Your Music Website

Let's have a look of your situation then... maybe you are a great singer or you have a small band or even your own label. You have big ideas but only a tiny budget. Your father doesn't own a record company and your mother isn't a Hollywood actress so your network is confined to the local press writers and groupies.

Maybe you already have your own CD's and have made a few sales but you can't seem to find the time for promotion. The gigs you play bring in a little money but things don't seem to be getting anywhere. So how to progress?

One very realistic option is to exploit the potential of the internet. Of course, the internet has often been cited as the answer to everything, but in this case, it really can provide impressive results. And this is the key: it's a cheap and it's quick.

The music industry is changing, has changed. We are in serious transition now. The discontent amongst music buyers has created a gap which the internet can adequately fill.

The internet music market is real. A survey by Georgia Tech found 41% of all internet users have purchased music from the web. Forrester predicted a market volume of $76 million USD for digital music downloads in 2003, rising to $541 million USD in 2005 and continuing to reach $2 billion USD in 2007.

The statistics suggest there is a genuine market for legal, modestly priced music.

The internet is a perfect platform for marketing your music. Promotions, press releases and
positioning are cheaper here than in the real world. Your audience is already here. The web
(along with sites like pitchforkmedia) has become the first point of reference for music news and as we all know, it is a popular resource for downloading music.

The internet's function as a communication medium gives you a direct line to your listeners, peers and even your critics. Email is the perfect mechanism for keeping in touch with fanclubs and sending newsletters and it's cheap.

That doesn't mean if you start a music website today and get busy selling music downloads online that you'll be able to give up the day job immediately! However, the internet can provide a lot of things you need to promote yourself as a musical artist.

This is what a music website could do for you:

1. Provide news to your fans when your latest CD is ready, read it here!

2. List gigs or concert dates (and any changes)

3. Sell your songs as music downloads to fans all over the world

4. Provide press information

5. Publish interviews, photos and biographies

6. Provide a communication center for dialogue with fans and other bands

7. Act as a "calling card" for getting new bookings or attracting the attention of major labels, getting contracts for incidental music etc.

A website can represent your music in multimedia much better than print or radio, and it is much cheaper than TV. And you can sell your songs as music downloads anywhere in the world! Consider the comparatively low start up costs (for example, the 1-2-3 Music Store script lets you set up a complete "shop" and costs only $168 for a label license and only $68 for an individual or band).

Music downloads are emerging as a serious alternative to the CD. In an age where most modern
kids burn their own CDs, it makes sense to adjust your strategy accordingly. Selling songs as moderately priced downloads means you have no production costs. It means you don't need a record deal and you are free to do what you want with your music. Package a CD cover along with the songs and your fans can burn the CDs themselves.

Buying music downloads is potentially a more satisfying buying experience than traditional music shops. It provides instant satisfaction for consumers when they discover, download and play your songs immediately.

The internet is an amazingly flexible format. Theoretically, you could record a live show, encode and upload it later that evening so that the entire show would be available for sale the next day. Fans would love to have this as a reminder of a great concert. Better than a T-shirt!

Seriously consider setting up your own music website and selling your music online. A music website is often the first port of call for people - fans, label managers and A&R to check you out. It makes good sense for you, as an unsigned artist to have one.

Your Bands Electronic Press Kit

Freaky Creatures Press Kit (Photo credit: Brandy Shaul)

The main goal in creating a press kit is to generate interest in an artist and the music they play. A press kit includes background information, photos, samples of music, a listing of past and future gigs you have scheduled, and any other pertinent information.

A press kit is used as a way of introducing and artist to newspapers, the media, promoters, and music industry leaders. You can create a press kit that is mailed to the appropriate recipients and it is a good idea to have an electronic form of your press kit that can be emailed and posted on web sites.

Things to include in your press kit:

Offer a limited a mount of information about yourself, your band, and your style of music. Don't give the reader more information than they want. If your introduction is too lengthy, you will lose the interest of your intended audience.

