The music marketing industry just seems to get better and
better. Before you know it, you will not only get the Fruity O's
in the box, but a CD of an artist you've never heard of. Promotion?
Let me ask that once more. Promotion? For a serious musical
artist that wants/needs to be in the minds of thousands of
fans and stay on top, this word is his Bible. Only one problem
with that word though. How much is enough or too little? Can
you afford to be a star?
The online music revolution, being the latest form of the word,
is booming with artists proudly displaying their wares for
all to hear and experience. Once your music is available online,
what's the next step? How will anybody find you in the primordial
soup we call the Internet. What about the other 3 million
artists online, your fate is surely to be driven by unknown
forces that you have no control over. But wait! If you act now
you also receive "extra" Fruity O's with the CD. That's
right, once your CD is in the box, there is surely to be several
hundred thousand following your lead for their piece of the musical
cereal explosion. How can you possibly win?
Getting your music "out there" surely must require a
magic mixture of potions and spells to mystify the masses of
your forthcoming success, right? Wrong. Making sure that when
people tune in on a local radio broadcast, are waiting in line
at a convenience store or just reading a local music magazine,
they see your name and image or hear your music. That's a good
start, but, oh yes the proverbial "but", will your
music hold up to the expectations of your promotions? That
question you must ask of yourself and the people that share in
your venture. How's your production quality? Is your music of
high caliber, original, hit material and readily available for
purchase? How much money do you invest in your musical endeavors
for promotions? Unlike the record industry, you don't have millions
to spend making sure people hear one song 50 times a day to
generate subliminal connections that make them think your music
is the best since Frank Zappa.
OK, so some of you may say, "Frank Zappa? He's weird. Why
would you use him as a comparison?". Personally I think
he's a musical genius and didn't need repetitive promo. His
music told the entire story of his abilities. This adds a whole
new variable to the equation, listener's perspective.
Targeting the right audience is an important part of this magical
fruity formula. I hear you snickering now, "you tell me I
don't know who should listen to my music?, Yea right".
I've seen fantastic promotion efforts wasted because it was incorrectly
implemented against the wrong crowd. If you play Hardcore
Electronic, you wouldn't leave fliers at the local beauty
shop. Know who your potential fans are. Moreover, no, I don't
mean your friends that you email and call up to listen to you new
tunes. That will only get you so far and then the tap runs dry.
Target real fans that have no idea "who" you are, will
like what you do and tell others.
Another very important aspect is, know the music business. How
can you expect to run a business without any business knowledge.
Make it a point to educate yourself on standard contracts, legal
document verbiage and understand how other aspects of the
music business operate. If you haven't a clue, then you're surely
to be taken advantage of by someone that does. Get an attorney
to read it before you sign and understand exactly what your giving
away for you minute of fame. Most of all, understand your business
model "before" you sink your cash into it.
If this isn't confusing enough, for bedroom bands that don't
play live or tour, it even gets more complex. You now have no public
image. You must fill in the gaps if you want a fan base.
That's right, sell more boxes of Fruity O's and make sure you
have a consistent image on the front beside the silly rabbit
so they can relate to who you are.
Everything I've mentioned is a small perspective on a huge
topic, that you may or may not agree with. There is no magic
formula for Fruity O's. CD's make great coasters and that's
most likely where many will end up, but for the few that were
actually heard while crunching away with multi-flavor delight,
there may be a newly claimed fan waiting for your next release.