Get Free Online Promotion From Your Very Own Digital Street Team

The street team of the past hasn’t changed all that much, only the street they’re working on. Instead of physical flyers they’re sharing and tweeting tour posters, instead of leaflets they’re sharing your Facebook,Twitter and Youtube pages.

The digital street team has more weight behind it than the old model of actually going out and speaking to people. They hold the ears of the 500 or so friends on Facebook plus the number of people following them on Twitter. That is more people than you’d ever reach on a hundred rainy Saturdays standing in the high street. Not only that but your digital street team get more than one chance to influence these people.

Click to read more ...

7 Music Marketing Truths ALL Musicians Should Know

Ever wondered why some super talented musicians don’t get the fanbase and recognition they ‘deserve’, while other not as talented musicians get a lot more exposure and seen in all the right places? Well while there could be a number of different reasons for this, one of the most common is that successful person’s ability to handle the business side of the music industry. More specifically, they probably know how to market themselves well.

Click to read more ...

Beginners Guide To Using Soundcloud

Soundcloud is a free to use website for uploading audio, and all you need to start is your email address or the usual Facebook/Google sign in information. I’ve noticed using a separate email is easier for bands and producers than your personal Facebook account, but if you are just using Soundcloud to listen to music and maybe upload some amatuer things for your friends, then Facebook or Google could be the way to go.

Click to read more ...

8 Effective Ways to Better Promote Your Next Release

There have been a whole bunch of revolutions lately. One of the ones I’m most excited about is the revolution in the area of recording gear and software. I think it’s really incredible how just in the past few years tools have evolved to the point where people like you and I can get REALLY great recordings on our own, in our own homes.

I think a lot of people are aware of this particular revolution and are really jumping on board, which is awesome! But there’s another revolution I want to talk about today that I think a lot of people are missing… and that’s the promotion revolution! Just like in the recording arena, there are tools that are now available to normal people like you and me that we can use to really effectively promote our music.

Click to read more ...

How To Make A Music Website Like Ed Sheeran, Case Study Part 1

Hey guys, today I’m going to show you how to make a top music website which will allow you to better turn visitors into fans, capture their details for future contact, and effectively make more money from your music career. I’ve already show you how to set your site up from scratch, so I won’t be talking about that again (use that guide if you haven’t already got a music website). What I didn’t cover in that guide however, is how to structure your site to make the most of your visitors.

Click to read more ...

MusicThinkTank.com Weekly Recap: How To Make It In The Music Industry - 4 Key Factors

• Shaun Letang | How To Make It In The Music Industry – 4 Key Factors

• Mackenzie Carlin | Fonts and Branding | How Typography Affects Your Identity In The Music Industry

Fonts and Branding: How Typography Affects Your Identity in the Music Industry

Typography plays a key psychological role in how people view your music. If you want to attract new fans and retain loyal ones, it’s important to consider your visual representation in print, online and everywhere in between. A picture says a thousand words, but people spend an extraordinary amount of time reading text.

A particular type of font can invoke a wide range of perceptions and emotions, ultimately creating an image of that particular artist. For example, handmade typography and decorative fonts help musical artists stand out from others and invoke a more personal, intimate image. Meanwhile, sans serif fonts, such as Helvetica, are essential for clean visual identities that rely on expert use of white space and simplistic styling elements.

Click to read more ...

MusicThinkTank.com Weekly Recap: Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Your Music Career

• Shaun Letang  | Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals for Your Music Career

• Mark Knight | The Challenges Facing Musicians in 2013 – A Free Research Report

• Sari Delmar | Toronto Gets a Music City Twin – What Does It All Mean?

The Challenges Facing Musicians In 2013. Free Research Report.

Back in June Right Chord Music launched The Big Survey in association with Farida Guitars.  Our aim was to better understand the realities of being a musician in 2013. The online survey was completed by 200 musicians, of which three-quarters were unsigned or independent. Two-thirds of the respondents reported they had released at least one single.  The vast majority of respondents came from three countries: UK, Australia, and the USA.

Results highlight the increasing number of sites and services used by artists to promote their music. It’s no surprise that Facebook dominates, but it’s interesting to see the growing importance of Soundcloud and Bandcamp and the much heralded fall from grace of Myspace.

Click to read more ...

10 Great Tips For Home & DIY Recordings

1. Start with some good gear A good microphone coupled with a good audio interface is the very foundation of a good recording. You don’t need a $1000 mic, but a decent microphone will do the job. The audio interface needs to have clear preamps and introduce minimal noise in the recordings. Your recording software needs to be good, so that there are no latency issues. Take some time to know your gear well before starting to record.

Click to read more ...

Cut Through the Noise: 3 Simple And Effective Ways for Musicians to Get Noticed

Smart musicians know that their career depends on building a loyal relationship with as many fans as possible. But before you can start to build that relationship, you have to get people’s attention…

So how do you cut through the noise?

Well, here’s a simple rule: What stands out gets remembered and talked about. What blends in gets forgotten - or worse - goes unnoticed.

Click to read more ...

The Rise of the Musicpreneur (Part 3/3)

Written by Tommy Darker.

This is the last part of the 3-part series about the Musicpreneur. A link to the complete essay with all the parts and extra resources can be found at the end of the article.

III For the future

Somebody could say that we’re done. That the list is full. Almost.

The present is not all that counts; unless it points to something bigger in the future.

The past years I was working for NATO as an international military policeman. Last summer I decided to quit my job after 7 years of solid and educational experiences. All that because of my love for music.

During my transitional window to a full-time music devotee (active musician and marketing experimenter), I had a lot of time to dedicate and strong appetite to devour books that contained information outside the scope of the Music Industry, but indirectly connected with it.

And then it hit me.

Click to read more ...

The Music Marketing Manifesto. Ten Principles For Success

1. Write, record and play high quality music

It seems like an obvious thing to say, but everything starts & ends with the music. If the songs are poor, the recording is bad, and the live show is dull don’t expect to make a living from music.

2. Continue to only deal in high quality

Some of the best new bands and artists are let down by terrible videos, bad photography and shocking design. Yes it is fickle, but judging a book by it’s cover is a reality. When you are choosing which artist to review, book, or even sign you are invariably drawn to the most attractive presentation. So why not increase your chances of being heard? Remember, you can have the best music in the world but if nobody listens ,you get nowhere.

Click to read more ...

How Stuff Spreads – Gangnam Style vs. Harlem Shake

In a new study looking at ‘How Stuff Spreads’ Face has identified key components that make things go viral. Looking at the spread on Twitter of two global memes, Gangnam Style vs Harlem Shake, Face discovered eight common characteristics which it says led to them becoming viral phenomena, generating thousands of spin-off versions and billions of views.

The eight common characteristics are:

1. Bursts and Rises: There are 2 models of virality.

The Burstmodel is bottom-up:the variations are more powerful then the original seed and there’s no clear leadership or narrative. The meme relies on community relevance to spread.

Click to read more ...