without getting the word out will not result in many, if any sales.  Use social networks to spread the news that your music is available.  Encourage people to tell their friends.  Tell everyone at shows that your music is available on iTunes.  Put your street team to work getting the word out.   In short, tell everyone you know, and their mother that your music is available online.

I hope this article helps answer your questions about getting into iTunes and other online mp3 stores.  If you want to learn more about getting your music to the masses check out www.Distrophonix.com

Written By: Kevin Schmidt

Kevin is one of the owners of Distrophonix LLC. Distrophonix is a company based in Baltimore, MD specializing in music marketing, distribution, Rock Band Encoding, CD pressing, and mastering for musicians worldwide.
www.Distrophonix.com

Promote Your Band

Summary: 4 Tips to promote your band.

1.     Make your name stand out

It can be hard to get your name out with all of the clutter people see and hear throughout the day. A good tip to get your name out would be to branch out and spread word of mouth about your band. There are many ways to make your bands name stand out:

·         Logo

o    KIS - Keep It Simple!

o    Make sure it is appropriate and distinctive for your band

o    Colors, fonts, and images gree with each other

·         Banner

o    Create a memorable banner to always place behind your band while playing at a concert- people remember logos and colors to match up with who you are… think about it- What color do you think for Coca-Cola? Red.

·         Pictures

o    Every band needs a great picture—make sure you have a certain style you want to portray to your audience

·         Newspaper Articles/Press Releases

o    The best way to get your name out is to be out there. That means capturing your concerts through audio and video, going to many events and shows, and network with all different types of people. You never know who could help you out in the end.

2.     Interact with your audience through social media

If you don’t have a Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or YouTube account get one now! By having your own bands webpage, your fans are able to track your daily lives from your music, tour dates, pictures, or concerts they may have been to. People love to personally connect with their favorite bands on the Internet and it is a definite bonus if you comment back to create that relationship every fan wishes for. Your fans may also want to receive a daily/weekly newsletter so they can follow your band even more and receive special updates just for them.

*TIP- Remember to close your newsletter with a call to action to encourage your readers to be more involved and visit more often.

In addition, by doing this- their friends will see who they are talking to and it will create more visitors to your page AND your music. If your fans are checking you out- their friends will also want to.

3.     Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!

Remember a press kit is an important key starter for your band which should include: the bio for your band, a photo postcard to be remembered by, articles or CD reviews, and your CD or download card.

This is the first step to advertising for your band. Although, there are many other ways to promote your band using banners, websites, stickers, flyers, posters, etc. By promoting your band on many different outdoor advertisements, it creates awareness to a new audience. Distrophonix can help with these services by creating your bands own graphic design, stickers, T-shirts, and promoting your music on Rock Band.

        4.   Support Others

By coming to show support for other bands and people, it shows that you and your band care about music, your fans, and what else is out there.

Distrophonix employees take time off work to go serve meals to the homeless and hungry of Baltimore City by volunteering at Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen.  This summer, Distrophonix will be collaborating with local bands to sing to the homeless. This is a great opportunity to show your support for others and also promote your band. To see pictures of some of the work Distrophonix does there please check out their Facebook page.  

      By: Deborah Hercenberg

Deborah is a marketing consultant to Distrophonix LLC.  Distrophonix  LLC is a music marketing and distribution company based in Baltimore, MD. They design marketing plans for musicians, as well as offer digital distribution, CD pressing, download cards and mastering.       

www.Distrophonix.com

Music Marketing Tips on a Budget

Summary: 6 tips musicians can utilize when marketing their band on a tight budget

Many musicians become stressed out when it comes to creating a valuable music marketing plan, especially while promoting on a tight budget. Not only does marketing involve a great amount of time, effort, and hard-work, but it can quickly become extremely expensive. Most commonly, artists usually don’t have marketing finances to splurge on; your key focus may be on producing great quality music for your fans. Here are some music marketing tips for artists to exploit while upholding a budget.

1.     Take advantage of social media outlets

Social media platforms are marketing tools that every musician should take advantage of. The two essential benefits that social media marketing brings to the table is the fact that it’s free and can reach a mass audience. You can use websites such as: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, YouTube, ReverbNation, and so on. These social media networks can help build your bands awareness and can also assist with connecting among fans. By connecting and building relationships with fans, this allows you to communicate which is an important factor when promoting your band.

