tag:www.davecool.ca,2005:/blogs/latest-news?p=2Latest News2019-10-22T09:25:51-04:00Dave Coolfalsetag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/59347782019-10-22T09:25:51-04:002022-04-10T07:19:13-04:00Updated post on revenue streams for musicians<p>In 2014 I wrote a post for the Bandzoogle blog called "18 ways musicians can make money". It didn't take me very long to write, and I didn't expect much from it. The goal was more to be able to send that link to musicians whenever I was asked how they can make money from their music. It ended up being one of most popular posts ever on the Bandzoogle blog, and has been read by hundreds of thousands of musicians. </p>
<p>Obviously lots has changed in the music industry since 2014. I updated that post with a <a contents="free eBook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://davecool.ca/free-ebooks/blog/free-ebook-23-ways-musicians-can-make-money">free eBook</a> in 2016, and I've just spent the last few months researching and reading through reports, blog posts, and data looking into <a contents="revenue streams for musicians" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/18-ways-musicians-can-make-money">revenue streams for musicians</a> in 2019. </p>
<p>The result is a comprehensive updated post with new revenue streams for musicians, and dozens of new resources to help artists monetize their music. You can read the updated post here: <a contents="26 ways musicians can make money" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/18-ways-musicians-can-make-money">26 ways musicians can make money</a></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/55016862018-11-06T10:07:25-05:002022-03-23T15:24:15-04:00New guide for musicians on how to design a website<p>After writing 500+ blog posts my first 5 years at Bandzoogle, I've focused the last few years on curating and editing content. But, I dusted off my writing cap to write this new guide (with the help of many BZ team members), which can also be downloaded as a PDF. Check it out: <a contents="How to make a website for your music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-make-a-website-for-your-music" target="_blank">How to make a website for your music</a></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/51923382018-04-20T09:23:35-04:002023-12-10T14:23:08-05:00The 10 Best Blogs for Musicians and Bands<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/cdf9837eb7982dd70b809dae85b9c3c6123b48ef/original/3f70f433565efb5ed7f2cc38f7b2807e5758cd2a.png/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><em>This post by Lisa Occhino originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-10-best-blogs-for-musicians-and-bands" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p>With so much information available for musicians and bands online, it can be a serious undertaking to sift through it all and find the most legitimate, valuable sources. </p>
<p>Fortunately, we spend a lot of time in this world of music career tips and advice, so we’ve put together this list to point you in the right direction. Here are 10 of the best blogs for musicians. </p>
<h4>1. <a contents="Bandzoogle" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog" target="_blank">Bandzoogle</a> </h4>
<p>Let’s kick things off with the blog you’re reading right now, shall we? As you might expect, we have a plethora of tips on the Bandzoogle blog for <a contents="creating, designing, and getting the most out of your music website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/website-tips" target="_blank">creating, designing, and </a><a contents="getting the most out of your music website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/website-tips" target="_blank">getting the most out of your music website</a>. </p>
<p>But beyond that, we also share lots of ideas and advice on <a contents="music marketing and promotion" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/music-marketing-and-promotion" target="_blank">music marketing and promotion</a>, <a contents="selling music online" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/selling-music-online" target="_blank">selling music online</a>, and <a contents="building your career" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/music-career-advice" target="_blank">building your career</a>. </p>
<h4>2. <a contents="Hypebot" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.hypebot.com/" target="_blank">Hypebot</a> </h4>
<p>If you’re looking to stay on top of the latest music industry news, you should have Hypebot bookmarked. </p>
<p>Targeted at industry professionals, indie labels, and DIY musicians, Hypebot is updated daily with trending topics and important commentary on all aspects of the music business, with a special focus on technology and social media. You’ll also find the occasional how-to article or advice column interspersed among the rest of the content. </p>
<h4>3. <a contents="MusicThinkTank" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/" target="_blank">MusicThinkTank</a> </h4>
<p>MusicThinkTank is managed by Hypebot, but the key difference is that anyone can publish their own articles here. As a result, you’ll find a wide variety of topics and tons of advice for musicians. </p>
<p>All posts first appear in the MTT Open section, but the best ones get moved to the homepage. Articles that really perform well will often get cross-posted on Hypebot for additional exposure. </p>
<h4>4. <a contents="Flypaper" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://flypaper.soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Flypaper</a> </h4>
<p><a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>’s online magazine, Flypaper, publishes daily articles for curious musicians of all stripes. From quick tips to deep musical explorations, you’re sure to discover something that piques your interest. </p>
<p>The most commonly covered topics include production, songwriting, performance, music business, and even fun, nerdy musician stuff. </p>
<h4>5. <a contents="TuneCore" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.tunecore.com/blog" target="_blank">TuneCore</a> </h4>
<p>The TuneCore blog does a nice job of balancing career advice for DIY artists with music discovery. They feature a curated lineup of music videos by TuneCore artists every Wednesday, and a playlist of new TuneCore releases every Friday. In between, you’ll find articles on networking, marketing, social media, merch, and more. </p>
<h4>6. <a contents="Indie on the Move&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.indieonthemove.com/blog" target="_blank">Indie on the Move</a>
</h4>
<p>Although it’s not updated as frequently as some of the other blogs on this list, Indie on the Move features weekly guest posts with valuable tips for booking shows, touring, and more. </p>
<h4>7. <a contents="GigSalad&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.gigsalad.com/blog" target="_blank">GigSalad</a>
</h4>
<p>The GigSalad blog is a great resource if you’re looking to expand your reach beyond your local bar gigs. Recent articles cover how to get gigs at college and universities, on cruise ships, at private and corporate events, and even at school assemblies. </p>
<h4>8. <a contents="Cari Cole's Standing in the Spotlight&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.caricole.com/blog/" target="_blank">Cari Cole's Standing in the Spotlight</a>
</h4>
<p>Cari Cole’s Standing in the Spotlight blog covers a wide range of music career and artist development topics, but it’s especially valuable for singers. As a celebrity vocal coach, you can trust the advice Cole shares on vocal technique and vocal health. </p>
<h4>9. <a contents="Cyber PR Music&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://cyberprmusic.com/" target="_blank">Cyber PR Music</a>
</h4>
<p>Cyber PR founder Ariel Hyatt has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years and is the author of four best-selling books. Her blog is a goldmine of guides to social media marketing, PR, and branding, all written with independent musicians and bands in mind. </p>
<h4>10. <a contents="Music Consultant&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://musicconsultant.com/blog/" target="_blank">Music Consultant</a>
</h4>
<p>Music Consultant publishes a mix of weekly music business news updates and interviews with industry veterans, including booking agents, managers, record label executives, and more. </p>
<p>What do you think are the best blogs for bands and musicians? If we left out your favorite, share it with us in the comments! </p>
<p><em><a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a> and the Director of Marketing & Communications at <a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/50576422018-02-02T07:29:32-05:002021-08-11T05:26:25-04:00Marketing Your Band: 13 Essential Strategies<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/72a155b03b5d223ef30fe73adccff46c80fd6b23/original/bandmarketing.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/marketing-your-band-13-essential-strategies" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p><em>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a></em></p>
<p>Once you’ve decided that you’re getting pretty serious about this whole music career thing, you know that you have to start putting in the effort to come up with effective band marketing ideas. </p>
<p>But if you haven’t gotten much farther than “make a Facebook fan page and post a bunch of stuff,” don’t worry — we’ve got you covered with 13 essential marketing strategies to add to your list! </p>
<h4>1. Know your brand </h4>
<p>Before you can market your band, you need to have your brand in place. </p>
<p>What’s unique about your act? Which aspects of your story are the most compelling and set you apart from every other band out there? How will you present yourself consistently — from your onstage look, to your social media tone, to your logo and color schemes and photos? </p>
<p>Once you’ve honed your brand, the specifics of your band marketing strategies and fan communication will flow from there. </p>
<h4>2. Use your email newsletter </h4>
<p>Your email list is an incredibly valuable direct line to your most dedicated fans. You have no control over Facebook’s ever-changing News Feed algorithm, but you can always use your newsletter to reach the people who want to hear from you the most. Plus, email is by far the most effective way to sell your music, tickets, and merch. </p>
<p>Not sure which service to use, or how to build up your list? Check out our <a contents="complete guide to email marketing for musicians" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians" target="_blank">complete guide to email marketing for musicians</a>, and <a contents="9 ways to get more fans on your mailing list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/9-ways-to-get-more-fans-on-your-mailing-list" target="_blank">9 ways to get more fans on your mailing list</a>. </p>
<h4>3. Have a website </h4>
<p>Investing in <a contents="a great band website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/features" target="_blank">a great band website</a> is one of the most important things you can do to maximize your marketing efforts. No matter how many newsletters you send out or how many Facebook ads you run, a poorly designed, outdated website — or no website at all — will hurt your credibility and give off the impression that you’re not serious about your music. </p>
<p>When done right, your band website acts as the <a contents="central hub" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-reasons-why-you-need-a-website" target="_blank">central hub</a> for everything. You have full control over the user experience and the data, and you can <a contents="sell your music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">sell your music</a> and merch direct-to-fan. </p>
<h4>4. Use social media </h4>
<p>Managing several different social media pages can quickly get overwhelming, so the key is to focus on where your fans (and potential new fans) are most active. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all great places to start, but you should also explore platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, and even Pinterest, and see if it makes sense to put the effort into building a following there. </p>
<p>If you’re in need of in-depth social media marketing advice, check out our guides for getting more fans on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-with-facebook" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-twitter" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-instagram" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, plus <a contents="11 killer content ideas" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/11-killer-content-ideas-for-musicians-to-get-more-fans-on-social-media" target="_blank">11 killer content ideas</a> you can try out on any platform. </p>
<p>Have a budget to work with? Give your band marketing strategies a boost with <a contents="Facebook ads" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-facebook" target="_blank">Facebook ads</a> or <a contents="Instagram ads" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-instagram" target="_blank">Instagram ads</a>. </p>
<h4>5. Focus on streaming </h4>
<p>While we still have a long way to go before the average artist can realistically earn a living from streaming revenue, there’s no arguing that services like Spotify and Apple Music have become the new go-to for music fans to discover bands. These days, having your song included in a curated Spotify playlist can be <a contents="just as effective" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://flypaper.soundfly.com/hustle/your-music-was-added-to-a-popular-spotify-playlist-now-what/" target="_blank">just as effective</a> (if not more) than traditional press coverage. </p>
<p>If you don’t already have your music on all of the major streaming platforms, sign up with a digital distribution company like TuneCore, and get your releases up there. The setup process is easy, and there’s really no downside! </p>
<h4>6. Leverage the power of YouTube </h4>
<p>Video is a powerful medium for band marketing. By adding a visual layer to your artistry, you’re reinforcing your brand while allowing fans to connect with your music in a deeper way. </p>
<p><a contents="YouTube is one of the first places people searc" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-youtube" target="_blank">YouTube is one of the first places people searc</a>h when they’re trying to find a specific song, so make sure you upload all of your original music and official music videos to your band’s channel. You might also want to consider regularly posting unique cover videos, vlogs, live performances, or interviews so that you show up more often in search results and make yourself more accessible to potential fans. </p>
<h4>7. Gig, gig, gig </h4>
<p>Performing live is one of the best ways to get new fans and market your band. Start by focusing on your local scene, and don’t hesitate to play charity events, fundraisers, or private events in between your music venue/bar gigs. Once you’ve built up a strong local following, you can turn your attention to <a contents="regional weekend tours&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://try.bandzoogle.com/how-to-book-a-tour-webinar/" target="_blank">regional weekend tours </a>and <a contents="music festival gigs" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-booked-at-music-festivals" target="_blank">music festival gigs</a> to gain even more exposure. </p>
<h4>8. Get reviews </h4>
<p><a contents="Getting publicity for your band" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-publicity-to-promote-your-music" target="_blank">Getting publicity for your band</a> is all about relationships, but you shouldn’t wait until you can finally afford a music publicist to start <a contents="working on your strategy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-music-to-bloggers" target="_blank">working on your strategy</a>. Keep a running list of any local or independent music blogs that have covered bands similar to yours, and make a note of their contact info and any pitch requirements listed on the website. </p>
<p>Even if you only hear back from a couple of small blogs at first, you can use those initial reviews to build momentum and buzz, and eventually work your way up to getting covered by bigger publications with a wider reach. Plus, you never know where those small bloggers will end up in a couple of years, so make sure you maintain those relationships. </p>
<h4>9. Create band merchandise </h4>
<p>Let your diehard fans do the marketing for you by donning a T-shirt with your band logo on it! </p>
<p>Besides the usual suspects like clothing, stickers, and posters, there are <a contents="tons of creative merch items" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online" target="_blank">tons of creative merch items</a> you can offer your fans — think phone cases, flasks, or even handwritten lyric sheets. Just make sure that whatever merch you create is aligned with your brand, and something that your fans would actually be excited to purchase. </p>
<h4>10. Run contests </h4>
<p>Running an occasional contest or giveaway is a great band marketing idea — you benefit from the exposure, and lucky fans of yours get something for free from a band they love. </p>
<p>You could do something as simple as a social media ticket giveaway for your next show, or as involved as a VIP listening party or scavenger hunt around your city. Whatever you do, try to make it fun and exciting so that people are incentivized to spread the word on your behalf. </p>
<h4>11. Don’t forget radio </h4>
<p>Radio might not be your first thought when you’re brainstorming band marketing strategies, but targeting independent and college radio stations can be a very effective way to promote your music. </p>
<p>If you manage to grab a program director’s attention, you’ll be able to tap into a new audience that trusts and enjoys their music curation. <a contents="Read up on how to pitch radio stations here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-effectively-promote-your-music-to-radio" target="_blank">Read up on how to pitch radio stations here</a>. </p>
<h4>12. Look into sponsorships and partnerships </h4>
<p>We’re not talking about some huge, unattainable contract with a major international brand — you can partner with local businesses and work out a deal that’s simple, authentic, and mutually beneficial. </p>
<p>Do some research on companies that are already working with bands similar to where you are in your music career. Take note of what both parties put into and get out of the arrangement, and think through what sorts of things you could offer and would benefit from. </p>
<p>As an example, you could strike up a collaboration with a local graphic design firm. They create a unique, limited-edition merch item for your band to sell at your next show, and in return, you give them a cut of the profits and help promote them on your website and social media pages. </p>
<h4>13. Engage your fans </h4>
<p>As you’ve read through these strategies, you’ve probably gathered by this point that it all really boils down to this: build genuine relationships that turn your casual fans into devoted superfans, and they’ll supplement all of your efforts with the most powerful marketing of all — word of mouth. It obviously requires consistent hard work to engage and nurture your fans, but those superfans are the key to building a legitimate, long-lasting music career. </p>
<p><em><a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a> and the Director of Marketing & Communications at <a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/50449562018-01-26T07:06:39-05:002021-08-16T13:15:57-04:00How to Advertise Your Music on Instagram<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/8356ba1b2449b80fad034ef1fa4342e9e6d0fd5b/original/61a31416c4228bdddc1f4d12f826f3930902c4ae.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-instagram" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p><em>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a></em></p>
<p>Instagram is one of the best ways to build your brand and showcase your personality as a musician. But now that the social media platform boasts 700 million monthly active users, advertising your music on Instagram has become more competitive, so you need to be savvier than ever before to reach new fans. </p>
<p>Let’s take a look at some best practices for Instagram advertising and how to get your ads up and running. </p>
<h3>Instagram Advertising: Best Practices for Musicians </h3>
<h4>1. Keep your target audience in mind. </h4>
<p>The most effective ads are highly targeted, so it’s worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the audience you hope to reach. If you have a clear idea of who’s on the receiving end of your Instagram ads, all of the creative decisions you need to make will flow from there. </p>
<p>Create a profile of your ideal superfan: How old are they? Where do they live? Are they male or female? What are their interests? Where do they hang out? Which other bands do they love? Use any existing fan data you have from your <a contents="email list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians" target="_blank">email list</a>, <a contents="band website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-drive-more-traffic-to-your-music-website" target="_blank">band website</a> analytics, or social media profiles for insight. </p>
<h4>2. Make it as authentic as anything else you’d post. </h4>
<p>Just because it’s technically an ad doesn’t mean it needs to scream, “THIS IS AN AD!” You’ll generally want to avoid overlaying your image with text, because that tends to come across as inauthentic and most people will scroll right past it. You’ll have more success if you keep your ad genuine and consistent with the rest of your Instagram posts in terms of colors, filters, tone, and overall vibe. </p>
<h4>3. Use a captivating, high-quality image. </h4>
<p>Put yourself in the shoes of a potential fan. Would the image you plan to use in your ad make you stop and pay attention as you’re mindlessly scrolling through Instagram? If not, pick a different one that’s more compelling. </p>
<p>For inspiration, check out Instagram accounts similar to yours, and try to identify the specific elements that you admire about those posts that you could adapt and make your own. </p>
<h4>4. Optimize your caption. </h4>
<p>This is your chance to get creative and show who you are as an artist or band, while also making the purpose of your ad as clear as possible. </p>
<p>As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to keep your captions on the shorter side (unless a longer caption would help convey the message in a stronger way and not detract from the ad), with a few relevant hashtags and perhaps an emoji or two thrown in (both of which have been shown to increase engagement on Instagram). Again, make sure you keep your target audience in mind and ask yourself what kind of message and tone would resonate with them the most. </p>
<h4>5. Give people a good reason to click on your call-to-action. </h4>
<p>Ultimately, you’ll judge the success of your Instagram ad by how many people clicked through and performed the action you wanted them to take, whether that’s streaming your new single, watching your latest music video, signing up for your email list, or buying a ticket for your upcoming show. </p>
<p>Your image and caption should work together to deliver a strong message about whatever it is you’re promoting. Be sure to demonstrate the value of what you’re offering and provide a legitimate incentive to click your call-to-action button. </p>
<h3>How to Set Up an Instagram Ad </h3>
<p>Since Facebook now owns Instagram, you actually set up Instagram ads through Facebook Ads Manager. So, the good news is that if you’ve ever run a Facebook ad before, you pretty much already know how to run an Instagram ad. If not, all you need to get started is a Facebook page that’s linked to your Instagram account. </p>
<p>Here’s a condensed step-by-step guide to setting up an Instagram ad, but we’d recommend reading through our in-depth Facebook advertising tutorial to understand the ins and outs of Ads Manager. </p>
<h4>1. Define your goal </h4>
<p>You need to have a way of measuring the success of your Instagram ad, so the first step is to set a specific goal. Attach concrete numbers and a deadline to it. The more detailed you make your goal, the better. </p>
<p>Here are the objectives you can choose from in Facebook Ads Manager that are applicable to Instagram. </p>
<h4>2. Determine your budget </h4>
<p>You can set either a daily budget or a lifetime budget (meaning day-to-day spending will vary slightly, but you won’t exceed the total budget you allocate for the lifetime of the ad set). </p>
<p>Facebook and Instagram ads work on an auction, so the cost is determined by your targeting and the amount of competition among other advertisers for that audience. Depending on the goal you’ve set, you can choose to pay for your ads by cost per thousand impressions (CPM) or cost per click (CPC). </p>
<h4>3. Identify your target audience </h4>
<p>If you’re new to advertising on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll probably need to play around with different targeting options for a bit until you hit on the right combination. In Ads Manager, you’ll be able to see in real time how your estimated reach changes as you make tweaks. Here’s an overview of all of Facebook’s audience targeting options. </p>
<h4>4. Create your ad </h4>
<p>You have several options for the format of your Instagram ad, including photo, video, carousel, and Stories. For musicians, we’d recommend starting out with a simple photo or video ad, depending on what your objective is. Be sure to review the design requirements and recommendations for Instagram ads. </p>
<p>When you create a new ad in Ads Manager, you’ll be guided through selecting your objective, audience targeting, budget, schedule, and placement (i.e., where it’s going to be displayed). By default, all of the placements will be selected, but if you only want your ads to run on Instagram and nowhere else, uncheck all of the placements except for Instagram. </p>
<p>After you finalize your settings, you’ll then be taken to the section where you choose the format, media, and text for your ad. Once you’ve reviewed all of the details, click the “place order” button. </p>
<h4>5. Measure your ad’s performance </h4>
<p>The work isn’t over once your Instagram ad is active! While it’s running, you need to track its performance and make any necessary adjustments to have the best chance of success. Ads Manager provides all the metrics you need to help you figure out how well your ads are doing. </p>
<p>Enjoyed this post? Check out: <a contents="Social Media Marketing for Musicians: How to Get More Fans on Instagram&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-instagram" target="_blank">Social Media Marketing for Musicians: How to Get More Fans on Instagram </a></p>
<p><em><a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a> and the Director of Marketing & Communications at <a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/50202192018-01-12T07:21:10-05:002023-12-10T13:10:05-05:00How to Advertise Your Music Using Google AdWords<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/7f1fa974f52b87b9c80166fd496f6e256f598574/original/d3b45424cd0439d0f3dfa646733dfc57475edb0a.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-using-google-adwords" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p><em>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a></em></p>
<p>You’ve probably tried <a contents="boosting your posts on Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-facebook" target="_blank">boosting your posts on Facebook</a>, and maybe you’ve even <a contents="un a few ads on Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-instagram" target="_blank">run a few ads on Instagram</a>. But have you ever considered how powerful Google’s search network can be for advertising your music? </p>
<p>Optimizing your online presence for Google is super important, and there’s a lot you can do to <a contents="increase organic search traffic to your band website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/seo-checklist-for-musicians" target="_blank">increase organic search traffic to your band website</a>. But in this article, we’re going to explore how to advertise your music using Google AdWords. </p>
<p>Although big companies pour thousands of dollars per month (and sometimes even per day) into AdWords campaigns, the great thing about the platform is that you can completely customize it for your own needs and budget, no matter how big or small. </p>
<p>Even if you invest just a few dollars a day, you can see how many people are shown your ads, how many people click through to your website, and which ads and keywords are outperforming the rest. </p>
<p>For example, let’s say you’re a local band looking to get booked for wedding or corporate gigs in your area. If you run an AdWords campaign with the right geo-targeting and keywords, you can essentially guarantee that you’re reaching people who are actively looking to book bands like yours. And the more relevant your ads are to your target audience, the less you actually end up paying per click. </p>
<h4>Define your goal </h4>
<p>First, ask yourself: What am I looking to get out of an AdWords campaign? Whether it’s selling tickets for a show, booking local gigs, or <a contents="driving more traffic to your website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-drive-more-traffic-to-your-music-website" target="_blank">driving more traffic to your website</a> to get email list signups, it helps enormously to have a specific goal in mind right from the start. </p>
<p>You’ll find that there are many different elements to experiment with as you go through the process of setting up a campaign, so don’t get frustrated if you don’t hit your goal the first time around. Sometimes, a small change can make a big difference in how effective your ads are. </p>
<h4>How much does AdWords cost? </h4>
<p>AdWords uses a cost-per-click (CPC) model, which means that you only get charged when someone actually clicks on your ad, no matter how many times it’s shown. You can set whatever daily budget you’re comfortable with, and you can rest assured that you’ll never spend more than that amount per day. </p>
<p>Your CPC is largely determined by how many other advertisers are bidding on the same keywords that you’ve selected. While keyword competition and maximum bids are both important factors, AdWords also takes quality and relevance into consideration — which means that better ads are rewarded with lower costs and better placement. </p>
<h4>How to find relevant keywords </h4>
<p>The keywords you select play a crucial role in the success of your ads, so it’s important to set aside some time for research before you dive into creating a campaign. </p>
<p>Put yourself in the shoes of your potential fans. What would you Google? </p>
<p>Google’s free <a contents="Keyword Planner" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://adwords.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/" target="_blank">Keyword Planner</a> should be your first stop. You can use it to find out how often keywords are searched, how competitive they are, and even discover new keywords that could be effective for you. You can supplement your research with other free tools like <a contents="Google Trends" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/" target="_blank">Google Trends</a> and <a contents="Wordtracker" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wordtracker.com/" target="_blank">Wordtracker</a>. </p>
<p>As you research, start building a master list containing your most important keywords. You’ll need it to create your ads, so keep it handy! </p>
<p>We highly recommend that you read through our <a contents="in-depth guide to keyword research" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/seo-keyword-research-for-musicians" target="_blank">in-depth guide to keyword research</a> (which also includes advice on what to do if search volume for your band is low), because the keywords you choose to target will make or break your campaign. </p>
<h4>How to create an AdWords campaign from scratch </h4>
<p>In this section, we’ll walk you through how to set up a simple Search Network ad. </p>
<p>There are other types of campaigns you can set up through AdWords, such as Display Network ads and YouTube video ads, but we suggest that you get comfortable with Search Network ads first, and then explore the other options later if you’d like. </p>
<p>Note: We’re using the <a contents="new AdWords experience" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6306932?hl=en" target="_blank">new AdWords experience</a> for this tutorial. <a contents="Here’s how to switch" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6306925#switching" target="_blank">Here’s how to switch</a> if you have an existing AdWords account with the old experience. </p>
<p>1. If you don’t already have a Google AdWords account, head over to the <a contents="AdWords homepage" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://adwords.google.com/" target="_blank">AdWords homepage</a> and click the “start now” button to sign up for free. </p>
<p>2. Once you’re logged in, click “campaigns,” then click the plus sign to create a new campaign. </p>
<p>3. You should now be on the “campaign type” screen. Click “search network,” then select your campaign goal. </p>
<p>4. After clicking “continue,” you’ll see the page where you enter all of your campaign settings. </p>
<p>To keep things simple for your first campaign, we recommend selecting “no” for “add display network” and keeping most of the default settings. Certainly feel free to specify different locations or languages based on where you are and the audience you’re targeting. </p>
<p>5. Enter your daily budget and your campaign start and end dates, and then click “save and continue.” </p>
<p>6. You should now be on the screen where you set up your <a contents="ad groups" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6298?hl=en" target="_blank">ad groups</a>. Using the master keyword list you built earlier, create two or three ad groups with sets of related keywords in each so that you can see what kind of searches are best for reaching your target audience. </p>
<p>Try not to go overboard with this — for now, stick with just a handful of relevant keywords for each ad group. You can always add more later if you’d like. </p>
<p>Important: <a contents="Read up on keyword matching options" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/7478529?hl=en&ref_topic=3122868&visit_id=1-636461284520862361-4221544821&rd=1" target="_blank">Read up on keyword matching options</a> (i.e., controlling the kind of searches that trigger your ads), because poorly matched keywords are one of the biggest money-wasting mistakes that beginners make with AdWords. If you have some flexibility with your spending, a <a contents="broad-to-narrow strategy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6337842" target="_blank">broad-to-narrow strategy</a> is the way to go. But if you’re on a really tight budget, your best bet is to start with narrower targeting and less traffic while you get the hang of AdWords, and then expand from there. </p>
<p>7. After you hit “save and continue” on your ad groups, you’ve reached the final step of the process: creating your ads. This is where you enter the headline, URL (which should be a <a contents="landing page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-how-to-properly-use-a-landing-page-on-your-website" target="_blank">landing page</a> that’s highly relevant to the search), and description for your ad. </p>
<p>Google recommends creating at least three ads per ad group to see what messaging works for your potential fans. <a contents="Here’s a complete list of best practices for search ads" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6167122" target="_blank">Here’s a complete list of best practices for search ads</a>. </p>
<p><em>Pro tip: You’ll see a better click-through rate if you use keywords from your ad group in the ad headline itself. </em></p>
<p>8. Once you’ve finalized your ads and entered your billing information, you’re done with your campaign setup! </p>
<p>At this point, it’s a good idea to go back through the campaign and review everything you’ve entered to make sure it’s exactly what you want. You can make edits to your budget, ad groups, keywords, and ads by using the menu on the left side of the screen. </p>
<p>It might take a little time for for your ads to be reviewed, but once they’re approved, they’ll automatically run between the start and end dates you specified for your campaign. </p>
<h4>Test and measure performance </h4>
<p>As with all forms of digital advertising, running a successful AdWords campaign requires consistent testing, tracking, and tweaking to get the most bang for your buck. </p>
<p>Be patient for the first few days and allow the data to accumulate. In about a week, you should start to have an idea of which ads and keywords are performing better than others. Keep a close eye on them, and pause any ads or ad groups that are clearly not performing well at all. </p>
<p>If you’re seeing promising results after a couple of weeks, consider increasing your daily budget. If not, don’t panic — just continue testing different combinations of keywords and ad copy until you find your sweet spot. </p>
<p>It’s a good idea to log into AdWords at least once a week to see how your campaigns are doing, and make any tweaks if necessary. You can avoid wasting a lot of money if you regularly <a contents="review the search terms that led to clicks" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/7531771?co=ADWORDS.IsAWNCustomer%3Dtrue&oco=0" target="_blank">review the search terms that led to clicks</a> on your ad and carefully <a contents="build a negative keyword list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/7102460?co=ADWORDS.IsAWNCustomer%3Dtrue&oco=0" target="_blank">build a negative keyword list</a>. </p>
<p>If you’d like to gain a deeper understanding of the platform and start experimenting with other types of ads besides search ads, the <a contents="AdWords Help Center" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://support.google.com/adwords/?hl=en#topic=3119071" target="_blank">AdWords Help Center</a> is a great resource. </p>
<p><em><a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a> and the Director of Marketing & Communications at <a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/50084202018-01-05T07:25:48-05:002022-04-02T07:31:55-04:0021 Dos and Don’ts of band website design<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/58a673050288587f25bb80b27c4a1ffe7f251660/original/bzblog-21-dos-donts-band-site-design-img01.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>From the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/21-dos-and-don-ts-of-band-website-design" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a></em></p>
<p>The band is getting along. Songs are great. Gigs calendar is filling up. Now you just need to get people to notice you and you’ll be good to go. But where do you start? </p>
<p>If you focus your efforts on Facebook or Twitter, your music is likely to get lost in a sea of political rants and fur baby videos. The best way to keep fans focused on you is through your own custom website. </p>
<p>A website puts the focus on you and your music. It’s easy to build a website, but how do you know if you did it right? Let’s take a look and the most common ways band win and lose with their website. </p>
<h3>Dos </h3>
<h4>1. Do have a website </h4>
<p>We often get the question, “Isn’t social media enough?” and the short answer is <a contents="NO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-reasons-why-you-need-a-website" target="_blank">NO</a>. Although social media is great for promoting your music, it can’t replace having your own website. </p>
<p>Social media is distracting. Your website is your personal piece of the internet that focuses on you. </p>
<h4>2. Do have a great Homepage </h4>
<p>The most visited page on any website is the Homepage. Make sure to build it properly to encourage visitors to click around to other pages. Include a couple of your best songs, some upcoming shows, and latest news. To get it just right, you can follow our blog post on <a contents="How to build the perfect homepage for your band website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-build-the-perfect-homepage-for-your-band-website" target="_blank">How to build the perfect homepage for your band website</a>. </p>
<h4>3. Do use professional photos </h4>
<p>Your header photo is so important that it’s almost better not to have a website than to have one that displays crummy photos. It might be tempting to use a candid shot or one from your phone, but resist. Those photos typically aren’t optimized and will display blurry on desktop computers. </p>
<p>Bad photos can create a negative impression on you and your music. We recommend investing the money for professional photos. Not only can you use them for your band web design, but also for social media and your <a contents="electronic press kit" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/title-how-to-easily-build-an-epk-using-bandzoogle-s-preset-page-templates" target="_blank">electronic press kit</a>. </p>
<h4>4. Do use a call-to-action </h4>
<p>A call-to-action (CTA) is the primary thing you’d like visitors to do once they hit your site. Some examples are: </p>
<p>Buy my album! </p>
<p>Watch our new video! </p>
<p>Sign up to the mailing list! </p>
<p>This keeps visitors engaged with your content. It’s also important to ask for what you want. Add your CTA high on the page so it stands out. With Bandzoogle’s tools, we give you the option to add a CTA right in the header. This allows you to <a contents="promote your music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-music-with-a-call-to-action" target="_blank">promote your music</a> from the minute a visitor gets to your site. </p>
<h4>5. Do have a mailing list signup </h4>
<p>Speaking of CTA’s, the most important one is the mailing list signup form. Sure, getting someone to buy your track is ideal, but if they aren’t on your list it’s only a one time sale. When you <a contents="get fans on your list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians" target="_blank">get fans on your list</a> you can notify them of new music, merch and tours. This creates a steady connection for fans to buy from you long term. </p>
<h4>6. Do tell your story </h4>
<p>The music will draw people to your site, but once they get there, they want to know about you. Have a <a contents="dedicated bio page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-effective-musician-bio-with-examples" target="_blank">dedicated bio page</a> that talks about how you got started, what you’ve done, and where you’d like to go next. Having it written in third person makes it easy for media professionals to use parts of it in interview introductions and articles. </p>
<h4>7. Do have music for sale </h4>
<p>Adding songs to your site may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many band websites we see without any music on them. You don’t have to wait until you have a full album to get your site hummin’ with tunes. Even if you have snippets or rough tracks, add those. Fans love all the small behind-the-scenes updates of a musician. </p>
<p>You can <a contents="add music to any page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-create-a-perfect-page-to-sell-music-on-your-website" target="_blank">add music to any page</a> on your site with just a few clicks. From there you can set any track to free, free with email, fixed price or pay-what-you-want. If you set a price your fans can <a contents="buy your music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">buy your music</a> from your site and download it right away. </p>
<h4>8. Do have a mobile-friendly website </h4>
<p>Mobile viewing is now much higher as compared to desktop, so your site needs to work seamlessly on all screen sizes. </p>
<p>In a recent update, Google noted they would give preference to mobile friendly sites. This means if your site isn’t mobile responsive Google will punish you by ranking your site lower in search engine results. </p>
<p>The good news is Bandzoogle sites are <a contents="optimized for mobile" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/features" target="_blank">optimized for mobile</a>. You only have to design your site once and it will scale down to any screen size a fan is visiting from. </p>
<h4>9. Do have an EPK </h4>
<p>In years passed artists would package press items and mail it off to music reps for consideration. Most of the time these packages wouldn’t even get looked at. There were just too many to go through and these reps have limited time. Since most people spend more time online the <a contents="EPK" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/website-design-inspiration-best-electronic-press-kits-epks" target="_blank">EPK</a> is now the way to go. </p>
<p>An EPK stands for electronic press kit. This is a one page layout that includes the most <a contents="essential parts" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-8-things-that-should-be-in-every-band-s-digital-press-kit" target="_blank">essential parts</a> of who you are as a musician or band. This may be the only page an industry pro visits, so you’ll want to put your best music, videos, and photos on this page. </p>
<h4>10. Do customize your template </h4>
<p>You might be thinking that all template sites look the same, but that’s not so here. With our built in theme designer you can choose a template and customize it to look how you want. We have lots of options to play around with including styled buttons, custom fonts, and image filters (think Instagram!) </p>
<p>If you take a look at some of our <a contents="sample sites" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/beautiful-band-website-templates" target="_blank">sample sites</a> you’ll see how just a few tweaks can make your site fit your own style. </p>
<h3>Don’ts </h3>
<h4>11. Don’t have a pointless intro page </h4>
<p>An Intro page is great for displaying a temporary message, but shouldn’t be used long-term. You can use it for announcements about your new album release or upcoming tour, then take it down after about two weeks. </p>
<p>Longer than that and it becomes an extra step a fan has to go through before getting to your main content. This can be annoying to click through every time they visit. You want to encourage fans to come back, so make the homepage the focus of your band’s website design. </p>
<h4>12. Don’t autostart music </h4>
<p>Picture this, you’re at work and get a text from a friend to check out this new band they saw Saturday night. You get to the site and all of a sudden.. BAM! Their music starts playing loudly. You look around in a panic, then fumble with your mouse to click off fast before your boss hears. You probably won’t be going back to the site and by the time you get home from work, you’ve forgotten about them. </p>
<p>This is the same way your fans feel when you autostart your music on your site. If someone got to your site, they’ll want to hear your music, so let them control when they want to click play. </p>
<h4>13. Don’t have confusing navigation </h4>
<p>People are inundated with information. Attention spans are short. Keep your website simple and your navigation menu to eight tabs or less. If you have more than that, consider using sub-pages or condensing information. </p>
<p>You also want to keep the page names to one word. For example, Home, Bio, Music, etc. The navigation menu is not the place for long phrases or vague concepts. Once a visitor clicks on the page name you can get more creative in the content of that particular page. </p>
<h4>14. Don’t use too many colors </h4>
<p>With so many design options it can be tempting to go crazy with color. But resist! You want your website to look fun, but professional. To achieve this look you’ll want to stick to three to four colors. </p>
<p>A primary ‘brand’ color </p>
<p>A secondary color </p>
<p>An accent color </p>
<p>The first step is to decide on your brand color. Once you do you can check out any color wheel on Google to find complimentary colors. A good example is the Abode Color CC. </p>
<h4>15. Don’t use wacky fonts </h4>
<p>Eccentric fonts may seem cool, but if they’re hard to read it defeats the purpose. Fonts with curls, swirls, jagged edges or stripes may look fun, but are unprofessional. </p>
<p>Many times those fonts can appear dated and make you look like an amateur. Instead, use modern fonts with clean lines. If you don’t find a style you like in our font list you can upload your own custom font! </p>
<h4>16. Don’t clutter the pages </h4>
<p>Most visitors will not take the time to go through all your pages, so keep it brief. Only put content on your site that’s most important to you. Our band website templates give you a guide of the most commonly used features for a band. You can customize the content with styled sections and columns, but keep it organized. </p>
<h4>17. Don’t overuse bold, italics, and ALL CAPS </h4>
<p>It’s very exciting to be a musician, but if your whole website is in CAPS it can feel desperate. To avoid looking like a novice only use CAPS and bold text for titles and announcements. You can also use italics but reserve it for words and phrases that need emphasis. </p>
<h4>18. Don’t add a hit counter </h4>
<p>Just because a feature is available doesn’t mean it’s wise to use it. Hit counters were popular in the early 90’s but don’t have a place on modern websites now. To track website visits you should use built-in analytics. This is a much more accurate view of the stats for your site. </p>
<h4>19. Don’t add a guestbook </h4>
<p>Unless hundreds of people are adding messages to your guestbook, it’s best to leave it off your site as well. It’s better to get fans to engage on blog comments and share your music/events to social media instead. </p>
<h4>20. Don’t use random donate button </h4>
<p>Adding a random ‘Donate’ button on your site is like standing on the street with your hand out. People don’t know what you’re using the money for so they’ll be hesitant to pull out their credit card. Instead it’s best to sell music, merch or even fan perks on your site. That way they can support you but will get something out of it. </p>
<h4>21. Don’t abandon your website </h4>
<p>Getting your website setup is easy, but getting people to your site is a bit more tricky. This is where <a contents="updates and promotion" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-drive-more-traffic-to-your-music-website" target="_blank">updates and promotion</a> go hand in hand. Keep your website updated with new music, photos, events and blog posts. Then let people know so they’ll continue to come back. If you just let your band website sit dormant, fans may think there’s nothing going on with your music and stop coming back. </p>
<p>Now you know the ups and downs of website design for bands. Use these tips to make your custom website stand out. For more inspiration, check out our blog and sample sites page.</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49895492017-12-22T07:32:07-05:002023-01-03T06:48:12-05:00The Most Read Posts from the Bandzoogle Blog in 2017<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/4e7836ebdb06d828323fc7609379d65c71f9ba56/original/488df559876f870f2b48bdbe828bc10e2f328a38.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>From the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-most-read-posts-from-the-bandzoogle-blog-in-2017" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a></em></p>
<p>Every week we publish blog posts that we hope will help your career in some way. From how to <a contents="get more gigs" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/music-career-advice" target="_blank">get more gigs</a>, <a contents="selling more music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/selling-music-online" target="_blank">selling more music</a> online, how to <a contents="get more music fans" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/music-marketing-and-promotion" target="_blank">get more music fans</a>, to optimizing your website for <a contents="SEO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/website-tips" target="_blank">SEO</a>. </p>
<p>Over 130 articles were published to the Bandzoogle Blog in 2017, so you’re forgiven if you missed a few! Here’s a look back at the most popular posts of the year: </p>
<h4>How to Get Booked at Music Festivals </h4>
<p>This post covers everything you need to know about finding the best music festivals for your band, putting together a killer application, and following up with promoters: <a contents="Read the post&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-booked-at-music-festivals" target="_blank">Read the post</a></p>
<h4>The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online </h4>
<p>In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover all of the options for selling your music online. This includes which platforms you should focus on, how to maximize your revenues, and some promotional ideas to help drive more sales! <a contents="Read the Guide" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">Read the Guide</a> </p>
<h4>How to easily build an EPK using Bandzoogle's Preset Page Templates </h4>
<p>Creating an electronic press kit designed to show off your music and your online presence has never been easier with our preset page templates! In this post you’ll learn how to easily create an organized and attractive EPK for your band. <a contents="Read how" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/title-how-to-easily-build-an-epk-using-bandzoogle-s-preset-page-templates" target="_blank">Read how</a> </p>
<h4>Complete SEO Checklist for Musicians </h4>
<p>It's not easy figuring out how to start optimizing your band's presence in search engines. So we took all of our SEO advice and broke it down into one handy checklist: <a contents="See the checklist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/seo-checklist-for-musicians" target="_blank">See the checklist</a> </p>
<h4>10 Record Deal Red Flags </h4>
<p>Before signing a contract with a label, it’s important to understand what you’re signing. This list from entertainment lawyer Byron Pascoe provides some common red flags to keep in mind: <a contents="Read the list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-record-deal-red-flags" target="_blank">Read the list</a> </p>
<h4>15 Ways to Get More Music Fans </h4>
<p>There are dozens of ways to get more fans for your music, but if you nail the 15 essentials outlined in this post, you’ll be well on your way to getting more fans. <a contents="Read the post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/15-ways-to-get-more-music-fans" target="_blank">Read the post</a></p>
<h4>11 Killer Content Ideas for Musicians to Get More Fans on Social Media </h4>
<p>You surely understand what a crucial role social media marketing plays in getting more fans for your music, but figuring out the content you should post can be challenging. This post outlines 11 ideas to bring your social media marketing to the next level! <a contents="Read the list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/11-killer-content-ideas-for-musicians-to-get-more-fans-on-social-media" target="_blank">Read the list</a></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49774412017-12-14T14:59:58-05:002023-12-10T12:04:29-05:00How to Drive More Traffic to Your Music Website<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/bb18c5350c02bcaddcb88288f7420da73fa3199a/original/5d8191ec5ca3e362d787355cbba4fbc063aa691c.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-drive-more-traffic-to-your-music-website" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p><em>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a></em></p>
<p>So, you’ve put a lot of time and effort into building a <a contents="stunning band website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/beautiful-band-website-templates" target="_blank">stunning band website</a>, but after the initial rush of traffic and congratulatory comments from your friends, now it’s just sort of… sitting there. Why aren’t potential new fans and industry folks finding it? </p>
<p>It can be disheartening to wake up to double- or single-digit website stats every morning, and countless independent musicians run into the same problem — but fortunately, there are plenty of solutions. </p>
<p>Here are some of the best ways to drive traffic to your music website that you can start putting into action today! </p>
<h4>1. Optimize your website for SEO </h4>
<p>Admittedly, the more you dig into search engine optimization (SEO), the more complicated it gets, but the basics of getting your band website to show up in relevant search results is actually pretty simple. </p>
<p>Start with this <a contents="SEO checklist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/seo-checklist-for-musicians" target="_blank">SEO checklist</a> for musicians — it covers all the essentials, from making a target keyword list, to optimizing your title tags and meta descriptions. For a more in-depth explanation of exactly how to do everything on that checklist, download the free ebook, A Complete Guide to SEO for Musicians. </p>
<h4>2. Share your website on social media </h4>
<p>If you treat your musician website as your central online hub and always keep it up to date, you can use your social media pages to drive traffic on a regular basis. </p>
<p>For example, whenever you have a <a contents="new song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">new song</a> or video to share, embed it on your website and share the link to that page across all your social channels. </p>
<p>Same goes for announcing tour dates or adding new items to your <a contents="online merch store" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online" target="_blank">online merch store</a>. Take any opportunity you have to direct your social media followers to your website, where you have the best chance of getting them to take action. </p>
<h4>3. Include your website in the “about” section of all your online profiles </h4>
<p>If a potential fan stumbles upon your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram account and she wants to know more about you, make it as easy as possible for her to do so. Every social media profile has some sort of “about” or “bio” section, so take advantage of it and put your website URL in all of them. The more links you have to your band website across your online presence, the better! </p>
<h4>4. Write a guest blog </h4>
<p>There are tons of blogs and online publications out there that gladly accept guest posts. This is a really good opportunity to reach new audiences and show another side of who you are. </p>
<p>You can write about your experiences as an independent musician, such as what tour life is really all about, or perhaps share advice for younger bands that are just starting out. </p>
<p>Alternatively, if you have a passion outside of music that’s in line with your brand and your target audience (e.g., fashion, cooking, tattoos, traveling, photography, yoga), feel free to research niche blogs that accept contributions as well. </p>
<p>The most important thing is to make sure the blog includes a link to your website in your author bio — not only to build awareness among readers, but also to improve your SEO. </p>
<h4>5. Use your email list </h4>
<p>Your email list is the most powerful and direct communication channel you have. Your fans joined your list because they want to hear from you, so don’t be shy about using it when you have a legit reason to drive traffic to your website. </p>
<p><em>[<a contents="The Complete Guide to Email Marketing for Musicians" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians" target="_blank">The Complete Guide to Email Marketing for Musicians</a>] </em></p>
<p>Send out an occasional email blast with a call-to-action to listen to your music, buy your merch, or check out your upcoming performances. Just make sure you don’t include more than one call-to-action per email, though, because that can get distracting and may come off as overly self-promotional. </p>
<h4>6. Start a blog on your website </h4>
<p>Starting a blog on your band website is one of the best ways to drive traffic and consistently keep fans coming back. Plus, regularly publishing fresh content that includes your band name and some of your target keywords is great for your SEO! </p>
<p>I know what you’re probably thinking, and don’t worry — this doesn’t need to be a huge undertaking. Not every post has to be a long essay detailing the intricacies of musician life; the majority of your posts can be short and sweet updates. </p>
<p>For example, you can embed a new cover video with a personal note below about why you chose to cover that song, or share a couple of photos from last night’s show with some fun commentary. </p>
<h4>7. Run Facebook ads </h4>
<p>You’re most likely aware by now that Facebook has been making it increasingly difficult for fans to see content from business pages organically. However, it can really be worth it to set aside a small budget to reach a larger audience for your most important posts. The key is to target your ads at a <a contents="well-defined audience" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-facebook" target="_blank">well-defined audience</a> — not too narrow, and not too broad. </p>
<p>It’ll take some experimenting, but once you get your targeting down, you’ll drastically increase your chances of driving traffic to your musician website and converting new fans. </p>
<h4>8. Try Google AdWords </h4>
<p>If you’re looking to book more live gigs in a particular city, Google AdWords will help your band website show up in search results when event planners in that area are seeking talent. You can also use it to create ads that show up on other websites, mobile devices, YouTube, and more. </p>
<p>AdWords uses a cost-per-click system, so you only get charged if someone actually clicks on your ad. The more specific you are with your geo-targeting, the less competition there will be — meaning your ads will be more effective and they’ll cost less. </p>
<p>Check out this guide for more details on <a contents="how to use Google AdWords" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-using-google-adwords" target="_blank">how to use Google AdWords</a>. </p>
<h4>9. Put your music or merch on sale </h4>
<p>You can pretty much use any holiday or big event as an excuse to put your music or merch on sale and drive traffic to your website. </p>
<p>Offer a steeply discounted bundle around the holidays. If you sell your music on vinyl, run a sale on Record Store Day. Heck, even use the five-year anniversary of your band being together as a reason to celebrate and put your debut album on sale. </p>
<p>As always, be sure to promote your sale on your social media pages, and send a special promo code to your email list with a clear call-to-action. </p>
<h4>10. Run a contest or giveaway </h4>
<p>Set up a contest or giveaway where fans have to enter through your website to win. You can do something simple, like giving away a pair of concert tickets to a randomly selected winner, or you could get a little more creative and try something like an album art design contest. </p>
<p>Publish a straightforward landing page on your website that explains what the prize is and how to enter, and then share your contest or giveaway with your social media followers and email subscribers. </p>
<h4>11. Debut new content exclusively on your website </h4>
<p>Instead of releasing your new track or music video on every platform all at once, try “windowing” the release on your own musician website, where it’s debuted exclusively for the first couple of days before you make it publicly available on any other platform. </p>
<p>This is a great strategy to direct all of your fans to one central place and drive more traffic to your website, particularly if you have something big and exciting to share! </p>
<p><em><a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a> and the Director of Marketing & Communications at <a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49681952017-12-08T07:44:12-05:002022-05-22T11:16:11-04:0010 principles of great music web design<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/77fd43f77c918d904fb580dd5c7d0db0c28748f9/original/8e10adb5da84241d686ec072e031a0694c9fb786.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>This post by Melanie Kealey originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-principles-of-great-music-web-design" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p>It’s no secret that in order to appear professional, your own website with your own .com address is essential. So what ingredients make for a great musician website exactly? You’ve got the music of course, some images, videos, and show dates. </p>
<p>Pulling together content is an easy first step. The part where many musicians get stalled is with the website’s design. </p>
<p>This makes sense. After all, as a creative bunch, it’s tempting to want something off the wall and different! The good news is, it’s easy to create a website that’s both simple and appealing; one that works on mobile devices (which is huge nowadays) and also has your own unique stamp. </p>
<p>So where to begin when you’re designing your music website? Let’s take a look at some of the principles of great music web design that you can apply to your own website. </p>
<h4>1. Professional Photos </h4>
<p>It’s well worth the investment to get some professional photos of yourself or your band. Get a variety of shots - some farther away with lots of space around the edges, some closer in like headshots. </p>
<p>You’ll need these to start your design off right. You will use these photos countless times: for your background, your header image, your content area (think <a contents="EPK page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/title-how-to-easily-build-an-epk-using-bandzoogle-s-preset-page-templates" target="_blank">EPK page</a> for online media to grab), and for social media. </p>
<p>As the first thing that a potential fan or booking agent will see, a grainy photo or one that’s badly cropped will leave a negative impression of you very quickly, and may even prevent someone from continuing to listen to your music. </p>
<h4>2. Clean Layout </h4>
<p>Think about your visitors. Yes, it's about your music, but they're the ones getting an impression of you based on your website’s design and content. So make it easy for them to explore! </p>
<p>To do that, choose a template that will give you plenty of clear space for your content. Then, focus on one thing per page, and do it well. </p>
<p>Your Homepage can be a portal to the rest of your website (with a nice call-to-action as the focus), and then each page that follows should be about one subject, and one subject only. </p>
<p>Your bio page is just about that - your <a contents="bio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-effective-musician-bio-with-examples" target="_blank">bio</a>. Your Photos page should feature a variety of photos. Then your <a contents="Music page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-create-a-perfect-page-to-sell-music-on-your-website" target="_blank">Music page</a> is full of great tunes and info about them. Keep it simple and this will help your design feel structured. </p>
<p>Remember, people will land on your page and scan it for just a few seconds. That's all the time you have to make an impression. Avoid too much content cluttering up your pages - a few well placed items will go much farther. </p>
<p>One last thing to keep in mind about a clean layout is the space that you don’t use - called whitespace. Making sure that your content is surrounded by plenty of space makes it look clean and crisp, appealing to the eye, and easy to take in. </p>
<h4>3. Cohesive colors </h4>
<p>Just as you would when picking an album cover, make sure your website’s colors work well with your band, and your brand. </p>
<p>If you’re not sure where to begin, look at your main image and pick a few colors out of that. As a general rule, stick to 3 colors. The primary one will be the one that speaks to your brand - a warm earth tone for a folk band, a bright red for a pop band, or maybe a medium blue for an indie rock musician. </p>
<p>Then choose a contrasting secondary color, which will stand out against that first color. Blues and browns might go well together for your overall vibe, or a nice clean white to make things crisp. </p>
<p>Finally, choose a third color as the accent color. This one will pull the other two together, and and you can use it for your link color, and your social media icons, for example. </p>
<h4>4. Good typography </h4>
<p>There will be a lot of text on your website - from your Bio page to your album description, and more. Make sure to use a font that’s easy to read. </p>
<p>That means your main content font should be something that’s simple and clear (tempting though it may be to pick something funky or wacky!). </p>
<p>To make sure your text is legible and also looks good, choose a color that stands out from your background color. Black on white is the perfect example, but any dark color on a lighter background will increase the chances of your text being read all the way through. </p>
<p>Another good rule to follow when it comes to typography is to keep things consistent. Choose one content font and use that throughout your website. Align your text left, which people are used to when reading, avoid using all caps, and use bold and italics only sparingly. Save the fun stuff for your imagery and music! </p>
<p>Still feeling like your font is too dull? Choose an interesting custom font for your site title or feature titles to add a playful touch without interfering with users being able to follow your text. </p>
<h4>5. Clear Navigation </h4>
<p>Making your website easy to navigate is important. It’s the difference between someone locating what they want (to buy your music or book you for a show) and being put off and leaving your website. </p>
<p>Limit your main menu to just the most important items. You can have tons of pages, but organize them in a way that will allow your main menu to contain eight pages at the most. You could create a Store page that includes sub-pages for each of your albums, or group things by online sales, physical merch, and more. </p>
<p>Each section should have a clear purpose. That way, your visitors will be able to look quickly, find what they want, and leave with the impression that your website is beautifully organized (or stay and look some more). </p>
<p>A tip for your menu: make sure your names are concise and sensible. Getting cutesy with pages names will lead to confusion, and is more likely to instill a sense of frustration than admiration at your funny names. If your page is for your electronic press kit, call it EPK. Done! </p>
<h4>6. Mobile friendly </h4>
<p>An integral part of your website design will be how it to adapts to different screen sizes - namely, mobile devices. Many people will view your website this way, so it’s important to keep things fairly simple, and use a design that's adaptable. </p>
<p>If you have a ton of content that may be slow to load over a non-wifi connection, consider moving it to a different page or split it into several pages. And be sure to avoid any flash-based animation, which won’t display at all on mobile devices! </p>
<h4>7. Clear call-to-action </h4>
<p>To tie your design together, choose one focus for your Homepage, and add that as your call to action. First place your text, then a button that you want people to click on. This will direct your visitors attention. </p>
<p>[How To Promote Your Music With A Call-To-Action] </p>
<p>To style your call to action, make the button itself pop off the page, either with a sleek outline or in full color. Use one of your font choices, and one of your colors mentioned above, to make this text and button flow with your design. </p>
<h4>8. Have content for fans, potential fans, and industry </h4>
<p>One downfall that exists on a lot of websites is minimal text, text intended only for friends, or someone you already know. To create a website that’s truly professional, add information that is suitable for different audiences. </p>
<p>One good way to handle this is to include a blog for news right on your Homepage. You can update it with text and images regularly (keeping in mind your color scheme). Set it into a modern, tiled layout, or add summaries to keep things from getting too long on the page. </p>
<p>This type of content will hook new fans, and keep previous ones coming back to see what is new. You’ll also want to be sure you have enough professionally curated substance for industry folks checking you out. </p>
<p>This mean using your short bio, plus your very best live tracks, video, and quotes on a <a contents="press kit page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-8-things-that-should-be-in-every-band-s-digital-press-kit" target="_blank">press kit page</a>. Need some inspiration on how to lay that out and make it look great? Check out these <a contents="electronic press kit examples" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/website-design-inspiration-best-electronic-press-kits-epks" target="_blank">electronic press kit examples</a>. </p>
<h4>9. Tell your story </h4>
<p>Throughout your website, you should keep your own personal voice. This goes for both the look and feel as well of the design, as well as the conversation itself. Your story should show to your website visitors within seconds of looking at your website. </p>
<p>If you are light-hearted and funny, or if you are more serious and your music reflects this - use that same tone in writing your bio, in showcasing your photos, and in describing your music. </p>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="How To Write An Effective Musician Bio (with Examples!)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-effective-musician-bio-with-examples" target="_blank">How To Write An Effective Musician Bio (with Examples!)</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p>Make sure all of your text on your website is written with the aim of communicating, rather than solely promoting yourself. Keep things genuine, and it will have better chance of creating a lasting effect. </p>
<h4>10. Direct to fan sales </h4>
<p>With all of these design tips, don’t forget one of the most important things about creating a great music website design: adding a prominent music player! </p>
<p>Make sure you’ve got a music player on every page, or at least on your Homepage and Music pages. Chances are if someone is visiting your website, they will want to hear a sample of your music. Make it easy for them - and make the music player stylish by choosing a button that’s square or round, outlined or solid, and match your other website colors. </p>
<p>You can also sell tickets or <a contents="band merch online" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online" target="_blank">band merch online</a>, commission-free, making sure both of these things stand out on their respective pages. Use a font that’s simple to read, especially on pages like a Store page where you want to encourage sales for potentially lots of items. </p>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p>Now that you have an idea of the content you should be using, and how to create it, make sure your design choices also reflect who you are as a musician. A clean layout, beautiful imagery, plus colors that work well together will wrap up your text and photos into a neat but professional website package.</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49445882017-11-22T13:58:04-05:002021-09-09T07:04:16-04:0015 Ways to Get More Music Fans<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/05c55f029b67ef700b4fe80a88a46509cbb4e452/original/bzblog-15-ways-get-music-fans-img01.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/15-ways-to-get-more-music-fans" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p><em>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a></em></p>
<p>They say you need a <a contents="housand true fans" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/" target="_blank">thousand true fans</a> to build a sustainable music career. But getting those first few diehard fans who play such a crucial role in building momentum can feel almost impossible when you’re just starting out. </p>
<p>There are dozens and dozens of ways to get more fans for your music, but it’s ultimately going to come down to your level of commitment and finding the right balance of tactics that works best for your personal music career strategy. </p>
<p>The list below isn’t exhaustive, of course, but if you nail these 15 essentials, you’ll be well on your way to getting more music fans. </p>
<h4>1. Know your brand </h4>
<p>Before you do anything else, you absolutely must know your brand. Your brand encompasses and is impacted by everything you do, from how you present yourself (both in person and online), to how you communicate with your fans. </p>
<p>Take the time to discover what’s truly unique about you, your artistry, and your story, and build out your brand identity from there. </p>
<h4>2. Engage your fans </h4>
<p>There’s no way around it – you have to engage your fans as much as possible if you want to maintain and grow your band’s following. It’ll require consistent effort on your part to keep them aware of you, deepen the relationships, and ultimately create superfans who will help promote you and support your career in the long run. </p>
<h4>3. Be consistent </h4>
