July 2012


The contacts listed are sorted into FIVE sections.
    1. Publications that will REVIEW your music
    2. Radio Stations/Shows that will PLAY your songs
    3. Labels, Vendors and Promotional Services that will help you to SELL your CD
    4. Sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3s or videos
    5. Helpful Resources for recording artists

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SECTION ONE: SITES/PUBLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED

drunkenmermaid.com
PO Box 1296, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
PH: 484-899-0152 FX: 484-359-8924
Sean Develin submissions@drunkenmermaid.com
www.drunkenmermaid.com
An online blog and promotions service supporting the global music & arts community. Drunken Mermaid actively seeks submissions of original fiction, plays, art, music and photography by both new and established artists. We publish bios, samples, interviews, and links to selected sites. We also publish details of upcoming events. To be featured on drunkenmermaid.com, send an e-mail query. Include biographical information and a brief description of what you’d like to submit. If we are interested, we will contact you to discuss the details and submission formats.

The Bite Magazine
10a Pendre, Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 1JL UK
PH: 07738287684
Becky Beynon-Lewis becky@thebitemagazine.com
www.thebitemagazine.com
West Wales only Alternative magazine featuring the best in new and upcoming music, fashion, art in the Alt. world.

Musicgoat.com
www.musicgoat.com
I just wanted to create a source where I could use my enormous passion for music and my online marketing know-how to help both you the fan and/or you the artist by passing on any information I come across that will make your life more enjoyable as a fan and more profitable as an artist.

Target Audience Magazine
Ellen ellen@targetaudiencemagazine.com
www.targetaudiencemagazine.com
An online, quarterly publication which promotes independent artists of all genres ranging from musicians to writers and illustrators through encouraging them to find a voice for marketing and connecting to their desired audience. Our hope is that through education of those struggling to make it in the arts and interaction with those who have succeeded we will inspire the circle to continue so that art may reward writing and all disciplines may cross-inspire. Once you find your voice as a passionate, creative soul, express yourself through art and find your target audience. Submissions are done through Sonicbids www.sonicbids.com

Vandala
Box 22001, Vernon, BC V1T 9L7
PH: 250-309-1299 FX: 250-545-4822
www.VandalaConcepts.com
Our Vandala Ezine and blog brings top independent music, interviews, reviews, news, events and more to fans with a 100% unique honest spin! Check our website for Submission Guidelines.

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SECTION TWO: RADIO STATIONS, SHOWS AND PROMOTERS

2.1 RADIO - STATIONS AND SHOWS

Condicast
Jadori condicast@gmail.com
www.condicast.wordpress.com
A blog and podcast that focuses on the importance of cultural diversity in music and the media. I also focus on female empowerment and interview a variety of female artists. The overall goal of Condicast is to bring a understanding of gender equality in music and other forms of media. Submission Requirements: Must have a MP3 file with current single. Album art or photo of artist or band. Brief Bio with website link. I am seeking artists and bands of all different genres.

The Underground Dugout
PH: 646-340-0266
Jeff Strange jeffstrange21stcentury@yahoo.com
www.theundergrounddugout.com
Hip Hop talk show. We cater to the independent artist.

KCRW
1900 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405
PH: 310-450-5183 FX: 310-450-7172
mail@kcrw.org
www.kcrw.com
A community service of Santa Monica College, is Southern California's leading National Public Radio affiliate, featuring an eclectic mix of music, news, information and cultural programming. KCRW is a recognized tastemaker for new music from around the world, with trendsetting hosts such as Music Director Jason Bentley, who features live in-studio sessions and interviews with established and emerging artists on Morning Becomes Eclectic; indie and alternative rock with music supervisor Gary Calamar (Six Feet Under); nu-soul and funk with Garth Trinidad; Raul Campos features dance rhythms and Latin beats; Chris Douridas spotlights the latest singer-songwriters and music in all genres; and more.