Upload new songs to your page and keep it entertaining. Keep your fans updated when shows are coming up and also when new songs will be released. Posting funny and interesting stories while touring on the road, or traveling to shows will keep fans on their feet and amused. Social media platforms allow individuals to upload photos, so by submitting images onto your pages, this will become appealing to viewers and will keep them coming back for more. Another piece of advice is when individuals comment on your posts/songs/photos, make sure to comment back and make it personal.

2.     Create a blog site for your band

Blogging is a great way to create an image and express yourself as a band. Most blog sites are free, which once again is a benefit for your pocket. This is a fast and easy alternative to get your bands name out on the web throughout the online presence. Blogging is an excellent and fun technique to use. You can write about crazy and interesting occurrences that happened during shows, recordings, and trips. You can utilize this tool by sharing background information about your band, and by expressing your thoughts and opinions as well. Be passionate about your writing because fans and followers will be reading your content, and hopefully exiting your page with a good notion.

3.     Maintain and build relationships with fans

Maintaining personal relationships with fans is the most vital aspect in the marketing world. Connecting with fans is important because the more you build a connection, the more love and support you will receive from them. If a fan is totally feeling your band, and you build a relationship with them through social media or blogging sites, your fans will sincerely feel connected with you. Where else but online can you connect with thousands of fans at once? Fans will become loyal to your band and express their delight through word-of-mouth to friends and family if you maintain friendly relationships. This will not only lead to a positive image, but loyalty will increase awareness as well.

4.     Make certain contact information is present on all sites/e-mails

Artists should always double check and make sure that their contact information is listed on all e-mails and web pages. This is the most inexpensive, yet the most common marketing mistake that I have seen artists make. Whether you are trying to book an open microphone (mic) slot at a local café, or a search for an open concert/event listing, make sure the respondent can contact you. Also, this goes for websites too. If you are creating a Facebook, Twitter, or company website, be positive that you list all contact information so individuals can get in touch with you with questions and opportunities. Include information like: band name, e-mail, telephone number, potential address and all links to social media sites.

5.     Attend and play at local shows

Attending and performing at local shows may be the priciest out of the 6 marketing tips, but this suggestion will leave you with the most experience. Some shows may even be free to attend which is a huge advantage while on a budget. You can bring flyers or download cards with you to hand out to individuals who seem interested in your band. Attending shows can also help you build relationships with potential fans, which is extremely valuable for artists. By being on the other side of the picture and performing, this may be the most influential marketing tools to take advantage of. Sign up and offer to perform at open mic nights, or even offer to be the opening band at a local concert. Although, you may not be paid as much as you would like, this can build a great image for your band and people can enjoy your live tunes. Focus of making an excellent impression and really “wowing” the audience!

6.     Distribute download cards

Instead of distributing business cards for promoting your band, hand out download cards as a different and more interesting alternative. Download cards allow artists to promote and advertise bands with the ability to host albums and demos. Be creative when designing your download card. Design these business-sized cards with full color and visuals to catch fans attention. These cards have codes located to either the front or back that fans can use to download your music. Distrophonix offers 1,000 download cards for $99; this is a great and affordable deal. You can gain the $99 back by selling them to fans and making a huge profit.

By: Danielle Peterson

Danielle is a Marketing Specialist for Distrophonix LLC. Distrophonix is a company based in Baltimore, MD specializing in music marketing, distribution, Rock Band Encoding, CD pressing, and mastering for musicians worldwide.
www.Distrophonix.com

Tips For Marketing & Making More Money For Your Studio

Summary: 7 tips for growing your studios business.

1. Use Search Engine Marketing: Search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing allow you to have ads for your studio pop up in search results. This type of marketing can be targeted to just your local area and it is very cost effective. For example, if you are a studio in St. Louis, you can have your ads appear in results whenever someone searches for “recording studios”; however your ad will only appear in search results if they are originated from the St. Louis area. If they click on your ad they will be directed to your studio’s website. This click may cost as little as a penny. If no one clicks on the ad then you are not charged anything. It’s as close to risk free as you can get.

2. Give Away Something For FREE: Battle of the Bands competitions are always looking for prizes to give away. Consider offering them something simple such as 1 song recorded and mixed for free. Require that if you are giving a prize away, that on all marketing and promotion materials for the Battle of the Bands, that your studios name and logo are featured.

