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This month's newsletter features the listings that were submitted to me in March. The contacts listed are sorted into FIVE sections. 1. Publications that will REVIEW your music |
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2. SITES/PUBLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED OpeningBands c/o Cassie Conner, 1724 Cindy Lynn St., Urbana, IL 61802 reviews@openingbands.com www.openingbands.com/reviews/guidelines.race Mail 2 copies of your CD (so we can have two people review it). Our address changes often, so please check our site before sending your CD. ExMogul Music Susan White info@exmogul.com www.exmogul.com Do you want us to review your CD? We'll listen and review it for your press kit. Just contact us and let us know. Music Editor Sergio Martorelli Rua Afonso Pena, 165 casa 5, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil CEP 20270-241 Sergio Martorelli sergio.martorelli@uol.com.br I´m the editor of the Brazilian DVD TOTAL MAGAZINE/SHOWTIME (www.revistadvdtotal.com.br) and webmaster/owner of the sites http://the-horror.blogspot.com http://off-the-press-up-to-date.blogspot.com and http://dvdpov.blogspot.com If you´re interested in seeing your CDs or DVDs in our mag and blogs, that covers ALL genres without discrimination, feel free to send promo material, screeners or sample CDs to the above address. CD Reviews by You webmaster@cdreviewsbyyou.com www.cdreviewsbyyou.com Review any artist or any album you like! We are especially looking to promote and showcase new, upcoming and independant artists. Chaos Control Digizine PO Box 1065, Hoboken, NJ 07030 PH: 201-610-0688 Bob Gourley bob.gourley@gmail.com www.chaoscontrol.com Pioneering online zine focusing on, but not limited to, Electronic music. Features an extensive collection of interviews with both major and underground acts. Equal Music PO Box 456, Marlboro, NJ 07746 PH: 732-580-2537 Danielle Moskowitz danielle@equalmusic.com www.equalmusic.com Bands we cover exude elements of originality and passion and possess something that can't be explained--something that sets them apart. Kweevak Music Magazine 38 Oliver Pl. Ringwood, NJ 07456 PH: 973-556-5400 Rich Lynch info@kweevak.com www.kweevak.com We now guarantee CD Reviews and a full 2-month main page artist spotlight feature for all bands and musicians who join the community!
3. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC Vic McGlynn Show - BBC 6 Music Spare Room Music, Rm 540, Western House, 99 Great Portland St., London W1A 1AA UK Vic McGlynn vic.6music@bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/vic_mcglynn So back in the day...jumpers for goalposts...it would be 'Garage tapes', perhaps early 20's -professional studio recordings (at rip off prices), but now with little time, family commitments, and mortgage nonsense to sort out, many musicians prefer to remain 'in house' i.e. working late into the night, on PC and 8 track in spare rooms throughout the land. That's who we're after for our new feature 'Spare Room Music'. The only entrant policy being, it must be produced by yourself, in your spare room. Genius. If you'd like to get aired on 6 music and be critiqued by listeners, then we'd love to have a listen to your stuff. It would be to your advantage if you had a website where you can be reached by listeners and interested parties. For example, a track at www.number6.tv was aired yesterday and promptly received over 1500 hits. Bonus. Songtiger.com 6415 Oliver Ave. S., Richfield, MN 55423 PH: 952-200-6255 Mike Johnson webmaster@songtiger.com www.songtiger.com Internet radio station covering most genres of music. BoostDigital Indie Radio PO Box 1398, Rozelle, NSW 2039 Australia PH: +61-2-9460-1400 FX: +61-2-9460-0044 Ian MacRae newmusic@boostdigital.com