Live Music Archive

Let us face it, the wildfire spread of web-based portals designed to introduce independent music to the world has created a bewildering array of opportunities and costs. So where do they all balance out? When does the cost of signing up to yet another music promotion service yield results? What results are  all of us  looking for anyway?
The key is to make your Web promotion targeted, systematic and rich.
What is the main drive for independent musicians  promote  their music on the web? The fundamental incentive for Web promotion is the opportunity to get your music heard by people who could alternatively never know that you exist! If people know you exist they may be come fans and repeat- fans. Which of those fans buy compact disc ’s and downloads? Targeted fans.
The most important goal of Web promotion is to attract targeted fans.
Any independent artist who says they use the Web to sell their music has missed the primary target – attracting targeted fans. Attracting targeted fans should be every independent  artist’s  1st priority.   Do not forget , you do not sell your music – fans BUY your music. It’s a buyers market. The more targeted fans you have, the more sales you make – offer d you are systematic in getting your targeted fans.
The best way to get targeted fans is to be systematic.
a lot of musicians tend to approach their Web promotion thinking that since they have a web site and have signed up to a couple of artist showcase web site s, that the fans will just come pouring in. Yes you have managed to target some potential fans, but you still have to shout, “Hey, over here… you will like the sound of this!” A systematic approach to getting fans to hear your music will attract and maintain their interest. But recall to make sure you have the content ready for the listener to enjoy.
Sites rich in content will retain your targeted listener.
In the independent  artist’s  case, the rich content is the music. This could seem like old news, but look at the amount of independent artist web sites that give the visitor loads of info about the performer but truly little (or hidden) ear candy. Music should be the 1st thing a visitor gets. At the truly least they need an apparent link to where they could listen to your music. And not just one or two tracks but a variety of your music. Independent musicians have to recall they have not had the radio exposure to model the presentation of their music following more well established acts. Listeners need to be convinced they like your independent music before they will buy it.
So the question is how to make your Web promotion targeted, systematic and rich?
Tips for Targeting.
The best targeted fans on the Web will be those that make it to your web site. Locate a way to know who they are. session up a newsletter and make it simple to sign up to it. people interested enough to want to receive news about you are your hardcore Web fans, keep them happy.
The next best group of targeted fans are those that hear your music on other web site s. Try to pick web sites that allow fans to link to your web site. If the y like your music they could click on that link to visit your web site. You could then find out where these visitors are coming from. Locate a wonderful Web statistics package that lets you know which web sites your visitors are being referred from. Take note of those web sites and focus your resolutions with them accordingly.
When choosing web sites on which to  promote  your music, check to see If the y offer any individual stats relating to your music. like how a lot of track plays or page views you and your music receive on their web site. This way you could check in periodically and monitor your performance with these web site s.
Systematic Steps.
The key to being systematic is organization. Keep a note of all the web sites you use to  promote  your music, a brief description of what they do and how much it costs. Try to get into the practice of monitoring all of them regularly. Take note of which web sites are getting better results than others and focus your resolutions accordingly. You could pay for minimal promotion on one web site, while another gets you loads of fans for free. Naturally you will want to put more resolution into updating the web sites that are getting better results.
offer a link on your web site and newsletters to all of the web sites you use to  promote  your music.  Do not forget your web site visitors are your hardcore Web fans and are the most like ly to check out and spread the word about your spot on other web site s. So  promote  them to visit your profile on other web site s. At the truly least it raises your stats on those web sites – making your music look more popular!
Try to create a ring of web sites that link to each other though the content you supply. By way of example, you could have your music on your own web site and two other showcase web sites – web site A and web site B. Your web site should without a doubt link with web site A and web site B. web site A should link with your web site and web site B, web site B should link with your web site and web site A and so on. What If the se web sites do not allow you to session up links to other web site s? Put a Web address in the areas where they do allow you to supply content. like biogs or descriptions.
The highest quality aim of linking all your web sites is to offer your fans with a variety of access points to your music, as well as access to the diverse ways numerous web sites could deliver your music.  Do not forget to link to your specific page on the web site and not just the web site itself. Your web site linked with a web site that play your tracks on Web radio, linked with a web site that sells your downloads, linked with a web site that sells your compact disc ’s offers for a influential mixture of exposure.
Be Rich
without money ! That’s the challenge that most independent musicians face. The conventional approach to selling music is that it should not be too readily available to listen to, should the incentive for fans to actually buy albums be undermined. This has persuaded independent musicians that they should limit Web fans to low-quality snippets of streaming audio.
Independent musicians have to recall they do not have the sources and finances to aid the “shotgun approach” of spraying their music across radio and music TV. Big musicians have big organizations behind them that need to recoup the costs of mass media exposure, and and so try to limit the extent to which fans could sample their music on the web. Listeners have already heard the music and are trying to find a copy of their own.
Conversely, fans have not had a opportunity to listen to independent artist through conventional media. Therefore independent musicians cannot assume that people will buy their music off of a web site If the y do not get a opportunity to really listen to it. If people have already heard an  artist’s  music, and like it, the value they pay for is in owning a copy they could play whenever they like. If people have not already heard an  artist’s  music, the value is in being able to sample as much of the music as possible.
So being rich is providing your fans with as much of your music as they want to listen to before they buy it. Now you do not have to make all your tracks available for free download, but you could offer wonderful quality, full-length streams that impress the listener and elevate your sound. Not tight-fisted snippets that lose the listener because they’re lo-fi and over before they attract the listener’s interest.
Being rich is furthermore making your music available in a variety of formats for diverse fans s. Telling fans that your music may be heard via Web radio, on-demand streams, mp3 downloads and mail order compact disc  means you could appeal to fans who like more than one kind of media. You could furthermore use your Web promotion to go beyond readily plays and sales – contemplate licensing.
Licensing your music for use with TV, film, advertising, web site s, video games and other multimedia will open up your listening fans, offer re Club and introduce a degree of professionalism to your career that attracts the notice of industry reps and A&R. Adding this depth to your Web promotion endorses to enrich the presentation of your music and retain targeted fans.
So recall : a) maximise your targeted fans, b) be systematic in capture ing them, and c) retain them by making sure your own web site and other web sites are rich in content.