Ebooks, Tips And Information

How to Fund a Music Album

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:11:19 GMT

How to promote music effectively

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:15:00 GMT

Well I recently had a conversation with an artist who I’m working. He was asking me about some promotion tactics and ideas on how to promote music, and I thought I would go ahead and write an article about it. It’s as simple as this, without promotion, you are non existent because no one will know about you or your talents, simple as that. Even if you had a Dr. Dre beat, with Lil Wayne and the Rza on the track, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t promote your music you WON’T get anywhere no matter how talented or how good your song is. Record labels have big budgets dedicated to promotion and experts who know how to promote music. Examples, when you turn on the TV and hear interviews and watch their videos, that’s promotion. The radio wasn't meant for your entertainment. It’s a promotional tool because they radio stations get paid to play the same songs over and over. It’s a little bit harder for an indie to compete, but there are ways that they standout from the rest of the competition and ways of promoting music effectively...

Create entertaining videos
There is no one way to do this and there is no formula to this either. Pretty much, make a video that entertains people, share it on social networks and forums etc and hopefully people will share that video. Perfect example of a viral video is the OK Go Treadmill video. It’s a low budget video of guys doing a choreographed routine on treadmills. The video has almost 8 million views on you tube. Why? Simple, because it’s different and entertaining. Another example of an artist having videos go viral is Lil B from the Pack. Each one of his videos have easily over a million views and this has helped him get a ridiculous buzz to the point where even celebrities such as Hugh Hefner following him on tweeter. Sounds crazy right? It’s doable and you could be next to creating that great video everyone loves.

Get a Face book fan page
This helps because you have more features to wok with compared to a regular face book page. Also it helps you keep track of statistics for your music and you can make it your homepage too.

Join online communities that are in your niche market.
Don’t just stick to Face book, MySpace and Twitter. There are tons of other online communities that you can link up with fans who want to hear your music. Examples include reverb nation, last fm, rhapsody etc You just have to find them a joint at least about 5 or so. However, remember to keep them all updated. There is nothing more annoying than an artist telling you to check out their new music, when it’s old and you have already heard it.

Post on forums
Posting on forums helps get your name out there too, and finding niche forums that are dedicated to your genre helps a lot too. Post tracks there but remember to follow forum rules other wise you will be banned. Also before you post your music, observe the community a bit, to see what kind of responses people are giving. If you see that everyone who posts their music is hated on, then you are wasting your time posting on that forum.

Have a street team
This is self explanatory. Have people help you pass out fliers, cds, promotional material or whatever.

Make a personal connection with fans
The internet has helped to make a closer connection with people who are like minded and has helped artists get a closer connection with their fans. Back in the day, it was near impossible to even contact, talk or see how an artist daily routine etc. Artist who have used social media to make a more personal connection with their fans include Kanye, Joe Budden, Fabulous and Mac Miller. Observe what they were doing and add your own twist to it. You could start you own daily video blog (has to be relevant to your music, not posting videos of you going to Wal-Mart to get some detergent), write a blog, post videos of studio sessions etc

Stop tweeting about irrelevant stuff
I’ve seen multiple people tweeting about taking a number two in the toilet or that they are doing laundry...How this is entertaining or makes you closer to somebody, whom followed you because you said you had MUSIC related updates, is beyond me. Yes it okay to tweet about funny off topic stuff at times, but some people just go overboard and you don’t want to be tagged as a nonsense twitter.

Give out free music
Giving out free music is a great way to promote too. If you decide to give out all your music for free, you have to be doing live shows to generate revenue through tickets sells, merchandise and new unheard music that is exclusive for the show goers etc. This could or might not work because there is no guarantee that you will have a full house every show. Also giving out all your music for free might have a negative impact. If people are used to getting music for free from you, why would they start paying?

Internet radio
Internet radio stations are always looking for new music. Approach them and see if they will give you some spins.

College radio stations
This is a best kept secret by most successful independent artist on the come up that they don’t want the rest of the competition to know. Getting on a college radio station is great promotion. You will be getting your music played for free; to an audience who are old enough to go to your shows if you perform in nightclubs etc Famous artist such as Ghostface Killah and Talib Kweli have even been using this method for years.

Ask yourself this, are you promoting to the right people?
For example, I've had multiple beat makers use paid advertisement saying oh I've seen you on twitter that you were looking for beats so I sent you an email. Firstly I’m a producer myself and why would I be tweeting that I need beats? This is a waste of time and money because the message is going to the wrong person and the wrong audience.

