Need Advice

[Bryan R Herrera]

My name is Bryan Herrera and I am originally from San Antonio, Texas, but moved to Austin where I attended and received my BA from the University of Texas. 

 

Ever since I was a kid, I always had a passion for music. I would walk a mile from my home to a music store that was in a shopping center where I would buy myself teach yourself guitar books. I would practice and practice learning how to play the guitar and literally taught myself to do so.

 

However, it was when I was in middle school, band auditions were being held for percussionists, and anyone that made the band after they finished middle school, would most likely be placed in one of the most prestigious High School bands in all of San Antonio, Tom C. Clark. And I had made it! I not only got to play in the percussion unit in the marching band, but I also played lead guitar in the jazz stage band as well. 

 

But when I graduated from Clark to attend the University of Texas at Austin, I knew I could not pursue music as a profession. But my love for it never changed. In fact, I then began taking voice lessons and did several talent shows at UT from my own compositions. It was such a thrilling experience to be downtown and people coming up to you as if you were a celebrity of some sort. I can see now where the attraction lies. 

 

But it would be years later, after I graduated from UT, that I would complete my first CD with all original music entitled, "Close My Eyes", which the title song was picked up and played over San Antonio's radio station KQXT! Wow! I couldn't believe it! There are some artists that can go a lifetime and are never played over the radio!  In fact, my CD was later picked up by iTunes as well! It was such an amazing feeling. 

 

But because I developed my CD for only myself and friends, I didn’t have any marketing in place or established because I never really thought it would amount to anything. As a result, nothing ever became of it. 

 

But all I am interested in doing now is to write and record my music and show the world without necessarily performing. However, the only thing I can come up with is to develop a website with my music on it. But how can I market my music as an unknown artist, especially since I don’t like performing? Is it even possible these days? 

 

Should I develop a website with my music and then market on social media? Are there any other marketing strategies that you might know of? 

 

I have heard of CD Baby, and Radio Airplay, which uses Jango Internet Radio. Has anyone ever heard of these companies? Would you recommend them? 

 

I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone can give me. 

 

Thanks!

Bryan

[Lisa Gates]

H i Bryan, so glad you found Songstuff! You will find your answers and help you need here.

I'll pop back on and find some links on the site for you to check out. brb

Lisa

This one is my favorite. I can get a brain cramp just trying to absorb a portion of the information here:

 

 

There are also some indepth articles on the site that are excellent!
Catch you on the boards!
Lisa

[Mahesh]

Great to see you here Bryan; and to read about your story and the goals. 

 

It's definitely a long and winding journey that you'd take and not something that could be figured out instantly. I don't say that as a bad thing. The learning experience is very rewarding and the rewards you reap from that learning too. Lisa is right about the marketing club! My whole career of almost a decade has sprung out of the knowledge that the guy who started the club possesses. Lol wish he could talk a bit less at times though

 

Stick around, get to know the community and ask away your questions! I look forward to it. 

 

Mahesh 

[Bryan R Herrera]

Thank you Lisa for your links! And thank you too Mahesh for your info! 

 

This is all new to me. So, I really do appreciate your help. 

 

Thanks again,

Bryan

[john]

Hey Bryan, welcome to the Songstuff family!

 

It’s a big topic. Certainly asking questions is a good start but the answers to each of these can be quite involved. It’s a good place to be asking.

 

For example, you raise the possibility of your own site. I for one advocate that artists get their own site, their own web domain. There are many reasons for this

 

It protects you from the needs and issues of 3rd party sites, such as:

• Site closes
• Site policy changes that removes independent music is no longer their focus
• The site implements any policy that is against your needs

If you spend hundreds of hours building and promoting links to that site, only to have it become unusable overnight, it’s very upsetting. This happened with MP3.com, a once Independent Music site that went indie. Almost happened with Soundcloud too. Over the years many online music distributor sites have folded. 
 

You can still use such sites but don’t make them core to your activities. Use them to establish links to your site, as a means to help your music become discovered and reach fans etc, but the focus should be on driving potential fans to your site.

 

On your own site you have much more flexibility on what you define as a product and how you sell it. You have much more flexibility in the tools you use. At the same time, more work is involved doing it on your own site. You would need to learn some basics about running a website.

 

The above only scratches the surface on that one topic. It doesn’t go into options for building and hosting a website, the tools to use, the methods to use etc.

 

My point is, this is a good place to get answers, but it will take a series of posts, questions answers and discussion to get to what is a good fit for you and realistic.

 

 

Cheers

 

John

[Bryan R Herrera]

Thank you Lisa for your links! And thank you too Mahesh for your info! 

 

This is all new to me. So, I really do appreciate your help. 

 

Thanks again,

Bryan

[Bryan R Herrera]

Thanks guys for all your help.
 

And I have a bit of news myself. I have recently been contacted by an agency to do a phone interview. They said they like my voice and music and want to sample three of my songs from my CD. 
 

How should I prepare for this? Because this is all very new to me. 

 

Thanks again! 
Bryan