IOTM Blog
Posted: Aug 30, 2023
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post originally featured in the Symphonic Distribution Blog.
"Publicity is arguably the most misunderstood of all the marketing efforts recording artists go through. Many creators, from musicians and influencers to songwriters and producers, have wild visions of what publicity is and how it functions to support and enhance the trajectory of their career. Typically, these visions aren’t accurate. To clarify this process, here’s a rundown of everything you need to know..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 2, 2023
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michelle Kicherer (@MichelleKicherer), writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, Willamette Week and others, instructor, and artist advocate.
There are a lot of things that can prevent getting your music into journalists’ and labels’ ears. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for press, labels and the public to listen to your music. The best way to do that is to have everything really easily accessible in your email pitch, your website and your social media.
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 8, 2021
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Ariel Hyatt, previously featured on MusicGoat.com.
"Music pr is designed to raise awareness of you in the press. To help build and share a story, as well as build up critical acclaim. Of course, a great article or review may lead to sales, but overall, if selling music is your goal, music PR services are not the only thing you will need. WHY?"
Posted: Aug 26, 2019
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Mark Smith, owner of Musical Instru.
"Let’s face it - a promo photo is an extremely powerful part of music, with its ability to catch the attention of fans, bookers, music journalists, and the industry in general. However, while the capabilities of a promo photo can’t be overstated, it all depends on the amount of care you exert into its production. To be honest, your promo photo is just as capable of effectively telling your story as your music, but that’s only if you get it right..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 7, 2019
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post written by Cassie Phillips as featured on The Music Entrepreneur HQ.
"No matter how talented you are, or how much effort you put into your music, getting exposure for your art can be a challenge...To effectively promote your music, you will need to develop your marketing skills. Marketing will allow you to raise awareness for your brand and be better connected to your target market."
Posted: Aug 20, 2018
Category: Live Performance
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**Guest post written by Anitra Jay of TheCraftyMusician.com.
"The difference between a really good show and a terrible show is not how good the music was, but how good the connection was between you and your audience...The best way to break the ice and make a connection with your audience is by employing some skillful stage banter..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 30, 2018
Category: Online Presence
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**Guest post written by Melanie of Bandzoogle.com.
"It’s no secret that in order to appear professional, your own website with your own .com address is essential. So what ingredients make for a great musician website exactly? You’ve got the music of course, some images, videos, and show dates. Pulling together content is an easy first step. The part where many musicians get stalled is with the website’s design..."
Posted: Mar 26, 2018
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post written by Lucie Watson of Platoon.
"If you’re working in the music industry as an artist, manager, label, distributor or any other field you’ve probably had or heard a conversation about the power of Spotify playlists. Some questions I frequently get asked are “how can I get on Spotify’s playlists?” or “how can I get on New Music Friday?” or “when can I start to see playlist additions?”. What I’d love to tell artists and managers is that it’s easy...but more often than not the response I give is this: there’s no way I can guarantee placement on a playlist ahead of a release."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 19, 2018
Category: Online Presence
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**Guest post written by Allison S. of Bandzoogle.com.
"The best way to keep fans focused on you is through your own custom website. A website puts the focus on you and your music. It’s easy to build a website, but how do you know if you did it right? Let’s take a look at the most common ways bands win and lose with their website."
Posted: Mar 20, 2017
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Bobby Borg, originally from Music Marketing for the DIY Musician.
"Great interviews don’t happen by accident. Both parties, the interviewer and the interviewee, need to do a great deal of preliminary research. In fact, preparing your complete interview in writing before the interview can serve as helpful research for the busy interviewer and provide additional content that can be posted on your artist websites..." View Full Article
Posted: Jul 5, 2016
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest Post by Bret Alexander of The Badlees and Saturation Acres.
"I have always said that the best way to break up a band is to make a record. I’ve seen it a hundred times. A bunch of guys have a rock and roll dream. The band gets all excited and starts diligently writing songs. They save up some money...Then, they do the recording. Then, they put together the artwork. Then, they plan the release party. Then……. About two weeks or so after the release party the phone calls start coming in. The band is depressed. At this point they ask the question that whole empires have risen and fallen on: Now what?"
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 20, 2015
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Deuce Ellis, Buffalo-born and Brooklyn-raised rap renegade. Originally posted by Cyber PR.
"Here’s My Guest Blog After Attending the #YourMusic Seminar; maybe this whole thing is easier than you think…First things first, let’s demolish whatever train of thought you may have. Demolish it. Let’s destroy and rebuild..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 4, 2014
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post written by Brandon Seymour, musician, SEO analyst, web designer, and social media marketer.
"I know - I'm not the first genius to point out that the music industry is dead. I'm also not the first person to point out that artists have been complaining about this for a very long time. I just can't help but wonder if maybe - just maybe - the music industry needed to die..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 20, 2014
Category: Online Presence
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**Guest post written by Randy Young from the Ottawa based rock band Cherry Suede.
"Using storylines to create context for your content boosts its relevance to your audience. The result? More fans, sales, and profits!"
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 8, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand. It originally appeared on Ari's Take and in Digital Music News.
"Music reviewers know their audience. The average reader doesn't care how you achieved that guitar tone on the bridge of track 3. But if your lead singer went on a spiritual quest for 9 months in the Amazon and came back with 12 songs written on an invented instrument he made out of found objects in the rainforest, now THAT'S a story! When you write your press release or pitch an article, highlight the most interesting aspects of what makes you stand out..." View Full Article