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- November 2000 -

The Indie Bible: Independent Music Promotion
Cover Design By Bob Masse
$24.95 + Shipping

Get More Information on how to Promote
Your Music by Purchasing The Indie Bible!









HOME
TABLE OF CONTENTS


1. PRE-RAMBLE
2. INTRODUCTION
3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED
4. STATIONS AND SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC
5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC
6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES
7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE
8. WANT SOME AIRPLAY? some experiences by Lord Litter
9. ROYALTIES IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, Part 1 by Joyce Sydnee Dollinger
10. WHY GIVING PEOPLE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IS A MISTAKE by Tim Sweeney
11. ALTERNATIVE MARKETING & THINKING IS THE KEY TO "SPARKING" CD SALES AND BUZZ ABOUT YOUR MUSIC by Tim Sweeney
12. REVIEW OF THE INDIE CONTACT BIBLE by Ben Ohmart




1. PRE-RAMBLE


I have sent you this newsletter because
a. you have bought a copy of The Indie Contact Bible
b. your site is listed in The Indie Contact Bible
c. you signed up to receive the newsletter
d. your site is listed at Big Meteor Publishing....somewhere
e. you are selling The Indie Contact Bible from your site
f. I made a mistake


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2. INTRODUCTION

I'm very excited about this month's articles. World famous underground DJ, Lord Litter gives solid insight on how to submit your music to radio stations. Joyce Sydnee Dollinger, an expert in the field of music royalites, has submitted her first in a series of articles that will break this mysterious aspect of the music industry down into understandable bits. Tim Sweeney, renowned Independent music author and lecturer, has submitted two articles that are sure to help boost your CD sales. Lastly, I also have included a review of The Indie Contact Bible that was written by reviewer extraordinaire, Ben Ohmart.

As always, there are a sizable group of new contacts listed that can help you to gain exposure for your music.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join the Indie revolution! "Booking, Promoting and Marketing
Your Music" by Nyree Belleville, provides the step-by-step tools
that you need to make a good living as a musician and performer.

Purchase it now at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are the contacts that are listed in this issue of the newsletter. As is the case in The Indie Contact Bible, the contacts listed are sorted into five sections.

1. Sites that will review Independent Music
2. Radio stations/shows that will play Independent music
3. Online services that will help to sell your
4. Sites where you can upload your band's MP3 files
5. Sites where you can promote your band online for FREE!


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3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED

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Studiocam.org
Danny Williams inhalemusic@hotmail.com
http://www.studiocam.org
We provide free concert webcasts for indie bands. We also reviews music and videos to help artists get exposure. We have worked with over a hundred indie bands and DJs since January and some have been contacted from A&R and Management in regard to their performances. We have a soundstage that artists perform on with digital sound and video (just like the pros). We can even burn CD or VHS copies of your performance to enable you to put your show on your website.

Caustic Truths
editor@caustictruths.com
POB 92548, 152 Carlton St., Toronto, Ont, M5A 2K0.
http://www.caustictruths.com
A small independent zine which focuses on punk, hardcore, garage, and other noizy music.

Digi-Scape Productions
Jason Turnbull jt@tsn.cc
http://www.listen.to/digiscape
Virtual Studios. Virtual Reality. Virtually Anything!

Doo Wrong Used Carpet
doo_wrong@yahoo.com
http://www.geekcore.net/doowrong

OUTER SHELL
Roy Harper OUTERSHEL@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/outershel
My newsletter, OUTER SHELL ('Other' Music News & Views) has been in existence since 1985. In 1998, we created a web site and our newsletter is now sent out via e-mail. We will review any type of music as long as we feel it is unique and original.

Shock Value Webzine
CJ SVWebzine@aol.com
http://www.shockvalue.cc
A free online magazine written for and about unsigned and independent bands, singers, songwriters and musicians. Send us an ad for your CD/tape, and concert listings and we'll print it for free in our Artist Showcase section. Send your CD to: Shock Value, P.O. Box 303, North Bend, OH 45052. We review the best of the best, and one artist per month is put in the spotlight as our "Artist of the Month." We accept ALL genres of music.

indiePULSE.com
Michael Lupo indiePULSE@aol.com
http://www.indiePULSE.com
indiePULSE.com is all things indie. Join us as we explore the worlds of independent sound, print and film. Unsolicited material always welcome!!

SOUNDXSCAPE
John P. webmaster@soundxscape.com
http://www.soundxscape.com
SOUNDXSCAPE offers unsigned solo music artists and bands an opportunity to promote their demo(s) and website.