If you are on social networks, read a person's profile at least before you start promoting. I've seen, especially on sound click, rappers going on other rappers profiles, saying check out my music, I got the hottest song online, I’m he dopest mc you will ever hear etc To be honest, why would another rapper care for your music, when you are direct competition to them? They WONT buy your music and this also gives them a perfect chance to hate on your music even if its good.9/10 of these rappers you promote to, will leave a negative comment on your profile, so a by passer might read them and actually think you indeed your music is horrible and wont bother to give your music a chance. Another example, a fan writes that they like country and electronic music on their profile. Not to say people can’t listen to multiple genres, but wouldn't it make sense to try and target people who like your genre first?

Bottom line is that you have to find ways to make yourself stand out from everyone else. That’s the best promotion tool you have as an artist.

How to compose a great hook for your song

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:35:00 GMT

How to compose a great hook for your song

I'm sure you know the hook of a song these days is probably the most essential part of the song. This has been the case really for as long as I can remember, even going back to the golden era of hip hop. Pretty much, if you have a catchy hook or a simple hook, the chances of your song catching a buzz or becoming a hit are high, provided you, the artist, does the marketing and promotion side to the best of your ability. Just listen to some of the songs on the radio e.g. Racks on Racks, it’s a simple repetitive hook that has auto tune on it, yet it is one of the most requested songs on the air waves. So what goes into making a hook that will help your single to sell or go viral? This is an age old question that has no one answer really. However there are certain things I have noticed that successful artists are doing to boost the status of their singles.

Here are a few things I have seen some artists do and it seems like it works. This tutorial serves for songs where you want commercial appeal or looking to make a crossover track that will be embraced by mainstream. This is in no particular order.

1. Find a singer for your hook. That’s a simple technique that has been used for decades. Think Mary J. Blige and Method Man(All I Need), T pain Kanye West(Good Life), songs like All I Do Is Win, Tupac's Changes, Rihanna Eminem...the list goes on and on, I’m sure you get the idea.

2. For club type songs, make a simple hook that’s catchy and repetitive if you can. It’s easier for the listener to remember songs this way. According to Akon, that’s how he
structures his hooks, and he has been successful selling albums worldwide.

3. Harmonize the hook to make it sounds like semi signing rapping. E.g. Eminem's not afraid; he pretty much kind of sings the hook. Tech9, Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa, Nelly, Kanye and Lil Wayne, among other artist's also employ the same technique. It gives your song a different dimension compared to just rapping the hook part.

4. Sing the hook part if you are good or pretty decent at singing. Drake and Nicki Minaj come to mind, as an example of an artist who exploits this trick. However, you have to have some sort of ability to sing or it will sound terrible.

5. For pop type songs, it’s usually a 16 bar hook, that comprises of an 8 bar bridge type of singing which leads to the climax of the hook in the last 8 bars of the hook.

6. For crossover type of songs, get a pop or alternative singer to sing the part. I’m sure you have heard plenty of collaborations that have been so popular lately. According to research, last year's top selling hip hop songs that were considered crossover hits, comprised of alternative pop acts like Paramore, Mr. Hudson e.t.c singing the hook and the rapper sticking to the verses.

7. Make your hook as clear as possible so as to not confuse the listener. This means try and keep it simple, avoid slang if you can, make sure you get all your words out, limit the number of ad libs in the part.

8. If you can, make the hook that people can relate to.

9. Double up your vocals on the hook part to make it sound fuller. If you have owned a crappy boom box or set of speakers, I’m sure you have heard this. The hook is always comes out louder than the verse part. That’s because they layer the vocals on the hook part.

10. Make a clean hook if you are thinking of trying to get radio play. That’s why most songs and albums have a clean and dirty version. Radios won’t play overly censored tracks period.

These tricks don’t only apply to crossover, club and radio type songs. They can be used on anything from underground, horror core to conscious hip hop. Above all, be as creative as you can, apply some of these tricks if you can and you will find your own niche to making a great hook.

What do you else do you think goes into making a great hook? Feel free to leave comments

Written by Black Tim, Producer for Quietstormbeatz.com

Information about music presskits: Get shows; enhance your chances of getting signed.

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:05:00 GMT

Most artists make a mistake of just submitting a demo cd to record labels, hoping that maybe somebody hears it and signs them. The chances are very, very slim and there’s a more likelihood of your demo cd ending up in the trash section is sadly very high. Not to discourage submitting demos in this manner, but there is a way to improve the chances that somebody actually takes time to listen to your demo cd. This is where you would assemble a presskit to increase a positive perception of your image as an artist.

