Music Information

10 Ways for Unknown Musicians to Get the Word Out


When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper doesn't like you, how do you win over new audiences?

The good news: there are many, many ways. Here are ten of my favorites.

1. Approach a local college or alternative radio station or community access cable TV station with a programming idea, like a live songwriter showcase. Other musicians will want to be a part of your show, and you'll build an audience for your own music--and theirs.

2. Write CD or concert reviews for a local alternative (or mainstream) paper.

3. Give copies of your CD away to public radio and TV stations for their fund drive premiums.

4. Organize, publicize, and perform at charity events for your favorite causes.

5. Lead songwriting or performing workshops in the schools (these are usually paying gigs, and all the parents hear your name). Invite some of the kids to perform with you; they're sure to bring a bunch of relatives along who will pay for their tickets and maybe buy a CD.

6. Announce your gigs in every community calendar. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, community web sites, cable TV stations--they all run event listings. Type out one paragraph that includes a tag line about what you do, such as "Sandy Songwriter, River City's 'Homegrown Bono,' will perform labor songs and love ballads at The Trombone Shop, 444 4th Street in Downtown River City, Wednesday, January 15, 7 p.m." If admission is free or there's a charity connection, say so. Include contact phone number and e-mail.

7. Find Internet discussion groups related to your cause. Whether it's immigration, voting reform, peace, safe energy, the right to choose...there will be discussion groups online. Post responses and include a "sig"--a short on-line business card. Use different sigs for different purposes. Here's one of mine (in a real e-mail, it would be single-spaced):

__________________________

Shel Horowitz, mailto:shel@frugalfun.com, 800-683-WORD/413-586-2388

"I make the world INSIST on learning why YOU'RE special"

News releases, brochures, newsletters, ad copy, web copy, resumes, etc.

http://www.frugalmarketing.com * http://www.principledprofits.com

_____________________________

8. Set up a simple low-cost website. Include a couple of sound clips, pictures of you performing, a place for people to sign up for your fan newsletter, a link to your favorite musicians, and, of course, your tour schedule and gig availability.

9. Get exposure on other people's websites. Write CD reviews, endorse their music with a blurb, submit articles on the local music scene...and always include your contact information and a statement that encourages people to visit your site.

10. Use the letters columns. Call in to talk shows. Post messages to Web forums...in short, use every feedback tool you have to spread the word.

Copywriter, marketing consultant, and speaker Shel Horowitz is the author of six books and publisher of five websites, five webzines and three ezines. His two most recent, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First (http://www.principledprofits.com) and Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World (http://www.frugalmarketing.com) have both won awards. He's currently engaged in a campaign to get 25,000 people to sign--and spread--the Business Ethics Pledge: http://www.principledprofits.com/25000influencers.html


MORE RESOURCES:

Bend Weekly

Fans vote for top star at Country Music Awards
Arizona Republic, AZ - 13 hours ago
For the first time, music fans are being asked to join in the voting for the Entertainer of the Year honors at Sunday's 43rd edition of the Academy of ...
Country Music Artists Flocking to Vegas for ACM Awards CMT.com
Keith Urban up for country music awards The West Australian
Kenny Chesney looks set to dominate Academy of Country Music Awards Trend News Agency
Tyler Morning Telegraph - WNDU-TV
all 33 news articles


From Dining Table to Web, Chili's Uses Music to Deliver a Spiced ...
FOXBusiness - 7 hours ago
PlayNetwork also provides custom in-store music programming for Chili's globally. Accessible via the "Fun" section of the Chili's Grill & Bar website, ...


The Southern Ledger

TV finally gives country music its close-up
OCRegister, CA - 2 hours ago
By TOM ROLAND When former WB sitcom star Reba McEntire hosts the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards from Las Vegas on CBS Sunday evening, ...
ACM Awards Show Is All About Exposure CMT.com
McEntire says she has more fun hosting ACM Awards The Associated Press
Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson coming to JPJ The Hook
all 88 news articles


guardian.co.uk

Branding has ruined music television
guardian.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
Can it be that all music television shows need assistance from leering, cynical 'yoof' brands? Well, yes, sadly Top of the Pops: it may not have been ...


Times Online

The Cistercian monks being groomed for music stardom
Times Online, UK - 16 hours ago
But the truth is that people do respond to this rarefied, ancient music again and again. I can recall in the early 1990s, every visit to my Uncle Peter’s in ...
Austria's singing monks hail miracle debut album Reuters
Austria’s singing monks don’t want to be pop stars Thaindian.com
all 21 news articles


National Research Firm Launches Music Video Contest for Election '08
FOXBusiness - 7 hours ago
The music videos will support the Democratic or Republican parties or their presidential candidates. -- The music videos will be reviewed by mediacurves ...


Claire Lynch offers bluegrass music a chance to adapt, grow, influence
Dallas Morning News, TX - 5 hours ago
By MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning News When music luminaries Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, among others, sing your praises, ...


ABC News

Comment: Machines muscle in on music
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - May 15, 2008
Music is supposed to be the area where we humans reveal our humanity best, but the truth is the machine has been muscling in on music-making for some time. ...
Video: Robotic Conductor Finds His Rhythm AssociatedPress
Robot conductors could take the baton from us guardian.co.uk
Asimo robot conducts symphony orchestra VNUNet.com
Albany Times Union - EndScore
all 657 news articles


MLive.com

Country music newcomer Rissi Palmer to perform at Matrix:Midland ...
MLive.com, MI - 7 hours ago
"I know I thanked my parents, but beyond that I don't remember what I wrote," says the 26-year-old country music singer/songwriter today. ...


Dispute over legal music downloads
The Press Association - 5 hours ago
The record industry has insisted that the UK's legal music download market is growing rapidly as a new report suggested many people are still resorting to ...

Music - Google News

home | site map

Visit our other sites:
GamesBlog | GamingDepot | GimmeaRide | GimmeNetwork | Golf Biz | HotorNotGame | I Want Computers | I Want Games | I Want Hosting | I Want Music | I Want Security | JokeBox | ScriptShock | Wantedfonts | Webalize
© 2006