JamTimeMusic

Great idea. I will like you all now. Please return the favour: http://www.facebook.com/Northfieldband Cheers J

A useful article for those starting out. This game really boils down to product. If the song isn't great then you need to be either drop dead gorgeous or have an alien dancing round you in the video!

Hey The Brewer, Cool post. Thanks for the inspiration as that is what it is for me. I too am hoping to making waves on the internet but being slow about it. His website is pretty simple. We could probably do this too as my co-writer is a programmer but at the moment we have started to use Bandcamp.com. It's simple, free and only take 15% which isn't so bad. It also looks way better and has great tracking, stats, billboard reports etc. The most important thing about this artist is that he has a good product. Your website can be basic, snazzy, blah etc but if the product is crap then that's the end of it. After that you have to hope things will take off by working hard to get the word around. James

Hell YEAH!

Rioters got me mega busy at work this week. Might get a chance next week.

Hey guys and gals, With the increase of internet outlets for indie music is it really still worth while getting signed? What can a label give you that you can't do yourself? I ask because I intend to release my bands album later this year and I have very high hopes that it will be a quality album. Once the album is done we intend to work hard on the gigging and internet scene etc etc. Ok it might take a lot of time to get known but being our own bosses and earning maximum income really appeals to me. I want to plan our band as if it were a business so I want to know is it worth trying to get signed? What do you even get from a label? My biggest question is how do you get music on the radio? Why is it that the labels control that area? I'm guessing purely because of money? I think my concern is just how much money would you actualy make if you got signed these days? Some big named artists are moving over to the independent scenes because they can earn more independently with fewer sales. Lots of questions I know. JD

Sorry guys been really busy and just don't have time right now to critique your work. I hope you've enjoyed the challenge thus far. A song can sometimes wait on a shelf for a while but sometimes a little bit of dust makes it sound better. Speak soon JD

It's a good experience no matter how far you get. I did it two years ago. I learnt a lot about myself doing it. I got to the third round before the live TV show but made it no further. So my advice is do it. You have nothing to lose. The biggest advice is know your song and be a personality. I think i played it too safe. You've got to come across as interesting. Good luck JD

Hey Danny. Welcome to the site. There are quite a few good song writers here on this site. I am always Interested in collaborations. I also have about 12 years experience in song writing. I am primarily a melody and lyric writer. I will send you a message. JD

I totally accept your thoughts on the gigging scene BUT you could do exactly the same on the internet by being interesting and working hard to make sure people are watching/listening. The crux comes down to hard work BUT, I think internet should be the primary because it will only reinforce what you do at gigs. Ideally really you should do both but you need all the marketting in place before you do the gigging IMO. When i say internet I mean You Tube as a primary, facebook to advertise and a website as a minimum. You also really need a product E.g. album or single that is available to purchase. If you have those sites with a decent few videos you can then gig like mad and make the two compliment each other. So, although the debate is which one, I would say both but, internet first so that you have the reinforcing product in place. Any good business man will tell you: A product that sells while you are sleeping is the forefront to becoming rich/successful. So in short the steps you should take in this order are: 1) Product production 2) Marketing via internet 3) Marketing via public display JD

Cool post Jramm, I think you raise a very valid debate and I found your information very interesting. Especially that I didn't realise Pomplamoose had a good amount of success despite being unsigned. The unsigned bit doesn't surprise me as I think they are a bit odd but clearly there are 1% of their viewers who are willing to buy their tracks. When you regularly get millions of views your chances of sales are good. They have been very clever. I think the answer is clear to me. Do both if you have time. My personal preference would be internet first because it's a massive platform for exposure. Gigging is a hard slog and requires a lot of hard work and sacrifices that you cannot always make in a real world! But of course is very rewarding. Great subject. Looking forward to other responses. JD

