Promoting Your Music On The Web

[justsoulin]

Can you give one or two good examples please of newsgroups. The few I've been on (other topics than music) always give me the impression that they're a delayed chatbox and little gets discussed of any importance or relevance. I've obviously been on bad ones.

Ref RSS, I'm not sure I've ever fully understood it and so never signed up for any as my understanding is that I'd get irrelevant snippets with reference to the newsgroup statement above. That's to say I'd get deluged with RSS news feeds that to me would resemble spam email. And since you only get a soundbite of what the content is about, you could trash something very easily that has a link to something of importance. I do though understand that one should offer such services to those who do like and use RSS.

[john]

Hey Jon,

First I'd like to say that I'm a new member, but so far I'm loving the discussions on this site! I currently conduct Online Marketing for Universal Music Group in NYC and I've learned so much about the ever changing industry. The past 10 years have been a downward slope in CD sales whereas digital sales are increasing rapidly however, sales altogether are plummeted by illegal downloads, a phenomenon that will not change unless drastic measures are taken in the structure of labels.

The trend is now artists are facilitating their own product before being signed to Majors. Learning how to market yourself on your own is integral to the structure of music business. The internet provides ample opportunities to promote yourself. Myspace, Facebook Music Pages, even Twitter are ways to be interactive with your fans, but even more important is investing in your project through Search Engine Optimization, online ads, etc. Finding alternative ways to promote like using USB Business Cards that hold content.

The thing is now more than ever, it's important to be creative. If you can get people to latch on to your idea, your music, your lyrics, the more you will inspire others to make a difference as well. The internet is the easiest and cheapest way to create a buzz.

Good contribution, sorry I missed it at the time.

You're absolutely bang on the money

[justsoulin]

got a notification of a new post - nothing showing though??

[jramm]

I don't think anyone has mentioned youtube, but it has been the no.1 site for streaming music for a few years now. It's certainly the site I turn to when I want to hear a certain song. But there's the thing; I generally know what song or what band I want to listen to when I go on the internet. I'm sure thats the same for most people. So just putting up a site, or joining a network won't do much unless people know your band to go and look for it. In that respect I think live gigs will always be the master of promoting yourself.

[BlackhawkFan]

I don't think anyone has mentioned youtube, but it has been the no.1 site for streaming music for a few years now. It's certainly the site I turn to when I want to hear a certain song. But there's the thing; I generally know what song or what band I want to listen to when I go on the internet. I'm sure thats the same for most people. So just putting up a site, or joining a network won't do much unless people know your band to go and look for it. In that respect I think live gigs will always be the master of promoting yourself.

I know diddly about marketing, but I've thought youtube would be a good vehicle as well. Might take some time to build momentum, but I imagine maintenance would be minimal.

[justsoulin]

Promotion and Marketing can be a nightmare ....... so I understand. Keep your eyes out for the SS newsletters (where's the damn links when you need them lol) for help, advice and related topics - sign up for all if you haven't already!!!

With reference to u200b, in one sense I'm blessed by being blocked from all such portals but I can imagine it must be a little like overload - like you say JR

But there's the thing; I generally know what song or what band I want to listen to when I go on the internet. I'm sure thats the same for most people. So just putting up a site, or joining a network won't do much unless people know your band to go and look for it.

At least you're here on SongStuff which I believe is the best resource online, so you've got the benefit of being able to use it and ask for help.

[JamTimeMusic]

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

[RedSheep]

Lazz Is right, you get what you put in when it comes to band promotion.

Personally I dont use myspace because over in the UK barely anyone uses it anymore, it's got a reputation for being nothing but local bands trying to promote, so you become a band in a flood of bands. but it's good to have as another option for listeners, there's also bandcamp, bobcom, lastFM and a ton of sites that can get you in Itunes and Amazon.

I believe the best way is to have many avenues to your music so people can interact the way that they want to, so have a twitter, Facebook, perhaps a website and as many other ways as you can, it will become clear which ones to focus on in time. with Twitter by the way it's a good idea to add all the artists you're influenced by and find some fans of your genre to add, you might just pick up a devoted follower in Sweden that will spread your message for you.

