Music Business 101 - Promotion for the Independent Artist

Music is art. As songwriters and performers, we reach within ourselves and communicate our thoughts, fears and joys through our music. We are artists. If you are an artist who is happy to make your music regardless of whether or not anyone hears it, then stop here; continue to make your music and continue to be happy!

If however, you would like others to experience your music, and dare I say it, perhaps "make it" in the music business, then read on!

It's very important to remember that the music business is just that - a business. In any business there is a product, and in the music business, your art is your product. To be successful in this business it is necessary for people to "buy" your music. This might mean buying your CD, buying a ticket to see your show, buying into the idea of playing your CD on their radio show, or featuring it in their newspaper. To get people to "buy" your music you must promote it. This may seem like a very simplistic view-point, but youˇ¦d be surprised how many musicians overlook this simple point. The reality is this; to be successful, the music must be good, but no matter how good it is, if no one knows about it... you get the picture. And therein lies the basic definition of promotion: Making it known.

Here are some important steps you can take towards making yourself and your music known:

IMAGE
To make yourself know, you first need to decide WHAT it is that you want people to "know". In other words, what is your sound, your style, your story? WHO are you as an artist? Once you have made this decision, make sure that everything you put out there is a reflection of this "who". Your CD artwork, photos, press-kit, posters, etc. should tell your audience WHO you are even before they hear your music.

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION
Be willing to "toot your own horn". While humility may be a virtue, frankly it never got anyone anywhere in the music business. You don't need to be obnoxious about it, just visible. If the idea of talking-up yourself and your music makes you uncomfortable, get someone else to do it for you. Fans and friends can be excellent resources. Also, do an exchange with another musician: you make calls for them, and they make calls for you.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK
You have to know your audience. Before your send your CD out to press, radio or clubs make sure your music is right for their format. There are great resources that list press, radio, artist managers, venues and much more. One that I highly recommend is the Musician's Atlas. It is updated every year and the 2006 version has expanded categories, including on-line resources. The Musicians Atlas is available at Amazon.com. another great resource is the Indie Bible. Check them out.

Also, you need to understand the fan base that you are trying to reach. What other artists do like to listen to? What magazines, newspapers do they read? What radio stations do they listen to? How can you get this info? ASK them. Sit and talk with fans at your shows. You'd be amazed at the information you get. Beside, it's really great PR to chat with your fans. Once you know your audience you can reach out to them in many ways.

- Sharing gigs with other artists who have a similar au.
- Handing out flyers, postcards, promo items, etc. after these other artists' shows.

GET OUT THERE
Get out there and perform! If you don't have a band, or donˇ¦t have enough songs to do a whole show, go to open mics. Music editors and radio program directors are much more likely to take notice if they see your name around town.

NETWORK
Make friends with other musicians - This is a wonderful network and, remember, musicians are also music fans.

WEBSITE
If you don't already have a website GET ONE!! or at least set up a MySpace page. The internet is an incredibly cost effective way to promote your music. Also, getting your CD on CDBaby or Amazon is great. But remember that you still need to drive people to CDBaby to buy your CD.

And finally BE PERSISTANT and be prepared to work your butt off. In this business there really is no such thing as an overnight success. All successful musicians have worked hard and withstood the test of time.

Next month we'll look at the hot subject of Radio Promotion!