music marketing

/>Freewill - Bards Crier Music Marketing Contest Winner
by Tom Clark
December 3, 2000
"Is this for real?" That was the response I got from Tom Clark of Wisconsin progressive metal
band Freewill. For the past few months, I've been collecting music marketing tips and offering a
free $100 to subscribers to this ezine. Well the contest has at last ended and I'd like to
congratulate Tom for winning the contest. Here's what Tom has to say about music promotion:
"I am in a band Freewill
It looks like we will be changing our name, as we've refocused our sound, and have learned a
lot reading newsletters like this one. We are working on material for a CD.
As Freewill, we never had a live band, so we relied on message boards to spread the word. We
stuck to genre specific boards, and with our type of music,(progressive metal) that is the best
type of promotion. Those fans are fanatic about "their" music and have a strong desire to get
their hands on new stuff all the time. Being that the progressive scene is still mainly
'underground' so to speak, most bands of this style are relying on word of mouth and dropping
words on message boards and newsletters, and exchanging links with other bands and joining
web rings.
I have found that their are a lot of cool bands out there who are willing to exchange information
and success tips among each other. Instead of looking at everything like a competition, at times
it is more helpful to join forces and help spread the word of other bands you like. It usually
tends to be reciprocal and it builds good relations within the community of our genre itself.
In our case, our style has progressed a changed enough to warrant a name change, and we are
currently building a knowledge base and a list of contacts; anyone who may be helpful to us
once we're ready to start spreading the word. There is just a mass of information available if
you are patient enough to find the good stuff. Most importantly, I think, is to think and act as
professionally as possible at all times. Be polite and courteous, even when others aren't.
Building a good reputation never hurt.
If there is anything else I can do for you let me know. Thanks for the cool tips and interesting
read."
Sincerely,
Tom Clark

Freewil
Music Promotion Success Story!
by Damien ReillyIrie
December 18, 2000
Hello Everybody, I recently put to work a number of Guerilla tactics I've learned over the course
of this year. I organized, promoted, and did publicity, for the band I manage, GiantFella's
release party on December 2nd. The party was a tremendous success, not to mention an
important case study for myself since is was my first time attempting these tasks.
I began in the beginning of November by putting together the press kits for the band including a
press release, bio, b&w 8x10, cd, and song lyrics. I also was busy putting together a media
contact list. I sent out 30 kits to CMJ, Village Voice, NY Press, Aquarian Weekly, Good Times
Magazine, and other publications around New York. The follow up calls weren't so bad. I left
about 15 messages and got through to the other 15. I made a few follow up to the follow up and
got Good times Magazine from Long Island to come review the show. I almost had the Aquarian
Weekly and most others said they would at least submit the cd to be reviewed.
Throughout the month I was constantly handing out flyers, stickers, and sample cd's some with
up to three songs that are not on the band's recent release which was promised for free at the
party. I also put up posters at bars at scattered locations around Manhattan that would attract a
clientele that would be interested in GiantFella's music. I sent out countless e-mail and a postal
mailing was done as well. I posted the release and show announcement on mi2n and some
online message boards. I hit the Blue's Traveler show at Roseland on 11/22 and handed out
more flyers, stickers, and cd's. I constantly was constantly in promo mode the entire month!
The party saw 200 people in a 220 capacity venue. I booked an opening band
() that brought 40 people,181 paid to get in which was a record for the venue,
the reviewer from Good Times came and was very impressed, and a friend of mine submitted
an article in the Vos Valley News.
Out of the 200 people there the band and myself knew about 40-50 people, 40 were from the
opening band and there was over 100 people no one recognized. I did speak with some that
came from the Blue's Traveler show, some people signed the mailing list, and everyone got a
copy of the new cd and a web site sticker. The place was rockin, everyone had a good time, and

everyone was happy. The opening band had a great time and wants to continue doing shows
with GiantFella which will definitely help. So a little hard work created a lot positive energy for
the band and everyone there that night..
Now I've just got to keep up and multiply everything I did by 10 and the band will be at a whole
nother level.
The following people I thank for sharing your knowledge and services: Curtis Waller, Mike
Randolph, Beth Krakower, Anne Leighton, Steve Zuckerman, Derek Sivers, Dave Hooper,
Carolyn Ballen Thank You!
Effective Post Card Mailings - Direct Mail
by Marc Gunn, Bard
January 9, 2001
We all know that off-line promotion is just as vital as on-line promotion. But what other means of
"off-line" promotion can you do other than mailing out your Flyer or Newsletter? Alot. We could
go into Media, Radio, Television and others but that is another topic in itself. Postcards are the
"new" wave of off-line promotion, or direct mailings. The costs incurred are far much less than
those of traditional direct mailings. Postcards, leave out the extra extra’s sorta speak, no
envelopes, no envelope stuffing, and the postage is half the cost of first class postage on a
standard letter, while still obtaining first class handling through the US Postal Service.
I myself, have had rather good results from my postcards mailings, and wanted to share some
tips with you on how you can successfully promote your website, CD, or event effectively with
Post Cards.
Don’t do what many postcard mailers do: They put a terrific design and/or headline on the
picture side of the card and nothing but the address on the address side, and many people
never see the eye-catching design or headline. All they see is the address side - the side that’s
facing up when the mail carrier delivers it. Because people always look at the address side of a
postcard to see whether it’s for them, they may decide to throw the card away without turning it
over. That’s why BOTH sides of a postcard should sell. The address side is where you want to
put your headline or attention getting graphic.
The disadvantage of a postcard is that space is limited. You must be able to deliver a very
concise message that elicits the desired response from the recipient: You need to gain