IMC Radio
PO Box 2366, Madison, MS 39110-2366
PH: 769-218-6453
The Style Council braintrust@imcradio.com
www.imcradio.com
Our station is unique in that we are not tied to one particular format. We are an open format station playing what we want, when we want, and how we want. Music submissions should be made to the above address to the attention of The Style Council. Be certain to send only your best material for review. We will only consider submissions that are of broadcast quality only (mastered professionally or high quality audio masters). E-mailed submissions (MP3s) should be mastered at 320 kbps and no less than 190 kbps. Always include artwork (CD cover, 8 x 10s, and any accompanying videos) with your submissions.

XPOrAdio.com
PH: 973-273-2174
www.xporadio.com
Provides many tools to make it easy for the creators of original music to expose and promote their music. If you are a songwriter or a musical act that performs original music then we invite you to sign up for free and become familiar with what we have to offer. Visitors to XPOrAdio will be able to link to other websites pages where your CDs are for sale and your songs may be purchased and downloaded. You may also enter the XPO500 SONG CONTEST and win cash!

Hip Hop National Radio Show
PH: 877-580-8555
Myra Morris myra@hiphopnational.com
www.facebook.com/hiphopnational
The hottest Hip Hop radio news and talk show in tune with the listeners.

KNDI - Indie Music Radio
David davidmobley@indiemusicradio.net
www.thesongwriterswebcast.com
An online radio station playing all Indie - all the time! We would love to hear and play your music on our station. Please submit all of your original songs through our partner "One Song World" www.onesongworld.com

LCB Radio
Attn: Music Director, PO Box 508, Silver Lake, WI 53170
contributions@wlcb.us
www.wlcb.us
Your online home for great music from independent (unsigned) artists. You may submit music to LCB via the internet or snail mail. For electronic submissions, send your music using YouSendIt (or any similar service) to our e-mail address. After you send us your music, we encourage you to sign up on the website so it is easier for people to find you. If you send your album art along with your music, we will add it to our rotating image at the top of the page and link it to your profile!

F.L.O Empire Radio
submissions@floempireradio.com
www.floempireradio.com
An Urban online station spinning the hottest Hip Hop, R&B, Pop and Reggae from your favorite artists. To receive radio airplay, submit "ONE" MP3 to our e-mail address. Contact us about being a guest on the show.

New Driven Radio
PH: 770-538-4744
Sherry Sabine NewDriven@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/NewDrivenRadio
A weekly 4 hour radio show that features only independent Rock from across the US and around the world. It airs Tuesdays 8-midnight (est). We feature independent bands from Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Punk, Metal, Southern Rock, Americana, Pop and everything in between. The first 2 hours are called New Driven Cruise and we feature the softer stuff there. The second two hours is called New Driven Torqued and the harder stuff is featured there.

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2.2 RADIO PROMOTERS

Artist Airplay Advisors
395 Del Monte Ctr. #311, Monterey, CA 93940
PH: 831-238-7425
J.P. Mosoff jp@backbeattalent.com
www.beanbag1.com/AAA.html
Major radio promotion for Indie and DIY artists. Broadcast, Internet and Satellite airplay achieved nearly 100% of the time.





Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion
1828 Broadway, 2nd Fl. Santa Monica, CA 90404
PH: 310-998-8305 FX: 310-998-8323
Bryan airplay@radio-media.com
www.radio-media.com
Indie airplay promotion to commercial, commercial specialty and college radio stations in the U.S. and Canada.

Howard Rosen Promotion
521 W. Channel Islands Blvd. #15, Port Hueneme, CA 93041
PH: 805-382-2200 FX: 805-201-7816
info@howiewood.com
www.howiewood.com
Since 1985 We have been helping artists reach their goals of obtaining radio airplay, expanding their fan base, and creating awareness throughout the industry. @Howiewoodpromo



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SECTION THREE: SERVICES/VENDORS/LABELS THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC

3.1 SERVICES - PROMOTION/PUBLICITY

Legacy Star Entertainment
PH: 407-470-9692
Will Clark wclark@legacystarent.com
www.facebook.com/LegacyStarPromotions
We provide professional development services including marketing, public relations, event marketing & promotions as well as radio promotion for Hip Hop and R&B artists. Please contact us for consideration or questions on services.