Lazz totally spot on about Soundclick and to be honest the same goes really for Myspace and Reverbnation and similar sites. Here are my thoughts on this subject. BEFORE you can even bother looking at this subject you NEED a product. If you don't have a product you don't need a site. When I say product I literally mean a high quality recording of your song or songs. In my eyes this product needs to be distributed to Itunes, Amazon etc via Tunecore, CD baby etc. IF you have a product you believe in, then NOW is the time to get the ball rolling. BUT you may struggle to work on more products if you are going into the marketing mode. You need 100% focus on one or the other so make sure you are prepared to work night and day to get your product out there. My thoughts on what you 1) Must Have, 2) Can have but don't really need. 1)MUST HAVE: A)You own bandname.com/co.uk website with full graphic of the band or artist The website should be simple and contain video preview of one single. Details of product release and an Audio preview of songs. B)Poduct to sell as mentioned above. Distributed to major E-stores. C)You Tube account. You tube is still a massive player in bands getting exposure. Make a great video for your single and then post it everywhere. You can also get personal with potential fans by posting live versions, covers and video blogs, although you don't tend to see major artists doing blogs. D)Facebook Group and page. Get 25 likes on your page and you can create your own facebook URL. Add friends to your group and invite them to gigs. Facebook also do adverts which you pay for of course BUT with any good product it just takes a little momentum to get you going. E) Lots of drive and time to go everywhere on the web to talk about your music. Your MUST be personable though as merely spamming a site with "Hey check this out" just turns people off. Spend some time smooshing. You wouldn't walk into a room full of people and shout out "Buy my CD" and then leave would you? F) Send your music to every single internet Radio station, every music library and anywhere else where you can get it played. Artist pages: (Useful but not necessary) As has been said before these aren't great. Not many potential fans are going to find your music with these BUT just in case it is well worth setting up a page. Band Camp. These guys have come up with the best artist page I have seen. It's simple, could almost act as your website and you can sell your songs on it. If you are going to have any fanpage this is the one for you. Reverbnation is really trying to make it but you don't see many big named artists. You should make an artist page but include only one/2 songs with purchase links. Because of the way their charts work, if you have time to manipulate the plays by regularly getting lots of plays to push you to the top then it might be useful. If you are languishing right down the charts then it becomes nothing more than a redundant space Myspace is totally worthless these days. If you haven't got a page it is worth having purely because it is still very well known but again only limit it to the same 1-2 songs and or some live stuff if you have it. Social Networking: Facebook has already been mentioned but Twitter is what I would call a famous persons playground. Unless you're famous I doubt you'll see much return from this, BUT worth doing anyway. I personally don't use any other sites as if you can win fans with those already mentioned then you are doing something wrong or your product isn't as good as you had hoped. Final tip. Go where the MUSIC FANS are, not where the other Wannabe artists are. The biggest tip is, find every single real radio show, TV show that looks for talent and get your music to them. BBC introducing is a good on at the moment. JD

Cool Post John, I will apply these tips and post my bio soon. JD

Summer Summertime girl You're here again Makes me think the world Was made for summer love Works well melodically. Lyrically interesting. All those cold nights We spent so far apart Made me long to be With you It felt to me as if you should kinda say this from a different perspective so I changed one word in each line. Hold onto the sunlight baby (Like this line. Really distinctive) Let the rain make all the mistakes (My brain is wondering if I like the sound that the word mistakes has. It might be that i'm just used to the Ooh or Eee sound!) Woman can't you see (Feels very attacking using the word Woman.) I don’t want to leave I won’t ever love you Anyway other (Cool similarity of my original idea). I don’t want to live If I can not (never) love (never love works better melodically) Nothing can go wrong It's summer Lyrically I find the story a little odd. The sunlight references are very positive but I feel the chorus is a bit of a downer. Just my interpretation i guess. With that chorus line "I won't ever love you, anyway other". That suggests that before that would be. I give you everything, I give you my soul. Not that specifically but that kind of declaration. Or, No matter how you feel about me, I won't ever love you, anyway other". Lots of ways to interpret that line but for me I feel that line in the chorus is the one you need to build the song around. When you’re not here I don’t exist When I'm feeling fear I head for summer love And all my steps Though some are not so long Always bring me back To you The lyrics work but your story telling is fine if your were the artist going to perform it but if this were to be pitched I feel they would think these lyrics not obvious enough. Sunlight Lady (V1) Sunlight Lady Summer girl (Syllable) You make me believe Love’s too good for this world But those blue skies With clouds as white as pearls Are brighter when you’re here So I...… Rise I hold onto my Sunlight Lady Let the rain make all the mistakes Chorus (I) Want you to believe (Maybe add I) (I) Don’t want you to leave (Maybe add I) How could I ever need, anyone other. (If I hold the how it works, if I sing it exactly as original then it needs one more syllable) I don’t want to live If I cannot love If we don’t belong Together (V2) Sunlight Lady You’re the dawn Where ever I am Without you I can’t go on And all my steps Though some are not so long May not bring me back So I...… (M8) You’re a cool tasty drink You’re the thought I like to think You’re the coming of the day You’re why I want to stay You’re the colors of the rainbow The 'cmon get up and let's go You’re a field of white daisies You’re my Sunlight Lady Cool M8. Like the look of it. JD

Hey Dee. As long as the Rhyming works it should be ok. As for melody, I am willing to look at alterations if some is good. The Promises we Give – © Denielle West. July 2011 Something tells me, Something’s so wrong. The smile that lights your eyes Is now dead and gone. Someone took you To have and forever hold The honeymoon’s over His love has turned cold He criticizes all that you do (Yet) you’ve got somebody here who loves you I can’t stand to watch Your life pass you by Sometimes we have to break the promises we give If you stay with him You’re too young to die Come away with me. Live Dee, very cool attempt. You really embraced this well. Not perfect in places but i liked it a lot. The first first reads well and sings perfectly. The second verse is good but I feel the second line is being rushed because of the syllables. You could get away with it but If I were writing it I'd change it because I don't like to change the pattern. Bridge. Good impacting words. Works well with the melody. The chorus for me although I totally see what story you are trying to get across iss not working melodically or with great flow. I'd like you to revisit that. Really like what you have started here. The chorus for me though is the biggy so see what else you got. Cheers JD