attention, stimulate interest, provoke desire, and make the prospect take action. That’s alot for a
little postcard to accomplish. That’s not to say it can’t be done; its just more difficult. Postcards
are a good way to build awareness and stimulate interest. You’ve really got to hit the nail on the
head.
Watch your own mail. You probably get tons of postcards in the mail from magazine publishers,
web host companies etc., urging you to subscribe or "try" our service. These postcards are
among the best being used today, study them carefully, keep them. Even other Artists Post
cards that you pick up here and there, Keep them, study them. Then sit down and ask yourself
the following: 1) what about this card do you like? 2) Colors used? 3) What’s written on the
address side? 4) What stands out more than anything on the card a graphic, text, or color. Once
you have studied the cards you now have, you will have a better idea of what you want your
cards to look like. Ask yourself, what am I trying to accomplish? Website traffic? Selling CDs, or
announce a event? Take all these into consideration, prior to finding the printer or graphic
designer to develop your post card. These are the exact questions they will ask you.
Then once your ready, get them designed and printed. Two great companies that I have found
and have used are Digitalwork.com and 1800postcards.com/ Both of these companies run
specials, so when you see the special snag it you will save money.
Living the Dream: One CD at a Time
by Marc Gunn, Bard
June 30, 2001
I read somewhere not too long ago that someone was lamenting that artists are putting out too
many albums without spending enough time promoting them. Well, I hate to say it, but my
group, the Brobdingnagian Bards, is guilty of such a crime.
You see, when I started The Bards a couple years ago, I knew that bands needed a product. So
we recorded our first album, Marked By Great Size, bought a CD burner, and started producing
the CDs ourselves to sell at gigs.
Six months later, we released our second album, Gullible's Travels. By this time, we'd only had
a few decent reviews of our first album, but we'd sold a couple hundred CDs after playing at
numerous Renaissance Festivals. Now, our second album was underway.
We recorded it, and got a whopping one review for the album. But with extensive gigging we

sold a couple hundred copies of this album.
Six months later, we completed our third album, Songs of the Muse. By this time, we starting to
wonder if we were stretching ourselves too thin. Andrew was duping all the CDs while I was
getting them printed. And his burner wasn't quite fast enough to keep up with the demand for
CDs. But it was about this time that we got started on mp3.com, and we got introduced to DAM
CDs, a much easier way to produce CDs when you have several, but can't afford to mass
produce any.
All of a sudden, the reason for our recording CD after CD made sense. We could get paid for
people listening to our music, and the more music you have the more money you made. Talk to
Ernesto Cortazar and 303infinity if you disagree.
Now, we could order CD one-offs from MP3.com, sell them at gigs for $10-15, and make a nice
profit while our music climbed the charts. But did I promote "Songs of the Muse"?
Well, we started recording for our next albums (yes, plural) at the beginning of 2001. We've
done some minor promotion of our album, and quite honestly, SOM is the best of our albums,
and now our first mass-produced CD. So yes, we should do more promotion for it, and we are.
But no, we are still not spending all of our extra income promoting this or another album why?
Why are we recording more albums.
Well first, Songs of the Muse was recorded to meet a very specific market. It's an all
instrumental album, and was designed to get us wedding gigs, which it does quite nicely.
But the other reason we don't is because we are meeting our goals...making a living.
While some are after a record deal or becoming the next pop star, we are on a journey. Yes, I'd
like to be a pop star. Sure, I wouldn't mind having a record deal. But our music is still evolving.
We have a long way to go before I feel we are ready for that record deal or super-stardom. The
first step is making a living.
That's what living the dream is all about. You have to take care of the basics first. In my case, it
involves getting out of debt, building a regular income, building a following, and one day earning
enough from the music to quit my day job so I can become a full-time musician. Does it matter
that our first few albums may never be heard? No. It doesn't. Those first albums will be
Collector's Editions once we get there. ;)
Once those goals are met, then I can work on my dreams of super-stardom. Yes, I am working

on those steps now. I'm not gonna find a publicist to promote us unless we are guaranteed a
decent return on our money. But I will continue to get our music to local publications, slowly but
surely. And one day, you're gonna read a message from me saying, "I am now living the
dream!"
The New Music Marketing Model for 21st Century
by Bard Marc Gunn
January 23, 2001
A year ago, I wrote a passionate article on the merits of charging $15 when you sell your CDs.
Some of my reasonings included: It's tough for indie musicians and you have a good music, so
don't short-change yourself; you can always discount the CD for special reasons (2-for-1
special); and, the "high" sales prices also includes your various expenses. I made a few
addendums, but that's the gist of it.
But now, if you head over to and check out the Brobdingnagian Bards
page at MP3.com, you'll notice something kinda hypocritical...none of our CDs are priced at
$15! What gives??
Well first let me say, yes, I do still believe in a $15.00 sales price for many artists. Certainly, it
works best for folk artists, and singer/songwriter types. But my reason is not hypocrisy it is a
dramatic change in our marketing plan.
You see, when we started out, I knew that the only "real" income available to indie musicians
comes from CD sales and merchandising since royalties from ASCAP and BMI are a joke. So
our plan was to record every 6 months or less and put out new material. By then end of last
summer the indie process was leaving us drained, and we were thinking we overextended.
Then along comes MP3.com.
One of the things I've been raving about for the past few months is that MP3.com offers a new
marketing model by offering "royalties" for listens to your music. And if you're getting paid from
people listening to your music. Then it needs to be readily available right?
Well, we've followed the footsteps of many of the top MP3.com artists and have about 40-50
tracks available on our site and more are coming every week. In doing so, we make a solid $20
a day from our site.
Now with each listen, the songs are tracked on MP3.com on their music charts. You sell a CD,