Essentially, what a music press kit is a tool used by musicians, labels, agents and managers to promote a group, a new release or a tour. Consider it as a form of a resume, but only really music related. Some music press kits are very simple while others contain a lot of stuff but they should all definitely include the basic which are:

• Promo CD

• Press Release

• Press Clippings, if you have them

• Bio

Additional stuff that may also be included with a press kit includes:

* A Letter - Let whoever you sending the press kit to know why you're sending the Press Kit and make it professional. Avoid using slang; keep it short, simple and precise.

* Artist Press Kit Cover Page.

* Artist Bio Page – Pretty much, a page with your personal bio, preferably on your own .com website if you are submitting digital too.

* Artist Pictures - 8X10 Black & White is usually industry standard.

* Artist Contact Information – How would record labels get a hold of you.

* Demo CD- 3 or 4 Songs Only.

* Demo Flash Drive - In the ever changing music environment, digital technology is playing a huge role in modernizing the music industry. There, just having a hard copy of your demo might not be enough at times. It is becoming more popular to put your band music on a flash- drive, but it's probably a good idea to have a Demo CD with you as well for the less computer savvy booking agents that maybe out there.

* Song List / Gig Sheet - Let the club/venue know where you have been done shows before on your gig sheet.

* Lyrics Sheet - Usually could be used to supplement CD Submissions to Record Labels.

* Newspaper/ Magazine Clippings - If you have been in the newspaper, magazine for your talents or shows, also send this stuff.

*Online Media Spotlights - if you have been featured by certain websites you can use this information too.

* Business Card - Keep it simple and plain

• Envelope - Try to make it stand out from other bands

Lately too, digital music presskits have been gaining popularity and all the aspects mentioned above can be incorporated in a digital presskits.

Written by Black Tim (Quietstormbeatz.com| Home of Instrumental Download)

You can dowload a pdf format of this article @:
http://depositfiles.com/files/vzv5e8wa4

Feel free to leave comments or additonal information. Til next. Peace

Copyrighting Music 101

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 07:48:22 GMT

What is a copyright?

“ A Copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted by the law of a jurisdiction to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. Exceptions and limitations to these rights strive to balance the public interest in the wide distribution of the material produced and to encourage creativity. Exceptions include fair dealing and fair use, and such use does not require the permission of the copyright owner. All other uses require permission and copyright owners can license or permanently transfer or assign their exclusive rights to others.”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

How Do I Get A Copyright for My Music?
There are two solid ways to get this achieved:
Online:
Go to http://www.copyright.gov and fill out a copyright form. Its $35 application and processing fee when you do it online.

Print and Mail:
Form CO at http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formco2d-ins.pdf. Fill out the PDF file following the instructions and then print TWO copies. One copy for you and one copy to mail to the Library of Congress to the address provided.

The cost to submit the by mail is $50.00.

Why Copyright My Music?
To protect you legally if somebody, somewhere, steals one of your songs and claims it as their own, you will have proof of legally binding ownership. You can copyright just one song for possible digital distribution or an entire CD of collected works. The procedure is the same.

What are the benefits of Copyright Registration?
* The right to distribute your music
* The right to prepare new arrangements.
* The right to perform the songs publicly
* The right to make copies and duplicate your CD

Is a poor man’s copyright the same as of copyrighting with through the methods above?
A poor mans copyright is whereby you mail yourself a copy of your work and don’t open the envelope unless a legal issue arises and you have proof based on the dates on the envelope etc and what ever else proof you can provide. This is a practice used a lot, however from research it appears it doesn’t hold much ground in a court of law, so getting an actual copyright would be in your best interests as an artist. Or if you do the poor ma’s version, you should eventually get full copyrights.

If you find this article helpful please feel free to share the article by hitting the share link button to republish it. This document contains a basic summary of copyright information and is not to be considered as a legal document of copyright laws or as a guide or tutorial. It is just an informational summary.

For more legalities and information on copyrights and copyrights laws visit:
http://www.copyright.gov

Feel free to add comments and questions or share further information on this topic

Tips on How to Get Your Music Out to a Wider Audience at No Cost, Build Bigger Fanbase

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:25:00 GMT

1. Get your own website, ning or blog. There are a lot of places you can get sites for cheap or at no cost .e.g. Yahoo pages, Google sites etc. It’s ok to have a social network page, but there is always the chance that when a fan reaches your page they are tempted to check out what else is on the site because it’s just human nature. To keep their undivided attention, it useful to setup a separate page dedicated to your craft.

2. Submit your music and subscribe to as many music related websites as possible. E.g. facebook.com, myspace.com, last.fm, Soundclick, iSound, Twitter, Flickr, BlogSpot, etc. The more sites you are signed up for and update, the more chances that somebody will run into your music that would not have heard you if u had confined yourself to just one site. E.g. some people stay on Facebook religiously, while some people don’t even have accounts. So to better your chances, try and reach as many free networks as possible. Think of it this way, a commercial for a product is shown on multiple channels not just one because people’s interests are different when it comes to TV programming…so in order to get a wider audience you also have to apply some of the same strategy.

