Live Music Blog

Virtually all individuals would say the first thing to do is to find a name for the band. Lets start from there s venue we??

The auditions are over, you have found your bass player and you all seem to get along really well. The excitement is in the air and you have had your 1st performer bonding celebration.

Now its time to start your musical journey together.

Personally, I think that locating a performer name is THE hardest decision that the performer will ever have to make and therefore one of the the majority necessary decisions as well.

A performer name is a remarkably necessary part of the artists identity. It’s the 1st point of contact a punter has with the band.

Does this conversation sound familiar to you?

Them: “Hey, I saw this cool performer last night. You gotta check them out”

You: “Cool, what was the name of the band?”

Them: “Ummmmmm……. I don’t know”.

Arrrrrgh!!!! I get that all the time.

I can’t recall how a lot of times individuals have raved about a performer to me but can’t tell me the name when I ask them. Right there is the has been ted opening for a band. It frustrates me no end.

This is a best example of how extremely necessary a performer name is.

The performer name is the 1st thing that a punter will remember. They will not address the performer by the names of the individuals in it when they talk to their friends (unless they’re individual friends of yours) they will address the performer by its name.

The optimum way to find a band name is through sheer persistance. Locating a band name that’s agreeable by everyone isn’t an simple task.

Here are some performer name party suggestions:

1. Get every member to write down their personal list of potential band names

This can be the 1st task that the band may do collectively. performance a date for the 1st band meeting and amidst now and then do that task.

2. Make brainstorming performer names the topic of your first ever performer meeting

When anybody gets together put all of the lists out on the table and go through each one keeping to one side the names that’strike a chord’ (sorry about the pun) with all of you and getting rid of the rest.

As a group try brainstorming some ideas. This is a amazing way to start formulating what the performer is all about, what its image is etc, etc.

3. Create a competition among all your companions /family/anyone else via email

This is a great way to start compiling the beginnings of your artists email list. List all of your companions /family/anyone else that you want to include and their email addresses and compile them all into one mailing group. Send out an email outlining the competition and be ready for the pointers to come flooding in.

It is important to have a cut off date for the competition (perhaps by your first performer meeting) and to have a prize on provide. Of course the prize is totally up to you.

Ensure that when you do find a performer name that you announce it through your email group. You have just started email promotion of your band.

Whatever you do have fun with the process and do not let the quest to find a band name override the other things that you have to do such as writing songs and finding rehearsal space.

I guarantee that once you have agreed on a performer name you’ll all collectively breathe a very large sigh of relief. The hardest part of the journey has been achieved.

New repositionable vinyl stickers offer bands some excellent new promotional tools.

Promoting your band with vinyl stickers is a new way to get people talking. Vinyl stickers may be custom made with your band logo or life size photos of your band in action and of the band members.

What’s this new vinyl sticker material called? FotoSticks. Repositionable and reusable vinyl stickers that won’t harm walls. You can stick them up just about anywhere and then take them down and move them somewhere else. Assuming that they get dirty, just was h them off with warm water.

You might give away free and inexpensive smaller vinyl stickers while selling life size stickers to create a promotion that funds itself.

Here are several promotional ideas:

• Give away small vinyl stickers of your band’s logo at the door

• Sell life size wall stickers of your band in action and the members along with very large stickers of your band logo.

• Locate out where agents live and plaster their neighborhood bulletin boards and store windows (with permission, of course)

• Place them in jewel cases

• Put them on fan’s cars during a gig

Here are some more detailed promo ideas…

The band Brew

Thanks to Mike Larrabee for this idea, it’s great. Do you have a Regional micro-brewery? See about getting a few cases of beer in the absence of front labels. Then create your own label and order the design as a FotoStick. You may put them on the bottles and your fans may buy a beer and get a free promotional sticker that may be re-stuck anywhere they like.

Steal This Sticker

Put your band stickers on bulletin boards, windows and anywhere else you dare. people may simply peel them off and use them again anywhere they want. They won’t harm walls or windows.

Artist Co-Promotion

Locate a good performer or two and have a monthly promotion that includes a limited run of only a specified amount of stickers featuring a certain artist. When they are gone, that is it, they are no longer available. Do this each month and you might promote collecting performer memorabilia and create some buzz.

