Why Sell Out Your Music Career?

Many independent musicians are known for their anti-corporate stance. It's not surprising then that the concept of "marketing" leaves a sour taste in many independent artists' mouths. The fact is though, there are ways to build your fan base and increase people's interest in and awareness of your music - without selling out. If you are an independent music maker, here are a few ways you can do some marketing without going corporate.



First, if your mindset is completely anti-marketing, you really need to change your tune. Marketing and administration does not have to equal selling out or going corporate. Finding ways to expose your ideas and creations through your songs and music to more people - marketing - shows that you believe in what you are doing.


Just stop and think about it for a moment. Doesn't what you create mean enough to you that you want to share it with other people? If not, why are you even pursuing music at all? Once you stop equating marketing and administration with these negative connotations, you can finally move on and start finding ways to promote your band that are still in-line with your ideals as an independent artist.

For starters, remember that your fans are not only your target market, but also your best promoters. Many independent musicians avoid pursuing marketing and administration because they think it means having to constantly deal with the media, promoters, record labels and other corporate types to help get the word out. If you're not comfortable with that, just skip it and go straight to the people who already are your best advertisers - your fan base. Provide them with ways to spread the word about you and your music. They will do the best job at it - and for free. Think about marketing in terms of your fans spreading their passion about you and the word loses even more of it's negative stereotype, doesn't it?


With that in mind, increasing your marketing simply becomes a matter of increasing your fan base. What could be better than that? Make sure to find out what it is about your music that attracts the fans you already have. Make sure you can describe your style of music quickly and clearly. With these tools it becomes even easier to find others who would also be interested in your music and your message. Reach out to them.


As you can see, independent music marketing doesn't need to be a dirty concept. Once you see it in terms of sharing who you are with even more people who will get pleasure from what you create, you can start using it to your advantage. Best of all you can do this using methods that don't require selling out or forgetting about your roots.

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What To Send To A Music Agent

If you want to be considered for work through a music agent or entertainment agency, you need to get on their books. Most respectable music agencies have a list of requirements they need from you. These things are generally common to most agencies:

CD demo
Your demo should be no longer than 5 minutes in total and should include 5-7 segments of varying song styles. For example, a jazz piece, a ballad, a rock and roll or soul piece and a top 40 piece. Make this relevant to the type of music you are providing. Each piece should be approximately 20 - 30 seconds long, perhaps incorporating a verse & chorus or intro & chorus etc.
Band Biography or Artist Resume / CV
Your band resume should be printed in a clear and easy to read layout and should briefly outline the highlights and current status. If you choose to mention details about each member, aim to keep each entry to 50 words or less if possible.
Sales Pitch & Band Marketing
Write a brief statement promoting the positive aspects of your act. Direct this to your prospective clients. (ie. anyone who books your band will receive these). This can be included as an introduction to your resume in paragraph or point form. You need to be able to answer the questions that a prospective client would ask you (Indirectly), eg; Why should I book your band over any other band?  What does your band do that makes it special?
Don't neglect to make mention of your internet marketing promotion. A true music agent will be impressed with a solid online presence. Any music angent who dismisses such a thing should be seriously reconsidered as an option as, lets face it, he's missing a huge business promotion product whether they like it or not.

