Live Music Blog

Let’s 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 expenses. So where do they all balance out? When does the fee of signing up to yet another music promotion service yield determinations? What determinations are  we  looking for anyway?
The key is to make your Web promotion targeted, systematic and rich.
What’s the central drive for independent artists  promote  their music on the web? The fundamental incentive for Web promotion is the opportunity to get your music heard by people who can alternatively never know that you exist! If people know you exist they may be come audiences and repeat- audiences. Which of those audiences buy CD ’s and downloads? Targeted audiences.
The the majority necessary goal of Web promotion is to attract targeted audiences.
Any independent performer who demonstrates they use the Web to sell their music has missed the primary target – attracting targeted audiences. Attracting targeted audiences ought to be every independent  musician’s  first priority.  Don’t forget, you don’t sell your music – audiences BUY your music. It’s a buyers market. The more targeted audiences you have, the more sales you make – provide d you’re systematic in getting your targeted audiences.
The perfect way to get targeted audiences is to be systematic.
many artists tend to approach their Web promotion thinking that since they have a web site and have signed up to a couple of performer showcase web site s, that the audiences will just come pouring in. Yes you have managed to target some potential audiences, but you still have to shout, “Hey, over here… you’ll prefer the sound of this!” A systematic approach to getting audiences to hear your music will attract and maintain their interest. But remember 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  musician’s  case, the rich content is the music. This can seem prefer old news, but look at the amount of independent performer web sites that give the visitor loads of info about the band but decidedly little (or hidden) ear candy. Music ought to be the first thing a visitor gets. At the decidedly least they need an obvious link to where they can listen to your music. And not just one or two tracks but a variety of your music. Independent artists have to remember they haven’t had the radio exposure to model the presentation of their music following more well established acts. Listeners need to be convinced they prefer 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 perfect targeted audiences on the Web will be those that make it to your web site. Find a way to know who they are.  set up a newsletter and make it simple to sign up to it. people interested enough to want to receive news about you’re your hardcore Web audiences, keep them happy.
The next perfect group of targeted audiences are those that hear your music on other web site s. Try to choose web sites that allow audiences to link to your web site. If the y prefer your music they can click on that link to visit your web site. You can then find out where these visitors are coming from. Find a nice 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 endeavors with them accordingly.
When selecting web sites on which to  promote  your music, check to see If the y provide any individual stats relating to your music. prefer how many track plays or page views you and your music receive on their web site. This way you can check in periodically and monitor your show 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 expenses. Try to get into the practice of monitoring all of them regularly. Take note of which web sites are getting better determinations than others and focus your endeavors accordingly. You can pay for minimal promotion on one web site, while another gets you loads of audiences for free. Naturally you’ll want to put more endeavor into updating the web sites that are getting better determinations.
provide a link on your web site and newsletters to all of the web sites you use to  promote  your music.  Don’t forget your web site visitors are your hardcore Web audiences and are the the majority prefer 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 decidedly least it raises your stats on those web sites – making your music look more popular!
Try to establish a ring of web sites that link to each other though the content you supply. For instance, you can have your music on your own web site and two other showcase web sites – web site A and web site B. Your web site ought to in the absence of a doubt link with web site A and web site B. web site A ought to link with your web site and web site B, web site B ought to link with your web site and web site A and so on. What If the se web sites don’t allow you to  set up links to other web site s? Put a Web address in the areas where they do allow you to supply content. prefer biogs or descriptions.
The highest quality aim of linking all your web sites is to provide your audiences with a variety of access points to your music, as well as access to the divergent ways numerous web sites can deliver your music.  Don’t 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 Internet radio, linked with a web site that sells your downloads, linked with a web site that sells your CD ’s provides for a influential combination of exposure.
Be Rich
in the absence of money ! That is the challenge that the majority independent artists face. The conventional approach to selling music is that it ought to not be too simply available to listen to, ought to the incentive for audiences to actually buy albums be undermined. This has persuaded independent artists that they ought to limit Web audiences to low-quality snippets of streaming audio.
Independent artists have to remember they don’t have the resources and finances to guide the “shotgun approach” of spraying their music across radio and music TV. Big artists have big businesses behind them that need to recoup the expenses of mass media exposure, and and so try to limit the extent to which audiences can sample their music on the web. Listeners have already heard the music and are trying to find a copy of their own.
Conversely, audiences haven’t had a opportunity to listen to independent performer through conventional media. Therefore independent artists can’t assume that people will buy their music off of a web site If the y don’t get a opportunity to really listen to it. If people have already heard an  musician’s  music, and prefer it, the worth they pay for is in owning a copy they can play whenever they prefer. If people haven’t already heard an  musician’s  music, the worth is in being able to sample as much of the music as possible.
So being rich is providing your audiences with as much of your music as they want to listen to before they buy it. Now you don’t have to make all your tracks available for free download, but you can provide nice quality, full-length streams that impress the listener and elevate your sound. Not tight-fisted snippets that lose the listener because they are lo-fi and over before they attract the listener’s interest.
Being rich is additionally making your music available in a variety of formats for divergent audiences s. Telling audiences that your music may be heard via Internet radio, on-demand streams, mp3 downloads and mail order CD  means you can appeal to audiences who like more than one kind of media. You can additionally use your Web promotion to go beyond simply 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 audiences, provide 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 helps to enrich the presentation of your music and retain targeted audiences.
So remember : a) maximise your targeted audiences, b) be systematic in gain ing them, and c) retain them by making sure your own web site and other web sites are rich in content.