the songs on that CD will rocket up the charts. So you want the CDs to sell, because higher
charting equals higher payback. Thus, our low price on MP3.com.
Now think for a second. If you have 40 songs on your site like the Hillbilly Hellcats, you're most
likely going to make your 15 unique listens because your songs are located all over the charts.
There are plenty of songs to choose from. Thus the new marketing model no longer relies on
CD sales of $15.00, but listens. When you realize that you open yourself up to a whole slew of,
in my opinion, simple marketing tactics that will make you more money from listens than selling
CDs from your website.
I know this all seems simplistic, but the vast reality is most artists on MP3.com are still running
their band with an older marketing model that does not yield the highest payback. So think
about that for a bit, and next week, I have a guest writer who will give you an exciting
promotional idea that could send your listens over the top. Then the week following that, I'm
going to betray my secret that has my song "Tolkien" at #35 on all MP3.com...
Stay tuned. Same bard time. Same bard channel!
Selling More CDs at Gigs
A Case Study: The Rogues
by Marc Gunn, Bard
November 23, 2001
A few weekends back, the Brobdingnagian Bards performed at the Austin Celtic Festival. We
shared the stage with some amazing bands, but at the very top of my list were The Rogues.
We first met The Rogues last year at the Texas Renaissance Festival. Since then I've been a
big fan of not only their killer bagpipes and drums, but their phenomenal ability to sell CDs. They
work magic on and off stage and sell tons of CDs.
What do they do that is so special?
Well, The Rogues are very proactive when it comes to selling. While many bands will setup a
table and say, "go to our table and buy our CDs", The Rogues take it a step further. They send
their sales ladies to their fans.
I remember at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival when they played the Pub Sing. They
began playing music. Their Sales Ladies danced to the music. Then they picked up their
baskets of CDs, grabbed a couple, held them high, while The Rogues invited the audience to,

"Go buy our CDs." Then the lasses walked through the aisles through the rest of the entire
performance.
While the rest of us were on stage watching with shocked amazement at our own untouched
sales table, The Rogues sold a dozen CDs! They repeated that performance at the Austin Celtic
Festival.
We shared a booth with The Rogues at the festival, and I asked Sharon about how they do it.
She told me it varies in different parts of the country. In Texas, this direct approach works
magic. In Florida, an older recreational audience gets angry if sales people disturb their show.
But the key is to realize that your sales team is a PART of the show!
They don't just stand up there silently holding up CDs. If they do, they disappear. We learned
that during our first show this weekend. Integrate your sales people into your show. Get them to
dance in the isles, clap their hands, sing-a-long. If they do, the audience will follow their lead.
This will help them to attract attention to the CDs, and you will sell more.
Be proactive. Don't wait for your fans to come to you, or they may never! If you go to them, you'll
sell more CDs, and make more fans in the process.
Confessions of a Master CD Sales Woman
by Sharon Wothke & Marc Gunn, Bard
January 14, 2002
A couple months ago, I wrote The Rogues to ask them directly what it is that makes them so
successful at selling CDs, and why they are one of the top 10 bands on CDstreet selling CDs.
Sharon Wothke wrote back:
"As head sales person for the band, I think that I would be the one to talk to. The Rogues are
definitely unique in what they do, and if you will indulge me, very good at what they do.
As a sales person, I know that the way the guys play their music definitely is the biggest factor
in their sales quotient. When the music, which can be described as infectious, is smoking hot,
and everyone is having a good time, the sales are usually pretty good. Most people who come
to a Renaissance Festival, where the band still does the lion's share of their gigs, do not come
expecting to buy a CD with bagpipe music on it. The Rogues have converted many people to
this form of music. So in other words, they create a unique atmosphere which is conducive to
sales.

If the guys are doing their job (making great music), it makes my job a lot easier. I just have to
be available and approachable to people and looking like a I am a part of the show for people to
feel comfortable in coming up to me. We started from the very beginning employing the use of a
roaming basket. It is very effective and other groups have successfully copied our approach.
Our sellers walk around holding up the product so people can see them. Our sellers try to blend
in with the show and not be pushy, just visible. I personally enjoy interacting with the crowd,
spoofing off of what is being said on the stage and telling jokes to make the audience laugh.
And I will talk and be nice to everyone, even if they don't buy a CD simply because I enjoy
people and I am trying to be an ambassador for the band. They may not buy today, but chances
are they will think about it and buy a CD at another time."
Straight from the Master's mouth. What does it take?
1. Great music
2. Great live performance
3. Roaming sales people with baskets of CDs
4. Sellers hold up product DURING the show
5. Sellers blend in an interact with the show
Confessions of a Master CD Sales Woman, Part 2
by Sharon Wothke & Marc Gunn, Bard
February 3, 2002
Read Part 1
Well a great performance and an interactive sales crew is just the start to seling more CDs at
gigs. The Rogues also employ other salespeople.
"Our sellers work off of a commission, with bonuses built in when an individual's sales total
reaches a certain amount. Giving a salesperson a commission motivates them to sell more
product than just giving them a flat rate. We do have minimum pay for a day's work when the
sales are not good. In that case the band usually pays $50 day, or a 10% commission of the
sales total, whichever is greater.
At the more modern venues, such as highland games and celtic festivals, we have found that
having a sales table is an extremely successful way to increase sales, especially in combination
with a roaming salesperson (when using both are appropriate). At pub gigs, we only have a