Hev'nbound Music Services
3206 1/2 Brackenridge St. Ste B, Houston, TX 77026
PH: 713-446-6746
Cedric B. Wiley hevnbound11@aol.net
www.hevnbound.net
We offer various service needs for all Spiritual genres. Our services include both physical and digital distribution. Please supply one copy of your CD for consideration. Include a brief paragraph about your project and your marketing plan. We will evaluate your plan of execution and help to better position your product at retail.

One Song World
11 Habrosh St., Bet Shemesh, Israel 99553
PH: +972-077-2164436
www.onesongworld.com
The mission of One Song World is to be recognized universally as the foremost online promoter/provider for quality Indie musicians of all genres, providing access to media, venues, festivals and industry professionals worldwide. Through our extensive and established contacts, we can get your single to the media, festivals, venues and industry professionals in a format strategically engineered for maximum usability and impact. Once we’ve distributed your OSW to the target audience you define, you can use One Song World’s comprehensive marketing tools, such as our online report system to track your campaign. This puts you in a strong, fact-based position to do the follow-up on your own.

Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media
4462 Murietta Ave. #15, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
PH: 818-971–9301
info@promusicrecords.com
www.promusicrecords.com
We deliver innovative and secure digital media services including music, e-books, documents and video for a wide range of partners around the world, such as record companies, artists, FMCG brands, retailers, consumer electronics companies, fashion brands, advertising agencies and many other organizations looking to harness the power of digital music and video to engage customers. A distribution and marketing program for our clients has been implemented to generate revenue from the growing digital download market. Utilizing the latest technology, visitors to the website will be able to sample music clips, videos and buy music. We work exclusively with Hip Hop, Soul, Gospel, Reggae and R&B artists.

Music Services Asia Digital Distribution
40B Pagoda St., Singapore 059199
PH: +65-986-692-59
PERSON info@musicservices.asia
digital.musicservices.asia
The first global digital distribution service specially dedicated to musicians, artists and independent labels from South-East Asia. With zero upfront fees, interested musicians, artists and labels simply need to follow a step-by-step online registration process in order to distribute their music or videos to millions of music fans in over 80 countries worldwide, reaching over 300 online stores and platforms ranging from iTunes, Amazon, Telstra BigPond, Deezer, Spotify, Wowload, Singtel AMPed and more.

INgrooves Fontana
444 Spear St. #213, San Francisco, CA 94105
PH: 415-489-7000 FX: 415-489-7049
www.ingroovesfontana.com
We provide non-exclusive sync licensing support to our label partners. Record labels signed to INgrooves benefit from the creative and well connected licensing team. The licensing department works with top music supervisors, ad agencies and game developers to synch songs from the catalog into innovative projects. Please read our submission details before sending in your music (if you don't follow the instructions we have listed, your music will not be listened to).

Music Supervisor
Gael MacGregor gael@musicsupervisor.us
www.musicsupervisor.com
We get music licensed. Films, TV, Games, Advertising and more!

IndiePower.com
PH: 818-505-1836
info@indiepower.com
www.indiepower.com
Started by industry veterans to further the goal of helping develop the cutting edge of new artists and labels with innovative marketing and talent. Combining 25+ years of valuable experience with an arsenal of talents and a passion for breaking albums and artists, Indie Power is about to add a few new pages to the history books! @indie_power

The Musicians and Authors Media Group (MAMG)
1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
PH: 212-810-1151
Forrest Casey info@musiciansandauthors.com
www.musiciansandauthors.com
Promotes the works of established and emerging musicians and authors through our custom promotional print and website programs.



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3.2 SERVICES - LABELS, DISTRIBUTORS AND ONLINE VENDORS

Colt Records
837 Briley Pkwy. #320, Nashville, TN 37217
PH: 615-663-0763
J. K. Coltrain staff@coltrecords.com
www.coltrecords.com
We are an independent record label specializing in Country, Bluegrass & Gospel music. Read our submission guidelines before sending anything. CDs only, please!

Urban Dubz Music
Unit 121, The Custard Factory, The Greenhouse, Digbeth, Birmingham, B9 4AA UK
PH: 0121-224-7343
info@urbandubz.com
www.urbandubz.com
A UK based digital record label releasing dance music singles, artist albums, compilation albums and Urban Dubz Music branded T-shirts online. Our musical styles include House, Electro, Old Skool Garage, Future Garage, Dubstep, Jacking, Mash-ups and everything in-between. We also offer music promotion services.