<p>In order to break through the noise and hold the attention of the music fans you’re targeting, you have to be consistent across all of your communication channels. Whether it’s your <a contents="email newsletter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians" target="_blank">email newsletter</a>, social media pages, or new music releases, you have to give your fans something to expect and look forward to on a regular basis. </p>
<h4>4. Use hashtags </h4>
<p>Hashtags are a great tool to make it easier for music fans to discover you. Search trending hashtags on Instagram and Twitter, and use them to connect with niche audiences and topics of conversation that are relevant to you. </p>
<p>Learn more: <a contents="How to Get More Fans on Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-twitter" target="_blank">How to Get More Fans on Twitter</a> and <a contents="How to Get More Fans on Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-instagram" target="_blank">How to Get More Fans on Instagram</a> </p>
<h4>5. Do a giveaway </h4>
<p>Everyone loves getting free stuff! Offer a download of an exclusive track in exchange for an email address, or run a merch giveaway on social media. If you can incentivize your existing fans to share the giveaway with their friends, you’re likely to earn new fans of your music in the process. </p>
<h4>6. Get on music discovery websites </h4>
<p>Music fans and industry influencers alike scour music discovery websites like <a contents="NoiseTrade" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://noisetrade.com/" target="_blank">NoiseTrade</a> and <a contents="Hype Machine" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://hypem.com/popular" target="_blank">Hype Machine</a> regularly. Even a little bit of traction on websites like those will help tons of passionate music fans find your band. </p>
<h4>7. Embrace streaming and playlisting </h4>
<p>Getting your song featured on a popular Spotify playlist can be even more effective at creating buzz for your band than getting covered by a blog. Curated streaming playlists are how most fans discover new music nowadays. With the right pitch and timing, you can strike gold with a playlist feature. </p>
<h4>8. Post YouTube covers </h4>
<p>When music fans are trying to find a specific song, <a contents="YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-youtube" target="_blank">YouTube</a> is usually the first place they search. Along with uploading your original music to your official channel, posting cover videos will improve your chances of appearing higher in search results, and will make you more accessible to new fans. </p>
<h4>9. Play charity events </h4>
<p>Performing at charity events is always a win-win – you get to give back to your community and support a cause you care about, while also giving you positive exposure to a new audience. An ideal partnership provides valuable cross-promotion for both parties, while raising awareness for an important issue. </p>
<h4>10. Play private events </h4>
<p>Private events are a great way to get more music fans. Start with your own network – surely someone you know has an upcoming wedding, party, or corporate event that could be made better with live music! <a contents="GigSalad" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.gigsalad.com/" target="_blank">GigSalad</a> is a great tool to use to find these types of events. </p>
<h4>11. Partner with local bands and brands </h4>
<p>Just like with playing charity events, partnering with local companies and fellow musicians allows you to leverage each other’s audiences. You could trade support slots on upcoming shows with a band that’s similar to yours, or collaborate on a cover video. You can also try reaching out to local visual artists to create cool, unique band merch items, and in return, you can help promote their work at your shows and in your <a contents="online merch store" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online" target="_blank">online merch store</a>. </p>
<h4>12. Build relationships with influencers </h4>
<p>This is easier said than done, of course, but as you already know, relationships are everything in the music industry. One tweet from an influencer with a big following could be a game changer for your music career. </p>
<p>If you’re brand new to the music business and you have zero contacts, try going out to networking events, conferences, or local industry meetups. There are also plenty of online communities and Facebook groups you can join to build up your network, as well as websites like <a contents="Fluence" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://fluence.io/" target="_blank">Fluence</a> that give you access to people who can help promote your music to a bigger audience. </p>
<h4>13. Experiment with Facebook ads </h4>
<p>With a little bit of experimentation and the right audience targeting, you can run Facebook ads that reach new music fans very inexpensively and effectively. <a contents="Check out this article" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-advertise-your-music-on-facebook" target="_blank">Check out this article</a> for a great overview of how to get started. </p>
<h4>14. Run a press campaign for your new album or tour </h4>
<p>At first, you’ll probably want to start small and <a contents="do it yourself" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-publicity-to-promote-your-music" target="_blank">do it yourself</a>. Even if you only get a couple of features on indie blogs, that’s enough to put you in a better position to score even bigger coverage the next time you have something newsworthy to announce. </p>
<p>Once you starting gaining significant traction, though, you’ll want to consider hiring a professional music publicist to manage your campaigns for you. </p>
<h4>15. Release great music! </h4>
<p>When it comes down to it, if your music and shows are anything less than remarkable, you’re going to have a really hard time gaining true fans. Focus relentlessly on building up your songwriting and performance chops. If what you’re doing is really unique and amazing to your target audience, you’ll turn them into superfans who will gladly promote you to their friends and followers. </p>
<p><em><a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lisaocchino.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a> and the Director of Marketing & Communications at <a contents="Soundfly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundfly.com/" target="_blank">Soundfly</a>. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49355502017-11-16T16:02:57-05:002021-11-18T05:00:16-05:007 reasons why your website is the best place to sell beats online<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/244d41d025fae9a531ce514a570bb5659a60e834/original/bzblog-7-reasons-site-sell-beats-online-img02.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/7-reasons-why-your-website-is-the-best-place-to-sell-beats-online" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a></em></p>
<p>There are a lot of places where you can sell beats online these days. But having your own website is critical to being a top producer, and in fact, it can be the best place to sell beats online. Here are 7 reasons why: </p>
<h4>1) You own the address </h4>
<p>This is really important as your address directs visitors to your own space on the web. Your domain is part of your brand, should be part of your marketing strategy, and you can take it anywhere. </p>
<p>Even if you switch web hosting companies down the road, domains can be transferred, so your customers will never have a problem finding you or your music. </p>
<p>While social media is very useful for some aspects of promotion, relying on it solely can be problematic. Companies get bought out, lose market share to newer services, or just start fading in popularity. </p>
<p>For example, if you rely on SoundCloud now, based on their current troubles you should be concerned about your files even being available there in the next few months, never mind if they get bought out by a larger company. </p>
<p>Having your own slice of the internet will guarantee that no matter what happens in social media trends, your customers will always know they can rely on your website to find your latest beats. </p>
<h4>2) You control the design </h4>
<p>If you’re a beats producer, you’re running a business. And with any business, there aren’t a lot of things that are more important than your brand. Logo, images, color, and style; these are things that make you immediately recognizable to your customers, and help endear them to your products. </p>
<p>This is where relying only on social media for your business is a bad idea. Because with any social media, it’s their brand that takes priority on your pages, so you will always be competing with Facebook blue, or SoundCloud orange, their logos, their layouts, etc. </p>
<p>Your own website lets you maintain the look of your brand, without it competing against others. Bandzoogle provides tons of customization options for your website’s design to make your site look professional to your customer base. </p>
<p>[<a contents="How to Build a Website to Sell Beats Online" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-build-a-website-to-sell-beats-online" target="_blank">How to Build a Website to Sell Beats Online</a>] </p>
<h4>3) Your data is yours </h4>
<p>If you have a website to sell your beats online, you control all of your content and pages. So your message, your business, and your branding are clear the moment someone visits your site. </p>
<p>Not only that, controlling your data also means getting comprehensive data about your site visitors, like in the Bandzoogle ‘Reports’ section. </p>
<p>You can track customer locations to tailor future marketing campaigns to a specific city or country, or see what sites referred them to your page so you can see quantifiable results from Google searches or Facebook campaigns. </p>
<p>You can even see which of your beats get the most preview plays or skips, so you can position your beats better on your site. </p>
<p>So knowing more about your customers will definitely help you to sell more beats. </p>
<h4>4) Collect customer emails </h4>
<p>Emails are almost more valuable than money when it comes to online promotion and driving beats sales. Without an email address, most of your marketing to your customer base is indirect - you’re basically hoping potential customers see that ad you just boosted on Facebook. </p>
<p>An email address is a direct line that your customers give to you in trust - most people don’t give it out easily, which is why it’s so valuable. So maintaining an email list helps to ensure that any message you send will automatically engage your customers directly. </p>
<p>[<a contents="How UnbelievableBeats.com Makes Money from Free Beats" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-unbelievablebeats-com-makes-money-from-free-beats" target="_blank">How UnbelievableBeats.com Makes Money from Free Beats</a>] </p>
<p>From <a contents="discount codes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-sell-more-beats-online-using-discount-codes" target="_blank">discount codes</a> your customers can enter at the checkout, to 15% off select beats in your store, the best way to let your customers know there’s something happening on your site or with your business is through email. </p>
<p>Bandzoogle has a mailing list tool that’s built right into your account, and includes features that make it easy for visitors to get on your list, such as our mailing list signup form feature, as a link from a ‘call to action’ header on your Homepage, or even as an ‘opt in’ when you customers check out with their purchases. </p>
<h4>5) There’s no commission from your sales </h4>
<p>If you use Bandzoogle to sell beats online, we don’t take any commission from sales made through your website! Our Store features integrate with your Paypal account, so the funds go straight to your account with them, and you only pay their very nominal per-transaction fees. </p>
<p>If you’re an Airbit user, Bandzoogle also has an <a contents="Airbit feature" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-use-airbit-to-sell-beats-on-your-website" target="_blank">Airbit feature</a> that lets you seamlessly integrate their player and sales options right into your website. </p>
<p>Airbit provides an online storefront and music player that is geared specifically to beat makers and producers, and it not only looks great, but it’s really easy to set up. And like Bandzoogle, Airbit doesn’t take any commission. </p>
<h4>6) You can manage ALL your media in one place </h4>
<p>Adding other media to your site, like images and video, can definitely help elevate your brand, and in turn, help you sell more beats. </p>
<p>For example, you can include images or videos of artists or albums that have purchased and used your beats as a showcase to potential clients, or display client videos featuring your tracks. </p>
<p>This helps to not only show that others consider your work valuable, it gives context and confidence to new customers interested in your work. </p>
<p>Bandzoogle provides both single image features and photo galleries, which can display thumbnails or even slideshows, to help make your site look great. And our video feature lets you easily embed video from YouTube and Vimeo directly onto your pages. </p>
<p>[<a contents="Website Design Inspiration: Best Beat Producer Websites" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/website-design-inspiration-best-beat-producer-websites" target="_blank">Website Design Inspiration: Best Beat Producer Websites</a>] </p>
<h4>7) The power of social connections and sharing </h4>
<p>While your website is your hub, your social media pages are the spokes - the wheel of your promo can’t turn without both of them. So a great website will always provide options to connect across all of your web properties. </p>
<p>Your website can be a great launchpad to boost your social media numbers and engagement. Bandzoogle provides a ‘My Sites’ feature which displays direct icon links to your other web properties. </p>
<p>Our music feature also lets you share an ‘in post’ player on Facebook and Twitter - so your followers can listen to your beats right from shared posts. </p>
<p>Make sure you’re reaching the largest amount of people </p>
<p>It’s definitely important to have a website, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore other services or sites when selling your beats online - they’re still important. </p>
<p>It’s best to think of your website as the hub for your online presence, with social media and other online services as your ‘spokes’. Both need to be working together in harmony, and consistently, or the beats cart won’t roll.</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49227512017-11-07T13:26:41-05:002022-07-27T07:03:24-04:00The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Music Online<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/a963d1369f3ac31a830a211c6e9247a5b64fce42/original/bzblog-complete-market-music-online-img01-1.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-marketing-your-music-online" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p><em>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> </em></p>
<p>These days, there are so many different ways to market your music online that it’s tough to even know where to start. What’s worth your time, energy, and money? What isn’t? How many social media platforms do you need to be active on? Do email lists still matter? </p>
<p>This comprehensive guide will outline your options and help you determine the best approach to each aspect of your music marketing. </p>
<p>Online music marketing = fan engagement </p>
<p>Online music marketing revolves around engaging with your fans. Your three main goals for fan interaction should be: 1) to keep them aware of you, 2) to solidify the relationship, and 3) to create superfans who will support you throughout your career. </p>
<p>Why are superfans so important? Well, they’re the fans you can count on to come to all of your shows (and bring their friends), buy just about everything you offer, and promote you through word of mouth. </p>
<p>According to a Nielsen study, people are 54% more likely to make a purchase based off a positive recommendation from a friend – which means you’re going to want as much word-of-mouth marketing from superfans as you can get! </p>
<p>Before we dive into how to market your music online, let’s quickly recap the three pillars of fan engagement: </p>
<p>Consistency. In order to truly rise above the noise of the internet, you have to be consistent in your music marketing, in terms of both quantity and quality. </p>
<p>Authenticity. Communication with your fans must come from you, the artist, in your voice. You want them to feel like they’re along for the ride on your music career journey. </p>
<p>Sustainability. There’s no shortcut or quick fix for building up a solid fanbase – you simply have to show up and do the work every day to sustain fan engagement. </p>
<h3>4 essential tools to market your music online </h3>
<p>When you use all the <a contents="online marketing tools" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-essential-online-music-marketing-tools" target="_blank">online marketing tools</a> available to you as part of a cohesive strategy, you’ll create more awareness about you and your music. </p>
<p><strong>1. Website </strong></p>
<p>Your website is where you ultimately want people to land when they find out about your music. </p>
<p>It should act as the hub for everything you do online, while your social media platforms are the spokes – the places where you share interesting content and link back to your website as often as possible. </p>
<p>There are a few key reasons <a contents="why it’s so crucial to have your own website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-reasons-why-you-need-a-website" target="_blank">why it’s so crucial to have your own website</a>: </p>
<ul> <li>
<strong>You own the web address</strong>. Your fans will always be able to find you because that corner of the internet is guaranteed to be in your control. </li> <li>
<strong>You control the experience</strong>. You can design it however you want, and there aren’t any of the ads or distractions that come with social media platforms. </li> <li>
<strong>You own the data</strong>. Unlike fans on social media pages, you own your website’s data. That means you have access to important information about how fans got to your website, where they’re from, what they click on, and more. </li> <li>
<strong>You can sell direct-to-fan</strong>. With no middle man, that means more money in your pocket (commission-free with Bandzoogle), and a better experience for your fans. Plus, customers can join your mailing list at the same time so you can keep in touch with them. </li>
</ul>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p><strong>2. Blogging </strong></p>
<p>Maintaining a blog is a great way to drive fans to your website, and it can help a lot with search engine optimization – meaning you’ll rank higher in search results when people Google you. </p>
<p><em><a contents="[Free eBook] A Complete Guide to SEO for Musicians&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/free-ebook-a-complete-guide-to-seo-for-musicians" target="_blank">[Free eBook] A Complete Guide to SEO for Musicians</a></em></p>
<p>Blogging also provides a source of consistent, quality content to share on social media. Plus, it shows that your career is active, and over time, it helps create a stronger connection to your fans. </p>
<p>Not sure what to blog about? Here are 10 ideas to get you started: </p>
<ul> <li>Preview an upcoming show </li> <li>Review a recent show </li> <li>Tour stories </li> <li>Rehearsal stories </li> <li>Studio stories </li> <li>New gear </li> <li>Other bands in your genre </li> <li>Stories from your personal life (if you’re comfortable with it) </li> <li>Your pets </li> <li>Your hobbies and passions outside of music </li>
</ul>
<p>Be sure to include lots of photos and videos in your blog posts to make it interactive and engaging for your fans! </p>
<p><strong>3. Social media </strong></p>
<p>Don’t just think of social media as a way to sell your music; more than anything else, it should be a conversation. Think of it as a tool to interact with fans and share your journey as an artist. </p>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="11 Killer Content Ideas for Musicians to Get More Fans on Social Media" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/11-killer-content-ideas-for-musicians-to-get-more-fans-on-social-media" target="_blank">11 Killer Content Ideas for Musicians to Get More Fans on Social Media</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p>You don’t need to be active on every single platform out there (although it’s a good idea to at least reserve your artist name on each major platform). It’s better to maintain a consistent presence on just a couple of platforms, rather than a scattered presence on all of them. </p>
<p>Focus on the platforms that you enjoy, and the ones where your fans are actively engaging with you (or the ones where you have the best chance of finding potential new fans). For example, you may love using Pinterest, but if none of your fans or potential fans are on it, it’s not the best use of your time as a music marketing tool. </p>
<p>You can use an application like Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Buffer to schedule out your social media posts in advance and save a ton of time. Just be careful about scheduling out too many posts if you’re not available to respond to comments or messages. </p>
<p>As a general rule, when you set up a new account on any platform, select a username that’s consistent with all your other profiles so that people know how to find you. Be sure to fill out your bio section, upload an eye-catching photo, and include a link to your website, too. </p>
<p>If you want to try running social media ads, we’d recommend setting a realistic goal and a small budget initially, checking out the analytics after a few days, and then putting more budget into what’s actually working so that you don’t waste money on ads that aren’t getting you any results. </p>
<p>We’re not going to discuss every social media platform in this article, but instead, we’ll focus on the four biggest ones: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. </p>
<p><strong>Facebook</strong> </p>
<p>In terms of active users, Facebook is by far the biggest social media platform out there, so you can be certain that your fans are on it. </p>
<p>Keep your personal and professional life separate by creating an official Facebook Page for your band. Through your Page, you can get detailed analytics about where your fans are from, what kind of content works best, and who is the most engaged. </p>
<p><a contents="Getting Facebook fans" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-with-facebook" target="_blank">Getting Facebook fans</a> starts with with great, shareable content, such as your music, videos, photos, or even Facebook Live streams. Due to Facebook’s algorithms, however, only a small percentage of fans will see your posts organically. </p>
<p>Always respond to fans’ questions and click “like” on comments, because that actually helps your posts get seen by more people. And for important announcements, you’ll want to pay a little money to boost the posts so that more people see them. </p>
<p>You can also create highly targeted ads by region, interest, and demographic to promote your Page. It might take a little trial and error, but once you figure out who your ideal target audience is, you’ll find that you can run ads very inexpensively and get the results you’re looking for. </p>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="Social media marketing for musicians: How to get more fans with Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-with-facebook" target="_blank">Social media marketing for musicians: How to get more fans with Facebook</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Instagram</strong> </p>
<p>Instagram is the second-largest social media platform, and it’s all about the visuals here. Photos are most common, of course, but videos are great for engagement as well. </p>
<p>In addition to consistently sharing great content with relevant hashtags a couple of times a day, you can grow your Instagram following by simply being genuine, commenting a lot on other people’s photos, adding your Instagram feed to your website, and maintaining your Instagram Story. </p>
<p><a contents="Check out this post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-instagram" target="_blank">Check out this post</a> for more detailed tips on getting Instagram followers, as well as the best kind of visual content for musicians to share. </p>
<p><strong>Twitter</strong> </p>
<p>Because Twitter is all about real time, you can post more often than you would on Facebook. Typically, up to 6-8 tweets per day is fine if the majority of your posts are brand-building; just be mindful of how you space out your self-promotional posts in between so that it’s not overwhelming. </p>
<p>As with any social media platform, the best way to <a contents="get Twitter followers" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-twitter" target="_blank">get Twitter followers</a> is to have great content that people want to engage with. And of course, use lots of hashtags! It’s a great way to connect and have conversations with people who don’t already follow you. </p>
<p>Using Twitter’s search function, you can find people who are talking about you or your music, or search for fans of similar artists. From there, you can start conversations with them or add them to a Twitter list. They’ll get notified, and will likely check out your profile. </p>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="Social Media Marketing for Musicians: How to Get More Fans on Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-twitter" target="_blank">Social Media Marketing for Musicians: How to Get More Fans on Twitter</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p><strong>YouTube </strong></p>
<p>People tend to go to YouTube first to find songs they’re looking for. With over 3 billion searches per month, it’s the second-largest online search engine! </p>
<p>Your songs might already be on there, but it’s best to upload your songs to your own official channel so that you can monetize them (i.e., earning money from your videos by allowing ads to be displayed on them). And if other people are using any of your music in their videos, you can use a service like TuneCore, Audiam, or CD Baby to automatically identify and monetize it. </p>
<p>To <a contents="build up your following on YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-youtube" target="_blank">build up your following on YouTube</a>, you need to produce quality videos and upload them on a consistent schedule. There are so many kinds of videos that musicians can upload, but a few common ones include: music videos, lyric videos, cover songs, live performances, big announcements, and interviews. </p>
<p>To help people find you organically on YouTube, make sure you’ve got all your bases covered: write effective video titles and detailed descriptions, add relevant tags to all your videos, and enable channel recommendations. You’ll also want to organize similar types of videos into playlists to build watch time. </p>
<p><em><strong>[<a contents="Social Media Marketing for Musicians: How to get More Fans on YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-youtube" target="_blank">Social Media Marketing for Musicians: How to get More Fans on YouTube</a>] </strong></em></p>
<p><strong>4. Email list </strong></p>
<p><em>"If you own the data, the money will always follow." – Derek Webb (Artist/NoiseTrade Founder) </em></p>
<p>It may sound old school, but email is arguably still the most important tool at your disposal for marketing your music. </p>
<p>The top reasons to have an email list are: </p>
<p>You own it. You can download the database and take it with you, regardless of which service you’re using. </p>
<p>It’s the ultimate permission marketing. Fans sign up because they want to hear from you! </p>
<p>It’s the most effective way to sell your music, tickets, and merch. According to a McKinsey & Company study, email marketing is 40 times as effective as Facebook and Twitter, combined. </p>
<p>It’s the best way to stay in touch with your fans long-term. Social media platforms will come and go, but you can count on email being around for the foreseeable future. </p>
<p>One of the best ways to build up your email list is by making it your primary call-to-action on your website. Put the signup box in a very obvious location, and specifically direct people’s attention to it. You can even offer an incentive like a free song download or an exclusive piece of content to sweeten the deal. </p>
<p>With each email newsletter you send, it’s best to focus on just one objective that you’re trying to achieve for the greatest chances of success. Regularly analyze data like the open rate and the click rate for each email, and experiment with tweaks to your new campaigns – for instance, a more intriguing subject line or a new email format – to keep your fans engaged. </p>
<p>As far as how often you should be sending out newsletters, there’s no hard and fast rule – but whatever frequency you choose, keep it consistent. If you’re new to email marketing, it’s better to start with less frequent emails until you get comfortable with it. Try sending out a monthly newsletter to test the waters while you figure out what works for your fanbase and what doesn’t. </p>
<p>[<a contents="The Complete Guide to Email Marketing for Musicians" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians" target="_blank">The Complete Guide to Email Marketing for Musicians</a>] </p>
<p>This is a lot of information to take in, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just remember that every kind of music marketing always comes back to the three pillars of fan engagement: consistency, authenticity, and sustainability. With your website as the hub, the rest of your online presence as the spokes, and a regular analysis of your fan data, you’re well on your way to an effective, cohesive musician marketing strategy. </p>
<p>Ready to put this into action and create a full marketing plan for your music? Check out <a contents="5 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/5-steps-to-creating-an-effective-music-marketing-plan" target="_blank">5 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan</a> </p>
<p><em>Lisa Occhino is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a>, a free songwriting collaboration website that matches you up with exactly the kind of co-writers you’re looking for. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/49167032017-11-02T14:52:51-04:002021-09-06T02:43:02-04:00How to Get Booked at Music Festivals<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/641382ddb274914d70248366b0609c8de030a98d/large/bzblog-how-to-get-booked-festivals-img01.jpg" class="size_xl justify_center border_" /><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-booked-at-music-festivals" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p>by <a contents="Lisa Occhino" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Occhino</a> </p>
<p>Booking a music festival gig is one of the most effective ways to grow your fanbase and grab the attention of industry tastemakers. Earning a coveted slot on a festival lineup is a key indicator that you’re not only an extremely talented band, but also that you’re serious about putting in the work to take your music career to the next level. </p>
<p>However, there’s a lot of competition for festival slots that are open to independent bands, especially for the prominent résumé-builders like SXSW and Bonnaroo. You need to be realistic about the kind of opportunities that are attainable for your career level, because otherwise you’re going to waste a lot of time and money applying to festivals that you’re not ready for just yet. </p>
<p>If you’ve been regularly selling out your local and regional live shows, you feel confident enough in your stage presence to command a large crowd, and your online presence is up to par (i.e., you have a <a contents="professional website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-reasons-why-you-need-a-website" target="_blank">professional website</a> and active social media profiles with a growing, engaged following), then you’re probably ready to start applying to music festivals. </p>
<p>Here’s everything you need to know about finding the best festivals for your band, putting together a killer application, and tactfully following up with promoters. </p>
<h3>1. Target the right festivals for your music </h3>
<p><strong><em>“don’t make the common mistake of overlooking the smaller festivals and local fairs” </em></strong></p>
<p>It may seem like blindly applying to every festival that’s accepting submissions will increase your chances of getting booked, but smart bands know that being selective is a much better approach. </p>
<p>Start your research several months in advance, and target festivals that are likely to book your genre of music. Find out where bands similar to yours have performed, and search festival directories like <a contents="Indie on the Move" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.indieonthemove.com/music-festivals-and-conferences" target="_blank">Indie on the Move</a>, <a contents="FestivalNet" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://festivalnet.com/" target="_blank">FestivalNet</a>, <a contents="JamBase" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.jambase.com/festivals" target="_blank">JamBase</a>, <a contents="Music Festival Wizard" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.musicfestivalwizard.com/" target="_blank">Music Festival Wizard</a>, and Sonicbids. </p>
<p>When you’re first starting out, don’t make the common mistake of overlooking the smaller festivals and local fairs. They may not have the name recognition of Coachella, but they’re invaluable for gaining experience and building up your gig résumé. With a few small fests under your belt, you’ll be in a much stronger position to earn slots at the bigger ones down the road. </p>
<p>Once you find a few festivals that seem promising, check out which headliners have been announced, and do some digging on indie acts that have been selected in the last couple of years. Are they based in the same area as the festival with a solid local draw? Did they tour regionally or nationally prior to playing the festival? How strong is their social media presence? Have they gotten press mentions? Are they represented by an indie or major label, or are they completely DIY? </p>
<p>Try to identify any trends among previously selected bands for your target festivals, and see how your band stacks up in comparison to help determine if it makes sense to submit an application. </p>
<p>Use a spreadsheet or artist management software to keep your research organized and track progress on your target festival submissions. Feel free to customize it to your needs, but we’d recommend including at least the following information for each festival you’re interested in: </p>
<ul> <li>Festival name </li> <li>Festival date </li> <li>Festival location </li> <li>Festival website </li> <li>Submission URL/contact info </li> <li>Submission deadline </li> <li>Submission fee (note that some festivals increase the fee as the deadline approaches) </li> <li>Accepted/rejected notification date </li> <li>Submitted [yes/no] </li> <li>Accepted [yes/no] </li> <li>Additional notes </li>
</ul>
<p>Remember to add all of the important deadlines to your calendar and set reminders so that you don’t miss out on any opportunities! </p>
<h3>2. Prepare your festival application </h3>
<p><strong><em>“No matter how good your music is, festival bookers won’t take you seriously if you don’t present your band in a professional way” </em></strong></p>
<p>Now that you have a solid list of target festivals, you’ll want to make sure your application stands out. Having great music is a given, but promoters also pay very close attention to the following elements to determine which acts are ready for a festival stage. </p>
<h4>A great bio </h4>
<p>A winning bio for a festival application is concise, attention-grabbing, and highlights what makes the band impressive and unique. A little bit of background information is fine, but you don’t need to share your life story here – try to keep it relevant and engaging. <a contents="Check out these tips for writing an effective musician bio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-effective-musician-bio-with-examples" target="_blank">Check out these tips for writing an effective musician bio</a>. </p>
<h4>Professional photos </h4>
<p>There’s no way around it – you need high-quality band photos. No matter how good your music is, festival bookers won’t take you seriously if you don’t present your band in a professional way. Since you’ll also be using these photos for your website, <a contents="digital press kit" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/website-design-inspiration-best-electronic-press-kits-epks" target="_blank">digital press kit</a>, and social media profiles, it’s well worth the investment! </p>
<p>In addition to standard press photos, it’s a great idea to include a few live shots that convey your onstage energy and look. It’ll help promoters envision you on their festival stage, while also showcasing your performance experience. </p>
<h4>High-quality live video </h4>
<p>What better way to prove to a festival that you can put on a mind-blowing show than by including a live performance video in your application? Use a clip that captures your stage presence, personality, and audience interaction. Make sure the video and audio are both high quality, or it’ll distract from your performance and come off as amateurish. </p>
<p>Even if it’s footage from a small venue in your hometown, they just want to see that you’re able to command a crowd and that you can really nail your songs live, because that’s what will set you apart and translate to a successful festival performance. </p>
<h4>A great digital press kit </h4>
<p>Once you have your bio, photos, and videos together, you’ll want to package everything in the form of a digital press kit (also known as an electronic press kit, or EPK). A professional-looking, well-maintained EPK signals to festival promoters that you have your act together and that you’re serious about your music career. </p>
<p>Not sure how to create one? Make sure you have <a contents="these eight things" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-8-things-that-should-be-in-every-band-s-digital-press-kit" target="_blank">these eight things</a> ready to go, then use Bandzoogle’s <a contents="preset EPK page template" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-preset-pages-for-your-music-website" target="_blank">preset EPK page template</a> to easily add an EPK to your band website. From there, all you need to do is send the link to promoters, and they’ll have all the information they need organized on one page. </p>
<h3>3. Submit and follow up </h3>
<p><strong><em>“Familiarize yourself with each target festival’s specifications in advance so that you can budget your time and resources accordingly” </em></strong></p>
<p>Now that you have your basic application materials and digital press kit together, refer back to the spreadsheet you created to find out what each festival’s requirements are for the submission process. </p>
<p>Do you need to apply to the festival directly via a custom application form on their website? Do you have to submit your EPK through a platform like Sonicbids? Do they require a submission fee or supplementary materials? Familiarize yourself with each target festival’s specifications in advance so that you can budget your time and resources accordingly, and avoid any delays when the deadline comes around. </p>
<p>After you submit your application, the best thing you can do is sit back and wait to find out if you were selected. Do not pester them with emails or calls asking if you’ve been booked, especially if they specified in the submission process to not contact them about it – it’s a sure way to get blacklisted! </p>
<p>The one exception is if something significant happens in your career after you’ve submitted the festival application that could realistically affect their decision. If you just booked another major festival gig, got a high-profile review or interview, secured an opening slot for a well-known artist, or signed a record deal, it’s a good idea to send a follow-up email to the festival letting them know. </p>
<p>Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get booked at a music festival after submitting your first few applications – these kinds of gigs are highly sought after and are very competitive. Keep playing live shows regularly to improve your chops and stage presence, and focus on developing relationships with local promoters, talent buyers, and fellow musicians. The music industry is small, so if you consistently put yourself out there as a professional act with a great live show and a growing fanbase, word will get around, and you’ll have more pull when you apply to festivals. </p>
<p><em>Lisa Occhino is the founder of <a contents="SongwriterLink" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songwriterlink.com/" target="_blank">SongwriterLink</a>, a free songwriting collaboration website that matches you up with exactly the kind of co-writers you’re looking for. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/45533602017-01-17T15:28:03-05:002022-05-28T18:03:15-04:00The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online <p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/a4bea4b338ae019055e90937bbfc4d6761f529fe/large/bzblog-guide-selling-music-online-img01.jpg?1484684936" class="size_xl justify_center border_" />This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-your-music-online" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">If you’re working on your next album, you’re probably thinking about how you’re going to <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/17-ways-to-promote-your-music-online">promote</a> and sell your new music. When it comes to selling your music online, there are countless options available to musicians.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From selling direct to your fans, to online stores like iTunes and Amazon, getting your music up for sale is relatively simple. The real key is to have a strategy for where your music goes up for sale, and when.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This comprehensive guide details all of the options for <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/category/selling-music-online">selling your music online</a>. This includes which platforms you should focus on, how to maximize your revenues, and some promotional ideas to help drive more sales.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Where to sell your music online</h2>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr">There are several options out there for selling music directly to your fans. There are also many distributors that can make your music available for sale through online retailers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are the best options for selling your music online, and when you should use these tools during the promotion of your album.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Your own website</h3>
<p dir="ltr">If you don’t have your own website already, there are <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-10-reasons-why-you-need-a-website">many reasons why you should</a>. Most importantly, a website gives you a little slice of the internet that you own and control. Regardless of which social media platforms come and go, your fans will always be able to find your music on your website.</p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>"If you own the data, the money will always follow." - Derek Webb (Artist/NoiseTrade Founder)</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">By <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/video-how-to-sell-music-online-with-bandzoogle-part-1-digital-albums">selling music directly</a> through your website, you will also make more money (all sales through Bandzoogle are <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/store">commission-free</a>). But more than that, you will own the data and the emails you collect with the sales on your website. This is crucial for the long-term success of your career.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can then use that data (who your fans are, where they’re from) and use the emails to keep those fans informed on new music, merch, shows, and crowdfunding campaigns. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Build a professional website in just a few clicks where you can sell music and merch commission-free! <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free with Bandzoogle now.</a></strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Upsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">No commission on sales</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Collect valuable fan data and email addresses</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Sales reported to SoundScan</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Fans can shop for other merch at same time</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Downsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Some fans might always choose to purchase through their preferred online retailer</p> </li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Bandcamp</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> is a free service where you can upload and sell your music directly to your fans, and they take a modest cut of sales (15%). More importantly, you can collect the data and valuable email addresses when selling through Bandcamp.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But besides offering a platform to sell your music, there’s also an emphasis on music discovery with Bandcamp. They actively recommend music to fans through their fan accounts, blog, app, and the Bandcamp Weekly podcast.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/video-how-to-sell-bandcamp-music-on-your-bandzoogle-website">VIDEO: How to Sell Bandcamp Music on Your Bandzoogle Website</a>]</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Upsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Collect valuable fan data and email address</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Sales reported to SoundScan</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Fans can shop for other merch at same time</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Emphasis on music discovery</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Downsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Takes 15% of sales</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Some fans might always choose to purchase through their preferred online retailer</p> </li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">CD Baby</h3>
<p dir="ltr">One of the largest online stores for independent music, <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/" target="_blank">CD Baby</a> offers musicians a few ways to sell music online.</p>
<p dir="ltr">With CD Baby Free, you can sell your music on CDBaby.com and they take a 15% cut, similar to Bandcamp. For paid members, where there is a setup cost for singles and albums, they take a 9% cut of sales.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can also collect data and email addresses with CD Baby, so that you can follow up with those fans.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Upsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Collect valuable fan data and email addresses</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Sales reported to SoundScan</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Downsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Takes 9-15% of sales</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Some fans might always choose to purchase through their preferred online retailer</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Fans can’t shop for other types of merch</p> </li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Online stores: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play</h3>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“As much as it feels good to get sales reports from iTunes and Amazon… you don’t get valuable email addresses from fans who purchase through these stores.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">No doubt the most popular option for musicians to sell their music online is through digital retailers like iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. There are countless other online stores around the world, but the reality is that the majority of music sales happen through these big three stores.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are many digital distribution services out there to get your music into these stores. Some take a cut of your sales, while others charge an annual flat fee to keep your music available in digital stores.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Which digital distributor is right for you? We highly recommend checking out Ari Herstand’s incredibly <strong>in-depth comparison post of digital distributors <a href="http://aristake.com/?post=92">here</a></strong> to help you decide which is best for you.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The main benefit to having your music available in these stores is that many music fans will only buy new music from a store they trust, where they already have a credit card on file and they know the platform is compatible with their music library.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But as much as it feels good to get sales reports from iTunes and Amazon, there are drawbacks. First of all, you’ll make less money by selling through these retailers, as <strong>they do take a cut of your sales (iTunes takes 30%)</strong>. Most importantly, <strong>you don’t get valuable email addresses from fans who purchase</strong> through these stores.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If a fan buys your music from iTunes, they’re considered a customer of iTunes. That means iTunes gets their data and email address. They can then follow up by marketing and promoting other items to that fan, and you can’t.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This means that the “interaction” with that fan starts and ends with the digital download purchase, which, in the short term, helps your career with the money from that sale. But in the long term, you won’t be able to stay in touch with that fan to let them know about new music, upcoming shows, new merch, etc.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Upsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Most music fans already shop for music in these stores</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Sales reported to SoundScan</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Downsides</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Take up to 30% of sales</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">You don’t get access to customer emails</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Fans can’t shop for other types of merch</p> </li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">SoundCloud</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/" target="_blank">SoundCloud</a> has a large community of users and curators on the platform, so including your music here can be a good way for your music to gain newfound visibility. Although not a sales platform, Pro users can add a <a href="http://help.soundcloud.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2162586-adding-a-buy-link-and-title-when-uploading?b_id=9644">Buy Link</a> to tracks to direct fans to purchase through your preferred platform.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">PledgeMusic</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Before you even go into the studio to record your album, you should be thinking about involving your fans in the process. This is where <a href="http://www.pledgemusic.com/" target="_blank">PledgeMusic</a> comes in.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are several platforms for musicians to run crowdfunding campaigns. While PledgeMusic does take 15% of the money raised, no other platform offers their hands-on approach and focus on fan engagement.</p>
<p dir="ltr">PledgeMusic will help you fully engage your fans throughout the entire process of writing, recording, and releasing your album, all the while helping you raise money to cover your costs and pay for the marketing and promotion of your new music. They also boast a <a href="http://hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/06/a-musicians-guide-to-pledgemusic-how-to-run-a-campaign-for-your-upcoming-album.html">success rate of 90%</a>, with most artists on platform raising 140% of their target!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">NoiseTrade</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Now a PledgeMusic company, <a href="http://noisetrade.com/" target="_blank">NoiseTrade</a> offers musicians the opportunity to give their music away in exchange for an email address and a zip code. Again, this data is arguably more important than the sale itself. But fans can also leave a tip when downloading the music, which helps add some revenues to the equation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There’s also a huge music discovery element to NoiseTrade. They send a daily newsletter to over <a href="http://noisetrade.com/info/ads">1.5 million fans</a> looking to discover new artists, so it can be a great resource to build up your mailing list and gain new fans.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">When to sell your music online</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Now that you know all of the different ways to sell your music online, it’s time to talk strategy.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Making your music available for sale online is the easy part. It’s really about deciding where and when you should make it available during the <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/5-steps-to-creating-an-effective-music-marketing-plan">marketing of your album</a>, and which tools you should use.</p>
<p dir="ltr">To illustrate this, let’s take a look at an example album release schedule:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Example album release schedule</h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">Phase 1: Engaging your superfans</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>When: Before going into the studio<br>Which tools to use: PledgeMusic</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">If you’ve already recorded your album, you’ve unfortunately missed out on a pivotal phase in the marketing and promotion of your album: engaging your fans.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As soon as you decide to work on a new album, you should be engaging your fans and bringing them along the journey of writing, recording, and releasing it. By doing this, you’re building anticipation for your new album, strengthening your relationship with your fans, and yes, raising money in the process.</p>
<p dir="ltr">By using a platform like PledgeMusic, you’ll get hands-on help brainstorming creative rewards, planning your campaign, and staying in touch with your pledgers. Plus, all of your presales will count towards SoundScan, and you’ll be collecting those priceless emails in the process.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For help with running a successful PledgeMusic Campaign, check out: <em><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-7-tips-for-a-successful-pledgemusic-campaign">7 Tips For A Successful PledgeMusic Campaign</a></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Phase 2: Pre-orders</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>When: 1 month before album release<br>Which tools to use: PledgeMusic, Bandzoogle, Bandcamp</strong></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“It’s during the pre-orders phase where many artists make a strategic mistake.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">If you planned ahead and crowdfunded to produce your album, all of those pledges included a digital download of your album. So in that way, you’ve already taken care of Phase 2 of your album release.</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, whether you’ve crowdfunded or not, it’s still a good idea to get your album up for presale in other places in the weeks leading up to the release. This will give you another announcement to make (“album available for pre-order in these stores”), and allow you to invite fans to purchase who did not participate in the crowdfunding campaign. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It’s during the pre-orders phase where many artists make a strategic mistake. The temptation for many artists is to set up an iTunes pre-order for their album. But at this point in the album release, you are still engaging your biggest fans. Why not maximize your revenues?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Again, with iTunes, you are making less money, and they’re not sharing valuable data and customer emails with you. So <strong>during the pre-orders phase, focus on platforms where you can not only maximize your revenues, but also collect email addresses.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Starting with your own website, you can sell pre-orders of your album by using Bandzoogle’s pre-orders <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-sell-album-pre-orders">feature</a>. You’ll make <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/store">100% of the sales</a>, collect emails, and the sales will count towards SoundScan (Pro users).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Another tool you can use for pre-orders is Bandcamp. With Bandcamp, they take a small cut of your sales (15%), but you’ll collect those valuable emails from customers, and the sales will also count towards SoundScan.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Phase 3: Album release</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>When: Release day<br>Which tools to use: Bandzoogle, Bandcamp, TuneCore</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Now that you’ve maximized your revenues and collected emails from your biggest fans during the first two phases of your album release, it’s time to officially release it. This is when you’ll make it available for sale on your website, and in popular online stores and streaming services for the rest of your fanbase.</p>
<p dir="ltr">During this phase, you’ll want to work with a digital distributor like <a href="http://www.tunecore.com/" target="_blank">TuneCore</a>, who will distribute your music to stores like iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play, as well as top music streaming services including Apple Music and Spotify. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>Which digital distributor is right for you? Check out this <a href="http://aristake.com/?post=92">in-depth comparison</a>.</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">To stream, or not to stream</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Countless posts have been written about whether artists should make their music available on streaming services. The reality is that many music fans will only listen to music on services like Spotify and Apple Music.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So as long as you’ve engaged and monetized your superfans during the first two phases of your album release, you should include streaming services when distributing it for the official release.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Are the per-stream payouts small? Yes, no question. But you shouldn't view streaming music just as an income generator. Through playlists, these services are becoming great at helping new fans discover music.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Getting your song added to top playlists on streaming services can now even be career-changing, like for indie artist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/keeleyvalentinomusic/" target="_blank">Keeley Valentino</a>. Her song “Nashville” was added to the popular Spotify playlist “Your Favorite Coffeehouse”, and has since been streamed 12 million times!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">YouTube</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Once your album is released, you should also upload each track to your official YouTube channel and monetize the videos. Having an official video or two is nice, but they can simply be your album artwork, or even lyric videos.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The important thing is to have your music available on your official YouTube channel, as that is still where many fans will go to hear music first. By having the music on your own channel, you can monetize those streams and drive traffic back to your website.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For more info on how to do this, check out: <em><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-make-money-from-your-music-on-youtube">How to make money from your music on YouTube</a></em>.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Don’t forget your website!</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Even though your album will be available through popular online stores, your website should still be where you drive your fans to purchase.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On your Music page, you can offer a direct-to-fan purchase option front and center, then include links below for where to buy/listen on other platforms.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here’s a detailed look at how to set up the Music page on your website: <em><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-create-a-perfect-page-to-sell-music-on-your-website">How To Create a Perfect Page to Sell Music on Your Website</a></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">How to sell more music online</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Once your album is released, the temptation might be to shout it from the rooftops on <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-with-facebook">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-twitter">Twitter</a>. While using <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-more-fans-through-social-media">social media marketing</a> as part of your overall strategy is important, it’s not the most effective when it comes to sales. No, the most important tool you have to drive sales is your email list!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Mailing list</h3>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“Email marketing has been shown to be as much as 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">It might sound a bit old school, but email lists are more important than ever before. A big reason for this is that you own that database of fans. So no matter which <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/mailinglist">mailing list tool</a> you use, you can always download your database.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But when it comes to sales, email is still king. In fact, email marketing has even been shown to be as much as 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter <em><a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2015/10/30/why-facebook-and-twitter-are-practically-useless-compared-to-email/">combined</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So yes, definitely announce your album on social media, but the first thing you should do is send a dedicated email blast to your fan list with a link to buy your album.</p>
<p>During the first two phases of your album release, consider putting your older albums up on <a href="http://noisetrade.com/" target="_blank">NoiseTrade</a>. Music fans there will be able to download your music for free in exchange for their email address. You can then use those emails to drive sales of your new album!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-email-marketing-for-musicians">The Complete Guide to Email Marketing for Musicians</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Pay what you want</h3>
<p dir="ltr">One strategy you could try to drive more sales and revenue is the pay-what-you-want pricing model.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Some people might very well take the music for free, but there are definitely some fans who are willing to pay more, so why not let them? If a fan is really excited about your music, they might give you much more than the standard $1/song or $10/album. </p>
<p dir="ltr">You can use Bandzoogle’s <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/store">music players</a> to allow fans to pay what they want, and even set a minimum price. Bandcamp has this functionality with their music players as well. </p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Physical & digital bundles</h3>
<p dir="ltr">If you decide to release a CD or vinyl version of your album, you should definitely be bundling those with a digital version in your online store.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can also bundle together other merch, as well as older albums with a digital copy of your new album to help drive up overall sales of your merch.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online">The Ultimate Guide to Selling Band Merch Online</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Back catalog deals</h3>
<p dir="ltr">After you release your new album online, consider offering a deal on your back catalog of albums. While you have your fans there on your store page ready to buy, let them know they can get your entire discography in a package deal!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Sale pricing & discount codes</h3>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“Send a note welcoming new subscribers to your email list with a code for a discount when they shop in your store.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">While you won’t want to offer a discounted price on your new album right away, what you can do is celebrate the release of it by offering a sale on your older albums and merch.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can use Bandzoogle’s <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-pro-store-feature-sale-pricing-for-music-merch">sale pricing feature</a>, or send a note welcoming new subscribers to your email list with a <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-discount-codes-for-your-music-merch-store">discount code</a> for when they shop in your store.</p>
<hr><h3 dir="ltr">Engage your fans. Focus on owned properties. Maximize your revenues.</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Making an album is a huge investment of time and money. So to maximize the returns on it, you need to plan ahead. The most important things to remember are:</p>
<p dir="ltr">1. Engage your fans right from the start of the creation of your album<br>2. Focus on owned properties like your website and your mailing list to maximize revenues<br>3. Use a mix of all services so that every type of fan, from superfan to casual, can pay for your music</p>
<p dir="ltr">If you follow those steps, you’ll strengthen the relationship with your fans, drive more sales, and make more money from your music.</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/43578852016-09-05T18:36:48-04:002021-09-10T18:15:47-04:00[Free eBook] 23 Ways Musicians Can Make Money<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://bit.ly/eBookmakemoney" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/bf014b0f961d9d1d3467b6a5276f863f42da9c4f/small/ebook-23-ways-musicians-can-make-money-bandzoogle-200.jpg?1471291050" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></a><em>This post originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/free-ebook-23-ways-musicians-can-make-money" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em><br><br>Two years ago I wrote a blog post called <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/18-ways-musicians-can-make-money">18 Ways Musicians Can Make Money</a>. But a lot can change in two years, especially in the music industry.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are now even more opportunities for musicians and bands to make money. New tools and services are also available to help you take advantage of these new revenue streams.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So I decided to update that blog post with new revenue streams, more tips, more tools and resources, and release it as a free eBook: <a href="http://bit.ly/eBookmakemoney" target="_blank"><strong>23 Ways Musicians Can Make Money</strong></a></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Here’s what you’ll find in the eBook: </h3>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">23 ideas for generating revenue for your career </p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Resources and expert tips for each revenue stream </p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Musician tools and services to help you make more money</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Details on a new form of currency for musicians</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Eye-opening statistics on the most important marketing tool for musicians</p> </li>
</ul>
<p>The eBook is <a href="http://bit.ly/eBookmakemoney" target="_blank">free to download</a>, no strings attached. We hope that it helps spark some ideas for generating more money for your career!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bit.ly/eBookmakemoney" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/helpdesk/258c6c5ab255ea28fc7278a01fb0d38f6de4dd2f/original/bzblog-23-ways-musicians-make-money-bttn02-2.png?1470254453" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Download the eBook 23 Ways Musicians Can Make Money" style="height:51px; width:250px" /></a></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41894282016-05-20T09:04:26-04:002023-12-10T11:56:36-05:00How To Organize and Promote An Open Mic<p dir="ltr"><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/8f41da281d0324ce74e9ac0477f6f94183f36784/original/bzblog-howto-organize-promote-open-mic-img01.jpg?1463749456" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This post was written by <a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-organize-and-promote-an-open-mic" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Open Mic is about 3 things - Location, Hospitality, and Camaraderie. Whether or not you agree with that statement, it's hard to deny the fact that musicians want to go to open mic so they can rub shoulders with other like-minded and talented artists, plug into their local music community, and be where the action is.</p>
<p dir="ltr">With that said, this post is for the person hoping to run and host their own open mic...or the person who wants to make their Open Mic better. Maybe you don't realize this, but a lot goes into your job - especially if you want to do it well. Read the following tips for some Open Mic best practices for hosts and coordinators!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Pick a venue that cares just as much as you do</h3>
<p dir="ltr">This is key. A coffee shop, restaurant, or space that cares about the local music scene will not only make more money off of patrons, but they will help your open mic become better. They will support you by offering drink specials and discounts to attendees as incentives to come out; and in turn visitors will become regulars.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A venue that makes Open Mic the focus of the night will become a destination spot for people looking for something to do on an off night. Good turnouts are all about the partnership of venues and hosts.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Create a Facebook page for your open mic</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Your physical meeting spot is the venue. Now you need a virtual one. Yeah, Facebook pages are highly overrated, but musicians live and breath social media because they have to. So having a central online meeting spot where people can check for updates is essential.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Use this Page to announce when Open Mic is canceled, or if there is a special guest host on any particular week. It's also a way to keep people engaged with the Open Mic so that when Tuesday comes (or whatever day you pick) they already know where they're gonna be at 8pm.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Don't fill up the sign-up sheet before the night starts</h3>
<p dir="ltr">I once watched an Open Mic run itself into the ground by filling up the sign-up list before the night even started. If you are the host, and you happen to know 80% of regular attendees, make a rule that they have to show up 30 minutes in advance (like everyone else) to claim a spot on the list. Don't let them text you, inbox you, or Facebook you to claim a spot the night before.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This particular Open Mic got so accustomed to filling the list up, that newbies stopped coming because they could never get on the list. Some had even waited outside the venue for an hour, but by the time doors opened the list was already full. That open mic quickly earned a bad reputation.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Pick a Feature</h3>
<p dir="ltr">The typical open mic gives each artist 2 or 3 songs-worth of stage time. Pick a weekly featured artist and give them one or two extra tunes. Touring musicians especially love this. We often have off-nights that we just want to fill as we make our way across the map. Having a weekly feature can sometimes annoy the average attendee, but it can also spruce up the night and introduce the local music community to an artist they never would have heard otherwise.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In most cases, this artist is uber talented and more experienced because they're touring (not always the case). What's more, playing an open mic is a great way for a touring artist to meet fellow musicians they can split shows with when they pass through town in the future.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">5. Make it Affordable</h3>
<p dir="ltr">I personally don't think an open mic should be any more than $5. Free is even better because it encourages attendees to buy drinks and food. If you plan to charge, just know that people associate money with quality. Is the quality of your open mic worth how much you're charging? It's easier to sell a free event on a weeknight - especially if some people work late hours and can only stop in briefly before their day ends. I’m not saying you shouldn't charge, I’m just saying it encourages a higher standard. That can actually be a good thing. Talk it over with the venue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Alternatively we suggest passing a hat and giving the collected money to the touring artists. It's a roundabout way of helping the venue maintain good food/drink sales (for their own peace of mind), while also supporting working artists by the donations of those who want to give.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/14-ways-musicians-can-make-money-from-live-shows">14 Ways Musicians Can Make Money from Live Shows</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">6. Be Hospitable</h3>
<p dir="ltr">You're probably thinking, “This isn't some bed and breakfast! Be hospitable?”. Yes, that's what I said. Most of the musicians (and even some non-musicians) coming to open mic are coming by themselves. If they're not extroverts, the host is probably the only person they'll talk to on their first visit. It's your job to make them feel comfortable, let them know how things work, and give them a reason to come back. You can even introduce them to 2 or 3 people.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Take it from an introvert: I always want to return to an open mic when the host is nice and makes me feel at home. The best open mics are not about the best talent. The best open mics are about great music community. Talent helps too!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">7. Be efficient. PLEASE be efficient!!!</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Let me say it one more time: BE EFFICIENT. Open mics that take 20 minutes to get through one artist are a waste of my time...and everyone else’s. #sooverit</p>
<p dir="ltr">Make sure everyone knows to tune before they get on stage. Make sure they know that they will be cut off after 10 minutes or 2 songs (whichever comes first). Make sure people know who they fall after on the list so they are ready to go when its their turn. </p>
<p dir="ltr">There's nothing that makes me want to rip out my hair more than an inefficient open mic. You don't have to shove people off stage, but you do want to keep things rolling so the night doesn't stretch on forever and that the majority of people actually get to play for an audience.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">8. Be the ring-leader.</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Like we said in #6, an open mic takes on the personality of the host. If you're a jerk, attendees will care less. If you're nice, others will be respectful. If you take it seriously, others will also take it seriously. If you don't do your job, the night will be sloppy. Just make it look good. Just care.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And have fun!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/" target="_blank">Grassrootsy</a>, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Build your fanbase, promote your gigs, and sell tickets commission-free on your own Bandzoogle website. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now</a>!</strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41842132016-05-17T08:05:34-04:002023-12-10T12:02:41-05:00The Ultimate Guide to Selling Band Merch Online<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/aef59991996ce9ac773a8eb43f2700d5034670be/original/bzblog-ultimate-guide-sell-merch-online-img01-1.jpg?1463486635" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This guest post was written by <a href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>. </em></p>
