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How I promoted my CD on the net
By John Taglieri - 06/06/2007 - 10:51 AM EDT
Hey
there. So how can the electronic media of today help your career?
I am a solo singer songwriter. Like most of you out there reading
this, I've spent my life chasing down a dream that I thought was
always just beyond my reach. Having been in bands for about 15 years
and always thinking that each one was going to make it, I have always
felt the let down and disappointment as each project broke up or
ended, wondering, "Was the band not good enough or was it me?
What didn't we do? We had the best songs in the world, (don't we
all!!) , we had the right look, we played constantly, we promoted,
so why didn't it work? Why aren't we rich and famous now instead
of starting back at ground zero with no band and nothing to show
for all the hard work?" I can
now look back on all those years with a different view. Gone are
the rose colored glasses that I seemingly wore in my youth. Gone
are the days of thinking we deserved a record contract because we
wrote mediocre songs that only our friends liked. One thing you
get from playing all those years and being able to look back on
it all is experience and a sense of all the things you did wrong.
OK, maybe not necessarily wrong, but just not 100% right. I had
burned out on the original scene and needed a break. After a couple
of years, however, the itch came back and I needed to play originals
again. Only this time, I wanted it my way. The thing that wore me
out on the scene the first time was always having to give my creative
control away to others. I'm a singer and songwriter, as well as
a multi-instrumentalist, but my songs never quite sounded right
after others had their input and say in how the songs should be.
So, about 2 ½ years ago I decided that it was time to write, record,
mix, edit, master and produce my own CD. After much strain, exhaustion,
and just about everything else you could imagine, on January 12th,
1999, I released "Leap Of Faith". The CD, aptly titled, was my leap
of faith to see if I could really make it in the business. One
thing I want to point out from the start is how times have changed
from just a few years ago. The Internet has made a whole new world
out there for singer/songwriters, bands and musicians in general.
What I learned over the next 18 months, and still learn as I write
this, is just how valuable the Internet has become. I have sold
almost 2,000 units independently, toured, performed at music conferences,
landed 2 major sponsors and have been signed to a label. I also
have investors paying for my next album and my upcoming tour. When
I released the CD, I took out ads in the local papers, got the CD
in all the major local stores on consignment and tried my hardest
to promote it. I did all the traditional methods of promotion. It
was doing sort of OK. I managed to get myself on the Scott & Todd
Show on 95.5 WPLJ in New York, the biggest morning show on the radio.
My sales went through the roof that week, with almost all the stores
selling out their stock at least once, some stores twice. But as
the appearance on the show faded into memory, so did the sales.
The only problem was, I couldn't figure out how to keep it going.
As a solo artist, I had no band to go and book clubs with, so touring
was not an option at that point. I had
just recently gotten a computer and was just learning what the Internet
was all about. What I was about to learn was that it was about the
future of music and that all the opportunities for me to make a
success of myself were right there at my fingertips. All it took
was a lot of time, pleasant persistence, patients, and determination.
That's it. Nothing special. No magic potions, no secrets, just hard
work. I've done what anyone can do and many others already have
done. I am
a pop rock songwriter. My music has been compared to Journey and
Bon Jovi. It has an 80's styling with a newer rock feel. So what
I started doing was searching the web for any websites that catered
to this type of music. I also placed myself onto many of the generic
music websites, but felt as though I was going to get lost in the
mix on those. I was on them for the "just in case" scenario. I felt
that the genre specific sites gave me more of a chance at exposure
and also, and a better chance at good reviews to build up the press
kit with. I would find one web page for my type of music and contact
them about the possibilities of reviews and promotion, then go to
their links page and go to every site on that page. I kept this
routine up for every web page I went to. For every one I visited,
I wound up on 25 more, which led me to 75 more. Before too long,
I had made contact with many websites that were willing to help
out and do a review. The good thing about the net was the willingness
by web sites to take a chance on independent music. With the rebellion
against the major labels really beginning then, it wasn't hard to
get the first few under my belt. Within a few months, the ball was
rolling. The first few reviews had come out and they were very positive.