sales table. Having someone roam in a tight space like a pub would be seen as too aggressive
or invasive, which the Rogues do not encourage their salespeople to be. Friendly competition
between two or more sellers is fine as long as there is a feeling of team spirit. Our sellers help
each other out when one needs change or more stock.
The larger the crowds, the more sales people are needed. The sheer size of the crowd has a
tremendous impact on sales. When you get that many people standing or sitting that close
together and they are all excited about the music, it is like a ripple effect--once the sales start
flowing, everyone seems to jump on the buying bandwagon.
At one particular show at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, where the crowd was huge, our
three sellers were not able to maximize the full sales potential. A good indication of my not
being able to tap the sales potential that is when I am standing in one spot and have not moved
out of it the entire show. Just as soon as I finish one sell, another person comes up to buy a CD.
I call that standing in a "sweet spot"--when people come up to you already wanting to buy a CD.
My job then is to try to figure out, as
quickly as possible, what CD or CDs would best suit what they are looking for. I always try to
point out the fact that they can order more CDs through the website or mail order, or listen to the
music on MP3.com.
As a bandmember's wife, I am always trying to promote the band. I take business cards from
people who want to hire the band for potential gigs and I direct them to my husband, Randy,
who is the business manager for the band."
1. Reward sales people with commission
2. Set up sales table for venues
3. Encourage friendly sales competition
4. More people to sell for larger crowds, enjoy 'ripple effect'
5. Take business cards to gigs and hand out at every opportunity.
The Rogues use CDBaby to sell their CDs. Why? See for yourself?
Selling CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach
by David Nevue
March 19, 2002
Recently, a visitor to the Music Biz Academy asked me a very common question; "How can I

sell more CDs on the Internet?" Good question, though very open-ended. How you go about
marketing your music successfully depends on a great many factors. This article contains some
suggestions where to start.
I recommend musicians take a three-pronged approach to selling their music on the Internet.
The first 'prong' is what I call 'targeting with buzz.' That is, you create a buzz about your music
and get people talking about it. To do that, however, you need to promote your music where
people are already searching for new music to try out. That is, instead of trying to bring people
to you (or your web site), you go to where the people are already hanging out. Go where the
action is, so to speak. So, where's that?
The first place I recommend any musician start promoting their music is MP3.com. Though
some independent musicians feel MP3.com has 'sold out' (actually, they literally have) to the
commercial record industry, the fact is that for pure exposure it's the place to be. MP3.com is a
huge magnet for music-loving traffic. Perform a search at Google for 'music' and MP3.com the
#2 site listed. Search for 'mp3' and it's the #1 site. You just can't find a better place to put your
music right in the path of cyber-traffic. With proper
promotion, you'll have hundreds, even thousands of new people listening to your music every
day. For example, for January 2002, I was able to generate over 50,000 plays of my songs. And
that was with just basic, simple, inexpensive promotion. That exposure resulted in more CD
sales, lots of email from new fans, and more importantly, name recognition. Once you've
mastered MP3.com, you can start setting up shop at other, similar sites such as Vitaminic.com,
GarageBand.com, CDBaby.net, Ampcast.com, JavaMusic.com and others.
The second 'prong' to increasing CD sales on the net is what I call 'targeting by site.' With this
option, your objective is to create a web site that targets the people most likely to be interested
in your music. The question to ask yourself is, 'what are the people who are most likely to buy
your music already searching the Internet for?' Once you have that answer, design a web site to
target that specific audience. Then, promote your web site using tried and true web site
marketing techniques (see spider-food.net for search engine promotion tips). In this scenario,
you don't focus on promoting your music per se, you focus on promoting the web site. Then,
since your web site is attracting visitors that tend to enjoy your style of music, you advertise your
music on your specialized web site, marketing directly to those targeted visitors.

The final 'prong' is where you will create long term fans; your own 'official' artist web site. This
personal web site is the place where you will provide your fans with complete details about your
act. You'll include song lyrics, news, CD info, pictures, a discussion board, chat room, sheet
music, whatever you can think of. Your official site is the place you will drive traffic to from prong
#1 and prong #2. It's where, ultimately, long-term fans (and friends) are made and, if it's well-
designed and updated frequently, it's the place your fans will keep coming back to. Here's a tip:
if you have more than one CD, sell them in 'bulk'. Give your visitors the opportunity to buy more
for less. I currently have 5 CDs, and give my visitors the option of buying all 5 CDs for $50.
Guess what? Most of my orders from new customers are for the entire collection. So, if you
haven't yet purchased a domain name for your act, do so. I recommend using DirectNic.com,
where you can purchase a domain name for $15/year.
All three of these prongs work together in tandem. The first (targeting with buzz) not only sells
CDs, it creates buzz, name recognition, and career opportunities where none were before. My
time on MP3.com has directly resulted in song licensing opportunities, as well as a distribution
deal with a Korean record company. The second method (targeting by site) allows you to target
visitors who have a predisposition to your style of music. Maybe they didn't search the Internet
looking specifically for new music, but as a result of their search they did discover you, and with
some keen marketing strategies you can gradually, over time, turn some of these casual visitors
into fans. Finally, the third 'prong' is where you keep them coming back, your own, official web
site. There, long-term fans are made. Think of prong #1 and #2 as a funnel, that channels your
visitors to prong #3.
I'm sure you're thinking this is a lot of work. You're right, it is, and it's only the beginning. There's
a lot involved in marketing and selling your music online - much more than I can go into in this
short article. But, hopefully this will whet your appetite and inspire some creating thinking. If your
music is truly good music, and you (and others) really believe in it, there are many marketing
and career opportunities for you online. You just have to dig them up, and be very persistent
about it.
One Fan to Fire Up the Furnace
by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards
March 27, 2000

