Does The Music Industry Need Publicists When We Can Go DIY?

With more bands and artists going DIY since the revolution of the Internet, is the role of PR and publicity really still needed? The Internet has had a huge impact on the music industry. Bands and artists are now able to reach their fans more easily than they ever could before. But does this mean they can also manage their own publicity? Although the Internet has brought many benefits for bands and artists, unfortunately, it has also increased the competition. Anyone nowadays can call themselves a band or artist, and with affordable recording software, anyone can make music and upload it onto YouTube or SoundCloud. There are a lot of artists out there all vying for people’s attention. The real issue is how a band or artist can make their music stand out amongst a mist of noise.

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Music, Marketing, Me

Music is one of the few things that comes quite naturally for me; I don’t know why I love it, but every day I wake up and know that I am excited to keep writing, recording and singing. It’s been that way for a while now. I spent most of my gangly, awkward childhood listening to my father’s old Led Zeppelin CDs, stumbling through piano lessons, and waiting until my family left the house so that I could practice shout-singing My Chemical Romance songs. Though my tastes have changed, music has always been at the center of my life.

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How To Get More Fans Through Social Media

This post was written by Jon Ostrow ​and originally appeared on the Bandzoogle Blog.​

Since the dawn of MySpace, musicians have been using social media marketing to generate buzz and get more fans.

And while this opportunity still exists today, the truth is that there are now more musicians, creating more content, than ever before.

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The 3 Audiences Your Band Website Needs To Impress

This post was written by Allison Sharpe and originally appeared on the Bandzoogle Blog. 

As a band or musician, your website is one of the most important tools you have. It sets you apart from all the rest and gives you your own little slice of the internet to show off your music.

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The New Artist Model Approach To Musician Websites

Your website is arguably the most important piece of your online presence - it’s the glue that holds everything together. But it can be so much more than just the place you sell your music.

Your website can be a powerful funnel that drives your fans towards more engagement and helps them up the ladder towards superfans. It’s the place where you can convert people from casual fans to paying customers. And it’s the place where you can start more direct conversations with your fans as you grow your email list.

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How To Successfully Promote Your Music

Before Facebook and the era of social media, it was estimated that the average person was exposed to some 2000 ads every day - billboards, television commercials, signs in grocery stores and storefronts, etc, etc.

Since then, that number has probably doubled. This makes promotion very tricky. How do you successfully promote your music when there is so much competition? Below are 6 things you must do to stand out in a sea of clutter, make a dent with your music, and continue to grow your fanbase.

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Protecting Yourself And Your Fans From Getting Hacked

In late 2015, music distributor TuneCore announced it was the target of a security breach that ultimately compromised some of its customers’ personal information. Fortunately, no music files were compromised. But TuneCore admitted names, email addresses, passwords, and mailing addresses were exposed.

You may think that would never happen to your music business, and breathe a sigh of relief that your own system doesn’t store customers’ financial info. But TuneCore customers had their mailing address, bank addresses and last four digits of their credit cards on file. It’s really not that difficult to take the leap and connect that information in order to make fraudulent purchases and steal someone’s financial identity.

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Yeah, Only 13 Year Old Girls Like That Band

I am a muscian who recently read this article on The Guardian about musicians who scoff at their young female fans.  Even before reading it, though, I’ve heard many people elude to it: musicians having young female fans takes away some sort of credibility.  I even accepted this to be true as a teen girl myself, while listening to a song on repeat for hours, obsessing over every word and its possible meaning, and becoming entwined with the music and personal life of the artist.  It seemed that any musician on a poster in my room instantly and undoubtedly became laughable.  

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How To Get All The Benefits From SXSW Without Actually Going

It’s almost that time again - that time of year when every band and singer worth their salt makes that annual pilgrimage to Mecca (Austin) for the week-long SXSW festival. A week of no sleep, watered-down drinks, bad food, unrewarding performances and the heartbreak of the ultimate realization that it wasn’t really worth it. Never have so many spent so much time and money for so little notoriety and reward. 

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Why The Live Show Experience Is So Important In Laying Down The Proper Foundation For The Independent Artist

Setting the proper foundation for your career in any business is very crucial in setting yourself up for success.  When it comes to building your career as an independent artist building and setting the proper foundation is equally important. There are so many things that you  should make sure is in order to make sure that this is properly executed.   

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6 Different Ways To Book A Tour Date (Even In Cities You've Never Been To)

How would things change if you could book great gigs in great cities everywhere?

If you could snatch up better venues in less time?

And if you could curse a lot less while doing it?

It’s possible.  I’ll show you 6 ways that any independent artist can use.

But first let me tell you a little about 23 year old Brandon (me) and how he (I) learned an important lesson in efficiency and humility.

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5 Creative Ways To Keep The Buzz Going After Your Show

In my last post, I discussed five creative ways to build buzz before a show. For this edition, we’re focusing on ways to maintain momentum after a gig.

Any music fan knows about the high you get after seeing a killer show. That feeling makes you want to listen to the band even more, purchase merchandise, and vow to see them perform again. Artists shouldn’t let these moments pass them by, as this is one of the best opportunities to connect with your fans (new and seasoned) face to face. 

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Are You Getting The Most From Your Current Fans?

It’s deliciously tempting to ignore everything and obsess about getting more fans. 
 
It’s natural to want more fans.  It’s not even a bad thing.
 
But what if you aren’t getting the most out of your current fans?  Is getting more fans going help?
 
It’s easy to think that more is the answer.  We do a simple math equation…

• More fans = more people to sell to
• More fans = more people to fill a venue (and venue owners like that)

But adding more fans isn’t always the answer.  

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Moving Toward A “Lonely” Music Mindset: “No Pop”?

Does any single person, single group, single field of recreation or study, ever truly know when it is in the midst of a genuine “new movement?” If yes, beyond basic awareness, do any of the aforementioned ever have the ability to truly take advantage of any massive changes – to their fullest potential – whilst said changes are occurring?

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