3. Try to interact with your fans on social networks as much as possible. When I say interact, I don’t mean JUST keep talking about yourself and nothing else. If you find useful entertaining news, videos etc post it up and ask for their opinions. Leave HONEST feedback, comments etc on peoples pages, and somebody will respond if they are like minded.

4. Brand yourself. Make a logo, catch phrase or whatever that distinguishes you from the next person. People remember brands etc so if you have a name like Young, Yung, Lil, it’s kind of hard for people to remember you, since there are millions of people who have that same prefix to their name. What you will want to do in a situation like this is to brand yourself. Whether it’s a log, signature look, signature adlib or whatever, you have to differentiate yourself from the next person.

5. Keep your social network and website updated as possible. If you got new pictures, music, videos, you might as well post it or give samples teasers instead of it gathering digital dust on you r hard drive. The key is to keep people interested in what you have…So failure to update might make you last years news in a matter of weeks.

6. Ask for feedback for your music. Make sure you understand that everybody won’t always be kind with the feedback because people like different things and listening tastes are different. OS you have to be tolerant of people’s comments, unless they are blatantly trying to sabotage your cause, to which you can easily block them, lol. But seriously, any feedback is good feedback.

7. DON’T SPAM…

8. Submit your music to as many independent radio stations as possible. E.g. blog talk radio shows, college radios, internet satellite radio, any DJs.

STAGE PRESENCE TIPS AND HOW TO PERFORM A GOOD SHOW

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:58:06 GMT

1. GET THE CROWD INVOLVED
THIS IS IMPORTANT IN ANY LIVE PERFORMANCE. IF THE CROWD ISNT INVOLVED YOUR SHOW WILL JUST BE YOU RECITING YOUR SONGS TO THE CROWD, AND USUALLY THIS DOESNT GET YOU POINTS FROM THE CROWDS PERSPECTIVE. HOWEVER IF YOU GET THE CROWD INVOLVED, YOU CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHICH YOU CAN CONTROL EG WHEN YOU SAY PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR, PEOPLE WILL RESPOND. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS TO GET THE CROWD INVOLVED. YOU CAN FIRST DO SONGS WHICH THEY ARE FAMILIAR WIH. ENCOURAGE THEM TO SING ALONG, DROP THE SONG ON A PUCHLINE AND HAVE THEM SAY IT. ANOTHER EXAMPLE JUMP IN THE CROWD TO MAKE IT HYPE. SHAKE HANDS WITH PEOPLE REACHING OUT IN THE FIRST ROW. SOME PEOPLE MAKE IT RAIN(NOT ADVISABLE UNLESS YOU ARE BALLING OUTRAGOUESLY). ENCOURAGE THE CROWD TO DO A DANCE OR WHATEVER. BOTTOMLINE IS YOU HAVE TO GET THE CROWD INTO THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE.

2. MAKE EYE CONTACT
TRY AND MAKE AS MUCH EYE CONTACT AS POSSIBLE WITH THE CROWD. IT'S LIKE PUBLIC SPEAKING OR JUST PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS; NOONE WILL HEAR YOUR MESSAGE IF YOU ARE NOT LOOKING AT THEM. MAKING EYE CONTACT WILL MAKE THE AUDIENCE FEEL WARMER TO YOU. WITH THAT SAID, AVOID WEARING SHADES OR COVERING YOUR EYES ETC.

3. LIMIT THE ENTOURAGE
TOO MANY PEOPLE SHOUTING IN MICROHPONES AT THE SAME TIME ISNT MUSIC,ITS WHAT I LIKE TO CALL NOISE!!! IF YOU DO HAVE A BIG ENTOURAGE PUT THEM IN THE BACKGROUND AND MAKE THE ORGANIZED E.G. HOW 50CENT HAS PEOPLE WITH BULLETPROOF VESTS AND SUCH IN THE BACK, THAT WORKS FOR HIM BECAUSE OF HIS IMAGE. IF YOU ARE DOING A SLOW SONG WHY WOULD YOU HAVE 20 PEOPLE SHOUTING IN THE MIC GOIN BACK AND FORTH. THATS DISTRACTING. AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU ARE THE ONE WHO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO REMEBER AND IF THE PERFORMANCE IS BAD, ITS BLAMED ON YOU, NOT THE ENTOURAGE, SO KEEP THAT IN MID.

