Great Bandzoogle article w/ examples of how to contact music bloggers to ask them to cover your music.
Band PR 101: How to get covered by music blogs
http://bandzoogle.com/controlpanel/community.cfm?action=forum-showposts&topicid=19344&postid=80027
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tour Smart! (Martin Atkins) CD Baby Podcast NOTES
http://cdbabypodcast.com/?p=854
“Tour Smart and Break the Band” – Martin Atkins
Reasons to Tour:
Touring is instant feedback, a way to make you or your group grow. You can ask your friends and family which songs they like, but you REALLY need people that don’t know you to give you honest feedback.
You can video yourself and decide how to fine tune your act.
As a band/group, the ADVERSITY of touring brings you closer together, and that chemistry will hopefully translate to the music.
Bloggers, reviewers, etc., will pay more attention to touring groups, because they know they can go see the group in person, and can pass that info along.
You get to touch people (emotionally) – look people in the eye, bond with them through the music, talk to them after a show, etc.
You can sell merch more easily, which leaves a more permanent mark…and memorializes the experience for listeners. Packaging reinforces the image and MUSIC of the band.
Advice:
Mistake: Tour is too expansive (too far apart between gigs)
You can tour in a “flower Petal” pattern, a few days at a time…come back to your home base. Take it in baby steps, don’t do a 6-week tour.
If you don’t know anyone in a particular town, make friends with a couple bands in that area, say “I can play to a crowd of about 400 in Baltimore, you could do a show with me here if I can do a show with you there.”
Put up a free mixtape (bandcamp.com?) pay attention to who is downloading, set up a show in a place where a lot of people like you. Book a show in that area and email all the people. Don’t waste your time going somewhere where no one knows you or likes you. If people in Vancouver like you, go to Vancouver!
Five-pointed star inward pointed crush (on youtube) – strategy to play AROUND a difficult place to build a following before going and playing to NOone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xihQewYWH8k&feature=related
-Build up fanbase in surrounding areas of target city, collect email addresses, etc. If you don't have enough, do it again! Don't go to New York unless you're sure you'll do well.
Posting flyers etc. doesn’t mean anyone will come.
If you GET a good gig, be READY because if you say you can bring 150 and bring 50, you’ll never play there again. Strategize beforehand to prepare, tell them you can bring 100 people and bring 150! Be nice, be humble, and you will blow them away and they will think about you when they need a band in the future.
When looking for bandmates: MULTITASKERS: “bass player who can do decent video editing” “guitarist who can keep up with social media, write newsletter” “Drummer who can update website and make flyers” saavy with booking, will sell/package/ship/order merch etc… An OK player who can do 5 things will get further than an great player who doesn’t do anything.
Don’t be aimed at 20,000 people to fill a stadium and blow off the 2 potential fans who are asking for your autograph and build up slowly, and then do things to keep them interested! Give them new music, tons of albums, etc.! Give them a reason to keep in touch and keep coming back.
Use information like “insights” on youtube for what people like, and where they are, etc. Pay attention to info!
Tube Mobile (Mogul?) upload a video to 50 sites!
Any band can get to where they should be.
Run your own business. First 1-5 years. Nobody knows what you need better than yourself.
Keep experimenting with music and merch and adding things, trying things. Make 5 shirts at a time and if they sell, make more. Make CDs yourself. Make live CDs. If you have 20 different shirts, great. You should have at least TWO.
Do things with fans outside of music.
“Tour Smart and Break the Band” – Martin Atkins
Reasons to Tour:
Touring is instant feedback, a way to make you or your group grow. You can ask your friends and family which songs they like, but you REALLY need people that don’t know you to give you honest feedback.
You can video yourself and decide how to fine tune your act.
As a band/group, the ADVERSITY of touring brings you closer together, and that chemistry will hopefully translate to the music.
Bloggers, reviewers, etc., will pay more attention to touring groups, because they know they can go see the group in person, and can pass that info along.
You get to touch people (emotionally) – look people in the eye, bond with them through the music, talk to them after a show, etc.
You can sell merch more easily, which leaves a more permanent mark…and memorializes the experience for listeners. Packaging reinforces the image and MUSIC of the band.
Advice:
Mistake: Tour is too expansive (too far apart between gigs)
You can tour in a “flower Petal” pattern, a few days at a time…come back to your home base. Take it in baby steps, don’t do a 6-week tour.
If you don’t know anyone in a particular town, make friends with a couple bands in that area, say “I can play to a crowd of about 400 in Baltimore, you could do a show with me here if I can do a show with you there.”
Put up a free mixtape (bandcamp.com?) pay attention to who is downloading, set up a show in a place where a lot of people like you. Book a show in that area and email all the people. Don’t waste your time going somewhere where no one knows you or likes you. If people in Vancouver like you, go to Vancouver!
Five-pointed star inward pointed crush (on youtube) – strategy to play AROUND a difficult place to build a following before going and playing to NOone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xihQewYWH8k&feature=related
-Build up fanbase in surrounding areas of target city, collect email addresses, etc. If you don't have enough, do it again! Don't go to New York unless you're sure you'll do well.
Posting flyers etc. doesn’t mean anyone will come.
If you GET a good gig, be READY because if you say you can bring 150 and bring 50, you’ll never play there again. Strategize beforehand to prepare, tell them you can bring 100 people and bring 150! Be nice, be humble, and you will blow them away and they will think about you when they need a band in the future.
When looking for bandmates: MULTITASKERS: “bass player who can do decent video editing” “guitarist who can keep up with social media, write newsletter” “Drummer who can update website and make flyers” saavy with booking, will sell/package/ship/order merch etc… An OK player who can do 5 things will get further than an great player who doesn’t do anything.
Don’t be aimed at 20,000 people to fill a stadium and blow off the 2 potential fans who are asking for your autograph and build up slowly, and then do things to keep them interested! Give them new music, tons of albums, etc.! Give them a reason to keep in touch and keep coming back.
Use information like “insights” on youtube for what people like, and where they are, etc. Pay attention to info!
Tube Mobile (Mogul?) upload a video to 50 sites!
Any band can get to where they should be.
Run your own business. First 1-5 years. Nobody knows what you need better than yourself.
Keep experimenting with music and merch and adding things, trying things. Make 5 shirts at a time and if they sell, make more. Make CDs yourself. Make live CDs. If you have 20 different shirts, great. You should have at least TWO.
Do things with fans outside of music.
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