Talk about your music, the way in which you perform your songs, your sound, and who your influences are. You will want to give a good idea of what you may sound like in these descriptions. Do not be afraid to interject a little humor into your descriptions. You will get someone's attention during the very first minute they open your press kit. If you do not captivate them immediately, they will lose interest.

Describe the things that make you special in comparison to everyone else. What are your skills and experience level? Why would a record promoter or executive gain by giving you a chance to record and market your music? Record companies spend a great deal of money in promoting new artists. You will want to make it clear why you would be a good investment.

Include press clippings and quotes as they become available. A remark made about you by a reputable person will go a long way in making your press kit credible. This will let the reader know that you have been recognized as a talent to be reckoned with and could possibly create extra momentum for you while you are trying to launch your career. Whether you are in need of a singer, musician, or actor press kit, recognition from others is a great tool in promoting yourself.

You really only need one page of your press kit to be devoted to a biography and one page that includes quotes and press clippings. This rule stands even in an online portfolio. By keeping each topic on a simple page, you are much more likely to hold the interest of the person who receives your press kit. Make sure the tone of your band press kit is in line with who you are as a person and the type of music you perform.

A sample of your music in the form of a high quality CD or clips that can be heard in an electronic press kit are critical. Make certain you label the CD with your name and contact information. If someone loves your music but has misplaced the rest of your press kit, you will want this information to readily available to them.

Be careful not to overdo the self-promotion. You should be positive and state your ambitions, but shameless self-promotion will make you look unprofessional and less than credible. Also avoid including too much personal information. No one cares (yet) about your first pet, your grades in elementary school, or your personal phobias. Keep the focus on your music and your accomplishments. You want to be sure you do not look desperate for work, even if you really are.

Include a personal cover letter to whomever you send your press kit to, and try to avoid sending your musician press kit unsolicited. It is always better to have a referral from a friend or associate of the person you wish to see your material.

Related articles

• How to Write an Artist Biography: A Bio Made Simple (platinumvoicepr.me)
• Managing the Media: Six Steps to Ensure a Successful Event (prnewsonline.com)
• Booking Your First Gig (indirok.blogspot.com)

Music On The Internet

It's clear that on the internet the artist has freedom, and it's also clear that the listener can listen to music whenever they want - exactly as you can do in the real world, putting the content onto a CD.

Now I'm not saying that the internet is a waste of time. It's a very important tool and as Marcelo Abud, publicist, composer and writer of the article "Liberty and Independence" said:

- "Everywhere, the artists that learn to administer, divulge and distribute their own work are being listened to more and more."

Repeat, ", the artists that learn to administer...".

The internet is an important tool just like any other, but it needs to be used in conjunction with other tools. It's at this point that a lot of bands and artists fail. They think that one tool is enough! It's not true.

Companies like Trama Virtual also say that their services are important, of course, they are talking about themselves. If you ask Trama Virtual where the biggest source of income comes from on their site, they will say it comes from advertising and not from the sale of online music. In monetary terms the artist receives almost nothing for their investments.

Let's look at some data.

Without taking away merit from the good intentions of Trama, its' site has 8731 pages of musical archives totalizing 96080 MP3's sent by 38390 artists.
Just for highlighted bands there are 97 pages, 20 archives per page, or in other words, 1840 highlights. How can anybody feel highlighted amongst 1840? And those bands and artists that are not highlighted? Where do they end up?
Many times successful bands on this type of site are supported by the site owners in the real world to:

Earn money for the company, just like any band in the real world.
Do the marketing for the company with the artist saying that they were discovered on that site and in a short space of time became a success,
insinuating that just their presence on that site was the principal motive for their success.
The reality is that each band and artist needs to follow a direction to earn their success.

John Paterson, ex CEO of the site voxpop.co.uk (the site folded), said in an interview:

- "You can't earn a living selling MP3's.".

