Promote Your Music Effectively: Part I

As an independent musician, it is completely up to you to market your music. The skills of successful self-promoters are simpler than they seem and can be developed over time with hard work and dedication. The biggest obstacle indie musicians face is their own doubt. It usually sounds something like, "I don't know how".

Now is your chance to get in the know and get your music the recognition it deserves. The following steps will start you off on the right foot, but don't forget - it's up to you to stay on the path!

1. Set Clear Goals

It amazes me how often this crucial step is skipped. When you're starting out, promoting your music can seem overwhelming - there are so many options, so many different ways to do it that it can be difficult to pick a place to start. Don't attempt to cover too much ground at once. Start by selecting one aspect of your music to promote. Maybe it's your new single, the revamped website, or an upcoming tour. Just pick one.

Once you've decided what it is you want to promote, set a specific goal following the SMART technique:

S - Specific. A specific goal would sound something like "Have 100,000 plays on our myspace page by October 1st, 2008." The clearer you are, the better.

M - Measureable. You want to know whether or not you've accomplised the task at hand so that you can repeat your formula for success or do something different next time.

A - Attainable. Set yourself up to win. If you are unsigned, playing the halftime show at the Superbowl is unattainable.

R - Risky. Set a goal that gets your knees knocking. Successful musicians take risks to get noticed and get their music into the hands of the right people.

T - Timeframe. Set an end date for your goal. 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days are usually appropriate.

2. Find Your Niche

NEWSFLASH: You're not the only indie artist trying to get noticed. Identify what's unique about your act and capitalize on it. This will also determine the audience you'll be targeting, your specialized market. Kiss practically defined the shock rock niche with theatrical stage shows and crazy costumes. Artists like The Plasmatics, Marilyn Manson, and Slipknot have since followed suit.

3. Target the Right Market

Identify the right audience for your campaign. If you have a big gig coming up in New Mexico, then you'll want to get your name out to New Mexico-locals by promoting yourself through local publications, radio stations, and similar bands in the NM music scene. The same goes for promoting a new single or CD. If you're a hip-hop artist, there's no need to take out an ad in a Folk music magazine. Trust me, they're not going to be magically converted from Folk to Hip-Hop just becasue they saw your ad. Don't waste time and money by promoting to audiences who aren't interested.

4. Create a Press Kit

You'll need the proper tools to self-promote you music. One of the most effective tools for everything from booking to publicity to publishing to getting a record deal is the Press Kit. Items to include are:

Press release - your reason for sending the Press Kit

One page band bio

One to three pages of press

A CD

A color photo

Your contact info easily visible on EVERYTHING

For a more in-depth list of what to include in your Press Kit, visit IndieRoadWarriors.Blogspot.com

Check back tomorrow for Part II of "Promote Your Music Effectively".

Create Lasting Professional Relationships to Increase Publicity & Bookings

As in any business, being in touch with the right people is often the vehicle that will get you where you want to go quickest and easiest. Whether it's securing a spot in a choice club or getting reviewed in a hot music mag, it can be a simple name drop that gets you in the door.

For touring musicians, the road to success can be tricky to navigate if you don't stop to ask for directions. Keeping that in mind, it's important to nurture the relationships with people you meet along the way. You never know when one person or another will show you a shortcut in the path. These people are known as your contacts, and I highly suggest building relationships with them. Treat your contacts as a part of your ever-growing industry family and you will be well rewarded!

Below are some simple suggestions for building better, stronger relationships with your contacts. Follow these simple steps and watch how easy it is to book gigs and gain some publicity along the way - I dare you!

1. Ask! So That It Can Be Given.
All too often people don't ask for what they want. They just wish and hope that it will appear, then get frustrated and damn the world when it doesn't. Instead of wasting your time with that nonsense, just ask for what you want! If you're booking a gig in Austin and want to play in Houston as well, ask the booker in Austin if he knows anyone you could talk to in Houston. you'd be surprised at how easy it is to book gigs when you come with a referral.

2. Extend the Invitation
Invite bookers to your gigs. In many cases, the booker may be too busy to attend, however what you've just done is implant your band into the forefront of this guy's mind and kept him informed on the progress of your career. The more he hears you're gigging, the more attentive he will be to your band. if things work out, he may eventually make it to one of your shows.

This also works for music critics. When you're working on getting reviews, invite music critics to your gigs. This works especially well when you're opening for someone of interest. As you keep media contacts informed about your gigs, you're once again putting your band in their minds and keeping them up-to-date with your career's progress. Eventually, they just might accept your invitation and make it out to a performance.

3. Use the Guest List
Once you've extended the invitation, it's important that you put that person on the guest list. If your contact gets to the door and find out they have to pay, they may just turn around and leave. Most clubs offer a limited number of guest list spots, so invite accordingly. When your contact arrives to the club and sees they're on the guest list, they will surely appreciate it. These little acts of courtesy add up pretty quickly and may help you achieve the goal you've set up to achieve as it relates to a specific contact.

4. Follow Up
Relationship-building is always a work in progress. A few days after you've played a venue, call the booker and thank him for the opportunity. More importantly, ask him about his experience. You want to know if there's anything you can do better next time. Making a phone call to follow up on the results of your gig shows that you truly care, and a little care goes a long way! This simple act usually leads to the booker asking you to come back and play another night and will support you in solidifying a lasting professional relationship. In my personal experience, this tiny task has yielded the greatest results.

This is also recommended for bookers and media contacts who have actually shown up to your gigs. Follow up after a few business days, thank them, and see what they thought of your performance.

5. Send Thank You Notes
I can see you rolling your eyes from here. All too often media contacts, industry reps, club bookers, and promoters feel taken advantage of by artists. And with good reason. After all, we do want something from them, right? Those artists who zip out a friendly "thank you" email or drop a postcard of appreciation in the mail are the ones who get remembered and will be appreciated in return. Trust me, taking the extra step is equal to going the extra mile in your music career.

Rock on!

The Times They Are A-Changin'

No truer words ever spoken, eh?

And they're especially true when we talk about the music industry. Record sales are tanking, high fidelity is dead, the labels have yet to create an up-to-date and effective business model...and that's just the tip of this monstrous iceberg.

Where does this leave you, the independent musician? Those not tethered down to one of the "Big Four" - Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Group, and Warner Music Group. The good news is that it leaves you with a whole lotta' freedom. The kind of scary, kind of exciting news is that it also leaves you with a truckload of choices to be made along your journey.

You are in control of your music. You are in control of your career. There once was a time when Record Labels were in control of your music and often dictated the direction of your career, and this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They got your music on the radio, got your CD in stores, got you on stage and made sure there were enough full-page glossy ads that everyone knew where to find you. Without the support - and control - of the Labels, you are now in charge of ensuring your own success. Not only are you responsible for making the music, you're also responsible for packaging it, distributing it, promoting it, and then some!

The Indie Musician's Guide is here to support you in creating your own success. It will be your beacon, lighting the way to a prosperous and rewarding music career. And it will be a lot of fun too!

Here's to your success!