4.THE HYPE MAN
HYPE MEN HAVE BEEN A STAPLE OF HIP HOP EVER SINCE IT STARTED. THE BEST HYPE MEN E.G FLAVA FLAV(NO JOKES) HELP YOU THE ARTIST, GET THE CROWD INVOLVED. SO PICKING THE RIGHT HYPE MAN IS AS ESSENTIAL AS PICKING THE RIGHT DJ.

5. THE DJ
MOST MAJOR ARTIST KEEP THE SAME DJ ON TOURS AND PERFORMANCES ALIKE. ITS JUST LIKE THIS, IF YOU WORK WITH SOMEBODY, THE CHEMISTRY GETS BETTER AND BETTER. IF YOU DONT HAVE THAT LUXURY OF HAVING YOUR OWN DJ, MAKE SURE YOU MEET WITH THE DJ FIRST BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE TO AVOID ODD SITUATIONS THAT MAKE YOU SAY WHAT THE....

6. DONT SHOUT IN THE MIC
ITS AS SIMPLE AS THAT...DONT SCREAM IN THE MIC, AND KNOW HOW TO POSITION YOUR MIC DURING PERFORMANCES.

AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU DO MUSIC TO ENTERTAIN PEOPLE. WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF YOUR SHOW SUCKS, THE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING THOSE SAME PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO SEE IF SLIM. WORD OF MOUTH SPREADS LIKE A BUSH FIRE. SO YOU HAVE TO BE ON POINT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF YOUR SHOWS ARE GOOD, YOU GAIN LOYAL LIFELONG FANS.HOPE THIS HELPS.

HOW TO MAKE A HIT RECORD

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:30:00 GMT

MAKING A HIT RECORD THAT WILL COMPETE ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS ETC IS EASY YET IT IS ALSO

DIFFICULT. LOOK AT SUCH ARTISTS AS SOULJA BOY(CRANK THAT,PRETTY BOY SWAG),LIL WAYNE(A

MILLI), THEY HAVE DONE IT WITH REPEATED SUCCESS BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE FOPRMULA TO

MAKE HIT RECORDS(BESIDE HAVING MAJOR LABEL BACKING LOL).EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO GET THAT

HIT, THAT WILL PUT THEIR FOOT IN THE INDUSTRY.HERE ARE A FEW TIPS THAT MIGHT ARE USEFUL:

1) Universal audience apeal.

The key to making a hit record is to make it
have universal mass appeal.what is this you ask??? That when a song is popular from

kids,moms, grammies etc lol to put it in simple terms. The more people can relate to a

song the easier it is to sell it. Thats why most club songs usually make it into hits,

because everyone can relate to the theme of having a good time. Write about what you or

other people experience on a daily basis that no one is talking about(or even talking

about but put your own twist to the topic. There is no topic that realy hasnt been touched

in hip hop but its the way you personalize it, that makes you stand out

2) Hook(chorus)

In this time and era, this is has become even more important than the bars themselves. The

hook is the heart of the song. To make a hook is a daunting task, which a lot of people

have not mastered. Its pretty easy tho. Hooks are normally 8 bars. So within those 8 bars

you need to make it catchy,harmonize,or make it relevant to where somebody esle can relate

to way you are saying. Most pople rely on getting soundclick beats with hooks e.t.c, but

can you really base your whole career on having people do your hooks??Also this kind of

makes you less creative because the topic of the song has been dictated for you.Dont get

me wrong, its cool to get some beats like that but it also hinders your growth if you rely

on that same process. So what you will want to do as an artist, is sit back and think of

something simple yet catches the imagination of your audience e.g
EXAMPLES:
using slang words that are hot now(e.g turn my swag on, swag surfing..)
using a popular catch phrase(e.g.Usher's omg...)
I think you get the idea...

3) A Hot Beat.

Most people listen to the first 20-30 seconds of the song. if they dont like it, you will

never get a chance again to convice them to listen to it, because you cant be there with

your every fan to convince them its a good song. What you need is a hot beat from a

producer e.g such as a certain Quietstormbeatz LOL,anyway it could be from anyone but you

have to make sure its a tight beat.So many talented artists have HOT songs written over

terrible beats. Thats a waste of bars and talent, not to mention time. So you realy want

to focus on getting a good beat, at the same time you have to be able to flow to the beat

e.g Gucci mane flowing to a Kanye's all falls down beat is more than likely not goin to be

a hit....

4) Know your audience
Know who your target audience is when making a song. Dont just make a ong that you and

yours boys or family only like and can relate to. Are you making a song for the streets.

females, club etc? You have to ask yourself that before setting on amking a track. Also

ask yourself, who listens to my music???