<p>Bandzoogle members have now crossed <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/store">$20 Million</a> in direct-to-fan sales through their websites (commission-free!). This comprehensive guide will show you how to set up an online merch store for your own band, and give you some ideas for the different types of merch you can sell to your fans.</p>
<h2>Part 1: Choosing Your Merch</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Before you dive into ordering or creating your merch, there are a few steps to consider to ensure that your time and money spent on investing in merch is worth the effort.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 1: Ask your fans</h3>
<p dir="ltr">There are so many things that you can order with your logo on it, why leave it up to chance? Put out a little survey on your website, in your newsletter, and through social media to get an idea of the kind of merch that your fans would actually enjoy.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 2: Research other bands / ask what sells best</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Being unique and creative is great, but as a band without an unlimited budget, it doesn’t hurt to do a bit of market research and see what other musicians have had success selling.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 3: Consider your budget (aka don’t break the bank)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Speaking of which, you absolutely need to determine the budget you have to work with before considering what merch you’ll be offering. You want to be able to offer merch that your fans are excited by, and ultimately purchase, but it needs to fit your budget.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 4: Track your inventory</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Buy too much and you’re left without cash on hand and a need to store all of the merch that you’ve purchased. Buy too little, and you’ll miss out on great opportunities to monetize. Be sure to keep detailed inventory of all your merch items.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-automatic-inventory-tracking-for-your-band-merch">New: Automatic inventory tracking for your band merch</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 5: Think custom-made and think for scale</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Merch that can be handmade may be difficult to reproduce, but it can also be offered for a significantly higher price-point. Offering a good balance of custom merch and scalable merch allows you to offer unique merch at price points for fans of different levels of dedication.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Part 2: 21 Creative Band Merch Ideas</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Now we’ll take a look at some of the different kinds of merch you can offer. These include both physical and digital merch items that are easily scalable, as well as custom merch ideas.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Physical Merch - Scalable</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>1. Vinyl / cassettes (limited editions)</strong>: A hot item sought out by die-hard fans and audiophiles alike. Offering limited edition vinyl and/or cassette versions of your albums is a great way to get fans to purchase your album.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Wearables</strong>: Buttons, patches, sweatbands, shirts, hoodies, hats, etc. These are staple items, so always make sure you have some of these available for your fans.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Stickers</strong>: Another staple item that you can sell for cheap and still make a good profit from.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Baby goods</strong>: Not for everyone, but if you know your fans are millennials, it might be a good idea to start offering baby gear with your logo on it.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Phone cases</strong>: An inexpensive way to keep your band logo constantly in front of your fans. Don’t forget to order both iPhone and Android options with a few different sizes for each.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>6. Shot glasses / flasks</strong>: Need we say more?</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Physical Merch - Custom</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>7. Signed albums</strong>: Along with selling your CDs, vinyl, and cassettes online, offer a premium price for signed versions of those items.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>8. Signed posters</strong>: A die-hard fan collectable item, make sure you always keep any remaining posters from all of your shows, especially if they’re silk-screen or hand-painted posters. You’ll be surprised how quickly these will get scooped up.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>9. Handwritten lyric sheets</strong>: Everyone has their own favorite song. Offering handwritten lyrics is an easy way to offer something custom and give your fans a way to become even more attached to the song they hold so dear.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>10. Music lessons</strong>: Certainly not for everyone, but if you’ve got a deep well of music theory knowledge, offer to give a select number of people lessons via Google Hangout, Skype, etc. You’d be surprised how many fans are also budding musicians.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>[<strong>VIDEO] How to sell Physical Merch on Bandzoogle:</strong></em></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DWP0cIC-mK4?list=PL0-LRlU1BAn8Po3MWgaiQv-YPbm-dmog6" width="690"></iframe></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Digital Merch - Scalable</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>11. Sheet music</strong>: Why not offer sheet music for your fans that want to learn how to play your songs?</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>12. Guitar tabs</strong>: If your music is particularly guitar-driven, you can also sell guitar tabs for your songs.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>13. Lyric books</strong>: If you have some design skills, why not throw together nicely formatted eBooks with your lyrics from each album?</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>14. Poetry books</strong>: Do you have more lyrics or poems that aren’t being used for songs? Put together a book of poetry for your super-fans. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>15. Companion to album (band commentary about each song)</strong>: Movie studios have been doing this for years and labels have started to catch on. Why not give your fans the opportunity to dive deeper into your new album by dissecting each song’s meaning, inspirations and fun facts?</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>16. Music lessons (videos)</strong>: Do you teach your instrument? If you already give lessons in person or over Skype, consider recording some video lessons to sell online.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>17. Live concerts</strong>: If you have good quality video of some of your live shows, consider putting them up for sale. These can be great for fans that were at those particular shows, or for your fans around the world who aren’t able to come see you live.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>18. Behind the scenes videos / documentary films</strong>: Going into the studio for your next album? All you need is a phone with a decent camera and you can create a behind the scenes series of videos or even a mini documentary film.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Digital Merch - Custom</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>19. Fan club access</strong>: Remember you need to continue to create unique, exclusive content for these fans on a regular basis. Particularly if you’re taking part in Patreon or Dreampatron – you need to make that monthly fee worth the investment so ultimately this becomes a custom offering.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>20. Voice mail messages</strong>: “Believe it or not, George is not home so leave a message at the beep”. Who wouldn’t love a custom voicemail message from one of their favorite bands?</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>21. Ringtones</strong>: Why not offer to record custom ringtones for your fans? It wouldn’t be very time consuming, and you’ll give your fans something unique that will remind them of your music every time their phone rings!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>[<strong>VIDEO] How to sell Digital Merch on Bandzoogle:</strong></em></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ic1YwiGABw?list=PL0-LRlU1BAn8Po3MWgaiQv-YPbm-dmog6" width="690"></iframe></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Part 3: Ordering Your Merch</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Once you’ve set a budget and chosen which merch items you’ll be offering, it’s time to order your merch.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are many companies out there that specialize in different merch items. You’ll want to do some research, and ask other bands in your local scene where they ordered their merch from.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A few places to start:</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.jakprints.com/" target="_blank">Jakprints</a>: Great one stop shop for posters, stickers, shirts, sweaters, headwear, bags and more.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.stickermule.com/" target="_blank">Sticker Mule</a>: Name says it all. They just do stickers and do them well.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.buttonfrog.com/" target="_blank">Button Frog</a>: Sister company of Sticker Mule for buttons.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com" target="_blank">Zazzle</a>, <a href="http://www.cafepress.com" target="_blank">Cafe Press</a>: With these services, you can upload artwork onto almost any merch item. You can either order a limited quantity to re-sell through your own store, or setup a store through those sites and they’ll create your merch items as the orders come in and ship them to your fans.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">5 tips to save money when ordering merch</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Here are a few ways you can save money when ordering your merch:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Be aware of price breaks</h3>
<p dir="ltr">For almost every merch item, there will be price breaks at certain quantities. This doesn’t mean you should order the highest quantity to get the biggest price break! For example, if you wanted to order 100 shirts, but there’s a price break at 120, then it might make sense to order those extra 20 shirts. </p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Check design specs carefully</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Make sure that the files you submit meet the supplier’s specifications. Any last-minute changes will cost you.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Limit designs</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Each design likely requires a new setup at the supplier, which usually results in extra fees. Limit your designs to avoid these additional costs.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Limit colors</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Same goes for colors. When ordering apparel, each additional color will cost you. Try to limit the amount of colors you use in the design to reduce the cost.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">5. Don’t order last minute</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Don’t get caught having to place a rush order! You’ll likely pay through the roof in shipping costs, which will negatively impact your profit margin.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Part 4: Setting Up Your Online Merch Store</h2>
<p dir="ltr">By selling direct to your fans, you not only get most of the money (100% using the Bandzoogle <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/store">Store Feature</a>), you also get their email addresses. That way, you can keep in touch with those fans over the long term to let them know about upcoming shows, new music, and new merch.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/why-email-newsletters-are-still-a-vital-marketing-tool-for-musicians">Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 1: Organize</h3>
<p dir="ltr">First and foremost, your online store needs to be organized. Keep the page simple and clean to navigate. If it’s too messy, fans might just leave the page without buying anything.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If you have a lot of merch items, consider creating separate pages for each type of merch, and linking to them from the main Store page. This is what the band <a href="http://aprimitiveevolution.com/" target="_blank">A Primitive Evolution</a> did on their website.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 2: Have images for every item</h3>
<p dir="ltr">For each item in your Store, you should have an image. Album covers are obvious, but even for stickers and buttons, you should include an image of what they look like.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For t-shirts, you can feature the front and back of the shirts, as well as different colors.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 3: Describe each item</h3>
<p dir="ltr">You should also add context for each merch item in your store. What’s the story behind the item? Who designed it? Briefly explain the merch item and why you think your fans will enjoy it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For example, A Primitive Evolution have a <a href="http://aprimitiveevolution.com/swag" target="_blank">Handmade Voodoo Doll Plushie</a> for sale with this great description:</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>“Printed, sewed and stuffed by us for you! Cast a curse on an enemy or a crappy band perhaps... or just cuddle up with this little guy on those lonely nights.”</em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Step 4: Offer clear way to contact you</h3>
<p dir="ltr">When people are shopping online, they want to know that they can easily contact the seller if they have any questions. On your Store page you can include a contact form specific to sales, or a call-to-action with a link to your Contact section.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Now go sell some merch!</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Getting your merchandise plans in order can take a bit of time, but it’s well worth the investment. Use these ideas to get your merch store set up today, there’s no excuse for missing out on opportunities to make alternative revenue from your fans.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For more revenue generating ideas, check out <strong><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/18-ways-musicians-can-make-money">18 Ways Musicians Can Make Money</a></strong><br><br><em><a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> is the Director of Sales at Bandsintown, Founder of MicControl, lover of all things music, a raging Phish head, and a coffee addict.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Making money as a musician is tough. That's why you keep 100% of your hard-earned revenues when you sell music, merch & tickets through your Bandzoogle website. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now!</a></strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41825632016-05-16T10:26:11-04:002023-12-10T13:09:19-05:009 ways to build your mailing list (and sell more music online)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/6d2f16a7513032380fa19a8d0d3fc8ce96190cf6/original/bzblog-9-ways-build-mailing-list-img01.jpg?1463408763" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This guest post was written by <a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/9-ways-to-build-your-mailing-list-and-sell-more-music-online" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Question: which is more important: Facebook or email?<br><br>Believe it or not, your email is not only more important than Facebook, but also any other social network. Email marketing has been shown to be as much as <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2015/10/30/why-facebook-and-twitter-are-practically-useless-compared-to-email/" target="_blank">40 times more effective</a> than Facebook and Twitter <em>combined</em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So it is <em>the</em> most important marketing tool you have to keep in touch with your fans, and to make more money for your music career.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Why email is so important</h2>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>"You will now, and forever, own your mailing list."</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Beyond the critical fact that 80% of people between the age of 18 and 44 years-old check email before even <a href="http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/smartphones/480485?red=at" target="_blank">brushing their teeth</a> in the morning, there is really only one reason that matters.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You will now, and forever, own your mailing list.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This means that no matter which social media platforms stay relevant (or <a href="https://myspace.com/" target="_blank">don’t</a>), you can always directly reach your fans.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So as you develop an online marketing strategy for your music and further advance your career, you’ll want to have that mailing list handy.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/why-email-newsletters-are-still-a-vital-marketing-tool-for-musicians">Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">9 ways to build your mailing list</h2>
<p dir="ltr">There are plenty of ways to build a mailing list that you should be taking advantage of. Some require very little upfront effort such as a signup form on your website or social accounts.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But as those may help to slowly build a mailing list, you’ll want to use some strategies that help to really jumpstart the process of building your list. Here are a few ways to make that happen:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Email for a download / stream</h3>
<p dir="ltr">This is the go-to suggestion for building a mailing list. Offer an exclusive download in exchange for an email address. That email will be worth much more to you in the long run than the $0.99. You can even automate an email-for-download through Bandzoogle’s <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/mailinglist">mailing list tool</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Another great platform to look into for assisting with this process is <a href="http://noisetrade.com" target="_blank">NoiseTrade</a>. They’ve built an entire platform around the concept of building a mailing list out of album downloads.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But people are moving away from downloading and towards streaming. So NoiseTrade recently introduced a new ‘<a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2016/04/pledgemusics-noisetrade-adds-email4stream-to-free-artist-toolkit.html" target="_blank">premiers</a>’ platform where artists can offer an advanced stream of a yet-to-be released album in exchange for the email address.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Sweepstakes Opt-in</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Never underestimate the power of a sweepstakes. It creates urgency, and can create an easy high-value proposition for a fan to give you their email address in exchange for the opportunity to win something great.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But keep in mind, the sweeps needs to do just that, offer something great. A signed album likely won’t work. Think VIP, exclusive, and unique experiences when creating this offer.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Fan-Content Based Contesting</h3>
<p dir="ltr">On the other hand, you can also offer opportunities for fans to gain your spotlight. Ideally something exclusive like backstage passes, or dinner before a show, etc. This type of contest requires the fan to create their own content and submit for review with their email address.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A remixing contest can be a great opportunity here. But other contests to think about could be more simple such as album artwork, tour posters, tattoo ideas, etc.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Access to exclusive content from the past</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Your computer hard drive or cloud based data storage account can be a treasure trove of content that your fans would love to gain access to.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Demo recordings, lyrics for songs that never came to be, alternative artwork for albums, etc. Curating this content is a great way to make a unique experience your fans will certainly trade an email address to gain access to.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">5. Future access to pre-sales before anyone else</h3>
<p dir="ltr">This is a no brainer. Let your fans that sign up to your mailing list gain access to future album pre-orders, or tour pre-sale opportunities before anyone else.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">6. Direct to Fan Purchasers</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Let’s not forget those who are already purchasing from you. Anytime someone purchases from you through a direct-to-fan platform like Bandzoogle, Bandcamp, or PledgeMusic, it’s an easy opportunity to add to your mailing list.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">7. Incentivize existing subscribers to help drive new subscribers</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Why not offer a pledge drive? Create a timed offer that incentivizes your fans to help spread the word and drive new sign ups.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If a fan drives X sign ups in 1 month they will get [enter your prize here]. Make sure that prize is killer – you don’t want to make it feel like you are begging fans to help, nor should the experience feel like work for the fan. It should be something they want to do as the reward outweighs the effort.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">8. Make it the primary channel to debut new material / videos</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Similar to the idea that fans will get early access to pre-orders or pre-sales, why not take the next step and make your email the primary channel for all new debuts as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Any time a new song is released, your mailing list subscribers will find out about it first. New video? Your mailing list subscribers will see it first. Doing this ups the ante and continues to develop a higher-level relationship with your fans that shows you appreciate their interest in you and your music.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">9. Create multiple lists for different reasons (i.e. segment your fans based on their needs)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">And finally we get to an often overlooked concept – not all of your fans are the same. Some will be interested in you. Some will be interested in your recordings. And some will simply only care when you come to town because your live show is so unique it’s not to be missed.</p>
<p dir="ltr">These segments should be considered and you should start to develop separate mailing lists (and unique reasons to sign up to such a mailing list) for each type of fan.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Making the most (money) from your mailing list</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Now the time comes to leverage your list to sell more music online and make more money for your band.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are a few ways to ensure your efforts are optimized for sales:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Only use one call to action</h3>
<p dir="ltr">You may have an album out for sale, tickets for upcoming shows, and your online merch store fully stocked. But it’s important to avoid the instinct to offer all three at once.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Use a clear and simple call to action to drive attention to one thing that matters most. A study by <a href="https://www.whichtestwon.com/test/which-email-blast-template-increased-sales-by-1617-2013-email-mobile-testing-awards-winner/" target="_blank">WhichTestWon</a> shows that sales conversions increased a whopping 1,617% by using one CTA (call to action) instead of multiple.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Also - your CTA must be a direct request for the email recipient to take an immediate action, such as ‘Buy the album Now’, ‘Take the survey Today’, ‘Share Your Feedback Here’.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Use your mailing list segments</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Having trouble deciding which offer to focus on with your call to action? Lean on #9 above, and further develop these segments, or groups of fans, based on specific interests to make your offers more precise.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Know a group of your fans are only interested in new music? Send a newsletter to these fans with a call to action to buy your music online.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Create timed offers</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Another great way to increase your sales is to develop a sense of urgency by offering something exciting or exclusive, with a very small window of time for people to purchase.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Try things like offering a unique bundle package. Maybe an album, tickets, and/or merch at a steep discount for one day only, or for the first 20 who purchase.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-pro-store-feature-sale-pricing-for-music-merch">Use Sale Pricing for Your Music & Merch Store</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Pay attention to analytics from past efforts to inform future efforts</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Finally, remember to pay attention to your analytics. Try out different calls to action in different monthly newsletters. You can even try a/b testing a single call to action by splitting your list into two and seeing which performs best.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can also test different times of the day and/or times of the week to send offers to your mailing list. The more you can study the data in relation to driving online sales, the more you’ll be able to optimize for future sales.<br><br><em><a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> is the Director of Sales at Bandsintown, Founder of MicControl, lover of all things music, a raging Phish head, and a coffee addict.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Bandzoogle websites have a built-in mailing list tool, and you keep 100% of your sales when you sell music, merch, & tickets online. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free with Bandzoogle now.</a></strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41775422016-05-12T09:24:48-04:002023-12-10T13:10:07-05:0010 Essential Online Music Marketing Tools <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/49fec1a93b6bc20b3357a6acbc50c7ac7cc4f72e/original/bzblog-10-music-marketing-tools-img01.jpg?1463059579" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This post was written by <a contents="Joy Ike" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-essential-online-music-marketing-tools" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I don’t doubt that you’ve probably heard of every single item on this list. But it’s easy to forget just how many (often free) resources are at your disposal and the ways in which they can help you market your music. So consider this a reminder. In this post, I’ll share why each online tool is helpful and some ways to use them well.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">1. Mailing list</h2>
<p dir="ltr">For the average artist, the mailing list is that thing you put in the back of the room on your semi-professional-looking merch table. You don’t encourage people to sign up and your average fan doesn’t even know you have one. What’s worse is that you rarely use it and you probably send out one newsletter update every four months #majorfail</p>
<p dir="ltr">BUT your mailing list is the single most important marketing tool you have at your disposal. Social media (we’ll talk more about that later), is great and all, but no one can keep track of everything in their feeds. And platforms (like Facebook) are making it increasingly harder to get your information across if you’re not paying for advertising.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Your newsletter is free advertising and allows you to target meaningful information to a group of people who are already die-hard fans! Use it...and please send out at least 1 newsletter per month. Never underestimate the fact that you can reach your biggest fans with a click of a Send button.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/why-email-newsletters-are-still-a-vital-marketing-tool-for-musicians">Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">2. Website</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Facebook is not a website. Bandcamp is not a website. In fact, your ugly, unmanageable, hard to navigate website is not a website. There, I said it! Artists underestimate the power of websites just as much as they do their newsletters. Fans want a one-stop-shop where they can listen to your music, watch videos, learn about upcoming shows, and find out more about you. The easier it is to find you, the easier it is to follow you.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Furthermore, venues are more biased towards artists who represent themselves well by having a professional looking online presence. Do yourself a favor and create something with <a href="http://bit.ly/1Le2gfw">Bandzoogle</a>. Their designs are simple, clean, and easy to use.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Bandzoogle websites have built-in mailing lists and the tools you need to step it up. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now</a>!</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">3. Indie on the Move</h2>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.indieonthemove.com/" target="_blank">Indie on the Move</a> is an absolute must-have for the traveling artists. Cutting through Indianapolis on tour and need to find a coffeehouse within 30 miles that hosts live music on weeknights? IOTM will be your best-friend.</p>
<p dir="ltr">They have the most extensive database of venues all across the United States. They allow you to search by city or within a mile radius of a zip code. Venue listings also include comments and reviews by musicians who have already played that venue. They’ll tell you how management was, if the payout was decent, and if the room fit their style, among other things. IOTM is invaluable.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">4. Facebook</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Every artist should use Facebook. And most do...sort of. The thing is, Facebook will work for you if you let it. But it’s not as effective as the average artist wants it to be. The thing is, half-spirited posts, status updates at the wrong time of day, lengthy posts that no one will get through, over-posting, and inviting people in Pennsylvania to your show in LA are only just a handful of the ridiculous mistakes that musicians make every single day. Do yourself a favor and read up on some Facebook best practices.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-tools-of-music-fan-engagement-part-3-facebook-basics">The Tools of Music Fan Engagement: Facebook Basics</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">5. Twitter</h2>
<p dir="ltr">With the advent of Instagram, artists don’t always see the value in Twitter. After all, Instagram is kind of like Twitter with the added bonus of pictures. But Twitter appeals to an older generation and you can still find more business using it over Instagram.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The key to taking advantage of Twitter is tagging...and again, it will only work as much as you let it. Make sure you not only tag fellow musicians and venues when you’re talking about a show, but use hashtag keywords that specifically apply to your event and the city you’re in.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-tools-of-music-fan-engagement-part-4-twitter-basics">The Tools of Music Fan Engagement: Twitter Basics</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">6. Instagram</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Instagram will be your best friend...especially if your music appeals to a younger audience. In fact, you might start using it more than any other social media platform. People love photos, plain and simple. But they don’t like ads.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Take it slow with posting show posters, and things that look too polished. Find ways to be creative with your show promo while still capturing the essence of the organic nature of Instagram. Here are two great examples of how to remind your fans about a show on Instagram without saying "hey, come to my show" for the one-hundreth time: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/6YtY9CET33/" target="_blank">Example 1</a>. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCieNxpu-sK/?taken-by=joyikemusic" target="_blank">Example 2</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Also remember, the beauty of Instagram is that you have the opportunity of sharing everyday things with your fans - what you ate, clips from new songs you’re working on, and the bite your dog took out of your lyric notebook.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">7. YouTube</h2>
<p dir="ltr">YouTube is in fact a marketing tool. Think of it as your audio/visual business card. It gives people a 3-dimensional idea of who you are. Upload videos often and share them even more often. Check out this post for another great way to use your YouTube account. <strong><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/8-effective-strategies-to-sell-your-music-online">8 Effective Strategies to Sell Your Music Online</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-make-money-from-your-music-on-youtube">How to make money from your music on YouTube</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">8. Bandcamp</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Besides being a use-friendly platform for musicians to share music, sell music, offer free download codes, and create audio widgets for your website; <a href="https://bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> is ever-evolving and finding ways to help artists maintain more control over how they share their content. They also do a great job curating and promoting music on the platform to encourage customers to discover new music.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/video-how-to-sell-bandcamp-music-on-your-bandzoogle-website">[VIDEO] How to Sell Bandcamp Music on Your Bandzoogle Website</a></strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">9. SoundCloud</h2>
<p dir="ltr">SoundCloud is the Industry standard. It’s where fans and fan-makers alike go to find and listen to new music. SoundCloud offers a different experience than any other resource by letting fans comment on songs and share thoughts such as a favorite verse, other songs that they think of when they hear yours, or opinions about specific instruments on the track...etc. With the exchange of ideas and opinions, SoundCloud could be considered one of the very first music crowdsourcing platforms.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">10. NoiseTrade</h2>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://noisetrade.com/" target="_blank">NoiseTrade</a> is all about exposure and offers a pretty simple strategy. 1. Upload your song. 2. Offer it as a free download in exchange for downloader’s email address. 3. Build your fanbase. Musicians love it because, just like SoundCloud, it allows you to control the spreading of your music while also helping you build your newsletter.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now that you know which tools you're going to use, be sure to create a music marketing plan to put them into action: <strong><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/5-steps-to-creating-an-effective-music-marketing-plan">5 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/" target="_blank">Grassrootsy</a>, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Bandzoogle lets you create a professional website in minutes with all the music promotional features you need including a blog, mailing list, and social media integrations. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Try Bandzoogle free now!</a></strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41751882016-05-11T09:00:32-04:002023-12-10T13:04:51-05:00How to successfully promote your music<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/e1f5383396cadf4eb3647689b7286e1c546ed6aa/original/bzblog-howto-successfully-promote-music-img01.jpg?1462971618" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This post was written by <a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-successfully-promote-your-music" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Before Facebook and the era of social media, it was estimated that the average person was exposed to some 2000 ads every day - billboards, television commercials, signs in grocery stores and storefronts, etc, etc.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Since then, that number has probably doubled. This makes promotion very tricky. How do you successfully promote your music when there is so much competition? Below are 6 things you must do to stand out in a sea of clutter, make a dent with your music, and continue to grow your fanbase.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Personalize</h2>
<p dir="ltr">First and foremost, no matter what it is you're promoting, the key is to sound like YOU. Sound like a human. Don't be a robot or take the tone of a marketer or that dude on the TV commercial who reads the fine-print at top speed.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You never know what feedback you're gonna get when you share a new song, video, or show details. Promoting is a difficult task as it is. When you use phrases like ”Only $20 for a limited time”, or ”get yours now!”, you just sound cheesy and superficial. Make sure to sound like a human. Sound like YOU.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Use a Newsletter</h2>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“Email marketing is 40 times as effective as Facebook and Twitter, combined.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Your newsletter is not just your greatest tool; it is your best friend! No one can keep up to speed with every post in their news feed. No one reads every tweet or every status update. They just can’t. Who has that much time in the day?</p>
<p dir="ltr">When you send a newsletter out, it should be an extension of your presence. It should take on the same tone that you use on stage. It’s the longer version of a 140 character tweet. It tells a fuller story of that photo you shared on Instagram. It tells the backstory behind the music video you just released.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Newsletters inform your fans of what’s to come, tell them what happened in the past, and fill in the gaps to create a more cohesive story of who you are as an artist. Newsletters are essentially your opportunity to brand yourself.</p>
<p dir="ltr">By the way, <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2015/10/30/why-facebook-and-twitter-are-practically-useless-compared-to-email/">Email marketing is 40 times as effective as Facebook and Twitter, combined.</a> Artists, writers, corporations, organizations...they all use it. They realize it’s so much more powerful than social media.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/why-email-newsletters-are-still-a-vital-marketing-tool-for-musicians">Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Think of Your Fans</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Sounds silly, but it’s what works. Instead of thinking about how you want to do something, think about what your fans really want you to do. I would liken this to a live show. You might have a really excellent cover of a Beatles song. Problem is, you're playing to a demographic that is more likely to enjoy Paul Simon. What are you gonna do? Hint: Play Paul Simon!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Promotion is just like this. Instead of posting yet another photo of a product at your online store, post something that is more engaging. Maybe that means your update will have nothing to do with merch. Maybe instead of talking about yourself or your music, you ask fans to share their favorite song. It might not seem like promotion, but that's the kind of stuff that really engages people, brings traffic to your page, and comes off as more personal.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Know When to Post</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The key to promotion is knowing when to do it. You won't see a diaper commercial come on during a sports game. It's just not gonna happen. In the same way, you can't post about your show at midnight when the average person is asleep. Your posts need to happen during high-traffic times and to the right audience. They also need to happen when people can adequately respond to them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Need to tell a long drawn out story about something that happened at your gig last night? Don't do it at 9am when the average person is beginning their work day. 9am posts are great for questions like “Hey, what cover should I do at this Fridays show?”. Posts like this not only serve as a reminder about the show, but they also get your fans posting about their favorite songs and tunes they think would be perfect for your voice. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Same goes for your newsletter. Don't send a newsletter out on Friday morning! You’ll get plenty of Out-of-Office responses. Statistically the best times to send newsletters are Tuesday and Wednesday - in the heart of the work week when more people are checking their email.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Plan Ahead</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Good promo has a lot to do with planning well. Artists who plan well get the best feedback from fans. If your next show is 6 weeks out, planning well means dropping a “save the date“ post on your social media for fans who need that extra heads up.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It means sending posters to the venue 3-4 weeks out so you can get the attention of everyday foot traffic. Planning ahead means communicating with other artists on the bill so that everyone knows the facts and can also do their part in promoting the show. Planning means the Facebook invite is created 2 weeks out and shared with your band mates and other bands on the bill so they can share.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Planning ahead means spacing out your social media posts so your fans have no excuse for not knowing about your show. There's a fine line between too much and not enough. Find it!</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Tell Your Story</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Last but not least, tell your story! This pretty much wraps up this blog and reiterates the first point. The one thing that distinguishes you from every other performer is your voice. Your voice (not your singing voice) is unique. You have a story that no one else has. How you shape that story, tell that story, and invite others to identify with that story, is what makes you real to your fans. It's what makes you human, and keeps fans sticking around for the length of your career.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-5-tips-for-developing-your-personal-blogging-voice">5 tips for developing your personal blogging voice</a>]</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Promoting your music is essentially finding creative ways to tell your story - through content, how you brand that content, and how you share that content.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/" target="_blank">Grassrootsy</a>, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Bandzoogle websites have built-in mailing lists and the tools you need to step it up. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now</a>!</strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41734282016-05-10T09:33:23-04:002023-12-10T13:10:06-05:00How to make money from your music on YouTube <p dir="ltr"><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/38834a3e4339cc8c3a0ee910b5f511e097410035/original/bzblog-how-to-make-money-youtube-img01.jpg?1462887226" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This guest post was written by <a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-make-money-from-your-music-on-youtube" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">YouTube is undoubtedly one of the most important tools for musicians to market and engage with fans online. But how does YouTube make you money?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rather than simply allowing YouTube to run ads on your music videos and hoping for the best, you should focus on creating a sales funnel strategy.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Sales Funnel</h3>
<p dir="ltr">This funnel can be broken down into three parts:</p>
<ol style="list-style-type:decimal"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Discovery</strong></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Monetization</strong></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Retention</strong></p> </li>
</ol>
<p>This will effectively create a full cycle. Focusing on all 3 components will help you optimize your YouTube channel for revenue opportunities, drive traffic to your channel, and ensure that your fans stick around to continue to make you money over the long-term.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So let’s take a look at several easy ways to set up each part of your YouTube sales funnel:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Discovery</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Before you focus on trying to make money from your channel, you’ll want to take a few things into consideration to ensure you’re able to drive as much traffic as possible:</p>
<p><strong>Enable channel recommendations</strong><br>This is a no-brainer. By turning this setting on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/advanced_settings" target="_blank">here</a>, you’re allowing YouTube to suggest your channel to new viewers.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Every video should be tagged</strong><br>Just like on Twitter or Instagram, YouTube tags act as keywords that are then indexed and searchable by others. Include tags like the genre and location, and even find opportunities to take advantage of existing tag trends that will help your videos show up in a relevant search.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Word to the wise though, don’t go overboard here – generic tags such as ‘Music’ or ‘new song’ won’t do much if anything for your visibility, so keep your keywords dialed in and to the point.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Create effective video titles</strong><br>Again, you want to make sure that your videos are easy to find as a relevant search result. Your title needs to be catchy and appealing, but also to the point. If you get too clever with your title, you may end up leaving out a relevant keyword that could be the key to your video being found.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Tip: If you publish cover videos, include the artist name and the word ‘cover’ in the title in addition to the song name and your own name. This will help it be found easier!</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Including the link to your YouTube channel everywhere</strong><br>Make it as easy as possible for people to get back to your YouTube channel by including the link in your bio section of all of your social networking accounts, in your email signature, and even on your download cards, CDs, etc.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For your website, be sure to embed videos directly onto a Videos page, then provide a link to your channel for fans to find you there.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-magic-8-essential-menu-options-for-your-band-website">The Magic 8: Essential Menu Options for Your Band Website</a>]</strong></em></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Monetization</h2>
<p>Now it’s time to consider ways to maximize the traffic you’re bringing to your YouTube channel so that each visitor does their part to contribute to your sales:</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Allow ads to be displayed on your videos</strong><br>This one seems obvious, but it’s important to note that you need to opt-in to video monetization on YouTube. To do so, YouTube offers an easy <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/94522?hl=en" target="_blank">step by step walkthrough</a> to make sure you’re all set up.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Create playlists to increase # of video views per visitor</strong><br>So you’ve driven a fan, or a new visitor to your channel and they’ve watched one of your videos. Great! Now they can either leave your channel, or they can continue to watch more videos. Increasing the number of video views per visitor is key when it comes to generating any significant amount of money from advertising.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Use analytics to better understand your audience</strong><br>YouTube recently released a new tool for musicians called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/yt/artists/index.html" target="_blank">YouTube for Artists</a>. This allows you to see which videos are connecting with your fans, and which ones are not so that you can continue to tailor your content strategy to meet the needs of your fan base. Take advantage of this and don’t waste time creating videos that fall flat.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Retention</h3>
<p dir="ltr">At this point, you’ve set up your page to increase traffic and optimized your channel to make as much money from those visits and views as possible. But why only rely on search traffic? A key component in any effective sales funnel is retaining existing fans, as it will always be easier to keep (and make more money from) than it is to find new fans. Here are some things you can do to ensure you retain the fans that are now checking out your YouTube Channel:</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Ask fans to subscribe to your Channel</strong><br>At the end of every video you should have some sort of call to action asking fans to subscribe to your YouTube Channel. You can also include this call to action in the description of each video as well. This will ensure that your fans receive an update every time you upload a new video!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Use Annotations</strong><br>YouTube offers ‘annotations’ as an interactive button that can be superimposed over your video to allow you to do things like link to your website or iTunes. Should you be focused on touring, you can now even include an annotation that allows fans to follow you on platforms such as Bandsintown or Songkick (full disclosure, I work for Bandsintown and we’ve received amazing feedback from our artist platform regarding the effectiveness of this new YouTube feature).</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Think beyond the confines of YouTube</strong><br>While YouTube offers you quite a few ways to retain fans and make money directly on the platform, there are 3rd party platforms that can be used to leverage your video content, and even simply your music on YouTube to get you paid:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/" target="_blank">Patreon</a> – Through this platform, your fans will opt-in to pay a recurring subscription fee for each new piece of content you release. By exclusively releasing (or at least debuting) your YouTube videos on this platform, you can reward the fans most willing to spend money on you, and greatly increase the opportunity to make money from each video you create.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.audiam.com/" target="_blank">Audiam</a> – Believe it or not, you are owed a royalty for every YouTube view your music generates. Audiam helps independent musicians like you get the royalties owed to you from YouTube. If you have your music distributed through aggregators like TuneCore and CDBaby, they also offer services to get paid on royalties from music streams on YouTube. </p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">We hope the ideas above will help you to set up a basic, but effective sales funnel for your YouTube channel!<br><br><em><a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> is the Director of Sales at Bandsintown, Founder of MicControl, lover of all things music, a raging Phish head, and a coffee addict.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Start building your fanbase! Bandzoogle websites have a built-in mailing list, social media integrations, and all the tools you need to step it up. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now</a>!</strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41699422016-05-07T09:56:48-04:002021-09-28T00:55:07-04:005 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan<p dir="ltr"><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/44296aed3d85580a0836eca2026800fdaff09e69/large/bzblog-how-to-create-music-marketing-plan-img01-2.jpg?1462629388" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="5 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan" />This guest post was written by <a href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/5-steps-to-creating-an-effective-music-marketing-plan" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Whether you’re a brand new musician establishing yourself online for the first time, or an already established band with a dedicated fan base, there is one thing that love it or hate it, all musicians will have to do. That, my friends, is marketing your music.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">So what is marketing?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Marketing is a way of generating fans and awareness for your music. This can be done through a variety of different tactics such as content creation / curation, offering unique experiences, developing a sense of community, and yes even paying to reach fans (new and old).</p>
<p dir="ltr">But marketing needs to have a purpose. Marketing your music is not simply just posting music online, liking statuses on Facebook, and retweeting people on Twitter.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-successfully-promote-your-music">How to successfully promote your music</a>]</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr">The first step in effective marketing is creating a marketing plan for your music. This is a comprehensive understanding of your audience, the marketplace, and a plan to accomplish whatever goals you’ve set for yourself.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So before we move any further, ask yourself:</p>
<p dir="ltr">Why do you need to create a marketing plan? And what exactly do you want to accomplish?</p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Are you just getting started with an online presence and need to reach new fans?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Are you ready to head out on tour and need to sell tickets?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Are you already on tour and looking to sell more merch?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Do you want to double the size of your mailing list?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Are you putting out a new album and need to re-engage fans to generate awareness about your new project?</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">All of these, and many more, are valid reasons to get started with your marketing efforts. So let’s dive into the 5 steps to creating an effective music marketing plan:</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">STEP 1: Define the audience for your music</h2>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>"Knowing your fans is the key to success."</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Read this next statement carefully, and read it twice.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Knowing your fans is the key to success.</p>
<p dir="ltr">With this understanding, you’ll be able to identify where your fans exist and engage online (note: everyone is on Facebook, but not everyone uses Facebook to engage as a fan). You’ll also know how to effectively communicate with your fans, and most importantly, you’ll know how to offer value to your fans to keep them happy and coming back for more.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You should ask yourself some questions to develop a clear picture of your ‘ideal fan’. The fan who is engaging, who can become a word-of-mouth-spreading super fan, who will buy your albums, merch, and tickets. There are two steps to take with the following questions:</p>
<ol style="list-style-type:decimal"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Go through and answer the questions using your existing (gut) instinct.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Go out and do some research, and validate or change the responses below until you know for sure who your fans are.</p> </li>
</ol>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">How old is your fan?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What gender is your fan?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Where is your fan located?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What kind of personality does your fan have?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Is your fan an intellectual?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Is your fan a partier?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What excites your fan besides music?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What is your fan willing to pay for?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Who is your fan’s favorite band (besides you of course)?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What is your fan’s favorite social network?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What is your fan passionate about?</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">There are far more questions you can be asking yourself here to get to know your ideal fan. Don’t get to a point of analysis paralysis, just think through all the different aspects of what can make your fan unique until you feel you have a strong grasp on the bigger picture.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">STEP 2: Analyze the market</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Once you understand who your fans are, you also need to understand the market. You need to understand what’s happening in your local community as well as within your genre globally. Having this understanding will help you to establish where you fit in and what unique value you can offer to your fans.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Again, you’ll want to go out and so some research and get an idea of the following:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Which musicians are seeing the most success locally / globally within your genre?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What are these successful musicians doing that is working most effectively to build and engage a fan base?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What are those who are failing doing wrong?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">How likely is the market to buy your album?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Is any unique offering being successfully bundled with albums to drive stronger sales?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">What sort of content seems to be resonating most effectively… Photos? Videos? Blogs? Remixes? Covers?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Are artists within your genre touring successfully locally / globally?</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Again, there are certainly other questions you can be asking yourself here, but this should set you on the right path to understanding your market.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">STEP 3: Establish goals</h2>
<p dir="ltr">As I stated earlier in the article, marketing has to have a purpose. At this point you should have established why you need to be marketing your music, but now it’s time to set goals around that purpose.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For example, let’s say you’re marketing a new album. Ok, great. But what’s the goal here?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Is it to sell more albums? Sure, but how many more albums? And how long do you want to give yourself to achieve this goal?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Every goal should be actionable, measurable and timed. This way you’re not just aimlessly ‘marketing’ without a true understanding of how successful you are.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Setting these goals is certainly easier if you’ve done this before. In the example above, let’s say you released an album two years ago, you can use this as a baseline of how many albums sold last time around and how long it took, so you can set reasonable goals for this new effort.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If you’ve never done this before, that’s ok too. Everyone starts at zero. Simply refer to your market research and base your goals off of what’s been done by others similar to your experience level.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">STEP 4: Develop an action plan</h2>
<p dir="ltr">With your actionable, measureable, timed goals in place, it’s now time to create a plan to achieve these goals. There are several components to include in your action plan, including:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">PR</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Advertising</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Content creation / curation</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Touring</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Social Media / Community Management</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Networking</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Etc. (whatever you need to achieve your goals)</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Map out how you’re going to approach each of these on a monthly basis. But word to the wise, only map out a calendar one quarter at a time so you don’t spend time on a plan for 6 months from now when things can change very quickly.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/10-essential-online-music-marketing-tools">10 Essential Online Music Marketing Tools</a>]</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Easiest way to do this is to set up a spreadsheet with the overall components listed down the left hand side (i.e. PR, Advertising, Networking, etc.) and the monthly breakdown of the quarter across the top (i.e. January, February, March).</p>
<p dir="ltr">This will help you to see a full picture of say, all of your planned PR efforts, or how you plan to create and release content across the next few months. This clarity can help to remove some of the stress and make each aspect of this roadmap easier to conquer.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And remember, everything you do here should have some sort of a performance indicator (often called KPIs) so that the effectiveness, or lack thereof, can be measured properly.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are some KPIs to consider, again using the ‘album sales’ goal as the example:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type:disc"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">How many album sales were generated through clicks from your mailing list this week? How does that compare to the week previous?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">How many mailing list sign ups did your social content generate this week? How does that compare to the week previous?</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Which sources to your website are leading to the most store clicks on your?</p> </li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Again, the list can go on and on. Always consider what your goal is and focus your KPI on an action that directly reflects your goal.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the end of each quarter (and really each week), you should review your efforts against your goals, and make changes as necessary – stop or change how you’re doing things that are not moving the needle, and do more of the things you’re doing that are.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">STEP 5: Create a budget</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Taking a career seriously in music is no different than trying to set up a new business in any other industry. It takes time and money to see growth.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At this point, you should have an action plan created for the next few months. But before you set this in stone, you should go through each action item, and determine the cost both in terms of time and money.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Make sure that the action plan is realistic, otherwise you’ll quickly find yourself off the rails and unable to achieve your goals.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>To help with creating your marketing budget, check out:<strong> </strong></em><br><em><strong><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-create-a-music-marketing-budget-in-4-simple-steps">How to Create a Music Marketing Budget in 4 Simple Steps</a></strong></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Time to dive in!</h3>
<p dir="ltr">It may seem like a lot of work, but the efforts you put up front to creating a realistic, actionable and measurable marketing plan for your music will save you huge amounts of time, money, and stress later on.<br><br><em><a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> is the Director of Sales at Bandsintown, Founder of MicControl, lover of all things music, a raging Phish head, and a coffee addict.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>Bandzoogle lets you create a professional website in minutes with all the music marketing features you need including a blog, mailing list, and social media integrations. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Try Bandzoogle free now!</a></em></strong></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41652122016-05-04T09:28:51-04:002023-12-10T11:47:48-05:008 Effective Strategies to Sell Your Music Online<p dir="ltr"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/803ec2ef468d7cde8fcadbda7ed44ecf6734bf39/original/bzblog-8-strategies-sell-music-online-img01.jpg?1462368507" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><em>This post was written by <a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/8-effective-strategies-to-sell-your-music-online" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog.</a></em><br><br>For the average artist who finds it difficult to sell his/her music (hint: this is most artists) in the age of Spotify and Pandora, any attempts can often feel like a waste of time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Below are 8 effective ways to make the most of your online merch store, digital music presence, and your relationship with die-hard fans. The following tips are not only useful, but when done right can lend themselves to a significantly greater income, a larger online presence, and stronger engagement with your fans.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Sell direct through website</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Let's start with the most obvious one. If you have an album you should have a way for fans to purchase that album through your website. Absolutely no excuses! There are an unlimited number of ways to sell your product online. Bandzoogle even has a clean and simple <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/features/store">commission-free store feature</a> available with all of their plans.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Pre-orders</h3>
<p dir="ltr">For fans, there's something special about being able to order an album before it even exists. It makes them feel like they're ahead of the game. You can sell pre-orders of physical and digital albums directly through your website, and iTunes also allows you to sell digital pre-orders with the option of rewarding fans with an advance single. The digital music lover and superfan often won't pass this up.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Pre-orders don't only increase sales, but they help you generate more buzz through excited fans who willingly hype up the release. No doubt, the average fan that gets your album before it comes out flaunts him/herself as your biggest fan. It's great advertising!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-sell-album-pre-orders">New: Sell album pre-orders</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Sale pricing</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Sale pricing and pre-orders run in the same camp. Take advantage of holidays, special occasions, and special limited-run items on your store. Selling hoodies during the winter months? Offer discounted albums for anyone who buys a hoodie. Valentine's Day? Sell your album of love songs for 50% off. Include it with an order of flowers for someone special.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ok, that's a lot of work, and probably takes some coordination with your local flower store; but you get the point! Get creative. Come up with cool ideas that keep your fans engaged!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/use-sale-pricing-on-your-website-to-offer-fans-a-deal-this-holiday-season">Use sale pricing on your Bandzoogle website to offer fans a deal!</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">
<br>4. Discount codes</h3>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“Send a note out the next day welcoming new subscribers to your email list with a code for a discount on your album”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">These are great...especially for new subscribers. Let's say a bunch of people joined your newsletter at a show. Send a note out the next day welcoming new subscribers to your email list with a code for a discount on your album in case they "forgot" to buy it at the gig. Sometimes people "forget". Others are simply on the fence and need a little extra incentive to push them over.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-discount-codes-for-your-music-merch-store">New: Discount codes for your music & merch store</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">5. YouTube</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Most people don't see YouTube as a resource for selling music. In fact, most artists think of YouTube only in terms of royalties. But your YouTube videos are simply business cards.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Whether you're dropping a single, promoting a new album, a live cut, or a music video, make sure you insert a link to your website and iTunes encouraging viewers to get that specific song or album.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-make-money-from-your-music-on-youtube">How to make money from your music on YouTube</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">6. Physical + digital bundles</h3>
<p dir="ltr">If you have more than one product, you should be bundling. If one album is $12, then 2 should be $20. 3 should be $25.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You make less money per album, but you sell more product...ultimately generating more income. You can also offer digital bundles by pairing download cards with physical product like T-shirts, bumper stickers, and other items.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-band-merch-online">The Ultimate Guide to Selling Band Merch Online</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">7. Back catalog deals + bundles</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Everyone has that 1st album that they absolutely hate. Y'know the one under your bed that you're way too embarrassed to let out? Mine's in the basement. BUT trust me when I say, people love that kind of stuff.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When you pull out merchandise from 10 years ago, or from before you ever began playing out, your fans will eat it up. They understand - it's from the early days, you probably sucked, and you even recorded it on an a cassette player. But give it a try and let the cat out of the bag. During Christmas or some special occasion, put this material out and see what happens.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>NOTE: this is is probably most effective if you've been playing out for a while (maybe 5-10 years) and have developed a strong and committed fanbase. They've been following your career and will truly appreciate seeing how far you've come.</em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">8. Mailing List</h3>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em>“Email marketing is 40 times as effective as Facebook and Twitter, combined.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">I've already referenced your mailing list a couple times in this post, but it's true that your newsletter is the single most important tool for generating income. Email marketing is 40 times as effective as Facebook and Twitter, <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2015/10/30/why-facebook-and-twitter-are-practically-useless-compared-to-email/">combined</a>. Artists, writers, corporations, organizations...they all use it.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/why-email-newsletters-are-still-a-vital-marketing-tool-for-musicians">Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians</a>]</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Fans who are continually reminded about upcoming shows, upcoming releases, and your career in general, will be your greatest supporters. Always include links to your Online Store, iTunes, Bandcamp, YouTube (and anything else you use) in your newsletter. Don't take those links for granted. People see them.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/" target="_blank">Grassrootsy</a>, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Make more money as a musician! Keep 100% of your revenues when you sell music, merch, & tickets through your website. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free with Bandzoogle now.</a></strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41635662016-05-03T08:48:15-04:002017-01-15T19:13:05-05:00How to Book a Tour without a Booking Agent<p dir="ltr"><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/68c9d2457255b8f87cef4dbdf0d270ca0e6ce093/large/bzblog-book-tour-without-agent-img01.jpg?1462279669" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /><strong>This post was written by <a contents="Joy Ike" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-book-a-tour-without-a-booking-agent" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog.</a> </strong></em></p>