Once you have a decent development of places to buy things(no incomplete sites) you can pay to advertise on Facebook. and the great thing about that is you can pay per click so you're guaranteed a certain number of people to the link.

There's a great book I'm going through to improve my blog and get regular readers http://www.problogger.net/31-days-to-build-a-better-blog-join-9100-other-bloggers-today/ and the message he puts out there is that it's about delivering some value to your audience. Though this is a book about blogging the principles are still the same. 1st task is to really think about what our band is and what it represents. Then when you advertise the band it becomes more real and attractive to people, rather than just saying it's your band. For example my blog's definition is "Clear, Experienced advice about all elements of song writing, composition and musicianship. Focusing on how to make more interesting, original ideas. Clearing up complex music by teaching the principles behind them, rather than getting bogged down in single songs."

[duskwings]

i think that making a living as a musician can pay only if u play live,the record industry has been an exploit of the 20th century but now,in 2012 trying to survive selling records is tough,unless....

your material casn t be found on the net and u can sell it on your own during your performances.

i m selling my music as well,i believe in what i do but so far i haven t sold a single copy of my tune,i don t give up,the remains for sale,hoping the upcoming album i m working on will have more luck.

but in my opinion a record these days should be meant as a window of your work to appeal people to come to your shows,relying on records as an income doesn t pay anymore,or maybe my music sucks idk.the sad thing is that sometimes what u put in a record can t pe played live with the same accuracy (sigh),in a perfect world records and live music would live together without depending on each other

[scorchio]

I need an easy to follow list of the MUST have? This is what I have so far:

Myspace

Own website

Facebook

Twitter

Stumble Upon

????

????

Please feel free to create your own and adjust mine.

Thanks guys

[RokRiot]

Really important point made by Janiashia - creativity is a must. Make sure you find interesting ways to engage fans through social media. Simply using Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr to share tour and album release dates isn't enough - it's sharing personal moments and insights during recording sessions or while on the road or downtime that really helps develop a connection.

[Szablo]

I just upload my music to Youtube and I have found about 15 people that need my help with song writing, so maybe I will put more videos and there will be 50 people that need help ;] But even helping to 15 people is something beautiful ;/ And of course I write here soomething about my channel, cheers

[qbradley]

I just upload my music to Youtube and I have found about 15 people that need my help with song writing, so maybe I will put more videos and there will be 50 people that need help ;] But even helping to 15 people is something beautiful ;/ And of course I write here soomething about my channel, cheers

YouTube for sure!

The potential visibility is incredible. Especially when you supply links and relevant information within video descriptions and your YouTube channel. Szablo, did people contact you via youtube or do you have a site that they navigated to, then contacted you via email? I'm just curious, because that's another thing to consider; the medium in which people communicate. It has moved way beyond email and into the social network messaging platforms.

[jvwhite]

Hi Guys

As a discussion topic I thought it would be helpful to look at ways to promote yourself on the internet.

What tools?

What methods?

What should you promote?

How do you grow your web presence?

Cheers

John

What tools?

If you want to promote yourself/ music on the internet then you should understand the power and influence of social media. You can build your social network influence and share music through ping.fm

What methods?

Social network/ media marketing, e-mail marketing, and if you have budget you can offer promo's, special offers, and giveaways.

What should you promote?

Your music and your content (e.g guides, how to's, etc.)

How do you grow your web presence?

Create relationships. Answer inquiries, questions, and feedbacks. This is the only way to keep yourself in touch with your audience.

[RokRiot]

In regards to social media, Tumblr can be quite effective. Due to the number of Tumblr users and how easy it is for the Tumblr community to share your posts, this blogging platform has proved succesful for bands looking to share content and information virally.

You can check out the case study of indie act, MS MR: http://rokriot.com/2012/09/26/ms-mr/

[icej]

Hey Guys, but how much do these tools actually help you getting a fan base or a gig? This is my question.. I found myself "wasting" so much time on this but with no clear results...

[john]

Hey Jon,

First I'd like to say that I'm a new member, but so far I'm loving the discussions on this site! I currently conduct Online Marketing for Universal Music Group in NYC and I've learned so much about the ever changing industry. The past 10 years have been a downward slope in CD sales whereas digital sales are increasing rapidly however, sales altogether are plummeted by illegal downloads, a phenomenon that will not change unless drastic measures are taken in the structure of labels.