S2 discos
Mauricio Dotto Martucci subsolo2@hotmail.com
http://www.subsolo2.com
Record Label from S?o Carlos - SP - Brazil - Punk/Alternative /Electronic Experimental.

Gutted
Daniel Rees dan@gutted.org.uk
http://gutted.hypermart.net
Featuring album/single reviews, live reviews, and interviews with upcoming and established bands like JJ72, Turn, My Vitriol, King Adora, Llama Farmers, and Coldplay. Unlike other sites, Gutted doesn't just focus on one genre. Reviews range from alt-dance to alt-pop to alt-rock to hip hop. There is one guarantee - buy something Gutted recommends, and you won't be disappointed.

Green Typewriters
Thomas Knowlton boyknife@hotmail.com
http://greentypewriters.homepage.com
This site is dedicated to reviewing independent music and art. It also lists upcoming shows for the Midwest area and new releases.

The Frog of Destiny Fanzine
Laura Branch frogofdestiny@hotmail.com
http://www.angelfire.com/zine/frogofdestiny
Underground fanzine...lots of reviews and interviews with (mainly indie pop-esque) bands who I like and need to be heard!

LiveDJs.com
Darin Bainbridge darin@livedjs.com
http://www.livedjs.com
LiveDJs.com Performances live on the internet of electronica music(all genres) turntablism mainly but our studio is wired for bands also.DJs still cannot sell there skills on cd!

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"How To Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet" by
David Neuve, shows you powerful Internet marketing techniques
to help sell your music merchandise online!

Check it out at BEST MUSIC BOOKS
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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4. STATIONS AND SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC

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SPACEMUSIC.COM
Larry Seyer larry@seyer.com
http://www.spacemusic.com
SPACEMUSIC.COM is a recording label that specializes in meditation and healing music. Founder and owner Larry Seyer created the label as a vehicle to sell and promote the best in ambient SPACEMUSIC in 1999.

Woofur.com
Krista Thornhill krista@woofur.com
http://www.woofur.com/
Woofur.com is an independent internet radio station that allows artists to have their music heard over the internet.

TheChill.com
Adam Jordan contactus@thechill.com
http://www.thechill.com
Net Radio Station playing Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B 24/7. Huge playlist and growing with established and new artists.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------------

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5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC

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***note: The online vendors and labels listed below are those that offer artists a NON-exclusive contract, meaning, you can join up with as many of these services as you like.

KL?NG
ono@mail42.com
http://www.klaeng.org
"Free music". Non-profit CD compilation series. Everybody may contribute. No limitations, no censorship, no copyrights. Free author?s copy for every contributor.

The BardsCrier.com
Marc Gunn subscribe@thebards.net
http://bardscrier.com
Guerrilla music marketing ezine promotes subscribers on MP3.com with free BardsCrier.com radio play and weekly featured artists.

EarBuzz.com
Don EarBuz@aol.com
http://www.earbuzz.com
EarBuzz is the only site that does all this.
a.) reviews artists product
b.) promotes artists free with a completely free web site
c.) sells music giving 100% of the profits back to artists

Country Music Webs.com
Steve Kuivenhoven Office@CountryMusicWebs.net
http://www.CountryMusicWebs.com
CountryMusicWebs.com makes websites for the Country Music and Gospel Music Artists afforable. Various packages available including E-commerce and Portals. 800-720-7624

Bumrush Records.com
Big Al bumup@aol.com
http://www.bumrushrecords.com
Distribution of Spanish and English HIPHOP/RAP/R&B.

Broadjam
Roy Elkins elk@broadjam.com
http://www.broadjam.com
Music distribution.

fusiongrooves.com
T.R McKotch fusiongrooves@musician.org
http://www.fusiongrooves.com
fusiongrooves.com is an online indie music retailer for unsigned artists to sell their music.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
"MP3 Power!" by Justin Frankel, shows you how to create,
distribute, and promote MP3 files easily!

Buy it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES

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NME/TRP Campus of HipHop
Dilly mrdilligence@nmewreckidz.com
http://www.nmewreckidz.com
We give away free mp3's, streams, forums, email, chat, links, etc for underground hiphop.