Bar Graffiti

Put your performer stickers all over the bar or club you are playing in and let the listeners know that they may peel them off and keep them.

Photos of fans with performer Members

At each performance have one of the roadies take pictures of your fans with their favorite performer members. Collect their addresses and then send them some FotoSticks several weeks later to remind them of the night. You may be sure that they will show their friends and family. Since they are repositionable, they might put them on their notebooks or laptops to show around and then put them on their wall once they are done bragging.

Summary

Repositionable vinyl stickers are new and they get people talking. Not only are they a way to get your band image known, they establish a buzz just because they’re novel. So,do not hesitate, be the 1st band to show this new promotional tool to your fans. It is an inexpensive way to get the word out. Plus, if you sell the larger six and seven foot wall size stickers it can pay for itself and you can even profit from it in more ways than one.

FotoStick is a 5 mil vinyl material that has a sticky back that may be moved and removed in the absence of harming the surface they’re placed upon. Un prefer static cling, traditional stickers and custom magnets, FotoSticks are tough, durable and more versatile. They are prefer stickers but they may be used and re-used over and over again. They are prefer magnets except that they stick on al the majority any smooth surface. They are inexpensive and you could produce one custom sticker to one hundred thousand affordably. Stay up to date with new trends by reading the FotoStick Blog

Bands fail all the time. They fail, not through a lack of skill or because of a mutual decision to pursue other interests, but because of a lack of interest, band recognition and a small fan base. This lack of interest has absolutely nothing to do with the band’s musical or vocal abilities; rather, it’s due to a lack of promotion. without promotion and advertising to generate interest in the band, it will fail. This begs the question, how does a band promote itself? Is there a single method of promotion that will work, or must it be a multifaceted marketing plan? Promotion is the the majority vital aspect of becoming successful in the music industry. To accurately encourage a band, a accross the board promotion plan must be created. This plan will encompass many diverse aspects of advertising and promotion and each one plays a critical role in the success or failure of the band. without a accross the board promotion plan, a band cannot expect to garner the kind of fame and recognition vital to be provide ed a large contract through by a top music industry label. without promotion, the only listeners you’ll obtain are those who actually get to hear the band play, with no means of gaining a larger listeners.

A all-inclusive promotion plan will cover many varying areas:

It will permit listeners to hear a band’s music in the absence of actually having to present at a performance event. This may be achieved through two distinct methods. Creating a music cd that may be distributed free of charge is a exceptional way to build a fan base. Members of the band may be given an allotment to give out through their everyday lives. Custom stickers may be placed within the jewel case, allowing listeners to promote the band on their personal. You may likewise produce music MP3’s and host them on the Web for free download. Both of these methods will allow prospective listeners to listen to the band’s music in a comfortable performance ting in the absence of having to go to a show.

Use the Web. The Web is an incredible promotional tool if properly used. Virtually every performer has a presence on social networking websites such as MySpace.com and FaceBook. You may use these to host your free MP3’s, let listeners request more information and performer stickers and bumper stickers. Stickers and bumper stickers may be custom made to meet a band’s specific needs through custom sticker printing.

Playing any Venue that will book the band, from free shows at a Local/Regional bar to annual Battle of the Bands competitions held in many cities. The more Venues played, the wonderful the number of people that are able to listen to the band’s music and see experience their stage show. This allows bands to dramatically increase the amount of buzz generated about the performer and increase name recognition in the public.

Possibly the single best promotional tool at a performers disposal are custom printed band stickers. These are an incredibly popular way for individuals to display their interests, causes, political statements and more. Through custom made stickers and bumper stickers, performers might use their original artwork, graphics, logos or designs that they might want to use. They are created through custom sticker printing and can be found many places on the Web. Many listeners are more than happy to put stickers of their favorite performers on their notebooks, backpacks, in their cars, on bulletin boards and anywhere else they might imagine. This allows a vast number of others to see the band’s name, artwork and logo designs, growing name recognition by a large amount.