<hr><p>One of the biggest challenges musicians face is booking tours. Many bands don’t have a booking agent, so booking a tour can seem like a daunting task the first time out.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are some key things to keep in mind to help you book a tour without a booking agent.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-get-a-booking-agent-to-book-your-band">How to Get a Booking Agent to Book Your Band</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Don't Be Overwhelmed</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The first thing to remember is that you are only one person. If you're trying to book a one month tour, break it off into pieces and do little sections at a time. Booking a long tour takes months of emailing and waiting, and emailing and waiting. You couldn't do it in one sitting even if you tried.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Write a Good Pitch</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The average venue doesn't need to hear from an actual booking agent, manager, or someone representing you. They just want to open their inbox and not be overwhelmed with your 2-page life story. Learn how to write a to-the-point, concise email that pitches your talent and worth to that venue.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-elevator-pitch-for-your-music">How to Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Music</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Use Who You Know</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Have friends in a specific city? Ask them where they go to listen to live music. Ask them where their friends go. Half the battle of booking shows is knowing the venues that are right for you. Why spend hours online if you've got a shortcut.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Use the Back Door</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Sometimes you get into a venue because you know the owner or the booker. But there are other ways. Back doors. Connect with friends who are in bands and can have you co-bill with them. Know a promoter? Ask them to put you on a show. Reach out to the manager of an artist touring through town and ask if you can open the show for them. Use the back door. Back doors count. They also open future front doors.</p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><q>...this is not a one-off. You are trying to develop a relationship with a venue so that you can keep coming back.</q></p></blockquote>
<h2 dir="ltr">BE a Booking Agent</h2>
<p dir="ltr">This doesn't mean you begrudgingly take on the job. It means you actually need to embody the role of a booking agent. Be professional. Be clear. List dates. List links of your music. Be Specific: know that a song or video that might appeal to a club is not necessarily the same video that will appeal to an arts center. Also remember: this is not a one-off. You are trying to develop a relationship with a venue so that you can keep coming back. That is what a booking agent does.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Be Consistent, Not Creepy</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Good booking agents are consistent but not creepy. Don't email the venue every 3 days to check on the status of your potential show. Give your pitch the space it needs. Follow up after a few weeks. When you follow up, include a line that fishes for a response, such as, ''If those original dates (13/14) don't work, another good date would be the 28th as I make my way back up north.''</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-and-the-art-of-polite-persistence">Musicians and the Art of Polite Persistence</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Check the Calendar First!</h2>
<p dir="ltr">DO NOT email a venue about a date that is already booked on their calendar. Do your research. Visit their calendar, see which dates are still open, determine if any of those work. Then reach out to the venue about one of those.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Sell Yourself</h2>
<p dir="ltr">As a ''booking agent'' your job is to sell the product - YOU. When you read your pitch, do people wanna ''buy'' you? Are you appealing? You don't need to embellish or lie. Just package yourself well.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Sell an Idea</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Sometimes you're not just selling you. You are selling an idea. Maybe you're actually selling a Women's themed event b/c it's Women's History Month. Maybe you're selling a Veterans Day event with performers who are all veterans. Maybe you're putting together a piano-themed showcase or a tribute show. Sometimes the idea is much bigger than you. Venues like that stuff.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Sell your data</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Is your website getting a lot of traffic from the city you’re trying to book a show in? Mention that when pitching the venue. Also, be sure to take a look at your mailing list to see how many subscribers are from that city. That is tangible / actionable data that can be used to promote your show, and venue bookers will look kindly on it.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/why-email-newsletters-are-still-a-vital-marketing-tool-for-musicians">Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Be Thorough</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Sounds like a no brainer. But if it takes you 1 week to get back to the venue, they're going to give that Hold to someone else. If it takes you forever to communicate your ideas to the show contact and get your act together, your show quickly becomes less important. Just be on top of it. The average music venue has 15-25 shows a month. If you don't care, they won’t.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/" target="_blank">Grassrootsy</a>, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Your band works hard to put on a great show. We work hard so you can make a great band website, easily and affordably. Build your own Bandzoogle website in minutes. <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now</a>!</strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41621482016-05-02T10:55:30-04:002021-10-19T12:07:45-04:00Major vs. Indie: What really happens when you sign a record deal<p dir="ltr"><em><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/8a1f83aac079d6db433a4c50bb2f34796e4c795f/original/bzblog-major-vs-indie-sign-deal-img01.jpg?1462201044" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This post was written by <a contents="Jon Ostrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jon_ostrow" target="_blank">Jon Ostrow</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/major-vs-indie-what-really-happens-when-you-sign-a-record-deal" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</strong></em><br><br>As the recording industry continues to battle against the steady decline of physical album sales, and now steady decline in digital album sales, it can be difficult as an independent musician to determine the best path to take for long-term growth and success.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ultimately this crossroads is met with three separate avenues:</p>
<ol style="list-style-type:decimal"> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><strong>DIY (Do It Yourself)</strong></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Independent Label</strong></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Major Label</strong></p> </li>
</ol>
<p dir="ltr">There are pros and cons to each avenue, which should be weighed carefully against what type of musician / band you are and how you expect to see growth.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">DIY Pros and Cons</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">Pros:</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>100% Creative Control</strong>: No label means you have complete control over the direction of your music. You also have complete control over your marketing, and the free will to say yes or no to any opportunities that come your way. Simply put, this is the most ideal scenario possible for an artist.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>100% Rights Retention</strong>: Without a label, any revenue generated from things like album sales and sync licensing deals goes right into your pocket.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Build Your Own Team</strong>: While DIY means Do It Yourself, it doesn’t mean do it alone. You are your own boss, so you can surround yourself with the people who share in your vision and have the skills to help you to move your career forward.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Cons:</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Limited Resources</strong>: No label means any money for things like recording, distribution, marketing, etc. all come from your pocket.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Limited Network</strong>: One of the biggest benefits to a label is the access to their existing network which can open significant doors and create opportunities for you and your music. Without a label, your network can be limited to those who you know directly.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Independent Record Label Pros and Cons</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">Pros:</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>A Team that Believes in Your Music</strong>: Indie music labels are smaller companies who are less likely to be pressured by a board of directors to sign a specific sound, or promote a specific look just for success on the charts.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Personal Relationships with Your Team</strong>: Independent record labels tend to have much smaller artist rosters, allowing you to get more face-time with your team to discuss things like strategy and execution.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Pro-Artist Contracts</strong>: Indie label contracts are known to be more artist-friendly, giving the artist more money for their work through either profit-sharing programs, or simply a larger percentage of revenue than given by the major labels.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Cons:</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Funding</strong>: An issue for independent labels, being that they can range so greatly in size and success, is funds. A lack of funding means a smaller budget for recording, production of physical disks, packaging, distribution costs, tour support, merchandise, etc.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Size</strong>: Although a smaller size allows artists to form stronger relationships with an indie record label, it also means that the label itself has less influence and reach within the industry.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Major Label Pros and Cons</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">Pros:</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Funding</strong>: Although budgets are not what they used to be, the majors still have far more money for things like marketing and production.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Networking and Connections</strong>: Long-standing reach and influence comes with a deep-seeded rolodex of contacts across all aspects of the industry.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Reputation and Influence</strong>: Obviously size can make a significant difference when dealing with the biggest names in music. Being signed to a major label has its benefits, in that larger media outlets and bigger opportunities may be more likely to take interest in you.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Cons<strong>:</strong>
</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Significant Turnover</strong>: Contrary to popular belief, major labels do sign many artists, but much of what is signed quickly gets turned over and dropped by the label.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Artist Unfriendly Deals</strong>: Being that major label record companies are a business, they likely do everything they can do profit as greatly as possibly from their investment in you, your music and your brand. Not only does this mean the possibilities of small royalties, but it means the artist does not get to keep the rights or even the creative control over their music.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">What Type of Deal Should you Sign?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">If you determine that a label, either an indie or a major, is the right path for you, there are several types of deals that you can sign. Here’s a breakdown of 4 of the most commonly seen:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Production Deals</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Rather than signing to the label, with a Production Deal you would sign on to work with a specific producer who has an agreement to develop artists within a label. Think of this as an artist development deal. You gain the benefit of working one-on-one with the producer, but you also take a big % cut, as it’s possible with these deals for the producer to take up to 50% of the royalties.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Distribution Deals</h3>
<p dir="ltr">This type of deal is simple. You are often expected to create and produce your album from start to finish, and then the label helps you to get the product into stores. This deal could include getting music videos, albums, and singles onto the label’s own major digital channels. Most often, this deal includes no advance (payment given up front, used for recording purposes, which is paid back by the artist through album sales), and could take up to 25% of the money generated.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Major Label ‘Standard’ Record Deal</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Formerly the most common type of deal, this is what most musicians think of when getting ‘signed by a major’. In this deal, the label would be part of the artist development, recording, pressing, distribution, and marketing. And in most cases, the label would pay the artist an advance. Once the advance is paid off, artists commonly receive a royalty rate of up to 15% of revenue generated.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">4. The 360 Deal</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Seen by many as the future of label deals, this is a new(er) type of deal offered by labels. With a 360 deal, the label gets involved in all (or most) aspects of the artist development, including touring and brand development, in exchange for taking a % of all revenues generated across all channels, not just recorded music. The benefit here is that you have the label’s network and influence to help you generate further revenue opportunities. The downside is the label can dictate all aspects of your career and will take a cut of even more of the money you make.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">So Where does the Money Go?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The purpose of signing with a label is of course to record and sell music. Here’s what you can expect as a breakdown of percentages from music sales:</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>CD</strong> - In the making of a CD, here are the key players and the percentage of sales that they get: Artist (6.6%) Producer (2.2%) Songwriters (4.5%) Distributor (22%) Manufacturing (5%) Retailer (30%) Record label (30%).</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/video-how-to-sell-music-online-with-bandzoogle-part-2-cds-vinyl-records">[VIDEO] How to sell music online with Bandzoogle- CDs & Vinyl Records</a></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>ITunes</strong> - Selling an album on iTunes has less key players and the percentages are split a bit differently, though the artist doesn’t see much more at the end of the day. Apple takes 30%, and the label collects the remaining 70%, of which they pay out about 12% of their end to the artist (about 8% of the total purchase price of the album).</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/video-how-to-sell-music-online-with-bandzoogle-part-1-digital-albums">[VIDEO] How to sell music online with Bandzoogle Part 1- Digital Albums</a></em></strong></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Which Path Will You Take?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Now that you understand the different paths you can take as a musician, it’s time to weigh the pros and cons and decide which one makes the most sense for you. There is no right answer, it all just depends on where you feel you could use the help and how you can see yourself moving forward most comfortably and effectively in the future.</p>
<p><em><strong>Making money as a musician is tough. That's why you keep 100% of your hard-earned revenues when you sell music, merch & tickets through your Bandzoogle website. </strong></em><em><strong><a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com/try-it-free">Sign up free now</a>!</strong></em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/41556762016-04-27T10:15:00-04:002017-01-15T19:13:04-05:0014 Ways Musicians Can Make Money from Live Shows<p dir="ltr"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/3bf6e0878b41203519fab9add8c99958d7f067d1/original/bzblog-14-ways-musicians-make-money-live-shows-img01-1-1.jpg?1461766448" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>This post was written by <a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> and originally appeared on the <a contents="Bandzoogle Blog" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/14-ways-musicians-can-make-money-from-live-shows" target="_blank">Bandzoogle Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">The key for musicians today is to diversify their revenue streams. No musician makes their income strictly from one method anymore. For the most part, we each have our hands in several different pots.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You know the adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket“. Musicians just can’t afford to do that anymore. There are just so many baskets and each one has its benefits. Some baskets will be more important to you, and some will be more important during specific times in your career.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Think of the below list as a bunch of baskets related to making money from your live performance, and determine which ones you want to use. Some of these will be no-brainers, but they’re still on the list as a reminder.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Ticket Sales</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Starting with what is no doubt the most obvious one. Chances are that most of the revenue you generate from live shows will still come from people paying to see your performance. This can be from tickets sold in advance, paying the cover at the door, suggested donations, or even passing-the-hat.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/new-sell-tickets-for-shows-directly-through-your-website">Sell tickets for shows commission-free directly through your website</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Merch </h3>
<p dir="ltr">Not everyone at your show will buy merch, but some definitely will. Take your merch table seriously. Put it in the line of vision and make it look appealing. Set up a sign with a price list and image of your band. Take your merch more seriously and others will too.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Cover Gigs</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Some musicians really hate this type of show. I get it: you’re basically wallpaper. No one sees you. But they hear you and you get a few hundred bucks (hopefully) for a few hours of music. Cover gigs are such a great way to subsidize your other shows. If you’re going to play cover gigs, think of them as shows you have to do in order to play the shows you want to.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Private Events</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Similar to cover gigs, private events tend to be well-paying. Subscribing to a service like <a href="https://www.gigsalad.com/" target="_blank">GigSalad</a> can bring in some great revenue from private event planners, corporations, couples who need wedding music, and so much more.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">5. House concerts </h3>
<p dir="ltr">These are the real deal. If you need a type of show that requires very little promo but gives a whole lot in return, you should be doing house concerts. Cultivate relationships with fans who already come to your shows. Eventually some will want to host you in their home and share you with their friends. For tips on getting house concerts, check out <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/2015/03/12/5-ways-to-generate-house-concert-leads/" target="_blank">5 Ways to Generate House Concert Leads</a></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">6. Busking</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Some people hate the word busk. But if you’re strategic, busking can be your best friend and you can make some decent money in an afternoon. Busk in high traffic - outside a major sports event, outside the entrance of a major festival, in front of a grocery store, or a movie theater. Try busking before shows while you’re on tour to make a bit of extra cash and promote your show that night.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">7. The College Circuit </h3>
<p dir="ltr">NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) is a big investment, but if your music's college appropriate, it’s totally worth it. Student activity boards reserve a significant amount of funding for midday lunchtime music, and late night coffeehouse programming. One gig alone can cover expenses for an entire tour.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>For help with booking College gigs, check out Indie on the Move’s <a href="https://www.indieonthemove.com/college-university-show-booking-directory" target="_blank">College & University Show Booking Directory</a></em></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">8. Festivals</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Not only do festivals tend to pay quite well, they’re king when it comes to high-traffic gigs that bring in major merchandise sales and follow-up gigs.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-how-to-get-booked-at-music-festivals">How to get booked at music festivals</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">9. Online Concerts </h3>
<p dir="ltr">Services like Stageit and Concert Window allow you to broadcast live shows online. People love these intimate, low-key concerts, particularly fans who aren’t close enough to make it to one of your regular live shows. You can make really good money on tips and ticket sales, especially when your die-hard fans can actually chat with you between songs.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">10. Live Performance Royalties</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/music-licensing-101-what-is-a-performing-rights-organization">Performance Rights Organizations</a> allow you to earn royalties from your live shows. If you’re someone who plays a lot of gigs, use this to your advantage. Every extra dollar counts!</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">11. Sponsorships</h3>
<p dir="ltr">These can be difficult to secure, but if you use a product… like really use a product, reach out to the company and ask them about sponsorship. Artists do this for gear, drum sticks, capos, and even clothing. For gigs at bars/clubs, you can also try to get a sponsorship from a beer or energy drink company which might help you save on costs at the venue or get a better cut of the door/bar revenues.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/musicians-how-to-get-sponsored-part-1">Musicians- How To Get Sponsored</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">12. YouTube Royalties</h3>
<p dir="ltr">You can earn royalties whenever your videos are played on YouTube. So be sure to upload all of your good quality live videos to your YouTube Channel then monetize them.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-make-money-from-your-music-on-youtube">How to make money from your music on YouTube</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr">13. Live Albums</h3>
<p dir="ltr">It’s easier than ever to record a live album, as many venues are already equipped to help you record a good quality live album. Why not record a live album a few months after your latest studio album is out, and add a few exclusive new songs to help entice your fans to buy it?</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">14. Online stores</h3>
<p dir="ltr">If you’re playing live, be sure to also stock your online store with all of your albums and other merch. Even if fans don’t buy from you the night of your show, they might go to your website in the following days to shop. Some people might also go straight to iTunes or Spotify to check out your catalogue of music, so make sure that all of your music is up on popular retailers and streaming music services as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>[<a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/bands-6-tips-for-setting-up-your-online-store">6 Tips for Setting up Your Online Store</a>]</em></strong></p>
<h3>Bonus tip: Spend Money </h3>
<p>Couldn’t help but end on this. It’s true what they say: it takes money to make money. Spend a few hundred dollars to print T-shirts for your merch table, get a membership to GigSalad, join NACA, ship posters to venues you are playing at, etc. Put a few dollars into everything you do so that it looks good. It will pay off.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>You might also enjoy: <a href="https://bandzoogle.com/blog/18-ways-musicians-can-make-money">18 Ways Musicians Can Make Money</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><a href="http://www.joyike.com/" target="_blank">Joy Ike</a> is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/" target="_blank">Grassrootsy</a>, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.</em></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/38092002015-08-08T09:14:36-04:002022-01-07T06:43:28-05:00Bandzoogle's Dave Cool Revisits His Groundbreaking Film "What Is Indie?" And The Future Of A Musical Middle ClassHere's an interview I did for music tech blog <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=110628995649985" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.hypebot.com/">Hypebot</a> about my movie, and whether the dream of a musical middle class came true. I also talk about how a local magazine dedicated 2 pages to trashing the film! <a contents="Read the interview" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/08/bandzoogles-dave-cool-looks-back-on-his-groundbreaking-film-what-is-indie.html">Read the interview</a>. Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/37868522015-07-22T08:58:53-04:002015-07-22T08:58:53-04:00What is Indie? Free Digital Download<p>I released "<a contents="What is Indie? A look into the World of Independent Musicians" data-link-label="What is Indie?" data-link-type="page" href="/what-is-indie">What is Indie? A look into the World of Independent Musicians</a>" in 2006. This was before Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were part of every musician’s life. Digital downloads were just taking hold, let alone streaming music services. But even though so much in the industry has changed in the past 10 years, the underlying spirit of the film remains as relevant as ever. </p>
<p>My distribution deal with the National Film Board of Canada expired this year. I’ve decided to release the digital version of the movie <a contents="for free" data-link-label="what-is-indie-portable-def.mp4" data-link-type="file" href="/files/114082/what-is-indie-portable-def.mp4" target="_blank">for free</a> to anyone that is interested in watching a snapshot of the industry in 2004/05, from the perspective of independent musicians. </p>
<p>I hope you enjoy the film, and please feel free to <a contents="reach out" data-link-label="Contact" data-link-type="page" href="/contact">reach out</a> to let me know what you thought. </p>
<p><strong><a contents='Download a free digital copy of "What is INDIE?"' data-link-label="what-is-indie-portable-def.mp4" data-link-type="file" href="/files/114082/what-is-indie-portable-def.mp4" target="_blank">Download a free digital copy of "What is INDIE?"</a></strong></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/24124952014-01-16T14:59:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:46-05:00[Free eBook] Building Your Website: A Step-By-Step Guide for Bands and Musicians<span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/3c445efa70e4d012ca59d64bec28edaa0f660ea9/small/buildingwebsite-ebook-cover.jpg?1389902147" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" style="margin-right: 20px;" />This is the 2nd eBook I've written for <a contents="Bandzoogle" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://bandzoogle.com" target="_blank">Bandzoogle</a>. </span></span></span></span><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">Whether you’re building a new website, or looking to improve your current one, “</span>Building Your Website: A Step-By-Step Guide for Bands and Musicians<span style="background-color:transparent">” offers tons of tips to help you make an effective website for your music.</span></span></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">It covers topics including</span><span style="background-color:transparent">: </span></span></span></span>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">How to make navigation on your site easy</span></span></span></span></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">The essential elements for your Homepage</span></span></span></span></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">How to create a perfect Music section</span></span></span></span></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">How you can do more with your Shows page</span></span></span></span></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">Setting up your Online Store</span></span></span></span></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:transparent">And lots more...</span></span></span></span></p> </li>
</ul><p dir="ltr"><strong><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="background-color:transparent">Download the eBook from Bandzoogle </span></span><a data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://bit.ly/buildyourwebsiteebook" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></span></strong></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213582013-05-06T11:48:36-04:002017-01-15T19:12:39-05:00On Repeat Podcast Episode 6: Rob Szabo<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2cca8db3-7a86-22d4-50a8-7ee04e360859"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/1fe55801095594c1eb45826a5507b5d4745ccc91/small/rob-szabo-promo-photo-1-158x158-150x150.jpg?1382800774" class="size_s justify_left border_" />The latest episode of my podcast “On Repeat” is now up=> <a href="http://bit.ly/124lE6V">http://bit.ly/124lE6V</a></p>
<p>This month’s episode has music by<a href="http://mattstern.com/"> Matt Stern</a>,<a href="http://lindymusic.com/"> Lindy Vopnfjord</a>,<a href="http://scottcoopermusic.com/"> Scott Cooper</a>, and<a href="http://www.robszabo.com/"> Rob Szabo</a>.</p>
<p>For the feature interview, I spoke to one of the nicest people in the music business, singer-songwriter and award-winning producer, Rob Szabo. Rob talks about his experience making a living as a diy musician, as well as his transition to being a producer for other artists. The candid conversation offers incredible insight into the relationship between artist and producer, and what it takes to make a great record. Great music, great talk, hope you enjoy it:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="24" scrolling="no" src="http://www.nomoreradio.com/?powerpress_embed=2058-podcast&powerpress_player=default" width="320"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>PLAYLIST:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Rob Szabo – That Cold Hard Sell</li> <li>Matt Stern – New Beginning</li> <li>Lindy Vopnfjord – Dark Matter</li> <li>Scott Cooper – Stationary Satellite</li> <li>Rob Szabo – I Live For The Summer</li>
</ul><div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2013/05/on-repeat-podcast-episode-6-rob-szabo/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213592013-04-07T11:13:21-04:002017-01-15T19:12:39-05:00On Repeat Podcast Episode 5: Aly Tadros<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/74f1e51abe8a19ffe20bd0ae8e4ad2b168c94310/small/aly-tadros-side-158x158-150x150.jpg?1382800774" class="size_s justify_left border_" />The latest episode of my podcast “On Repeat” is now up (listen below or go to episode here: <a href="http://bit.ly/Y6frn2">http://bit.ly/Y6frn2)</a></p>
<p>This month features a song by<a href="http://www.chloecharles.com/"> Chloe Charles</a> (Toronto) that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head, a melancholy song from<a href="http://www.corinnarose.com/"> Corinna Rose</a> (Montreal), a jealous anthem from<a href="http://mieka.com/"> Mieka Pauley</a> (New York), and several great songs from featured artist<a href="http://alytadros.com/"> Aly Tadros</a> (Brooklyn), including a sweet ukulele tune that is one of the catchiest you’ll ever hear.</p>
<p>For the feature interview, I had the chance to chat with Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Aly Tadros about life as an independent musician, her fast rise in the industry, her many travels around the world, and about her new album which is garnering buzz from the likes of MTV, Paste Magazine, and American Songwriter. My goal with the podcast is to combine great conversation with great music, and I think this one really achieved that. Hope you enjoy it:<br><iframe frameborder="0" height="24" scrolling="no" src="http://www.nomoreradio.com/?powerpress_embed=1873-podcast&powerpress_player=default" width="320"></iframe></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2013/04/on-repeat-podcast-episode-5-aly-tadros/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213602013-03-03T11:41:12-05:002020-04-22T17:20:42-04:00On Repeat Podcast Episode 4: Lindy Vopnfjord<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/38b1b4b3111fdd0efffc621f9c76553d51ba6e53/small/on-repeat-logo-small-on-black-150x150.jpg?1384965025" class="size_s justify_left border_" />The latest episode of my podcast “On Repeat” is now up (listen below).</p>
<p>This month features several goosebumps-inducing songs, including by <a href="http://www.jphoe.com/">JP Hoe</a>, who was my favorite artist from the Folk Alliance Conference, as well as songs by <a href="http://www.robszabo.com/">Rob Szabo</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MAJORMAKER">Major Maker</a>, and <a href="http://lindymusic.com/">Lindy</a>.</p>
<p>For the feature interview, I had the chance to chat with singer-songwriter Lindy Vopnfjord. In this <b>incredibly fun conversation</b>, we discussed Lindy’s Icelandic roots, Icelandic delicacies like rotten shark and blackened sheep face, Lindy’s height, and of course, his amazing music career which includes 8 albums, touring as a child in his parents’ band, and a few major label record deals along the way. Great episode, I really enjoyed putting this one together:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="24" scrolling="no" src="http://www.nomoreradio.com/?powerpress_embed=1559-podcast&powerpress_player=default" width="320"></iframe></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2013/03/on-repeat-podcast-episode-4-lindy-vopnfjord/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213612013-02-04T12:55:52-05:002017-01-15T19:12:39-05:00On Repeat Podcast Episode 3: The Franco Proietti Morph-tet<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/18886bd0efb0b78fc8371b4736e5cba4db137007/small/morphtet-banner-158x158-150x150.jpg?1382800774" class="size_s justify_left border_" />In the latest episode of my podcast “On Repeat”, I play one of my favourite songs from the last 3 years by Vancouver band<a href="http://brasstronaut.com/"> Brasstronaut</a>, my favourite song from the last 3 weeks by a Montreal band called<a href="http://www.sweettalkingliars.com"> Sweet Talking Liars</a>, as well as music by<a href="http://www.emberswift.com/"> Ember Swift</a>, and my featured guest<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Franco-Proietti-Morph-tet/10877641753?ref=ts&fref=ts"> The Franco Proietti Morph-tet</a>.</p>
<p>In the feature interview, I spoke with Franco Proietti about his funk/jazz troupe, The Morph-tet.<br>Franco discusses life as an independent musician, including living in the shadow of past projects, frustrations with industry gatekeepers, and taking things into his own hands by starting a music festival. It was a conversation, and his experiences are ones that all musicians can no doubt relate to.</p>
<p><strong>Listen to the episode here:</strong></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="24" scrolling="no" src="http://www.nomoreradio.com/?powerpress_embed=1386-podcast&powerpress_player=default" width="320"></iframe></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2013/02/on-repeat-podcast-episode-3-the-franco-proietti-morph-tet/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213622013-01-07T23:11:28-05:002017-01-15T19:12:40-05:00On Repeat Podcast Episode 2: The Unsettlers<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/004c312b9afddda75e8568bcc7a89f08deb6fc00/small/the-unsettlers-daniel-cooper-1024x416-158x158-150x150.jpg?1382800774" class="size_s justify_left border_" />The latest episode of my podcast “<a href="http://www.nomoreradio.com/show/onrepeat/" target="_blank">On Repeat</a>” features music by <a href="http://saybaduncle.com/" target="_blank">Bad Uncle</a>, <a href="http://thejimmyriggers.com/" target="_blank">The Jimmyriggers</a>, United Steel Workers of Montreal and my featured guest, <a href="http://www.theunsettlers.ca/" target="_blank">The Unsettlers</a>.</p>
<p>The Unsettlers are an 11-member Folk Noir/Cabaret band here in Montreal. They’re one of my favorite bands, but I actually knew very little about them. So I ventured out to a local bar to interview one of their lead singers, B.W. Brandes, and we had a great chat.</p>
<p><strong>Listen to the episode here:</strong></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="24" scrolling="no" src="http://www.nomoreradio.com/?powerpress_embed=1244-podcast&powerpress_player=default" width="320"></iframe></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2013/01/on-repeat-podcast-episode-2-the-unsettlers/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213632012-12-02T10:47:56-05:002017-01-15T19:12:40-05:00Introducing My New Podcast “On Repeat”<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/82afea43e922e0b510fdf32490ddadd0417acabf/small/no-more-radio-logo.png?1382800773" class="size_s justify_left border_" />People have often told me that I have a great voice for radio. Some of them also said I have a great face for radio. They’re just mean. But I’ve decided to see if it’s true (the voice part) and finally launch a podcast. It’s a monthly podcast called “<a href="http://www.nomoreradio.com/onrepeat/on-repeat-1/" target="_new">On Repeat</a>” and is part of “<a href="http://www.nomoreradio.com/" target="_new">No More Radio</a>”, a new Podcast Network in Montreal (article in the Montreal Gazette about the network <a class="broken_link" href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/More+Radio+Podcast+network+brings+Montreal+world/7596134/story.html" target="_new">here</a>).</p>
<p>I’m like a child when I listen to music. When I find a song I really like, I literally put it on repeat and listen to it over and over again. And that’s the music you’ll hear on the podcast. Each episode will feature a carefully curated playlist of songs, as well as an in-depth interview with one of the artists.</p>
<p>My first featured guest is the lead singer from Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir. As some of you know, <strong>I was the band’s manager, but I actually left the project months ago and we had not spoken since</strong>. So <strong>you’ll hear an incredibly candid conversation</strong> that offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of an artist/manager dynamic, with many lessons for both musicians and managers alike.</p>
<p>The first episode of “On Repeat” also features an unreleased version of a song by <a href="http://www.markberube.com/" target="_blank">Mark Berube</a>, as well as music from <a href="http://www.iamdavidmartel.com/" target="_blank">David Martel</a>, and <a href="http://www.theunsettlers.ca/theunsettlers.php" target="_blank">The Unsettlers</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Listen to the debut episode of “On Repeat” here:</strong></p>
<p><strong><iframe frameborder="0" height="24" scrolling="no" src="http://www.nomoreradio.com/?powerpress_embed=785-podcast&powerpress_player=default" width="320"></iframe></strong></p>
<p><strong>Please let me know what you think!</strong></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2012/12/1293/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213642012-09-18T19:39:35-04:002017-02-02T14:52:25-05:00The Music Biz Weekly Podcast – Booking Gigs & Finding an Agent, a Discussion with Dave Cool<p>A little while back I was a guest on The Music Biz Weekly Podcast with co-hosts <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/thornybleeder" target="_new">Brian Thompson</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/michaelsb" target="_new">Michael Brandvold</a>. We chatted about my experience in the music industry, booking gigs, finding an agent, and managing artists. You can hear the 50-minute discussion below. Enjoy!</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F49723795&show_artwork=true&show_artwork=true&callback=reqwest_0&_=1348011474181" width="100%"></iframe></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2012/09/the-music-biz-weekly-podcast-booking-gigs-finding-an-agent-a-discussion-with-dave-cool/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213652012-09-01T19:15:43-04:002017-01-15T19:12:40-05:00The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Post-Show<p><em><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665"><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/4-post-show_400px-300.png" rel="wp-prettyPhoto[g1260]"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/4-post-show_400px-300-150x150.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="150" width="150" /></a>This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong></em></p>
<p><em>The “Four P’s” is a term used to describe the traditional Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion. I’m borrowing from that expression to talk about the Four P’s of Playing Live Shows:</em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-preparation-23740.cfm" target="_new"><em>Preparation</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-promotion-23817.cfm" target="_new"><em>Promotion</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-performance-24229.cfm" target="_new"><em>Performance</em></a><em>, and Post-Show. This series of blog posts will cover the things that you can be doing as a live performer to maximize each show. In the final part of this series, we’ll go over what to do after your show is finished:</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>It would be tempting to start this blog post talking about the things you can do starting the day after your show, but the truth is that the real <strong>work begins the minute you step off stage</strong>. Once your show is over, it is arguably the most important time to solidify relationships with your fans, with the bands you’ve played with, and with the venue. Here are 5 things to do right after your show that will help you do just that:</p>
<p><strong>1. Go to the merch table and greet fans</strong></p>
<p>Right after you finish performing, whatever you do, <strong>don’t go hide backstage</strong>. The days of elusive rock stars is over, and the new music industry is all about connecting directly with your fans. Yes, you can do that on social media, but nothing beats meeting your fans in person, where you can really strengthen those connections.</p>
<p>So even though you might be tired, and you have to work early the next day, instead of having a drink backstage and then heading home, go straight to the merch table to hang out, and stay there until every fan has left.</p>
<p><strong>2. Thank the staff</strong></p>
<p>Before leaving your show, be sure to personally thank the soundman, bartenders, wait staff, and booker (if they’re at the show). Shake their hands and thank them for the opportunity to perform at their venue. This goes a long way in developing a strong relationship with the venue.</p>
<p><strong>3. Thank other bands that performed </strong></p>
<p>One commenter named Greg over at <a href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/" target="_new">Music Think Tank</a> suggested this, and I completely agree. Don’t forget to thank the other bands that performed that night. Creating a strong sense of community with other bands is never a bad thing, and acknowledging their performance goes a long way to developing and strengthening those relationships.</p>
<p><strong>4. Load-up and leave on time</strong></p>
<p>Don’t overstay your welcome at the venue. If they close at a certain time, make sure you’re out the door at that time. After a long night, it can be demoralizing for staff to stay later, especially if people aren’t buying drinks or food anymore, but simply hanging out and chatting. Which leads to the next point…</p>
<p><strong>5. After party</strong></p>
<p>You can take the direct-to-fan relationship even further and organize an after party. Invite fans to go out for drinks or a bite to eat after your show and get to know them even better.</p>
<h3>Post-Show Marketing</h3>
<p>It might sound strange to continue marketing after your show, but to complete the full promotional cycle for a live show, there are a few things you can do in the days following to get the most impact for your show:</p>
<p><strong>Thank fans on Twitter & Facebook</strong></p>
<p>The night of or day after your show, post a short thank you note on Facebook & Twitter. Photos tend to get more likes, shares, and re-tweets, so include a nice photo of your band performing along with the note.</p>
<p><strong>Send a thank you note to everyone who signed up to your mailing list</strong></p>
<p>As noted artist manager Emily White has said, an email list is <em>“an artist’s retirement plan”</em>. A mailing list is still the <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-5-add-a-mailing-list-signup-24263.cfm" target="_new">best way to stay in touch with your fans</a>, so treat those email addresses like gold. In the days following your show, send a personal thank you note to everyone who signs up to your list.</p>
<p><strong>Post a photo gallery on your website</strong></p>
<p>Create a photo gallery on your website of the best photos from your show, which will help drive people to your website, and also give people a taste of how fun your live show is.</p>
<p><strong>Write a blog post about the show</strong></p>
<p>In other posts, we’ve stressed <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-6-host-your-own-blog-24384.cfm" target="_new">how important blogging is</a> in strengthening the connection with your fans and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/3-reasons-to-drive-fans-to-your-band-website-and-not-to-social-media-22672.cfm" target="_new">driving people to your website</a>. So writing a review/wrap-up of your live shows is an easy to create a blog post that will accomplish both of those things. Fans who were at the show will get to know what your perspective of the show was, and if you include some photos of the fans who were there, even better.</p>
<p><strong>Record a video for your fans</strong></p>
<p>Even if you’re on the road touring, taking a few minutes to record a quick video thank you for your fans from the tour van/hotel room/train station is a great gesture that fans will appreciate. You get to show off your personality, maybe tell an interesting story from the show/tour, and express your gratitude to your fans.</p>
<h3>Post-Show Evaluation</h3>
<p>OK, you’re almost done. As we mentioned in the blog post about “<a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-performance-24229.cfm" target="_new">Performance</a>”, you should try to record your show on video. It’s really important for you to be able to evaluate your performance so you can make improvements that will make your live show better. Here are some things to look out for:</p>
<p><strong>Performance (technical)</strong></p>
<p>Did you make any mistakes from a technical standpoint? i.e. Did you screw up any songs? Do some songs need more practice? Were the transitions between songs smooth? Did any equipment malfunction?</p>
<p><strong>Stage Presence</strong></p>
<p>How was your stage presence? How did the band look on stage? Nervous? Bored? Comfortable? Confident? Did you show passion during your performance?</p>
<p><strong>Set List</strong></p>
<p>How did the set list go over with the crowd? Did the songs do well in that order? Could a different song order or different songs improve the flow of the show?</p>
<p><strong>Fan Interaction</strong></p>
<p>How was your interaction with the audience? Did you thank them? Ask them questions? Did you make sure to mention your mailing list and merch from the stage?</p>
<h3>And you’re done… sort of</h3>
<p>Now all you have to do is repeat all “4 P’s” for your next show! I know this all sounded like a lot of work, maybe even too much work, but to get the most out of your live shows, you really have to go the extra mile.</p>
<p>The wonderful thing about the new music industry is that every artist out there can record, distribute and promote their music for next to nothing. However, this has created an environment where you’re now competing with thousands (and thousands) of other artists, which in turn has brought on new challenges for artists, most importantly standing out from the crowd and fan retention.</p>
<p>Great music will always need to be the base of your promotional strategy, and a great live performance is close behind. But those two things alone aren’t enough anymore, and you need to work just as hard, or harder, than every other artist out there if you want to forge a sustainable career in the music industry.</p>
<hr><h3>Thank You</h3>
<p>Thanks for reading, I really hope you enjoyed the “Four P’s of Playing Live” Blog Series. After spending several years booking venues in Montreal, I wanted to share some of the best practices I had seen over the course of programming 500+ events. I hope there was some information in these blog posts that will bring your live show to the next level, help you get more gigs, and help you make a stronger connection to your fans.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave Cool<br>Director of Artist Relations<br>Bandzoogle</p>
<hr><p> </p>
<h1>The 4 P’s of Playing Live</h1>
<p><img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/4Ps_of_playing_live_400px-300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="198" width="260" /></p>
<h5>1. <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-preparation-23740.cfm" target="_new">Preparation</a><br>2. <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-promotion-23817.cfm" target="_new">Promotion</a><br>3. <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-performance-24229.cfm" target="_new">Performance</a><br>4. <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-postshow-24588.cfm" target="_new">Post-Show</a>
</h5>
<p><em>Special thanks to Elida Arrizza for the image concept for the blog series.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2012/09/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-post-show/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213662012-08-15T19:13:30-04:002017-02-02T14:52:25-05:00The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Performance<p><em><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665"><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/3-performance_400px.png" rel="wp-prettyPhoto[g1252]"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/3-performance_400px-150x150.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="150" width="150" /></a>This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong></em></p>
<p><em>The “Four P’s” is a term used to describe the traditional Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion. I’m borrowing from that expression to talk about the Four P’s of Playing Live Shows:<a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-preparation-23740.cfm?showdate=2-01-2012">Preparation</a>, <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-promotion-23817.cfm?showdate=2-01-2012">Promotion</a>, Performance, and Post-Show. This series of blog posts will cover the things that you can be doing as a live performer to maximize each show. In Part 3, it’s all about your performance:</em></p>
<p>What makes for a great live show? A concert is a very subjective experience, so the answer really depends on who you ask, and genre of music can be a huge factor as well.</p>
<p>So when thinking about this third “P”, I tried to come up with a few universal characteristics that contribute to a great live performance, that can (maybe) hold true for every genre:</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>3 Universal Characteristics of a Great Live Performance</h3>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“Are you delivering something with enough authenticity and passion that people demand you do it again for their friends?” – Seth Godin</em></p>
<p><strong>1. PASSION<br>Play like it’s your last show, ever – A lesson from Charles Bradley</strong></p>
<p><em>“<a href="http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2012/02/charles_bradley_interview.php">I sing every time like it’s the last show I’m doing.</a>”- Charles Bradley</em></p>
<p>It’s hard enough to launch a music career in your 20’s, let alone your 60’s. But at the tender age of 64, soul singer <a href="http://thecharlesbradley.com/">Charles Bradley</a> launched his solo career with his debut album “No Time For Dreaming” on Daptone Records. Charles Bradley realizes how fortunate he is, and takes advantage of every show he plays by treating it like it could be his last.</p>
<p>Although it might sound extreme, when you think about it, the only time that exists is the present; there is no past, and there is no guarantee of a future. So if bands treated every show like it could be their last, the energy and passion that would come through would no doubt help make for a great performance.</p>
<div> </div>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6slbqEMiKsI" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>2. SPONTANEITY<br>Don’t Be Afraid to Embrace Spontaneity – A Lesson from Dan Mangan</strong></p>
<p><em>“<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/nov/24/magic-stage-moments-dan-mangan?CMP=twt_gu">those truly memorable moments of gig beauty can only come at the intersection of vulnerability, honesty and spontaneity</a>” – Dan Mangan</em></p>
<p>I first saw Vancouver singer-songwriter <a href="http://www.danmanganmusic.com/">Dan Mangan</a> at the OCFF conference in October 2010. I’ll never forget that at one point during his showcase, Dan jumped down from the stage and started singing while walking through the audience, encouraging them to join in. It was a risky move, because the room wasn’t filled with hundreds of his fans, but with industry types who might not go along with him. He was leaving himself incredibly vulnerable, and it could’ve easily backfired.</p>
<p>But his gamble paid off, and the crowd clapped and sang along, and before you knew it, 200+ music industry people were helping to create a truly magical moment at his showcase, and a conference highlight for many who were there.<br><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cZfP8yIYy1U" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>3. INCLUDE THE AUDIENCE<br>Get the Audience Involved – A Lesson from Rich Aucoin</strong></p>
<p>This ties into the previous point, but deserves special attention: audience participation. It can take form in many ways; a sing-along at a folk show, clapping at a gospel show, waving your arms in the air at a hip-hop show, or handing the audience hundreds of glow sticks at an electronic music show.</p>
<p>But I witnessed a truly unique form of audience participation at the <a href="http://www.osheaga.com/">Osheaga Festival</a> in Montreal a few years ago. There was a small tent along a dirt path between two sets of larger stages where artists were busking to raise money for <a href="http://www.warchild.ca/">War Child</a>. With the distraction of mobs of people and lots of other music going on at larger stages, many people walked by with barely a glance at the tent. But not when <a href="http://www.richaucoin.ca/">Rich Aucoin</a>performed.</p>
<p>He poured so much passion and energy into his performance (point #1), even climbing a tree that was next to the tent while continuing to sing (point #2). But the real highlight was when he broke out a parachute and had the audience hold it up and dance underneath it. Remember doing that when you were a kid in gym class? Yeah, good times.</p>
<p>I saw a lot of big name acts at that festival, but I ended up talking about Rich’s performance more than any other.<br><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gaLwVAoCbwc" width="560"></iframe></p>
<h3>Improving Your Performance</h3>
<p> </p>
<p>This all begs the question: how do you know if you’ve given a great live performance? Obviously, much of it can be instinctual; getting a feel from the crowd, sensing whether you’re connecting with them or not. But here are a few ways to get feedback and insight on your live performance that can help you to make improvements:</p>
<p><strong>Ask Your Fans</strong></p>
<p>Talk to fans right after the show, send a survey by email, or create a poll on your website asking their opinion. You can even set up a Twitter hashtag for the show and get real-time feedback from the audience.</p>
<p><strong>Record the Show</strong></p>
<p>You never know how you really look onstage until you see a video of it. It can be a painful exercise for many artists (many feel uncomfortable, similar to how some actors can’t watch their performances in movies), but the potential payoff is huge. There are no doubt lots of ways you can improve the look/dynamic and performance on stage, and seeing the performance on video is one of the best ways to assess and make those adjustments.</p>
<p><strong>Get Feedback from an Objective Source</strong></p>
<p>Ask the bartender, the booker, or other staff at the venue about your live performance, they might offer some great insight that others might not. You can also talk to your manager, booking agent, label, or even friends & family. Just be sure that the person you’re asking can tell you the truth without sugar-coating it, or on the flipside, without being mean about it.</p>
<p>Whichever way you get feedback, you’ll likely find some of it helpful, some of it less helpful, but there might be recurring themes that you can pick up on, and those are the things that can help you make tweaks to your show.</p>
<p><strong>Practice, Practice, Practice</strong></p>
<p>This one is a no brainer. If your band isn’t rehearsing, your band isn’t improving. And if there is any question within your band whether you should be practicing or not, please refer to this <a href="http://www.oddquartet.com/2011/03/22/practice-chart/">chart</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Get Outside Help</strong></p>
<p>On an individual level, every musician can improve the performance of their own instrument, be it guitar, drums, or your voice. Practicing on your own is of course one way to improve and stay sharp, but getting outside advice or formal lessons from a teacher can make a huge difference in your technique, endurance, and ability to improvise.</p>
<p>There are lots of great resources out there on each instrument, but for all the singers out there, Cari Cole has a lot of great resources on her <a href="http://www.caricole.com/">website</a>, and offers great tips through her <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/caricole/">twitter feed</a>.</p>
<p>On a group level, you can look into hiring a live music producer. A live music producer essentially does for live shows what a record producer does in the studio, which is to help bring out the best in the artist. Probably the best known live music producer is Tom Jackson, who has helped pioneer the concept. His website is definitely worth checking out: <a class="broken_link" href="http://www.onstagesuccess.com/">www.onstagesuccess.com</a></p>
<h3>Don’t Forget to Do These Things During Your Show</h3>
<p>Before ending this post, here are a few small things, outside of your performance, that you can do during your show that can help make a positive impact on your career going forward:</p>
<p><strong>Ask People to Sign Your Mailing List</strong></p>
<p>When you have a captive audience, don’t forget to remind them to sign your mailing list before leaving that night. Email is still the best, most reliable way to stay in touch with your fans, so be sure to promote your list from the stage.</p>
<p><strong>Promote your merch</strong></p>
<p>Same goes for your merch. Have a new CD? Mention it while on stage. New 7” vinyl? Mention that too. Fancy new girly tees? Mention those. You don’t have to be a used car salesman, but there are creative/funny ways to remind the audience that every little bit of support helps, especially if you’re on tour.</p>
<p><strong>Thank the soundman, staff, booker</strong></p>
<p>While on stage, it’s always a nice touch to thank the soundman, bar staff, and booker for having you at the venue. A little appreciation goes a long way.</p>
<p><strong>Have fun</strong></p>
<p>And finally, don’t forget to have fun on stage, because at the end of the day, this is all about playing music. Because if you’re not having fun, chances are the audience won’t be either.</p>
<hr><p><em>Is there anything you would add to the “3 Universal Characteristics of a Great Live Performance”? How about ways to improve your performance? I’ve no doubt forgotten something, let me know in the comments!</em></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2012/08/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-performance/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19213672012-08-01T19:04:42-04:002017-02-02T14:52:25-05:00The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Promotion<p><em><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665"><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2-promotion_400px.png" rel="wp-prettyPhoto[g1248]"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2-promotion_400px-150x150.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="150" width="150" /></a>This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong></em></p>
<p><em>The “Four P’s” is a term used to describe the traditional Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion. Well, I’m going to borrow from that expression and talk about the Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-preparation-23740.cfm">Preparation</a>, Promotion, Performance, and Post-Show. This series of blog posts will cover the things that you can be doing as a live performer to maximize each show. <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-preparation-23740.cfm">Part 1</a> was all about preparing for your show, and in now in Part 2 we focus on promotion:</em></p>
<p>Before getting started, the first thing you need to do is <strong>take personal responsibility for the promotion of your show</strong>. Chris “Seth” Jackson wrote a great blog post called “<a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/how-to-promote-a-show-dont-rely-on-anyone-else-23018.cfm?showdate=11-01-2011">How to Promote a Show: Don’t Rely on Anyone Else</a>”. I highly recommend <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/how-to-promote-a-show-dont-rely-on-anyone-else-23018.cfm?showdate=11-01-2011">reading it</a>. You really can’t rely on anybody else to promote your show; not the other bands, not the venue, not the booker, not your manager, and not even an outside promoter. To really get the best possible result, you need to do everything you can as a band to get the word out to your fans. Here are some of the ways you can do that:</p>
<p><strong>List the show</strong></p>
<p>Start with the basics: list the show on your website, your ReverbNation page, Facebook page, Bandcamp, and yes, even your Myspace page. Anywhere that you have a profile online, make sure the show is listed. You never know what site your fans are going to look at for details about your next show. You can use<a href="http://www.artistdata.com/">ArtistData</a> to save time doing this.</p>
<p>You should also list the show in weekly newspapers, music blogs, and news/entertainment websites that feature event listings.</p>
<p><strong>Blogging</strong></p>
<p>One thing you can do as soon as the show is booked is start blogging about it. You can blog about booking the show, about the other bands performing, interview the other bands, talk about rehearsals, putting together your set list, how the promotion is going, any media you’ve received leading up to the show, and so on. This will not only create awareness about your show, but also drive people to your website, which is always <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/3-reasons-to-drive-fans-to-your-band-website-and-not-to-social-media-22672.cfm?showdate=9-01-2011">important</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Newsletter</strong></p>
<p>With Facebook’s use of complex algorithms to determine if/when updates are shown to your fans, and the short lifespan of Tweets, your mailing list remains the most reliable way to reach your fans. So be sure to send an update to your mailing list subscribers with details about the show. If you send the newsletter about a month in advance, you could then send a reminder a few days before featuring new content promoting your show (a blog post, video trailer, etc.)</p>
<p><strong>Media & Publicity</strong></p>
<p>If you have a budget, you can hire a publicist to handle outreach to the media, but that could cost anywhere from $500 to over $2000. There are online services like <a href="http://www.storyamp.com/">StoryAmp</a> and <a href="http://www.stereogrid.com/">StereoGrid</a> that can also help you connect directly with the media. But if you’re like most bands, you’ll probably end up doing your own media and publicity. You can use resources like the <a href="http://www.indiebible.com/">Indie Bible</a> or <a href="http://www.musiciansatlas.com/">Musician’s Atlas</a> to find media contacts.</p>
<p>You’ll want to <strong>start contacting media at least 6-8 weeks before your show</strong>. Journalists are extremely busy people, and receive dozens if not hundreds of press releases daily, so it usually takes several follow-ups to get a response, if you get one at all. Give yourself enough time to do the proper following up, and in turn, show journalists respect by giving them enough lead time to consider your story.</p>
<p> </p>
<ul><li> <ul>
<li>To help build your media database and keep track of your progress, <strong>download this <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgXqos8OweENdDFCcnl6RXlZd0pFOFp3cGJQVDZ5SVE">Sample Media Progress Spreadsheet</a></strong>
</li> </ul>
</li></ul><p> </p>
<ul><li>For some great tips on approaching journalists, I highly recommend reading <strong><a href="http://musiciancoaching.com/music-publicity/5-tips-for-approaching-music-journalists/">5 Tips for Approaching Music Journalists</a></strong> from MusicianCoaching.com</li></ul><p><strong>Facebook</strong></p>
<p>Entire blog posts have been written about Facebook promotion alone, but be sure to cover the basics:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Facebook Events:</strong> Create an event for your show and post regular updates on the event’s wall (blog posts, photos, videos, press articles, etc.)</li> <li>
<strong>Regular updates on your fan page:</strong> Post the event on your wall, share photos from rehearsals, blog posts, and videos on a regular basis in the weeks leading up to your show to help create some buzz about it</li> <li>
<strong>Ads:</strong> Facebook Ads can help create awareness about shows and remind your fans that you have a show coming up. <a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/">ReverbNation</a> has a great new tool called “<a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/main/overview_artist?feature=promoteit">Promote It</a>” which makes creating Facebook ads way easier. If you do create ads, set a budget and stick to it, it can be easy to get carried away and spend a lot of money.</li>
</ul><p> </p>
<p><strong>Twitter</strong></p>
<p>Once again, entire blog posts have been written about Twitter promotion, but use Twitter to post regular updates on your preparation for the show. Post info about the other bands performing, links to blog posts, links to any press you’ve received, post photos from rehearsals, links to videos, etc.</p>
<p><strong>Run a contest</strong></p>
<p>One way to get your fans involved and excited about your show is to run a contest. Give away a pair of tickets, a pre-show dinner with your band, backstage access, a post-show party, whatever you feel comfortable with and that you think your fans would enjoy. <strong>The more you can get your fans involved in the process and make them feel special, the better</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Photos</strong></p>
<p>Post photos on your website, Facebook page, Twitter, etc. It can be photos from rehearsals, photos of the venue, of the other bands playing the show, a photo of your set list, even photos from soundcheck the night of your show as a last-minute reminder. Try using <a href="https://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a> to make it even more social (for some great tips on using Instagram, check out Mashable’s <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/06/12/instagram-bands/">10 Instagram Tips For Bands, By Bands</a>).</p>
<p><strong>Create a video trailer for your show</strong></p>
<p>Another way to get people excited about your show is to create a video trailer for it. It doesn’t have to be the trailer for the movie 300 (i.e. the <a href="http://youtu.be/qnIPkfXNHfc">best movie trailer ever</a>), but it could be a compilation of live footage, a personal message from the bands, a tour of the venue you’ll be playing, etc.</p>
<p><strong>Posters & Flyers</strong></p>
<p>Not too long ago it was standard practice to put up posters in areas around the venue, and some bands still do. But just having a handful of posters to put up inside the venue itself can help create awareness about your show (and some venues still insist on it). As for flyers, besides at music conferences, it’s something I haven’t seen in years, but bands still sometimes hand out flyers at other shows leading up to theirs. If it works for you, go for it, but if you have a tight budget, save the design and printing costs and stick to online promotion.</p>
<p><strong>Email fans individually</strong></p>
<p>Reach out to people on your mailing list individually with a short reminder about the upcoming show. Even if you just do a little bit every day, it all adds up, and this personal touch will no doubt bring a lot of those people through the door.</p>
<p><strong>Pick up the phone</strong></p>
<p>If an artist knows me well enough to have my number and calls to personally invite me to their show, most of the time, I’ll go to that show. It means more to me than a mass email, or a mass invite on Facebook. Part of it is because I probably know that artist well enough for them to have my number, but it also shows a level of dedication to the show’s promotion. It’s always smart to cover your bases.</p>
<p><a class="broken_link" href="http://poofytoo.com/"><img src="//stateofindie.bandzoogle.com/files/mail_vs_email.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Image credit: http://poofytoo.com" height="211px;" width="193px;" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Send a Hand-Written Note</strong></p>
<p>If you have a person’s mailing address, try sending them a hand-written note (on the back of a promotional postcard is an easy way to do this). For a few album launches I’ve received a personalized, hand-written invitation from the artist, and it’s kind of fun when it happens. So if there are some key people who you want to have at your event, try sending a personal note. Even if they don’t show up, they’ll likely remember the gesture.</p>
<hr><p> </p>
<h3>You Have LOTS of Competition</h3>
<p>I know this sounds like a lot of work, and this blog post was really just an outline of some of the things you can do to promote your show. But here’s the thing: you have more competition now than ever before. Just take a minute to think about all of the other choices people have when it comes to entertainment:</p>
<p><strong>Dozens of other shows</strong></p>
<p>In my home city of Montreal, there are literally dozens of shows happening on any given night. I often get invited to 5 or more different shows per weekend night, it’s a little overwhelming. To get anyone to your show instead of another, you’re going to have to go the extra mile.</p>
<p><strong>The multitude of other entertainment options</strong></p>
<p>Going to the movies, going to see live comedy, going to the theatre, going to a festival, or simply going out for drinks with friends. These are all activities (along with many others) that people can do rather than go see your band play.</p>
<p><strong>Staying Home</strong></p>
<p>And arguably your biggest competition: staying home. People can simply stay home and watch a movie, play video games on their HD TV, have a house party, spend the night watching goofy YouTube videos, or have a quiet night listening to their favorite music while they relax on the couch reading a book. Let’s face it, it’s a lot easier than driving 10 miles, paying for parking, paying the entrance fee, buying a drink, staying out late, and being tired the next day at work, all to see your band perform live.</p>
<p>Even with all of these challenges, if you put in the work and take the time to make your fans feel special, you can pack the venue. Just <strong>make sure that when they do come to your show, you give them a great experience</strong>, which brings us to the third “P”: Performance. Stay tuned for part 3 of this blog series, which is all about making the most of your live performance.</p>
<hr><p><strong><em>So what did you guys think of Part 2? Did you find it helpful? Is there anything missing? Please leave your comments below…</em></strong></p>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><plusone href="http://davecool.ca/2012/08/the-four-ps-of-playing-live-shows-promotion/"></plusone></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19215722012-07-30T18:45:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:40-05:00The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Preparation<img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1-preparation_400px-300x225.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="158" width="210" /><br><em><strong>This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong></em> <em>The “Four P’s” is a term used to describe the traditional Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion. Well, I’m going to borrow from that expression and talk about the Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Preparation, Promotion, Performance, and Post-Show. This series of blog posts will cover the things that you can be doing as a live performer to maximize each show. Part 1 is all about preparation.</em>
<h3>The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Preparation</h3>We’re going to start with the assumption that you’ve chosen a venue and confirmed a date with the venue booker. For tips about getting booked, see one of my previous posts <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/5-ways-to-impress-venue-bookers-and-get-more-gigs-21381.cfm?showdate=4-01-2011">5 Ways to Impress Venue Bookers and Get More Gigs</a>. Once the gig is confirmed, here are some things you will need to prepare for the show:
<h4>Who will the opening band(s) be?</h4>I guess the first question really is will there even be an opening band? The answer will almost always be yes, as the benefits are clear. An opening band can warm up the crowd, hopefully bring their own fans to the show, and help with the promotion of the show. So when choosing an *opening band, a few things to consider (*and if you happen to <em>be</em> the opening band, much of this advice can still apply): <strong>Does their music complement yours?</strong> There are two schools of thought: one being that you find a band that is similar to yours for a more cohesive evening of music. The other option is to go for something totally different to give the audience a very different experience from each band. There is no wrong or right answer, it really depends on what kind of show you want people to experience that night. <strong>Would their audience like your band’s music?</strong> Another consideration to make is if there is a potential for the opening band’s fans to like your music. After all, in an ideal case, you are going to gain some new fans that night. <strong>Will they help with promotion?</strong> When choosing opening bands, take into consideration whether they are a proactive band that works hard on promoting shows. What you don’t want is a band that will simply show up the night of the show, without having done any legwork to bring their fans, and simply play and ask for their money. This can be hard to avoid sometimes, but do some research, and ask around before making a final decision. <strong>Do they have other shows booked around the same date?</strong> You also don’t want the opening band to have another show scheduled within a few days of yours, or worse, the same night as your show (I’ve actually seen that happen many times, where an opening act books another gig for later the same night). It is completely demoralizing, and will likely result in that band not drawing as many people to the show.