Tracy Digital Phat Daddys Music Studio
Carl Jones music368@pacbell.net
http://www.angelfire.com/music2/TracyDigital/
We are a site that allows Independent artists to upload their Real Audio or MP3 files. Listen to our independent artists online. We are interested in emerging independent artists, for promotions on line and in the studio. MP3 digitizing and web music posting. Clients can be posted on internet music sites with pictures and MP3 audio for direct on line promotions.

ekidsinternet.com
Ren? Amini ramini@ekidsinternet.com
http://www.ekidsinternet.com
We are a launching our new website for teens soon and would like to open up our doors for submissions of mp3's for our eteen radio. We will give full credits to the artist. We are also interested in music made by teens and teen bands.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Purchase it now at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

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7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE

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The Ultimate Bulletin Board
General Bobby Farrell thegeneral@vmgworldwide.org
http://themusicplan.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=true
You're invited to register and post your ideas, comments or newsletters on our BB/Message Board. It may get commented on, BUT IT WILL NOT BE EDITED!

ECmusician
Joongho Lee info@ecmusician.com
http://www.ecmusician.com
Free webpage for musicians. Upload full version of your songs or 30 seconds sample clips.

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8. WANT SOME AIRPLAY? some experiences by Lord Litter DJ eurowide & internet

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It was the late 80's I was doing freelance work for a commercial radio station. The first thing I discovered was an enormous heap of releases in the hallway. I asked "what's this all about?" - "Releases that didn't reach a *fitting* DJ" - "what will happen to these?" - "they will be thrown away, we get piles every day". That was another aspect that made me realise that there is something definitely wrong with the commercial music world. I wanted to DJ 'caus I love the music .. so I left this *music scene*.

Ever since I started to keep my radio work on a *controlled and personal* level, I never again wanted mass appeal. Here are some hints how to approach DJs on what I like to call *our level*. Small real indie bands/companies with a proffessional attitude. Practical advice based on my experience. Not very structured because I have to listen to another 78468264 releases until tommorow .. yes it's that *bad*!

An important aspect of a release surely is that it can be used to promote the band/musician. If you don't take care of certain areas, your music MIGHT be on air but no one will get to know who you are and where they can buy your music...so the promoting effect is lost.

Here are things that give me trouble 'n that I think may cause other DJs to NOT play the release.

1. EVERY item you send should have a clearly marked address. Info material will be seperated from the release. So if there is no address on the cover for example, then you'll get no playlist, your address will be not spread etc..

2. Since the CD became THE medium, some bands should send magnifying glasses with their releases. Some covers look great but the writing is either much too small or the use of colors make it impossible to read.

The basic idea here is to make it as easy as possible to identity the name of your band, the song order and a contact address. You wouldn't believe how many releases I get that are a real pain concerning the before mentioned aspects.

The more *known* a DJ is the *better* the *promotion effect* is Sure it also means that a *known* DJ gets piles of releases every day. Therefore, the time to care about the individual release shrinks to almost *seconds* - leaving no time left to care about questions like "what is the name of the band and what is the title of the release?" .. even that is unclear with some releases.

3. Infos/pix/etc.: Don't send heaps. It is impossible to read ten pages to get the basic info about a band. A reduced informative version of your entire material with the offer to send more if interested or a link to your website, that is what I appreciate.

4. Give all of your material a proffessional approach. I'm not talking about spending more money. Copied infos are ok, copied on a bad machine causing the effect that they are very difficult to read is not ok .. just a little hint to go by.

5. DJs are human beings - yes they are! Treat them like you want to be treated. *My rule* is if a band/label never answers to any of my comments, I loose interest in them completely. No need to send endless letters but a short "Hey, thanks - airplay really appreciated!" proves that you *care* about your music and about the one that *cares* about your music - the DJ.

6. The best way to get in touch is to check in before you send your music and say something like "We heard bout your show from ... would you be interested in our music? We play some ... our website is ...". That's a perfect way to start. If the DJ doesn't answer you can forget him/her anyway. You might not even get playlist later.

Basic idea here: Keep it somehow personal, you'll discover that it creates a very positive effect - in some cases you might even find a friend !

7. If you send CD-Rs (I do broadcast these!) make sure they really work! I have one CD player that doesn't take badly burned CDs. So if your CD (in the running order of the show) must be played on that player and it doesn't work, it will not be played .. nor on the next show on another player 'caus inbetween I received another 64553674 CDs. Your CD will be lost *forever*.

I could go on forever talking about this .. the general basic idea is: make it as easy as possible to *handle* your material. Before you finish your material, take it to the printing etc., give it to someone who doesn't know anything about it and ask if the before mentioned aspects are clear - if not change it!

And on *our* level: never forget *the personal aspect*!

I know it's all much work ... the alternative would be: become rich, hire a proffessional promoter and watch how your release will be thrown away with the others ...