He continued saying that even though his site had been receiving a lot of visitors, very few would buy music online, preferring to just listen to the free stuff.

- "A long way from threatening the musical industry and major recording companies, online music still depends on them to survive. Everything that I hated in the music industry is true. 90% is marketing and media. The public don't want to decide for themselves, the people need their friends and the media to say that something is good. Few people would buy a song which they have just heard by an unknown band ".

People buy what they already know, the majority of the time through conventional media..

Promotion of bands and their sites on the internet in the real world through printed press and their live presentations will still be vital for the success of internet marketing for the future.

Research group Forrester published a report saying that the legal downloads market took just 4% share in the music market during 2005 in the United States, a long way short of the CD share in the same market.

- "The internet will not sell music," - declared Neil Cooper, manager of the band Stumble, which is distributing its' music at the site of http://www.peoplesound.com.

- "It's just a means of distribution. You wouldn't just go into a CD shop in the real world and just by looking at the CD cover think: - That should be good, I'll buy it ".

The band owes part of their success to intensive coverage of mass media. The secret is to contract a specialist to deliver your music to conventional radio stations and convince the presenters to publicize the address of the bands' site.

Cooper said:

- "Some bands could put their music on these sites and think that it's sufficient, that it's just a case of waiting. But it's like putting your CD in a shop and ot publicizing the fact that it's there."

The recording companies in the real world only select those artists that they think will make money. That's no secret. By the way, this upsets many musicians, especially those who were not selected!

The recording companies make sure that the bands have a good "look", are professional and have a good recording to be sold.

The problem with the internet is that it doesn't have these demanding filters, nobody judges if a song is worth distributing or not, or that the band will manage to make a polished performance onstage (at least two hours of material) to offer a complete entertainment package which the consumer is looking for. Some bands can have a nice photo and well written release, just to waste the time it takes to download the archive, of the visitor because the quality of the recording or the music is terrible!

Nobody is supervising the quality of the recording, nor the production except the musicians who did the work, and the quality is fundamental for the end user.

With so many bands appearing in these types of site, which bands will be more successful? Those that are promoted. It's as simple as that.

The major recording companies, as any well structured company, have a good reserve of resources in liquid funds and physical properties.

It's the smaller independents that can't stand the backlash of a flop in the market, because their profit margins are smaller and cash flow is a lot more restricted, with less money to be spent on marketing and promotion.

Concluding, a site on the internet is important, as in any other marketing action.

It's important to have YOUR site on the internet and only use these sites, like Trama or MySpace as an opportunity to put a link or a gateway to YOUR site.

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Lend me your ears

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Is Music Changing Us?

For a number of years the music industry has seen record sales plummet with access to free music all over the internet. People will often sample a song online but move onto another before it finishes as the possibilities of what to look up are almost endless. With the internet having impacted everything now-a-days to become more fast paced with little tolerance for patience, perhaps the internet has made that impact on music as well. When an iPod is filled with hundreds of songs and set to shuffle often times people will shuffle to a new song before the one that's playing has even finished. The cost and time to acquire the songs was virtually nothing so the desire to let a song play out all the way becomes less desirable frankly.

This attitude of impatience has in some ways left its mark on the music industry as a whole, as the music itself becomes less valid to a recording artist. There needs to be an eye catching event or controversy to promote themselves online for the population to look into and only then take an interest in hearing the music. Not to single out these specific artists but in many cases rappers will try and develop a following by trashing a fellow rapper's material and calling them out for some kind of big clash. Fights begin verbally and physically, feuds develop, a reputation is made, and only then is the rapper's actual recordings brought up to hear. This may in some cases lead to artists not putting a full effort into their music instead focusing on a big PR stunt to add a controversy to their name and let the music be a secondary aspect.