Creative and Dreams Music Network
info@creativeanddreamsmusicnetwork.com
www.creativeanddreams.com
An expert team of music industry veterans that brings a synergy and an expertise together to explore the Dreams of emerging talent, while helping them to write and produce highly creative music in order to establish a respected repertoire of successful music products that will enlighten and entertain the world.

RemixDJ
Chequers, Marketplace, Box, Wilts, SN13 8NZ UK
PH: 07522456284
Tom Peters info@remixdj.co.uk
www.remixdj.co.uk
An exciting new label featuring masterpieces from our cultural heritage presented in an array of styles. We provide both original performances and a series of remixes or covers that will hopefully broaden and enhance your enjoyment of these timeless works. We draw upon many genres from Pop, Jazz through to Alternative and Electronic idioms, so there should be a little something for all to enjoy.

Kactus Records
PH: 869-664-7960
Romeo Parris kactuspromotion@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/kactusmedia
Includes Agape R&B-Pop Records and the Avenge Gospel Label. We aspire to inspire, explore to expose and bring to you entertainment at its best! Hailing from Sweet St. Kitts, our journey is for and with our people. One Love ... One God. Our Motto: Building Careers & Changing Lives One-At-A-Time!

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SECTION FOUR: SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3s OR VIDEOS

Aurovine
support@aurovine.com
www.aurovine.com
Most online digital music sites have a complex network of distribution. They can be confusing and not altogether rewarding for the artists. At Aurovine we make it simple. The artists control their own music and pages selling directly to you the fans. The artist sets the prices and keeps the proceeds (less our small commission, to make the site function and keep it updated). Fans can interact more closely safe in the knowledge that they are making a positive contribution to the artists success.

Drip.fm
PO Box 7120, Ann Arbor, MI 48107
www.drip.fm
A platform that connects content creators and their fans. It's also a way for content creators to earn consistent revenue, so that they have the confidence and freedom to make long term decisions. The drip.fm platform is free for labels to use – there are no sign up costs or usage fees. We only make money if you make money, which is done through a revenue share on sales.

MusicDishTV
PH: 718-278-0662
tv@musicdish.net
tv.musicdish.net
Currently accepting video submissions! We are interested in anything music: performance clips, music videos, commentary & news and behind the scenes. Submission is absolutely free.

LIVEO
www.liveomusic.com
A Singapore based service that features a LIVE Streaming TV & radio station online. Showcases live music performances, interviews, behind the scenes from indie & upcoming artists / bands / DJs / talents worldwide using our OWN technology. Our goal is to help and assist unknown artists/bands/DJs to gain more exposure globally via our live broadcast platforms.

The Uncontrolled TV Show
powerhouse502@gmail.com
www.powerhouseshow.com
Hip Hop and R&B video show. In order to make it in the entertainment industry you need to have a place where your talent can be discovered and appreciated. The Uncontrolled TV Show is the place for you. This show can help turn your aspirations and dreams into a reality. At the Uncontrolled TV Show, we feel that it doesn't matter where great music or talent comes from. If it's something that people will like, we want our audience to see it. To have your video considered, send a YouTube link (for one video only) along with a biography, contact information and any other pertinent information.

JukeBoxAlive
311 Montford Ave. Asheville, NC 28801
PH: 828-232-0016
Will Cumberland cumberland@jukeboxalive.com
jukeboxalive.com
Our Advanced Jukebox Player protects your music from being digitally downloaded, yet allows fans to hear your music online. This creates exciting possibilities for you to present yourself to new audiences without being ripped off.

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SECTION FIVE: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Songdew
www.songdew.com
India based social network website. Thousands of new artists are signing up on Songdew to share their tracks with other musicians and listeners. They are using some of the MOST AMAZING and EASY TO USE tools for sharing music, promoting songs and collaborating with other artists. Artists can even distribute their music in the form of songs, CDs and ringtones. Many artists are finding new opportunities of events, collaborations and opportunities every day through Songdew!