A all-inclusive promotional plan encompasses all this and more. Each aspect listed here dramatically enhances the fame and name recognition of a performer and contributes to rising the band’s fame and fan base. In short, the more individuals that are aware of a band’s presence, the more individuals are able to listen to and appreciate the band’s music and attend concert s. listeners are what the music business is all about, in the end, and the more listeners a performer has, the greater the opening s that the performer will be signed by a music label.

StickerGiant was founded in 2000 by an unknown mad scientist named John Fischer and world renowned illustrator Mike Brooks. Since then John has made sure that StickerGiant works to source and sell ALL stickers that represent a myriad of views, Freedom of Expression through Stickers is our motto. imagine StickerGiant as a non-partisan obvious ing house for the 1st Amendment. all of us don’t write the stickers here, all of us just provide a place for others to express themselves. Do not forget, Diversity is what makes USA Great!

In case you are wondering, the StickerGiant community consists of Liberals, Conservatives, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Atheist. all of us are a slice of the American pulse and all of us like it that way. So,stand up for who you are and pick out a sticker that represents who you are. Say it with stickers!

In a profoundly short time, Myspace.com has become the hottest music promotional tool available to anyone. Here are the 7 rules of successful MySpace music promotion.

1. Get a myspace.com music page.

Getting a myspace.com music page is free so there is no reason not to have one.

2. Make sure your page is user friendly.

There are many would-be music business professionals who have MySpace.com pages take too long to load. If your MySpace.com page loads too slow, you can be losing potential audiences. Mega bandwidth graphics and images will pr get together your page from loading immediately. Your MySpace.com page should take no longer than 20 – 30 seconds to load.

a lot of artists on MySpace use layouts that emphasize their creativity but are a nightmare to navigate. Refrain from using dancing cursor’s, raining text, and distracting images on your MySpace music pages.

Other MySpace performers have about me blurbs that go on forever. Keep about me blurbs short (no more than 1000 words), if individuals want to know more about you, they will ask.

3. Have your music on your MySpace.com page.

Do not put an individual else’s music on your MySpace.com page unless you were involved in the creation of the music. How might you be found if your music isn’t on your page?

4. Reach out for friends.

Networking on MySpace.com is one of the the majority commanding tools you may use to build your fan-base. Take advantage of the occasion to reach people with prefer interests. Never ignore or decline a friend request. You never know who may help your career.

5. Treat your friends prefer friends.

Common courtesy applies on MySpace just as in real life. Be willing to thank your companions for adding you as a companion. Respond to friend’s emails (if appropriate). Never post your ad as a comment on an individual’s MySpace page without acknowledging them. Limit the size of your “ad comments”.

6. promote yourself in appropriate ways.

Noteworthy career benchmarks, or new music added to your page are nice reasons to promote yourself on myspace. List your show dates on your page and use bulletins to let people know where you are performing. Limit the number of bulletins you post. Posting irrelevant bulletins, or posting bulletins too ofttimes, will force your companions to ignore you.

Let individuals know about your myspace.com page. Putting your unique myspace.com address on your website and business cards will make it convenient for you to build your network and fan base faster.

7. offer ways for individuals to purchase your music from your MySpace.com page.

If you sell your music anywhere Web make sure there is a direct link from your MySpace page to the location where individuals could buy your music.

Follow our rules and you’ll have fun and make many companions on Myspace.

Even if you are currently sleeping on your buddy’s couch, you may encourage your performer with little or no money. ( You will need a computer and Web access)

Free music marketing (as the name suggests) doesn’t fee money, but it will take some time, creative and determination. Ready?

1. Get an Email Account. Free email accounts are available from Gmail, Hotmail or many other web-based email companies. Simply go to their homepage and sign up for an account, and you’ll be up and going in minutes.

2. Get a MySpace.com Page. You can get the performer a MySpace.com web site for free. There you can also load up some of your songs, photos, etc. Once you have your web site up email all your friends and listeners to come check it out and add them to your friend list. You can then contact them all at once to announce future gigs, song releases, etc.

3. Get Something to Sell. You can’t make any money if you don’t have anything to sell. When you are playing performances, even free ones can make you money by selling stuff to the audiences. Make sure you have copies of your music on compact disc or a flash drive to sell. You can additionally sell merchandise with your band’s name and logo on it. You can do this Internet for free by session ting up a virtual storefront at CaféPress.com. They’ll give you a little retailer front web site and show how your logo looks on multiple items you select. Once a person buys the stuff, they handle all the billing and shipping and send you a check.