Other aspects to consider
1. Musicianship
2. Punctuality
3. Experience
4. Dress code
5. Public relations (with clients and work suppliers)
HINT: Be concise, honest and to the point.
Songlists
Categorize your repertoire into styles of music: eg: Jazz, Ballads, Rock, 90's etc. and alphabetize each category. Remember to include the artist's name alongside of the song. Don't include the words "..and many more..." because clients ALWAYS ask "What other songs does the band do?" and this inevitably means you need to supply a more detailed songlist. (If you do literally have hundreds of songs - list the most popular ones)
Photograph
The photograph you submit to your entertainment agent can be black & white or colour but must be of good quality. Keep in mind that a great photo can make a huge difference in the decision process of a client. (A 1/2 page photo on the same page as your resume always looks great). You may have a gallery of great photos. Don't bombard the entertainment agent with all at once. Set a small handful and mention you have more photos if required.
Video
If you have any professional or live footage of your band or artist performance you should definitely submit this. Video has proven to be a very powerful marketing tool. It helps to solve the problem of clients wanting to view bands that usually play at private functions where viewing access is difficult.
Fees & Availability
An Entertainment agent will also require a statement of your proposed band fees for a standard 4 hour call (or whatever call time you work to. If there are a few different sized working groups within your act, you should give them a breakdown and specify ie a 3 piece is $xx and a 4 piece is $yy). Supplying ALL unavailable dates that you are already booked is also very useful to an entertainment agent.
Today's market is a consumer's market! Clients demand a great deal of information from an Entertainment agent so they'll require the right information from you (the band or artist). If you help the entertainment agent, they'll love you and will probably end up giving you more work. It's very much a case of, "You scratch mine and I'll scratch yours. It's the nature of the beast.


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Educate Yourself. Your Music Is Your Business

I know from personal responses to this particular blog that both full-time and fledgeling independent artists take no offence at the terminology and suggestions used here. I am thankful for this but I am even more thankful that they/you are gaining something from this blog.

If you are a serious musician, you might take your profession on top of everything. There may be times when you had to accept gigs and deals which might not really translate into getting monetary revenue, just as long as you get publicity or you get to make your music available to a wider public base. This usually ends up with the artist spending a lot more for the publicity and his "musical expression" rather than earning from it.

Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. After all, the real essence of art cannot be measured in terms of how much it is sold for. However, as you go on and pursue a musical career, you will incur expenses along the way. Also, you'd want to grow bigger and bigger as a musician, and that usually means more expenses. Want a new guitar? Want new clothes to wear during gigs? What about communication expenses? Truly, the financial aspect of being an artist can get in the way of your artistic success.

This is why, if you are given a chance to earn (and really earn!) from what you already love doing, why not push your envelopes and make money out of it? Perhaps you can sign up with legitimate music business programs which can help you manage your finances well while helping you move forward as musicians.

Look at the people who earn from what they love doing. They maximize their productivity well. If they earn, they can buy things to upgrade what they already do. Anyone can always use a better phone, laptop, car or a musical instrument. Or maybe get extra assistance from a PR entity, use the money to produce your next album, invest in other non-music related things (music as a career is not that stable, after all), et cetera.

Also, another advantage with enrolling yourself with legitimate music business programs is that you will learn some technical music handling stuff, some things you might find difficult to ride on with if you just plunge into the music industry without any form of orientation. Such programs will help you understand and appreciate industry essentials such as artist royalties, proper trainings, professionalism and networking. The certifications that you get from such music business programs will help you build a more solid repertoire in music once you get across the hardcore technical managers, producers or hotshot music network.

Most likely these programs were made with emphasis on helping the young independent artists get their names on the mainstream music. So the design that you will be working with will be a ladderized design, something which won't overwhelm you.

Are you convinced with taking a look at some music business programs which boast of the potentials they've made famous? One of these artists could be you! So do you research as soon as now and get hooked with the best programs in your side of the country. This is one musical investment you don't want to miss out on!

Outside The Square

No sooner had I finished my last blog and saying (truthfully) that I was unsure when my next literary work would be kicked into action, than I was woken by a multitude of ideas. So specific were they that I was 'forced' out of bed to write them down for fear of waking up in my customary (pretty) vacant state.

Having initially published "Online Music Traps" on Lulu as both an ebook and paperback, I was enthralled not only by the whole process but by the simplicity of it and the added creative scope that it provides.

I've been receiving quite a few emails of late from various music sites, offering this and that; some are at a cost, some are purely advice. The emails have one thing in common. Promotion.

