I don’t know about all you, but I cringe to think back to some of the band shots I’ve been a part of. Cheesy? Yes. Lame? Also yes. Over-dramatic? Yes again. Been there, done that. But as we get older, we (hopefully) learn from our earlier naiveté and (hopefully) try more effective approaches. (more…)
From the title, you may think that I am referring sarcastically to the ever-growing population of those on MySpace or Facebook who are sending bands messages guaranteeing exposure, radio play, etc. for a “small fee”. Not true. We’ll save that for another article titled, “Everyone is NOT a Promoter.” What I am discussing is the ease of promoting your band through means of your current fans, friends and family. After all, they’re the ones who probably believe in what you’re doing the most. So why not utilize them? (more…)
With RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) making headlines lately, suing single mothers, college students, and even dead people for file sharing and illegal music downloads, we need to start asking the question: Who are they really protecting? Not the artist, that’s for sure. In fact, many major label artists are speaking out against RIAA, arguing that these lawsuits are no more than a means to help keep dying labels afloat in an ever-changing industry. Wouldn’t their time be better spent working on a more up-to-date business model that embraces file downloads (i.e., iTunes)? Of course, we’re talking common sense. And being a lobbyist organization, they aren’t allowed to use any. (more…)
In this day and age, bands are putting too much stock in MySpace. The era of printing and posting flyers across your local area to promote a show is a fading memory. Instead, bands are relying on bulletin posts and event invitations on MySpace, assuming they have sufficiently promoted their show and should have a great turnout. However, your “friends” on MySpace may not even know who you are, may be three countries away, may not care a bit about your bulletin or event invitation, and possibly just wanted to increase their friend count when they accepted your friend request. There also used to be a time when bands would consider it integral to have a website, but that also has fallen by the wayside because of the ease and lack of cost when it comes to having a MySpace page. (more…)