4. Get a Sponsor. No, not an AA sponsor! I mean a business sponsor who will give your band resources to encourage their company. Establish off by looking for “Angel” sponsors. These might be parents, grandparents or companions of the family who have a little extra resources to invest in your career. Then look to businesses who would benefit from advertising to the fans you will be playing to. Auto dealers, clothing stores, soft drink or beer distributors, are additionally a nice prospects. Show them that their resources will be going directly into the creation of the marketing materials, and not the band beer fund! For instance, you put their logo with yours on T-shirts, flyers, posters, banners, etc., in ex differ for them paying for the cost of creating those pieces.

5. Alert The Media. Contact Regional radio and TV station and offer to performance any on or off air events or events they are having. You may or may not get paid this time, but having your name on the minds and lips of the Regional movers and shakers may only endorse your career. With a little work you may market your music for free and keep all the rewards yourself. people are doing this right now, and so may you. You just need to choose up several marketing tips, tricks and techniques prefer the pros use.

In the days before the Web, when the major record labels had the music market sewn up tight, it was all but impossible to break into the music business in the traditional sense without having a recording contract with one of them. This often led to musicians turning into broke before their album ever actually hit the music store shelves.

The long established “standard recording contract” that has been used by the industry, heavily favored the company, at the expense of the star. Advances had to be recouped, recording and manufacturing and distribution costs repaid before the artist saw nickel number one.

Now all that has vary d, and for the independent recording musician or performer these days, it’s definitely a blessing in disguise, although some might not see it that way. The “lure” of the large label contract is still a desirable thing for the majority young artists, just because they have never been exposed to the potential of the Internet as a sales and marketing medium.

More seasoned musicians have realized, in the past ten years or so, that the Web is definitely the way to go if you want to meaningful ly pursue a career in music. Mainly because it is virtually open to anyone, regardless of budget constraints. A lot of bands and solo musicians are, as I write this, creating small empires for themselves solely by means of the electronic information highway.

Online music promotion, while still in it’s infancy, is becoming a force to be reckoned with by not only the major record businesses, but other Online artist. The competition, while not yet fierce, is significantly stiff enough to raise the caution flag for many. Add to that the externally incomprehensible way that advertising and marketing works on the web, and it’s no wonder that many would-be Internet superstars give up before the fight even starts.

But it doesn’t have to end there. There are resources available for struggling performers to take advantage of when it comes to learning the in’s and out’s of Web music marketing and promotion. On-line courses dealing with web site creation and search engine marketing and optimization are too numerous to count.

If your eyes glazed over as you read that last sentence, do not feel alone. The vast possibilities that exist for creating a buzz, and establishing a fan base for your music are unending. There has actually never been a better time to get started in Online music promotion than right now. And the fact that so a lot of established artists are currently using this means as their primary marketing and distribution system only lends weight to the argument.

Ever hear of a guy called Jimmy Buffett? Well, following numerous successful years of feeding the record companies coffers, Jimmy decided that he’d had enough. Do you blame him? After all is said and done, a major label artist could end up actually being in the hole following everything is paid for on a major CD release. Don’t believe me? The evidence is everywhere. Do a search on Google for the term ” performers royalties“, what you get back will look prefer some type of horror story. But it’s all true.

Jimmy Buffett decided to form his own record company “Mailboat Records“, and he is doing quite fine now, and actually has been able to steal a lot of skill from the likes of Island Records to come over to his new label.

When you think about that a major recording performer has to sell somewhere around 3 million compact discs just to break even, and an independent label could sell about 10,000 and the performer makes just as much, well, the choice really is not that much of a choice anymore now is it?

Add to all this the newest thing, digital downloads, and you’ve a brand new market ready to explode for the independent musician out there who has enough get up and go to take a crack at it.

The future is yours independent artist. Let us make the the majority of it.

The traditional record labels dominated music market is coming to an end. If you have not noticed the latest MP3 download services on Amazon.com, you are missing the beginning of the end of traditional music distribution era.