www.boostdigital.com Features all new independent music, most genres, streaming 24/7 plus music videos on the site. Soon to offer downloads with commission paid to artists. Please print off the Music Submission form and mail it with your CD’s/DVD’s. Or send one single track only by MP3 email. The Home Made Hit Show Tony Butterworth homemadehitshow@gmail.com www.homemadehitshow.com Featuring exciting and original Rock, Acoustic, Blues and Pop music made by home based artists. TEE-M's UNsigned Music Show TEE-M (Tariq) tmgig@yahoo.com www.tee-m.com A genre busting show where the UNsigned revolution is on... Renegade Radio PO Box 490, Wadsworth, NV 89442 PH: 775-575-7777 FX: 775-575-7737 William E. Bauer email@renegaderadio.org www.renegaderadio.org We accept Christian Rock, Christan Hip Hop, Christian Metal and Electronic Beat. We accept stuff via MP3, but please contact us BEFORE you send an attachment. Mighty Field of Vision Radio 805 Prospect Dr. Decatur, AL 35601 PH: 256-351-7835 John D. Wyker wyker@mightyfieldofvision.com www.mightyfieldofvision.com Providing a real avenue of radio exposure for indie artists. WebRadioPugetSound.com 6310 203rd St. Ct. E. Spanaway, WA 98387 www.webradiopugetsound.com Supporting Independent music. See website for submission guidelines/forms. We also provide an online music store. The Open Mic Podcast PH: 206-338-2577 FX: 704-843-5396 Tyler McKenzie openmicpod@gmail.com www.openmicpodcast.com Features music and information on independent artists.
4. SERVICES/VENDORS/LABELS THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC Music Forte 11363 S. Churchill, Plainfield, IL 60585 PH: 888-659-2867 Greg Percifield support@musicforte.com http://www.musicforte.com Musicians - we're ready to start promoting your band and music and it won't cost you a cent! CDfuse.com PO Box 9615, Austin, TX 78766 PH: 512-825-9108 Sal Silva III sal@cdfuse.com http://cdfuse.com An on-line record store for unsigned and Indie artists. We represent the next level for listening, reviewing and buying music online. Boosweet Records PO Box 451594, Los Angeles, CA 90045 PH: 310-613-3535 FX: 909-877-9199 Vernon Neilly VNeillyI@aol.com www.boosweet.com Specializing in the recording and distribution of major acts as well as up and coming artists. We will promote and sell your products worldwide via the Internet. We can get any artist's material into the major digital download stores as well. RiPPYFiSH Records, LLC 1800 SW Temple #317, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 PH: 801-487-7302 FX: 801-487-7304 Lisa Miller lisa@rippyfish.com www.rippyfish.com We are an open genre independent record label. Raspberry Art Music Group 341 Barclay Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15221 PH: 412-913-0876 Ron raspberryart@gmail.com myspace.com/raspberryartmusicgroup Promotion group that can get your music in the hands of many press, radio and other promotional outlets. Mi2N PR Syndicate www.mi2n.com/prsyndicate A PR distribution service for indie artists. We'll syndicate your press release across the web, getting your announcement in front of industry and friends. Michael Cruise PH: 07970-182621 info@cruiseinternational.co.uk www.cruiseinternational.co.uk We sell some of the best in Reggae music online along with other styles of music. Beaucoup Records 145 Hudson St. #6C, New York, NY 10013 PH: 212-431-3999 FX: 212-431-7229 Ramin Mirshah ramin.mirshah@beaucouprecords.com www.beaucouprecords.com An independent record label created to provide artists artistic freedom and a chance to share their music with the world. TWE Promotion Intückenweg 13, 44289 Dortmund, Germany Torsten Wohlgemuth booking.twe@web.de www.myspace.com/twepromotion Do you need a distro or label in Europe? Ask us! You want to promote your releases in Europe? Don´t