We live in a high-speed world. We want every thing now. Sadly, the "I want it now" attitude does
not working in the field of marketing. Marketing is all cafefully planned, that's why you must
assume the position of the bard.
Bards of old traveled the world and weaved their musical webs to whomever would listen. If
there were even one person, then the bard would cast his spell. And in the world of music you
have to build your fan base one fan at a time.
I remember my first band. I hooked up to sing with this glam rock band a decade ago. We were
about to play in the rec room of our dormitory. There were a dozen people and I was excited. It
was my first opportunity to play on stage, when the drummer declared, "If there aren't more
people, I'm not playing." I was devesated. It awoke me to something a number of bands
have...arrogance. And it started me on the bardic path.
Since then, I've made every opportunity to play to individuals. I was down in San Marcos, Texas
last year and my partner hadn't yet arrived. A couple came in looking to hear some "Irish" music.
I played "An Irish Lullaby" for them. The woman was in tears by the time I ended. Her husband?
A music writer for the local paper. Needless to say, we got a spectacular review of our first
album!
You see, every person is important. And the more the each individual adores you, the more
likely they'll tell their friends and bring them out to shows. And the sad thing is no matter how
hard your try to bring a crowd, sometimes they don't come out. So make each show the best it
can possibly be for the one or two people in the audience. They will appreciate it, buy your
album and tell all their friends.
One devoted fan is worth a hundred casual listeners. And you never know. That one listener
could be your ticket to success!
Music Promo Tips Blog
& Music Biz News
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Who Needs Flyers? How to Generate a Flood of Local Web Site Traffic for your Unsigned
Band
Seems every time I read an article about music promotion, they seem generally the same thing.

"Play in your local market with a fifty mile radius of your hometown."
That's actually pretty smart advice. If you can build a buzz in your region, that local buzz will
eventually spread outside of your market into others.
But there's a problem. It is no easy task for any unsigned band to build that buzz. Take my
hometown, Austin. Whew! I can't tell you how many bands there are here. The market is
flooded. Getting through the clutter is pain in the arse.
Guess what? I learned an untapped secret to break through the band clutter, earn you web
traffic all from your local region. And you will generate good-will in your community.
Here's the secret.
Write reviews of local businesses.
I wrote a short review of a small Irish pub just outside of Austin called the Irish Dragoon Pub.
They had no website. So I gave them one and added a few kind words.
This past St. Patrick's Day the owner of the Dragoon embarrassed me. He took the microphone
before we started playing. Not only did he talk us up to the audience, but he thanked us for the
kind review that "put the Irish Dragoon on the map".
You can do the same for ANY business wherever you're playing. And it's easy. Here's what you
do.
1. Pick a local business you want to support.
2. Write a short review about that business. Don't just say it's cool. Tell your readers what
you've bought there before to make it more personal.
3. Put that business name in the title of the webpage. For instance, "Irish Dragoon Pub in
Killeen, TX".
4. Add a small banner with your next gig listed.
5. Submit that webpage to the search engines.
That's it. More than likely, you'll come up easily as one of the top 10 sites listed.
To improve your search ranking, add additional links to that webpage on your website and
others. And don't forget to let the business know that you appreciate them. Send them a link to
that review as well.
SPECIAL NOTE: While this is a great way to bring in a bunch of random traffic. It's not targeted.
Meaning those who DO come to your site, more than likely will have little interest in your music,

UNLESS the business you write about attracts your type of fans. So do a little bit o'research and
good luck!
/>Can You Afford Distribution?
By Chris Standring - A&R Online
Back to The Academy
I get many e-mails from artists and groups asking me about distribution. They say "We have a
band and we're playing locally and getting good crowds and we sell our CD at gigs. We started
our own label and need to get distribution so we can sell in all the stores. How can we do that?"
The odds are that you cannot afford to have distribution.
Let me explain why...
Most inexperienced folks believe that a distributor is the pipeline to the people. In theory it is, but
in practice it is not. A distribution company is only as good as the record companies promotional
power. Yes it is important to get your CD in the store, but it is much more important to get your
CD OUT of that store. It's as much the record companies job to do that as it is retail's. A
distributor can only try its hardest to convince a retail store to take your CD. To secure shelf
space a record company needs to present all its marketing commitments (and honor them) so
retail stays confident that it can shift units.
Let's face it, record stores are saturated with product. Why on earth would a store take a CD if it
isn't sure it will get sold. The kind of things that retail needs to see if it is to readily accept your
product is:
• Radio Play
If a single is being worked at radio (through an independent radio promoter) and getting
spins, this might be enough to convince a store in that neighborhood to take your record.
The amount of demand for the record will determine the amount of units the store takes.

• Retail Price And Positioning
Visibility in a record store is everything! If you were to buy an "end cap" (those displays
at the end of an aisle), or a month on a listening station, or rack display, this is enough to
attract the attention of a store. However, it has become increasingly competetive even
when you pay for this!

• Touring
Playing live shows can help create a demand for a CD and this of course is key.
All labels have what they call a "one sheet" - a hand out sheet with bullet points outlining their
marketing strategies and promotional commitments. This is the first step, but then those
commitments have to be met. These commitments are extremely expensive.
If a label refuses to spend promotional money on their act a number of things can result;
1) The CDs remain in the store buried amongst the thousands of others waiting to be found.
2) The CDs after a matter of weeks, get returned to the record label.
3) The record store takes less units from the same artist's next CD, often refusing to stock it
altogether.
The last point is interesting. A brand new artist can generate much more excitement in the retail
marketplace than an artist with a failed record. The label with the new artist, providing they
stump up their promotional dollars and have a good several weeks at radio before they go to
retail, can distribute a good amount of units in the marketplace. The artist with a previous record
that "bombed" however, will need to do a good deal more convincing in order to get the stores
to take more product.
So my big question is; "Can you afford distribution?". To get a record in every store via a
reputable distributor immediately puts you in competition with major labels who have gobs of
promotional money they can drop if they need to.
My advice for independent artists is to localise. By all means try to get your CD in retail stores,
but do it yourself. Strike up a relationship with the store buyer and offer your CDs on
consignment. Don't give them any risk. When you do gigs in that neighborhood make a point of
telling your audience that they can buy your CD in such and such store (even if you sell CDs at
your gigs!)
Do what you can to get some radio play in that area too. This, along with your live shows, might
create a certain amount of demand to shift enough units for each retail store to take you
seriously and want to continue to support you. From time to time record stores will do "in store
appearances" with independent artists and this will allow you to build a stronger relationship with
a store, and sell a few units. In a perfect world that store may even add your disc to a listening

