Houston-based real estate developer The Dinerstein Cos. has purchased 1.38 acres of land at […]
WATCH: Taylor Swift’s Painful New "Taylor vs. Treadmill" Apple Music TV Ad
Apple’s relationship with Taylor Swift may have really begun after she saved their reputation during the launch of Apple Music. Swift has given Apple the streaming exclusive on her catalog and a live concert film. In return, Apple certainly has found ways to reward and market her, including a new TV ad of Swift exercising to Drake and Future’s “Jumpman.”
10 Most Important Tools For Online Music Marketing
While many of the items on it may be familiar, this list provides a comprehensive look at various online resources which can be essential to an indie artist’s online marketing campaign, with specific consideration as to each tool’s most effective use.
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Guest post by Joy Ike from The Bandzoogle Blog
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.
1. Mailing list
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
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.
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.
[Why Email Newsletters Are Still a Vital Marketing Tool for Musicians]
2. Website
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.
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 Bandzoogle. Their designs are simple, clean, and easy to use.
Bandzoogle websites have built-in mailing lists and the tools you need to step it up. Sign up free now!
3. Indie on the Move
Indie on the Move 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.
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.
4. Facebook
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.
[The Tools of Music Fan Engagement: Facebook Basics]
5. Twitter
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.
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.
[The Tools of Music Fan Engagement: Twitter Basics]
6. Instagram
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.
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: Example 1. Example 2.
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.
7. YouTube
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. 8 Effective Strategies to Sell Your Music Online
[How to make money from your music on YouTube]
8. Bandcamp
Besides being a use-friendly platform for musicians to share music, sell music, offer free download codes, and create audio widgets for your website; Bandcamp 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.
[VIDEO] How to Sell Bandcamp Music on Your Bandzoogle Website
9. SoundCloud
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.
10. NoiseTrade
NoiseTrade 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.
Now that you know which tools you’re going to use, be sure to create a music marketing plan to put them into action: 5 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan
Joy Ike is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for Grassrootsy, 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.
Weekly Chart Report (4/1/16)
Jon Pardi reaches the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart for the first time with “Head Over Boots.”
BandLab Pivots, Rebrands As CatLab Serving "Mew-Sicians" Worldwide
Tightening in the venture and capital markets has led to some forced consolidations and radical pivots. But none is more unusual than digital audio work station BandLab‘s pivot today to CatLab.
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April 1st, 2016
BandLab, the world’s first free multi-platform digital audio workstation (DAW), is embarking on a radical new pivot, and will re-launch this week as “CatLab.” According to the CatLab team, the new offering will include dedicated cat-based sample packs and new curated sections for all of the cat-related music that’s created.
“We’ve heard for so many years about the music industry going to the dogs,” said Meng Ru Kuok, CEO and Co-Founder of CatLab, “So that got us thinking about what people actually do engage with in the digital space. And the answer, of course, is cats. There’s a whole feline digital ecosystem out there that’s as yet untapped from a musical point of view.”
Keyboard Cat R.I.P.
The team’s one regret is that “Keyboard Cat,” the YouTube sensation that started it all, is no longer around to witness the ultimate expression of what he started all those years ago.
CatLab will also utilize other areas of the former BandLab platform, allowing “mewsicians” to open their ideas up for further collaboration with other feline music makers around the world.
“We believe there’s huge potential in this approach,” added Mr. Kuok. “People anywhere in the world will now have the opportunity to collaborate on a whole new cat-egory of music that unites every age, race and demographic. We’ve done some exhaustive research into this new area, and we can conclusively say that people may take their dogs to the park, but they take their cats to the web.”
CatLab will be available on the web at www.bandlab.com/audio starting April 1, 2016, with iOS and Android releases to follow.
John Legend talks fatherhood hopes
John Legend has already penned some tracks about his unborn daughter.
Diddy explains ‘high concept’ party invites
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs takes his role as party host so seriously that he once sent out self-destructing invites for one of his bashes.
Bankrupt SFX Forced To Pay Artists 100% In Advance, CEO Sillerman Shares Resignation Letter
SFX CEO Robert Sillerman sent a letter to his beleaguered staff encouraging them to be positive and “find the path to success.” The note comes as he exits his day to day role at the bankrupt music conglomerate, after being forced out by creditors. That same day, court documents embarrassingly revealed just how distrustful the rest on the music industry is SFX.
