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Selling CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach
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Marc Gunn
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Mar 19, 2002 17:22 PST
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_____THE BARDS CRIER: Living the Dream 2002________________
http://bardscrier.com/
http://mp3.com/stations/musictips?bc
The Bards Crier is a free guerrilla music marketing and
promotion publication by the Brobdingnagian Bards, Austin's
Original Celtic Renaissance. http://mp3.com/thebards?bc
_____In This Issue_________________________________________
1. The Crier
2. Music Marketing Lesson
3. Recommended Reading
4. Best of the Bards
5. Classifieds
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_____1. The Crier__________________________________________
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Top 10 Music Marketing and Promotion eZines
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Well last month, the Brobdingnagian Bards were invited to play
the South By Southwest music conference. As a result, a lot of
things have been on the backburner. With that past, as well as
St. Patrick's Day now over, it's back to business as usual.
The conference was fantastic. I got to meet a bunch of people
I've only read about online like David Wimble of the Indie
Contact Bible and David Hooper of IndieBiz.com. Our showcase
went really well and I learned an exciting way to promote gigs
online that was completely untouched by ANY Band at the
conference. It boggles my mind. I'll tell you about it in a
couple weeks.
In the meantime, David Nevue (lots of Davids today, huh?) sent
me an article on "Selling CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach".
David is a brilliant music marketer who has developed a career
almost exclusively selling his music online. So listen and learn.
In other news, this is the last issue that will feature the "Best
of the Bards" section of The Crier. While I'll be happy to
exchange links with any band interested in completing the form,
its slowed my publishing process a wee bit. But keep in mind that
you will still get listed in the Free Music Downloads newsetter
if you have 'em. The list has catapulted to nearly 2000
subscribers so it's great free promotion.
Start Selling CDs straight from your website
http://bardscrier.com/cdstreet/
_____2. Music Marketing Lesson_____________________________
"Selling CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach"
by David Nevue
Recently, a visitor to the Music Biz Academy asked me a very common
question; "How can I sell more CDs on the Internet?" Good question,
though very open-ended. How you go about marketing your music
successfully depends on a great many factors. This article contains
some suggestions where to start.
I recommend musicians take a three-pronged approach to selling
their music on the Internet. The first 'prong' is what I call
'targeting with buzz.' That is, you create a buzz about your music
and get people talking about it. To do that, however, you need to
promote your music where people are already searching for new music
to try out. That is, instead of trying to bring people to you (or
your web site), you go to where the people are already hanging out.
Go where the action is, so to speak. So, where's that?
The first place I recommend any musician start promoting their
music is MP3.com. Though some independent musicians feel MP3.com has
'sold out' (actually, they literally have) to the commercial record
industry, the fact is that for pure exposure it's the place to be.
MP3.com is a huge magnet for music-loving traffic. Perform a search
at Google for 'music' and MP3.com the #2 site listed. Search for
'mp3' and it's the #1 site. You just can't find a better place to
put your music right in the path of cyber-traffic. With proper
promotion, you'll have hundreds, even thousands of new people
listening to your music every day. For example, for January 2002,
I was able to generate over 50,000 plays of my songs. And that was
with just basic, simple, inexpensive promotion. That exposure
resulted in more CD sales, lots of email from new fans, and more
importantly, name recognition. Once you've mastered MP3.com, you
can start setting up shop at other, similar sites such as
Vitaminic.com, GarageBand.com, CDStreet.com, Ampcast.com,
JavaMusic.com and others.
The second 'prong' to increasing CD sales on the net is what I
call 'targeting by site.' With this option, your objective is to
create a web site that targets the people most likely to be
interested in your music. The question to ask yourself is, 'what
are the people who are most likely to buy your music already
searching the Internet for?' Once you have that answer, design a
web site to target that specific audience. Then, promote your web
site using tried and true web site marketing techniques (see
spider-food.net for search engine promotion tips). In this
scenario, you don't focus on promoting your music per se, you
focus on promoting the web site. Then, since your web site is
attracting visitors that tend to enjoy your style of music, you
advertise your music on your specialized web site, marketing
directly to those targeted visitors.