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SECTION SIX: HELPFUL TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR YOUR BAND

6.1 RESOURCES - GENERAL

Warmfuzz
PH: 305-923-8944
Ian Shaw ian.shaw@warmfuzz.com
www.warmfuzz.com/ianshaw
www.Facebook.com/warmfuzz
I'm an award winning British record producer with chart success on both sides of the Atlantic. Now based in Key West, Florida, I offer live and studio recording with ProTools HD/Neve and vintage outboard in a sunny, tropical paradise. My credits are mainly in alternative/indie/pop/rock/americana/folk and acoustic music. Working from your existing recordings or from scratch, I specialise in creating exciting and truly affordable, fat, warm, radio friendly mixes with British attitude and heart. Vocals are also my forte and I'm an expert at recording/comping and tuning vocals without auto tune programmes. Unlimited free advice, friendly, experienced, professional and reliable.

9th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards)
2881 E. Oakland Park Blvd. #414, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306
Jessica Brandon info@inacoustic.com
www.inacoustic.com
Promoting the art and excellence in Acoustic music performance and artistry. Win awards in Best Male Artist, Best Female, Best Group, etc.

Rock Steady Video Productions
2023 S. 8th St., Tacoma WA 98405
PH: 253-534-5049 FX: 253-534-5049
Jud Morris jwmorris@rocksteadyvideo.com
www.rocksteadyvideo.com
Full service video production at an affordable rate. Make your next video a Rock Steady Video.

Lunar Echo Stickers
3606 Asset St., Garland, TX 75042
PH: 214-553-9313 FX: 214-553-9312
Chris Merlick merlick@me.com
www.LunarEcho.com
We have been printing stickers for bands, nightclubs, radio stations, record labels and other independent companies & artists for over 20 years. We provide high-quality vinyl stickers at affordable prices.

LAbest.com
office@labest.com
www.labest.com
A new source for Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. LAbest provides the latest links for theatre, museums, restaurants, night clubs, events, galleries and public services....The hottest in music, culture, food, art & anything else interesting going on around Los Angeles. LAbest ... for the best of LA's musicians, writers, filmmakers, photographers, poets, cartoonists, bloggers... and so much more. Includes a "Band Of The Week Of The Week" feature.

Festival Network Online
www.festivalnet.com
There's nothing like a live performance! FNO lists more than 7,000 events throughout the U.S. and Canada seeking performers, from local & regional to national & international. @_festivalnet Search by 22 different music genres, event attendance, zip code radius & more. Plug in festival dates with club dates.

Peerless Mastering
1085 Commonwealth Ave. #322, Boston, MA 02215
PH: 617-527-2200
info@peerlessmastering.com
www.peerlessmastering.com
Dedicated to providing the highest quality restoration. We offer the highest quality stereo and 5.1 pre-mastering, CD, CD Enhanced, and DVD-A authoring and full audio restoration. Our staff is exceptional at giving our clients the best quality and service, guiding them through the final phase of their sonic process with ease and expertise. We are uniquely equipped to provide the highest quality mastering available anywhere. We have the expertise, equipment, and skills to achieve the full sound potential of your album. As more and more artists are choosing to record in project and home studios, high-quality professional mastering in an acoustically accurate room has never been more important. Working at Peerless' state-of-the-art studios with our highly trained engineers, you can realize your sonic vision and make your recording sound as full, warm, punchy, and clear as possible. We will guide you through every step of this final phase of your project, and you will be truly amazed when you hear how incredible your music can sound. @PeerlessMaster


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6.2 RESOURCES - EDUCATIONAL

Music Marketing Coach for Indie Artists
PH: 734-417-0227
Jamie me@jamieleger.com
http://www.jamieleger.com
I help indie artists and industry experts build their brand online. I help them package, position, and promote their message online.