Sometimes certain groups or styles of music can just become outdated or a different lineup for a band is not able to bring as solid a performance as a previous incarnation could; as a result, music itself is not as important as keeping up a certain band label and in the end the music suffers for it. A prime example of this is Guns n Roses or what passes for it today. The early albums that came out under the GnR label had a raw, hard sound that was to many people the launch of a strong, hard rock rebellion that helped reshape the music business; Rolling Stone magazine and other critics sited the band as revolutionary in ways the Rolling Stones were back in the '60s and '70s. But the feuding between the bandmates led to a split; Steven Adler the original drummer was fired due to a heroin addiction, Izzy Stradlin the rhythm guitarist and co-writer on some of the best songs quit the band as he was unhappy with Axl Rose. Slash and Axl had a huge meltdown that to this day is still unresolved, and Duff McKagan the bassist followed Slash's exit. Since then all these artists have gone their separate ways shattering what was one of the best sounds in modern music. Axl is the only remaining member of GnR and his attempts to maintain the label have been nowhere near capable of putting out music that was the trademark of the old GnR. He continues his feuds with his former bandmates, other bands, and causes many PR stunts at his shows to try and keep up an image but the music itself fails to grab attention and be solidified. The music is forgotten about because it doesn't seem worth the effort of listening to; the only reason the label is still in the media is because Axl's ego refuses to let it go.

Other times there are artists who are the children of successful artists, and try and use mommy or daddy's name in the industry as leverage to promote themselves for similar validation. An example of this is Kelly Osbourne who granted, has basically given up after making her initial attempt to use daddy's name for her own promotion. Another is Will Smith's children particularly his youngest daughter with her single that basically is one line repeated again and again. These attempts to use the parents' success falls flat and adds more questions as to what is happening in the music industry today. There's no question that Ozzy Osbourne and Will Smith each are two of the most successful artists in music, their contributions to the industry will live on long after they're dead. But their children's attempts to leech, to put it bluntly, off the success of their parents raises the questions as to what record companies are signing onto. Is talent no longer a requirement, just a name and bottomless pockets?

One positive aspect in the music industry today is artists are in larger numbers writing music that caters to protests against government and big business who choose to ignore issues around the world that need a voice to stand out and be heard. Key modern examples today are Rise Against and Anti-Flag, two bands that have made it their trademark to stand against government, particularly right wingers, and call out big business on their morally and sometimes legally ambiguous actions. Modern technology may have impacted the patience of music lovers to listen to music all the way through; but it has also led people en masse to become more aware of social, environmental, and political issues around the world. Artists catering their music as a voice to the 'waking up' of global civilization in regards to these issues has served to reignite a flame in the music industry; with deep poetically blunt lyrics mixed with an angry, raw sound demanding better of executives higher up, Rise Against and Anti Flag along with many other artists have gathered massive followings of people who share these opinions and hear the sounds of their thoughts echoed in the music they love.

So the music industry has its ups and downs, what business doesn't eh? The problem is there are far too many downs these days and the music itself is suffering for it. Some of the best music has a message to it that the artists writing it are keenly passionate about, this passion is what's needed to maintain good music. Lyrics don't necessarily need to be poetic or even protesting, but there should be some point to what's being written about. Together with a solid sound music is able to at times make people relaxed, make people think, make people be focused, make people want to better themselves. Music is very powerful and rightly deserves its power but only when used properly.

Music Promotion

Every musician starts off as an independent artist whether they care to admit this or not. Unless they have a truckload of cash behind them, independent musicians have had very limited control over the release of their material and any balanced financial playing field.

Keen to have their music made available to the widest possible audience they 'climb aboard' the major distributors without giving much thought to alternative options.

Before we knew it & without realising it, independent musicians were (& still are) giving away of unfathomable amounts of music at the request of various parties who would profit from this. As if this wasn't enough, the very same musicians were (& again, still are) having to pay outrageous amounts to have their music distributed.

To go even one step further, the independent artist has virtually NO say in the way their material is promoted. Why is this? Because an independent artist won't make the large corporations money. You pay your subscription & your latest work virtually vanishes.