The final 'prong' is where you will create long term fans; your
own 'official' artist web site. This personal web site is the
place where you will provide your fans with complete details
about your act. You'll include song lyrics, news, CD info,
pictures, a discussion board, chat room, sheet music, whatever
you can think of. Your official site is the place you will drive
traffic to from prong #1 and prong #2. It's where, ultimately,
long-term fans (and friends) are made and, if it's well-designed
and updated frequently, it's the place your fans will keep coming
back to. Here's a tip: if you have more than one CD, sell them in
'bulk'. Give your visitors the opportunity to buy more for less.
I currently have 5 CDs, and give my visitors the option of buying
all 5 CDs for $50. Guess what? Most of my orders from new
customers are for the entire collection. So, if you haven't yet
purchased a domain name for your act, do so. I recommend using
DirectNic.com, where you can purchase a domain name for $15/year.
All three of these prongs work together in tandem. The first
(targeting with buzz) not only sells CDs, it creates buzz, name
recognition, and career opportunities where none were before. My
time on MP3.com has directly resulted in song licensing
opportunities, as well as a distribution deal with a Korean
record company. The second method (targeting by site) allows you
to target visitors who have a predisposition to your style of
music. Maybe they didn't search the Internet looking specifically
for new music, but as a result of their search they did discover
you, and with some keen marketing strategies you can gradually,
over time, turn some of these casual visitors into fans. Finally,
the third 'prong' is where you keep them coming back, your own,
official web site. There, long-term fans are made. Think of prong
#1 and #2 as a funnel, that channels your visitors to prong #3.
I'm sure you're thinking this is a lot of work. You're right, it
is, and it's only the beginning. There's a lot involved in
marketing and selling your music online - much more than I can
go into in this short article. But, hopefully this will whet your
appetite and inspire some creating thinking. If your music is
truly good music, and you (and others) really believe in it,
there are many marketing and career opportunities for you online.
You just have to dig them up, and be very persistent about it.
David Nevue
The Music Biz Academy
http://www.musicbizacademy.com
http://www.mp3.com/davidnevue
-----
David Nevue is the founder of the The Music Promotion Academy
(http://www.musicbizacademy.htm). He is a professional pianist,
recording artist, full-time Internet musician and author of the
book, "How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet."
http://www.bardscrier.com/musicpromote/
_____3. Recommended Reading________________________________
INDIE CONTACT BIBLE
An exhaustive book filled with thousands of contacts worldwide.
It will show you WHERE to get your music REVIEWED, your songs
PLAYED and your CDs SOLD! Over 3000 contacts that will guide
you to financial success. http://www.bardscrier.com/icb/
THE GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING HANDBOOK by Bob Baker
This hefty manual delivers 11 chapters and 7 best-selling
reports -- over 120 pages of tips and tools you can use to
turbo-charge your music promotion activities.
http://www.bardscrier.com/gmmh/
HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC SUCCESSFULLY ON THE INTERNET
by David Nevue
2002 edition is now available. Brilliant tips I've missed:
Newscasting, cross-selling strategies, contests and sweepstakes,
referrals, collaborations, coupons, newsletters, press releases,
samplers... Man, for just 91 pages, this book is
packed! http://www.bardscrier.com/musicpromote/
_____4. Best of the Bards__________________________________
Submit your band for the Best of the Bard Award.
http://bardscrier.com/submitaward.shtml
Song Style: World/Folk
Band Name: PaulFarnham (solo artist)
URL: http://www.mp3.com/paulfarnham
Description: Solo guitar/vocal/harmonica presenting original and
traditional material with a "New Folk" approach while attempting
to remain faithful to the troubador tradition in the high-tech age.
Song Style: Pop/Rock
Band Name: Matthew Harrison
URL: http://www.thirdmonkrecords.com
Description: Vocal and guitar driven melodic rock via Las Vegas.
Song Style: World/Folk
Band Name: John Sheehan
URL: http://www.johnsheehan.net
Description: Eclectic fingerstyle guitar songs and instrumentals
with strong roots in american folk/rock and european classical
guitar.