The big players now are teaming with social networking web sites such as MySpace.com to find new ways to sell music. Why? They cannot stimulate it. people don’t want to pay for CDs anymore. Plus, there’s no need to buy CDs when you may download them for free somewhere on the Web. After a few years of battling, the big labels finally realized the trend is irreversible.

Still, this isn’t new for the independent/unsigned musicians. Independent musicians have long been promoting their recordings via unconventional channels. The entry of the extensive record labels on the Web music communities will have an impact on the independent musicians. But unsigned musicians still have one apparent advantage over the extensive labels – giving out music for free.

Why should you give away free music on the Internet? One evident reason is that individuals don’t want to pay any more. individuals I mean by teenagers and generation Y and beyond. Those are the fanss who don’t understand life in the absence of the Internet. You probably may find a free copy of any given song on the Internet if you dig far enough.

The latest proof to this is that large record labels are teaming up with the social networking websites to encourage and distribute music. This is the marketing niche where independent artists have had since the beginning of the Internet usage. So how much impact will independent artists feel? Big. The social networking communities have been independent artists’ marketing channel, the entry of large players will certainly push the small artists to the back burners. For independent artists to achieve any form of success on the Internet, they have to take radical steps that large labels will not take such as giving away music for free. At this point we don’t know how the record label/social networking music alliance will work out, but one thing for certain is that the music will not be all for free downloading.

While you could hear many negative comments towards the music industry over illegal On-line music distribution, they do have cause for concern. Since the coming of Napster and other file sharing communities, the record industry has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Some of blame can be placed on their conservative approach to promoting musicians, opting for the “American Idol” instead of the avant-garde musicians who could excite the next generation like the Beatles or Van Halen in decades past. They likewise failed to use the Internet to give out music before the rampant distribution began. But one thing is undeniable, the CD is on the way out.

Over the final a few years the Compact Disc has experienced negative growth in the market. In fact the Vinyl LP has actually remained selling while the compact disc is lowing steam. A couple reasons for this are Web distribution, and the fact that many consumers now use the compact disc as a medium to rip music from to their iPod or similar portable music device.

While I lament the fact that nobody sits down and listens to an album anymore, instead using music as a soundtrack to their own lives, there are still ways to give out your next album. You’ve to use a little creativity and think outside the box, but you can make it work

USB Flash Drive

Do not think you would be the 1st to do this. You would simply be in the company of established performers such as Matchbox Twenty who final year released a full length album on a USB bracelet. The great thing about the USB drive is you can include extra features readily such as videos, liner notes, or even alternative file categories such as lossless FLAC or multi-channel audio. The price of USB drives has dropped to dollars each, so it’s not too much more than compact disc replication. Plus, the USB drive can be used for other things (such as storing individual files for work or school) after your fan has moved it to their iPod.

There are a few services provide ing USB drives in bulk loaded with your content and even printed with your name or logo. Call around for the perfect price.

Concept Albums

Web distribution has increasingly made the single popular again. Now that you may chose which songs you want and which songs are junk, many individuals will download their like red songs and leave the rest alone. I’m going to assume you put all of your endeavor into every song already to not produce filler, but what some artists are trying is the concept album.

Concept albums center around an idea or theme. Thrice recently released the 1st part of a two-part idea collection. Each box includes two EPs, so the set will have four discs, one for each element: fire, water, earth, and air. Similarly, Sufjan Stephens has produced several popular idea albums. Don’t forget, even artists prefer Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd did idea albums.

These are fun albums to produce, but they’re likewise fun to collect. They are not something you want for one song.

Creative Packaging

This can be the the majority costly tip, but it’s also many fun. businesses such as Invisible Creature specialize in creating one-of-a-kind packaging for albums. Many people prefer creative packaging, and love to collect it. Think about what Apple did with their iPod packaging, it’s an adventure just opportunity up the box. Project 86’s latest album, Rival Factions, used a blue jewel case to hides and revels divergent elements in the liner notes, much prefer what you used to find in cereal boxes.

With the right packaging, listeners will need to own your album, not just download several tunes.