When the internet began, the floodgates were open to all and sundry as people have access to so much music and are willing to pay through the teeth for it in droves. Music marketing became so 'in your face' and one-sided that it made me feel ill. It still does.Seeing the same names, images and song titles at every turn has, to a large extent, numbed people to it all.

As you read on you will slowly piece together your very own formula to making your music a more than viable financial commodity.

You have all the equipment, you have the ability, so name me one thing that can stop you? Nothing.

Many independent musicians, particularly newcomers, feel that they're not up to the challenge. Perhaps it's because they don't feel that their singing voice is so good or that they could be better on a particular instrument. Okay, let's say they're right! Bet you haven't heard that before.

Let's say you're singing voice doesn't have a wide range. It doesn't HAVE to. Find the range that suits your voice & stick to it. THAT is you brand. You're not as competent as you'd like to be on a particular instrument. Okay, play what you are comfortable with & what sounds good....that is your brand. Get the picture? If you apply this philosophy to your music in general you will soon find people commenting that they 'recognise' your music. Take this as a HUGE compliment.

The thought of having your music listened to by all & sundry has been known to overwhelm some musicians, sometimes to the point of inaction. Whilst this is a perfectly normal & understandable response, it is at EXACTLY this time when your best work can come to the fore. It's such a basic mindset that you'll kick yourself when I tell you. ALL that you read on the internet is how daunting it is. With no-one saying otherwise, why should you think any different?

• They don't WANT you to be confident from the outset! What various organisations want is a pliable & submissive musician. A musician who will pay for upgrades on their site when they are 'kindly offered.' If a musician appears to be confident enough in themselves to go it alone, they are of no use to the organisation.

• Sick of being told how better you 'could' sound? When you first enter the realm of online music, even the most competent musicians can be somewhat awestruck by what's on offer. I know I was. The key element here is the "what's on offer" part. There are CD duplication services, cover design services, CD cases, mastering services, new software, songwriting competitions, song competitions and so forth. ALL of these items, which are plugged as being necessary come at grossly overinflated prices & with the exception of mastering services, NOT ONE of them improve your music. The only thing that will improve your music is YOU. Whether it be in the form of a new set of guitar strings, singing lessons, being more patient at the mixing desk.

• Do your thing! Be ever vigilant not to fall into the trap of being over critical of your work. By doing this, you are falling into the traps laid by the online music organisations who want to make money from you & WANT you to think that you need their paid services. When you're in the studio or wherever it is you record always bare in mind that this is YOUR domain. If you make a mistake (& you WILL make countless), you are the only one to know. You now have the ULTIMATE OPPORTUNITY to experiment & be creative, discovering sounds, combinations & techniques that you never thought possible.

• THIS IS ALL FREE!!! I haven't told you anything in this chapter that you isn't already taking place with regard to the relaxed intimacy & creative freedom involved in the creation of music for online distribution. Stage-fright doesn't exist in the studio. Neither does cost. Of the online music sites that you have dealt with, how many have said what I have just said WITHOUT mentioning the cost that THEY seek from you time after time?

• You don't need them! With careful & ENJOYABLE planning at YOUR OWN PACE it is possible to create a highly marketable online presence with your music. I deliberately capitalised 'ENJOYABLE' & 'YOUR OWN PACE' as you rarely see these words on the pages of major sites. They tend to focus on 'buy now' & 'hard work,' etc. I don't care what anyone says, but NOTHING has to be 'bought now,' in fact this book will show you that nothing has to be bought AT ALL. If you are ever feeling that creating & promoting your music is 'hard work,' you can take a break at ANY TIME. The big-guns don't tell you that either. It's no crime to take a break, in fact I think it's an art-form in itself knowing WHEN to. It's natural that you will be keen to 'socialise' when you first enter the online music industry....& you should. It is important, however, to bare in mind that you are only going to get BUSIER. Make the most of this time. It is an EXCELLENT opportunity to set your own benchmark.

