Passive Promotion

From the category archives:

Promotion

The Jango focus group

July 8, 2010

Devo got loads of press by letting fans choose everything from the songs on their new album to the color of their hats. If you’re secure enough to make your own wardrobe decisions, you can get useful feedback on your songs by conducting a focus group on Jango. It only cost me $75 to play [...]

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The death of the bridge

April 22, 2010

Many of my all-time favorite songs are “growers” – album tracks that don’t really grab you the first few spins, but eventually dig their hooks in and don’t let go. Few artists these days have the luxury of writing growers, because listeners aren’t willing to invest that kind of time. Unless the artist is proven [...]

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Rock Band Network authoring best left to the pros

March 4, 2010

After 45 hours of work over six weeks, my song is one of the 118 approved to be in the RBN Store when it launches. My last article laid out what it takes to get your song in the game, namely a deep skill set and lots of time. While I managed to clock in [...]

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Rock Band Network for Dummies?

January 26, 2010

A few weeks ago, Kevin English of eleetmusic got me in to the closed beta of Rock Band Network, which provides the necessary tools to get your songs into the game. When it launches, the RBN Store will sell those songs through the game’s interface, with 30% of the purchase price going back to the artist. Now [...]

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My first ReverbNation street team mission

January 18, 2010

I love ReverbNation. I could write a dozen articles on the various tools they provide for artists. For now I’ll focus on one I just tried for the first time: Street Team Missions. Whenever a fan subscribes to your mailing list, they’re given the option to join your street team. You create missions to direct your [...]

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Help me win $507!

January 7, 2010

Full details are here, but to cut to the chase: Would you please download my track? (it’s free) http://www.reverbnation.com/playlist7?artist_id=334871 If time permits, I’d like to write about my first ReverbNation street team mission after the voting ends on Monday at 11:00 a.m. EST. UPDATE 1/11/10: We won! I’m still planning to write about the street [...]

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The power of no goals

January 1, 2010

I love running on New Year’s Day, if only for the change of scenery. There are dozens of new runners on the beach path, most of whom I only get to see for a week or two. Their new running shoes, still glaringly white and chemical-scented, will soon vanish into the recesses of their closets. [...]

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The case for online-only promotion

December 28, 2009

I promote to establish and nurture a genuine relationship with my fans. I measure my success by the number of subscribers to my mailing list. Notice I said mailing list, not Twitter followers or MySpace “friends.” I’m talking about the people who grant me permission through a double opt-in process to email them directly on [...]

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Money can’t buy you love

November 30, 2009

If I had $5,000 to spend on music promotion, I certainly wouldn’t waste it on any of the following: Ads. It’s easy to get “dazzled by the numbers” when given the opportunity to reach thousands of people. We think, “If only 1% of those people bought the album, I’d double my investment!” Don’t let the [...]

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12 years with Taxi

October 6, 2009

Taxi is an independent A&R company, connecting musicians with labels, publishers, and music supervisors. On the 1st and 15th of every month, they provide a list of industry opportunities for members to submit songs to. Screeners forward the most suitable material for each listing to the person who requested it. I’ve been a member since [...]

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