station for a month to help generate some business. I have seen this happen many, many
times. They understand that it costs labels thousands of dollars to do this and that indies are
operating on a shoestring. They very often want to help if they believe in a band.
Having said this, retail pretty much wants to deal only with distributors and labels. However,
they will support a new artist if they like them. Walk into your local store and ask to speak to the
buyer. Give him your CD, be nice and see what happens.
Remember, don't just think about getting your CD IN the store, think about how you might get it
OUT!.
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Chris Standring is the CEO and founder of A&R Online. He is also a contemporary jazz guitarist
presently signed to Mesa/Bluemoon Records. The music is marketed at NAC and Urban AC
radio. For more info on Chris' recording career go to his personal website.
The Musician's Action Plan
by Kathy Brackley - Katcall Creative Studio, Posted July 15th 2003
Back to The Academy
Why am I here? Where am I going? How am I going to get there? These are some of the
important questions you should be asking yourself. As with anything in life it's a good idea to set
goals for yourself and have a plan of action.
One of the things I often see are musicians who are looking for a quick fix. "I've made a CD and
it's soooo good that it's going to sell itself!" ...think again. You could be the most talented
musician..the most "kick ass band"....but your CDs are not going to sell themselves. Nor are A &
R people going to show up on your doorstep if they don't know you exist.
Take the time to create an action plan, not only will it will help keep you focused - you'll know
exactly where you are going and how you are going to get there. Let's use baseball as an
example; the players do not just go out on the field and play - they have a game plan. If their
game plan doesn't work, they re-evaluate it and make adaptations. If they didn't have a game
plan, what do you think would be the result?
Before you begin, it's a good idea to know what your rights are as a musician and how to protect
your music. These factors will likely come into play while you are promoting yourself and your
music. If you are not sure, I highly recommend taking the time to do some research.

The attached Musician's Action Plan Workbook (PDF) includes:
• Action Plan Worksheet
• Follow Through Worksheet
• CD Tracker Worksheet
• Action Plan Review Worksheet
• Example Action Plan
STEP 1: DEFINING YOURSELF
The first thing you need to do is sit down and do some serious thinking. You should have a
binder or notebook where you can keep all of the information you are about to accumulate.
Before you start, print a copy of the Workbook (PDF Download). Ask yourself the questions
below and write down your answers in the workbook. When answering the questions be as
specific as possible. I've included an Example Action Plan at the end of the Workbook for your
reference, use this as a tool to help you get started. Below you will find the list of questions
which are included in the workbook along with some examples.
1. What is my idea of success? e.g. Is it just playing music and simply being happy with that,
getting a record deal, selling 100,000 copies of your Cd, being world famous, etc.
2. What are my goals? What do you hope to achieve? Keep your goals realistic and specific.
e.g. This year I want to sell 500 CDs.
3. What can I do to reach my goals? Now that you've set your goals, how can you help
yourself to reach them?
4. What is my plan of action? Now that you have clearly defined your goals and things you
can do to reach them, how will you set them into action?
5. What am I willing to sacrifice? This one will require some thought. e.g. time, your values,
your music, etc.
6. What am I *not* willing to sacrifice? e.g. your values, your music, etc.
7. What am I willing to compromise on? Look at your list of things you would not sacrifice, is
there anything that you might compromise on?
8. What resources do I have at my disposal? List all your resources; you may not realize how
many you actually have. Resources can be people, information etc.
9. Where can I find the information I need? e.g. This can be your resources, or places you

have yet to explore.
10. What am I going to need help with? What can't you do yourself that you'll need some
assistance with. This could be anything from mailing out your CDs, to promoting them, creating
a press release etc.
11. Who are the people that can help me? List as many specific people as you can.
12. How much money am I prepared to spend? How much money are you willing to spend on
the goals you've chosen.
13. How much time am I willing to invest? This can be a specific amount e.g., two hours, a
day or it can be general - whatever amount it takes to achieve your goals.
14. How and where can I make contacts? Again look at your resources and the people that
can help you. Do some research, find online discussion lists, message boards, etc. then list
them here.
15. When do I plan to reach these goals by? (date)
STEP 2: FOLLOWING THROUGH
There is no point in having an action plan if your not going to follow through. Now look at the
part of your action plan where you answer "What is my plan of action?" Now it's time to start
doing these things. Keep a notebook with the following information, add in any other information
you'd like to keep track of. (There is a Follow Through Worksheet included in the Workbook.)
1. Today's Date:
2. The Date of Contact:
3. Contact info:
a. Name:
b. Company Name:
c. Address:
d. Phone Number:
e. Email Address:
4. What was the end result of this contact? Example: Company X will take three copies of my
Cd to sell in their store.
5. Notes: i.e. What did you think of this company/contact? Did they make a comment that stood
out in your mind? What was your overall impression?

STEP 3: FOLLOWING UP
Keep tabs on who is selling a lot of your CDs and who isn't. It's a really good idea to keep a
notebook and write down: the name of the company, how many CDs they requested, how many
they have sold, the date etc. There is a CD Tracker Worksheet included in your Workbook.
Also, it never hurts to follow up after some time has passed. Approach the people who passed
on your CD. A great way to do this is if you have something new happening like a gig. i.e. "I'll be
playing at the Five and Dime on April 5th". Now that you've made a few contacts, joined a few
discussion lists etc. you will probably have new places and ideas that might work well for you.
Keep track of them, contact them if it interests you and then follow through. (step 2)
STEP 4: MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS
When you completed your action plan, you wrote the date you'd like to achieve your goals by.
When that date arrives, it's time to look over your action plan and see how you did.
Below, are some questions to refer to. Again, write down the answers and keep this together
with your action plan. After you've answered the questions you can begin to build a new action
plan or expand on the old one. Your goals may have changed through the process.
1. Did my plan of action work?
2. Did I reach my goal(s)?
3. What didn't I do that I should have?
4. What worked for me?
5. What didn't work for me?
6. What have I learned in the process?
7. What have I accomplished/gained?
8. Were my goals realistic?
9. Additional Notes:
Todays date:
CONTRACT CHECKLIST
When considering entering into a contract, agreement, or potential offer, you should always
consider all the pros, cons and find out exactly what exactly they are offering you. This includes
any website offering to sell your CDs or artwork, record labels etc.
1. What are their fees and are there any 'hidden fees'?