5) Keep it simple!!!

Usually the most hit songs are the easiest
to sing along with. When someone can sing along it creates that sense that the song relate

to them. Its cool to be all lyrical but at the same time you have to know when to keep it

simple, and in no terms am I encouraging people to dumb down their music. At least make

the hook easy enough for your fans to be able to recite.

6)Get it out there!!!!...if your song is sitting on the computer or studio without

promotion, you will never find out if it is hot or not....

til next time ...peace

USEFUL SITE TO ALL THATS HIP HOP

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:40:00 GMT

http://www.hiphop-directory.com/

HOW TO BE SUCCESFUL AS AN INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL OR ARTIST

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:25:00 GMT

A LOT OF ARTIST WAIT AROUND FOR RECORD LABELS TO SIGN THEM AND THE CHANCES ARE AS SLIM AS GETTING DRAFTED TO THE PROS NOT MATTER HOW GOOD YOU ARE. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SIGNED HAD TAKEN INITIATIVE THEMSELVES AND THE RECORD LABELS CAME CALLING AFTER SEEING THE BUZZ THEY HAD GENERATED AS INDEPENDENT ARTISTS. E.G SOULJAH BOY, CHAMILLIONAIRE, SLIM THUG, MIKE JONES, PAPOOSE, GUCCI MANE,BLINK 182,MAROON5,LADY GAGA AND THE LIST GOES ON...ONCE YOU ARE IN DEMAND FOR YOUR INDEPENDENT BUZZ, THATS WHEN YOU CAN DICTATE WHAT KIND OF CONTRACT YOU WANT TO SIGN. BESIDES THIS, ITS VERY LUCRATIVE TO BE AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST AS WELL DOCUMENTED BY THE DJ DRAMA CASE WHERE HE WAS MAKING A KILLING TO THE POINT WHERE THE FEDS STARTED INVESTIGATING HIM, WONT GO INTO THAT THOUGH. HOWEVER, BASIC MATH...IF YOU SELL 10,000 UNITS INDEPENDENTLY AT EVEN $5 A CD, YOU ARE RAKING IN A GUARANTEED 90%+ RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WHICH IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE WOULD AMOUNT TO $45,000!!!AN IF YOU CUT YOUR COSTS BY SHOPPING AROUND FOR CHEAP STUDIOS AND BEATS SUCH AS FROM QUIETSTORMBEATZ.COM, YOUR INVESTMET WOULD BE MINIMAL AND THE RETURN FAR EXCEEDS THE CAPITAL INVESTED.SO HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT GETTING YOURSELF IN THIS POSITION YOU WONDER? WELL FROM RESEARCH, HERE ARE SOME POINTERS THAT CAN HELP YOU SUCCEED AS AN INDY...

1.INVEST IN YOURSELF AND DONT EXPECT A GET RICH OVERNIGHT SCHEME OR FAST RETURN ON INVESTMENT. YOU HAVE TO SPEND IN ORDER TO MAKE MONEY. THAT MEANS MAKING YOUR WHOLE PROJECT PROFESSIONAL. IF YOU TAKE SHORTCUTS,E.G.EXPECTING FREE BEATS, FREE STUDI TIME ETC, THATS EXACTLY WHAT YOU GET. IF YOU DONT HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY WORK WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND MAKE SMALL STEPS TO GET TO WHERE YOU. I.E. MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN WITH SET GOALS. ITS FUNNY HOW A LOT OF ARTISTS SAY THEY ARE SERIOUS IN THEIR MUSIC, BUT WOULD RATHER INVEST THIER MONEY IN $100 PAIR OF SHOES, INSTEAD OF GETTING THE TOOLS REQUIRED TO HELP THIER CAREERS.$100 CAN GET YOU A MIC, BEATS, STUDIO TIME, FLYERS, A WEBSITE!!!!SO SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT IS KEY. ALSO WHEN YOU PRESENT YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST YOU ARE THE PRODUCT AND THE BUSINESS YOU ARE TRYING TO PUSH. IF CORPORATIONS DO THE SAME THING, WOULDNT IT MAKE SENSE TO INVEST IN YOUR PRODUCT, WHICH IS YOURSELF???