<hr><strong>The Devil is in the Details: Show Logistics</strong> It’s a good idea to get the logistics for the show sorted out well in advance. This includes: <strong>Compensation</strong> What’s the deal at the venue? A guarantee? Percentage of the door? Pass the hat? A percentage of bar sales? Once you know the deal, work out how the compensation will be split with any opening bands. Do not wait until the night of the show to do this. Sort it out well in advance and save yourself the potential headache the night of the show. <strong>Food/beverage deals for bands</strong> What’s the deal for food and drinks for band members? Free? Staff price? Full price? Any limits on quantity of meals/drinks? <strong>Guest List</strong> Is there a limit to the number of guest list spots? Do you have to submit the guest list to the venue in advance? <strong>Ticketing & Seating</strong> What is the cover charge? Is choosing the price up to the venue or the bands? Are tickets sold in advance? If so, where are they available? Or is it simply pay at the door? Can people reserve seats? <strong>Load-in time and logistics</strong> What time is load-in at the venue? Do the bands load-in at different times? Is there a special entrance to load-in equipment? <strong>Sound & Equipment</strong> What sound equipment is provided by the venue? What are bands responsible for? Are the bands going to share certain equipment? Is there a sound tech provided by the venue? Can you bring your own sound tech? What time is soundcheck for each band? <strong>Start & End Time</strong> What time do the doors open for the public? What is the start time for the show? What is the schedule for the bands? Is there a specific time that the show has to be over by? <strong>Door logistics</strong> Who is taking money at the door? The venue? A volunteer from the band(s)? Is there a cashbox with change supplied by the venue? A stamp to stamp people’s hands? <strong>Room set-up</strong> Some venues offer different set-up styles for the room, whether it’s all seating, no seating, some tables with chairs, etc. Talk to the venue and decide on the best option for your show. <strong>Merch table</strong> Is there a table/space for merchandise? Where is it located? Is there lighting provided? Does the venue take a % of sales? Is there a cashbox with change supplied by the venue? Who is responsible for selling merch? Venue? Bands? Can you sell merch throughout the night, or only before and after the show? <strong>Promo materials for the venue</strong> What does the venue need from you? Posters? Flyers? Bio? Band photo? Press Release? Be sure to supply them with everything they need well in advance of the show. <strong>Download a Sample Live Show Logistics Checklist to help stay on top of these details: <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgXqos8OweENdDJKTlNMQnlBX3BYRGEzeFdHX3pCZVE">Download Here</a></strong>
<h4>Build Your Set List</h4>I touched on this in a blog post about <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/how-to-get-a-booking-agent-to-book-your-band-21754.cfm">how to find a booking agent</a>, but building a set list is really an art unto itself. Your set-list will determine what kind of experience your fans will have. Some considerations when building your set-list:
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Set-length:</strong> How long of a set will you play? Decide what length would have the most impact and strikes the right balance between giving a satisfying set, and leaving the audience wanting more.</li> <li>
<strong>Select the songs:</strong> Once you know how long your set will be, choose the songs you want to play that night, including for an encore, if it should come up.</li> <li>
<strong>Pacing:</strong> Do you have high-energy songs and low-energy songs? What kind of experience do you want to give the audience? Start slow then build? Are there songs where the audience can participate? Where do you want those songs to go in the set? Figure out how those songs can best work off of each other.</li> <li>
<strong>Song transitions:</strong> Make sure your songs flow well together and that everybody in the band knows when there will be a small break for interacting with the audience, and when you’ll be going straight into the next song.</li> <li>
<strong>Type of venue/seating arrangement:</strong> Is it a dingy bar, a night club, a fancy theatre, a coffee house? What’s the seating arrangement? This can impact the type of set you want to offer.</li>
</ul>Once you’ve decided on your set list, rehearse it. Then rehearse it again. And once more. Make sure everyone in the band can play that set with their eyes closed and that they know all of the cues and transitions between songs without having to think twice.
<hr><strong>Visual Presentation: On Stage & Merch Table</strong> <strong>On Stage</strong> You should also prepare what your visual presentation will be at the show. Does your band have costumes? A certain dress code? Will you have video projections playing in the background? A banner with your band name hanging on stage? A custom drum head with your logo? For some good ideas for visuals at your show, check out Chris “Seth” Jackson’s guest post on the Bandzoogle Blog: <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/no-one-will-remember-your-band-10-ways-to-stop-being-forgettable-22478.cfm?showdate=9-01-2011">No One Will Remember Your Band: 10 Ways to Stop Being Forgettable</a> <strong>Merch Table</strong> How about for your merch table? Do you have an eye-catching set-up? Proper signage? Here are some essentials to have for your merch table:
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Signage:</strong> Your band name, list of merch items & prices displayed clearly</li> <li>
<strong>Cashbox</strong> with change (don’t rely on the venue for this)</li> <li>
<strong>Inventory sheets</strong> to track your sales</li> <li>
<strong>Pens/markers </strong>(for mailing list, signing autographs)</li> <li>
<strong>Mailing list sign-up:</strong> Email addresses are still the most reliable way to stay in touch with your fans, and the <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/040411topspin">best way to convert fans to paying customers</a>. So get those email addresses anyway you can, even offer a free sticker/pin in return, it will be a great long-term investment for your band.</li>
</ul>Here’s an example of a great merch table setup, including proper signage and a mailing list sign-up: <a href="http://www.grassrootsy.com/2011/08/17/whats-your-merch-setup-a-spotlight-on-reilly/">What’s Your Merch Setup</a> (Grassrootsy Blog). <strong>*Note:</strong> Accepting <strong>credit card payments at shows</strong> can increase your sales dramatically, as not everyone carries cash with them. Services like <a href="http://www.squareup.com/">Square-up</a> or <a href="http://www.indiepool.com/">Indie Pool</a> (for Canadian bands) can turn your iPhone into a credit card swiper.
<hr><strong>Preparing For Promotion: Give Yourself At Least 6-8 Weeks</strong> Part 2 of this blog series will go into detail about promotional tactics you can use to promote your show. But for the purposes of preparation, you should give yourself a good 6-8 weeks lead-time to plan and execute the promotion for your show. This will allow you to take into consideration things like a media & publicity campaign, whether or not you’re going to go after <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musicians-how-to-get-sponsored-part-1-22748.cfm">sponsorship</a> for your show, and promotional collaborations with the other bands performing.
<hr><strong><em>So what did you guys think of Part 1? Did you find it helpful? Is there anything missing? Please leave your comments below!</em></strong>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19216702012-05-01T18:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:40-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #10: Embed Video<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong> <img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/HiRes-300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="154" width="175" />We often talk about “hub and spokes” here at Bandzoogle, which is the concept of making your artist website your “hub” of online activity, and using your social media “spokes” to draw people back to your hub. The idea is to bring people into an environment online that you own and control (i.e. no ads/distractions), where you can sell merch directly, get fans signed up to your mailing list, and turn them into super-fans with engaging content on your website. It’s no secret that video is one of the most popular content formats online. So a great way to keep fans engaging with the content on your website is by embedding video on your site. Sound obvious? You wouldn’t believe how many artist websites we come across where the “Videos” section is simply a link to their YouTube channel. What this does is send fans away to a different website where there are countless ads and hundreds of other links to click. In other words, they’ll be watching <a href="http://youtu.be/i6ic6qfgPIo" target="_new">Ninja Kittehs</a> in no time, and you’ve lost them from your website. <em><strong>In today’s music industry, a fan’s attention is the most precious and scarce commodity. Don’t waste it!</strong></em> Embedding video on your website also allows you to curate the content. As much as it’s great that your fans record videos of your live shows with their cellphone cameras and upload them to YouTube, you can use your website as a filter to display only your best quality videos.
<h3>Where to place Video on your website</h3>Video is important enough to have its own section on your website. Create a Video section, then make a video gallery with your best videos. If you have too many menu options already and want to cut down on navigation buttons, you can create “Media” section which then has galleries for both Photos and Videos. But if you have the room on your navigation menu (if you have a total of roughly 8 main menu options or less), give “Video” its own section. Other sections of your website where you could embed video: <strong>Homepage: </strong>You can display your best or most recent video right on your Homepage for new visitors to your site to see right away. Keep this to 1 or 2 videos maximum for your Homepage, you don’t want to clutter it up with too much content (for tips on creating an effective Homepage, check out “<a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/6-essential-elements-for-your-bands-website-homepage-24139.cfm" target="_new">6 Essential Elements for Your Band’s Website Homepage</a>”) <strong>Shows:</strong> You can display 1 or 2 of your best live videos in your “Shows” section along with your listing of upcoming gigs. <strong>Blog:</strong> Of course, you can and should use videos in your blog posts whenever you can. <strong>Press:</strong> If you have a digital press kit on your website, be sure to include 1 or 2 videos that media/bloggers can embed with any reviews/previews that they write about you and your music.
<hr><h3>Looking for video ideas? Here are 10 different types of videos you can use on your website:</h3>1. Official Music Videos 2. Live Videos 3. Trailers/Teasers for a live show, tour, new album, etc. 4. Cover song videos 5. Video messages for fans 6. Interviews in media 7. Videos from tour 8. Videos from backstage at shows 9. Video from rehearsals 10. Video from studio sessions
<hr><strong>Previous Website Quick Fix posts: </strong><strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-9-add-a-digital-press-kit-24815.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #9: Add a Digital Press Kit</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-8-use-a-contact-form-24717.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #8: Use a Contact Form</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-7-add-social-links-24479.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #7: Add Social Links</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-6-host-your-own-blog-24384.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #6: Host Your Own Blog</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-5-add-a-mailing-list-signup-24263.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #5: Add a Mailing List Sign-Up</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-4-make-it-easy-to-listen-to-your-music-23469.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #4: Make it easy to listen to your music</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #3: Focus on one Call-to-Action</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-2-lose-the-intro-page-22901.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #2: Lose the Intro Page</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-1-turn-off-autostart-music-22816.cfm?showdate=10-01-2011">Musician Website Quick Fix #1: Turn off auto-start music</a></strong>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19216712012-04-30T18:55:00-04:002021-12-31T08:00:06-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #9: Add a Digital Press Kit<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong>
<img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/Tyler_Kealey_Press_Pit.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="150" width="200" />When creating your website, you have to <strong>think about the different kinds of people that will be visiting</strong> it. These can be your<strong>current fans, potential new fans</strong>, as well as <strong>media and industry people</strong>.
For that latter group, they’re likely looking for different information than your fans are, and you have to be sure to make it easy for them to find it. This can best be done by adding a Digital Press Kit to your website.
Here are the essential elements to include in your digital press kit:
<h3>6 Essential Elements for your Digital Press Kit</h3>
<strong>1. Bio</strong>
First and foremost, have your most current bio available. It would also be a good idea to have a few different versions of your bio, like an <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/creating-a-perfect-pitch--laser-focus-your-message-19981.cfm" target="_new">elevator pitch</a>, a short bio (1 paragraph), a medium bio (a few paragraphs) and a long bio (4+ paragraphs). This way you’ll have options for whatever needs the media or industry person might have.
<strong>2. Images </strong>
The next element to have in your digital press kit is a section with images available for download. Make sure some of these are hi-resolution images in case the media person or festival programmer needs to use the image for print. You should include a few different band photos, with <strong>vertical and horizontal options</strong>, as well as <strong>black & white versions</strong>. Be sure to also include the image for your <strong>most recent album cover</strong>as well.
<strong>3. Music</strong>
Of course, you’ll need to have your music available to listen to. You should also make a few tracks available to download and/or embed, and if a media person wants to have a copy of your full album or EP, place clear information on who they can contact to get a copy.
<strong>4. Video</strong>
Many blogs and online newspapers love to embed videos of the artists they’re covering to make the article more visual and engaging. Embed your best 2-3 videos in your digital press kit to make it easy to find a quality video that best represents your band.
<strong>5. Press Articles/Reviews </strong>
It wouldn’t be a press kit without some press, so post links to a few of your best reviews and interviews. Be sure to <strong>pull the best quote from each review and include it underneath the link</strong>, don’t assume that people will click on each article and read them in full.
<strong>6. Contact info </strong>
Even though you might have a “Contact” section on your website, include detailed contact info in your digital press kit to have everything in one place. You might also want to put a phone # where a media person can reach you if they need to speak to you in a hurry.
<h3>Where to place a Digital Press Kit on your Website</h3>
A digital press kit is an important element of your website, so create a “Press” or “Press Kit” section and include it as part of your main menu navigation. This will make it easy for bloggers, bookers and festival programmers to find the information that they’re looking for, and hopefully help you gain more exposure for your music and get more bookings for your band.
<hr><strong>Previous Website Quick Fix posts:
</strong>
<strong></strong><strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-8-use-a-contact-form-24717.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #8: Use a Contact Form</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-7-add-social-links-24479.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #7: Add Social Links</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-6-host-your-own-blog-24384.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #6: Host Your Own Blog</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-5-add-a-mailing-list-signup-24263.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #5: Add a Mailing List Sign-Up</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-4-make-it-easy-to-listen-to-your-music-23469.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #4: Make it easy to listen to your music</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #3: Focus on one Call-to-Action</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-2-lose-the-intro-page-22901.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #2: Lose the Intro Page</a></strong>
<strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-1-turn-off-autostart-music-22816.cfm?showdate=10-01-2011">Musician Website Quick Fix #1: Turn off auto-start music</a></strong>
<div></div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19217612012-04-15T18:55:00-04:002013-10-24T17:57:47-04:007 Ways to Save Money When Attending a Music Conference<em>The following post is taken from my eBook “<a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/02/attending-music-conferences-101/">Attending Music Conferences 101</a>”. From pre-conference planning, showcasing & networking, to the post-conference follow-up, it offers a step-by-step look at the music conference experience and how to maximize it from a musician’s point of view. The eBook can be downloaded for FREE: <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/02/attending-music-conferences-101/">Download eBook</a></em> Music conferences are an amazing opportunity to network, meet new people, and move your career forward. But, they can be quite expensive as well. Here are some ways you can save money when attending a conference so that it doesn’t totally break the bank:<br><br><strong>1. Volunteer for the conference</strong> If you plan far enough ahead, and if you are willing to sacrifice some of your free time while at the conference, offer to volunteer. Conferences are always looking for good volunteers, and they are often artists. You can sometimes get your conference fee waived, or at least waived on the days that you volunteered. But <strong>be prepared to work hard</strong>. If you show up late and you’re tired and/or hung-over because of all-night partying, chances are you won’t be asked back again. Remember, you might be dealing with the very people who could be deciding whether you get a showcase or not at a future conference. Arrive early. Be extremely polite. Work hard. Make the conference proud that they chose you as a volunteer.<br><br><strong>2. Split hotel room with someone</strong> This one is a no-brainer, of course. If you’re attending a conference alone but want to save money on the hotel room, try and find someone to share the room with. Chances are that there are plenty of other like-minded people in the same boat. If the conference has a Facebook page, post on their wall that you are looking for a roommate. Same thing for Twitter, follow the conference on Twitter and Tweet that you’re looking for a roommate, and politely ask if they could re-tweet (RT) to their followers. You could also tag your tweet with a hashtag # for the conference, so other people can find your tweet in a search. Another option is contacting the conference by e-mail and asking if they know of anyone looking for a hotel roommate. Chances are they have received similar messages and can put you in touch with those people.<br><br><strong>3. Bring your own food</strong> One way to save money that your Mom has probably already taught you is to pack a lunch! Specifically, bring lots of snacks. While at a conference, <strong>you’ll likely do more snacking than sitting down to eat large meals</strong>, as you’ll constantly be on the go. Chips and candies are an option, but healthier choices like nuts, dried fruit, power bars, etc., will help you avoid burning out. Being at a music conference can already put a lot of stress on your system, if you add junk food and high doses of salt and sugar, you’re just asking for a crash.<br><br><strong>4. Shop for groceries</strong> When you check-in to your hotel, ask where the nearest grocery store is. Room service can certainly be convenient late at night, however if you plan ahead, you can <strong>save a bunch of money and find healthier options at a grocery store</strong>. Load up on the aforementioned healthy snacks, plus pre-made sandwiches (to save on time) and lots of veggies.<br><br><strong>5. Go to showcases that have food</strong> Run out of snacks? Couldn’t make it to the grocery store before it closed? Don’t worry, you don’t have to go to bed hungry. Many showcase venues/rooms provide food & snacks as a way of enticing people to come check out the showcase. Keep a look out, ask around, and <strong>check your Twitter feed, word spreads quickly where to find free food</strong>.<br><br><strong>6. Getting to the conference: Carpool, Bus, Train</strong> Sometimes travelling by plane is unavoidable. However, often artists will carpool together and make a road trip out of it. Similar to finding hotel roommates, ask around and see if anyone in your town is driving to the conference, or passing through on their way. Every year artists from my hometown of Montreal organize carpools heading to Toronto for CMW or NXNE, and sometimes even a long-distance road trip to Austin for SXSW or Memphis for Folk Alliance. If you’re on a tight budget, this could be a great money-saver. If carpooling isn’t an option, look for deals to travel by train or bus. Often trains and buses will have free WiFi so you can also be productive on your way to the conference.<br><br><strong>7. Stay at a cheaper hotel</strong> Another idea to save some money would be to stay at a different hotel than the one hosting the conference. Use a combination of Google Maps and travel deal websites to find the best options. There will no doubt be other hotels close to the host hotel that are cheaper.
<hr><strong><em>Have you done any of these things to save money when attending a music conference? Is there anything you would add to the list? Please leave your comments below!</em></strong>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19217522012-04-15T18:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:40-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #8: Use a Contact Form<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong> <a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iStock_000019225209XSmall-125.jpeg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iStock_000019225209XSmall-125.jpeg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="125" width="125" /></a>When musicians put contact information on their websites, most will include a hyperlinked email address. It seems like the easiest, most logical thing to do, but here are <strong>3 reasons why you should use a contact form</strong> rather than an email address: <strong>1. Email spam</strong> Ah, email spam. We all get it, we’re all annoyed by it, but it can be a mystery where it comes from. Well, one surefire way to get spam is to include an email address on your website, and/or a “mailto” hyperlink. Spambots love to scan websites and retrieve those addresses, and one way to easily avoid this is by using a contact form. Your second best option is to create an image with your email address embedded into it (but no actual text, or link). But this forces your contact to type in your address in their mailing program or service. <strong>2. Email programs create unwanted hassle</strong> Another reason to use a contact form is that a lot of people use web-based email like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc., as their primary email. Unless they’ve set-up their computer properly, when they click on a hyperlinked email, it will likely open whatever email program is installed on their computer (Outlook, Windows Mail, Apple Mail, etc.). This isn’t necessarily how they want to send an email, so they’ll have to close the program, go back to your website, copy & paste the email, then open their webmail client of choice and paste it into a new email. <strong>3. It’s quicker for everyone</strong> With a contact form, people don’t even have to sign in to their web-based email to send you a message. They can simply enter their email address and type their message, which will go straight to the email address of your choosing. <strong>Where to place a Contact Form on your website</strong> It’s pretty simple where to place your contact form: on your “Contact” page. This is where people will look to get in touch with you, not on your Homepage, Music page, or Videos page. A couple of exceptions to the rule would be if you placed a contact form that went to a booking email address through your “Shows” page, or through a specific “Book Me” page on your website. Also, if you have a Store page with lots of items and purchase options, having a contact form specifically for questions regarding purchases on your website might not be a bad idea either. <strong>OK, still want to include your email address on your site?</strong> If you still really want to show your email address on your website, you have a few options so that so spam bots can’t catch it: You can create an image of your email address: <img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/email_image_example-300.png" class="size_orig justify_center border_" alt="" height="121" width="300" /> But this isn’t practical for a few reasons: People can’t copy and paste the email address (so they’ll have to type it from memory), and they can’t click on it to send a message directly (if they do have their computer properly set-up to open their email program of choice).<hr><strong>Previous Website Quick Fix posts: </strong><strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-7-add-social-links-24479.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #7: Add Social Links</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-6-host-your-own-blog-24384.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #6: Host Your Own Blog</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-5-add-a-mailing-list-signup-24263.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #5: Add a Mailing List Sign-Up</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-4-make-it-easy-to-listen-to-your-music-23469.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #4: Make it easy to listen to your music</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #3: Focus on one Call-to-Action</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-2-lose-the-intro-page-22901.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #2: Lose the Intro Page</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-1-turn-off-autostart-music-22816.cfm?showdate=10-01-2011">Musician Website Quick Fix #1: Turn off auto-start music</a></strong>
<div> </div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19217722012-04-01T19:05:00-04:002021-12-30T07:47:14-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #7: Add Social Links<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong><img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/find_us_facebook.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="130" width="199" /> We always say that your website needs to be the hub of your online strategy (and we mean it). But, when people visit your website, they might only have a short time to check out your content. Also, let’s face it, social network sites are amazing tools to engage with fans and create frequent, short-lived interactions with them. If you add quick and easy ways to connect with you on your social media profiles, it will capture even the most casual fans. That way, even if they spent a minute on your website, they can quickly “Like” your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter. Then, you can draw them back to your website with the <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-6-host-your-own-blog-24384.cfm">content</a> you put out through those social media profiles.
<h3>Where to place widgets and icons on your website</h3><strong>Widgets:</strong> Social media widgets work best right on your Homepage. If you’re active on those networks, you can place a Facebook “Like” box, as well as a Twitter Feed on the sidebar (left or right side of the page), so people can find and connect with you right away when they land on your site. Here’s an example of a Facebook “Like box” from Bandzoogle member Sara Tindley’s <a href="http://www.saratindley.com/">website</a>: <img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/facebook_likebox.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="453" width="299" /> And here’s an example of a Twitter feed from Bandzoogle member Alex Vissia’s <a href="http://www.alexvissia.com/">website</a>: <img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/twitter_feed.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="254" width="399" /><strong>Facebook Like box:</strong> <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box/">https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box/</a> <strong>Twitter feed widget:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/about/resources/widgets">https://twitter.com/about/resources/widgets</a> (<em>if you’re a Bandzoogle member, there is an option to add a Twitter feed through your account, as Alex Vissia did on her website</em>) <strong>Note:</strong> Having these widgets on every page of your site isn’t necessary. Just placing them on your Homepage would be enough. <strong>Social Media Icons</strong> Another option to get people to connect with you on social media through your website is to display icons that link to the various social media sites you’re most active on. Here’s an example from Static Cycle’s <a href="http://www.staticcycle.com/">Homepage</a>, where the social media icons are right below the header image: <img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/static_homepage.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="349" width="596" /> These icons can be displayed throughout your site, either running along the top of the page, sidebar, or footer. But besides your Homepage, another section of your site where you want to be sure to have social media links is on your Contact page. Often people click on a Contact page to see how and where they can connect with you, so it’s a good idea to have your social media links included in that section. <strong>Note:</strong> If you’re a Bandzoogle member, this is easily done using the “My Sites” feature, which has 32 different sites to choose from, as well as several different icon styles.
<h3>Don’t Over Do It</h3>You should simply link to the social media networks that you are most active on. The goal isn’t to send people away to 10 different places other than your website, but to make it easy for them to keep up with your latest activity. Chances are, people will click on the link to the social media site that they themselves are most active on, so if they see a page that hasn’t been updated for months, it will create a negative impression. Don’t feel like you have to put a link to every social media site that you’ve created a profile for. Your website isn’t a display for your collection of website profiles! If you’re most active on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, you can simply display those links.
<hr><em>Do you have social media widgets on your website? Where are they placed? Which social media sites do you link to? Let us know in the comments!</em>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19217732012-03-30T19:05:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:41-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #6: Host Your Own Blog<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong> <img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/blog.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="169" width="180" /><em>The "Website Quick Fix" series of posts are written by musician website and marketing platform Bandzoogle</em> When we do website evaluations here at Bandzoogle, there are two broad categories we look at: Design and Content. With poor design, it will be hard to find interesting content on the site. <strong>With great design and poor content, there is little reason for fans to visit</strong>. With that second category in mind, let’s talk about blogging.
<h3>Why Should You Blog?</h3>There are plenty of reasons for musicians to blog on a regular basis: <strong>Drives people to your website</strong> First and foremost, blogging is one of the best ways to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/index.cfm?showdate=9-01-2011">drive people to your website</a>. Every time you create a new blog post, it’s an excuse for you to invite fans to check out your website. Some artists create a blog separate from their website and host it on one of the various blogging platforms, but <strong>why give traffic to a site that you don’t own?</strong> Instead, host the blog on your website that you own, where you can collect valuable data to know where those fans are from, what songs they listened to, how long they stayed on your site, etc. And by using your <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">call-to-action</a>, get them to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-5-add-a-mailing-list-signup-24263.cfm">sign up to your mailing list</a>, or shop in your online store. <strong>Gives you content for social media</strong> Many artists struggle with what they should talk about on Facebook and Twitter. Creating new blog posts gives you great original content to push out to your social media profiles, and in turn, drives people to your website. <strong>Shows that you’re active</strong> Blogging is one of the best ways to show that you are active in your career. If a potential fan visits your site, enjoys your music (which you made <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-4-make-it-easy-to-listen-to-your-music-23469.cfm">easy to listen to</a>), and then sees that you have months of regular blogging under your belt, they might click on a few posts to get a better sense of your personality. If they really like what they read, you might have a fan for life. <strong><em>Note:</em></strong><em> If you do decide to start blogging, it’s really important to keep it up to date. Just as an updated blog can show that you’re active in your career, if your last post is from a year ago, it can create a negative impression. Focus on regularity, rather than trying to make each post perfect.</em> <strong>Creates stronger connection with your fans</strong> Blogging is a great way to show your personality and give insight into your career, allowing fans to get to know you better. This can help turn a casual fan into a super fan by creating a stronger connection with them. For the fan, reading about you and about your art on your blog adds some context to the music, and that’s how they’ll come to value it more. They might be fans of your music already, but if they become fans of you on top of that, then the music gains an increased perceived value. Our CEO David Dufresne likes to make the comparison of <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/is-your-music-in-an-art-gallery-or-at-ikea-24326.cfm">having your music in a gallery versus at IKEA</a>. Mike Masnick, of the blog <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/">Techdirt</a> even turned it into a <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091119/1634117011/future-music-business-models-those-who-are-already-there.shtml">formula</a>: Connect with Fans (CwF) + Reason to Buy (RtB) = The Business Model <strong>Blogging is great for SEO</strong> Improving your SEO (search engine optimization) is another great reason to blog. Simply put, the more you blog, the more Google can find you, and the higher in the search results you will potentially appear based on the keywords, titles and content of your blog posts. For example, let’s say you’re a ukulele player, and besides blogging about your career you also blog about how to tune a ukulele, how to repair a ukulele, what to look for when purchasing a new ukulele, etc. Chances are, people who are passionate about ukuleles might stumble on one of your helpful blog posts, and while they’re on your site, they’re exposed to your music, your personality, and you might gain a new fan.
<h3>Where to place a blog on your website</h3>Your blog should ideally be part of your main menu navigation with it’s own section, and not a sub-menu item. You’ll want people to be able to find it easily if they want to find out more about you. Many artists put their blog right on their <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/6-essential-elements-for-your-bands-website-homepage-24139.cfm">Homepage</a>. You can do this, but instead of putting the entire blog there, offer 2-3 entries, then direct people to your full blog on a separate page. You’ll want to use your Homepage as a welcoming page for potential new fans to give them a taste of who you are as an artist, and focusing their attention on your <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">call-to-action</a>. <strong><em>Note:</em></strong><em> Although a blog should definitely be one element on your site, remember <a href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/bandzoogle-your-website-should-not-be-a-blog.html">your website should not simply be a blog</a>.</em>
<h3>Blogging ideas</h3>Not sure what to blog about? Here’s a quick brainstorm of 10 things you can blog about that might help trigger even more ideas:
<ol>
<li>Preview an upcoming show</li> <li>Review a recent show</li> <li>Stories from tour</li> <li>Blog about rehearsals</li> <li>Stories from the <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/in-the-studio-dont-shut-out-your-fans-21593.cfm">studio</a>
</li> <li>New gear</li> <li>Talk about other great bands/musicians in your genre</li> <li>Stories from your personal life (if you’re comfortable with it)</li> <li>Talk about your crazy pet(s)</li> <li>Talk about a passion outside of music (maybe you’re a big sci-fi geek, or have a favorite sports team)</li>
</ol><h3>Photos & Videos</h3>Some of you might be thinking “Well, that’s sounds great, but I’m not good at writing blog posts”. That’s ok, your blog posts can contain mostly photos, or can even be videos. Whichever method you are most comfortable communicating with, go for it. The important thing is to post new content on your site on a regular basis where fans can gain some insight into your career and who you are as an artist.
<hr><em>Do you have a blog on your website? How often do you post? What do you blog about? Share links to your blogs in the comments below!</em>
<hr>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19217742012-03-15T19:05:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:41-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #5: Add a Mailing List Sign-Up<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.38897452829405665">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong>
<img src="//content.bandzoogle.com/users/bztest1/images/content/mailing_list.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="142" width="150" />
Another element you should have on your website is a sign-up form for your mailing list. Email sounds pretty old-school, but the reality is that a mailing list is still the best way to stay in touch with your fans. Here’s why:
<h3>Top 3 Reasons to Have a Mailing List</h3>
<strong>1- You own it</strong>
Remember all those fans you had on MySpace? Well, MySpace owned their data, not you, and chances are if you didn’t get them signed-up to your mailing list, you lost contact with many of them.
Facebook? Same deal. They own the data, and they too can disappear. Or, as it seems to be happening, it gets too crowded and noisy. Statistics regularly show that only a very small percentage of people actually see your updates. So if you have important news to announce, your mailing list is your best bet to reach most of your fan base.
Twitter? Same issue with data, and tweets only last for a few hours, so again, it’s hard to tell how many of your followers are actually seeing your updates.
Bottom line is that social media sites are great tools for interacting with current fans and finding new ones, but you’ll want to get them signed-up to your mailing list so <strong>you can stay in touch with your fans over the long-term</strong>, regardless of which social media site is popular at the time.
<strong>2- It’s the ultimate permission marketing</strong>
An email list is the ultimate in <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/01/permission-mark.html">permission marketing</a>. Once a fan gives you their email address, they’re telling you that they want to hear about your career, that they want to know about your latest album, your next show, your new merchandise, etc. That’s an incredibly powerful thing, and those email addresses should be treated like gold.
<strong>Note:</strong><em> Don’t ever, EVER add people to your mailing list without their permission. Spamming people can do irreparable harm to your career, as you will likely lose those people as potential fans forever.</em>
<strong>3- Best way to sell to your fans</strong>
And finally, when it comes to cold, hard cash, both inside and outside the music industry, email newsletters are still the <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/040411topspin">best way to convert fans to paying customers</a>.
As noted artist manager <a href="http://whitesmithentertainment.com/">Emily White</a> has said, an email list <em>“is an artist’s retirement plan”</em>.
<h3>Where to position your sign-up form</h3>
So where do you place your mailing list sign-up form on your website? Right on the Homepage, “above the fold”; which is to say visible right away, without having to scroll down. In fact, you should <strong>make your mailing list sign-up your primary <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">call-to-action</a></strong> on your website.
If you’re an emerging artist, focus on building that mailing list before anything. Don’t worry so much about selling music & merch just yet, build a strong mailing list and over the long term it will be worth much more than trying to get that 0.99$ download right away when people visit your site.
<h3>Offer an incentive</h3>
And finally, don’t forget to offer an incentive to the person who will be giving you their email address. Getting the “latest news” or “inside scoop” on your career is nice, but <strong>offering a little something more might be the difference between getting that email or not</strong>. It could be as simple as a free MP3, and even better would be an <strong>exclusive track that can’t be found anywhere else</strong>.
Some bands use their live recordings to offer up a free/exclusive Live EP in exchange for an email address, and I’ve seen some even give away a free download of an older album. Use your creativity to find something unique, exclusive and fun that will give a potential new fan no choice but to hand over their email address.
For some great tips on writing effective newsletters, definitely check out Ariel Hyatt’s blog post "<strong><a href="http://arielpublicity.com/2012/04/09/how-to-write-engaging-newsletters-ariels-greeting-guts-getting/">How to Write Engaging Newsletters</a></strong>”
<hr><em>Do you have a mailing list sign-up on your website? Is it your main call-to-action on your homepage? What are you giving away in return for the email address? Let us know in the comments below!</em>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19217752012-03-01T19:05:00-05:002017-02-02T14:53:23-05:00Musician Website Quick Fix #4: Make it easy to listen to your music<h3> </h3><img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/HiRes%20(500x491).jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="246px;" width="250px;" /><em><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.31766635784879327">This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a> to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your website free</a>.</strong></em> Another quick improvement you can make to your website is to make it easy for people to listen to your music. First time visitors should be able to sample your music in one, easy, and obvious click. Sound like common sense? Well, I can honestly tell you that from 4 years of booking bands at a music venue, I had essentially given up going to band websites to hear music and simply used profiles at Myspace or Bandcamp pages instead. It was often difficult to find full songs to listen to on artist websites, and with limited time, I went to the one place I knew I could hear music easily.<br><br><strong>Make a first impression: Music to listen to, not only purchase</strong><br><br>Keep in mind that a lot of your traffic is from people who aren't your fans yet. Maybe they’ve heard about you. Maybe one of their friends posted your website somewhere. Maybe you’re opening for a band they like and they want to decide if you’re worth showing up early for. Think of them by putting your best track right there, at the top of your homepage in high bitrate glory (good sound quality). A good video? Even better. That way you’re grabbing their viewing as well as their listening attention. All too often music pages only have music for sale that at best offer crappy 30-60 second sample clips. Sometimes there is only music available to purchase with no music samples at all, or worse yet, only links to external sites to purchase music, with no music available on the site whatsoever. You should definitely have your music for sale on your website, but make sure to also have at least 1 or 2 songs people can listen to, from start to finish, so they can get a good taste of what your music is all about.<br><br><strong>Make it clear where to listen to your music</strong><br><br>Once your music is available to listen to on your site, make it very easy for people to find it. Again, best thing to do would be to have a music player right on your homepage. You can also use a site-wide music player that can continue to play while people surf the different sections of your site. Once they start listening, having a “playlist” of your best songs that keeps playing is definitely better that forcing them to hit “play” for each track (because chances are, they won’t). Speaking of the different sections of your website, “Music” should be in the main menu of your website. Again, this sounds like common sense, but there are still too many websites that either try to be fancy with sections like “Experience” or “Discover”, or have the music buried within another section of the site like “Media” or “Press”. You might only have that person’s attention for a minute (maybe less), so make it clear right on the main menu where they can find your music.<br><br><strong>Your website is your hub, give people every reason to stay</strong><br><br>Your website is your hub, and you should have everything available on it, including full songs to listen to. If your fans can listen to your songs on Facebook, Myspace, music blogs, etc., then they should be able to listen to them right on your website, which is where you really want fans to spend their time. This way, they can stick around, listen to your music, look at your photos, read your blog posts, and hopefully sign-up to your newsletter or shop in your online store. If you don’t have any music for them to listen to while they’re on your site, they might leave and go to your Facebook page (or your rarely updated Myspace page), or worse, just leave your site and move onto something else entirely to pass the time (like watching an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dneLQY6ZVk">epic battle between a puppy and a robot</a>).
<hr><strong>Do you have your music available to listen to on your website? Is it easy to find? We’re always looking for nice websites, feel free to post your links in the comments below to show off how you display your music on your site.</strong>
<hr><strong>Previous Website Quick Fix posts:</strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-3-focus-on-one-calltoaction-22967.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #3: Focus on one Call-to-Action</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-2-lose-the-intro-page-22901.cfm">Musician Website Quick Fix #2: Lose the Intro Page</a></strong> <strong><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musician-website-quick-fix-1-turn-off-autostart-music-22816.cfm?showdate=10-01-2011"> Musician Website Quick Fix #1: Turn off auto-start music</a></strong>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19218122012-02-21T19:05:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:41-05:00I’ve left CIRAA, No New Film, & Other Casualties of 2011<img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/shutterstock_83547358-300x200.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="200" width="300" />Hi there, How are you? I’m well. I realized that perhaps it was time for a little update. I’ve been getting questions recently about my new film, about CIRAA, my work with Ambrosia Records, and other projects I was working on last year. Well, I had high hopes for 2011, but things didn’t turn out as expected. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from 2011:<h4><strong>Left my job at St-Ambroise</strong></h4>Hey, I already <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/01/ive-been-named-director-of-member-services-for-ciraa/">wrote about this</a>. I have no regrets, but leaving my job as Program Director of the Centre St-Ambroise & Terrasse St-Ambroise affected me much more than I thought it would. Those 2 venues are just a drop in the bucket in the music industry; frankly, they’re a drop in the bucket of the Montreal music scene, but it <em>was my drop in the bucket</em>. So when I left, even though I had 100% control over my life and my schedule, I found myself being in charge of/responsible for, well, not very much. I had a lot of responsibility in that job, and was given pretty much total freedom to make the decisions that I thought were best for the 2 venues (my boss would often ask “what is your gut telling you? Your gut is usually right, so go with that”). It took me a while to truly appreciate the kind of confidence I was given and freedom I had in that job. Anyway, bottom line is that I wanted to hit the ground running after leaving that job in March, but the truth is that I spent a good part of the year trying to find my place, no doubt at least partially because I was still processing that drastic change in my life.
<h4><strong>No New Film</strong></h4>One of the main reasons for leaving St-Ambroise was so that I could focus more energy on making a follow-up film to “<a href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">What is INDIE?</a>”. I had even started <a href="http://davecool.ca/category/new-film/">blogging about it</a> in late 2010, where I publicly announced that I was working on a new film. Well, it turns out that <a href="http://davecool.ca/2010/09/why-my-new-film-is-already-doomed-according-to-derek-sivers/">Derek Sivers was right</a>. I came to realize that I<strong> lacked the passion for making another movie</strong>. After the last film took 2 years, working long hours each and everyday to see it through, I could feel that I wasn’t ready to make that kind of sacrifice again. Maybe I’m getting old(er) and don’t have the energy, or maybe it was fear of taking that kind of financial risk again (I spent a small fortune of (borrowed) money the first time around). Whatever it was, I just wasn’t feeling inspired to fully jump into the project, and it slowly faded away as a priority in my life. I appreciate the kind words of encouragement from everyone who has reached out to me the past year, it meant a lot. But the project was just not meant to be, at least for now. I <strong>did a lot of research and pre-production work that might go towards</strong> <strong>other projects</strong> like blog posts, podcasts, ebooks etc., so we'll see.
<h4><strong>Left Ambrosia Records</strong></h4>Some of you <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/04/from-st-ambroise-to-ambrosia-i%E2%80%99ve-joined-forces-with-montreal-record-label-ambrosia-records/">might remember</a> that I started working at a record label called Ambrosia last April. Well, <strong>I hope that I’ve finally learned my lesson that I’d much rather <em>be friends</em> with my friends, than <em>do business</em> with my friends</strong>. It quickly became apparent that my buddy <a href="http://www.georgeazzi.com/">George Azzi</a> (who runs the label) and I had stopped hanging out as friends and only saw each other at the office, so with other options available to me for paid work, I left Ambrosia in July.
<h4><strong>Ember Swift</strong></h4>During my brief time with Ambrosia Records, I brought my friend and successful indie artist <a href="http://www.emberswift.com" target="_blank">Ember Swift</a> into the picture. She had asked me to manage her, something we had discussed in the past, and I thought with the infrastructure offered by the label, it would be a good time to take that on. Not so much, as it just never seemed to work out the way we wanted. Although I was never really officially her manager, I tried helping out with some administrative duties even after leaving Ambrosia, but I was simply being pulled in too many directions, and Ember always seemed to fall off the priority list. We remained honest with each other throughout the process and agreed to go our separate ways professionally late last year, but thankfully still maintain our friendship.
<h4><strong>CIRAA: No Longer Director of Member Services</strong></h4>After a year as the Director of Member Services for the Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association (<a href="http://www.ciraa.ca/">CIRAA</a>), I <strong>decided not to renew my contract, </strong>which was a<strong> tough decision</strong>. I helped CIRAA launch a new grant program (<a href="http://www.ciraa.ca/grant.php">Groundbreaker Grant</a>), and for the better part of the year, I operated the lottery system that chose the winners and <strong>gave away $2000+ every month to indie artists from across the country</strong>. Not a bad gig at all. I also helped secure some new sponsors, which raised the monthly pot of money to $2600 as well as add a secondary prize pool to the program, which I'm very proud of. But in the end, I <strong>wanted to focus my time and energy on fewer projects</strong>, so I decided to leave my position with CIRAA. I had a <strong>good experience and think we did some great work together</strong>. Thankfully, they’ve <strong>welcomed me back onto the board of directors</strong>, so I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the organization as a board member.
<h4><strong>Other casualties of 2011: Folquebec, YES Montreal</strong></h4>A few more housekeeping announcements: I left the board of directors of Folquebec, after about 2 years of service (simply put: it was time for me to move on). I also resigned from the YES Montreal Artist Conference organizing committee, after serving for many years on the committee. I felt it was time to let someone else from the local music community provide some input for the event.
<h4><strong>On a more positive note...</strong></h4>Although the year didn’t exactly turned out how I had planned, it certainly wasn’t all bad. Some of you might have heard me talk about a <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/08/after-12-years-of-saying-no-i%E2%80%99ve-finally-said-yes-to-managing-a-band/" target="_blank">band I started to manage</a>, Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir. After I got involved with the band in July, we worked hard, with the support of some great friends, and accomplished the following:
<ul>
<li>
<strong>7 shows, including a showcase at <a href="http://www.mformontreal.com/" target="_blank">M for Montreal</a></strong> and the <a href="http://salondelamusique.ca/smi/" target="_blank">SMIM Conference</a> at Place-des-Arts, ending the year with a December show at the beautiful Ukrainian Federation</li> <li>
<strong><a href="http://eepurl.com/hCyIk">Signed with booking agency Bonsound</a></strong>, joining an amazing <strong>roster that includes Malajube, Radio Radio, Chinatown, and Random Recipe</strong>
</li> <li><strong>Front cover of the <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Just+four+guys+spreading+gospel+rights+feminism+love/5600412/story.html">Montreal Gazette</a></strong></li> <li>Interview in the <a href="http://www.montrealmirror.com/wp/2011/08/18/the-oppressed-songs/">Montreal Mirror</a>
</li> <li>Feature<strong> interviews on CBC Television and CBC Radio</strong>
</li> <li>Several other interviews, reviews, and plays on radio, podcasts and blogs.</li>
</ul>Not bad for a 5-month stretch. 2012 should be an exciting year for the band.