3. Offer A Discount: Identify who the major bands/artists are in your local scene. Offer to record for them at a discounted price if in return they tell their friends and other bands that they play with that you did the recording. Word of mouth advertising is the best. Aspiring artists always want to follow the footsteps of the larger artists in the scene. By being the studio that works with the larger acts, you will get the business of the up an coming ones as well.

4. Put On A Showcase: Sponsor a night at a local venue where you can bring in bands that you have recorded. Make sure that all marketing and promotion materials say something to the effect of “XYZ Studios Present: . . .” This will help you to grow your brand while at the same time keeping your current clients happy.

5. Offer A Student Discount: Offer a discount to local college and university students. To get the word out post flyers around campus, and talk to the music professors. The professors can be a valuable ally in helping you attract new clients.

6. Get On The Social Networks: If you are not already signed up for Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, do so now. There is so much opportunity to connect with artists in your local area, that it would be a shame to not do so. When on the networks, interact with local artists that you would like to work with. Offer advice to them and correspond with them in a meaningful way. Being on a social network also allows you to learn more about your potential clients. This will help you identify needs they may have then you can help them with.

7. Join An Affiliate Program: As the recording engineer you have the first opportunity to help your artists get the products and services (CD Pressing, Mastering, Digital Distribution, Download Cards, T-Shirts etc.) they will need after the recording is complete. By teaming up with a reputable company like Distrophonix you will have the opportunity to earn additional money for your studio for each referral you send their way. To learn more about the Distrophonix referral program check out: http://www.distrophonix.com/affiliate-program/

By: Brenden Bosmans

Brenden is a Marketing Consultant to Distrophonix LLC. Distrophonix provides digital distribution (iTunes & 400+ other stores), CD Pressing, Download Cards, Mastering, etc. to Record Labels, Musicians and Studios. To learn more about Distrophonix check out: www.Distrophonix.com

Easy Ways to Self Promote Your Gig

Summary: Ideas for inexpensive and free self promotion of your band.

Many start up bands miss easy opportunities to get people in the seats of their upcoming gigs. Below we will discuss a few inexpensive ways to self promote your garage band, indie band, or established act. All of these ideas are simple yet cost effective ways to promote on a budget.

The first step in self promoting your band is word of mouth. Basically everyone in the band needs to take a proactive role in getting the word out on future shows and gigs. Word of mouth includes telling your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else your band knows that may be interested in your bands genre of music. For example, have your parents or relatives tell their coworkers or friends and so on. It can be surprising how many seats you can fill by simply by word of mouth through family and friends.

Secondly, have flyers printed for your next show. This can be done fairly cheap at any local copy store in your area. This is a cost effective self promotion tactic. Design a simple flyers with your band name, logo or artwork, genre of music, original or cover tunes, date and time of show, Band website, Contact information, and phone number and name of the club or venue where you will be performing. After designing your show flyer, send a few to the club or venue where you be playing. It may even be a good idea to hand deliver the flyers and ask if you may hang a few yourself. This way you can make sure your flyer will be seen by patrons of the club. Another idea is to place flyers on bulletin boards at music stores and other places where you may find a crowd for your gig. One word of caution, always get permission to place your flyers. For example, if you decide to place flyers on cars in a parking lot get permission from that lot owner. Some people tend to throw the flyers on the ground and cause a mess for a lot owner. The lot owner also has your contact info from the flyer so he may take legal action. So the moral of the story is get permission before placing flyers.

Next, contact any local or regional newspapers or entertainment type papers in your area. Most of these newspapers have weekly band listings in their entertainment sections. Email or call the papers until you find the proper contact and send them all the info they request. Usually you'll want to send Show Place, Date, Time, Band Name, and Cost of show (if applicable).

Lastly, search for concert calendars on the internet for free listings in the city or regional area your playing the gig. Many concert calendars will list your shows for free. Find some of the more popular ones that may get more internet traffic. Do a search on Concerts listings, events listings, free band listings or something of this nature, and add the city to the search.

Above are a few ideas for inexpensive or free self promotion of your band. Try to use all or most of these tactics for every show you self promote. Remember, the more fans you get to the show the better the chance you'll have of getting booked there again and building a career in that city or region of interest. Good Luck!!!