2. How will they promote me and my music?
3. How much time are they willing to invest in me?
4. How will this help further my career?
5. Do they help protect my rights as an artist?
6. What are their credentials/background?
7. What are their goals?
8. Do they have a good track record within the industry?
9. Who are they affiliated with?
10. What are their affiliates credentials?
11. What are the other options available to me as an artist?
12. How do they compare?
13. What are the pros and cons of all my options?
14. What are the legalities involved?
15. Do I have to sign a contract/agreement?
16. If yes, how long am I tied into the agreement/contract?
17. Is their offer non exclusive?
18. Do I understand the terms of the contract?
19. Have I researched all possible avenues?
20. Do I have enough information to make a sound decision?
21. Am I getting good value for my money?
The attached Musician's Action Plan Workbook (PDF) includes:
• Action Plan Worksheet
• Follow Through Worksheet
• CD Tracker Worksheet
• Action Plan Review Worksheet
• Example Action Plan
----
Kathy Brackley has had a passionate interest in the arts since childhood; particularly music and
writing. In addition to providing Music Publicity for Indie Musicians and Labels (Katcall Creative
Studio), her current adventures include being Editor-In-Chief of Artists Studio Magazine,

freelance writing for various publications, and advancing her studies in Public
Relations/Marketing. In her spare time she feeds her passion for music by playing flamenco
guitar.
The Overall Picture
of Music Marketing
by Bryan Farrish
Back to The Academy
There are two options for your independent music in the music business: You can either try to
be your own record label (and/or PR firm, music company, entertainment agent, etc.), or you
can partner with others who will do the work for you if you pay them. Either way, you need to
know who does what.
A Record label, PR firm, music manager, music publishing company, entertainment agency,
music distribution firm, entertainment lawyer, music magazine, and most any other entity in the
music industry are all part of a "mass media" wheel that generates airplay, publicity, gigs and
record (CD) sales. All this is part of a record deal (from a record label), or, it can be used to get
a record deal. Alternatively, you could decide just to keep as much of it in-house as possible,
thus creating your own operation. This is a realistic option if you will be in the business for five
or more years, and you are willing to work at least 30 hours a week at it.
A real record company handles four basic areas of music marketing: Radio, PR (public
relations), gigs, and music retail. The radio portion is what this entire site is about; radio is the
most complicated part of the music industry, and the most expensive part of the budget of a
major record label. If you hire an independent radio promoter, they can also help a little with PR,
gigs and retail, provided the airplay campaign is large enough.
The PR (publicity) portion of the entertainment industry is obtained by hiring a PR firm (or PR
person). A large record label has these people on staff, but will still hire out for more push. A
smaller independent record label sometimes will just try to do its own publicity, maybe by just
focusing on some local music magazines. Big mass media music magazines, however, will be
beyond what an independent music label can get.
The gig portion of your music marketing is obtained by partnering with an entertainment agency
who book gigs for you (good gigs can get you some PR too.) Small music labels will just try to

book their own gigs. Note that an entertainment agency for gigs is not the same as an
entertainment agent that an actor would have.
For the retail part of the music industry, a record company would hire a retail promoter, whereas
a small independent record label would just call stores on their own. Note that this is NOT the
same thing as music distribution, which is simply a middleman between the record company
and the music retail stores... they just take retail orders once the retail promotion person causes
the sales to happen. If you have no retail promotions person, you will have no sales, regardless
of the radio that you do.
The entertainment industry has a few other entities you will have to work with... like the music
manager (i.e., personal manager) and the entertainment lawyer. While they are not into music-
marketing or mass-media details the way a record label or radio promoter would be, they are
needed with things like music publishing and general operation once you are on the road (but
probably not before.)
As a final note, below are some miscellaneous terms that some new artists seek info on, but
which were already covered above:
Record label company
Music royalty
Music record company
Entertainment business
Artist manager
Music industry contact
Publicity agency
PR company
Entertainment marketing
Music management company
Music distribution company
Radio publicity system
Music industry information
Music industry PR company
Radio publicity campaign

The music industry
Music industry marketing company
Music industry resource
Music industry statistics
Marketing music
Music industry contract
Music industry publication
Music industry directory
Music industry management
Music industry magazine ct.
Bryan Farrish is an independent radio airplay promoter. He can be reached at 818-905-8038
or at radio-media.com
How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet
by David Nevue
New: 2004 Edition!
Buy This Edition, Get the Next via Email FREE!
PDF Version Has Clickable Links!
PDF $18.95 | Hard Copy $28.95 (+ S&H)
A Message from the Author...
Good day to you. My name is David Nevue. I am the founder of the Music Biz Academy (this
web site) and author of the book, How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet.
Let me come straight to the point. The Internet is an incredible promotional tool for
independent musicians. You can get radio play, grow a fan base, create a distribution channel,
manufacture and sell CDs all online. You can use the Internet to create an amazing amount of
exposure for your music. Wouldn't it be great if literally thousands of people heard your music
every day? What if you could use your web site to sell 50, 100, 200 CDs or more every month?
Guess what? It doesn't take a brain-surgeon to make it happen, but it does take a lot of hard
work – and you need to know what you're doing.
Therein lies the problem. Most musicians just have no idea where to start when it comes to
online promotion and distribution. Some get as far as putting up a web site, but stop there. They

