Comments on: Are you starting your marketing BEFORE you launch your CD? http://www.innerrhythm.org/blog/marketing-starts-before-you-launch-your-cd/ for independent musicians worldwide Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:55:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Jim Carlson http://www.innerrhythm.org/blog/marketing-starts-before-you-launch-your-cd/#comment-208 Jim Carlson Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:07:05 +0000 http://www.innerrhythm.org/blog/marketing-starts-before-you-launch-your-cd/#comment-208 When I first released my CD, nothing happened. Crickets. I began leveraging several of the techniques above and within nine months, sales picked up dramatically. Even more important, once my CD was out, I was making more money at my gigs and getting booked in better clubs. The CD gave me legitimacy. Now that I'm working on my next CD, I have continued to leverage the ideas above as well as maintaining the following services: 1) MySpace Music Page - Upload songs, videos, and go make friends. Keep gigs up to date and bulletin your friend network about releases and gigs. 2) Facebook Band Page. This is much easier to maintain (great interface) than MySpace and has several of the same features of MySpace (video, audio, pics, events). Facebook allows for greater user interaction: fans can upload pics, videos, and start conversations. 3) Google Video, Meta Cafe, Viddler. Uploading your video to services other than MySpace and YouTube allows you more opportunities to be seen and heard. 4) Paper Posters, Fliers, Custom Business Cards. I know, this is sooo analogue, but don't overlook this channel. I carry at least 2 different business cards 1) for clubs and bookings and 2) to give to fans. Create posters for all your gigs. Have a poster for all CD releases. Promotion for musicians is ongoing. It does not matter if you have just released a CD or are picked up for a regional tour, it is essential that you have a network of fans to communicate with at all times. When I first released my CD, nothing happened. Crickets. I began leveraging several of the techniques above and within nine months, sales picked up dramatically. Even more important, once my CD was out, I was making more money at my gigs and getting booked in better clubs. The CD gave me legitimacy.

Now that I’m working on my next CD, I have continued to leverage the ideas above as well as maintaining the following services:
1) MySpace Music Page - Upload songs, videos, and go make friends. Keep gigs up to date and bulletin your friend network about releases and gigs.

2) Facebook Band Page. This is much easier to maintain (great interface) than MySpace and has several of the same features of MySpace (video, audio, pics, events). Facebook allows for greater user interaction: fans can upload pics, videos, and start conversations.

3) Google Video, Meta Cafe, Viddler. Uploading your video to services other than MySpace and YouTube allows you more opportunities to be seen and heard.

4) Paper Posters, Fliers, Custom Business Cards. I know, this is sooo analogue, but don’t overlook this channel. I carry at least 2 different business cards 1) for clubs and bookings and 2) to give to fans. Create posters for all your gigs. Have a poster for all CD releases.

Promotion for musicians is ongoing. It does not matter if you have just released a CD or are picked up for a regional tour, it is essential that you have a network of fans to communicate with at all times.

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