<h4><strong>Bandzoogle: Nothing but good times</strong></h4>Who knew that going for a coffee with <a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com" target="_blank">Bandzoogle</a> CEO David Dufresne last March would completely change my life? Ironically, I initially turned down his offer to pay me for blog posts. I’ve always admired the company, proud that they were based in Montreal and founded by musicians (and they were even one of the promotional partners for my film). So I had no problem donating a blog post to them every so often. But David was persistent, and wanted more commitment from me for content, so I started working about 10 hours/week for the company last April. Well, I’m now working almost full-time as their Community Manager (lots of blogging + social media), which has given me the opportunity to focus on <a href="http://davecool.ca/category/bandzoogle-2/">my writing</a>, work from home (which I’m especially enjoying during the winter), and to top it all off, travel to music conferences. They <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/10/ocff-2011/" target="_blank">sent me to the OCFF conference</a> last Fall, and will be sending me to <strong><a href="http://www.folkalliance.org/" target="_blank">Folk Alliance</a> in Memphis </strong>in February, and potentially the <strong><a href="http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/expo/" target="_blank">ASCAP EXPO</a> in Los Angeles</strong> in April. <strong>Life is very, very good.</strong> ***** OK, I think we’re all caught up now. I think <strong>2011 was the year of saying “Yes”, but I think 2012 will be the year of saying “No”</strong>. Rather than spreading myself too thin by saying yes to working on so many new projects, my <strong>goal this year is to quietly focus my time and energy on just a few projects</strong>, which is going to mean saying no to some things that come up; something that I clearly haven't been so good at in the past. We’ll see how it all turns out... So thanks again for reading and for your continued support, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. Cheers, Dave Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/dave_cool" target="_blank">@dave_cool</a>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19218852012-01-15T19:40:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:41-05:00Free eBook: Developing Music Careers in Uncertain Times<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Musician-2.0-3.0-Cover.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="235" width="200" />Peter Spellman has released a free e-book for musicians called <a href="http://www.mcareerjuice.com/musician-2-0-3-0-4-0/">“Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…Developing Music Careers in Uncertain Times”</a>. Peter is the Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music in Boston, as well as the Director of <a href="http://www.mbsolutions.com/" target="_blank">Music Business Solutions</a>, and someone who I consider to be one of the great thinkers in the music industry. Peter’s work has had tremendous impact on me over the years, and really helped shape my philosophies about the music industry. His books “<a href="http://www.mbsolutions.com/books/self-promoting_musician.html" target="_blank">The Self-Promoting Musician</a>” and “<a href="http://www.mbsolutions.com/books/howtostart.html" target="_blank">INDIE POWER</a>” are must-read classics in my opinion (I have read them easily 5 times each!). “Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0” is Peter Spellman at his best, and it is a great introduction to his work if you are not familiar with it already. Peter is a master at asking questions that put things in perspective and help you see the big picture. Where most advice and resources for artists focus on the “outward” career tools (social networking, online tools, promo/publicity, etc.), Peter gets you to pause, take a deep breath, and really focus on the inner-work that most of us forget to do. As with all of Peter’s books, I found myself underlining and highlighting text on every page (I printed it out, still love to hand-write notes and highlight!). At only 30 pages, it's a quick read, but one that can make a profound impact, so I would highly recommend it. And the best part? It’s FREE: <strong><a href="http://www.mcareerjuice.com/musician-2-0-3-0-4-0/">Download Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0.pdf</a></strong> Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19218872011-12-20T19:40:00-05:002013-10-24T18:41:14-04:00Free Database of Canadian Folk Festivals [UPDATED- January, 2013]My good friend <a href="http://www.emmajulien.com/folkfests/" target="_blank">Emma Julien</a> continued the tradition of updating this database of Canadian Folk Festivals. You can download an Excel version which you can add to/edit, or a simple pdf version. And I would encourage you to please consider making a donation. It takes many hours of research to update this free resource. <strong>Download the database by following this link: <a href="http://www.emmajulien.com/folkfests/" target="_blank">http://www.emmajulien.com/<wbr></wbr>folkfests/</a></strong> It is a powerful resource for any folk/roots artist inside our outside of Canada. Cheers, DaveDave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19218882011-11-03T19:45:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:41-05:00Social Media Trends: Focus on Your Website, Songwriting, and Playing Live (?!)<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Social_media_panel.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Social Media Panel OCFF (photo: David Dufresne)" height="156px;" width="300px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <em>I had the pleasure of moderating a panel called “Social Media: New Trends for Current Users” at the recent <a href="http://www.ocff.ca">OCFF</a> conference in Niagara Falls. After 90 minutes of discussion, the end result of this social media panel was that artists should focus on their own website, their mailing list, songwriting and live performance. Say what?! Allow me to explain.</em>
<h3>Social Media Trends: Focus on Your Website, Songwriting, and Playing Live (?!)</h3>The <strong>goal of the panel at OCFF was to examine the latest trends in social media, how to manage all of your profiles, and to discuss new tips/tactics</strong>, etc. On the panel were Selena Burgess (social media maven for <a href="http://borealisrecords.com/">Borealis Records</a>), Tom Power (host of CBC Radio 2’s <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/deeproots/">Deep Roots</a>) and singer-songwriter <a href="http://www.emberswift.com">Ember Swift</a>, who manages her social media accounts in both English and Mandarin since she’s now living in China. So I threw out questions about how to manage several social media accounts (Hootsuite was the popular choice amongst panelists), what everyone thought about some of Facebook’s new features (not very popular so far), Twitter trends, and the latest, greatest social media network, Google+ (not too many people using it apparently). But in the end, <strong>no matter what I did to steer the conversation towards a social media geek-out session, the panelists and artists in attendance always brought the discussion back to the basics:</strong>
<h4>1. You still need your own website</h4>Any work you do through your social media networks needs to bring people back to your own website. Bandzoogle founder Chris Vinson just wrote a blog post about why this is so important: <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/3-reasons-to-drive-fans-to-your-band-website-and-not-to-social-media-22672.cfm?showdate=9-01-2011">3 Reasons to Drive Fans to Your Band Website (and not to Social Media)</a> But essentially, it’s because you own it, you control it, and you can give your fans a focused experience of your band through your own site. By bringing fans back to your own website you can deepen your relationship with them, encourage them to sign-up to your mailing list, and shop at your own online store.
<h4>2. You still need to collect email addresses</h4>Email addresses are gold for an artist’s career. It is still the most reliable way to stay in touch with your fans. Regardless of what happens to the social media sites that are popular at the moment (remember all the fans you had on MySpace?), you can stay in touch with your fans through email. Just recently, Facebook changed the way pages worked, removing the “Update Your Fans” feature, which sent a message to all of your fans. Ember Swift brought this up during the panel discussion, as she had been using that feature’s geo-location option to target fans by region while on her current North American tour. Well, <strong>halfway through her tour, because Facebook decided to make the change, she could no longer send those updates</strong>, let alone target fans geographically. <strong>Luckily Ember had always kept her mailing list going, organized by region</strong>, so she could still send out newsletters and email fans individually before she came to their city. But had she relied solely on Facebook Pages, that could have potentially been disastrous for her promotional efforts on tour. <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/040411topspin">Statistics from TopSpin</a>, one of the top direct-to-fan marketing platforms, show that email is still the best way to convert fans to paying customers. With all of the fancy Facebook stores, and sales links being sent out through social media, sending a newsletter with a call-to-action to purchase through your own website (preferably) or through services that people recognize (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) still seems to work best.
<h4>3. Your music and live show must be GREAT</h4>Nothing, I repeat <strong>NOTHING will be better for the promotion of your music than having other people talking about it</strong>. New fans are often created because they hear about a band through a trusted source. So if your music or live show is so good that it gets people talking about it, it’s going to spread naturally. Tom Power’s last words during the panel talked about how social media marketing can’t make up for bad music. It reminded me of a great quote by <a href="http://lefsetz.com/">Bob Lefsetz</a>: <em><strong>“No amount of Tweeting and Facebooking and online dunning will make up for lame music.”</strong></em> Should you be active on social media? Yes. It is an important tool in your career and a great way to connect with your fans. But it should never come at the expense of your art. I actually wrote a blog post recently asking if <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/is-social-media-hurting-your-bands-creativity-22250.cfm">social media was hurting creativity</a>, and in the responses, Bandzoogle member <a href="http://dansonbrody.com/fr_home.cfm">D. Anson Brody</a> mentioned another great quote from comedian/actor/musician Steve Martin: <em><strong>“Be so good, they can’t ignore you”</strong></em> And that is what will make you stand out more than any amount of tweeting or Facebook updates. Being so good, people have no choice but to pay attention to you and talk about you to their friends.
<hr><h4>A Failed Panel Discussion About Social Media?</h4>In my opinion, not at all. While these aren’t exactly new trends in social media, I was heartened by the fact that people are realizing that they can’t let go of these basic principles. Without solid music, a great live show, and a home base for your fans, your best efforts on social media are likely to fall flat.Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19218892011-10-17T19:45:00-04:002013-10-24T18:42:29-04:00Post-OCFF: Public Apology to Paul Mills, Andy Frank Makes Us Look Bad, & Crushes GaloreAnother OCFF conference is in the books, and it was probably my favourite so far. Big thanks and congrats to Peter, Jennifer, Bob, the OCFF board, and all of the great volunteers, with a shout-out to Kim for helping out with my social media panel (oh, and with the exception of Aly, who pretty much ate all of the chocolate at the Bandzoogle table).
[nggallery id=1]
I had the time of my life at OCFF 2011, and it was another reminder of how wonderful the folk community is. Here are some personal highlights:
<h3><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Conference Highlights:</strong></span></h3>
<h4><strong>Being Interviewed by Andy Frank</strong></h4>
<blockquote>I had the privilege of being interviewed for an educational video series for the OCFF being put together by Andy Frank (<a href="http://frankcasting.com/">Frankcasting</a>/<a href="http://www.rootsmusic.ca">Roots Music Canada</a>). I had a blast reconnecting with him and doing the interview. But Andy, <strong>you made the rest of us look bad with your slick suits, you looked like a million bucks sir!</strong>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Estelle Klein Award Presentation & Paul Mills Tribute Video</strong></h4>
<blockquote>Speaking of Andy Frank, he did an absolutely wonderful job putting together the video tribute to the 2011 Estelle Klein Award recipient, Paul Mills. And<strong> I would like to take this opportunity to both congratulate and apologize to Mr. Mills</strong>. You see, sometimes members of the younger generations (speaking for myself) have a tendency to focus on the present and the future, and don’t take the time to examine what came before us. We can read bios, or hear things from other people, but watching that video really made an impact on me.
I don’t think I truly appreciated the work that has been done by <strong>real pioneers like Paul Mills, who are responsible for building this vibrant and wonderful community</strong>. So thank you sir, we owe so much to you, and to put it mildly, this was a well-deserved honour. I’m grateful I was there to witness it.</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Moderating Social Media Panel with Tom Power as Panelist</strong></h4>
<blockquote>Because of a scheduling conflict, I found out 24 hours before my social media panel that I would actually be moderating it, not just serving as a panelist. I think it turned out just fine, and the highlight for me was having Tom Power, host of Deep Roots on CBC Radio 2, as a surprise panelist. <strong>The guy is a superstar, and it was great to get the perspective of a member of the media on that panel.</strong>
</blockquote>
<h3><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Some Musical Highlights:</strong></span></h3>
<ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://annabelle.org/">Annabelle Chvostek</a>:</strong> An old friend from the Montreal folk scene, her voice gives me goosebumps every time.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://lindymusic.com/">Lindy</a>:</strong> Same goes for Lindy, his vocals are shiver-inducing. Can’t wait for the new album.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.wethesweetness.com/">The Sweetness</a>:</strong> Probably my favourite discovery at OCFF this year, and admittedly I have a huge crush on the band (actually on 3/4’s of the band, so that would be everyone except Aly; see above comments re: stealing our chocolate). They create a different vibe with their show than most other acts, and the combination of 4 individually talented artists has obviously resulted in something special. A band to watch out for.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.cravery.com/">C.R. Avery</a>:</strong> Had heard his name before, but didn’t know what to expect, certainly was not expecting a beat-boxing/harmonica playing/spoken word artist. Holy wow that was good.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.davegunning.com/">Dave Gunning</a>:</strong> His storytelling & impersonation of Ron Hynes were incredible!</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.LakeofStew.ca">Lake of Stew</a>:</strong> One of the best bands in the Montreal music scene, I was so proud to see them showcase officially, as the band includes a few childhood friends and the singer for my old pop-punk band from way back when I was a teenager. My hands hurt after their showcase from clapping along to their songs, so much fun.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.EmberSwift.com">Ember Swift</a>:</strong> Watching Ember put on a great performance, 7+ months preggers and all, during the Global Cafe showcase was a reminder that she is truly one of the best live performers around.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.SuzieVinnick.com">Suzie Vinnick</a>:</strong> So much talent wrapped into such a lovely human being, totally have a crush on her now (don’t worry James Dean, your name is much cooler than mine).</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.mag7s.com/">The Magnificent 7’s</a>:</strong> Bandzoogle CEO David Dufresne highly recommended this band, and he was right, they’re a lot of fun, thoroughly enjoyed watching them.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong><a href="http://www.robszabo.com">Rob Szabo</a>:</strong> I had the pleasure of booking Rob many times in Montreal, easily one of the nicest human beings I’ve come across. I was thrilled to see him up there during his official showcase, and he played my favourite song “I Live for the Summer” with a very special guest, <a href="http://www.peterkatz.com">Peter Katz</a>, who is another wonderful singer-songwriter. I think I might have man-crushes on both of them. Love those guys.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>
<strong>Gospel Jam:</strong> For <strong><a href="http://www.irreverendjames.com/">obvious reasons</a></strong>. It was also great to meet some fellow gospel choir geeks (that’s you <a href="http://www.andreasimmskarp.com/">Andrea Simms-Karp</a>!)</li>
</ul><div>
<div>I’m probably forgetting some, and there were so many showcases that I planned on attending that I didn’t because of the craziness of the conference, but<strong> thank you to all the artists that performed, </strong>you bring tremendous joy into our lives.</div>
</div>
<h3><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Thank You</strong></span></h3>
A huge thanks to David Dufresne and <a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com">Bandzoogle</a> for investing in the folk community and for sending Elida & I to the conference. We had a blast, it was so much fun to work and hang out together that weekend.
And to everyone who came up to me to tell me that they enjoy my blog posts, or thanked me for the work I do, <strong>I was completely caught off guard by your kindness</strong>. I can’t express how good it feels to know that the work you are doing is appreciated by your community. I was truly humbled, and am so grateful for your kind words.
It was great to see so many old friends, and meet lots of new ones. So <strong>thank you my fellow folkies for being such a great and supportive community, I’m already counting the days until OCFF 2012</strong>. In the meantime, please stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.
Cheers,
Dave
<strong>Facebook:</strong> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/davecool7">facebook.com/davecool7</a>
<strong>Twitter:</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/dave_cool">twitter.com/dave_cool</a>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19218902011-09-30T19:45:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:42-05:00Musicians and the Art of Polite Persistence<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/iStock_000002368152XSmall.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Don't Quit" height="166px;" width="250px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em>
<h3> </h3>
<h3>Musicians and the Art of Polite Persistence</h3>A few weeks ago I went back to a venue that I was the program director at for 3 years. The band playing that night was a jazz trio called “Apartment 5”. I realized that the bass player Paul is the perfect example of polite persistence, because it took almost a year for me to first book his band, but they have been playing regular gigs at the venue ever since. I first heard from Paul after I had started booking a space called the St-Ambroise Centre here in Montreal, which is owned and operated by local micro-brewery McAuslan Brewing (if you can find their St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, it’s considered to be the best stout in the world by many beer geeks). Anyway, his jazz trio had played at a visual arts event at the venue (the artist had hired them), and he called me shortly after to see if we would be interested in hiring his band for other gigs. I explained that it was something we simply didn’t do. We didn’t charge to rent the space, but we also didn’t offer guarantees to bands. But they were a work-for-hire band, so there was nothing I could for them at the time. A few months later, I got a voice mail from Paul, asking if we had any need for his jazz trio. I didn’t call him back this time because I was swamped with work, and there was still nothing I could do for him. A few months later, he called back and we spoke on the phone once again. I didn’t have anything different to tell him, but he was a nice guy and I honestly didn’t mind talking to him for a few minutes.<br><br><strong>Opportunity Knocked</strong><br><br>These phone calls and messages continued every once in a while for most of that year, until one day we got a call at the venue to host a private event for a company. It turned out they wanted a jazz trio for entertainment during the evening. Guess who I thought of first? My friend Paul. So I called him up and offered him the gig. It was for less money than they normally charged, but Paul said they’d take the gig to show me what it was like to work with the band and to prove themselves. As it turned out, they were perfect. Great musicians, totally professional. They came in, set-up on time, played their sets, tore down and got out of the way (and they didn’t get drunk, eat all of the client’s food, etc.). They knew they were there to do a job and that’s what they did. I was really impressed. I got a thank you phone call from Paul shortly after (remember how much I love those). He of course reminded me they were available to do more gigs, and I reminded him that this was a one-off kind of thing, but that I would keep him in mind if anything else came up.<br><br><strong>The Pay Off</strong><br><br>Well, the following spring I was given the keys to the much larger outdoor space at the micro-brewery, the St-Ambroise Terrace (250+ capacity versus 50+ capacity). We also made a decision to invest a considerable amount of money into hiring entertainment throughout the summer, a good portion of which would go to weekly music nights. I think you know who got a lot of those gigs, and they’ve been playing regularly at the space for 3 years now, even after I left my job as the program director. <strong>Everyone Needs a<br>Polite Reminder</strong><br><br>So when I saw Paul recently after his set at the St-Ambroise Terrace, I reminded him how it had all started with his regular phone calls and messages. We laughed about it, but then he thanked me for reminding him. He admitted it’s not easy to do for an artist, and he had lost sight of the fact that polite persistence can indeed pay off. He realized that there were a bunch of potential clients that he had stopped phoning simply because he had lost confidence after he wasn’t getting calls back, but he said he would pick up the phone and try again. I figured since the guy who was in my mind the perfect example of polite persistence needed a friendly reminder, then other musicians might need one as well. So take it from someone who was fielding dozens of booking emails/calls every week for 4 years, polite persistence can indeed pay off.<hr><h4>IMPORTANT: Why Paul’s Polite Persistence Paid Off</h4>It’s one thing to say that polite persistence works, but I want to take a closer look at specifically why it worked in this case:<br><br><strong>1. They never sounded bitter, angry or frustrated</strong><br><br>Whenever Paul called, he never came across as pushy, and never sounded bitter, angry or frustrated that I wasn’t booking him. He was always upbeat, asked me how things at the venue were going, and was just fun to talk to. The reality is that had he given me any attitude along the way about not booking the band, the story probably would’ve ended there.<br><br><strong>2. They didn’t take a non-reply as a “No”</strong><br><br>There were several times when I didn’t call Paul back, but he didn’t take the non-reply as a “No”, and neither should you. If a booker or media person (or anyone else you’re trying to reach) doesn’t return your phone call or respond to your email, all it means is that they didn’t return your phone call or respond to your email. It doesn’t mean the answer is no. People are extremely busy, especially any gatekeepers in the industry, and emails and phone calls often get lost in the shuffle. Heck, even when I did tell Paul the answer was “no”, he still persisted, but that’s because I always left the door open to the situation changing in the future, so he kept following up until the answer was a definite “No”, which it never ended up being.<br><br><strong>3. They persisted, to a point</strong><br><br>Yes, Paul persisted, but he didn’t call every day or even every week. It was more like once every few months. Had he called me every day or every few days, I probably would’ve blocked his number and never booked the band. He struck the right balance.<br><br><strong>4. Once opportunity knocked, they exceeded expectations</strong><br><br>Once the band got the first gig, they did an amazing job and exceeded my expectations. They even took the gig for less money than they were usually paid, just to get their feet in the door. They made sure that if ever another opportunity came up, I would have no choice but to think to book them, which is exactly what happened.<hr><strong>Have you ever used polite persistence to get a gig? How about to get an interview in the media or song on the radio? Let us know in the comments section below!</strong>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19219132011-09-01T19:50:00-04:002017-02-02T14:53:35-05:0021 Ways to Collaborate with Other Artists & Bands to Get More Fans<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/iStock_000010314405Small.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Dynamic Duo" height="200px;" width="300px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <em>One of the best ways for emerging bands to gain new fans is to be exposed to another band’s audience. Especially if you have similar target markets, fans are more likely to trust a recommendation coming from a band they already know and like. Here are some ideas on how you can collaborate with other artists and bands to grow your fan base:</em>
<h3>21 Ways to Collaborate with Other Artists & Bands to Get More Fans</h3>
<h4>Collaborate on Live Shows</h4>Likely the easiest and most common way to collaborate with other bands is to play gigs together. Here are a few different ways to collaborate on gigs: <strong>1. Gig Swap</strong> This is of course a no-brainer. Find other like-minded bands whose musical style either compliments you, or even better, that would make for an interesting combination, giving fans of both bands a unique experience. You can open for each other at different shows, and this will work especially well if the other band is based in a different (but nearby) city. You can do gig swaps to help each other break into new markets. <strong>2. Festival gigs</strong> If you’re playing a festival and there is an artist or members of a band that you want to collaborate with, why not create a special environment at your festival gig by collaborating on a song or two? I’ve seen artists collaborate on festival stages big and small, and it usually makes for a buzz-worthy performance that gets people talking. <strong>3. Conference showcases</strong> Same idea as with festivals, but if you manage to get a showcase at a music conference, why not bring in another artist to collaborate on a song? Just be sure to have <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/i-loved-your-band-too-bad-i-have-no-idea-who-you-are-21985.cfm?showdate=6-01-2011">rehearsed it live</a> before showcasing. <strong>4. Tours</strong> Take the concept of playing live with another band even further and book a tour together. It could be just a weekend tour of a few cities close to home, or a full-out regional/national tour.
<h4>Collaborate on Recordings</h4>For your next album, try and think of some like-minded artists that you can collaborate with. Collaborating on recordings can be done in many different ways, here are a few to consider: <strong>5. Guest performances</strong> The simplest thing you can do is perform on each other’s recordings (sing, play an instrument, DJ, rap, etc.). If you want to get the most bang for your buck, make sure that in the song title it actually lists the other artist “X Song Name (Featuring X Artist)”. <strong>6. Co-write a song</strong> Next step would be to co-write with another artist. This will not only be great for the sake of collaboration, but might help with each of your songwriting abilities and open up some new ideas, which is never a bad thing. <strong>7. Cover a song</strong> Why not cover a song by a fellow emerging band whose fan base would like your music? It’s a great way to flatter the band and also generate buzz for both of you. <strong>8. Produce each other’s music</strong> An even more involved way to collaborate in the studio is to take turns producing each other’s songs. This can give each of you a new perspective on the songs you choose to produce for each other. Often emerging artists can’t afford to hire a producer, but having that objective ear can really help improve the songs. So if you have an opportunity to have a peer produce a song, it might be worthwhile to give it a try. <strong>9. Remix songs</strong> Another great way to collaborate is to approach an artist to do a remix of one of your songs. You can even remix each other’s songs, or take it further and do remix albums of each other’s music. <strong>10. Release an exclusive single/EP</strong> If you’ve collaborated with another band through guest appearances, songwriting, production, remixes, etc., why not release an exclusive digital single or EP through your website? Even better, couple that digital release with the release of a limited edition vinyl: <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/070811vinyl">Vinyl sales already up 41% on the year</a>
<h4>Collaborate Using Video</h4>There are also lots of possibilities to use video for collaborations: <strong>11. Official music videos</strong> If you’ve guested on a song, or co-written a song together, collaborating on an official music video is also a no-brainer. <strong>12. Live videos</strong> If you’ve collaborated with another band live on stage, be sure to get some footage of it for both bands to use to promote to their fans. <strong>13. Cover song videos</strong> Even if you haven’t covered the band’s song on your album, you can still release videos covering songs of fellow emerging bands that you want to collaborate with. Chances are that both of your fan bases will get a kick out of this. <strong>14. Videos from the Studio</strong> If you’re doing any kind of collaboration in the studio, be sure to get some footage of it to release on your website/YouTube, etc. Remember, when you’re in the studio, <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/in-the-studio-dont-shut-out-your-fans-21593.cfm?showdate=5-01-2011">don’t shut out your fans</a>. <strong>15. Live streaming video</strong> Why not use live streaming video while in studio, at a live gig, or even after a gig to chat with fans of both bands?
<h4>Collaborate Using Your Website</h4>Don’t forget to use your website to help in your collaboration with other bands. Here are some of the ways to drive people to your website: <strong>16. On Your Blog</strong> It can be as simple as blogging about the other band. You can:
<ul>
<li>Talk about why you like their music</li> <li>Do a review their album</li> <li>Interview the band</li>
</ul><strong>17. Photo Galleries</strong> Use photo galleries to highlight collaborations with other bands, including pictures from studio sessions, pictures from live shows, or just the bands hanging out together. <em>Note: Live Video & Exclusive Music</em> If you do decide to use live video streaming in your collaborations, be sure to host the video on your own site and not the streaming service’s site. Most services will let you embed HTML to host the feed directly on your own website. And as mentioned earlier, if you do collaborate on a recording with another band, why not release the track(s) exclusively through your website? Take advantage of any excuse to drive traffic to your website where people can sign-up to your mailing list, shop at your online store, etc.
<h4>Collaborate Using Social Media</h4>And last but not least, probably the quickest way to collaborate with other bands and help each other out is to use social media. You can: <strong>18. Exchange Tweets</strong> Tweet praise about each other and encourage your fans to follow each other’s band. <strong>19. Host a Twitter Chat</strong> Why not organize a Twitter chat session for fans of both bands so you can chat with each other’s fans. What’s a Twitter chat? Here’s a great article that explains what it is and how to set one up: <a href="http://mashable.com/2009/12/08/twitter-chat/">http://mashable.com/2009/12/08/twitter-chat/</a> <strong>20. Use Facebook status updates</strong> You can each talk about why you like the other band and be sure to link to each other’s fan page. <strong>21. Post a Facebook Note</strong> Create a Facebook note talking about the other band, just be sure to tag the other band in the note as Madalyn Sklar pointed out in her <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/musicians-stand-out-using-facebook-notes-22281.cfm">guest blog</a> about Facebook Notes here on Bandzoogle. <em>Note: And it goes without saying, use social media to drive fans to your website to view your blog posts, video blogs, live video and other exclusive content on your website.</em> <strong>The bottom line is that the more emerging artists join forces to help each other out through collaborations, the more buzz it will generate, which will no doubt result in more fans for each band.</strong>
<h4>Rappers do it best</h4>The amount of collaborations and guest appearances that happen in hip hop eclipse’s other genres. As discussed in a Digital Music News Article <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/100110top8">“The Top 8 Reasons Why Rappers Make Better Businessmen…”</a>, guest appearances help amplify your music to new audiences, and rappers use this tactic often and to great effect. Making the news these days is the high-profile collaboration between Kanye West and Jay-Z called <a href="http://watchthethrone.com/">“Watch the Throne”</a>. But I’ll end this post with a more old-school example. Here’s a video of one of the most famous collaborations that crossed over genres and garnered both groups increased sales, awards, and arguably spawned a new genre of music:<iframe frameborder="0" height="345" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4B_UYYPb-Gk" width="420"></iframe>
<hr><strong>P.S.- A Shout-out</strong> In the world of music blogging, with so many blogs and writers out there, the chances of overlap are great. Case in point, this blog post was in the can and scheduled to go up a few week ago, but with a back-log of content, we delayed publishing it until this week. Well, ironically, David Hooper over at <a href="http://www.musicmarketing.com/">Music Marketing [dot] com</a> posted a blog recently called <a href="http://www.musicmarketing.com/2011/08/5-ways-to-collaborate-or-partner-with-other-bands.html">“5 Ways to Collaborate (or Partner) with Other Bands”</a>. And although there are of course some similarities, there are a few ways to collaborate with other bands that didn’t make it onto my list, so head on over there if you’re looking for a few other ways to collaborate with bands.
<hr><strong>Question: In what creative ways have you collaborated with other artists or bands? Please leave us your comments below.</strong> Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19219142011-08-16T19:50:00-04:002017-02-02T14:53:35-05:00After 12 Years of Saying No, I’ve Finally Said Yes (to managing a band)<div>
<p dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.6763697627466172"><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/band_3164561.png"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/band_3164561.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="133" width="170" /></a></p>
<strong>For years I’ve been asked to manage artists, but my answer has always been “no”</strong>, for the simple reason that I was never interested in focusing my energies on 1 individual artist. It wasn’t personal, I just preferred to work with as many artists as possible on big-picture projects, whether it was my film <a href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">“What is INDIE?”</a>, programming two venues for St-Ambroise, or now with my work at <a href="http://www.ciraa.ca">CIRAA </a>and <a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com">Bandzoogle</a>. But I <strong>threw my “no managing bands” policy out the window recently</strong> when not only did I say “yes” to managing a band, I actually pursued them offering to manage them. That band is <a href="http://www.irreverendjames.com/">Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir</a>; a secular, rabble-rousing, barn-burning, queer-positive, feminist, anti-racist, subversive Gospel Music Band. A few months ago I wrote a blog post called “<a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/05/the-story-of-the-only-band-i-ever-booked-based-on-1-myspace-song/">The Story of the Only Band I Ever Booked Based on 1 MySpace Song</a>” describing how I first booked Irreverend James at the Centre St-Ambroise. I wrote the post out of pure passion for the music, and to help them in any way I could with their EP launch in June. I think I must have watched the teaser video for that show about 100 times: <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/23268340">http://www.vimeo.com/23268340</a> It soon became clear to me that I was interested in more than just being a fan on the sidelines with these guys, that I wanted to be involved with the project in some way. And after a few meetings with the band, it became clear that we were a very good match, so I’ve been quietly helping them out behind the scenes since then. But that support is now official, as we have agreed that I will manage the band going forward, and I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. For those of you who follow my writing, you know that I’m a fan of lists. So here’s the Top 5 Reasons that I’ve decided to manage Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir: <!--more-->
<h4>1. If I had $10 Million, I would still manage them</h4>To measure whether I’m enjoying what I’m doing in life, every so often I ask myself a simple question: If I had all the money I needed to live and sustain myself, would I be working on this? I can say without a shadow of a doubt that even if I had millions in the bank, I would still be managing Irreverend James (and I’m willing to bet they wish that I did).
<h4>2. Passion</h4>This project has ignited a passion within me that I haven’t felt since I made my film back in 2005. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed working on lots of projects since then, and have put 110% of my time and energy into those projects. But very few things in my life have kept me up at night quite like my movie, or this band. I regularly find myself just sitting at my desk late at night listening to their music and brainstorming ideas, or just watching their videos over and over again. <strong>When passion like that hits, it’s impossible to ignore.</strong>
<h4>3. The Concept</h4>With a leveled playing field in today’s music industry because of the Internet/social media, etc., being unique/different in some way is vitally important for artists. Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir describe themselves as: <strong>A Secular, Rabble-Rousing, Barn-Burning, Queer-Positive, Feminist, Anti-Racist, Subversive Gospel Music Band.</strong> Sign me up please. And many of you probably don’t know this, but I actually grew up on punk-rock, listening to bands like Minor Threat and Bad Religion, who were hugely influential in my life. So I see this project almost like punk-rock gospel :)
<h4>4. The Live Show</h4>This is how <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/05/the-story-of-the-only-band-i-ever-booked-based-on-1-myspace-song/">I described</a> the first time I saw the band: <em>“People were up dancing, clapping and singing along instantly, it was infectious. The room was alive, there was energy and excitement that you only wish you could feel at every show.”</em> To survive as a band in today’s music industry, making the live show experience memorable is a must. I was involved in more than 500 events during my time at St-Ambroise, and <strong>that night is still etched in my memory.</strong>
<h4>5. The Music</h4>It starts and ends with the music. If the music isn’t there, then there’s really nothing to talk about. But with Irreverend James, the music is there in spades. I listen to it everyday, often on repeat. The singer of the band, The Profit (known as Baptiste in some circles), is easily one of the best singers I’ve come across in my life. The man has clearly put in his <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/5-common-characteristics-of-fulltime-musicians-22191.cfm?showdate=7-01-2011">10,000 hours</a>. Evidence? Check out this 1-minute clip from their last live performance. It’s a cover of the classic “Roll, Jordan, Roll”, and the vocal performance gives me goose bumps every time:<iframe frameborder="0" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dtBx1qw-pG8" width="425"></iframe> </div>
<div>
<hr>
<h4>Come celebrate with me on August 24, 5 à 7 @ Divan Orange</h4>Although August 24th is being billed as the official recruitment for the Critical Mass Choir, it’s also the official start to this partnership. So I hope that many of you will stop by for a drink to help us celebrate, and to see what the fuss is all about. Here’s a new teaser video from the band to preview this show: <iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/27701469?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/27701469">Recruiting Now (Critical Mass Choir Teaser)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5168012">The Critical Mass Choir</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19219152011-08-12T19:50:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:42-05:00Is Social Media Hurting Your Band’s Creativity?<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/iStock_000013837043XSmall.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Computer and guitar" height="199px;" width="300px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <em>For the past few years I’ve been advising every band I speak to that they “must” be on social media sites to promote their music. But do emerging bands really need to be using social media? Is it possible that too much time spent on social media can actually hurt your creative output?</em>
<h2>Is Social Media Hurting Your Band’s Creativity?</h2>I recently went on vacation for a week. It was the first time in 2 years that I had been away from a computer for more than 24 hours, and with it, away from Facebook and Twitter. It allowed me to completely disconnect, relax and truly reflect on life. Then a funny thing happened: I noticed that by the end of the week I had come up with more quality ideas than I had in a long time. It’s as if my brain just needed a break from the constant bombardment of Twitter updates and Facebook notifications to be creative again. So I asked myself a simple question: <strong>was constant activity on social media hurting my creative output?</strong>
<h4>Digital Downtime and Creativity</h4>I did some research and discovered the concept of “Digital Downtime”. When one of the world's best-known marketing/communications firms JWT released their “<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/jwtintelligence/2f-100-things-to-watch-in-2011-6306251%20">100 Things to Watch in 2011</a>”, <strong>#25 on the list was “Digital Downtime”</strong>: <em>“These mindful breaks from digital input will be intended to <strong>relieve stress and foster creativity</strong>.”</em> The New York Times also <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html%20">published an article</a> related to the subject of digital downtime, and in the article it mentions that scientists had discovered that: <em>“...when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could <strong>allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas</strong>.”</em> When you’re spending a lot of time on social media sites, where you’re constantly reacting to questions and comments, focusing on updating your profiles, is it possible that it can hurt your creativity in other areas?
<h4>Social Media Not for Everyone?</h4>The topic of social media and creativity actually came up in my interview with online fandom expert Nancy Baym right here on the <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/fans-or-friends-how-social-media-is-changing-the-artistfan-relationship-part-1-21871.cfm"> Bandzoogle blog</a>: <em>“I encourage artists to use social media, but they don’t have to use every site and if, for them, social media are uncomfortable or <strong>deterrents to creative production, it’s totally okay not to use them</strong>.”</em> I think it was the first time I heard someone say that it’s okay for a band not to be using social media. Then Berklee Blogs published an incredibly <a href="http://www.berklee-blogs.com/2011/07/john-mayer-2011-clinic-manage-the-temptation-to-publish-yourself/"> revealing interview with John Mayer</a>, who at one point <strong>had over 4 million Twitter followers, but then gave it up</strong> completely. Here’s why: <em>“You’re coming up with 140-character zingers, and the song is still 4 minutes long...I realized about a year ago that <strong>I couldn’t have a complete thought anymore</strong>. And I was a tweetaholic. And I stopped using twitter as an outlet and I started using twitter as the instrument to riff on, and <strong>it started to make my mind smaller and smaller and smaller. And I couldn’t write a song</strong>.”</em> But John Mayer is not the only artist to question Twitter and social media. Many artists are leaving Twitter, and in some cases <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/071411fiasco%20"> donating their accounts</a>. As Nancy Baym also <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/fans-or-friends-how-social-media-is-changing-the-artistfan-relationship-part-1-21871.cfm"> pointed out</a>, other artists like Sufjan Stevens simply never used social media to begin with. So the question becomes: <strong>do all bands really <em>need</em> to be using social media?</strong>
<h4>Music Should Always Come First</h4><em>"Focus on the music and the show, the rest is secondary."</em> - Bob Lefsetz At the end of the day, <strong>your music is what’s most important</strong>. In an age where there are so many other bands out there, what truly stands out is great music. So if your band is just starting out, should you be spending a lot of time on social media trying to gain new fans? <strong>Could that time be better spent writing, rehearsing, and recording?</strong> Especially when you consider that <strong>most emerging musicians work day jobs and their time is limited</strong> to begin with, where should that limited amount of time be spent? Social media might not be the answer.
<h4>Should Bands Give Up Social Media Completely?</h4>But should bands give up social media completely? I think it <strong>comes down to personal choice and what’s right for your own career</strong>. If you find that being on social media is hurting your creative output or taking time away from rehearsals, then you might want to scale back. Moderation is key. Or, you can simply choose to hold-off using social media until you feel that your music is truly ready to promote to the public. As John Mayer <a href="http://www.berklee-blogs.com/2011/07/john-mayer-2011-clinic-manage-the-temptation-to-publish-yourself/"> told the audience</a> at Berklee: <em>“This is not a time to promote yourself. It doesn’t matter. <strong>This is the time to get your stuff together</strong>. Promotion can be like that. <strong>You can have promotion in 30 seconds if your stuff is good.</strong>”</em> So the next time a band tells me that they’re not going to use social media, I’m not going to react as if they just told me they killed a unicorn. If they feel that social media is not right for them at this point in their career, then I think that’s totally valid.
<hr><h4>Do you find that too much time spent on social media hurts your creativity? Please leave your comments below.</h4>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19219322011-08-04T19:55:00-04:002017-02-02T14:53:37-05:005 Common Characteristics of Full-Time Musicians<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/photofrontline2_mini.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Paul Cargnello & The Frontline (photo: Alex Steau)" height="216px;" width="199px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <em>I’ve now been involved in the Montreal music scene in some way for 17 years, and have seen many artists and bands come and go during that time. Now that I’m in my 30’s, I’m starting to truly understand what it takes to “make it” as a musician/band. What do I mean by “make it”? I’m <strong>not talking about becoming a "star", but simply playing music for a living</strong>, which is a place where most of my artist friends want to get to. While reflecting on this, I realized that the artists that were finally able to make a living playing music had some common traits:</em>
<h4>5 Common Characteristics of Full-Time Musicians</h4><strong>1. They work (very) hard</strong><br><br>The artists and bands that I know that are making a full-time living are some of the <strong>hardest working people I know</strong>. They <strong>hustle every day and work long hours, evenings, weekends, whatever it takes</strong> to get the job done and bring in the income they need to survive. Most bands dream of quitting their day job to do music full-time, but some don’t realize that it is a job to be a full-time musician, and you might end up working harder and longer than any day job out there, but the reward will be to do what you love for a living.<br><br><strong>2. They love what they’re doing</strong><br><br>To make it as a full-time musician, you have to eat, breath and sleep music each and every day. In order to do this, you have to truly love what you are doing and be extremely passionate about it. It’s <strong>not always going to be glamorous, and most often it’s going to be a lot of hard work</strong>. When you’re on tour for weeks at a time, driving long hours cramped in a van, sleeping on floors and barely making enough money to eat, <strong>you really need to love what you’re doing to get through those tough experiences</strong> and breakthrough to the other side when the money does start to come in.<br><br><strong>3. It’s not about the money</strong><br><br>Speaking of money, I don’t know a single full-time artist that is playing music simply for the money. They have a passion for writing/performing/recording music, and they take their art and their craft seriously. <strong>It’s all they know and it’s all they want to do</strong>. Money is secondary, and when it comes, it’s simply a by-product of the work they are putting in. Don’t get me wrong, <strong>although it’s not about the money for these artists, they do have a business sense, which is extremely important</strong>. They know how to manage their finances and put a value to the work they are doing.<br><br><strong>4. They have support</strong> <strong>Being a DIY artist doesn’t mean you have to or should do it all on your own</strong>.<br><br>Derek Sivers, the Founder of CD Baby, wrote a great blog post talking about this subject: <a href="http://sivers.org/diy">http://sivers.org/diy</a> Essentially, Derek says that DIY shouldn’t mean Do-It-ALL-Yourself, but instead should mean Decide-It-Yourself. This is so true, and <strong>all the artists I know who are making a full-time living have some kind of support team in place</strong>, either a manager, agent, small label or assistant to help them with their career. They didn’t necessarily start out with these people in place, but over time they developed a team to help them manage their careers. In some cases they are life partners, sometimes close friends, but more often it's a professional manager and/or agent who got on board once they reached a certain level in their career development.<br><br><strong>5. They don’t give up</strong><br><br>And last but not least, <strong>they simply don’t give up</strong>. I can’t tell you how many artists and bands I’ve known that after 1 or 2 albums they simply pack it in because they didn’t “make it”. This especially seems to happen after a few tours. Being on the road can be a difficult experience for most people, which goes back to having to really love what you’re doing to get through those moments. The artists I know that are now making a living full-time from their music just stuck to it, through thick and thin. A gig falls through? They find another one. A band member quits? They replace them. They just keep going no matter what obstacles they have in front of them. <strong>This is all they know, and they don’t make any back-up plans</strong>.
<hr> One final thing I’ll say on this subject is that it <strong>often took these artists years to get to the point of making a full-time living from music</strong>, usually 7-10 years. Most “overnight successes” are years in the making, and nowhere is this truer than in the music industry. Remember, <strong>The Beatles spent years performing 8-hour sets, 7 days a week in Germany before breaking</strong> into the American market. Author Malcolm Gladwell talks about this story and the “10,000 Hour Rule” in his book The Outliers. Here’s a video describing the 10,000 Hour Rule:<iframe frameborder="0" height="265" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kq2n1Jlx5P0" width="425"></iframe> <strong>Another example of the 10,000 Hour Rule in the music industry, this time about Fleetwood Mac:</strong><iframe frameborder="0" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DPCOMtJL6vA" width="425"></iframe>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19219332011-07-21T19:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:42-05:005 Key Elements to a Solid Band Bio<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/band-biography.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="BAnd Bio" height="184px;" width="225px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em>
<em>One of the first things bands have to do when they create their website is to add a bio. It can be challenging, and many get stuck on what exactly they should write. Here are some key elements that you should have in your bio to help get you started:</em>
<h4>5 Key Elements to a Solid Band Bio</h4>
<strong>1. Who you are</strong>
Some questions you should answer right away in your bio:
<ul>
<li>What’s your band name?</li>
<li>Where are you from?</li>
<li>What do you sound like?</li>
<li>What are your influences?</li>
</ul>
Remember that <strong>your bio will be the first impression that most people have of your band</strong>, so this first paragraph is really important. Make it interesting, engaging and as unique as possible.
<strong>2. What’s going on with your career right now?</strong>
Have you just released a new album? Are you in studio? Are you currently on a songwriting retreat in Nashville? Make sure to <strong>include some information about what you’re currently up to</strong> in your bio.
<strong>3. Background info</strong>
Feel free to include some pertinent background info, but within reason. Nothing will make a media or industry person’s eyes gloss over more quickly than reading something like “Dave started taking pianos lessons when he was 5 years old. At age 6 he...”, etc. <strong>Find an interesting way to explain your musical history</strong> without necessarily spelling out each step from childhood until now.
<strong>4. Career highlights</strong>
Take the time to write down all of the successes you’ve had in your career, big and small. Did you collaborate with a well-known musician? Did your band win any awards/contests? Have you charted on radio? Once you’ve done that, <strong>choose the most unique/eye catching stories and include at least one of them</strong> in your bio.
<strong>5. Media quotes</strong>
<strong>If you have any quotes from media or industry people, definitely include one or two</strong> in your bio. Maybe have one in the opening paragraph to help describe your sound, and maybe a quote to end your bio talking about your potential as a band. And although tempting, please don’t include quotes from your Mom. If you don’t have any industry or media quotes, that’s fine, better not to have any than to make something up.
<hr><strong>Bonus tips:</strong>
Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind for your band’s bio:
<ul>
<li><strong>Have several versions ready</strong></li>
</ul>
It’s a <strong>good idea to have several versions of your bio</strong> ready: Long (1 page), Medium (2 or 3
paragraphs), short (1 paragraph) and an ‘elevator pitch’. An elevator pitch is a way to
quickly describe your music in 30 seconds, so it should only be a few sentences.
For some <strong>great tips on how to create your pitch, check out Ariel Hyatt’s guest blog</strong> right here on Bandzoogle:
<a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/creating-a-perfect-pitch--laser-focus-your-message-19981.cfm">Creating a Perfect Pitch - Laser Focus Your Message</a>
Music <strong>conferences, festivals and media outlets have different needs</strong> and criteria, so <strong>having different versions ready beforehand will save you time</strong> and potential panic in having to edit your bio in situations where you need to submit it right away.
<ul>
<li><strong>Be honest (no making stuff up)</strong></li>
</ul>
It might be tempting to say that you showcased at SXSW, or to add a quote from a major news outlet talking about your music, but <strong>if it isn’t legit, don’t write it</strong>. People will eventually find out, and it’s not worth the backlash or the risk of being blacklisted by media.
<ul>
<li><strong>No typos</strong></li>
</ul>
Seriously, no typos.
<ul>
<li><strong>Keep it current</strong></li>
</ul>
And last but not least, always keep your bio current. <strong>The moment something significant happens in your career, you should update your bio</strong> with this new information. If you’ve gone from being in the studio to releasing your album, update your bio. If you’ve release the album and are now going on a National tour, add that to your bio, etc. Your <strong>bio should be continually updated as your career moves forward</strong>.Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19219342011-07-14T19:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:42-05:00Stop Wasting Your Time with Facebook Events <img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/99-fb-events_300px.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Facebook Events" height="138px;" width="300px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em>
<h4>Stop Wasting Your Time with Facebook Events (Sending Messages through Facebook Event Invites is Now Essentially Useless)</h4>
I have a confession to make: I stopped checking Facebook Event Invites late last year. It started feeling eerily like MySpace at its worst (and look where MySpace is now). I have an average of 80+ invites at any one time, and <strong>what made it even worse was the constant messages that were sent to everyone invited to the event, whether they had confirmed or not</strong>. So not only did I stop checking event invites, my Facebook inbox became such a mess that I stopped checking that too.
That is until Facebook changed the way their messaging system worked. Your Facebook inbox is now an integration of SMS, chat, email or messages. But one of the biggest changes for bands is that now any <strong>messages sent through Event Invites no longer wind up in someone’s regular inbox, they now end up in the “Other” inbox</strong>. That’s right, the “Other” inbox where message updates from Facebook Fan Pages go.
<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Facebook_Inbox_300px.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="Facebook Inbox" height="295px;" width="300px;" /><strong>The “Other” Inbox</strong>
How many people actually know that this secondary “Other” inbox exists? <strong>How many people know it exists and proactively check it</strong> to get those updates? I’m willing to bet, not very many. I actually knew it existed, but had totally forgotten about it, and now have 20 pages worth of unread messages from Facebook Pages. <strong>It’s like a junk mail folder that I never open</strong>. And now all of those messages from events I’m not attending are going to that inbox too, which is great news for me (and I might actually start using my Facebook inbox again), but it’s not very good news for people organizing events, specifically bands.
<strong>What’s the solution?</strong>
So what’s the solution? What should bands do now? Keep sending messages through event invites even though they are going to the “Other” inbox? While you can keep doing this if you want, here are a few other things you can spend time on that might give you better results and more attendance at your shows:
<strong>1. Stop blindly inviting everyone to shows</strong>
I live in Montreal, but I can’t tell you how often I get invites for events that are happening in Toronto, New York, Boston, etc. Is there a chance I will be in that city for the show? Yes, in theory, but it’s really not worth the risk of being blacklisted. Blacklisted? Yes, <strong>you can actually ignore all invites from certain people</strong> if you want to. I do it all the time, and being invited to shows that are not happening in my home city is often the reason (especially getting invites to shows in each city of a band’s national tour).
<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Facebook_Ignore_Invites.JPG" class="size_orig justify_none border_" alt="Facebook Ignore Invites" height="81px;" width="377px;" />
And if I do happen to be in that city for the show, I’ll find out when the person updates their fan page, sends out a message through their mailing list or tweets about it. But blindly inviting everyone in your Friend’s list is just not the way to go.
<strong>2. Be active on your Fan Page</strong>
Be sure to <strong>post regular updates about your show on your Fan Page</strong>. Event details, updates about the line-up, blog posts previewing the show, links to video blogs on your website. And <strong>if there are opening bands, talk about them too!</strong> You can post info about the bands, their music, videos, etc. If you post updates every day leading up to the show, it will no doubt create awareness about the event and create buzz/excitement about it.
<strong>3. Send personal messages to people that you invite to events</strong>
So the messages you send through the Event Invite itself are now going to the mysterious “Other” inbox? Well, why not <strong>take the time to send each person who you’ve invited a personal message</strong> inviting them? And I don’t mean copying and pasting the same message to each person. Yes, <strong>you can and should use some of the same elements, but take an extra few minutes and personalize the message</strong> to the individual. You can reference a recent conversation with them, tell them <strong>what’s going to be special/unique/fun about that night</strong>, basically, tell them why they should come out that night.
<strong>Don’t be discouraged</strong>
This post is certainly not meant to be discouraging, but more of a reality check for promoting shows. I sat in many empty rooms during my 3 years as a venue booker in Montreal, and often the band’s idea of promoting the show was creating a Facebook Invite and sending out 1 message to everyone who they invited. It’s just not enough anymore, and this goes for any event where the audience is not built-in. The message here is that <strong>we all have to go the extra mile to get people to our events</strong>, and the more creative, the better.