The answer is always *somewhere in the middle* as we say in Germany. Be proffessional but never forget the personal aspect - that indicates the difference to the *music only as commercial value* scene ...

I bet I forgot several aspects. If you have questions, just ask: LordLitter@LordLitter.de

cheerz
Lord Litter
http://www.LordLitter.de


PS: Very recommended to read the GAJOOB newsletter "The DiY Report #78 - PROMOTING YOURSELF pt 5 : Radio" I have at my website, you'll find a very informative introduction and a part where musicians talk about their experience : http://www.LordLitter.de/gajoob.html

Visit TheGlobalMuse.Com - http://theglobalmuse.com .. here you'll find an enourmous amount of info/hints etc how to promote yourself. Presented in a very structured way and with a very realistic view on all aspects. Especially recommended to read about how to create a real informative band website - thanks to Michael Allison (man in charge at Global Muse Com) for writing it, otherwise I would've written something about it .. too many sites that defefenietly don't suit the needs of DJs/promoters/companies that might be looking for you, too many websites just satisfying the ego of the designer! http://www.theglobalmuse.com/indiecorner/webstuff.html

=============================================
Lord Litter has earned the reputation for producing and delivering
what is arguably one of the world's best independent music programs. Since the early 1990s, Lord Litter has known the pulse of independent music, and today, indie musicians from all over the planet know that his program is one of the ultimate destinations for their music.

snail : Dittmar, Pariser Str. 63, 10719 Berlin, GERMANY
e-mail : LordLitter@LordLitter.de
web : http://www.LordLitter.de

Lord Litter is also an extremely accomplished musician. His newest CD is excellent. I highly recommend it! You can order a copy from Stone Premonitions http://www.mellis.demon.co.uk
============================================

------------------------------------------------------------------------
How To Be Your Own Booking Agent and Save Thousands of
Dollars by Jeri Goldstein teaches you how to book tours creatively,
make efficient cold calls, develop an effective press kit, sharpen your
negotiation skills, find funding resources, access the media, maximize
record company relationships, expand your audience.

Buy it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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9. ROYALTIES IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, Part 1
by Joyce Sydnee Dollinger

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What is a royalty? In the real world, the word royalty is synonymous with the power or rank of a king and queen. In the music world, the word royalty is synonymous with MONEY. Royalties are the most important entitlements of the musician. These entitlements warrant them to receive money from their craft - the craft of MAKING MUSIC.

* Types of Royalties

There are many types of royalties. The list is constantly growing because of the new technology, but here are some to name a few:

Artist Royalties
Mechanical (Publishing) Royalties
US Performance Royalties
Synchronization Royalties
Grand Rights Royalties
Foreign Royalties for record sells and performances
Lyric Reprint Royalties


Let?s look at the topic of Artist Royalties.

* General Definition

Artist Royalties, in a nutshell, are monies paid to the recording artist from the record company. They are the share of the proceeds from the sale of the artist?s records paid directly to the artist after the artist records material for the record company. This, in turn, gives the record company permission to exploit the musical work in the marketplace.

* Recording Contracts

In artist recording contracts, artist royalties are usually negotiated in points. When record label business affairs attorneys use that terminology, they are referring to the percentage points the record company will pay an artist on each album sold. For example, if an artist gets 10 points, it usually means that the artist receives 10% of the retail cost of each top -ine record sold.

Royalty rates in a recording contract are usually negotiable; however, it really depends upon the leverage of the artist.
1. Superstar Deals:
Royalties usually are:
16%-20% of retail of top-line records plus escalations
18-20% is quite high and the artist must sell a lot of records - usually more than 5 million 100% CD rate and can receive new configuration royalties
12-14% of singles + escalations receive increased royalties when contract options are exercised

2. Mid-Level Deals:
Royalties usually are:
14%-16% of retail top-line records plus escalations (escalations usually based on genre)
16% is high and the artist must sell a lot of records
85-90% CD rate and new configurations
12-13% of singles or 3/4 of LP rate receive increased royalties when contract options are exercised

3. New Artist Deals:
Royalties usually are:
11%-13% of retail top-line records
75-85% CD rate and new configurations
10-11% of singles


* All-In

More likely than not, the record royalty section of the artist recording contract will have a phrase in it called "all-in". It will state something like the following: "The royalty rate for the artist, will be ?all in?." This means that if anyone else is receiving points on the record, like a third party producer or engineer, that person will be paid out of the artist's personal own royalty share. The artist is responsible to pay the third party receiving those points. However, usually the artist will sign a Letter of Direction with the record label. This document gives permission to the record label to pay the third party directly. For example, if an artist who has a 15 point deal in the recording contract has an agreement with a producer to give the producer 3 points, those 2 points are subtracted from the artist's personal own royalty share, leaving the artist with only 12 points.

