Promoting Your Own Music - Part 2
From LoveToKnow Music
Promote Your Own Music – Part 2
Pavement once wisely sang, “hey, you’ve got pay your dues before you pay the rent,” and truer words were never spoken. In Part 1, we discussed ways to get people to take notice of the music you’re making, without the help of a record label. But by now, you are probably wondering how to address the problem that money seems to be flowing in one direction – right out of your wallet. You’ve put in your time, paid your dues, but that rent bill keeps popping up every month, and if you’re going to keep this up, you need to pay it. The good news is, you can sell your music yourself, and the better news is, since you’re doing it by yourself, (almost) no one else gets a cut. How to begin:
Expand Your Website
Hopefully by now, you have been taking every opportunity you can to invite people to your website – mentioning it at your shows, including the address on all your promotional posters, emailing your mailing list on a regular basis, and maybe even buying some cheap advertising space in magazines. Good, keep that up. But now you want to add a page to your website on which people can buy tracks from you, both as MP3s and on CD.
There are a few ways to do this. First, you could put a credit card function directly on your site. You would do this by getting a merchant credit account from a bank and downloading their software to allow your site to process the cards. Remember to check out what their fees are, and make sure their security is top notch. For more info, check out Cybercash.
An easier way to do it would be to find a host for your website that can offer you credit card processing service. You can find dedicated arts hosting networks, like Simbiotic, that will not only process your credit cards but have the added benefit of sending some customers your way, since they are the gateway to a number of music related sites. They can even fulfill your snail mail orders, if you like. Even if you don’t decide to use one of these services, they are good resources for gauging a fair price for your songs.
In addition to your own site, make use of sites like iTunes, Napster, eMusic, and any other digital distributor you can find. These sites will offer you a non-exclusive contract to distribute your music through their network. Find out from them any ways they have to give your music a push, such as getting a “featured artist” profile on the site.
But Don’t Only Exist in Cyberspace
If people see you play live and enjoy your show, they may want to buy music right then and there - and better for you to get them then instead of hoping they remember to visit your site the next day. Bring some CDs to shows to sell. They don’t have to be professionally done – it is OK to burn some CD-Rs and print up your own artwork, as long as you let people know that is what they are getting, and price them accordingly. In each CD you sell, include a self addressed postcard asking for name, address, and email address that people can mail back to you – then add these people to your mailing list.
Make these CDs available to buy on your website as well, including a small postage charge (and get them in the mail promptly when people order them).
Where’s The Hook?
Anything you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd is going to help. Make an occasion of releasing new songs, even if you have been playing them for ages and they don’t feel that new to you. When you’re making CDs, refer to them as singles, EPs, or albums, just like a record label would. Give your “label” a name, and include that on the CD artwork, even if your label is never going to release another thing. Throw and promote an album launch party and invite local journalists. On your website, release special “online only” tracks. Act like a professional – people will be more likely to treat you like one.
It Takes A Village
Join forces with other musicians in your area. Not only can you swap ideas, but you can help promote each other’s music. Link your websites and organize local shows together. You can share the cost of advertising and share the cost of touring. Reach out to touring bands as well – offer to set up shows and offer a place to stay – in exchange for them doing the same for you in their area.
Be Patient
Making a living through your music often requires a lot of innovation, initiative, and plain hard work. It is not going to happen overnight, but if you are in this for the long haul, it is probably best it doesn’t anyway. Build upon each success. If you treat your music career as a fulltime job, some day you may find it even pays like one.
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