Why Your Attitude Stinks

This article originally appeared on the Internal Affairs blog.

I’ve noticed that a lot of marketing blogs completely forget to teach their readers the basics and jump straight in to the deep end with marketing. The readers look on bewildered, yet gagging for their marketing “quick fixes” - I know, I was (kind of) one of them when I was younger. 

Understanding the very basics of marketing will allow even the most inexperienced “musicpreneur” to take the most basic concepts and create a unique, creative and effective marketing campaign from them. Therefore, that’s why my goal at Internal Affairs is to introduce the very basics before anything else.  

Now, before we begin talking about the nitty-gritty side of marketing and the music business, you need to understand a few things about being an entrepreneur.

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5 Tips For Getting Featured On Beatport

So you have a new release and want it to be featured on Beatport. Well get ready, because there is a lot of competition. But the good news is that it can all happen with consistency and, of course, good music. We work very hard to help our clients get features each and every week. Here are some simple yet effective ways to increase your chances of being featured on the coveted site.

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Innovation, Our New Job As The Music Industry

I released my first music video, “Rocket to the Moon” today. As a new artist with a low starting fanbase I understood I wouldn’t be able to get much press write up for my music video unless I presented something never seen before. So that’s what I did, I created “The World’s First Portrait Music Video”, and the press followed. It is our new job as the Music Industry to lead innovation.

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The Ultimate Gig Booking Guide | Phosphene Productions

Booking regular shows is an essential part of being a musician when expecting to be heard by the public, and a question we here at Phosphene Productions get asked a lot about. Though everyone has their own technique when it comes to finding the perfect show, many artists new to the scene should devise a “template” to work by and to keep yourself organized when contacting so many different people.

Our goal in this article is to give you a sort of template to use when beginning to develop your own booking strategy, and by the end you should have all the necessary information to kick off your gig.

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How to Monetize Your Following PLUS win a free online store

Wondering how to take advantage of you fan base but stuck on where to begin? 

In this article;

- Easy way to sell band merchandise straight from you Facebook page.

- 3 lucky bands will win a fully set up online store.

Imagine the opportunity to offer your online followers the chance to buy band merch right from your Facebook page.  Galloree offers just that.

There are no minimum order quantities or ridiculous price minimums.  Types of merchandise offered ranges from Tee’s to Hoodies to Skateboards.

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New Start-Up Provides Independent Musicians and Labels with One-Stop Solutions

Happy Dog Music is one of a handful of marketing centered music start-ups that are a product of the seismic shift that has taken place in the music industry in the last ten years. Happy Dog Music crafts and implements custom marketing campaigns and provides any other ancillary support clients may need during the course of the agreement. Unlike the typical record label deal, Happy Dog Music clients retain 100% of all rights. Happy Dog Music provides major label support without all of the strings that come attached to a major record deal.

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How Bands Can Break Into New Markets

One way to grow your music’s reach is to break into new markets. This could be taken a number of ways: new geographical areas (cities, states, countries, etc.) or simply new audiences in general (by demographic, interest, psychographic, etc). Before you try and expand your reach through new markets, it’s important to take a few things into consideration:

• Return on Investment: What is the cost or effort required to break into this market? Is the return on investment worthwhile or would you be better off using those resources to grow an existing market?

• Goals: What kind of role will this market play in your S.M.A.R.T.E.R Goals?

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An Honest Review of the All-New Sonicbids EPK System

Today, I was checking out a Sonicbids EPK that was emailed to me. Much to my surprise, the layout for a Sonicbids artist profile completely changed – there was no quick bio, music player on top, or a useful set of links (press, stage plot, etc.). Instead, I found a Pinterest-like layout with navigational tiles. I thought it was just some lame option that the artist chose, but decided to check using my own band’s profile.

This is what I found:

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12 Angles to Get Your Music More Press

Getting more press is one of the most important parts of your music career. It helps your industry buzz, gets you better gigs, lands bigger sponsorship relationships, expands your audiences, and builds your music’s credibility. So how do you get more reviews or your work highlighted?

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7 Tips to Increase your Exposure and Potential

By now it’s apparent that there is a ton of music out there – over-saturation is a term you may hear often these days. For anyone getting involved with the music industry there is always a need for more exposure and promotion. If an artist or a record label has it, they will sell better, simple as that.

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What Bands Should Know About the Myspace Relaunch

If you haven’t received a notice or saw the posts, Myspace has relaunched with an all-new look. I found my email invitation in the spam folder. So what does this star-studded relaunch mean for musicians?

Probably nothing.

Myspace has tried multiple times to resurrect itself, though it was unsuccessful each time. We’ll see if Justin Timberlake and loads of money can make it work this time.

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Don’t Give Your Music Away Online – Ask for Something!

You can still make money from selling your music. It just takes more creativity nowadays.

Believe it or not, you can still make money from your music. It just takes a little more creativity then it used to. We’ve dug deep and what follows are our best ideas.

Before you begin raking in the dough, you need a couple of things first. One is your own website. Why? Because you have no control over those aggregators like ReverbNation, BandCamp, CDbaby, etc. Now we like BandCamp and believe it’s the best aggregator, but it’s not your home-base. The thing is,what happens to someone who might really dig one of your songs, but then gets side-tracked by another band on BandCamp? You’ve probably lost them forever. You won’t lose them in the awesomeness of your musical home! I’m a huge proponent of WordPress.org – some of the most usable sites on the web are run by WordPress.org.

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Digital Hustle: 3 Ways To Dominate the Internet with Your Music

There is a huge demand for the unsigned artist to learn how to properly get their music to these new outlets. Here are 3 functions DIY need to know: music business management, public relations, & social media management.

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How to Work With Music Industry Contacts

It’s no secret that often in the world music, it’s more about “who you know” than what you know. The industry generally favors pre-existing relationships, whether you are looking for a venue, a sponsor, a review on your new album, or a slot at SXSW. Like it or not, networking can make or break an act.

Focus on taking a few steps closer to your goal by working on your contacts a few minutes each day. Here are some of my favorite tips on networking:

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