2. GET A WEBSITE!!!, AND I DONT MEAN MYSPACE OR SOUNDCLICK. IMAGINE WHEN YOU WALK IN A MALL. THERE ARE SEVERAL STORES IN THE MALL, CORRECT? SO DO YOU USUALLY PAY ATTENTION TO ONE STORE WHEN YOU VISIT THE MALL AND DONT VISIT OTHER STORES???ABSOLUTELY NOT, BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR MIND THERE ARE SEVERAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU YOU TEND TYO VISIT OTHER STORES TO SHOP AROUND AND MIGHT NOT EVEN EVENTUALLY GET ANYTHING FROM THE STORE YOU THUGHT HAD THE HOTTEST MERCHANDISE. THIS EXAMPLE SHOWS THAT PLACING YOUR FAITH IN MYSPACE AND SOUNDCLICK, IS FUTILE BECAUSE ITS SO SATURED. IF YOU HAVE A PAGE ON EITHER ONE OF THEM, IM SURE YOU HAVE NOTICED PEOPLE PLACING COMMENTSOF OH COME CHECK MY MUSIC E.T.C. IF YOU YOURSELF DONT CHECK OUT OTHER PEOPLES MUSIC, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THE NEXT PERSON WILL? HENCE IF YOU GET A WEBSITE OR A BLOGSPOT(WHICH IS FREE) ANOTHER VISITOR HAS THIER UNDIVIDED ANTTENTION ON YOU THE ARTIST AND NOBAODY ELSE. BESIDES THIS IT SHOWS YOU ARE MORE SERIOUS IF YOU HAVE A SEPARTE ENTITY BESIDES MYSPACE OR SOUNDCLICK ACCOUNTS. YOU CAN GET A DOMAIN NAME FROM GODADDY.COM FOR UNDER $5 ONE TIME FEE!!! AND JUST SHOP AROUND FOR CHEAP PROGRAMMERS...OR YOU CAN START A FORUM DEDICATED TO YOUR MUSIC FOR FREE, OR A BLOGSPOT WHICH IS FREE TOO. OR A SITE SUCH AS BANDZOOGLE.COM.SO THE OPTIONS ARE PLENTY FOR YOU THE ARTIST TO CHOOSE FROM. WHEN YOU AHVE A WEBSITE YOU HAVE CUNTLESS OPTIONS TO FURTHER EXPAND YOUR INDY GAME .E.GYOU CAN SELL T-SHIRTS, CAPS,BADGES, ADVERTISEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE JUST TO MENTION A FEW THINGS SOUNDCLICK AND MYSPACE WOULD REALLY NOT OFFER...

3. NETWORK, NETWORK , NETWORK. DJS, CLUB OWNERS,PROMOTERS, PRODUCERS,RADIO STATIONS E.T.C. REMEBER THE GAME IS 90% BUSINESS AND POLITICS AND 10% TALENT. GETTING YOURSELF OUT THERE IS KEY TO BEING SUCCESFUL. REMEMBER THOUGH, FIRST IMPRESSION IS LASTING INMPRESSION. GOIN BACK TO POINT ONE INVESTING IN YOURSELF. IF YOU HAVE MEDIOCRE MUSIC OR YOUR CD YOU TRY TO HAND OUT IS NOT EVEN IN A CASING WITH NO CONTACT INFO ETC THAT JUST DISQUALIFIES YOU. IMAGINE THE LAST TIME SOMEONE GAVE YOU A CD WIT MAGIC MARKER WRITING ON IT WITH NO CASING AND SAID THEIR MUSIC WAS HOT, DID YOU BOTHER LISTENING TO IT OR IS IT GATHERING DUST ACTING AS A COASTER SOMEWHER IN YOUR HOUSE...SO YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR STUFF LOOKS PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TRYING TO PUSH IT ON SOMEBODY, AND THIS COMES BACK TO INVESTING IN YOURSELF.

4.AS MUCH AS YOU CAN NETWORK IN PERSON, THE MOST POWERFUL NETWORKING TOOL OUT NOW IS THE INTERNET, HANDS DOWN. AT THE CLICK OF A MOSUE, YOU ARE IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE IN JAPAN(WUTANG HAS A LARGE FAN BASE THERE), GERMANY(2ND LARGEST CONSUMER OF HIPHOP IN THE WORLD,FRANCE,ITALY,BRAZIL,SOUTH AFRICA AND EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL U.S.A. HENCE ITS CALLED THE WORLD WIDE WEB OF COURSE.SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? WELL FIRST OFF, IM SURE YOU HAVE HEARD OF CORPORATIONS TALKING ABOUT GLOBALIZATION, SMAE SHOULD APPLY TO YOU IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST. THE REASSON THE JAYS, LIL WAYNES AND EMINEMS MAKE MONEY IS BACUSE THIER MARKET IS NOT CONFINED TO THIER HOOD AND CITY ONLY. ONCE YOU GET ON THE INTERNET EVERYONE IS A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER. EVEN MYSELF HAVE PURCHASED MUSIC EQUIPTMENT AND SOUNDS FROM SWEDEN!!!BUT YOU CAN NOT DO ANY E-COMMERCE WITHOUT A MEANS TO BUY AND SELL PERIOD. REACH STUFF SUCH AS CLICKBANK,PAYPAL,CCNOW ETC AND SEE WHICH ONES WORK BEST FOR YOU IN ORDER TO EXPAND YOUR REVENUE POTENTIAL.