This opened the door to other sites who were reluctant to let me
in. Once they saw me already getting good reviews, they were willing
to give it a try. I spent anywhere from 6-8 hours per day on the
net, while carrying a full time job. Every moment I wasn't at work,
I was on the net. Over
the course of the next 12 months, I managed over 50 reviews. The
key to the reviews wasn't so much getting them, but getting the
webmasters to go the extra mile and do features on me and the CD
after the review. Everything in life basically works on the same
principal, customer service. You have to treat everyone you come
in contact with as a customer. You want to be treated well for the
things you do, and so do the webmasters of the sites we all beg
and expect reviews from. Give them every courtesy you can. After
every review, I would send the webmasters a thank you e-mail telling
them how much I appreciated the review, good or bad. Luckily none
were too bad. Now this may seem silly to you, but I can't stress
enough how important it is. Many of them e-mailed me back saying
how much they appreciated it. Their common complaint was that artists
take them for granted, and once they get the review, they never
hear from them again, except when they need something else. You
have to remember that you are establishing relationships here. If
you blow someone off after they do you a favor, you can pretty much
forget about any more favors in the future. And you never know when
you're going to need someone again. I make
it a point, every month to 5 weeks, to send a hello e-mail to everyone
who's ever reviewed me. This serves two purposes. First, is just
to let them know that I'm thinking about them and stopping by their
sites, which I do. I can never forget who's done things for me because
I see it every time I look at my press kit. Second, it keeps you
in their minds. If you're in their minds, the chance is there for
more promotion. They are also all on my e-mail mailing list which
goes out monthly. This keeps my name in their minds at least 2 times
per month. When it came time to do interviews each month, I was
inevitably contacted by someone almost every single month. I've
done over a dozen feature interviews, both on the web and in print,
and that's in just the last 6 months. I wound up winning "1999 Male
Pop CD Of The Year" on one website, Kweevak's Tracks. I've won the
Global Muse Website "Elite Artist Award" for 2000. I was in the
Top 10 on many lists at the end of the year as "Best New Artist",
Best Song", etc. Things like this enhance your exposure because
now you are front page news on the websites, instead of just a listing
in their databases. What it also did was create a buzz for sales.
My website began taking many hits and my sales stared picking up
dramatically. I also
saw new avenues for touring and wound up booking a 23 city tour.
The tour was self booked and self promoted, with press in 14 of
the 23 cities on the tour. I landed a tour sponsor in an upstart
web radio company named NoWhereRadio.com.
By the end of my tour, they weren't upstart anymore, but had great
traffic, and we broadcast my shows on the web. This was great exposure
to a world wide audience. The tour not only garnered me new press,
but new fans in new cities and I sold over 400 CD's during the tour.
As my press kit grew, so did my opportunities. With my name on many
websites and magazines, I was beginning to get approached by small
indie labels both in the US & Europe. That's the other beauty of
the Internet The world is as close as right next door and there
are very few barriers. One label, A2 Records, impressed me very
much and I pursued them. I landed a gig at a music conference they
were cosponsoring called The Ultrasound 2000 Expo. It was held in
Las Vegas, NV. Because they were cosponsoring the event...A2 was
in attendance. After my performance, and due to the press kit I
had acquired to date, they signed me after the show. After being
signed, and with the press that created, plus a successful tour
behind me and another one to come, Ovation Guitars decided to sponsor
me. It
all comes down to one thing - how bad do you want it and how much
are you willing to sacrifice for it? I gave up going out and partying,
having a huge social life, and many other things because it was
way more important for me to be working on making a name for myself
and getting my career off the ground. You can't be afraid of promotion
and you can't be afraid of trying. The only thing I lost was a few
hangovers, and in my book, that's not such a bad thing! I know
this whole story sounds a bit self touting, but you know what, it
is. I wasn't sure how to present what I've accomplished over the
last year and a half. I felt silly writing down what I'd done, but
I was not sure how to start doing what I did, so maybe it can help
someone else starting out. I sat down and looked at my press kit
and realized that I had accomplished a lot - more than I ever did
in bands, more than I ever expected to, and it is something to be
proud of. Anyone who goes after their dreams and let's nothing get
in their way can be proud, even if you don't get there. As long
as you tried. Awards, accolades, great press, interviews, sponsorships,
record deals - it's all out there for the taking. It wasn't about
the music. It's about the experience to know how to go after things.
Nothing is handed to you and if it is, it generally won't last.
But if you work for it, and do it right, it will last and it will
mean so much more because you'll know that you put your heart and
soul into it. ****** John's
album is set for release in Europe on 7/31/00 and here in the US
in August. He'll be extensively touring the US & Europe with a full
band this fall and winter, with a new album due out next year.
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