• Create your own stamp. They say first impressions go along way. This is never more true than in the online music industry. Generally speaking the first image, song & bio. line of an artist will remain with you for years. Following on from this mail will soon be coming & going between you & fellow musicians. This initial flurry of activity WILL stay with you for many years. The impression that you leave on THEM as a newcomer will last likewise.

Related articles

• Online Music Streaming (liveandloudrock.wordpress.com)
• Website Music Player Shows Artists How to Sell Music Online by Tapping Into Social Networking Traffic (prweb.com)
• Calling Indie Musicians... WANDUTA Launches - New Online Resource Dedicated To Helping Independent Musicians (prweb.com)
• Google Music vs Amazon MP3 vs iTunes: Which Online Music Store is the Best for You? [Music Stores] (lifehacker.com)

Make Your Website Pay

Following on from a recent blog on establishing your bands website, it's now time  to get your music site rolling by understanding the machinations of your music website.


Let's say you are a great singer or you have a small band or even your own label. You have big ideas but only a tiny budget. Your father doesn't own a record company, like Sony BMG and your mother isn't a Hollywood actress like Nicole Kidman, so your network is confined to the local press writers and groupies.

Maybe you already have your own CD's and have made a few sales but you can't seem to find the time for promotion. The gigs you play bring in a little money but things don't seem to be getting anywhere. So how to progress?

One very realistic option is to exploit the potential of the internet with your band website. Of course, the internet has often been cited as the answer to everything, but in this case, it really can provide impressive results. And this is the key: it's a cheap and it's quick. It can even be free if your band is its embryonic phase.

The music industry is changing. We are in serious transition now. The discontent amongst music buyers has created a gap which the internet can adequately fill.

The internet music market is real. A survey by Georgia Tech found 41% of all internet users have purchased music from the web. Forrester predicted a market volume of $76 million USD for digital music downloads in 2003, rising to $541 million USD in 2005 and continuing to reach $2 billion USD in 2007.

The statistics suggest there is a genuine market for legal, modestly priced music.

The internet is a perfect platform for marketing your band website. Promotions, press releases and positioning are cheaper here than in the real world. Your audience is already here.

The internet's function as a communication medium gives you a direct line to your listeners, peers and even your critics. Email is the perfect mechanism for keeping in touch with fanclubs and sending newsletters and it's cheap.

That doesn't mean if you start a music website today and get busy selling music downloads online that you'll be able to give up the day job immediately! However, the internet can provide a lot of things you need to promote yourself as a musical artist.

This is what your music website will do for you:

1. Provide news to your fans when your latest CD is ready, read it here!

2. List gigs or concert dates (and any changes)

3. Sell your songs as music downloads to fans all over the world

4. Provide press information

5. Publish interviews, photos and biographies

6. Provide a communication center for dialogue with fans and other bands

7. Act as a "calling card" for getting new bookings or attracting the attention of major labels, getting contracts for incidental music etc.

A website can represent your music in multimedia, such as YouTube....much better than print or radio, and it is much cheaper than TV. And you can sell your songs as music downloads anywhere in the world!

mp3 downloads are emerging as a serious alternative to the CD. In an age where most modern kids burn their own CDs, it makes sense to adjust your strategy accordingly. Selling songs as moderately priced downloads means you have no production costs. You can even treat members of your band website with free mp3 downloads. It means you don't need a record deal and you are free to do what you want with your music. Package a CD cover along with the songs and your fans can burn the CDs themselves.

Buying mp3 downloads is potentially a more satisfying buying experience than traditional music shops. It provides instant satisfaction for consumers when they discover, download and play your songs immediately.

The internet is an amazingly flexible format. Theoretically, you could record a live show, encode and upload it later that evening so that the entire show would be available for sale the next day. Fans would love to have this as a reminder of a great concert. Better than a T-shirt!

Treat your music website seriously. Your music website is often the first port of call for people - fans, label managers and A&R to check you out. It makes good sense for you, as an unsigned artist to have one.