* Record Royalty Re-negotiation

If the artist sells a ton of records, the artist can usually re-negotiate with the record label and try to receive increased royalty rates. Here are some topics to try to re-negotiate:
increase net royalty rates on remaining LPs in the contract
increase rate for each successive LP
include escalations for attaining sales plateaus
receive the increase royalty rate on future sales of past LPs
improve the royalty computations
increase foreign rates, the CD rate, the new technology rate, licensing fees and free goods
reduce the recoupment percentages

* Record Royalty Formula

The record royalty formula is usually based upon a percentage of records that are sold. In using the formula, the record company looks to the retail price of the commercial top-line records and standard deductions that every record company takes from the gross income from the sales of those records. Some of the deductions are: recording costs of the records, packaging, returns and reserves, discounted military sales, video costs, tour support, promotional records and free goods. Please note, records on which royalties are paid are quite different from deductions from gross royalties.

* Conclusion

A deeper look into the Record Royalty Formula will appear in the next issue.

====================================================
Joyce Sydnee Dollinger is an attorney admitted in New York and Florida and currently works at a major label in the Corporate Legal & Business Affairs department. She is also the Vice President of 2 Generations SPA Music Management, Inc. and SPA Records, Inc.. 2 Generations (www.2generations.com) is a music management company representing signed and unsigned bands/artists, producers and songwriters in all genres of music. 2 Generations also represents entertainment organizations/businesses and provides consulting and entertainment services. SPA Records, Inc. (www.sparecords.com) is a record label dedicated to developing, promoting and distributing breaking acts to the US and the World using traditional and innovative distribution channels. You can reach Joyce by email at joyce@2generations.com or by voice at 212-879-6997.
===================================================

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10. WHY GIVING PEOPLE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IS A MISTAKE by Tim Sweeney

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One of the most common mistakes that I see artists make is that after they talk to a music fan or even someone in the industry about their music, they give them their email address. Most artists also make the mistake of including their email address on their CD or business card.

Obviously, you never want to put your email address on your CD simply because you might want to change it later. However, it is important that you understand that you don?t want to give people your email address for one simple reason.

If people have your email address, they will communicate with you directly, instead of visiting your web site. Your web site should be specifically designed to represent you and in essence, speak for you, when you can?t. You have spent the time, effort and money designing it. Now use it!

If people want your email address simply say that you don?t know what it is right now because of the amount of "spam" you get, you have to keep changing it. People will easily understand that. Tell them to go to your web site @ ______ and they should be able to easily find it. Believe me. People won?t zip to the contact section, they will look around first.

If you have spent the time actually designing a "proper & effective" web site, one which encompasses the key elements of your Artist Profile (not your press kit) and the insights to your songs and made sure that your music section DOES NOT focus on MP3 files, then by all means give out your web site address. If your web site is not properly designed and structured, get their email address so you can email them when you have your site corrected. A poorly designed web site won?t even yield the national average of 25 CD sales per month!

If you send people to your web site where they can be entertained and won over by the content, you will get sales. If you give people your email address instead of your web site address, you won?t see any sales.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the book "In Vocal Science - Flight to the Universe"
Diana Yampolsky defines the principles that will allow
you to reach your full potential as a singer and performer
and illustrates them with numerous examples culled from
her years as a Vocal Coach/ Consultant-Producer/Health
Practitioner.


Purchase Diana's book at BEST MUSIC BOOKS
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


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11. ALTERNATIVE MARKETING & THINKING IS THE KEY TO "SPARKING" CD SALES AND BUZZ ABOUT YOUR MUSIC by Tim Sweeney

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Its always interesting when I am giving workshops around the country and artists come to me and tell me about their "new" marketing ideas. The funny part is that when they tell me their "new" idea, its usually something I have been preaching and using on my developing artists for the last 18 years.

Since I ran across an example of this last night, I thought I would share with you a philosophy I have been teaching indie and major labels artists for years. I call it, Alternative Thinking. Here's how it works.

Most artists careers become limited or stagnate because they rely too heavily on the commercial or college radio stations to play their music and the press to write about them to can gain exposure. The problem for the artists start when the radio and press either do not have a current interest or no longer have any future interest in them. Without "Alternative Thinking", most artists usually get dropped from their labels and or, get discouraged from putting out more CDs and playing shows.