Music Marketing Manifesto Blog
John Oszajca john@musicmarketingmanifesto.com
www.MusicMarketingManifesto.com
Advanced strategies, secrets, tactics and tips on selling your music online. @JohnOszajca




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6.3 RESOURCES - TOOLS

Musicmetric
176 Shoreditch High St., London E1 6HP UK
PH: +44-020-7739 2301
info@musicmetric.com
www.musicmetric.com
The world's most powerful artist analytics dashboard. Strengthen marketing, promotion, planning and sales while reporting the impact of your actions as they happen. We currently track and index data for 600,000 artists and over 10 million individual releases – all in real time. And it's growing. Our dashboards are used by thousands in the industry, including artists, managers, promoters, indie and major labels and broadcasters.

Bandsintown
www.bandsintown.com
Our Artist Platform is built to meet the unique needs of touring artists. Our platform is the easiest and most effective way to manage and promote your tour dates and real Facebook events on your fan page, website, tumblog, MySpace, Twitter, mobile apps and more - all from a single, authenticated dashboard.

CDstands.com
30 Compton Way, Hamilton Sq. NJ 08690
PH: 609-689-1711
Scott Clark info@cdreview.com
www.cdstands.com
We manufacture our own line of CD boxes for artists to sell their music at shows or in stores.

Hostbaby
5925 NE 80th Ave. Portland, OR 97218
PH: 888-448-6369
hostbaby@hostbaby.com
www.hostbaby.com
The best place to host your website/domain! Powerful artist tools including blogging, calendar, mailing list, selling merch, and streaming audio. Integrate your site with Facebook, Twitter and more! No design skills are needed. We have hundreds of professional design templates. Sell your music through CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster, Rhapsody + over 15 other music sites!



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6.4 RESOURCES - ORGANIZATIONS

SoundExchange
1121 14th St. NW. #700, Washington, DC 20005
PH: 202-640-5858 FX: 202-640-5859
info@soundexchange.com
www.soundexchange.com
Distributes royalties from internet airplay (ie: XM, Sirius, Live365). If you have had airplay from any internet sources, you probably have some royalties waiting for you. Sign up today!



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SECTION SEVEN: THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE

5 Tips for Approaching Music Blogs, Writers, and Other Music Press

by Julia L. Rogers, MusicCoaching.com
© 2013 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission


Part of being a DIY artist is marketing yourself like an entrepreneur or small business owner. You're presenting the brand of "You, Inc.," comprised of all the unique things about your music and you as an artist. And while putting some tracks up on social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace – and your own website – is an important part of your marketing plan, you can't just leave it at that and hope someone will simply stumble across your music.

An important part of your PR efforts as a DIY artist is to effectively present yourself to music blogs, podcasts, online music communities, websites, and magazines. It's a given that if you're at the stage where you're ready to approach the music press, you should have at least two things:

1) a professional-sounding collection of your songs that represents you at your best
2) tangible proof that you are playing regularly and working hard at providing an engaging experience for your fan base.

Assuming you have both those things going for you, what comes next? Unless you have networked at a conference or have had the chance to meet a blogger, podcaster, etc. in person, there's a good chance your first interaction with the music press will be via email. A well-crafted introduction email might land you more free promotion than you could ever afford – a poorly executed email will immediately make its way to the "deleted" folder.

You don't have to be a trained writer or even a great natural marketer to put together an attention-getting email. But if you're serious about making music your career, you do have to approach the media thoughtfully and professionally and think like a business owner whenever you're presenting yourself and your music. Here are five tips to think about before (long before!) you hit "send" on that next email.

1) Have a clear grasp on your story
You love your music and you think people should hear it. But you have to think of yourself like any other company or brand. In order to get people to tune into you, you must have a good handle on your story and mission statement as an artist, and be able to persuade potential fans with short attention spans why they should give your music a listen.

"I've been passionate about music ever since I was five and I like to write songs," or, "I grew up watching MTV and know my music is better than what I've seen on there" isn't going to cut it. Clichés aren't going to set you apart from the other thousands of indies who have the same story.

Instead, think about which unique qualities set the story of how you came into music – something personal and specific. Perhaps you were raised by circus performers who were hip hop fans, which led you to develop an interest in playing the accordion and writing clown-themed raps. (You certainly wouldn't have to try to stand out if that were your story). Even if you are a guitar-driven indie rock band or a traditional singer/songwriter, think about the personal experiences that have led you to pursue music and how that comes through in what you do. Then write that story out, in no more than three sentences.