<strong><em>In what creative ways has your band promoted your live shows on Facebook?</em></strong>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19269982011-07-06T13:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:42-05:00I Loved Your Band, Too Bad I Have No Idea Who You Are<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/NXNE-2011-300x132.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="NXNE" height="132px;" width="300px;" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your band website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <em>I recently attended the NXNE music festival and conference in Toronto. It was my first time at NXNE, but the lessons I took away for bands who were showcasing were the same as at other conferences I’ve attended. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re going to be showcasing at a conference or festival in the future.</em>
<h4>I Loved Your Band, Too Bad I Have No Idea Who You Are (and Other Lessons from Music Conferences)</h4><strong>Repeat Your Name</strong><br><br>People are constantly coming in and out of showcases, so please don’t forget to say your name often. If you only said your name at the very beginning of your set, the people who arrived 3 songs in will have no idea who you are. Don’t be shy about it, and you can even joke about constantly repeating it, just make sure to do it. You can mention your website, your Twitter handle, ask people to like your band on Facebook, and sign-up to your mailing list. These are all great excuses to mention your band name. I’ve attended so many artist showcases and walked out not knowing who the artist was. People are extremely busy, don’t make it any harder for them to find out who you are by having to ask around or search through the conference program, be sure to let them know yourself.<br><br><strong>Play Only Your Best (Rehearsed) Songs</strong><br><br>It might be tempting to play that song you just wrote because it feels fresh and exciting, and you think it’s the best song you’ve ever written. But if you haven’t rehearsed it live, PLEASE don’t play it at your showcase. Play the songs you know best, play older “hits”, but whatever you do, don’t go in there playing a song live for the first time. An artist friend of mine once played a high-profile showcase at a music conference and decided to play not only one, but several new songs that had never been performed live. Big mistake. Everyone I was with commented that those songs were the weakest part of the set and couldn’t understand why the artist had played them. You have to remember that often the people in attendance are not just having a beer and chatting with their friends. Some people are there to do business. These are people who can help your career. Don’t take risks like playing songs you’ve never played live before. Only play what you know best and what has been rehearsed many, many times. Maybe try out that new song in the late night jam sessions amongst other musicians and ask for their feedback. But please don’t showcase with it.<br><br><strong>Play Your Heart Out, No Matter What</strong><br><br>Regardless of how many or how few people are at your showcase, play like you’re playing in front of all of the agents, managers and festival directors you were hoping to meet. Because you never know who those few people are, and often times it will surprise you. At a Folk Alliance conference a few years ago, I went to see a private showcase of one my Montreal artist friends, Allison Lickley. It was in a small hotel room, and there were only a handful of people. I kind of felt bad for Allison initially, but then I realized that one of the people sitting up front was Ken Irwin, co-founder of Rounder Records. Most artists would have killed to have Ken at their showcase, and there he was in a tiny hotel room watching my friend Allison perform with only a few other people in the room. And this kind of thing happens more often than you might think. So whatever you do, don’t complain about how few people are in attendance, or don’t experiment or jam because “no one is there anyway”. Play your set as tight as you can and blow those few people away, because you never know who they are.<br><br>*****<br><br>Along the same theme, I recently read a great blog post by Chris “Seth” Jackson called <a href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/no-one-will-remember-your-band-10-ways-to-stop-being-forgett.html">“No One Will Remember Your Band: 10 Ways to Stop Being Forgettable".</a> In it, Chris lists 10 ways that bands can stand out at shows. He touched on a few things that always run through my mind at conference showcases like having a large banner on stage, as well as having your logo on the kick drum, amps, etc., which ties-into letting people know who you are. Highly recommended read: <a href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/no-one-will-remember-your-band-10-ways-to-stop-being-forgett.html">http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/no-one-will-remember-your-band-10-ways-to-stop-being-forgett.html</a><br><br>*****<br><br>For more tips on attending music conferences, you can <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/02/attending-music-conferences-101/">download</a> my eBook <a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/02/attending-music-conferences-101/">“Attending Music Conferences 101”</a>. From <strong>pre-conference planning, showcasing & networking, to the post-conference follow-up</strong>, it offers a step-by-step look at the music conference experience and how to maximize it from a musician’s point of view.Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19269992011-07-05T13:55:00-04:002018-07-14T01:24:58-04:007 Twitter Bio Tips for Bands<img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Twitter_Profile.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="265" width="650" /><em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your band website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em>
<h3> </h3>
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;">7 Twitter Bio Tips for Bands</span></h3>Twitter gives you 160 characters for your profile’s “bio”. Here are some quick tips on how to maximize the short amount of space you have to make that first impression count:
<h4>1. Don’t leave your bio blank</h4>It might not seem like a lot of space, but you can make someone curious about your music and give them a real sense of your personality within those 160 characters. Take advantage of it, because leaving it blank could cause someone to simply move on to another profile. <img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Twitter_Website.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="74" width="412" /><h4>2. Include a link to your own website</h4>Twitter allows you to enter a website that will appear under your bio. Many artists link to other profiles like their MySpace page, ReverbNation profile, Sonicbids EPK, or Bandcamp page. <strong>There is only 1 link you should have, which is a link to your own website</strong>. Send people to your website where you can entice them into signing-up to your mailing list, where they can read your blog, watch your videos and shop at your online store. <strong>Give yourself the traffic and potential upside, not a social media site</strong>. If they want to connect with you on Facebook, ReverbNation, etc., they can always go to those pages once they’re on your website. <em>Note: One of the most unfortunate things I’ve seen are bands putting a link to their Twitter profile in their Twitter bio. I’ve seen it more times than you would think. All it does is refreshes </em><em>the page when you click on the link, a wasted opportunity.</em>
<h4>3. Make it personal, not 3rd person</h4>Tell people about yourself as if you were talking to them in person, not like your bio reads in your press kit. So instead of <em>“Dave Cool is an awesome artist who sounds like...”</em>, make it more like <em>“Hey, I’m an awesome artist, I kind of sound like...”</em>. On Twitter, you’re talking directly to people, and that includes your bio. <strong>Make it personal and speak directly to the person reading it. </strong>
<h4>4. Include your location</h4>Twitter gives you a field to include your location. Use it. <strong>Fans often want to know where a band is from</strong>, and not only that, if another band/artist stumbles on your profile, it’s a <strong>great way to network with artists in your area.</strong>
<h4>5. Don’t use a fake verified account</h4>When bigger name artists/bands/celebrities use Twitter, they get a blue check mark that signifies that it’s a verified account, i.e. that it’s actually them. <strong>Some bands have started putting a fake “verified account” check mark in their bio to make it seem like they’re a big-name act. Please don’t do this, it’s <em>really </em>cheesy.</strong>
<h4>GOOD:</h4><img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Real_Verified.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="36" width="188" /><h4>BAD:</h4><img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/Fake_Verified.JPG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="28" width="179" /><h4>6. Update your bio regularly</h4>Just like your artist bio, <strong>your twitter bio should be updated regularly.</strong> If you’ve won an award, or were recently featured in a high-profile interview, be sure to add a quick sentence about that in your Twitter bio. <strong>Always be aware of your Twitter bio and whether it still reflects who you are as an artist. </strong>
<h4>7. Be genuine</h4>It can be tough to give people a sense of your personality in 160 characters, but it can definitely be done. Be funny, be dry, be serious, be over-the-top. <strong>Whatever your personality is and whoever you are as an artist, make sure your Twitter bio is an extension of that</strong>.Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270042011-06-07T13:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:43-05:00How to Get a Booking Agent to Book Your Band<a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wanted-booking-agent-dave-cool1.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wanted-booking-agent-dave-cool1-245x300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="210" width="172" /></a> One of the most common questions I was asked by artists during my time as a venue booker was how they could find a booking agent. I inevitably answered that they should <strong>just keep playing gigs, grow their fan base, and an agent would find them.</strong> But is the answer really that simple? My latest post on the <a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com">Bandzoogle</a> Blog: <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/how-to-get-a-booking-agent-to-book-your-band-21754.cfm">How to Get a Booking Agent to Book Your Band</a> Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270052011-05-31T13:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:43-05:00The Story of the Only Band I Ever Booked Based on 1 MySpace Song<a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/band_3164561.png"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/band_3164561-150x133.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="133" width="150" /></a><em>A few weeks ago I received a message on Facebook from the singer of a band I booked at the Centre St-Ambroise several years ago. He sent me the message on probably the busiest day I’ve had since leaving my job at St-Ambroise, and normally I would wait a few days before even checking a message on Facebook, let alone when I’m swamped with work. But <strong>I remembered this band</strong>. <strong>I had been waiting 3 years for this message</strong>. So I watched the video right away, then I watched it about a dozen more times throughout the day. And then I started emailing everyone I knew in the industry, there was a band they needed to see:</em> <strong>A Secular, Rabble-Rousing, Barn-Burning, Queer-Positive, Feminist, Anti-Racist, Subversive Gospel Music Band: <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/23268340">http://www.vimeo.com/23268340</a></strong> <strong>*****</strong> Back in May of 2008, I was in my first year of programming the newly created Centre St-Ambroise. There was <strong>pressure to make the space viable in the first year</strong>, so choosing which events were booked at the space was extremely important. I <strong>tried to ensure that the artists/bands that were booked had some kind of online presence, gig history and a tangible sense of a fan base</strong> that would come to the show. Well, <strong>I threw all that out the window for <a href="http://www.irreverendjames.com/">Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir</a></strong>. I received an e-mail from the band asking if they could play at the space, and they sent along a MySpace link. <strong>There was only 1 song on the page, along with 1 photo, which wasn’t even of the band. Plus they had no gig history; this would be their first show.</strong> Normally, I would’ve disregarded the request or tell the band to find other acts they could play with before booking them. But <strong>after 1 listen to the song on MySpace I was hooked. </strong>I decided to take a risk and book the band. I figured at worst, I would work the bar and not pay myself so the space wouldn’t lose money, and I would get to see a live gospel band.
<h4>The Night of the Show</h4>Fast-forward to the night of the show. While getting the room prepped for the show, four scrawny young guys come walking into the venue. I honestly thought they were lost, but it turned out they were the band. Now <strong>I really wasn’t sure what to expect.</strong> I was polite and helped them get set up and waited around hoping that some kind of crowd would magically show up for this show. Well, show up they did. <strong>The room was packed that night.</strong> And it was hot, <em>really</em> hot. But it didn’t matter, once the band started playing, no one was going to leave that room. <strong>People were up dancing, clapping and singing along instantly, it was infectious</strong>. The room was alive, <strong>there was energy and excitement that you only wish you could feel at every show.</strong> And <strong>man, could they play.</strong> The piano, bass and drums were tight, the musicianship was incredible. These guys were trained musicians and have been around the block, no doubt. <strong>And the vocals. Oh my God the vocals.</strong> The singer, “The Profit” (known as Baptiste in some circles), <strong>put on a performance I will never forget</strong>. Not only can the guy sing, but he really took on the personality of a preacher. It was a performance in the truest sense of the word.
<h4>One of Those Rare Moments</h4><strong>Every once in a while an original/unique project comes along that makes you go “WOW”. Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir is one of those projects.</strong> I was involved in more than 500 events during my time at St-Ambroise, and that night is forever etched in my memory. I felt the same way after seeing them as I did seeing <a href="http://www.lakeofstew.ca/">Lake of Stew</a>’s first show, or seeing <a href="http://www.randomrecipe.ca/">Random Recipe</a> for the first time. It was something different, something unique. Let’s face it, it’s not every day that you see a secular, queer-positive, feminist, anti-racist, gospel band. After their show that night, I found out that the bass player was leaving the country for a little while, so they weren’t sure about the future of the project. Although disappointed, I told them that I thought the project had enormous potential and that if they ever launched the project officially, to please let me know. I would be happy to help them in any way I could. Well, the message finally came on Facebook a few weeks ago.
<h4>Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir "Introduction" EP Launch: June 8 at Divan Orange</h4>So for all those in the Montreal area, I highly recommend this show and this band. Watch this short video trailer for their official launch show coming up at <a href="http://divanorange.org/">Divan Orange</a> and you’ll get a sense of what they’re about: <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/23268340">http://www.vimeo.com/23268340</a> And hopefully I’ll see you on June 8. I'll be there clapping and singing along...ok, maybe just clapping… Cheers, Dave Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270062011-05-30T13:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:43-05:00Why Bands Shouldn’t Give Away (ALL) their Music for Free<em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <img src="//StateofIndie.bandzoogle.com/files/FreeAlbum.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" style="width: 196px; height: 196px; " /><br><br>There’s a lot of talk in the music industry about the diminishing value of recorded music and how bands should look for other ways to make money. The argument for giving away your music is that you should simply want to have your music heard, and since people can generally find music online for free, then why bother putting a price tag on it? Live shows, merchandise, licensing, and subscriptions are just some of the ways that bands are encouraged to generate revenue. However, should artists just give up selling their music? Are we to believe that nobody buys music anymore? I’m not so sure that’s the case.<br><br>The topic became front and center for me recently after I spent a considerable amount of time following indie artists from all over North America on Twitter. I was shocked at how many would automatically send me a direct message with a link to download their entire album for free. I didn't sign up to their mailing list, I didn’t have to buy other merchandise in a bundled package offer, I simply followed them on Twitter and received a free album of music. I couldn’t help but think: too much, too soon?<br><br>I started following the artists out of curiosity, but I don’t know who they are yet, what their personalities are like, etc. It was simply a first step in the relationship, and they’ve already given away what could be their most valued asset: their music. There is a hint of desperation to it, but that’s understandable, because with so many other artists out there, how do you compete? How do you get your music heard? Well, why not give away your music for free to anyone and everyone you can?<br><br>Here’s another way to look at it, keeping with the example on Twitter:<br><br>One artist sent me a direct message thanking me for following them. The message was hilarious. The artist obviously has a great sense of humour, so I already know something about them that gives me a better sense of who they are as a person. They also included a link, but it was to their website where I could hear their music, not download it for free or buy it, but simply hear it. And because the link took me to their website, it increased the chances of having me see their latest blog posts, watch some videos, to sign-up to the mailing list or even shop in their store. Although I did go to the site, I simply listened to a few tracks, one of which I found kind of catchy, and moved on.<br><br>Fast forward to a few weeks later. The artist tweets something I find funny, I tweet back, and they respond to me right away. Awesome, they’re engaged with their fans, I was impressed. A few weeks after that, I tweet something, the artist responds to my tweet with a personalized joke that had me laughing out loud at my computer. The artist is paying attention to their fans’ tweets as well, now I’m really impressed. I went back to the artist’s website, saw that they had a new EP for sale, and bought it for $5.<br><br>So what happened here? The artist took time to develop a relationship with me. Once I knew the artist better, once they had made a deeper connection with me by making me laugh and responding to me personally a few times, they no longer felt like just another one of the thousands of other artists out there. They stood out from the pack because they took time to get to know me and I felt like I was a part of their world. Now I wanted to support their career. Could I have bought a t-shirt or a hat? Maybe, but I didn’t want to buy any new clothes, and I didn’t need a new mug or trinket. Could I have bought a ticket to their show next time they passed through Montreal? Possibly, but I wanted to show support in the moment, and given their geographic location, a show here was unlikely. The simplest way for me to show support was to buy their music, which is what I did. And what if they had simply given me their EP for free like the other artists? They would have $5 less in their bank account today.<h4>But Aren’t Music Sales Tanking?</h4>Let’s take a quick look at the numbers:
<ul>
<li>Digital distributor TuneCore boasts over 45 million in music sales through their service</li> <li>CD Baby reported music sales of almost $40 million in 2010 alone</li> <li>Our very own Bandzoogle members recently crossed $4,000,000 in music and merchandise sales.</li>
</ul>Are CD sales down? Yes. Are they non-existent? No. Are digital sales flattening out? Perhaps. Are they non-existent? You get the idea. People still spend money on music when they perceive that music to be valuable. And this is the key to selling any product or service: creating value. <em>Note: There are those who will argue that TuneCore’s sales are skewed because they have several former major label artists selling in their catalogue, or that CD Baby’s album sales actually went down while new album additions went up. I don’t want to turn this into a debate about their numbers. The reason I’ve included them is that they simply illustrate that there are obviously still some people out there buying music.</em> <em>Note #2: Here’s a nice article detailing how paid single tracks are still the dominant force in digital music revenue: <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/05/digital-radio-paid-musicians-36-million-more-than-paid-subcriptions-last-year.html">http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/05/digital-radio-paid-musicians-36-million-more-than-paid-subcriptions-last-year.html</a></em>
<h4>How to Create Value</h4>So if the key to selling your music is to create value for it, how can you go about doing that? Here are some ideas to get you started:
<ul><li><strong>Develop a relationship with your fans</strong></li></ul>One of the most important ways to create value for your music is to create a deeper connection with your fans. Every day take time to respond to fan e-mails, tweets, questions on Facebook, etc. Don’t just promote yourself and your music, have a conversation with your fans. Make them laugh, ask them questions, find out more about them, make them feel like they’re part of your world and that you’re a part of theirs. Take time to develop a relationship with them and they’ll want to support your career, which can of course include buying your music.
<ul><li><strong>Generate lots of content</strong></li></ul>Blog regularly, post video blogs, music videos, etc. By generating content on a regular basis, you’ll give people a better sense of your personality and show that you’re an active artist. And if a fan responds to a blog post or video blog, respond as soon as you can and never leave them hanging.
<ul><li><strong>Be genuine, be your unique self</strong></li></ul>The key to fan engagement is being your true self. Make sure to bring out your personality and you’ll attract like-minded people who you can have a genuinely deeper connection with.
<ul><li><strong>Use emotion</strong></li></ul>People respond to emotion. Make people laugh, make them cry, inspire them, and they are more likely to respond and feel a deeper sense of connection to you as an artist. Use your lyrics, your personality, make engaging videos, well-written blog posts and show your emotions. You never know when somebody will really connect with how you‘re feeling.
<ul><li><strong>Bundled options</strong></li></ul>Always offer buying options for everyone from a hardcore fan to someone who just wants to show a little bit of support for your career. From the single song download, to a personalized signed CD, to a bundled option with other merchandise, make sure there are plenty of options for the different level of fan.
<ul><li><strong>Release great music</strong></li></ul>And last, but certainly not least, the most important thing you can do to create value for your music is to only put out great music. If you have 15 new songs, and even you would consider 4 or 5 of those songs as “filler”, scrap those songs. Only release the songs that are great. Only release the songs that will have a chance of standing out from the thousands of other songs out there. Focus your energies on fewer songs and do as much as you can with them: music videos, live videos, making-of videos, blog about the songs, etc. Make sure they are front and centre on your website and online press kit. These are the songs that are going to help you stand out from other bands, and these are the songs that fans will gladly pay money for.
<h4>It’s About Strategy</h4>I’m not saying that you should never give away your music. Giving away an exclusive track or an exclusive live EP to get people to sign-up to your mailing list can be great ways to build your fan list. All I’m saying is don’t give away ALL of your music, especially if you’re not getting anything tangible in exchange. Make sure to have a strategy behind the giveaways and always get something in return whenever you give away even just one song. Get an e-mail address, get some information about the fan (where they live, their birthday, etc.), get a “like” on Facebook, or a re-tweet on Twitter.
<h4>There is Always Demand for Quality</h4>There are indeed many, many artists out there, and the perception is that there’s more supply than demand, which is the argument for why the price of music has gone down. That might be true in some ways, but there is always a demand for quality music and for quality relationships. And people will spend money on quality. Developing a quality relationship with your fans might take more time, but the return on that investment of time is exponential. And if you take the time to focus on getting to know your fans and putting out great content on a regular basis, you’ll create value for yourself as an artist, and in turn, for your music. And when people perceive value, they will spend money on it, and music is no different. Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270082011-05-17T13:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:43-05:005 Ways to Lose Fans on Twitter<img src="//stateofindie.bandzoogle.com/files/Twitter_logo.png" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 156px; height: 156px;" /><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.6em; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<em><strong>This post was written for <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog">Bandzoogle</a>, the most powerful band website platform. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians. Visit <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle.com</a></strong></em><strong><em> </em></strong><em><strong>to <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm">take the tour</a> or get started right away and <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm">build your band website free</a>.</strong></em> Most artists and bands now use Twitter to promote their music and connect with their fans. But like with all promotional tools, there are certain things you should avoid doing. I’ve searched through literally thousands of artist accounts on Twitter and noticed some alarming trends. Here’s a quick Top 5 things that could cause you to lose your fans on Twitter:
<h3 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><strong>5 Ways to Lose Fans on Twitter</strong></h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><strong>1. Don’t respond</strong></h4>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Twitter isn’t just to talk at people, it’s meant to be a conversation, so don’t ever leave a fan hanging. If they’ve asked you a question or commented on something you’ve said, respond as soon as you can.</p>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><strong>2. Only promote yourself</strong></h4>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">If your entire Twitter feed is made up of tweets like:</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px;">“Come to my show tonight!”</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px;">“Buy my album!”</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px;">“Check out my music!”</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Chances are, your fans are going to tune out. Yes, you need to let people know if you’re playing a show, or where to buy your music, but not all of the time. Instead, focus on connecting with people by responding to their tweets, asking questions, or by talking about things that interest you. You never know how those little things in life will help you to connect with your fans and strengthen your relationship with them.</p>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><strong>3. Use the same content on Twitter as on Facebook</strong></h4>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Although there is inevitably going to be some cross over, make sure that you are putting out some different content on Twitter than you are on Facebook. If it’s always the exact same, then why should people follow you on Twitter? And if you’ve synced your Twitter & Facebook accounts, use something like selective tweets so that only some of the content goes to both accounts. Take advantage of the possibility of longer updates on Facebook and use Twitter for more frequent updates and constant fan interaction.</p>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><strong>4. Tweet too much</strong></h4>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">If you’re updating your Twitter feed every 2 minutes with mundane details about your daily life, chances are, people are going to stop following you. A handful of updates everyday is enough, so if you start tweeting several dozen times per day and start losing followers, it might be time to scale back a little bit.</p>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><strong>5. Rarely Tweet</strong></h4>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">And last but not least, if you’re not active on Twitter, then don’t expect your fans to keep following you. You’ll need to constantly keep in touch with your fans to hold onto them and to grow your following. Even updating your feed just once a day will help to give fans a reason to stay in touch with you on Twitter.</p>
</div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270092011-05-15T13:55:00-04:002013-10-25T13:59:56-04:00In the studio? Don’t shut out your fans!<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/v6aC_wS9D0B8uxbUuroH7lxeix8IEXxgBJtQbcdOZr06WQz56rMtRCJ2-QNbVqUmZVIgKDXLdDXEOS60uApJ7PzzFrfxsgRn4ywupNmCcrAZtfVkx4U" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="320px;" id="internal-source-marker_0.350537464953959" width="480px;" /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: Elida Arrizza</span> <em><strong>This post was written for </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog"><strong><em>Bandzoogle</em></strong></a><em><strong>, a website platform for musicians. Bandzoogle is a Montreal-based company, founded and run by musicians, and has every tool a musician needs for their website. Visit </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/"><strong><em>Bandzoogle.com</em></strong></a><strong> </strong><em><strong>to </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/features.cfm"><strong><em>take the tour</em></strong></a><em><strong> or get started right away and </strong></em><a href="http://bandzoogle.com/try-it-free.cfm"><strong><em>build your band website free</em></strong></a><em><strong>.</strong></em> <strong><em> </em></strong>
<hr><div>Going into the studio to record new music is one of the most exciting times for a band. But all too often when musicians go into the studio, they disappear into their creative bubble and shut everyone else out. Although it’s understandable that you might want to avoid distractions while in the studio, you shouldn’t disappear completely. With so much competition for people’s attention, bands need to keep in regular contact with their fans just to maintain that fan base. And for fans, it’s all about access. Fans want to get an inside look at your career and feel like they’re part of the experience. From an artist’s perspective, the more access you can give, the stronger your relationship to the fan, the more they'll talk about you and your music. And being in the studio is a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship with your fans. So what can you do to enhance fan engagement and create a buzz while in studio? Here are a few ideas: <strong>Social Media</strong>
</div>
<ul><li>Live tweeting</li></ul><div>Announce to your fans that you’ll be live tweeting certain recording sessions. Post pictures, give live feedback on takes, good and bad.</div>
<ul><li>Post updates on Facebook</li></ul>Post updates on Facebook, including a few pictures from the day, funny stories, etc. <strong>Your Website</strong> Social media is quick and easy, but you should try to bring fans to your website whenever possible. This way they can find out more about who you are as an artist, sign up to your mailing list, and maybe shop at your online store while they’re there. Here are a few ways to attract fans to your website while in the studio:
<ul><li>Blog</li></ul>Post a daily blog talking about each recording session. Use the flexibility and space that a blog affords you by posting in-depth reviews of each session along with lots of pictures.
<ul><li>Photo Galleries</li></ul>Post extensive photo galleries on your website from each recording session.
<ul><li>Video blog</li></ul>Same concept as the blog, but you can make it more visual by filming throughout the recording sessions and including some of that footage in a video blog review from each session.
<ul><li>Live streaming</li></ul>Take video to the next level by setting up a live stream of the recording sessions on your website so fans can see in real-time what your recording process is like.
<ul><li>Post rough tracks</li></ul>Every so often, post a rough take of a song on your website and even ask for feedback on it. This will not only drive fans to your site, but also give you some valuable insight into whether a song is connecting with people or not.
<hr><strong>Have a contest</strong> Being in studio provides a great opportunity to take fan engagement even further by having contests where you offer fans a chance to participate in the recording process. Try making the contest exclusive to your mailing list subscribers. This will not only help increase the number of subscribers, but also reward fans who are already on your list, something you should look to do as often as possible. Here are a few ideas for contests where fans could participate in the studio:
<ul>
<li>Invite fans to visit the studio during a recording session where they can take photos/video with the band, then take them out to dinner afterwards</li> <li>If you need group back-up vocals or hand clapping for a particular song, instead of inviting a bunch of your friends to help out, invite a few of your fans to come into the studio and actually be on the album</li> <li>Invite fans to sit-in on an exclusive listening session in the studio once the album is complete, and then throw an after-party to celebrate. Guaranteed your fans will post pics on Facebook and Twitter of their experience.</li>
</ul><hr> These are just some ideas to get you started. But by allowing your fans to be a part of your life in the studio, you also become a part of their lives. And guess what? People like to talk about their lives. So these are the fans that are going to do the best kind of marketing for you, which is word-of-mouth marketing. They’re going to talk about you on Twitter, Facebook and to their friends and family. So the next time you’re planning on recording a new album, consider giving your fans as much access as possible during such a unique and interesting experience like being in the studio. You’ll reap the benefits of creating a more loyal and dedicated fan base, and no doubt gain some new fans in the process too.Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270152011-04-28T14:05:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:43-05:00From St-Ambroise to Ambrosia: I’ve Joined Forces with Montreal Record Label Ambrosia Records<a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ambrosialogo.png"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ambrosialogo.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="120" width="170" /></a>
<div>After serving 3 years as Program Director for the Centre St-Ambroise, I’ve joined forces with local record label <a href="http://www.ambrosiarecords.ca" target="_blank">Ambrosia Records</a>. I’ve taken on a part-time role with Ambrosia as a strategic advisor, overseeing communications and artist development for the company.<br><br>Just as it was a challenge to create a vibrant cultural centre for St-Ambroise in the South-West of Montreal, the challenge with Ambrosia will be to create a sustainable business model for a record label in today’s music industry. Of course, the other challenge will be to spell Ambrosia properly. I keep putting an “i” before the “s”; it’s going to take some getting used to.<br><br>So expect more announcements about <a href="http://www.ambrosiarecords.ca" target="_blank">Ambrosia Records</a> in the weeks and months ahead as the label prepares to release albums by Vancouver soul-pop songstress <a href="http://www.anniebecker.com/" target="_blank">Annie Becker</a> and label owner <a href="http://www.georgeazzi.com" target="_blank">George Azzi</a>; a talented singer-songwriter in is own right with over 500,000 views of his YouTube videos. The company will also be looking to expand their roster of artists and launch other projects to position themselves on the Canadian music scene. It’s going to be exciting! More news soon...<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Dave</div>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19270162011-04-18T14:05:00-04:002022-12-07T07:06:57-05:005 Ways to Impress Venue Bookers and Get More Gigs<a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bandzoogle_logo.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bandzoogle_logo-300x300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="210" width="210" /></a>
After 3 years booking the <a href="http://mcauslan.com/en/centre-stambroise/" target="_blank">Centre St-Ambroise</a> and Terrasse St-Ambroise, I wrote a blog post about some of the best ways to impress venue bookers. You can read it over on the <a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/5-ways-to-impress-venue-bookers-and-get-more-gigs-21381.cfm">Bandzoogle </a>blog:
<a href="http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/5-ways-to-impress-venue-bookers-and-get-more-gigs-21381.cfm">http://bandzoogle.com/blog/blogposts/5-ways-to-impress-venue-bookers-and-get-more-gigs-21381.cfm</a>
<a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com" target="_blank">Bandzoogle </a>is a great tool for musicians to create professional websites quickly and at very little cost. The company was founded right here in my home city of Montreal, which is a great source of pride, as they have become one of the top websites for independent musicians.
Cheers,
DCDave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279132011-04-05T16:20:00-04:002021-10-27T14:47:22-04:00Enough theory, where’s the evidence of the Indie Music Revolution?There was shock, bordering on disgust, in the indie music community in reaction to the results of the recent ReverbNation/Digital Music News survey that found that <a href="http://blog.reverbnation.com/2011/03/29/survey-results-75-of-indie-artists-seek-a-label-deal-sony-top-label-of-choice/">75% of artists still want to get signed to a record label</a>. I was actually not shocked at all by the survey results. Yes, there are a certain % of musicians who still want to be a rock star or pop star, and they think that “getting signed” will help them to realize that dream. But most musicians I deal with on a day-to-day basis want to sign to a label for 3 reasons:<br><br><strong>1) A team</strong><br><br>This is huge. They simply want a team of people that will help them with the day-to-day running of their career. And yes, they are willing to give up a little bit of freedom and some money to have access to that kind of team.<br><br><strong>2) Contacts</strong><br><br>Most established labels have solid contacts with radio, media, bookers, festivals, conferences, etc. By signing with certain labels, artists instantly have access to those gatekeepers, which can help bring their career to another level.<br><br><strong>3) Money</strong><br><br>This is the obvious one, but again, most artists I know don’t see signing with a label as a blank check and don’t expect to receive millions of dollars. What they do want from a label is some kind of investment so that they don’t have to keep paying for everything out of their own pocket. Even just $10-20,000 can make a huge difference in a DIY artist’s career. And if an artist strikes the right deal with a label that is more about partnership rather than an ownership, then it might be the right move for their career. I’ve personally helped/encouraged DIY artists to find these kinds of deals, which might be surprising as I’ve developed somewhat of a reputation for being “Mr. Indie”.<br><br><strong>=> Are we blindly promoting the virtues of ‘indie’?</strong><br><br>Just as the idea of being signed to a label might sound sexier than what the reality is, <strong>is it</strong> <strong>possible that the idea of being “indie/DIY” sounds much sexier than the reality on the ground?</strong> I think for all of us working in this domain, we need to be very careful about blindly promoting the virtues of being indie, and even more careful when condemning artists who do want to sign to a label. Can an artist make more money by being “indie” than by being signed to a label? In theory, yes. <strong>But are indie/DIY artists actually making more money than their counterparts on labels?</strong> I’m not sure if anyone really knows. But I think we all need to do a much better job at providing concrete examples with hard (verifiable) data from DIY artists who are making a living from their music. Otherwise what are we selling to artists? Are we merely promoting the indie/DIY ethos so that we can sell more memberships/consultations/services/books? And this is just as much a question for me as it is for anyone else.<br><br>After <a href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">releasing a film</a> about the experience of being an indie artist, and writing a book of marketing advice for indie musicians, I’m very much a part of this industry that caters to indie artists. One person that is doing some great work in finding artist success stories is <a href="http://arielpublicity.com/">Ariel Hyatt</a> through her ongoing series of articles “<a href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/author/ariel">In Defense of 1,000 True Fans</a>”. But Ariel is just one person out of many that could be sharing these kinds of stories. The fact is that there are companies out there with memberships in the tens of thousands that could be doing research to find out just what the reality on the ground is for indie artists. On my end, I’m struggling to find more than a handful of success stories for a <a href="http://davecool.ca/2010/09/new-movie-in-the-works-looking-for-full-time-indie-artists/">new film I’m working on</a>; it’s frustrating, and a little disheartening.<br><br>Some artists I’ve spoken to simply don’t have verifiable data to back up their claims, or once you dig deeper you find out that they make most of their income from a side job or teaching. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not what we’re all talking about when we promote being indie/DIY and the idea of the “middle-class musician”, which is making a full-time living from your music. In other cases I’ve found that the artists have just started to recently make a living from their music, and usually a very modest living, not anywhere near a truly “middle-class” income. And in a few cases, after only 6 months, I hear back that the artists have been forced to find a part-time or full-time job because they simply could not sustain the full-time income from their music career.<br><br><strong>=> Amanda Palmer and Matthew Ebel</strong><br><br>There are two DIY success stories that keep popping up over and over again, which are <a href="http://www.amandapalmer.net/">Amanda Palmer</a> and <a href="http://matthewebel.com" target="_blank">Matthew Ebel</a>. Like many people, I admire what they are doing. Matthew Ebel is a brilliant and charismatic artist who makes the majority of his income from subscriptions to his website. It’s a truly amazing story, but are there many other Matthew Ebel’s out there? Amanda Palmer has made huge waves with some of her incredibly creative fan-funding initiatives which have netted her tens of thousands of dollars. But how much of her fan base was created from her days with the Dresden Dolls, who were signed to Roadrunner Records for several years? How much money did Roadrunner invest in marketing the Dresden Dolls? Again, no one can really say for sure, however, it needs to be part of the discussion. What’s clear is that even in her days with the Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer seemed to be very accessible to her fans and communicated with them directly, which has no doubt contributed to her success today, where fan interaction and engagement is key for any artist; label or no label. So I am by no means trying to take away her ‘indie’ cred. What she’s doing is indeed a model for all artists out there, but my question is about the relative scale of her success and whether it would have been the same with no history on a label.<br><br><strong>=> And what about Radiohead and NIN?</strong><br><br>On a much larger scale, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are often touted as “indie” success stories. What they did was innovative and amazing, providing a giant f&%* you to the major labels that made us all smile. But they had millions of dollars of marketing support from those very same major labels for many, many years. Can an artist who has never been signed to a label in the past duplicate those kinds of results? <strong>The model might be there in theory, but are sustainable long-term careers being created on the DIY level yet?</strong> <strong>We can’t on the one hand state that we’re living in a “post-label” world and then give examples of artists successfully using DIY tactics who benefited greatly from that very same label system.</strong><br><br><strong>=> OK, but what about the Internet? And social media? And the amazing tools for artists?!</strong><br><br>Yes, we are living in a truly exciting time in the music industry, and there are more opportunities for artists than ever before, there’s no denying that. <strong>The technology, distribution systems, promotional tools, direct access to fans, it’s all there. The models for success are clearly present, and in theory it should be resulting in thousands upon thousands of indie artists making a full-time living from their music. But are the results on the ground there yet? </strong>I, like many out there, would love to know with concrete examples. Not 1, not 2, but dozens, HUNDREDS of examples. I guess my frustration has boiled over because it seems like almost every week a new product or service comes out aimed at indie artists claiming to be the key to a successful career. Or another author releases a book claiming to know the “secrets to success” for indie artists. Or another industry expert demonizes artists who want to sign to a label. Is it really that much more risky to be signed than to be DIY? Maybe the discussion should be more about how the music industry in general is a tough place to succeed, with or without label support. It seems to me that there are success stories and horror stories on both sides of the label divide, and maybe, just maybe, this debate has more shades of gray than we all like to let on.<br><br>Don’t get me wrong, <strong>most people working in this industry who are trying to help indie artists are genuinely trying to do just that: help the artists.</strong> This blog post is not meant to be negative, nor is it meant to criticize any one person or any company in particular. It’s meant to be <strong>a call to action for all of us who work in this ‘indie’ music world: the companies, the service-providers, the authors, the so-called experts in this field need to do a better job of moving from the theoretical world to providing more tangible examples of artist success stories.</strong> And yes, success is relative, but what I’m really talking about are artists generating a full-time living income from their music careers that resembles the “artistic middle-class” that many believe exists.<br><br>Panos Panay of Sonicbids, who strongly believes in the existence of this artistic middle-class, <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/032911share">recently stated</a> that he would be willing to work with other companies to commission a comprehensive survey of their respective memberships to find out just what the reality is on the ground. I really hope this kind of survey happens, as companies like Sonicbids have the membership base to be able to get a much clearer picture of what’s really happening out there. I’ve reached out to Panos to let him know that I’m willing to donate my time to help with that initiative if it materializes.<br><br>How much income are DIY artists making from their music? How many are actually making a full-time living from their music career? And maybe just as importantly, how long have they been making a full-time living from their music? After all, it’s not about making a living for a few months or a year, it’s about sustainable, long-term careers. These are all questions I think we need better answers to on a much larger scale before anyone can claim that the indie music revolution, or the era of the middle-class musician, has truly arrived. And my hope is that in the comments to this blog, in further discussions, and in the results of future surveys, the answers will become clearer.<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Dave<br>(Another so-called indie music ‘expert’)Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279432011-04-04T16:25:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:44-05:00I Have a Crush on Ariel Hyatt (and I’m Giving Away 2 Copies of Her New Book “The Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook and Twitter”)<img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/mrft-title.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="The Musician's Roadmap to Facebook and Twitter" height="162" width="258" /><br>While putting the finishing touches on my eBook “<a href="http://davecool.ca/2011/02/attending-music-conferences-101/">Attending Music Conferences 101</a>”, I was looking for a book I could recommend for further advice about social media. On a whim I checked out Ariel Hyatt’s website at <a href="http://arielpublicity.com/">ArielPublicity.com</a> to see if she had released anything new, and sure enough, she had literally just released a new book called <strong><a href="http://arielpublicity.com/musiciansroadmap/" target="_blank">“The Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook and Twitter”</a></strong>, written along with Carla Lynne Hall. Ariel is one of my favourite music industry authors, so I bought a PDF copy of the book right away. After browsing through it, I could tell immediately that it was an incredible resource for musicians.<br><br>I sent Ariel a message on Twitter saying that I had recommended “The Musicians Roadmap” as a resource in my new eBook, not really expecting a response. Not only did she respond, but <strong>she even offered to give away 2 copies of the book to my network of musicians.</strong> I was ecstatic. She said to come up with a creative promotion and we’ll go from there. Awesome! A creative promotion? No problem, I can do that...<br><br>That was over a month ago. <strong>I brainstormed ideas, I asked other people what they thought, but nothing was good enough. It had to be perfect. This was Ariel Hyatt, one of the brightest minds in the music industry.</strong> She is at the very top of the many “experts” out there. She’s the real deal. She’s not only a great author, but a great speaker, runs a highly successful company, and her personal branding is a shining example of how to do it right. I could only hope to get to her level at some point in my own career.<br><br>And it was going through this thought process that I figured out what was going on: <strong>I have a (professional) crush on Ariel and I was totally freezing up!</strong> It was the same feeling as back in high school of being too afraid to talk to a girl for fear of screwing it up. I was scared of screwing up this book giveaway with Ariel because I thought this was my big chance to impress her.<br><br>After having a good laugh at myself, and understanding that I was blowing it up to be a much bigger deal than it was, <strong>I realized that many indie artists do this when thinking about social media (especially with Twitter). They don’t know where to start, what to do, how to do it and when to do it, so they simply don’t do anything at all.</strong> Ariel’s book “The Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook and Twitter” answers all of those questions and more.<br><br>**********<br><br><strong>BOOK GIVEAWAY:</strong> <strong>*UPDATE*<br><br>=> Congratulations to <a href="http://www.timharrison.ca">Tim Harrison</a> & <a href="http://www.meganburtt.com">Megan Burtt</a> who each won a copy of Ariel's book. Thanks everyone for your e-mails, the response was incredible!</strong> So here’s the deal: <strong>If you’re an artist who freezes up when thinking about social media because you don’t understand it or don’t know where to start, send an e-mail to <a href="mailto:dave@davecool.ca">dave@davecool.ca</a> and tell me why. I’ll choose 2 lucky artists who will get a free copy of Ariel’s book</strong>, which will no doubt help you to figure out the whole social media thing and how to use it to gain new fans and connect with the ones you have. Now if only someone could write a book about what to do about professional crushes…<br><br> <a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/AH-chicket.png"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/AH-chicket.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="150" width="150" /></a><br><br>Cheers,<br><br>DaveDave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279442011-02-13T16:25:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:44-05:00Attending Music Conferences 101<a contents="" data-link-label="coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110330/coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/3910799bd5d0d14a0ea1717f46c0e09a580fe664/small/cover-attendingmusicconferences-med-231x300.jpg?1382724808" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></a>I’m thrilled to announce the release of a new eBook for musicians called <strong>“<a data-link-label="coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110330/coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" target="_blank">Attending Music Conferences 101</a>”</strong>. It’s the first in a new series of eBooks called “Cool’s Notes” which will contain my thoughts on various topics in the music industry and feature interviews with top industry experts as well as insight from artists themselves.
<p>This first eBook is<strong> a comprehensive guide to making the most of a music conference</strong>. From <strong>pre-conference planning, showcasing and networking, to the post-conference follow-up</strong>, it offers a <strong>step-by-step look at the music conference experience </strong>and how to maximize it from a musician’s point of view.</p>
<h3>
<br><br><br><br>The book features interviews with:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Panos Panay</strong> (Founder, <a href="http://www.sonicbids.com/">Sonicbids</a>)</li> <li>
<strong>Madalyn Sklar</strong> (Founder, <a href="http://www.GoGirlsMusic.com">GoGirlsMusic.com</a>)</li> <li>
<strong>Fran Snyder</strong> (Founder, <a href="http://www.ConcertsInYourHome.com">ConcertsInYourHome.com</a> & <a href="http://www.ListeningRoomNetwork.com">ListeningRoomNetwork.com</a>)</li> <li>
<strong>Andy Frank & David Newland</strong> (<a href="http://www.rootsmusic.ca">Roots Music Canada</a>)</li> <li>
<strong>Erin Barnhardt</strong> (Executive Director, <a href="http://folkmusiccanada.ca/">Folk Music Canada</a>)</li> <li>Artists <a href="http://www.emberswift.com"><strong>Ember Swift</strong></a> & <a href="http://www.JayAymar.com"><strong>Jay Aymar</strong></a>
</li>
</ul><h3>The eBook also contains:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Sample Music Conference Budget</strong></li> <li><strong>Comprehensive Music Conference Listing</strong></li> <li>Full unedited interviews with all interviewees</li>
</ul><p>And possibly the best part about the book:<strong> it’s absolutely free.</strong></p>
<p>So if you’re heading to a music conference in the future, this book <strong>will help you save time and money</strong>, and provide you with a solid foundation to make the most of your experience.</p>
<h3>
<a contents="Download" data-link-label="coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110330/coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" target="_blank">Download</a> the eBook for FREE:</h3><a contents="" data-link-label="coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110330/coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/498b4ff7fdc5c8739c50174ff695073ea7ac2088/small/coolsnotes-attendingconferences101-2011-02thumb.jpg?1382724807" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></a><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/f77be927359d972505ebe1d0386edf9462199e7d/small/creativecommons.png?1382724809" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /><br><br><br><br>This work is licensed under a <a contents="Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License" data-link-label="coolsnotes-attendingmusicconferences101-2011-02.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License</a>.<br><br><br><br><a contents="Download" data-link-label="sample-music-conference-budget.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110331/sample-music-conference-budget.xls" target="_blank">Download</a> the accompanying sample music conference budget (Excel):<br><br><a contents="" data-link-label="sample-music-conference-budget.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110331/sample-music-conference-budget.xls" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/b4287d4d43913e745116804fdc8b1f5856e4bba8/small/sample-music-conference-budget-thumb.jpg?1382724983" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></a><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Cheers!<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279692011-02-12T16:25:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:44-05:00Sample Music Conference Budget for MusiciansIf you’re heading out to a music conference, here’s a spreadsheet you can use to budget and track your expenses. The budget contains line items for:<ul>
<li>Conference fees</li> <li>Showcase fees</li> <li>Marketing Materials</li> <li>Travel</li> <li>Lodging</li> <li>Food</li> <li>Miscellaneous</li>
</ul><br>But you can <a contents="download it" data-link-label="sample-music-conference-budget.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110331/sample-music-conference-budget.xls" target="_blank"><strong>download it</strong></a> and modify it however you like: <a data-link-label="sample-music-conference-budget.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110331/sample-music-conference-budget.xls" target="_blank"><strong>SAMPLE MUSIC CONFERENCE BUDGET</strong></a><br><br><strong><a contents="" data-link-label="sample-music-conference-budget.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110331/sample-music-conference-budget.xls" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/b4287d4d43913e745116804fdc8b1f5856e4bba8/small/sample-music-conference-budget-thumb.jpg?1382724983" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></a></strong><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>The budget is taken from the eBook “Cool’s Notes: Attending Music Conferences 101”.<p> </p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279702011-01-26T16:30:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:44-05:00I've Been Named Director of Member Services for CIRAA<a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/logo.png"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/logo.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="100" width="200" /></a> Hello everyone, Some pretty big news to announce: <strong>I’ve been hired as the Director of Member Services for the Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association (<a href="http://www.ciraa.ca/" target="_blank">CIRAA</a>)</strong>. CIRAA have brought me onboard to <strong>lead the launch of a new national micro-grant program for independent Canadian artists</strong>, as well as oversee a <strong>mentorship program</strong> focused on connecting artists with industry experts for career advice. My mission in life is to help artists, and I had a great experience doing that the past 3 years working with McAuslan Brewing running the St-Ambroise Centre and St-Ambroise Music Program. I’m thrilled to now have the chance to take that experience and apply it on a national scale and positively impact the careers of thousands of musicians across the country through CIRAA’s initiatives. This really is a dream opportunity for me. More details about CIRAA’s new programs will be announced in the weeks and months ahead. I also have several other projects in the works, so if you would like to stay up to date with what I’m up to, please sign up to my newsletter: <a href="http://davecool.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=c5baf06e57ee16d4ac4fcbb64&id=725aa0c895" target="_blank"><strong>sign up here </strong></a> If you <a href="http://davecool.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=c5baf06e57ee16d4ac4fcbb64&id=725aa0c895" target="_blank">sign-up</a> by February 7th, you will <strong>get a FREE digital copy of my film <a href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">“What is INDIE?”</a></strong> You can also check back at this website as I’ll be adding new content regularly, and you can of course connect with me on <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=710507253" target="_blank">Facebook</a></strong> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/dave_cool" target="_blank"><strong>Twitter</strong></a>.<br><br class="spacer_"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Leaving McAuslan/St-Ambroise</strong></span><br><br>So after 3 good years of working at Montreal micro-brewery McAuslan Brewing (St-Ambroise) as Program Director for the <a href="http://mcauslan.com/centre-stambroise/" target="_blank">St-Ambroise Centre</a> and St-Amboise Terrace, I’ve decided to move on. I’m extremely proud of the work that I did while at McAuslan. During that time, we had <strong>over 500 shows between the two venues</strong>, including several festivals and many special events. Needless to say, it was a busy 3 years with a lot of great memories. At the end of this post I list a few highlights that stood out for me. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Some Thank Yous</strong></span></span> This blog post wouldn’t be complete without a few “Thank Yous”.