5.PROMOTE YOURSELF, WHICH COMES IN THE SAME BREATHE AS INVESTING IN YOURSLEF. FLYERS,T-SHIRTS WITH ALBUM RELEASE DATES E.T.C WEBSITES,NEWSLETTERS TO FANS,TWITTER,MYSPACE. E.T.C. AGAIN THE BETTER YOUR PRODUCT IS PRESENTED THE BETTER CHANCE YOU HAVE AT PEOPLE TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY.RESEARCH HAVILY BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER OPTIONS TOO...

6.SETUP ON ONLINE MUSIC STORS, E.G CDBABY,AMAZON,MYSPACE, SOUNDCLICK,REVERBNATION ETC IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WEBSITE WHICH YOU HAVE SETUP BY THEN....

SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER AND PUT INTO PRACTICE CAN GET YOU FURTHER THAN YOU WERE BEFORE YOU IMPLEMENTED THE PLANS.AGAIN WITH A BIG ENOUGH BUZZ, A CONTRACT WITH THE MAJORS IS NOT A DREAM, ITS ACTUALLY A POSSIBILITY.AGAIN NOONE BUT YOUSELF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING YOUR MUSIC TO THE MASSES AND GETTING YOUR INDY GAME UP IS UP TO YOU.FEEL FREE TO LEAVE COMMENTS AND ANY ADDITIONAL TIPS THAT YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST.

THE MAKING OF AN ALBUM 101

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:35:00 GMT

Copyrights
The first most important thing you want to do as an artists, is to make sure that your album is copyrightwritten especially if you are trying to sell the barcode version. This is fairly simple to do and doesn’t cost much but is essential to protect your music as an artist. You can download the necessary forms from copyright.gov, fill them out and send them in with your album. There is only one time fee for sending in an album or group of songs. If, however you send songs in one at a time, there will be a fee for each submission.

Mastering
When releasing an album, one of the first things you have to do is prepare the audio especially if you are trying to get on the radio. Usually you’ll want to have your tracks peaking at around -3 to -4 decibels. This gives whoever is mastering some room to compress and equalize your songs. Try and have your songs sounding as good as possible before mastering for the best results. Once you have the songs prepared, you’ll need to find a mastering house to master them or you can find such people . This usually consists of compression, equalization, and silence between tracks. Mastering will give your album an overall louder sound and give all the tracks the same volume level. You can find some good mastering houses online. What you have to do usually is send your cd-r to them. Some even do free samples, so you can hear what the difference will be when finished.

Artwork
The artwork is in my opinion, the funnest part. You can do it yourself or hire someone for the job. If you like doing stuff yourself, I recommend you check out like istockphoto.com for some great royalty free photos. They only cost one to three dollars each and look great. Once you have the photos together, get a decent graphics program like Adobe Fireworks to edit them. Find out where you’re sending your cd to be manufactured and check their artwork specifications. This will tell you the exact dimensions that the artwork needs to be. They’ll usually also have templates that you can download and use to get them the exact size. Once the artwork is prepared, you’re ready to send it off for manufacturing. The manufacturing part is quite easy if the prior steps have been taken. Once the album is done and in your hands, you’re ready to start selling and promoting.

Selling
Well now that your album is done, the first thing to do now is get it for sale. Start out at CDBaby.com where it only costs 35 dollars to get going. CDBaby not only sells your cd at their online store, but can also get you set up at several download stores, like Apples iTunes and Napster, to name a few.

Another thing that should be done is registration at ASCAP or BMI. These non-profits distribute royalties for radio play and other usage. If someone plays your song, the radio station tells BMI, and then BMI sends you a check quarterly. It’s fairly simple to sign up and submit your songs for registration. Get those royalty checks coming in.

Promotion
Now the only thing you’re missing is promotion which I shall cover in another article. But this is probably the hardest part and most time consuming part of the album process. Some simple promotion ideas are to sign up at websites like Soundclick, Myspace, Garageband, among many others and give away a song or two. You should also try books like The Indie Bible which lists hundreds of radio stations and other places that will play your music. There’s also sites like MusicSubmit.com that will send your music to publicity outlets to get your name out there. Other than that, you’ll have to get creative and look around.

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