Here's an example of where you can use "Alternative Thinking" to solve the problem of commercial radio stations not being interested in playing your CD.

First, identify the station in the market that you believe should be playing your CD. Second, after you have sent in your CD and they rejected you, listen to that station faithfully and review their web site to find out when and where, they will be having their "free events". (i.e. Those events where they are at the mall or the beach or at a park, etc., and they are handing out free concert tickets, t shirts, station junk, etc.) Third, show up with back packs full of free sample CDs or tapes (with your contact & web site info on them and when & where you are playing next) and hand them out to everyone there. Tell the people it is an "advance" sample of your new CD and the station will probably be playing it in the next month. Right now, you are there to hand out these free samples copies to let people know about when the CD is coming out or where you will be playing next.

Now lets stop and think for a minute! You want radio airplay to capture the attention of that station's fanatical fans becuase they buy CDs, go to shows and spread the word of mouth about a new artists, right? Since the station won't play your songs but they are "kind enough" to gather the fanatical fans for you at a event, why not take advantage of their generosity. Go meet the fans directly, that you wanted the station's airplay to put you in touch with in the first place! After all, don't fanatical fans want to "meet the artists" and "bond" with them?

Think "Alternatively" and you will see that you are selling more CDs with a bigger buzz around town. **If you want more "Alternative Thoughts" about how to sell more CDs and create more attention for your music, check out a copy of The Living Room Sessions by yours truly, Tim Sweeney (http://www.tsamusic.com)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Sweeney is the founder of the Los Angelses-based artist developement company, Tim Sweeney & Associates (TSA) and the author of the best-selling book "Tim Sweeney's Guide to Releasing Independent Records". As one of the music industry's most highly sought-after experts in the areas of artist development, radio promotion, record distribution, and retail marketing, he has helped major labels like Sony, Geffen, Capitol and Warner Bros. develop hundreds of their most promising stars.
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12. REVIEW OF THE INDIE CONTACT BIBLE by Ben Ohmart

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This is what you get:
2100 publications that'll review your CD.
1600 radio stations to play your music.
200 online vendors to sell your tunes.
X # of sites where you can upload music and/or info about you/your band.

Not a bad bit of self-salesmanship, eh? Well, when you consider that this now near-famous book is a bursting 350+ pages, with few ads to take up said space, you know you're getting a good deal. By the way, while we're on size (it does matter to the indie), the type is smallish. More info fits on every page that way. And a ton of info it be.

This spiral-bound beauty is divided into 5 sections (well 6 really), which are listed above. The review and radio station sections are divided up into music genre and location. The only downside to the way the table of contents lists things is that some genres are missed. For instance, if you're trying to push a gothic artist like www.desar.com, then you're going to have to really cruise every listing for a description or word containing DARK or GOTHIC. Granted, you'll be doing that anyway, won't you? Still, it would be nice to touch on a few extra categories. But don't be afraid. I have it straight from the publisher himself that a New Age section is forthcoming. And I'm sure if enough people write in about Other areas, we'll see the 3rd Edition build up in bulky, sub-genre style. Right now we've got Mainstream. Country. Dance. Experimental. Hip Hop. Jazz/Blues/Folk. Metal. Progressive Rock. Punk. World. (P.S. You might wanna add Christian too, Mr. Editor.)

This is a book of links. Editor David Wimble purposely chose not to clutter the proceedings with emails and snail mail addresses since those tend to change more often than a hefty website. I think he's right; especially on the email side. So, thousands of links are here, often followed by a one, two or five line description about the station or publication or service. It'll list a few extra genres, and what the link can do for you. And guess what? Trying a few random links: they work!

I really can think of no better piece of paper the up and coming, unsigned person needs than the Bible here. It's only $19.95 which gets you both the paper and electronic copy from their website, http://www.indiecontactbible.com. Plus when you buy, you're entitled to a free update by email.

Okay, all you without computers of your own you're out of luck. This is a book for the blurry-eyed singer/songwriter who knows his Windows. But in this day, you'd have to be a fool not to have a Packard Bell or something if you Want to get ahead in this biz anyway. And not to have the Indie Contact Bible as Well! You're just a slacker fool.

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Ben Ohmart is perhaps the most well known reviewer on the Internet. Ben currently writes for both "Music Dish" and The Muse's Muse. bearmanor@home.com
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There are currently over 3000 subscribers, and that number is growing quite rapidly. You can also contact me by telephone at (613) 596-4996


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