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SXF Entertainment has revealed some of their festival lineup plans and the contract payment structures in bankruptcy court filings. According to the Wall Street Journal, court documents by SFX revealed that the company is moving forward with festival plans, with events such as Spring Awakening set to take place in Chicago this June, with headliner Skrillex, while DJ/Producer Tiesto will perform at the Electric Zoo in New York in September.
SFX said in court papers that since their February bankruptcy, artists and their agents have been seeking payment in full ahead of performances. To assuage the talent and reps, the company reached a deal to set aside $15 million specifically for performers, which SFX characterized as a “comprehensive solution for a going forward business relationship in these chapter 11 cases between and among the debtors, the artists and the agents,” the Wall Street Journal said.
100% Upfront Payments To Artists
According to the filing:
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Headliners will get 25% of their fee before the lineup is announced, 50% a month before the event and the remaining 25% at least five business days before.
- Non-headlining artists will get 15% ahead of the lineup, 40% a month out from the festival date and 45% five days prior.
- Smaller shows and club events will see artists offered 20% of fees before the performance is announced, 40% a month before the event and 40% five days prior.
CEO Sillerman’s Letter To SFX Staff
Ahead of his exit as CEO of SFX, Robert FX Sillerman has circulated a farewell letter to company staff at SFX Entertainment, the electronic music promoter that he helped to found.
Sillerman’s ouster follows the company’s February filings seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as the promoter seeks to restructure more than $300 million in debt accrued through big ticket acquisitions of other companies in the EDM space, including promoters ID&T, Made Events, and Disco Donnie, as well as other ancillary services such as electronic music download service Beatport.
In his farewell letter, circulated to company staff on March 29th, Sillerman is candid about his feelings regarding his exit and the current situation of the company. The letter, acquired by Billboard, is included below:
As most of you are aware Thursday, March 31, will be my last day as CEO of SFX. I will remain as Chairman of the Board. The disappointment I know we all feel should not be the lasting impression that remains. We had a bold vision, a revolutionary one. That we stumbled along the way can never detract from the energy and hope that brought us all together. As we enter this next phase, despite the place we find ourselves, there is much to be proud of. It remains incumbent on all of us to refocus our energies and find the path to success that is out there. I am confident that with renewed discipline combined with passion and creativity that our original goals can and will be met.
As Chairman I remain available to help in any way that I can. I maintain both an emotional and financial interest in our company’s success and intend to participate as and when called upon. As such this is anything but a goodbye; rather a reset of roles with a renewed emphasis on collaborative success. While we aren’t where we wanted to be, and will be, it has been an honor and a pleasure.
via Celebrity Access
Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo Finally Arrives On Spotify and Apple Music
Today, Kanye West’s album The Life Of Pablo finally arrived on Spotify and Apple Music after being a Tidal exclusive.
Kanye West is a master of concocting controversial situations, often by making himself the punching bag. West proclaimed back in February that his album would ”never never never be available on Apple” and that ”you can only get it on Tidal.”
But fast-forward six weeks and Kanye has changed his mind: The Life of Pablo is not only available on Apple Music, but also on Spotify as well.
So did Kanye just do this to spark an outcry and generate another news cycle?
Most likely yes: West is a pro at getting his name in the headlines by making bold statements that spark a huge response. This is an emerging art in the internet-infused era, with West and Donald Trump kindred provocateurs.
But playing the game inflicts wounds, and for Kanye West, one of those injuries is credibility. Beyond claiming that his album would ‘never’ be available anywhere else but Tidal — which is obviously proved to be an untrue statement — West has also stated on Twitter that he will ‘never’ make CDs again, and that he would be focusing on streaming opportunities going forward.
It started with a tweet that he was ”thinking” about not making CDs, and ended with a definite decision where he states…
”No more CDs from me.”
Maybe Kanye won’t make another CD in his lifetime, but my guess is he will. This whole claiming to ‘never’ do something that he ‘will’ eventually do is just a way to generate attention, even if it makes him a punching bag.
The post Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo Finally Arrives On Spotify and Apple Music appeared first on Digital Music News.
Mark Your Calendar — April 2016
Radio Single Add Dates • Album Release Dates • Industry Events for Nashville and beyond […]