How Can MySpace Help In Your Music Promotion Efforts?
February 19, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Ok first of all, remember that MySpace will not make you a multi-platinum selling rockstar. Also keep in mind that MySpace is just ONE of the methods you can use to promote your music.
First, the history lesson.
MySpace was started by 2 guys, Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe in 2003. Tom Anderson was in a rock band called Swank, but like most independent bands it was freking difficult for them to get anywhere. A few years later he met Chris, who was the vice president of a software company he was working for, and thus started MySpace.
This thing with MySpace is that unlike other friendship or “social networking” sites like Friendster (boring), it was meant right from the start as a place where bands can connect with their fans, and find new fans.
That’s why MySpace has 2 different profiles:
- Band profiles - you get to list your MP3s, events and more
- Member profiles - the basic profile
Here’s an important feature, quote from the MySpace Music Marketing Handbook:
What makes MySpace so different and interesting is that the site gives users a lot of free features and freedom to design and use their pages as they see fit - thing that were not available on may of the social networking sites. Musical artists can offer streams or downloads of four songs, list all of their upcoming gigs, post photos and videos, publish a blog, list sales links for their CDs and merchandise… all right from their MySpace profile.
MySpace has about 100 million registered users, so getting your music to people suddenly isn’t all that hard anymore. I think that music for generations have been marketed mainly from word-of-mouth advertising. If you liked a CD, you’ll tell your friend about it.
The difference is that when using MySpace, word-of-mouth advertising is only a mouse click away. What you need to do is to connect to your existing fans and friends on MySpace, and then slowly network you way to you friends’ group of friends as well.
Basically, the more fans and friends you have in your MySpace profile, the more exposure you music is gonna get.
How to Create Your Band Profile on MySpace
February 19, 2007 by Jo Minor · 2 Comments
If you want to list your band and create your band profile in MySpace, chances are if you’re not careful you’ll end up with a regular MySpace account.
Why? Because the default account is not a “MySpace Music” account..
Here’s what you need to do.
Go to the main page at www.MySpace.com and click on the link that says “Music” and you’l be taken to the MySpace Music page. The on the right side there will be a link for “Artist Signup”.
You’ll need to click on that link to create a band profile. If you accidentally created a normal member profile, I don’t think you can switch so just create a new one.
Owning The Copyrights to Your Music - Case Study of U2
February 16, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Every musician’s dream is to have control of all aspects of their music, including full copyrights on their songs.
But in reality, only a few bands manage to do this. Most bands either:
- Do not educate themselves about the music business and therefore get the weaker end of the deal, eating the scraps after the labels and publishing companies have had their share
- Simple do not last long enough, or become successful enough, to demand more from their music contracts
It doesn’t come as much suprise then, that my case study on owing copyrights is based on a band that has outlasted most other bands and achieved a scale of success people like me only dream of: U2
These are selected quotes taken from a Bloomberg Exclusive on Bono, and it really give you an idea of how much the world’s biggest band (arguably) know about the business side of their music, and how they set themselves up to mastering the music business.
“They’d have little scraps of paper with questions for me about the music business. Just basic things, like `What does copyright mean?’ or `How do records get into shops?’ or `Who decides what records get played on the radio?’ and `What do record contracts mean?” - Jackie Hayden
In 1984, as U2’s contract with Island was about to expire, the band gained ownership of the copyright of all of its songs as the price for signing a new contract with the label.
“Like most people, our early deals were strongly stacked in favor of the record company and the publishing company,” McGuinness says. “We were able to improve those deals over time because we were successful.”
Owning the copyright to the songs, all of which were written by the band, means U2 receives all of the royalty income whenever one of its songs is played.
The deal sets U2 apart from most rock and pop bands, including the Beatles, whose sound recordings are owned by EMI Group Plc. “U2’s copyright deal was what everybody in rock music wanted, and it was unusual for a newish young band to do it so early in their career,” Garfield says.
The key, however, is to be successful. Once you’ve achieved any level of success, you bring more authority to the bargaining table, and you have more influence on what you can and cannot do.
Don’t forget that U2 have been in the music business for 30 odd years now. This didn’t happen by being a one-hit-wonder.
Still, it’s not impossible to have this “ideal scenario” as the long-term goal of your band. You may want to check out The Guerilla Music Handbook for more information on surviving in the music business. You may also want to create a new account at the Music Insiders Club.
Why Your CDs Don’t Sell Like You Want Them To
February 13, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
This could be the reason your CD sales are lame:
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A few more of these stores, and you can just forget about indie music.
[it's fictional btw, just in case you're one of those that believe eveything they see]
Indie Rock and Roll by The Killers
February 12, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
The Killers perform “Indie Rock and Roll” live..
The song is actually called “Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll”, from their album Hot Fuss which also features their hit songs Mr Brightside and a couple of others.
Here’s what the lyrics say:
Glamorous
Indie rock’n'roll is what I need
It’s in my soul, it’s what I need
Indie rock’n'roll, it’s time
Two of us
Flipping through a thrift store magazine
She plays the drums, I’m on tambourine
Bet your, your bottom dollar on meIt’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
It’s all I need
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for meIn a clutch
I’m talking every word for all the boys
Electric girls with worn down toys
Make it up, break it up, what do you care
Oh what do you care?I take my twist with a shout
A coffee shop with a cause, then I’ll freak you out
No sex, no drugs, no life, no love
When it comes to todayStay if you wanna love me, stay
Oh don’t be shy, let’s cause a scene
Like lovers do on silver screens
Let’s make it yeah, we’ll cause a sceneIt’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
It’s all I need
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for meIn a clutch
I’m talking every word for all the boys
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
It’s all I need
Makin’ up, breakin’ up, what do you care
What do you care?