The trend is now artists are facilitating their own product before being signed to Majors. Learning how to market yourself on your own is integral to the structure of music business. The internet provides ample opportunities to promote yourself. Myspace, Facebook Music Pages, even Twitter are ways to be interactive with your fans, but even more important is investing in your project through Search Engine Optimization, online ads, etc. Finding alternative ways to promote like using USB Business Cards that hold content.

The thing is now more than ever, it's important to be creative. If you can get people to latch on to your idea, your music, your lyrics, the more you will inspire others to make a difference as well. The internet is the easiest and cheapest way to create a buzz.

 

Very true Janishia, good points.

 

Creativity can be expressed in many arenas, including business. To progress to anything near mainstream bands have to operate as a business. Musicians need not be scared of thinking in this way. In fact if they don't have a mind towards business, and devote some time to it, they are unlikely to really go anywhere. They simply have to engage in learning how to conduct business as a modern band.

[john]

Hey Guys, but how much do these tools actually help you getting a fan base or a gig? This is my question.. I found myself "wasting" so much time on this but with no clear results...

 

Some tools help with some aspects a modern artist has to engage with, some are a waste of time, and some can be damaging (as Lazz pointed out). Much relies upon using the right ones and using them effectively. To do that you also need to have a good idea of the overview of how things all fit together, how they interact, and how and when you interact with them.

 

For example:

 

Tools only work at their best when they work together within the context of an overall plan designed to make the most of them.

 

Questions to ask yourself:

 

Do you have set goals?

 

Have you identified a strategy?

 

Do you have a plan to take you from where you are now towards achieving those goals?

 

When you use tools, are you clear on how they interact, what the purpose is in using all those tools, and the pros and cons of using those tools?

 

Are you projecting the right image as an artist?

 

These are all useful questions to ask yourself. Most artists are short on both funds and time, because they push their band forward while they are either working or studying. Time management is important to success. To know whether you have the right tools, you have to have a clear idea of your goals, and how those tools help you to achieve those goals.

 

• Goals give you direction.
• Strategy helps you build your plan. It defines your overall approach.
• Planning gives you the steps between where you are now and where you want to go.
• Tools should be chosen because of their contribution towards implementing those steps.
• All that is great, but projecting the right image makes a huge difference in how your fans and the general public see you. This too can affect the sites and tools you work woth.

For example:

 

Whenever and wherever the public encounter your music, do you think they would view you as a professional musician, or an amateur musician?

 

When you look at the sites / tools you intend to use is that site morse associated with amateur or professional musicians? Does the tool or site have a damaging effect on your music reputation.

 

Reputation is MUCH undervalued by musicians.

 

1. If you act like an amateur, you will be seen as an amateur
2. If you are seen as an amateur, people treat you like an amateur
3. People do not need to hear your music to view you as either professional or amateur.

 

This includes graphics, photos, website, buzz (chat), reviews, communications from you, communications about you etc.

 

There are few aspiring pro artists these days that would not incorporate the internet into their strategy. That means either you hire someone that knows about the internet and how to use it for music marketing, at the cutting edge, or you learn it yourself. The tools mainly work around either automating part of the process, or communications, or both.

 

Either way, tools are useful when you choose the right ones to achieve your goals. Without goals, strategy and a plan, tools become more and more of a waste of time.

[realfanback]

Hey There, 

 

There are different ways that you can promote yourself today. The first thing is to come up with a music website that will help to promote your songs online. The second thing is to look for a good music producer that will help you in promoting most of your songs. Apart from promoting music on your website you should also promote other things this will help in increasing your online presence.

[Ravi Kumar]

I am also a new member of this website and would like to participate in this discussion, now a day online promotion has become very crucial for any music or band party. They have to take help of Internet Marketing to promote their songs in the internet online.

 

There are many such social websites for music like MySpace, and specially youtube. Start uploading your original track in your youtube dashboard and participate on the discussion and comment, keep reply the user comments in your videos.

 

Thanks