<ul><li>First and foremost, <strong>thank you to Peter McAuslan</strong> for the opportunity to work for his company. The Montreal cultural community would not be the same without his support and generosity, and it was a real honour to work for Peter.</li></ul><ul><li>A big<strong> thanks to all of the artists who performed at the Centre and Terrace</strong> during my time there. This city has an amazing music scene and I was privileged to have a front row seat for the past 3 years.</li></ul><ul><li>
<strong>Thanks to the local media</strong> for all of their support for the events I was involved with for the past 3 years, it was very much appreciated.</li></ul><ul><li>
<strong>Thanks to all of the staff and my co-workers</strong>, past and present. Five hundred successful events in 3 years don’t happen because of only 1 person, and I was fortunate to be surrounded by some great people.</li></ul><ul><li>And last, but certainly not least, I would like to <strong>thank Margo Pollock</strong>, Director of Marketing for McAuslan Brewing. Margo was my boss and the one who initially took the leap of faith in hiring me to help the company create the St-Ambroise Centre. I’ll miss the Marketing Department at McAuslan, it was a lot of fun to work with such a great team of people.</li></ul><br class="spacer_"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What will happen to the St-Ambroise Centre?</strong></span></span> The <strong>Centre will continue to book lots of events and be very active</strong> in the community. Nothing is going to change on that front. There is a <strong>great team in place who are passionate about the Centre</strong> and who will no doubt take the venue to the next level. And it goes without saying that <strong>McAuslan Brewing was dedicated to supporting the arts long before I arrived, and will continue to be </strong>long after I’m gone<strong>.</strong> It was a nice fit while I was there, and I’m grateful to them for the opportunity. And you can be sure that I will continue to drink St-Ambroise beer with pride :)<br class="spacer_"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Stay tuned…</strong></span> Lots more news to announce in the weeks ahead, 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year!<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Dave<br><br><br>P.S.- As promised, here are a few personal highlights from the last 3 years at McAuslan/St-Ambroise:<br><br><strong>The United Steel Workers of Montreal free outdoor show at the St-Ambroise Terrace (August 2010)</strong> One the highlights of my career, let alone while working for McAuslan. Hundreds of people packed the Terrace on an absolutely perfect summer night to see the <a href="http://www.uswm.ca/" target="_blank">United Steel Workers of Montreal</a>. It was one of the most memorable shows I have ever been a part of.<br class="spacer_"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/stambroise-music-480px-300x125.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="83" style="border: 1px solid black; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 4px;" width="200" /><strong> </strong> <strong>The St-Ambroise Music Program: Giving Away $10,000 to Quebec Indie Artists (2009)</strong> To give you an idea of what it was like to work for McAuslan Brewing, when I pitched the idea of a bursary program for musicians, I asked for a budget of $5000. Peter McAuslan, founder and President of McAuslan Brewing, loved the idea and said to double the amount to $10,000. There’s a reason why Peter is beloved to the arts community in Montreal, he truly is a patron of the arts.<br class="spacer_"><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/7631_154686640891_154685090891_2858096_8159544_n.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/7631_154686640891_154685090891_2858096_8159544_n-150x150.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="150" style="margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 4px;" width="150" /></a><strong> </strong> <strong>The entire first year of the St-Ambroise Centre (2008)</strong> That first year of the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" target="_blank">St-Ambroise Centre</a> was one of the most intense years of my life. I did everything from book the bands, to work the bar, to mop the floors and everything in between. And I loved it. We hosted 175 shows that first year and I was behind the bar for almost all of them. I saw some amazing shows, including <a href="http://www.myspace.com/charlottecornfield" target="_blank">Charlotte Cornfield</a>, <a href="http://www.roblutes.com" target="_blank">Rob Lutes</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/francoproietti" target="_blank">FrancoProietti Morph-tet</a>, <a href="http://www.pennylang.com/" target="_blank">Penny Lang</a>, <a href="http://www.courtneywing.com/" target="_blank">Courtney Wing</a>, <a href="http://iankellysmusic.com/" target="_blank">Ian Kelly</a>, <a href="http://www.camaromance.com/" target="_blank">Camaromance</a>, <a href="http://www.peterkatz.com/" target="_blank">Peter Katz</a>, <a href="http://www.mattstern.com/" target="_blank">Matt Stern</a>, <a href="http://www.scottnormandy.com" target="_blank">Scott Normandy</a>, <a href="http://www.robszabo.com/" target="_blank">Rob Szabo</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/katiesevigny" target="_blank">Katie Sevigny</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mathieulaberge" target="_blank">Mathieu Laberge</a>, and many, many more. Memories to last a lifetime.<br class="spacer_"><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/23627_383896007702_513057702_4309466_2299299_n4.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/23627_383896007702_513057702_4309466_2299299_n4-300x143.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="100" style="border: 1px solid black; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 4px;" width="210" /></a><strong> </strong><br><strong>Montreal Folk Festival at the St-Ambroise Terrace</strong> The <a href="http://www.montrealfolkfest.com/" target="_blank">Montreal Folk Festival</a> has now been hosted at the Terrace the past 3 years. Festival founders Carl Comeau (Hyperbole Music) and Matt Large (Hello Darlin’ Productions) have great taste in music and a real eye for talent, and I’ve discovered some amazing artists at the festival the last 3 years.<br class="spacer_"><strong>David Martel & Mark Berube: 1<sup>st</sup> Show at the St-Ambroise Centre (December 2007)</strong> And last but certainly not least, the very first show at the St-Ambroise Centre in December 2007. I was hired only 2 weeks before, and we had a choice of either waiting until January to have the launch show, or do it just before the Christmas rush. We decided to throw ourselves right into it and booked two of my favourite local artists, <a href="http://www.markberube.com/" target="_blank">Mark Berube</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/iamdavidmartel" target="_blank">David Martel</a>, to kick off the launch weekend. We packed the room, and those in attendance witnessed some amazing performances. It was a good sign of things to come for the venue.Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279712010-12-27T16:30:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:44-05:00Sonicbids: No More “Indie” in 2011 (my fault?)<p><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/death-of-indie.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/death-of-indie.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="250" width="250" /></a></p>
<p>An interesting piece of news to report on in my little "indie" world. Sonicbids, one of the leading companies in the new music industry, announced recently that they were going to phase out using the word "indie". How did this come about? Well, that's an interesting story, because it's kind of my fault :)</p>
<p>It started a few weeks ago with the debate surrounding the Grammy Nominations, and what the word "indie" really meant. Since I had made a movie documenting that very thing, I got involved in the debate with a <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/12/indie-has-arrived-273-grammy-nominations-for-indies-congratulations-paul-mccartney.html" target="_blank">guest blog post on Hypebot.com</a>. Shortly after, Panos Panay, the founder of Sonicbids, wrote his own blog post about the Grammy Nominations, praising them for <a href="http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com/why-the-grammys-finally-get-indie-music-maybe/" target="_blank">finally getting "indie"</a>.</p>
<p>About a week later, Panos wrote another blog post with his 2011 Music Industry Predictions, and one of his predictions is that<strong> <a href="http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com/music-industry-predictions-2011-part-2-my-shot-at-immortality/" target="_blank">the word "indie" will become obsolete</a></strong>. Being the "What is INDIE?" guy, I felt I had to respond, so in the comments section of Panos' blog, I wrote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em>"I think the last people to let go of the word will be companies selling products and services to “indie” artists. So my question for you, good sir, is this: Will you lead the way and remove all mentions of the word “indie” from the Sonicbids site and marketing materials?"</em></strong></p>
<p>Now, before I get to Panos' response, I will say that I don't necessarily disagree with him. Any word that has as many meanings and interpretations as the word "indie" is either at best a very nuanced word, or at worst, meaningless. So to move on and stop using the word altogether is definitely an option. However, is it realistic? The industry is flooded with products/services/websites marketing to "indie" artists everyday, so the word must mean something? Just looking at my book shelf, I have:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Indie Bible</li> <li>The Indie Venue Bible</li> <li>Indie Power</li> <li>Indie Marketing Power</li> <li>The Indie Band Survival Guide</li> <li>The New Indie (podcast series)</li> <li>The Indie Band Bible</li>
</ul><p>And there are many more, not to mention the websites and services that use the word in their marketing to artists.</p>
<p>And Sonicbids is one of those websites, with their "indie" pick of the week, their "Sonicbids LOVES Indie" marketing materials, etc. Which is why I called Panos on his prediction of the word becoming obsolete. Would he lead the way and stop using the word? It looks that way, as Panos responded to me a few days later:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em>"David, you are right taking me to task about removing references to indie music on the site. OK, you got it. We will gradually remove references to indie music on the site within the next 120 days."</em></strong></p>
<p>So there you have it, straight from the man himself. <strong>Sonicbids will phase out using the word indie.</strong> I'm actually not surprised by this, because if anyone is willing to put their money where their mouth is, it's Panos. However, you can be sure I'll keep a watchful eye on their website in the next few months :)</p>
<p>But what I'm most curious about is whether other websites/services will follow Sonicbids' lead. Personally, I don't think so, but what do you think? Is Panos right? Will the word become obsolete? Or will people continue to use the term? Should be interesting to see how things develop.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave "What is INDIE?" Cool</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279722010-12-21T16:30:00-05:002013-10-25T16:29:13-04:00What’s Ahead For 2011 & 2010 Top Musical Moments<p>I was recently asked by <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/" target="_blank">Hypebot.com</a> what I thought would be the most important business and consumer trends that will shape the music industry in 2011, as well as my top musical moments in 2010. You can read my answers here: <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/12/dave-cool-google-music-could-be-a-game-changer.html" target="_blank">http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/12/dave-cool-google-music-could-be-a-game-changer.html</a></p>
<p>Managed to plug a few Canadian artists in there, which is always fun :)</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19279732010-12-15T16:30:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:44-05:00Rejected Again: Grant Applications now 0/2<p><a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/calq1.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/calq1.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="112" width="294" /></a>Well, today I received a rejection letter from CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) for a research and creation grant for my new film. So after <a href="http://davecool.ca/2010/11/grant-applications-update-01/">getting rejected</a> last month by the Canada Council, that's 0 for 2 with grant applications for the new film so far. Not exactly the start I was looking for.</p>
<p>I expected the Canada Council rejection as I wasn't technically eligible for the program I applied for, but the CALQ rejection stings a little more because it was based on an evaluation of the project itself. In other words, the jury of my peers didn't feel the project was worth funding. Ouch.</p>
<p>Now, both of these grants were for research and development and not for the actual production of the film. There is another round of applications in the Spring for production grants, and you can bet I'll be sending in applications once again.</p>
<p>On a positive note, since applying for these 2 grants a few months ago, the idea for the film has solidified and I'm much further along in the development than I thought I would be at this point. But like almost every indie artist out there, I'm faced with the challenge of getting the funding needed for my project.</p>
<p>Next steps will be re-applying to Canada Council and CALQ for production grants, seeking out other grants to apply for, but also finalizing plans for alternative funding like sponsorships, fan-funding, private investment, pre-sales, creative alliances, etc.</p>
<p>More news on this project in the New Year...</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave<br>(Currently listening to: <a href="http://www.georgeazzimusic.com/" target="_blank">George Azzi's</a> EP "Dark rooms have no corners")</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280212010-12-11T16:35:00-05:002013-10-25T16:31:29-04:00Thank You, Mama Jo<p>Josie-Anne Huard, better known to her fellow folkies as "Mama Jo", announced this week that after over 5 great years on the air, she is ending her radio show "<a href="http://www.choq.fm/universfolk.html" target="_blank">Univers Folk</a>". The show aired on <a href="http://www.choq.fm" target="_blank">CHOQ.fm</a>, UQAM's radio station, and each week Josie-Anne would play great folk music and interview (mostly) local folk artists. It was quite simply the best place for a folk artist to get on radio in Montreal and do an interview. Mama Jo is one of this city's most dedicated supporters of folk music, and did so much not only for local folk artists and folk music fans, but also folk music venues.</p>
<p>Time and time again when there was a show booked at the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" target="_blank">Centre St-Ambroise</a> (where I've been program director for 3 years), I would notice that the artist was appearing on Univers Folk that week. Her support for the local folk music scene is almost unparalleled and her show will be missed dearly by the community.</p>
<p>A big thanks to Simon and everyone at UQAM radio (<a href="http://www.choq.fm" target="_blank">CHOQ.fm</a>) who recognized Josie-Anne's talent and passion and kept her on the air the past 5 years. For any of you reading this that did not get to hear Univers Folk, please have a listen to the archives while they're still there: <a href="http://www.choq.fm/universfolk.html" target="_blank">http://www.choq.fm/universfolk.html</a></p>
<p>And thankfully Mama Jo will still be talking about her musical discoveries through her Twitter feed, which you can follow here: <a href="http://twitter.com/universfolk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/universfolk</a></p>
<p>So Mama Jo, THANK YOU for 5 wonderful years of folk music radio and for all of your incredible support for the Montreal folk music community, we are forever grateful :)</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave "Daddy" Cool</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280222010-12-10T16:35:00-05:002013-10-25T16:32:33-04:00Guest Blog on Hypebot.com<p>I was thrilled to be invited to write a guest blog re: the "indie" Grammy nominations on <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/">Hypebot.com</a>, one of my favorite sources for news on technology and the new music industry. It's an expanded version of my original blog post, and the big question that I address in the post is: "Where do you draw the line?"</p>
<p>Check out the blog on Hypebot.com: <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/12/indie-has-arrived-273-grammy-nominations-for-indies-congratulations-paul-mccartney.html">http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/12/indie-has-arrived-273-grammy-nominations-for-indies-congratulations-paul-mccartney.html</a></p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>Dave</p>
<p> </p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280232010-12-09T16:35:00-05:002013-10-25T16:33:09-04:00Montreal Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame<p>I was honoured to be part of the jury again this year for the Hour Montreal Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. The 2010 inductees have been announced in this week's Hour: <a href="http://www.hour.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=20909" target="_blank">http://www.hour.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=20909</a></p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280402010-12-08T16:40:00-05:002022-02-06T10:07:26-05:00Sample CD Marketing Budget<a contents="" data-link-label="sample-cd-marketing-budget2010.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110332/sample-cd-marketing-budget2010.xls" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/d94b49f63a2c1f8bf9fe8e95508205d87f4c5316/small/samplecdbudget.jpg?1382725371" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></a><br>Just a quick post to offer a free resource for any musicians who are preparing a budget for their next album release. I continue to work on the 2nd edition of “<a contents="Your Successful CD Release" data-link-label="Successful CD Release" data-link-type="page" href="/successful-cd-release">Your Successful CD Release</a>” and I’ve updated the sample CD marketing budget:
<p>Download the original Excel file: <a contents="SAMPLE CD MARKETING BUDGET- EXCEL" data-link-label="sample-cd-marketing-budget2010.xls" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110332/sample-cd-marketing-budget2010.xls" target="_blank">SAMPLE CD MARKETING BUDGET- EXCEL</a></p>
<p>Download a PDF version: <a contents="SAMPLE CD MARKETING BUDGET- PDF" data-link-label="sample-cd-marketing-budget2010.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110333/sample-cd-marketing-budget2010.pdf" target="_blank">SAMPLE CD MARKETING BUDGET- PDF</a></p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280412010-12-07T16:40:00-05:002017-01-15T19:12:45-05:00INDIE Has Arrived: 273 GRAMMY Nominations for Indies! Congratulations…Paul McCartney?<a href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/grammy2.jpg"><img src="//davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/grammy2.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="150" width="120" /></a>So there was a lot of buzz on the interwebs recently about the Grammy Nominations, notably that 273 "indies" were nominated for awards this year. For a guy who spent 2 years <a href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" target="_blank">documenting the word INDIE </a>in an effort to find out its true definition, you'd think I'd be thrilled. Indie artists have finally arrived and have been overwhelmingly recognized by the Grammys! Well, not so much. The <a href="http://a2im.org/" target="_blank">American Association of Independent Music</a> released their list of members who were nominated for a Grammy, and the list includes, among others:
<ul>
<li>Paul McCartney</li> <li>Robert Plant</li> <li>LeAnn Rimes</li>
</ul>And in A2IM's announcement of these Grammy nominations, Taylor Swift is also referenced as an indie artist. Now, these artists are on this list because of associations with smaller "indie" labels. However, as Paul Resnikoff, Publisher of <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/" target="_blank">Digital Music News</a>, correctly points out in a <a href="http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/120310swiftindie" target="_blank">great article on this subject</a>, Major Labels are no doubt doing more of the heavy lifting in terms of promotion and distribution for these artists, so can they truly be considered "indie"?<br><br>Short answer? No. As much as I would love to say that Paul McCartney is an indie artist and I'll interview him for my next film, it just doesn't add up. And Taylor Swift is certainly no Ani DiFranco. But that brings up the same question as in "What is INDIE?": <strong>where do you draw the line?</strong> At one extreme you have an artist who is unsigned, has no label, no distribution, and does not engage in fan-funding or seek money from investors, they do EVERYTHING on their own. At the other extreme, you have Taylor Swift, and not to mention all of the many shades of gray in between that we documented in the film.<br><br>So what's the answer? I recently gave this a lot of thought for an<a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/what-is-indie-an-unsigned-artist-plain-and-simple.html" target="_blank"> interview on Hypebot.com</a>, and the answer I gave was the following: <em>"If I were to define it myself, an indie artist is an unsigned artist, plain and simple. There are so many nuances, but if I had to define it quickly, that’s what I would say, although <strong>everyone has their own interpretation which is totally valid</strong>, as I documented in the film.<strong>"</strong></em><br><br>And that's key, indie means different things to different people. If Paul McCartney or Robert Plant win a Grammy this year and in their acceptance speech they talk about how they are proud to be indie artists, then who am I to argue with them? Maybe being "indie" is more of a philosophy/attitude/state of mind rather than a strictly defined term that means only 1 thing.<br><br>Or, as Paul from Digital Music News suggests, maybe it's time to leave that term out of the discussion altogether: <em>"Meanwhile, the majors lose more power every day, and things are going to look a lot different in five years. So perhaps as the major label power-base withers, so should the antiquated 'indie' term. Because under the current, vague definitions, almost every artist will be 'indie' eventually - not just Taylor Swift."</em> I won't argue with that.<em> </em><br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Dave "Indie" CoolDave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280972010-11-18T16:45:00-05:002013-10-25T16:42:34-04:00Interview in Hour Newspaper: Music + Film + Beer= Fun Job<p>I was interviewed this week for the <a href="http://hour.ca" target="_blank">Hour</a>, a weekly newspaper in Montreal. Each week they profile someone with an interesting job. They chose me because apparently combining music, film and beer makes for a good story :)</p>
<p>Here's the link to the interview: <a href="http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=20788" target="_blank">http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=20788</a></p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280982010-11-17T16:45:00-05:002013-10-25T16:43:30-04:00Part 2 of my Interview on Hypebot.com: Indie Artists Might Spend $2 Just To Make A Dollar<br>So Part 2 of my interview on <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/" target="_blank">Hypebot.com</a> has been posted. In it we discuss the rapid evolution of online tools for artists, the industry that has been created on the backs of indie artists, and the future for indie artists: <a href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/indie-artists-might-spend-2-just-to-make-a-dollar-.html" target="_blank">http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/indie-artists-might-spend-2-just-to-make-a-dollar-.html</a><br><br>Hope you enjoy the interview and please feel free to leave your comments either on Hypebot.com or here on my website, I try to respond to everyone as best I can.<br><br>Cheers!<br><br>DaveDave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19281342010-11-15T16:50:00-05:002013-10-25T16:47:52-04:00Grant Applications Update: 0/1Just a quick blog post this morning to say that I heard back from one of the two granting organizations that <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/2010/09/positive-side-of-grant-applications-planning-your-work/" href="http://davecool.ca/2010/09/positive-side-of-grant-applications-planning-your-work/">I had applied to for funds</a> to make my new film, and unfortunately the news was not good. I had applied for funds to write a script for the new movie (essentially research and development) from CALQ and the Canada Council for the Arts. I received an e-mail from Canada Council this weekend saying that I was disqualified since I didn't meet their criteria for the grant, which is that I had to be a "mid-career" artist to access scriptwriting funds. Being a mid-career artist meant that I had to have 2 films under my belt, but I only had one. I tried to pad my resume with past experience releasing CDs and working in the music industry to establish that I was a mid-career artist and not an emerging artist, but no dice. I'm actually not surprised, as I knew going in it was a long-shot, but I wanted to go through the process of applying for the grant to gain the experience, and I'm glad I did.
<p> </p>
<p>So I'll wait to hear back from CALQ, and continue to prepare for the next round of grant applications in the Spring for the actual production of the film.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>
<p>P.S.- Have you ever been rejected for a grant? What was the reason? Let us commiserate...</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19280992010-11-15T16:45:00-05:002013-10-25T16:44:12-04:00Part 1 of my Interview on Hypebot.com: “INDIE” and File-Sharing<a data-mce-href="http://www.hypebot.com/" href="http://www.hypebot.com/" target="_blank">Hypebot.com</a> is a great blog that discusses music, business, marketing, digital entertainment, promotion, and technology. I read articles and interviews on the site pretty much daily. So I was thrilled when Kyle Bylin, the Editor of Hypebot, interviewed me recently about my thoughts on "indie" and the new music industry. He asked some great questions that really got me thinking, and <a data-mce-href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/what-is-indie-an-unsigned-artist-plain-and-simple.html" href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/what-is-indie-an-unsigned-artist-plain-and-simple.html" target="_blank">part 1 of the interview was posted today</a> where we discuss the definition of an "indie" artist as well as file-sharing.
<p>Do I even agree with <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">my film's</a> conclusion? You might be surprised. And I certainly didn't pull any punches with my thoughts on file-sharing:</p>
<p><a data-mce-href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/what-is-indie-an-unsigned-artist-plain-and-simple.html" href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/what-is-indie-an-unsigned-artist-plain-and-simple.html" target="_blank">http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/what-is-indie-an-unsigned-artist-plain-and-simple.html</a></p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19281352010-10-30T16:50:00-04:002017-02-02T15:06:06-05:00MySpace: You Can Hate It, But Don’t Leave ItLast week there was a "<a data-mce-href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/10/happy-quit-myspace-day-delete-your-account-now.html" href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/10/happy-quit-myspace-day-delete-your-account-now.html" target="_blank">Happy Quit Myspace Day!</a>" which encouraged artists to delete their MySpace accounts. When I saw this happening on Twitter, a part of me said "Yeah!", and I was about to start putting the word out to all of my contacts as well, when I decided to take a few days to think about what that would really mean for an artist, and I came to the following conclusion: You can hate MySpace, but don't leave it.
<p> </p>
<p>Here's the thing: <strong>I HATE MySpace</strong>. I've hated it for years simply because of it's terrible usability. If I had a dollar for every time MySpace crashed while I was trying to upload a song, add a calendar date, update a bio,<em> </em>or <em>do anything </em>whatsoever on the site, I would be enjoying an early retirement right now. The site sucks, plain and simple. But, here's the rub: MySpace is still an important part of an artist's overall web strategy that should not be overlooked, and here are the 2 biggest reasons why:</p>
<p><strong>1- Bookers still use MySpace</strong></p>
<p>As program director at the <a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" target="_blank">Centre St-Ambroise</a> in Montreal, I still prefer to visit an artist's MySpace page over their .com, and I'm definitely not alone. I spoke to many bookers at the Folk Alliance and OCFF conferences this year and there was still a consensus that MySpace was the site they went to first when considering to book an artist. Why is that? It's just easier to quickly (which is key) listen to a song, read a bio, see an artist's gig schedule, watch a video and see some photos. <strong>Bookers are overwhelmed with requests</strong> and usually <strong>don't have time to search through complicated artist websites</strong> that try to be fancy and unique, but that don't clearly map out where to find <em><strong>music to listen to</strong> </em>(not purchase), a concert calendar, videos, etc.</p>
<p><strong>2- MySpace Still Rules Google Search Results</strong></p>
<p>Great article about this here: <a data-mce-href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/myspace-still-rules-google-search-results-for-music-acts.html" href="http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/myspace-still-rules-google-search-results-for-music-acts.html" target="_blank">MySpace Still Rules Google Search Results for Music Acts</a></p>
<p>The fact is that when you do a Google search for an artist, their MySpace page is almost always in the top 5 results.You don't want a booker or your fans clicking on a dead link because you decided to delete your account, or worse, leave your profile there and no longer update it.</p>
<p>For more reasons not to quit MySpace, check out this article: <a data-mce-href="http://ht.ly/307Sg" href="http://ht.ly/307Sg" target="_blank">6 Reasons Not To Quit MySpace</a></p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So you were hoping to finally rid yourself of the burden of using MySpace, but now realize maybe you should keep your MySpace presence? Here's the good news: it doesn't have to take very much of your time at all. Here's what you really need on your MySpace page:</p>
<ol>
<li>Good <strong>profile photo</strong>
</li> <li>
<strong>Short to medium length bio</strong>, including a few press quotes (no need for long bio)</li> <li>
<strong>3-4 songs</strong>, including a live song or two</li> <li>
<strong>1 or 2 videos</strong> (at least one of them should be a live video)</li> <li>
<strong>Up-to-date concert calendar</strong> (this is <em>ESSENTIAL</em>!)</li>
</ol><p>As a booker, this is all I really need to see. If you want to be a little fancier, you can add:</p>
<ul>
<li>Branding on your page (adding a graphic at the top of the page with your album cover/photo, press quote, etc.)</li> <li>Mailing list sign-up</li> <li>Where to buy your music</li> <li>Twitter Feed (<strong>only if you actively use Twitter</strong>. If your last tweet was in 2009, please don't bother)</li>
</ul><p>There's really no need to spend a lot of time on MySpace. <strong>Keeping the calendar up to date is the single most important thing you need to do</strong>, but the beauty is that you don't even have to use MySpace to do it. I actually use ReverbNation to keep the <a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" target="_blank">Centre St-Ambroise's calendar</a> up to date on MySpace. After spending an hour on MySpace to try and add a single calendar date earlier this year, I gave up once and for all. Admittedly, I didn't put any calendar dates on MySpace for a while, but quickly realized that artists and fans were checking our MySpace page to see what was going on at the venue, and <strong>when they saw no dates, assumed that we were no longer booking shows</strong>, which of course was not the case. So again, you MUST keep your calendar up to date.</p>
<p>To do this without using MySpace, I would recommend:</p>
<ul>
<li><a data-mce-href="https://www.reverbnation.com/" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/" target="_blank">ReverbNation</a></li> <li><a data-mce-href="http://www.artistdata.com" href="http://www.artistdata.com" target="_blank">ArtistData</a></li> <li>
<a data-mce-href="http://www.sonicbids.com/" href="http://www.sonicbids.com/" target="_blank">Sonicbids </a>(which actually <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/2010/08/well-would-you-look-at-that-sonicbids-acquires-artistdata/" href="http://davecool.ca/2010/08/well-would-you-look-at-that-sonicbids-acquires-artistdata/">acquired ArtistData</a> earlier this year)</li>
</ul><p>***</p>
<p>People have proclaimed MySpace dead many times before, and although it might be dying a slow death, it is certainly not dead yet. That being said, <a data-mce-href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/10/myspace-gets-a-new-logo-what-do-you-think.html" href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/10/myspace-gets-a-new-logo-what-do-you-think.html" target="_blank">their new logo</a> isn't going to help matters, wow it's awful!</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19281362010-10-20T16:50:00-04:002013-10-25T16:49:02-04:00My OCFF Top 5I recently attended the <a data-mce-href="http://www.ocff.ca/" href="http://www.ocff.ca/">OCFF </a>Conference (Ontario Council of Folk Festivals) as a delegate from <a data-mce-href="http://folquebec.com/folquebec/" href="http://folquebec.com/folquebec/">Folquebec</a>. Here are a few Top 5 lists from my experience:
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Top 5 Favorite things about OCFF:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>The <strong>MUSIC</strong>: 3 days/nights of great music</li> <li>The <strong>PEOPLE</strong>: Seeing old friends and meeting new ones</li> <li>The <strong>OCFF STAFF</strong>: Always friendly and helpful</li> <li>The <strong>PANEL DISCUSSIONS</strong>: Some great ones this year, special mention to David Newland's panel on Social Media (check out his amazing site <a data-mce-href="http://www.rootsmusic.ca " href="http://www.rootsmusic.ca">www.rootsmusic.ca </a>)</li> <li>The <strong>RECEPTIONS</strong>: Free food and booze :)</li>
</ol><p><br><strong>Top 5 Least Favorite things about OCFF:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Paying $10/day for wireless (not cool)</li> <li>Paying $13.50 for a glass of wine at the lobby bar (ouch!)</li> <li>Seeing artists play their heart out at a showcase with nobody in the room (breaks my heart)</li> <li>Last-minute schedule changes (there was an absolute must-see artist for me that changed their private showcase time from Midnight to 2:30AM, I didn't make it in the end, really disappointed)</li> <li>Waking up Sunday morning (it wasn't pretty)</li>
</ol><p><br><strong>Top 5 Showcases I saw at OCFF:</strong></p>
<p>OK, I wasn't going to make this list, but many people have asked me, so here it is. It is incredibly hard to pick out 5 performances out of so many, and there were a lot of really good showcases, not the least of which all of the artists who performed for <a data-mce-href="http://folquebec.com/folquebec/" href="http://folquebec.com/folquebec/">Folquebec</a>. But if I were to pick 5 showcases that stood out for me, these would be it:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<a data-mce-href="http://www.danmanganmusic.com/" href="http://www.danmanganmusic.com/"><strong>Dan Mangan</strong></a>: Blew. Me. Away. Since getting back I haven't stopped listening to his album. I wake up early to play it, and stay up late to keep listening to it. Reminds me why I love music :)</li> <li>
<a data-mce-href="http://www.cdkmusik.com/" href="http://www.cdkmusik.com/"><strong>Cécile Doo-Kingué</strong></a>: Montreal-based blues artist, her guitar playing will make your face melt.</li> <li>
<a data-mce-href="http://iankellysmusic.com" href="http://iankellysmusic.com"><strong>Ian Kelly</strong></a>: Francophone artist from Montreal who sings in English. He's sold 32,000+ albums in Quebec, and there's a good reason why.</li> <li>
<a data-mce-href="http://www.galanttuperdstontemps.ca/" href="http://www.galanttuperdstontemps.ca/"><strong>Galant, tu perds ton temps</strong></a>: 5-female francophone a cappella group from Quebec. Enough said.</li> <li>Tie: <strong><a data-mce-href="http://www.craigcardiff.com/" href="http://www.craigcardiff.com/">Craig Cardiff</a> </strong>& <a data-mce-href="http://www.peterkatz.com/" href="http://www.peterkatz.com/"><strong>Peter Katz</strong></a>: OK, this is a cop-out of my top 5, but I saw them together in a private showcase room. They both played the <a data-mce-href="http://www.montrealfolkfest.com/" href="http://www.montrealfolkfest.com/">Montreal Folk Festival</a> this past year, brilliant songwriters, and they didn't disappoint.</li>
</ol><p>All in all, I had an absolute blast. A big thanks to all of the staff at OCFF and most importantly, the musicians who really make it all happen. Keep doing what you do :)</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19281372010-09-20T16:50:00-04:002013-10-25T16:49:56-04:00Bad Day Job vs. Good Day Job: What’s Better for an Artist?So after blogging regularly while I was on a 2-week vacation from my job, reality once again set in when I returned to work last week. I quickly realized that taking time to blog moved way down the priority list. Just getting through the work day with enough energy to work on my new film; after cooking dinner, responding to personal e-mails and spending time with my girlfriend, was going to be ambitious, let alone blogging. I knew making this new movie was going to be challenging in many ways, but one of the biggest challenges is going to be balancing work on my new film with work at a day job that I actually like. And that got me thinking: <strong>what is better for an artist's career? A "good" day job that you enjoy, or a "bad" day job that you don't care about?</strong>
<p> </p>
<p>Let me back up for a second. In my experience, many artists, especially "indie" artists (don't get me started on the <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">definition</a>, again), have to work a side job/day job to make ends meet, especially to make enough money to invest in their careers. Often times these are bartending jobs, waiter/waitress jobs, teaching, etc.</p>
<p>I experienced this first hand while making my first movie. I was working 4 days/week at a college bookstore. It was good money, but was totally unfulfilling. Luckily there was a lot of down time at that job, so I spent most of it working on my movie.</p>
<p>Fast forward to today. I work as a Program Director at a cultural center (the<a data-mce-href="http://www.mcauslan.com/en/centre" href="http://www.mcauslan.com/en/centre"> St-Ambroise Center</a>), which was founded by Montreal micro-brewery McAuslan Brewing. We mainly program folk music shows, but also film screenings and workshops for artists. For a guy who loves folk music and is a filmmaker, it's a pretty good gig. It's a lot of work, and I often do countless hours of overtime, but it is rewarding at the end of the day. On top of that, I also have a great boss who gives me as much freedom as I need to run the place (what to program, who to hire, where to spend money, etc.), and my coworkers are awesome.</p>
<p>So unlike the unfulfilling day job I had during my first movie, where I was doing the bare minimum of what needed to get done so I could work on my own projects, my current job requires my full attention (and then some). Which I happily give, but it often leaves me with very little spare time, and more to the point, very little spare energy to put into personal projects.</p>
<p>What do you think? <strong>As an artist, if you have to work a day job to make ends meet, would you rather work a job that is totally unfulfilling? Or would you prefer a day job that you enjoy and that gives you some sense of fulfillment?</strong></p>
<p>I know that I'm happier now than I was when I was working at that old job, but I'm also aware that I won't have the luxury of working on my new movie while at my current job. So I'll have to manage my time more efficiently this time around to stay on top of deadlines, that's for sure.</p>
<p>I've already taken a step in what I hope is the right direction, by reducing my hours from 40 hours/week (full-time) to 28 hours/week. The plan is to use those extra 12 hours each week to work on the new film and keep somewhat of a balance in my life with health, family, friends and my relationship. We'll see how it goes...</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282232010-09-08T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:53:19-04:00CNN.com, Newsweek Magazine, Screenings Around the World. Can I possibly top all of that?I'm never one to toot my own horn. I am much more comfortable poking fun at myself and my work. Try watching <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">"What is INDIE?"</a> with me and I'll point out every mistake, every moment I thought could have been done better, and how many times I get tired of hearing my own voice (especially that last one). But after putting together my <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DaveCool-cv-pk-dr3.pdf" href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DaveCool-cv-pk-dr3.pdf">Press Kit</a> for a grant application, which I think is the first time I've ever gone through that exercise, I have to admit, even I was impressed. I often forget some of what was accomplished with "What is INDIE?", like an interview on <a data-mce-href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/19/indie.overview/index.html" href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/19/indie.overview/index.html">CNN.com</a> (I got that phone call while about to go out and do my laundry, I didn't have a washer/dryer in my tiny apartment in Montreal), an interview for Newsweek Magazine International, and screenings around the world at conferences and festivals.
<p>Impressive? Yes. Does it really mean anything? I've gained enough experience to know that those kinds of things are few and far between, if they ever happen at all. And if they do, enjoy the moment, but don't get wrapped up in it. Right after I got off the phone with the journalist from CNN, I think I called my Dad to tell him the good news, but after that I went straight to the laundromat to clean my cloths, and went to the post office to mail a bunch of packages that were piling up on my desk. In other words, right back to the day-to-day real life things that we all have to do.</p>
<p>One question I asked myself after seeing my press kit in front of me was: Can I possibly hope to top all of that with another film? Shouldn't I just quit while I'm ahead and re-live the stories for years to come? Tempting, but I realized it's an unfair question to ask. Making another film isn't about "topping" the last one, it's about a new challenge, a new adventure, and creating a new story to tell. Maybe it won't be the same, maybe it won't be told through mainstream media outlets or at as many festivals and conferences, but it will no doubt be a fun ride nonetheless.</p>
<p>But don't get me wrong, if CNN calls again this time around, I'll be there to answer the call. After all, I can multi-task now that I have a washing machine in my apartment :)</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>
<p>P.S.- Here's my full Press Kit if you're curious: <a data-link-label="davecool-cv-pk-dr3.pdf" data-link-type="file" data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DaveCool-cv-pk-dr3.pdf" href="/files/110355/davecool-cv-pk-dr3.pdf" target="_blank">Dave Cool Press Kit</a></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282242010-09-07T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:54:38-04:00Positive Side of Grant Applications: Planning Your WorkSo yesterday's post was a little bit on the negative side, wasn't feeling too good about the grant application I was working on. But, as with many things in life, once you work through the difficult moments and get to the other side, you gain some perspective. One real positive to the grant writing process is that it forces you to really think the project through from start to finish, helping to weed out any weaknesses in the project and address them before submitting the application. The project is no doubt clearer and much better planned out than it was before starting the application process, which is valuable in its own right, whether you receive the grant money or not.<p>I know this is definitely true in my case, and my film is now clearer in my mind than it was a week ago, which is a huge plus. And I also have a much better sense of the costs involved, so it is no longer a mystery (apparently <a data-mce-href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/09/06/financing-has-collapsed-for-terry-gilliams-don-quixote-3d-time-bandits-conversion-planned/" href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/09/06/financing-has-collapsed-for-terry-gilliams-don-quixote-3d-time-bandits-conversion-planned/">making movies costs money</a>?). So in a few days I will submit the application, cross my fingers and pray to the grant gods to look kindly upon it, and hope for the best.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I will develop Plan B (and C), in case things don't work out with the applications...</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282252010-09-06T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:55:10-04:00Please Stick a Fork in My Eye (Filling Out Grant Applications)How many times can a person check Facebook in a day? I'm not sure, but I seem to be trying to break the record. This, as I am in the middle of filling out grant applications for the new film. Specifically <a data-mce-href="http://www.calq.gouv.qc.ca" href="http://www.calq.gouv.qc.ca">CALQ</a> and <a data-mce-href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/" href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/">Canada Council</a> (to my American friends, these are just a few of our infamous Government entities that give out $ to artists to help fund their projects).
<p>At best, I am seriously procrastinating, at worst, I am seriously struggling. I've filled out many grant applications for musicians, with a good degree of success. But this is different, this is for my own project, this is for my baby. I'm having a really hard time being objective, and I'm also caught in a loop of self-doubt (I made the first film by accident, they'll never fund this kind of project, etc.), mixed with frustration with the bureaucratic grant writing process itself. And one of the biggest questions: Do you modify the original vision of your project to cater it (even slightly) to the granting organization in order for it to have a better chance at getting funded?</p>
<p>As my friend Selin from <a data-mce-href="http://www.parabolafilms.ca/" href="http://www.parabolafilms.ca/">Parabola Films</a> once told me: "filling out grant applications can feel like sticking a fork in your eye". Indeed.</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282962010-09-03T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:56:42-04:00Why My New Film is Already Doomed...According to Derek Sivers<br><br>Yesterday I publicly announced that I was working on a new film. I received a lot of positive reaction from friends, family, and people wanting to get involved in the project. I have to admit, it felt great. But literally within minutes of posting the blog announcement, I came across this new TED Talk by <a data-mce-href="http://www.cdbaby.com/" href="http://www.cdbaby.com/">CD Baby</a> Founder <a data-mce-href="http://sivers.org/" href="http://sivers.org/">Derek Sivers</a>, and realized that I had perhaps already doomed my project to failure:<br><br><br> <!--copy and paste--><object bgcolor="#ffffff" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="326" width="446"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/DerekSivers_2010G-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/DerekSivers-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=947&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself;year=2010;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=unconventional_explanations;theme=how_we_learn;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2010;theme=new_on_ted_com;event=TEDGlobal+2010;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" height="326" src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="446" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br><br>It's a short video (3 min.), and I recommend you watch it, but the point of the talk is this: <strong>Telling someone your goals makes them less likely to happen.</strong> Psychologists have found that the brain is tricked into thinking that the goal is already achieved after you've announced it publicly to someone, and therefore you are less motivated to achieve the goal.
<p>I sat back and realized that just by announcing my new film, I already felt that "high" I had missed since making my first film 5 years ago. Is my brain now tricked? Am I now less motivated to achieve my goal of making a new film? Geez, I really hope not.</p>
<p>But I do agree with Derek (who I was lucky enough to interview for <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">"What is INDIE?"</a>), as I have seen it happen time and time again with people who want to get in shape, find a new job, record a new album, etc. They talk about it a few times, and then nothing happens. It certainly happened to me after releasing "What is INDIE?", when I announced my next film was going to be a documentary about my first band and our 10 year anniversary reunion. Never happened. I talked about it a lot, but in the end I lost motivation to carry through the project for various reasons. I was probably better off keeping my big mouth shut, because to this day people still ask me what ever happened to that film. Oops.</p>
<p>Where does this leave my new film? Well, I can't take back the public announcement, the cat is already out of the bag as they say (although I really hope the cat doesn't come near me, I am <strong><a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/cat-allergy.jpg" href="http://davecool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/cat-allergy.jpg">deathly allergic</a></strong>). My first instinct was to just shut my mouth, never speak of the film again and just work to make it happen. But I'm not going to do that, because the film, as you will hopefully see one day, will be a very open project that will require participation from people all around the world for it to fulfill the vision I have for it.</p>
<p>So I've decided to be very open and honest about the project. Will the film definitely get made? I can't answer that question 100% right now, as it is still very early in the development phase (I remember while making "What is INDIE?", there were 2 similar films being made at the same time, but were never released). A lot can happen while making a film, so stay tuned for what will hopefully be regular updates about the process, one that I want to include you in and would appreciate your feedback every step of the way...</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282972010-09-02T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:57:23-04:00New movie in the works: Looking for full-time indie artistsAre you a full-time indie musician? Or do you know of any successful full-time indie musicians?<p> </p>
<p>I'm looking for indie artists for a new film project:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<span>Artists cannot be signed to a record label (own label <span>ok</span>, manager and/or booking agent is </span><span><span>ok</span></span>)</li> <li>
<strong>Artists must make</strong><strong> full-time living with majority of income coming from: the sale of their own music, live performances, licensing their music, merchandise, etc.</strong>
</li> <li>Session work and/or teaching <span><span>ok</span></span>, as long as it represents minority of annual income</li> <li><span>Any geographic location is <span>ok</span></span></li>
</ul><p>Please e-mail me <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/contact/" href="http://davecool.ca/contact/">here</a> for more information.</p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>Dave</p>
<p>P.S.- This will be my second film, here is info about the first one if you're curious: <a data-link-label="What is INDIE?" data-link-type="page" data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" href="/what-is-indie">http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/ </a></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282992010-08-31T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:58:19-04:00Summer Update: CIRAA, ELAN, Festivals, OCFF ShowcasesSummer flew by, and I neglected to post anything on this site for a few months. But lots of exciting things have happened since my last post, here are some of the highlights:<p> </p>
<ul>
<li>I was elected to the<strong> Board of Directors of the Canadian Independent Recording Artists' Association</strong> <strong>(CIRAA)</strong>: <a data-mce-href="http://www.ciraa.ca" href="http://www.ciraa.ca">www.ciraa.ca</a>. Very excited about that, and I will post more news and info about CIRAA in the coming weeks, including some reviews of <a data-mce-href="http://www.thenewindie.com/episodes.php" href="http://www.thenewindie.com/episodes.php">The New Indie </a>Podcast series.</li> <li>I was elected to the <strong>Board of Directors of the English Language Arts Network (ELAN)</strong>: <a data-mce-href="http://www.quebec-elan.org" href="http://www.quebec-elan.org">www.quebec-elan.org</a>
</li> <li>As Program Director of the <a data-mce-href="http://mcauslan.com/en/terrasse-st-ambroise/" href="http://mcauslan.com/en/terrasse-st-ambroise/">St-Ambroise Terrace</a>, we hosted lots of great music events this summer, including: <ul>
<li>The <a data-mce-href="http://www.montrealfolkfest.com/" href="http://www.montrealfolkfest.com/">Montreal Folk Festival</a>, featuring <a data-mce-href="http://www.kathleenedwards.com/" href="http://www.kathleenedwards.com/">Kathleen Edwards</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.craigcardiff.com/" href="http://www.craigcardiff.com/">Craig Cardiff</a> and many more.</li> <li><a data-mce-href="http://www.camaromance.com/" href="http://www.camaromance.com/">Camaromance</a></li> <li>
<a data-mce-href="http://www.uswm.ca/" href="http://www.uswm.ca/">United Steel Workers of Montreal</a> & <a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/charlottecornfield" href="http://www.myspace.com/charlottecornfield">Charlotte Cornfield</a> (this show was probably the highlight of my 3 years as program director so far!)</li> <li><a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/millimetrik" href="http://www.myspace.com/millimetrik">Millimetrik</a></li> <li>Funk N’ Jazz Festival, featuring <a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/francoproietti" href="http://www.myspace.com/francoproietti">The Franco Proietti Morph-tet</a> and <a data-mce-href="http://www.vanessarodrigues.com/" href="http://www.vanessarodrigues.com/">Vanessa Rodrigues</a> (Vanessa was my discovery of the summer, what an incredible talent!)</li> <li>Weekly Jazz Nights, featuring Apartment 5, <a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/takkmontreal" href="http://www.myspace.com/takkmontreal">TAKK</a>, Kurt Skjaevestad Trio, Beavan Flanagan Trio</li> <li>Monthly DJ night featuring <a data-mce-href="http://ghostbeard.com/" href="http://ghostbeard.com/">Ghostbeard </a>and <a data-mce-href="http://www.poiriersound.com/" href="http://www.poiriersound.com/">Poirier</a>
</li> </ul>
</li> <li>As a member of the Board of Directors of <a data-mce-href="http://folquebec.com/folquebec/" href="http://folquebec.com/folquebec/">Folquebec</a>, I oversaw the selection of artists for the Folquebec showcase at the <a data-mce-href="http://www.ocff.ca/" href="http://www.ocff.ca/">OCFF </a>conference in October.</li>
</ul><p>Now with that house cleaning done, some current news is on the way...</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19282982010-08-31T16:55:00-04:002013-10-25T16:57:48-04:00Well, would you look at that: Sonicbids Acquires ArtistDataBack in February I wrote a lengthy <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/2010/03/the-dirty-word-at-folk-alliance-2010-sonicbids/" href="http://davecool.ca/2010/03/the-dirty-word-at-folk-alliance-2010-sonicbids/">blog post</a> about <a data-mce-href="http://www.sonicbids.com/" href="http://www.sonicbids.com/">Sonicbids</a>. In that post I suggested some changes that could be made to improve Sonicbids, one of which was:
<p> </p>
<ul><li>
<strong>Make Sonicbids THE place where artists update all of their sites:</strong> MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Right now ReverbNation and ArtistData are battling it out for supremacy in this field, but Sonicbids has the membership base and resources to win outright, and they could add incredible value for their members in the process.</li></ul><p>Well, instead of trying to beat out ReverbNation and ArtistData in this field, Sonicbids simply <a data-mce-href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/06/sonicbids-acquires-artistdata.html" href="http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/06/sonicbids-acquires-artistdata.html">acquired ArtistData</a>. This is a smart move on several fronts. For one, they now have the ArtistData technology which will add tremendous value to their membership. But by bringing on ArtistData founder Brenden Mulligan as VP Strategic Development, they also get someone who can take the Sonicbids site and technology to the next level, something they haven't quite been able to do in recent years.</p>
<p>I get the feeling the Sonicbids site is about to get leaner and meaner in the near future...</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19283002010-04-12T16:55:00-04:002017-01-15T19:12:46-05:00Free e-book for Musicians: “Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…Developing Music Careers in Uncertain Times”<a contents="" data-link-label="musician-2-0-3-0-4-0-spellman.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110336/musician-2-0-3-0-4-0-spellman.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/120214/eb39e4befff23494434ad909dd1659a19392a44d/medium/musician2-3-4-by-peter-spellman.png?1382725572" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></a>Peter Spellman has released a free e-book for musicians called “Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…Developing Music Careers in Uncertain Times”. Peter is the Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music in Boston, as well as the Director of <a href="http://www.mbsolutions.com/" target="_blank">Music Business Solutions</a>, and someone who I consider to be one of the great thinkers in the music industry.
<p>Peter’s work has had tremendous impact on me over the years, and really helped shape my philosophies about the music industry. His books “<a href="http://www.mbsolutions.com/books/self-promoting_musician.html" target="_blank">The Self-Promoting Musician</a>” and “<a href="http://www.mbsolutions.com/books/howtostart.html" target="_blank">INDIE POWER</a>” are must-read classics in my opinion (I have read them easily 5 times each!).</p>
<p>“Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0” is Peter Spellman at his best, and it is a great introduction to his work if you are not familiar with it already. Peter is a master at asking questions that put things in perspective and help you see the big picture. Where most advice and resources for artists focus on the “outward” career tools (social networking, online tools, promo/publicity, etc.), Peter gets you to pause, take a deep breath, and really focus on the inner-work that most of us forget to do.</p>
<p>As with all of Peter’s books, I found myself underlining and highlighting text on every page (I printed it out, still love to hand-write notes and highlight!). At only 30 pages, it is a quick read, but one that can make a profound impact, so I would highly recommend it. And the best part? It’s FREE: <a contents="Download Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0" data-link-label="musician-2-0-3-0-4-0-spellman.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/110336/musician-2-0-3-0-4-0-spellman.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>Download Musician 2.0, 3.0, 4.0</strong></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19283162010-03-10T17:00:00-05:002013-10-25T17:00:27-04:00The Dirty Word at Folk Alliance 2010: SonicbidsI recently attended the Folk Alliance International Music Conference in Memphis and was shocked by the reaction to <a data-mce-href="http://www.sonicbids.com" href="http://www.sonicbids.com" target="_blank">Sonicbids </a>in panel discussions and with artists I spoke to. It caused me to question the company, and whether it was still helping indie artists. Had the company “sold out”? Were they now “The Man”? Well, here’s what I found out...
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>A little context:</p>
<p>The Folk Alliance is significant in my life as I filmed several key interviews for my documentary <a data-mce-href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/" href="http://davecool.ca/what-is-indie/">“What is INDIE?”</a> while at the FA in Montreal (Derek Sivers- CD Baby, David Wimble- Indie Bible, Suzanne Glass- Indie-Music.com), and then premiered the film 2 years later at the FA in Austin. But the FA conference in Montreal in 2005 is also where I first met Panos Panay, the founder of Sonicbids.</p>
<p>I’ll admit, when I first met Panos, I wasn’t sure what Sonicbids was all about, what it did, or if it was even a good idea for indie artists to join. But I knew one thing: Panos was passionate and enthusiastic about helping independent artists, so I felt it was worth digging deeper.</p>
<p>So I kept in touch with Panos, and over time we developed a friendship, as we were very much on the same page with our views on the music industry. In the process I got a much better sense of Sonicbids and what it did for musicians. Essentially, Sonicbids removed the gatekeepers and middlemen and allowed indie artists to connect directly with promoters, festivals, conferences, film licensing opportunities, consumer brands and more. No doubt in my mind: just like CD Baby was when it first came onto the scene, Sonicbids was a game changer.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>OK, back to FA 2010. I was going to a music conference for first time in almost 3 years. After promoting my film until late 2007, I became hyper-focused on my local Montreal music scene the last few years, helping to create and program a new artist-friendly folk music venue in Montreal (<a data-mce-href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise" href="http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise">http://www.myspace.com/centrestambroise</a>). So I felt a bit rusty, but it didn’t take long to get right back into it as I scheduled a ton of interviews with artists. My film had essentially taken a snapshot of the experience of being an independent artist in 2004/2005, and I was curious how things had changed in the last 5 years.</p>
<p>In those interviews, I asked artists how they were using sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, ReverbNation, and of course, Sonicbids. To my astonishment, the <strong>only website that received a worse reaction than MySpace was Sonicbids</strong> (more about MySpace in a future blog post). Sonicbids? But they’re awesome! Then in panel discussion after panel discussion, whenever Sonicbids was mentioned, it was usually followed by nervous laughter, like a hot potato that no one wanted to take. When people finally did talk about Sonicbids, nothing positive came out.</p>
<p>I couldn’t believe it. What had happened in the 5 years since I first met Panos? <strong>Had Sonicbids changed? Had they lost touch with their original mission of helping indie artists?</strong> Well, it turned out I would have an opportunity to ask “the man” himself, as Panos was scheduled to speak at Folk Alliance.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>It had been a few years since I last saw Panos, and a lot had happened with Sonicbids in that time. Membership on the site had essentially doubled to 210,000+ artists, they were now working with SXSW, one of the biggest music conferences in the world, and they had received roughly $4.5 million dollars in venture capital funding. Combined with all of the negative feedback I was hearing at the conference, even I was starting to wonder if they had lost their way.</p>
<p>Well, it took all of 30 seconds in talking to Panos to put my mind at ease. He was still the same guy I met in 2005, super nice, super enthusiastic, and extremely passionate about helping indie artists. I had a very good conversation with Panos and Tess Cychosz (Member Relations Manager at Sonicbids) about what I was hearing about the company while at Folk Alliance. It was clear that they had heard some of these things before, and they invited me to come to a Sonicbids Member Dinner that night to continue the discussion.</p>
<p>Sonicbids hosts these member dinners all over the world, and many times Panos is there himself. The atmosphere was laid back, and I watched while Panos & Tess hung out with the artists, ate ribs, drank beer and got to know everyone. Every so often the conversation steered towards Sonicbids, it wasn’t a survey, it wasn’t structured, but you could tell that they genuinely wanted to get feedback straight from their members. It was amazing to watch. <strong>Panos could have been in any number of meetings/places, but the founder & CEO of the company chose to spend a few hours with Sonicbids members</strong>, which speaks volumes about who Panos is.</p>
<p>And although the feedback from the members wasn’t as strongly worded as what I had been hearing at the conference, they were rooted in the same frustrations: pay to play, spending lots of money and not being selected, etc. It was a very open and honest discussion. Panos listened to the artists, and responded to each criticism with his point of view, then asked their opinions on how they would improve Sonicbids. It’s almost too bad that Panos can’t speak to all of the Sonicbids members (and sceptics) directly, because if you hear him talk about helping indie artists with such passion, and when you realize how open he is to getting feedback about Sonicbids for the sake of improving the site (and further helping indie artists), it would no doubt help reduce some of the Sonicbids-bashing that goes on.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Obviously this whole experience at Folk Alliance got me thinking about Sonicbids, so here’s my take on the company:</p>
<ul><li>Before Sonicbids, if you wanted to apply to a festival or music conference, <strong>it still cost money to submit</strong>. You either had to send a check/money order/online payment before sending your promo kit (which cost money for the physical CD, one-sheet, postage, envelope, etc.). I think sometimes artists forget this, or maybe since Sonicbids has been around for 9 years, it is very possible that many artists weren’t around in the days when you had to snail-mail a money order to pay your submission fees along with your physical CD and press kit (i.e. time consuming, not eco-friendly, and expensive).</li></ul><ul><li>
<strong>Sonicbids does not keep all of the money from submission fees</strong> for opportunities. This seems to be a great source of misunderstanding in the artistic community. In most cases, 70% goes to the promoters, although sometimes it’s a 50/50 split. And Sonicbids is adamant when they take on a new promoter, that if there was a fee before, the fee remains the same as it was.</li></ul><ul><li>Before Sonicbids, it was nearly impossible without an agent, manager or inside connection to gain access to many of the opportunities found on Sonicbids, most notably film licensing, video game licensing, and working with large brands like the GAP, Delta Airlines, to name a few. <strong>They not only make it easier to connect to opportunities, they also actively create new opportunities</strong> for artists, sometimes spending their own money to do so. They literally put their money where their mouth is, which is pretty damn cool.</li></ul><ul><li>
<strong>Sonicbids offers partial reimbursement for international travel expenses</strong>, so if you do get booked at an overseas festival/conference but can’t afford to go, Sonicbids might help get you there. In other words, they take an active role in not only helping to create opportunities for artists, but also in helping to get artists to those opportunities. Again, I think this is pretty awesome. (*Update: they just did this very thing, helping to send a band to tour China: <a data-mce-href="http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com/sonicbids-china-tour-artist-announced/" href="http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com/sonicbids-china-tour-artist-announced/">http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com/sonicbids-china-tour-artist-announced/</a> )</li></ul><ul><li>One criticism of Sonicbids is that it is a monopoly, and I guess in some ways it is. There are festivals and conferences that now book exclusively through Sonicbids, but there is a reason for that: from a promoter’s point of view, Sonicbids is a dream come true. Simply put, <strong>Sonicbids saves an incredible amount of time for promoters in finding/selecting artists</strong>. But because certain festivals & conferences use Sonicbids exclusively, it in a sense “forces” artists to use the site (and pay the monthly subscription fee) if they want to apply to certain opportunities. Even I can admit that this is not ideal. Although I think there is tremendous value in what Sonicbids offers to artists, I can understand how artists might feel bitter when they have to use the site to apply to a particular festival (and pay the monthly fee).</li></ul><p>***</p>
<p>So even though I am big fan of Sonicbids, there is always room for improvement. Here is my personal wish list for changes that Sonicbids can make to improve their service:</p>
<p><strong>1. Pay-to-play & the monthly fee:</strong> I personally feel that Sonicbids should offer 2 membership options on their site: Regular membership and Premium membership:</p>
<ul><li>
<strong>Regular Membership (Free):</strong> Artists can sign up for an account for free and create an EPK, but they would still have to pay to submit to opportunities. This would be geared towards artists who play mostly their home town and just want to apply to a few select opportunities every year, i.e. “lite” users.</li></ul><ul><li>
<strong>Premium Membership (Subscription):</strong> Artists pay the $6 monthly membership fee and are allowed to apply to a set amount of opportunities per month for free. There are no doubt opportunities that would not have had a submission fee before Sonicbids existed (certain radio shows, Podcasts, smaller clubs/venues for example) which could fall into this category. But there are still certain conferences and festivals that always have, and always will, charge a submission fee. So both Regular & Premium Members would still have to pay to submit to those opportunities. The Premium Membership option would be for “heavy users” of the site; touring artists or artists looking to apply to many clubs/venues/festivals, etc. So they would pay $6/month, but get free access to a set amount of opportunities per month in exchange. Maybe other premium features could include things like embedding your Gig Calendar and e-mailing out your EPK.</li></ul><p><strong>2. Eliminate Supersonic EPK:</strong> I’m sure everyone at Sonicbids has heard this many times before, but in the age of YouTube and Vimeo (and countless other free video hosting sites) I would love to see Sonicbids stop charging artists to upload a video onto their EPK. If it’s a server issue, then maybe they could let artists embed a video from either YouTube or Vimeo in their EPK. It might be easier said than done, but I think it would be the right thing to do.</p>
<p><strong>3. Make Sonicbids THE place where artists update all of their sites:</strong> MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Right now ReverbNation and ArtistData are battling it out for supremacy in this field, but Sonicbids has the membership base and resources to win outright, and they could add incredible value for their members in the process. This could even be a service offered in the “Premium” membership in the scenario I mentioned above.</p>
<p><strong>4. Make most EPK elements visible on 1 page:</strong> It is clear that most artists are tired of MySpace, but they can’t close their accounts because there are still people who use MySpace as their main reference. And who are those people? Many of them are venue bookers, and as someone who booked a folk music venue for 2 years, I can attest to this. MySpace was the first place I visited to hear an artist because of the (relatively) uniform look and ability to find a photo, music, calendar dates, bio and maybe a video all on the same page, in essentially the same place as on every other artist page on MySpace. If Sonicbids tweaked the look of the artist EPKs to incorporate most of the key elements onto 1 page, venue bookers might be more inclined to use Sonicbids in the same way they use MySpace, and in the process, allow artists to finally let go of MySpace once and for all (wishful thinking?).</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So I hope for any artists that read this it gave you some insight into Sonicbids and gave you a better sense of the company, and of Panos. They are not perfect, and yes improvements can be made, but they are certainly not “the man”. They are there to help, and are always looking for ways to improve. And if this blog post made me sound like I am a cheerleader for Sonicbids, well, I will admit that in some ways I am (Tess Cychosz, the Member Relations Manager, even joked that Panos and I are “BFFs”). But I call it like I see it, and as long as Sonicbids stays true to their original mission and keeps creating opportunities for indie artists, then I will keep waving my pom-poms ;-)</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Dave</p>
<p><strong>P.S. -</strong> <strong>What do YOU think about Sonicbids? Do you use the site? What do you like about it? What don’t you like about it? What would YOU do to improve it? Please feel free to comment on this blog post.</strong></p>Dave Cooltag:www.davecool.ca,2005:Post/19283392010-02-20T17:05:00-05:002013-10-25T17:02:00-04:00Interview with Madalyn Sklar<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="386" id="utv289855" width="480"><param name="flashvars" value="autoplay=false">
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="340" src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9049235&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff0179&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="600"></embed></object><a href="http://vimeo.com/9049235">"What is Indie" reunion - image sequence test</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2110024">ian graham</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.<br><br>A few beers with "What is Indie" director Dave Cool and composer/director/editor/master of all trades Tim Rideout. Image sequence shot on Canon 7D, Canon 15-85mm & 50mm, 6400 ISO Cut on Final Cut Pro Music: It's A Good Day by Peggy Lee Check out Dave's film "What is Indie" here: <a href="http://www.filmbaby.com/films/998">filmbaby.com/films/998</a>Dave Cool