Digital Distribution

We all want to sell complete albums, but we cannot afford to ignore digital delivery. Services such as TuneCore may get your album sold through iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, eMusic and more while you get 100 percent of the sales. This is the future of music sales. Radiohead most famously provide d their album for sale on their web site independently. Some individuals aren’t collectors and do not really care about a single experience, they just want several songs. Indulge them.

High-quality Multi-channel Audio

Not everybody has access to high-quality recording equipment, but those that do should consider releasing their albums on master-quality for those who really love their music. Blu-ray Disc is the newest audio disc format which allows uncompressed audio in up to 7.1 multi-channel surround sound. More and more homes are including surround sound systems and Blu-ray is exploding on the market, thanks to the Playstation 3. Even two-channel audio sounds better in high-quality.

Additional features may be added to Blu-ray releases, such as live footage, documentaries and whatever else you may fit on the 50GB space provide d. performers who have released on Blu-ray include Nine Inch Nails, Dave Matthews, John Legend, and Shakira, amongst a lot of others.

But don’t think you are stuck to Blu-ray. Record businesses such as Linn Records are providing master quality downloads on their website. On-line music stores prefer MusicGiants are additionally providing lossless audio downloads and multi-channel audio downloads.

Get Started

This is only the beginning. Get creative and try new things. Music and art are going to have coalesce to keep it in the physical realm, so think prefer an performer and a businessman. This is your time to shine.

Music promotion isn’t such an easy task to master. In fact it’s one of the biggest barrier present for an indie performer. There are literally tons of nice performers out there, but what’s stopping them from success and fame? It’s their promotion. Do not think for a second just because you’re signed to a big record label, you’ll be next Justin Timberlake. Even big record labels can once in a while struggle to encourage certain performers and there have been many cases where performers voluntarily choose to go independent so they can solely encourage their music and be free of any contract.

Stop dreaming about getting “signed” – it is time to put the power in your hands. Independent music distribution is the wave of the future. And here is the wonderful news, you’re in total control. Don’t think for one second that have to have 100’s of thousands of dollars to drop your CD if you’re independent? Think again. There are lots of companies that will get you started for next to virtually nothing. You only pay for what you sell and they do all the leg work for you.

There are websites that you could visit now that takes your music Web – turns it into a professional CD – and even takes your orders. They likewise ship, they print, they process orders … – heck, everything but making your song and cooking your breakfast. There are places Web which let’s you upload your song once and gets you listed in the top digital distribution websites in seconds. The point is Web music promotion and distribution is much easier than you think. And iTunes is far from the only game out there – there are dozens of places to list your music that you have probably never heard of.

Social networking is another a Club you might use to establish amazing results. Armed with a little knowledge, you might propel your Internet presence within a matter of days and get tons of free publicity and traffic coming through to your website. Not only has the Web begun to dominate the promotion of music, it has furthermore begun to dominate its distribution as well. iTunes, by 2006, reportedly have more than a million song downloads per DAY. That was back in 2006. (Hint: It’s 2008 now).

Online downloads are projected to surpass compact disc sales some time in 2010. This is just brilliant news for independent performers. For you all aspiring performers out there, jump Online, ride this 100-ton marketing guerrilla and take use of the amazing chance Internet presents to everybody.

With the escalating progression of music technology in the final decade, mainland CD stores are continuing to decline in popularity, as the trendy demand for digital music downloads continues to crush them further into the archives of history. Claiming more than half of the globes music buying listeners, Digital Music Distribution is the predominant method of music marketing the world offers us today.

More and more artists are appearing on the scene with highly polished albums, mostly produced entirely under their own steam. They have become resource ful singular empires, holding sole rights and authenticity as unconstrained producers and marketing agents of their own products. These artists are ready to take the world by storm by hooking themselves up with one of the a lot of distribution companies currently available.

But as an independent musician, what are you really signing up to in a distribution deal?

many digital distributors offer musicians the opening to have their music available on many of the popular and esteemed music selling outfits; Apple iTunes being one of the most popular playgrounds for current music consumers. But whilst they might promise to get your music on the right path, how is it going to be found amongst the billion other musicians competing for sales? Consider that most primary stream musicians have many more dollars poured into their advertising and marketing person a’s than the unsigned musician might ever afford. Major acts are funded by major pockets ensuring the optimum opening of sales.

