Marketing Your Music
- by Carson Barker, Open Labs Staff Writer
Good music won't get you noticed if you don't get the word out. With modern technology's grace of easy home recording techniques, there's been musicians all over the world writing potential hits, but if no one hears them then the music remains confined to the studio. Half of having a successful band is marketing yourself: spreading the word about your music so you can reach a bigger audience, get bigger shows, and make more money. So put down your instrument and get on your computer, it's time to start marketing.
Step 1: The Business Plan (or: Cut a hole in the Box)
Most musicians got into this field because they despise the business world, but guess what? You are, in fact, running a business. That doesn't make you a soulless money-maker who works 9-5pm, wears a suit and tie, and answers to some demoralizing boss, it makes you a savvy musician who knows how to get their music out the masses. The first thing you need is a business plan, so you can see and formulate the big picture of your success.
A basic musician's business plan should have three things: description of the band, goals, and deadlines. For the first part, write down a 2-3 paragraph description, focusing on where you market is, what sets your band apart from other bands in the same genre, and what your band can offer to the entertainment industry. This gives industry officials an idea of where you stand, and what your possibilities are.
After you get the description down, list what your goals are as a musician. Make the list time sensitive, with short and long term goals listed in consecutive order. Also make the goals detailed, instead of something trite like, "Be a millionaire." Big dreams are a good thing, refine them into something realistic and there's a better chance that you will see them materialize.
"The most important thing is flexibility," says Joel Laviolette, leader of the band Rattletree. "Always analyze what your doing, if it isn't working then stop. Don't get too involved in the ego of your ideas if you need to change them. In the end, it's about building relationships, keeping good ones and not burning any bridges."
Along with being time sensitive, the goals should have deadlines. You'll be more inclined to make the goals happen if there is a restrained amount of time in which to do so. There should be long and short term deadlines, short term ones like, "Complete a four song demo," to long term ones like, "Have a contract with a major label," "Plan an international tour," and such. The business plan helps you accomplish tasks more efficiently, and also helps if you are ever approached by a record label, manager or booking agent because it shows them that you are serious about your music. For more information on business plans, visit this link.
Step 2: Press Kit (or: Put Your Junk in the Box)
A press kit is a multifaceted marketing tool, designed to promote your music in several ways. The first and foremost is to alert the press. Sending a press kit out to local and national publications familiarizes the press with your music, who you are, and what you're doing. Ideally, you'll receive an album review, show review, or feature article which will, in turn, get your music more recognition. The second purpose of a press kit is to send to clubs, booking agents, and other industry professionals to familiarize them with your music, and hopefully get you some performance dates. With a clean, professional press kit, you can look like a pro, market yourself efficiently, and make some good contacts in the industry.
"Overall, just make sure that your press kit is clean, neat, and pro-looking is very important," says Dante Dominick, managing editor of www.austin.com and former editor of Austin Music and Entertainment Magazine. "Photos should be crisp, not something that I can tell that your buddy took. In any case, sound clips are important, there's no purpose to a press kit if I can't hear what you sound like."
When compiling your personal kit, the most important thing is image. Try to emulate a stellar report that you put together in college or high school, and times that by 10. The cover should have your band name, logo, and any artwork that you may have which fits your band's style. If you have some trouble coming up with ideas, any local design company would be happy to assist you for a fee, which is by all means worth it. Try to find a press kit of the musicians that you like and mimic that. Many musicians have their press kit on their website. Press kits come in two forms -- mail-in or EPK (Electronic Press Kit). Both have pros and cons, but more info can be packed inside a mail-in, so make that your first choice.
"As far as mail-in press kits versus EPKs go, I think having something in my hands works better for me, and I'll spend more time on it, rather than an EPK," Dominick says. "Things like DVD's are probably not money spent wisely, sometimes less is more. One thing that I always throw away are the 8x10, old school standard publicity photos that everyone from actors to models use. Just include a photo on your bio, that 8x10 glossy is completely unnecessary."
"Following up on your contacts is ideal," says Laviolette. "Making initial contacts is easy, but if you don't follow up it doesn't amount to anything. Look at other band's press kits, you can get a good idea how to start from there."
The press kit should contain a hi-res photo inside a page-long bio, a CD with at least three tracks, all of your contact info and any press quotes you might have. If you want to really style it up, put in a few professionally designed business cards and a USB flash drive with your music on it. If you don't have press quotes, business cards, or a flash drive, it's no big deal, take that step when you get there. Make it a complete, suave, and easy-to-read package, and you'll have a professional press kit. For more information on making a press kit, visit this link.
Step 3: Market Yo Self (or: Make Them Open the Box)
Now that you have your press kit and business plan, market yourself! Find the mailing address for local music editors and send your kit off to them at least two weeks before you have a show or release an album. Go for online publications as well, review sites and indie music companies are a great way to start getting press quotes. Find all of the clubs you want to play at and mail your package to their booking agent. If their website has a phone number for booking, call that number first and talk to the agent, personal contact should always be the first option. Tell them what other musicians you sound like, and who you could play the bill with.
Step 4: Utilizing Other Tools
Though press kits and business plans are very effective, for a full-on marketing strategy you'll need online tools as well. Myspace and Facebook pages are free and expected, but an actual website shows that you are investing time and money into your product. Make sure that any website you have up is professionally designed, easy to navigate, and consistently updated. Get an email list that's accessible from all of your sites, and send emails out whenever you have news to share. An email list also comes in handy for starting up a street team, which is imperative for getting a good crowd in cities that you don't live in. Keep in mind that if you abuse your email list, you'll get marked as spam and thus become ineffective. Don't send out mass emails everyday, save them for show announcements and album releases. When you do have a show, call everybody and their entire family beforehand and tell them. What sells a booking agent on booking you again is the crowd that you draw in, above everything else.
When it comes to designing websites, press kits, or any other forms of media, focus on the art of simplicity.
"Functionality, it has to be intuitive and user friendly," says art director and web designer, Jim Darling. "You have to basically dumb down to the lowest common denominator in most cases. You can't take anything for granted, because people are stupid. Design down for dumb people, especially since there are no rules and things are changing all the time, people get confused."
Stay on top of other websites that might help promote your band. Pandora, Last Fm, and Youtube are all sites that help get your message out to an international crowd. Put some widgets on your personal sites so people can carry a piece of your marketing with them. Start a blog on your website or myspace page, update it weekly with important information regarding your band's status.
"Widgets are definitely beneficial for certain websites," Darling says. "I've done pages that are all widgets before."
Step 5: Don't Get Discouraged
If you market the hell out of a show and no one shows up, then market the next one harder. If you send out 500 press kits and don't get a response, send out 500 more. The press rarely takes the first bait, they want to see that you're an established band before they write about you, so keep them updated on your success. Fans can find 1,000 reasons not to go to a show (i.e. "It's raining," "I had a long day," "I'm broke," "My dog died"). If they are a fan, they'll come back eventually, just keep informing them. If you try all of this and nothing works, then maybe you should re-evaluate components of your music.