aren't sure what the next step should be. That's where I can help.
Who am I? I'm an independent musician just like you, with one difference: In 2003, I used the
Internet to generate over $60,000 in income . Hard to believe, isn't it? But it's true. Today I'm
doing the "music business" full-time from my home in Springfield, Oregon. I now invest my time
developing my music rather than spending 40-60 hours a week working for someone else. I'm
truly an independent musician.
My intent with this book is to give you the information you need to begin promoting, selling,
and distributing your own music online. I'll provide you with proven ideas you can put to use
immediately. It doesn't take a ton of money to get started either – that's another great benefit of
living in this digital age.
Simply put, in my book, How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet, I'll take you
step by step through the same marketing strategies I've used over the last nine years (since
1995) to promote my own music and run my music business on my own terms.
Click here for reviews from my readers!
Cutting Through the Hype...
First, let's cut through the hype. If you want to be successful promoting and distributing your
music online, it's going to take time and hard work. Like anything else of real value, you'll get out
of it what you put into it. But here's the cool thing: your music career will be in your hands. Once
you have the information you need, your future will not be dependent on somebody else doing
their job, it will be dependent on you doing yours. How refreshing would that be? You career
won't be at the mercy of a record label, some A&R person, or an agent who may or may not
have your best interest in mind. Providing your music is quality music and deserving of an
audience, you can find that audience online.
You need knowledge, pure and simple. In How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the
Internet I'll give you good, practical information you can put to use right away to promote and
distribute your music online. I will teach you, in a straightforward way, how to get your music out
there without wasting your time on hogwash.
Let Me Tell You What This Book is NOT...
This book is NOT full of advertisements for other services. I really hate it when you buy a book
it turns out to be a 100 page long pitch to get you to spend more money on "consulting"

services! This book is all substance, and contains no hot air!
This book is NOT sparce. Yet another pet peeve of mine is when you purchase an ebook and
the pages have 2 inch margins and LARGE type to make the book look bigger than it really is.
How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet is 135 pages long, with 3/4 inch
margins and 11-12 point type. In other words, I make the most of the space on each page.
This book is NOT written by some guy who's trying to make a buck off of your hopes and
dreams. I'm a musician, just like you, and I wrote this book for a reason: to help other
independent musicians achieve the same success I have. It sounds corny, but it's true.
This book is NOT overpriced. If anything, it's underpriced. As a working musician myself, I
understand finances are tight, plus I know you have other priorities. One of my primary concerns
for my customers is to keep my book affordable. The PDF version of my book sells for a very
low $18.95, and that includes one free PDF update to the next edition when it's released! You'll
be hard pressed to find an ebook anywhere that sells for less. I challenge you to find one.
This book is NOT written by someone with lots of "theory," but no experience. I've lived this
book! Everything in it, every idea, suggestion, and strategy within its pages comes from real life
experience. The marketing strategies in my book are tried, tested, and true.
This book is NOT out of date! How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet is
updated twice a year to stay current with the times! The Internet changes constantly, and writing
a book on Internet marketing requires continued vigilance! You can be assured that no other
book on marketing music on the Internet is as current, or accurate as this one.
Click here for reader reviews!
I've Been Doing This a LONG Time....
I started marketing my music on the Internet way back in 1995! Like most musicians still do
today, I put up a web page with some sound samples (*.wav files in those days) and just hoped
somebody would find me. My first year online, I sold just two CDs. I wasn't satisfied with that at
all! So I began experimenting with different marketing strategies. After some failures and a few
successes, I began to see more CD sales. I knew I was on to something when I began selling
four or five CDs a week! That gave me the idea to write this book, the first edition of which came
out in November of 1997. I've updated this book at least twice a year ever since!
Since that time, I've continued to build onto my success, and over the last nine years I've

expanded my online music business to include not only sales of my CDs, but books (like this
one), sheet music (transcriptions of my own works), information and advertising. Needless to
say, the income generated through these music-related projects has made a huge impact on my
ability to both promote my music and to create more products, like CDs, to sell to fans. My
discography now includes eight CDs! I could never have accomplished that without the
additional income generated by my web site!
Full-Time Musician Status!
In November of 2001, I finally achieved a longtime dream: I quit my day job at Symantec
Corporation (the makers of Norton Antivirus and Norton Internet Security) to work in the online
music business full-time. Now I have more time to work on my music and spend with my family.
Life has never been better or more fulfilling.
Click here for reader reviews!
Use the Internet to Advance Your Music Career...
YES, you can use the Internet to create a LOT of exposure for your music. YES, you can use
the Internet to bring in additional income to invest right back into your music business. But can
the Internet actually advance your career? The answer, in short, is also, YES!
Just Think About It...
Thousands of people could be hearing your music every single day. That's what I've been
able to achieve. My Live365.com broadcast currently generates over 70,000 listening hours per
month. That equates to over 2000 people a day hearing my music! That translates into sales!
And that's just one, single, web site. There are many more great places to promote, sell, and
distribute your music on the Internet.
Hundreds of people could be buying your CDs . Wouldn't it be nice to sell 5-10 CDs a week
from your web site? What about a 50-100 per month? Success at that level takes a lot of work,
but it is possible if you have the determination. One reader wrote me to say that after putting my
suggestions into practice they sold over 3000 CDs from their web site in 9 months! That's over
300 CDs a month!
Imagine all the contacts you'll get when your music really starts getting out there. As a direct
result of my time online I've gained distribution overseas and a publishing agreement. On a
regular basis I am contacted by independent filmmakers wanting to use my music (which they

discovered online) for their film projects. I am approached all the time about gig opportunities all
across the U.S. from people who found my music online.