I see artists promoting themselves in quite creative ways but from discussions between artists I could see that understanding of how things fit together, in terms of promoting music on the internet, was often a bit confused.
Why does it matter?
Surely the combination of methods is best? Yes, it is true using promotional tools and assets together is the best solution but only if they are used together. Artists want to gain and keep fans. Fans buy records, merchandise and they make possible the creation of better recorded songs with better quality videos. They also feed egos too.
The point is, it all depends on getting full value from your tools and assets. Where you spend your time has to depend on what is most beneficial. You don?t want to have the feeling you have wasted your time on something so alien to music as promotion or some other element of music business!
What is important?
Artists need fans. Fans buy records and merchandise. An active fanbase helps grow both the fanbase and your popularity. Fans spread the word and recommend you to their friends. Fans need encouraged. Fans need information. You are responsible for getting them the information they need at the time you want them to get it.
Your music and everything about your act has to be provided to your fans in a way and at a pace that they can digest it. They need to know when songs and albums will be available, tour dates and locations, when you will appear on TV etc, and it is up to you to tell them.
Successful music promotion relies on both timing and process. Timing and process are used to form marketing campaigns.
Overall there is a need to control your communication with your fans, whether that is through a website, social media, press, tv, radio, internet radio, email or otherwise. Flexible tools with good levels of control and coverage are your biggest music business friends.
Lets be very clear, it is NOT that you only use one tool, it is that you use the tools wisely. Knowing where to put the emphasis of the effort is a major advantage.
Growing Your Fanbase
Getting new fans whilst keeping the existing fans. Artists have to have fans. We all want people to like what we are doing and we all wnat those people to come back again, maybe bring some friends who might be interested.
Controlling Communications
This is another major part of what we need to do as artists / labels / promoters. We need to be able to control what we say, how we say it, when we say it, and how it is presented. As we want to communicate at a time of our chosing (to synchronise campaigns for album releases etc) we need to be able to control the time that the message is delivered as best we can.
Durability
We need something that will stand the test of time, where as much as possible WE own and are responsible for method being used. Otherwise we risk being left with nothing should a disaster happen (site closures, changes of policiy or going out of fashion).
Social Networks
YouTube, Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, the social networks of our time. When it comes to music promotion there are pros and cons to each. Each gives you the opportunity to communicate with your fans and to grow the number of people who are exposed to your music and to your promotions.
The trouble is that social networks can go out of fashion. You?ve just spent months or even years building your social connections when the site disappears (mp3.com ? ok not a social network but it was the biggest promotion possibility for artists at one time) or becomes unpopular because of band spamming (myspace).
One thing is sure, the majority of websites are only popular for a while, even when they are the largest of their kind. All your carefully nurtured connections are virtually worthless overnight. That is their biggest weakness.
While they have their uses, remember contacts added like this are volatile 3rd party contacts and shouldn?t be relied upon.
Blogs
It?s a sign of the times that few people think of blogs as?their biggest assest, yet it can be of considerable use as blogs get subscribers. In other words you post a message and it is pulled by other sites and blog readers, or notifies via email. Blogs are still popular and people still regularly subscribe to and read blogs.
You can import your blog to Facebook and Twitter, feeding your fans, friends and contacts on several sites from a simple blog post. Your blog can also be listed on Network Blogs anad Technorati, two main stalwarts of the blogosphere, mixing social networking with blog ranking.
Music Sites
Sites like Reverb Nation (OMDs) allow you to upload your audio files, create an artist page, gain fans, sell your music and gain chart position. Unlike many sites Reverb Nation gives you access to your fan?s email address, which somewhat insulates your efforts should the site disappear or become unfashionable.
The big problem with most Indie music sites is that the membership tends to be predominantly other artists. They are not all about fans.
Sites like CDBaby are a bit more focused on fans but they provide less tools for artists and don?t provide access to email addresses. CD Baby integrates well with retailers like iTunes.
iTunes is a mainstream music retailer combining main stream acts with Indie artist releases. Unfortunately they provide no info on the fans you have gained. What they do offer is realistic charting and a broadly used platform that directly interfaces with the most popular mp3 players in the world.
Sound Cloud is still very much in the world of Indie Music, offering uploads and more but saddly lacking when it comes to building fans.
Forums
Forums can be useful, but they require quite a bit of effort to become a high profile member. They may not provide email addresses but they do still make excellent ways to communicate with fans, musicians and other business professionals.
There are plenty music forums out there that do focus on fans but they don?t often react well to Indie Music.
Yet again forums as a tool are somewhat volatile. Sites can disappear or become unfashionable.
Your Own Site
Your own site gives you a lot of control, it gives you a place to host your audio and video and fundamentally it gives you a place to call home. Building traffic like this is slow and not the advantage that it seems on first glance. They are useful news portals for your music but you have to get people there first. As far as dispersing your promotion messages goes, posting on the site also needs your fans to visit your site first before they get your message. A major drawback (It is better to push your message out at a time that suits you rather than wait for it to be pulled via a newsreader etc).
Mailing List
Mailing lists are collections of email addresses. They give you direct access to your fans (or as direct as you can get). They allow you to push the message out when it suits you. You get to keep the addresses so if the mailing software become unsupported or the mailing server you use goes bust, you are insulated from any damage.
You do need to keep your list up to date as people do change email addresses. This is an ongoing task and with decent mailing software you can deal with this automatically.
You can add sign up boxes to your site and often to other sites too, including Facebook.
Conclusion
By comparison the mailing list beats the other methods hands down. Sure build your Facebook, your twitter, grow your site audience, join forums and music sites, but remember- the gold you are looking for is the fan?s email address. The main point of your web presence is to get people to sign up as fans, giving you their email address.
Visitors to your site may of course buy or download one of your songs, but once they are gone they are gone, unless of course you get their email address.
Your biggest asset towards success is without doubt your mailing list. Built it and you build a lasting connection directly with your fans.
Having music is of course a pre-requisit!
Go and talk to experienced music marketers and promoters, or with bands who run their own marketing and promotion at the Songstuff Songwriting and Music Community.
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Recommended Reading
I highly recommend reading further on this topic if you are at all involved in writing, producing,?distributing?or selling your music on the internet.
Music Industry / Music Business Info
Music Production and Music Marketing Blog
Source: http://www.aaobc.com/uncategorized/top-tips-for-being-successful-in-online-music
casey anthony case detroit tigers gwyneth paltrow mpi denise richards orca boston terrier
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