hesitate to contact us! RPM Records PH: 01302-371791 FX: 01302-371791 Richard Haze sales@rpmrecords.uk.com www.rpmrecords.uk.com Well established online record, CD and memorabilia shop. Specialising in Indie music. FlightSafe Music Attn: Music Submission, 4621 Sandalwood Dr. Pleasanton, CA 94588 info@flightsafemusic.com http://www.flightsafemusic.com Generates music synchronization licenses for placement in film and television applications such as major theatrical releases, independent films, documentaries, sitcoms, commercials, and TV shows. FlightSafe Music is a full-service music publishing company registered with BMI, with Apix Music as its ASCAP sister company. Limited Access Records Intückenweg 13, 44289 Dortmund, Germany Torsten Wohlgemuth contact@la-records.com www.la-records.com Stands for timeless Rock and Metal releases. Bands like Adrenaline Kings, Deviated Presence, Exotherm, Free Little Pigs, Faster But Slower and Te-Deum are distributed by Limited Access Records! Last Word 7812 Waterford Lakes Dr. #1226, Charlotte, NC 28210 PH: 704-493-6499 Mehka (Mecca) mehka_1@hotmail.com www.lastwordonline.com I assist Urban independent labels in creating business plans, interview preperation, press releases and contacting media outlets. We also offer individual services such as press release distribution, business plans, or publicity. Price varies. Head to the Ground Entertainment 29 Chestnut Dr. Newnan, GA 30263 PH: 770-377-9843 FX: 770-599-3622 Shannon Scott sdselt@yahoo.com www.htgentertainment.com A full-service booking and promotions agency. HTG also offers photography and video recording for musicians looking to take it to the next level. The Night Cafe PH: 01302-371791 FX: 01302-371791 Richard Haze sales@nightcafe.co.uk www.nightcafe.co.uk Distributor of relaxing yet stimulating late night music with a high "chill out" factor. Staffed by music enthusiasts! We also sell CDs by independent artists covering most genres.
5. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3s OR VIDEOS mTraks 1301 N. Palm Canyon Dr. #208, Palm Springs, CA 92262 PH: 760-325-8663 FX: 760-320-4305 Dey Martin indiebible@mtraks.com www.mTraks.com A new social networking space for independent bands and fans of bands. Think iTunes meets MySpace. Upload and sell your music today. Physical distro for CDs. Promotional tools. No gimmicks. No B.S. By musicians for musicians. TagWorld.com PH: 310-394-5164 FX: 310-394-5167 Paula Gould paula@tagworld.com www.tagworld.com Join for free, and view profiles, connect with others, blog, upload music and much more! JamVault info@jamvault.com www.jamvault.com Indie music downloads, schedules and more! DigiFreq Music Promotion http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/musicsubmit.asp This new service aims to help independent musicians gain some added exposure for their work. The only requirement is that the title being submitted must be available for sale from either Amazon.com or CDBaby.com. Band Weblogs Jenny May and Dave Tommo info@bandweblogs.com www.bandweblogs.com We are accepting music videos for download. Musicians and music promoters: sign up as members for free in the Band Weblogs Community and submit band press, reviews, links to mp3s, music videos, podcasts and more. BeatPick Unit 8, 2nd Fl. East Wing, Oslo House, Felstead St., London E9 5LG UK FX: 0044 (0) 2089867712 Frank Danieli info@beatpick.com www.beatpick.com FairPlay music label and music licensing (download music and license pre-cleared indie music). The Weed Files 3256 D'Amours, Sainte-Foy, QC G1X1M7 Canada PH: (418) 657-5039 : Christopher Stewart contact@weed-files.com www.weed-files.com Free, do-it-yourself Weed distribution site for independent artists and labels featuring news blogs, comments and ratings, tags, podsafe files and a complete artist area.
6. HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR BAND NUESION PH: 800-870-3721 info@nuesion.com www.nuesion.com We offer affordable customer web hosting solutions. 24/7 customer support. Streaming video & audio. Online marketing & search engine placement. Mention this listing and get 50% off our regular prices online! Publik Music 185 High St., Portland, ME 04101 PH: 207-772-6151 FX: 207-772-6106 Carol Brewer carol@publikmusic.com www.publikmusic.com Independent music, performance videos, interviews, interactive VOD and internet, internet sales. Unsigned Music Forum PH: 609-424-4556 Nick Willever admin@unsignedmusicforum.com www.unsignedmusicforum.com Centralizing and strengthening the unsigned music scene. Many features for musicians and fans! CDman 4794 6th Ave. W., Vancouver, BC V6T 1C5 PH: 800-557-3347 FX: 604-261-3313 www.cdman.com A service orientated company that knows how to put the customer first. We are the print professional's choice for fast CD / DVD Duplication & CD / DVD replication services. Since 1991 our reputation has been one of honesty and integrity. Seatthole Shirts PO Box 3137, Bellingham, WA 98227 PH: 360-733-2154 Django Bohren info@seatthole.com www.seatthole.com High-quality custom t-shirt screen printing and Rock & Roll promotional items for your high-, medium-, low- or no-budget project. Westone Music Products 2235 Executive Cir. Colorado Springs, CO 80906 PH: 719-540-9333 FX: 719-540-9183 Paul Carhart music@westone.com www.westone.com/music In-ear musicians monitoring and hearing protection products. Tape & Disc Services 7570 Springhill Ct. Gladstone, OR 97027 PH: 888-655-2272 FX: 503-656-4742 info@tapeanddisc.com www.tapeanddisc.com A full-service CD duplication and CD replication company that also specializes in DVD replication and DVD duplication. ALLPARTS 13027 Brittmoore Park Dr. Houston, TX 77041 PH: 713-466-6414 FX: 713-466-5803 info@allparts.com www.allparts.com America's premier guitar and bass parts supplier. Coll Audio 3595 St. Clair Ave. E. #2, Toronto, ON M1K 1L8 PH: 416-264-1188 FX: 416-264-1190 mail@collaudio.com www.collaudio.com Canada's leading source for backline musical instrument rentals. Unsigned Music Directory PH: 609-424-4556 Nick Willever admin@unsignedmusicdirectory.com www.unsignedmusicdirectory.com Find new resources in the unsigned music scene. Also add your own! Many categories for different links. Royal Ark Music 13763 Campus Dr. Oakland, CA 94605-3833 PH: 510-867-8902 Dejah Fortune blakkbuddha@aol.com www.royalarkmusic.com We provide promotion for artist in the SF Bay area. Starving Artist Talent Competition 659 Auburn Ave. #147, Atlanta, GA 30312 PH: 404-221-1165 IMRATL@yahoo.com www.imrtv.com We will award one indie (R&B / Acoustic / Hip-Hop) a Grand Prize Package worth $20,000.00! Vimoksha PH: 919-468-1723 Jay Rao webmaster@vimoksha.com www.vimoksha.com Information on Indian Classical music and Indian classical dance. News, institutions, teachers and artist profiles. RPM Music Weekly Dr. George Pollard drgeorgep@sympatico.ca www.rpmmusicweekly.ca Music, radio, analysis, airchecks, comment, reviews. IHearMusic-online.com klmartinjr1@hotmail.com www.ihearmusiconline.com Brings you up to date information on your favorite Worship & Praise Leaders & Gospel music artists.