Source: www.MediaWebSource.com

How to Get Gigs

Summary: How To Get Gigs For Your Band, Local Band, Or Garage Band

How to get band gigs and shows for your local band?  It's not always easy to get out of the starting gate and get a gig. You can get a show booked for your garage band, local band, or indie band with a little hard work. Your rock band should have a strong music set, quality song material, and should play well in a live setting. It is now time to take the next step and book gigs for your band.

Press Kit - The first thing your indie act or garage band should do is to get a band press kit together. The press kit, press package, or media kit will have everything you'll need to get started. Visit our Press Kit Page for tips on getting the press kit together. Once you have your press kit, you'll have a vehicle to start promoting your indie band.

Demo CD/Tape - For most gigs, a club owner or party planner will want to hear how your music sounds. So record your indie band Demo CD or Tape. You may want to buy or rent a portable home recording studio at your local music store. Make sure your songwriting is of professional quality. Songwriting is a trial and error process and may take time. Many rewrites may be needed when writing songs. It's just part of the songwriting process.  Portable home recording studios or computer recording software should give you sufficient quality for most local venues. Once your act is more established, you may want to get into a local reputable recording studio. Many professional indie bands use a computer program called Pro Tools or Cubase software for recording. While this is an expensive venture, it may be just as cost effective to learn the software than booking studio time.

Open Mic Nights - Start off playing open microphone (Mic) nights at local clubs. Not only will this give you a little experience on stage, you'll actually have a built in audience. Many open mic nights are hosted by more established local bands or indie acts. Make valuable contacts for the future with the hosting bands and other local bands playing at the open mic night. Check your local music newspapers, perform an internet search for open microphone nights in your city, or search music websites to find this information. This is a great starting point to play gigs and shows in your area.

Offer to Open for Free - The reality is that your not going to get paid when you first start out. Offer to be an opening band for free for a local band you know. Network with bands than you may have met at an open microphone night.  E-mail more established indie band in the area and offer to play an opening gig for them.  Many indie bands love opening acts. They don't have to pay you much and they don't have to play as long of a show set. This is the time to start promoting your garage band too.  Hand out business cards and press kits to any clubs you play. Make sure to follow up with the venue after you have given them your press kit. Call or e-mail to make sure they get back to you. Be persistent. Booking agents and club owners are always getting approached by prospective indie bands and garage bands.

Solicit your Press Kit - Now that you've played gigs at open mic nights, start calling clubs and soliciting your Press Kit and Demo. It's a good idea to visit clubs that play your style of music and talk with the booker of the club.  Leave them a press kit and demo CD. Give the club booking agent a day or two to listen to your demo.  Call back and get some feedback. Ask for the gig or show for your band. Again, be persistent. 

Approach Town Fairs, County Festivals, or City Concert Venues Another way to get exposure is to gig for a large audience at a local fair or festival. Most of these gigs your band would play for free to get exposure. Some festivals do pay bands once they get a following or fan base. Do some research on the internet to see what local agencies take care of bookings for festivals or town fairs. Give out your band business cards at the show.  This is a good promotion tactic. Someone in the audience may want to book your indie music act in the future. 

Booking Agents - Most booking agents take a percentage of the money that you get for a gig. Booking agents can be a valuable resource for getting some better paying gigs. Do a lot of research and be sure they are reputable.  Do a search on your local yellow pages. A lot of booking agents only take well known acts, so shop around and see if they will deal with your local band. Stop by in person and take your demo and press kit. 

E-mail Local Newspapers - Have your show dates added to local newspaper concert listings. Most papers will list your gigs for free. Contact any free papers that list band show dates. Also, see if they will do an article on your garage band or review one of your gigs or your CD. 

Band Manager  - Look into having a band manager who will help out with promotion. This person can help book you indie act. Has someone that you have known taken an interest in your garage band or music career? See if they would help book your indie band. Relatives may do this for free or a small fee designated by you. Watch out for people that get to meddlesome in your band and try to control your band goals. Negotiate for fees charged for such services. 

Battle of the Bands - Send your demo and press kit to any local battle of the band competitions. Most competitions locate up and coming talent in the area for battle of the bands shows. The great thing about these competitions is that you can network with the promoters, other bands involved, and get exposure. Many of the competitions are promoted on the radio, internet, and newspapers. The winner usually gets a decent prize like studio time or free promotion. Have your business cards ready at every portion of the competition.

Source:  http://mediawebsource.com/howtoget.htm