Sell Your Music The Right Way
SELL YOUR MUSIC THE RIGHT WAY
Not too long ago, I put together an article called “The Skinny On Music Promotion.” You can think of this second article as either an extension of the first, or if you’re a cynic, just a rehash of what I already said. Either way, repetition is the only way a lot of people learn anything at all.
LIVE MUSIC
We live in a world where everything is digital – where people text rather than talk face-to-face. Mediation is today’s buzzword. If it’s not online, it’s not worth knowing, right? Wrong. Most people are starved for authentic, person-to-person interaction. So rather than sitting in your kitchen with your laptop and releasing your new album or EP, and then announcing it via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, how about premiering it at a live show, instead?
The next time you’re playing Tito’s Bar and Grill, let people know ahead of time that you’ll be debuting your new song or album. In other words, make another hum-drum gig special. Give away copies of the album, or raffle off exclusive T-shirts, or just give them away – the first 100 people through the door receive a free T-shirt.
SOCIAL MEDIA
There are two ways of looking at social media: 1) it’s a pain in the ass; 2) it’s a gift from heaven. Most bands perceive social media as a marketing tool. And yes, it is. But it’s a lot more than that. In today’s world, social media “is your business.” It’s the whole shebang. If you’re not using social media, you’re sinking into the bog in the middle of nowhere.
For example, I recently reviewed a single by an artist who’s really good. In fact, she’s amazing! Yet when I hyperlinked to her socials, I thought to myself, “Man, she is not even on the map.” She had like 89 followers on FB; 39 followers on Twitter; and 140 followers on Instagram. It’s like she doesn’t exist. And that statement right there – “it’s like she doesn’t exist” – shows you how powerful social media is. We judge artists based on how many followers they have. I judge them based on their social media numbers. Sad, but true. Social media has come to signify status.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, you’ve just decided that I just said that social media is the key to marketing your music. No, I did not say that. And it isn’t the key. It’s just part of the whole picture, so don’t neglect it.
And don’t make the mistake of just blasting out blatant ads: “My new single is out. Go buy it!” That’s a major turn-off. You know and your fans know that you’re just using them to make a buck. You actually have to try to build a digital relationship with people, not just peddle products.
Post photos of you and your dog, or your cat. Comment on your favorite show or some movie you just saw. You know, anything that makes you seem like a real person and not just a huckster trying to make a buck. And hey, if you have the money, hire a professional social media maven to handle all that.
WEBSITE
Okay, as a reviewer I have real axe to grind here. First off, keep your website up-to-date. If your drummer quit last month and you replaced her with Jane Doe, update your website and the About section on FB. Because reviewers like me go there for info, and if it’s wrong, then the band reads the review and gets all butt-hurt because Jane wasn’t mentioned.
Second, don’t design your own website unless you actually know what you’re doing. There’s nothing worse than an UGLY website. It needs to be slick and stylish.
Third, include press shots on your site so reviewers can go there and use the photos without worrying about copyright infringement. And if you post links to your music on Spotify or SoundCloud or Bandcamp, have them ‘open in a new window,’ because if they don’t, odds are visitors will bail rather than click on ‘back’ and return to your site. And yes, people really do have short attention spans and/or are lazy.
Fourth, email subscription lists are debatable. So basically, try it out and see if it works.
MUSIC REVIEWS
Since about one bazillion new songs are released every month by everyone with a laptop computer, the odds your new EP will impinge upon anyone’s reality is almost zilch. If no one knows about your new EP, then no one will buy it, except your mom and grandmother.
So you need to get the word out, which means reviews on music blogs, like Pitchfork, Uproxx, Popmatters, etc. The list goes on and on, almost ad infinitum. You can email them and ask them to review your EP. You probably won’t hear back from them, simply because they are too busy, and underpaid, and overworked. And if they replied to every email from every band that’s all they would do all day.
If you know any reviewers, contact them and ask if they’d be willing to review your music. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a T-shirt slut, who will do almost anything for a free T-shirt. Hint, hint, winky, winky. Of course, I have to like the music, too. And whatever you do, don’t stiff me on the T-shirt. If you do, don’t ever expect me to review your music again. I actually had a band do that – never got back to me about a promised T-shirt.
And if Rawckus does review your music, do us the kindness of sharing it on your social media! To me, that seems like a no-brainer, but some artists are either too stupid or too self-centered or too lazy to share. I refused to review the music of one artist just because of this. If she won’t share, why should I bother?
So now what? Hire a publicist. Yes, it costs money. No, they aren’t cheap. But it’s the best way to go, especially if you want to be successful. I will say it plainly: if you only do one thing to promote your music, this is the best thing to do – hire a publicist.
CONCLUSION
Be creative. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You never know what’s going to work. And always remember: don’t be a dick. And oh yeah, my T-shirt size is XL.
