|
Internet
For Indies 101 When on the road to fame, it's natural to make mistakes. They help us to learn and are native to achieving success. Sometimes, however, we tend to make these mistakes without ever realizing it. After dealing with hundreds of artists I have come to realize that there are a few oversights that are most common among the community that may even impede their journey to stardom. I have a few tips that can help speed up the process of getting noticed and obtain more substance for your press kit. Tip #1: Stay organized. This tip will help make the rest of these tips possible. With all of the available outlets the Internet provides us nowadays, it's easy to get lost in the sea of information. Your web browser provides the capability to save web addresses so you can return to them later. These are referred to as favorites or bookmarks. Any site you visit and submit music, news, or any other form of media should be saved. Create a separate folder in your browser's favorite/bookmark manager and store these links within that folder and check back with the site periodically. This will help you to track your progress throughout the web with a simple click of the mouse.
This tip also applies to email. Any and all correspondence with music web sites should be saved as well. Your email program should offer the option to create new folders other than your inbox. Save email from these sites in that folder for future reference. Tip #2: Update your contact info. This is quite possibly the most important tip on the list. When you submit music to Internet radio, or register on indie music web sites, you're generally asked for contact information (i.e. email address, etc). I can't stress enough the importance of providing correct information. You never know where you will get discovered and if the "discoverer" can't get hold of you, they're like to pass you over. If you have a "junk mail" address that you use to avoid spam to your personal address, check it often. That magic message may be waiting. This also helps when you win contests the web site may be conducting. There are some valuable prizes you may not receive otherwise. If any of this info changes, you should go to these sites and update it. Tip #3: Stay Informed. As the Indie community news goes 'round and 'round, you'll want to stay up to date on happenings that may affect you and your music. From events to scams, you'll want to know what to be involved in and what not to be involved in respectively. Many, or most, of the sites you are featured on will have regular newsletters that will help to keep you in the loop. Some of it may be immaterial, but some of it can help you to navigate your career. It's always a good idea to read this stuff, or at least scan it for articles related to your situation. Tip #4: Be responsive. Answer emails sent to you regarding your music. You may be asked for interviews, nominated for contests, or approached by a label. These are all great opportunities that will help you in the next phase of your career or, at the very least, add more content to your press kit. Tip #5: Be proactive. Are you hungry? It's easy to send press kits and submit MP3s or news to web sites, but often times this just gets mixed up in the bevy of information or hectic schedules these sites experience on a daily basis. Stay involved in the sites you sign up for. Keep them apprised of new songs, news and upcoming gigs. Get involved in programs offered by the sites. The "post-it-and-run" method will only get you added to an "MP3 File Pile" or lost among the other ten thousand artists that are doing the same thing. Being proactive. Staying in contact with your favorite sites will keep you fresh in the minds of the site owners and will likely make you first choice for events and articles. Tip #6: There are no stupid questions. The Internet is inundated with FAQs and user agreements, but they don't always answer your questions or may even be confusing. If you don't understand something in an agreement, or the FAQ doesn't answer your question - ask. A site that won't respond to your particular issue may not be worth bothering with. Following these simple tips can help you to get more exposure for your music, gain consideration by those A&R reps that are most likely surfing these sites for the next best thing, and maybe even help to educate you more on the business end of the music stick.
|