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for meTwo of us
Flipping through a thrift store magazine
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
It’s all I need
Makin’ up, breakin’ up, what do you care
What do you care?
It’s Indie rock’n'roll for me
Is it also Indie Rock and Roll for you? Leave a comment and let me know what you think..
The Definition of Indie Music
February 12, 2007 by Jo Minor · 1 Comment
Here’s a really interesting vid I picked up from YouTube, by Tim Rideout. Tim’s talking about the meaning of “Indie Music”:
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Here’s a few important points from the video:
- The classic definition of “Indie” would be that you’re paying for it, so you’re making the decisions
- If you say you’re “Indie” than you have to incorporate proactive values, otherwise you’re just misuisng the word
- Financial problems is the biggest obstacle for Indie bands, and the second is quality
- You don’t have to be an indie artists to have creative control over your music - even signed acts can have this
- It’s not about the music - it’s about how you present yourself
- It’s everything like running a business - it’s about marketing your music and managing your act professionally
- Don’t be too stuck to indie - if you get a chance of signing a record deal or making a lot of money - go for it!
- Don’t sneer at artists that make a lot of money. Instead, ask yourself what you can learn from them
The thing is, most bands get confused.
They think if they make money and get signed, then they’re selling out. At the same time, this is exactly what indie bands want to do - earn a living by playing music.
“Indie” is not about the music you play. It’s about being an independent artist cum entrepreneur.
It’s still all about the music..
MusiqBiz.com
February 11, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
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[via YouTube]
Found a video pitching music marketing services from MusiqBiz.com. So I checked them out but wasn’t quite impressed with what I saw.
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The website is just confusing
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Their blog is so new there’s no pots on it
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Forum is absolutely deserted
Maybe I should check back in 2 years. But I wonder what the video was for then? The site URL they’ve so boldly edited into it doesn’t even exist. I think they are a company selling T-shirts.
MySpace Marketing Handbook by Bob Baker
February 11, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
I bought Bob Baker’s guide to marketing your band of MySpace almost a month back, and I just had the time to look at it.
Well I got it printed out so that was a good start!
I got the ebook version, but hey you can also get the “real book” version if you want.
Overall the book is easy to read, so no worries to all you guys who didn’t complete high school.
Here’s what Bob talks about:
- An introduction to MySpace and why it’s an important part of marketing your band the indie way
- How to get started with your own MySpace account, which then goes into further details like:
- Creating a profile
- Uploading pictures
- Uploading your songs
- Tweaking the default MySpace settings
- Making it pretty (or ugly if that’s what you want)
- Promoting your new MySpace site
- Advanced MySpace marketing stuff, which includes:
- Adding friends, homies and groupies on MySpace
- Leaving comments and making friends
- Posting Myspace bulletins
- Classifieds, chats, blogs yada yada tech stuff on MySpace
- The Myspace survey, which is the most valuable part
- Over 30 indie music guys and gals share their thoughts on how to use Myspace to sell your music
- Resources list, with a boatload of useful sites you could also consider for promoting your band
The digital e-book version costs about $17, so dude you’ll definitely need to get this.
See: MySpace Music Marketing Handbook
MySpace Music Marketing Case Study
February 11, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Until last Friday, I was still the lead guitarist for a band called Superbar.
But I quit.
I was a founding member of the band, but after three years of having very slow progress, and the fact that I feel I know better than all the band members about how to make money as a musician, I decided to leave the band. When people stop listening to you, it’s best that you let them do what they want to do, and go separate ways.
But I’m staying on as their “Online Marketing Manager”, a post that I created for myself. Online marketing is something I know very well, heck I do it for a full time living. So I’d rather put all my energy into something from which I can feel some amount of closure and satisfaction.
It also holds a better career prospect for me.
My loyalty as an online music marketer is not to Superbar. I see it as a client-customer relationship, but I will be using them as a case study since I need something to build on, and test to see if I really know what I’m talking about.
I’ll be using the MySpace Marketing Handbook as my initial guide, and I’ll be exploring more in-depth strategies as I try to take Superbar’s existing band profile from mediocrisity to the highest level of success they can hope for, based on their music.
If you have a band, and you want some feedback or to be included in my cases studies, please feel free to contact me.
As for my own music career, I think it’s time to get a music re-education and find other stuff to explore. The past three years have almost completely killed my drive and creativity as a musician.
Out with the old, in with the new.
[Update 22 Feb 07: After a round of talks with my band, I decided to give it abother try]
The Future of Music?
February 10, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
My band member passed me a good article written by Kevin Kelly some time back, which I completely ignored at the time. I had to dig it out from the darkest corner of my bloated Gmail account.
The article’s main point was that music is so easily available today, that we may all suffer from “too much music”. There’s too many choices we need to make, so maybe the future of music is in finding, categorizing, recommending music to the individual.
It’s called “Where Music Will Be Coming From” and was written for the New York Times. Here are a few interesting possibilities:
* Songs are cheap; what’s expensive are the indexable, searchable, official lyrics.
* On auction sites, music lovers buy and sell active playlists, which arrange hundreds of songs in creative sequences. The lists are templates that reorder songs on your own disc.
* For bands that tour, giving away their music becomes a form of cheap advertising. The more free copies that are passed around, the more tickets they sell.
* Royalty-free stock music (like stock photography), available for any use, takes off with the invention of a great music search engine, which makes it possible to find music ‘’similar to this music” in mood, tempo and sound.
Far fetched? I guess only time will tell..