Merchandising seems to be working it's way 'down' from the big name acts to the smaller players with 'pay-on-delivery' making it possible to have custom designed clothing item ready for fans to purchase with no up-front cost to the musician. This sort of promotion has been around for some time but musicians are now being patronised by some companies who are allegedly providing 'innovative' promotional tips, such as designing a different item for a different venue, city or event. (!)

The other factor that I have noticed is that it is now possible to create pay-on-delivery CDs. Admittedly there has been a marginal swing back towards physical CDs in the last 12 months but is just that. Marginal. The concept of re-issuing old albums, possibly with a 'bonus track' or new cover design has been launched at us as if it's some great trade secret. As the late Ian Dury once said, "I'm not too old to mind being patronised."


It never ceases to amaze how many (most) musicians don't dive head-first into these opportunities. Don't worry about the patronising waffle from the assortment of sites and companies. I have no doubt that you have better ideas and more ideas. I guess I should be a little more forgiving on the powers that be. They are, after all, providing opportunities that many of us would otherwise have gone without. Additionally, they have to generalise when talking about changing graphics on t-shirts for particular cities, etc. It is a good idea....but that's all. Not exactly 'nose-bleed' stuff.

As a musician who isn't 'doing the rounds,' I don't place a great deal of emphasis on merchandise. Pretty-well next to none, actually. I created a couple of very basic designs and haven't had anything to to with them since except, "Thank you very much for buying them." If someone emails with a specific request then I'll do it if it's possible.

With regards to CDs, actively touring/performing bands have got the upper hand on the 'stay-at-home' musician. They can sell countless numbers at gigs if they get the price right. One very handy piece of advice on this matter that I would like to share is; irrespective of town/city size, venue size or anticipated crowd size, keep your CD prices consistent. Word does travel, especially when money's involved.

I guess what I'm trying to get across....without sounding patronising myself....is that us small-time independent musicians could do better for ourselves by thinking outside the square.

I didn't sit down to write "Online Music Traps" as a promotional venture. Far from  it. I wrote it because I firmly believe that many independent artists are being misled. This is happening to us irrespective of time in the industry or genre' of music. As is the case with my music, I wouldn't have published the book had I not believed in it 100%.

After publishing the book, I noticed that my followers increased by over one hundred in 48 hours....to the dizzying heights of around 650 (!). This backed my advice in "Online Music Traps" that diversity plays a major role with regard to Twitter in particular, even though I'm not a huge fan of it.

As one does with any new 'creation,' I shared the news of my recent entry into the world of 'author-dom' to all the usual sites. I immediately upgraded my Google alerts to include the book in order to see what the reaction was/is. One word. Overwhelming! I currently await with baited breath to see what happens when the search engines really get their teeth into it.

Writing a book is but another way of promoting oneself. It doesn't even have to be a book as such. A how-to guide or a brochure. Anything that is related to what you are doing musically. Perhaps a guide to your town or city. It's related to your music because you record/perform it there. You would be amazed at the amount of people who have more than a passing interest in geography, particularly if there is a 'musical' link to it.

Be it book, articles, blogs, etc. if you keep your content close to where you're at then people are more inclined to stay a little longer and hopefully want to hear more about your thoughts, methods, influences and so forth. You will be amazed at what you can pour out as soon as you rid yourself of the 'search-engine-friendly' side of it. To me that's the biggest killer of emotional freedom & freedom of expression online....hence I totally ignore it. Sure my blogs could rate higher, but you're not going to get the essence of Bob Findlay in there.

Writing is only one idea. I'm sure that there are more. For the time being, I'll be sticking to recording and writing. I'm actually two-thirds through my next album and have three writing projects up and running at the moment, all in various stages of completion and one of which I do know will throw you a curve when I publish it. It defines 'outside the square.' Until next time, happy wondering.

Online Music Traps

The notion of me writing a book has, for as long as I care to remember, been a given. It was a matter of 'when,' not 'if.' That 'when' came to fruition on March 12, 2010; two days after my 43rd birthday.