One answer to this is that many unsigned artists feel that by simply having their music made available alongside mainstream artists is a promote to their credibility, affording them and their music a much higher distinction. It’s certain that a good deal could grant your music a triumphant victory if you manage to populate vintage music selling website s. Your only subsequent aim is to actually make sales on them. Otherwise what is the purpose following all?

Deals, terms and conditions change from business to business, so it is value looking around and researching which type of distribution method is right for you. There are many worthy deals, and might just as many scams, circulating the information highway.

If you are thinking of accepting a distribution deal, before signing the dotted line it is necessary to ask questions such as:

• Does the deal include any publicity or promotional advantages to the artist?

• Are there any payments I must make, statutory, collective or otherwise?

• What percentage of royalties will I receive, and how are payments handled?

• might I be offer d with an estimation of how profitable your distributive methods are?

• What are my rights in terminating the contract?

• Am I solely responsible for tax declarations on my net income?

Other things you must check before signing are the ‘exclusivity’ terms. These can greatly inhibit your freedom. Does a deal involve licensing your music digitally (via prefer red Online formats) or does the deal additionally include physical sales? Some are highly exclusive in nature whilst others give you rights to proceed with marketing your music via other channels.

Bear in mind that many reputable and authorised distributors, such as compact disc Baby for one, won’t allow an musician to exploit other distribution channels, as the two parties run the risk of putting your music on the exact same web site s. A hassle major retailers and distributors may do in the absence of, and an understandable clause too.

You must read the terms of an agreement in full. It’s absolutely essential that you fully understand what’s expected from you as well as what’s being provide ed!

Here is a cautionary example:

A music distribution web site currently provides a deal for both digital and physical music sales, (the terms of agreement are publicly available for download on the web site ).

The website appears to charge $99.99 as a one off payment. Upon checking their terms of agreement however, it states:

“After one year of promotion, all of us may archive, remove and/or su invest your Works from the Service in the absence of terminating this Agreement.”

What then Assuming that the agreement is still in place but your work is no longer made available on their web site?

“You may pay an annual fee, which is to be determined, to insure that your Materials are not archived, but displayed and offer ed for sale after the first year of Service.”

So if you refuse to pay this annual fee, the web site still holds all rights to license and sell your music as expressed in the agreement you already signed!

This is not necessarily wrong but is it what you want? Always check the small print and read any agreement thoroughly. As a general rule be wary of web sites that ask you to pay for distributing your music. On the basis that a web site’s marketing strategies were fruitful, and they believed that your music is good enough to reap a profit, why would they be asking you to pay them in advance? Suffice to say that not all web sites that request payment from an performer deliver an unsatisfactory service. Speak to other performers whose music is being distributed and see how the deal is working for them. If something doesn’t sound quite right in any deal, double check with the distributor. If you still receive an insufficient response, you might always seek a legal opinion. But if you are really in doubt, perhaps you are better off in the absence of !

If you are marketing your music through a label they should be sufficiently taking care of your interests. A reputable label with ensure that all terms in a distribution performance ting are obvious and fair to all get togethers involved. Being part of an honest label is often a wonderful way to relieve yourself from some of the finer pressures attached to direct schemes. They will of course additionally expect a cut of the profits but will often have a wonderful degree of interest in maintaining their personal performers’ affairs in an appropriate manner. If the musician is happy the label thrives upon its wonderful reputation, and its integrity towards its performers.

Despite the odds, sales margins have improved for thousands of unsigned artists, simply because of the greater variety of marketing mediums available. You could not only market your music yourself, but allow others to do it for you. The more places your music is available the higher your opening s are of achieving sales. But as with any enterprise, money and prof it is the primary goal, and and so you should proceed with caution before handing your individual work over to anyone.

There are a lot of reputable distributors, who promise to do the job and actually deliver what they stated. But, as with everything in life, there are those that you would rather not be involved with. So research as a lot of as possible, and ask as a lot of questions as you see fit. After all, a year is a long time to get stuck in a deal you later realised does not quite work for you! Not only would a bad deal cause you much frustration in its limitations, but could also undermine your confidence in participating in future marketing opportunities.