7. THE “T” IN TOUR MERCHANDISE STANDS FOR T-SHIRT by Gigi Swanson, M.G. Incentives © 2007 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. Article originally appeared on The Music Dish Network www.musicdish.com When you think of tour merchandise you might envision major label artists playing large arenas and selling everything from tie-dye T -shirts, bumper stickers, embroidered baseball caps and in the case of the Rolling Stone’s famed Voodoo Lounge tour—a custom motorcycle. But even if you are an independent artist you can run your business like the big acts by utilizing an added revenue stream source—custom merchandise. As an artist/performer you are selling an experience and fans will buy a souvenir of that experience in the form of a CD, clothing, buttons, posters, etc. As music fans we have all come home with something more tangible than a ticket stub and it’s usually something we can wear. The custom wearables market has plenty to choose from, but let’s focus on the long held wardrobe staple---the T-shirt. What better promotion is there than a walking billboard to advertise who you are and what you do. It’s generally inexpensive to produce and if made with good-quality materials it can last a very long time. But better than that, there is a healthy margin of profit in the sales of wearables, which can at least offset or even cover your travel expenses. You can package CDs with a T –shirt for an “added value” sales incentive such as offering them “half off” with a CD purchase. You can use them as door prizes or as a thank you for the sound guy or the waitress at the clubs you play. The same applies for coffeehouse, church and house concert gigs. Even when you play for free you can earn money and build goodwill and name recognition. Don’t think selling T- shirts is for more visible and established acts. If you are playing out and selling CDs you can sell shirts. But before you jump in, here are a few pointers to make your promotional dollars work for you. The most popular T- shirt is the basic crew neck. Not only is it low in cost, it’s a style people are familiar with. As far as color options are concerned, the sky is the limit with the least expensive being the standard white, then the heathers/naturals, and then the darker colors. Besides the basic tee, you can branch out with different styles such as ‘70s retro ringer tees, baseball raglan tees and new styles made for women such as scoop necks, baby-doll tees, and the new layered looks. I prefer 100% cotton heavyweight Tees in the 6.0 oz range for long term durability. Brands such as Gildan, Hanes, and Jerzees have been common favorites for years. Heavier fabric is knitted tighter which enables a better screen print, especially when using detail and four color process. Plus they are typically cut larger and hold up better with multiple washings. But you must think of the tastes of the end user and the image you are trying to promote. That’s where fashion often comes in. Knowing your audience is key. For example, one of my Rap group clients goes for the extra large size heavier weight tees, whereas a rock group client sells mostly light weight, smaller tight fitting “alternative” tees. They cost more but the look they achieve supports their brand image. Check out the on-line stores of different recording artists to get a sense of what fans are buying and to see what might work with your audience. What makes your T-shirt sell isn’t the style, its size or color but its logo design. Logo art needs to be readable and convey the image you want to promote, but keep in mind it should be something a person will want to wear. When it comes to printing logos, you can opt for gel, sugar-glitter, suede, reflective, metallic, glow in the dark, and ink in one color and up to 12 colors. Screen printing using one color ink in one position on the shirt is the most economical. You have to pay for an art screen with each color you use as well as for any extra handling of the shirt. That includes flipping it over to print on a different side. Some artwork may require added film screens to replicate more complicated designs. So keep it simple if you can. If you have to go with a certain “look” make sure you get a thorough quote before you proceed. Your logo art needs to be in a graphic format generally saved as an eps file. Many imprinters charge an hourly rate to prepare art that isn’t standard or isn’t vector art for more complicated designs. Most printers carry standard Pantone Colors but also offer color-matching inks for an added charge. How many T shirts should you buy? The real price breakpoints in the industry start at 144 units, but that amount isn’t practical for everyone. You can find reasonable shirts at the 72-unit range or even less if you plan it right. Funds still short? I know of some bands that purchased co-op shirts with another band or with a sponsor such as a local nightclub. They basically sold space on the shirt to share or subsidize the cost and helped promote their partners at the same time. If you can get your shirts for under $5 and sell them in the $10-15 range you will see a quick return on your investment. When I taught music business classes, I used to illustrate the power of selling tour merchandise to my students this way: A typical major label recording artist might make a little over $1 off the sale of a CD . He would have to sell five CDs or more to make the same margin off the sale of one basic T- shirt. That’s why some of the major labels have affiliated merchandise companies as an added revenue stream for themselves. Tour or gig merchandise can be incorporated in your overall marketing plan. It fits right in with preparing press kits, driving traffic to your website, getting people in the door and selling CDs. The right product will promote you long after the gig. Keep an eye out for future articles on more promotional products. Trucker hats anyone? Gigi Swanson started an entertainment division three years ago when she left her teaching and administrative duties as director of the music business program at McNally Smith College of Music located in the Twin Cities. She commutes between the company’s Minneapolis and St. Petersburg offices and recently opened a satellite office in Nashville. M.G. Incentives, Inc., a company that specializes in promotional products. The company has worked with advertising firms and corporations for over 15 years.
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