Song Style: World/Folk
Band Name: Answer Hymn
URL: http://www.mp3.com/answerhymn
Description: Answer Hymn is a prolific Christian band that plays a
wide range of musical forms available on 2 CDs & 3 mp3s. The style is
Beatles meets Genesis & Clannad. Robbin Parrish gave the CD "Love is
the Call" 4-stars, "this music highlights a pleasant mixture of
musical styles, including folk, inspirational, and more." Very
different, very original, all inspired.
Song Style: Easy Listening
Band Name: Jim Snedeker
URL: http://www.snedman.net
Description: Christian Pop/Acoustic/Folk with lyrics that lift you
up!
Song Style: World/Folk
Band Name: Rick Stanley
URL: http://www.celticharps.com
Description: Celtic, folk, and some new age. I am a
harpist/guitarist and balladsinger of both traditional and
contemporary folk ballads. I started off as a Columbia Records
artist in the 60's with folk-soft rock in the band "The Gentle
Soul". In the 80's started to perform Celtic music on guitar and
penny whistle; added harp in the 90's. I also write ballads
that "sound" traditional. I have an artist page on mp3.com under
Rick Stanley where you can find free downloads. Also music clips on
my website and on CDStreet.com.
Band Name: bled
URL: www.bled4life.com
Description: Heavy/melodic/grove-metal with a lot of Pantera &
Nothingface influences. These guys are not to be missed if you live
in the New England, USA area! They put on a very energetic fun show,
and have some great songs, and a ne CD coming out this summer!
Song Style: Alternative
Band Name: Uncle Steve
URL: http://www.beerweazl.com
Description: Uncle Steve is a Canadian singer / songwriter /
guitarist with a celtic / aboriginal ancestry. The band "Uncle Steve"
plays its own brand of heavy metal / country / punk, that it refers
to as: "Canajun Blues".
Song Style: Electronic
Band Name: Dead Poets Society
URL: http://www.thedeadpoets.org
Description: Dead Poets Society passes their unique electronic/goth
sound through the prism of the ancient dreamlord, Morpheus.
_____6. Classifieds - 5 Lines, 5 Bucks_____________________
Sell your wares, look for bands, promote your bands, do what you
want to do for just five bucks. How to order?
Visit http://bardscrier.com/order/
** GET MUSIC BUSINESS ADVICE FROM THE BEST!
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** ARE YOU an unsigned act, songwriter or producer?? Looking for
a Record, Publishing, Management and Licensing deal worldwide,
especially in the UK and USA? Each month the BANDIT A&R NEWSLETTER
publishes features on Labels, Publishers, Managements etc looking
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** THE GLOBAL MUSE INDIE MUSIC NETWORK
Music Reviews from some of the best independent musicians on the
web, Promotion/Marketing tips, Artists Development advice, and a
huge indie music search directory. If it's about indie music,
it's at The Global Muse. http://theglobalmuse.com
** OVER 100 OF THE TOP US BOOKING AGENTS EBOOK
Complete with contact Names, addresses, phone/fax numbers,
even email addresses! Download your copy in minutes.
At only 3 bucks your band cannot afford not to!
http://www.xtreme-zone.com/bookingagents.htm
** ATTN: SONGWRITERS The Muse's Muse is your place for songwriting
tips, tools, and connecting with other songwriters around the
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_____Fine Tuning___________________________________________
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Marc Gunn, Bard
P.O. Box 650128
Austin, Texas 78765
512-470-GUNN
Brobdingnagian Bards - the original celtic renaissance
http://mp3.com/thebards?bc
Marc Gunn, Bard - celtic, comical, & indie rock
http://mp3.com/marcgunn?bc
BardsCrier.com - audio music marketing tips
http://mp3.com/stations/musictips?bc
If you like this ezine, try these out:
Indie-Music.com http://www.indie-music.com/mailinglist.php
The Buzz Factor http://thebuzzfactor.com
Xtreme Gazette http://extreme-zone.com
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