I can't recall the actual 'moment' that I decided to finally put a particular train of thought into some semblance of order in the shape of a book. I do know, however, that the subject matter has been bugging me almost instantly on entering the world of online music in April 2007.

Despite being generally reserved & apathetic towards most forms of media, I do find myself verbalising my annoyance when I feel strongly about disparity in an area that I am part of.

"Online Music Traps" is the result of extensive research, personal experience & countless emails from frustrated independent musicians,disc jockeys & equally frustrated fans of my music all voicing their displeasure & confusion with the major organisations & their hold over online distribution.

The book sheds light on what's going on right under our noses but also gives advice on what we all can do to improve the situation. It can be done.

The online music industry, like any other industry, is a numbers game. If an artist can't guarantee exorbitant profits for a company they are overlooked. It's that simple. As it stands, the odds of an independent artist making any impression on the online music charts are slim.

Giving you the option to have a productive online musical presence on your own terms should be a 'given' but until recent times it hasn't been. After extensive research I feel more than comfortable (if not proud) in saying that there is no other ebook like "Online Music Traps."

When you purchase "Online Music Traps," there is nothing more to purchase; quite the opposite. By the time you have read the book & applied what you have read, you have saved over $200  (U.S.). Many books on the matter will allude to saving you money. Their idea of 'saved' is much different to mine. My idea of 'save' includes not paying out money in order to receive a discount.

Your wallet can safely stay in your wallet once you have purchased "Online Music Traps." No 'gold membership,' 'paid upgrade,' not even a mailing list to annoy you.....& I'm afraid there's no holiday to Tasmania if you buy in bulk. (!)

Due to the vast nature of the book, occasional duplication occurs. It is unavoidable & you will see why on the few occasions that you do encounter it.

Towards the end of the book I present you with a scenario This scenario has been specifically written so that it can be easily adapted to suit your needs.

Whether you are new to the online music industry, a veteran or somewhere in the middle, I am sure that you will find "Online Music Traps" both enjoyable & informative. Additionally, I spend quite a bit of time addressing music enthusiasts as the musician may as well not bother tuning-up if there is no-one around to listen.

The actual publishing of the book was an experience in itself. having never done it before I treated every wrong turn as a learning experience. It did, however,wear thin after a while. The first publisher that I used is Lulu. Very easy to manage, even for a learner like myself. The book is available there in both paperback and as a downloadable pdf document.

The next place that I discovered to publish was Click2Sell, an affiliate site dealing in a range of online products. My book is only available as a download here & an affiliate programme is available. This is also the case with PayDotCom.


The final external site that I put "Online Music Traps" for sale was in the Amazon Kindle Store. Being something of a techno-luddite I did have initial reservations but on doing some research & as in keeping with the actual substance of the book, the Kindle Store is, at the very worst, free advertising.

For the first two days that "Online Music Traps" was out there, I spent quite a lot of time wandering about aimlessly. I've been busily jotting down thoughts etc. about my next literary venture.I'm actually rather surprised with the volume I have amassed already.

I have no idea when this will commence & a a publication timetable is, at, this stage, over the hills & far away. How long will remain so? I have no idea. Stay tuned.

Paperback: 
Download: 

Rock Musician Bob Findlay Releases His First Book

 

 

           Online Music Traps 

      

     A comprehensive guide to the online music industry & how independent musicians can make an impact without the numerous costly 'traps.'

    This versatile ebook has been specifically designed to cater for musicians of all levels & genres & concludes with a sequential scenario which can be easily adapted to suit your own needs. 

     "Online Music Traps" is currently available on Lulu.com & Click2Sell. Additional options, including Amazon, are soon to be made available directly from here.

 

 

make an impact without the numerous 

costly 'trap

industry & how independent musicians can 

make an impact without the numerous 

costly 'traps.'

 

 

 

 

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