People with the power to write about and recommend your music to others often get hundreds of emails daily, and they will tune out if you don't get to the point quickly. If they want to know more, they will ask. After you write down your short story – aka, your "elevator pitch" – repeat it over and over to yourself, so you can rattle it off when someone asks you. And relay it in every email you send to someone you think should be listening to your music, along with a direct link to some songs.

2) Keep it local
When you're deciding which media outlets to contact about your music, start with those that write about musicians or events that are located near you. If you're at the beginning of your career – and especially if you're at a point where you're regularly starting to see more than just your four closest friends at your shows – you need to focus on getting attention in your home city/local area. In the beginning, reaching people who can actually come out to see you play, understand where you come from, and who can interact with you personally is an important part of establishing personal relationships with fans. The closer they feel to you, the more likely they will be to recommend you to friends, and the more often all of them will want to download/buy your music, buy your tshirts, or come to see you perform.

3) Do focused research
As a DIY artist, there's nothing that can waste your precious PR time more than blindly sending out "listen to my music" emails to every person on the planet who listens to music. Still, a lot of bands do just that, thinking that indiscriminately casting a wide net will increase the odds that someone will respond.

Think of it this way – if you don't own a house, would you like to get repeated, unsolicited emails about homeowners' insurance? If you front a country band and you randomly email bloggers that write exclusively about heavy metal or someone that runs a steampunk zine begging them to listen to your music, you're committing the same crime of irrelevancy and wasting your own time. You could also be building a bad reputation for yourself in the industry.

Thanks to Google (and the Indie Bible) it's quick and painless to search for the media outlets that regularly talk about the exact type of music you play and to find the people that might be interested in hearing from you, which ups the chance of a positive response to your email significantly. Along those same lines, know which type of outlet you're emailing before you send any emails so you can set realistic expectations about the response you might get. A blog, a newspaper, and a magazine all take very different approaches when it comes to writing about and talking to artists. Also, before you start to send emails, make a list of sources. You can add to and subtract from that list as you go along.

4) Send personalized emails
Once you've made a list of media outlets to email – even if that list is long – resist the temptation to send a form letter. Take the time to craft each email separately and include a few personalized details you've learned through your research about the person/publication/source in question. If you are sticking to the "short and sweet" rule of emailing, this level of detail shouldn't take too long to add, and it will show the person on the other end that you've taken a little time to learn about who they are, that you're legitimately interested in their feedback, and are serious about your career.

5) Don't send more than two emails
Along the same lines as "keep it short and sweet," when you're reaching out to someone you've never communicated with, limit yourself to two emails: an email with links and a follow-up email, sent at a later date. People writing about music hear from a lot of artists, every day. And the best journalists and bloggers – those that truly care about what they do and have a legitimate love of music – are going to actually take the time to thoughtfully read and listen to almost every email and music link they get.

You can't expect to get a "yes" or "no" right away, so you need to be patient. You might get a quick "Thanks for sending this! I'll listen to it within [a certain time period] and get back to you." If that happens, wait the amount of time the person specified and then send a follow-up message a few days after that. If you get no response to your initial email – which, frankly, quite often happens – wait at least a week before sending your follow up. In either case, if you don't hear back after your second email, end it there and move on.

As you think about the process of sending emails to the press about your unique artist brand, try to remember the last time you heard anyone say, "I love this new band. I had never heard of them before. All they had to do was send me a link to a free download of their album, and I was sold!" Likely, you can't, because that never happens. In order to get the attention of music journalists – or anyone for that matter – you need to provide compelling reasons for them to listen and fall in love with your music. And if you can create that magnetic pull to your "creative products" (your music!) through all your marketing efforts, you will continue to add to your roster of "loyal customers" (your fans!).



Julia L. Rogers is a classically-trained musician, a published author, and a contributing music writer at Bitch magazine. Julia plays out regularly in New York City in various original projects and writes about business strategy, social media, and emerging technology for corporate clients ranging from AOL Small Business to American Express. Julia is also available to be hired as a music bio writer. This article originally appeared on MusicCoaching.com - a blog for musicians and music industry people. www.musiciancoaching.com



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