IOTM Blog
Posted: May 9, 2023
Category: Online Presence
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**Guest post written by Melanie Kealey of Bandzoogle.
"As a musician, you need tools for promotion. An EPK is your online resume and musical business card, making it easy for industry professionals to discover who you are. Included in an EPK are assets to help industry easily understand and promote a band’s music. You’ve likely heard that every artist should have an EPK - let’s look at the reasons you might need one."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 1, 2019
Category: Online Presence
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**Guest post written by Dave Cool of Bandzoogle.com.
"An electronic press kit (EPK) is essential for making a strong first impression on promoters, bookers, media, and other music industry professionals...You can use your EPK to help you get more press, more gigs, and come across as a serious artist."
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 7, 2017
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michael Corcoran of musicSUBMIT.
"Let’s say you’ve reached out to a few college and internet radio stations with your music...and - gasp - the Radio Station actually replied to say they listened and really dug your stuff...You’re still a few steps away from actually getting the airplay you’ve been promised. If you neglect these final steps, don’t be surprised if your song never gets played on that station." View Full Article
Posted: Aug 29, 2016
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michael Corcoran of musicSUBMIT.
"It’s best to start promoting before you hit the road, but if you’ve already departed for the first town, you can still find ways to promote the very next show and increase your chances of a successful tour...Here’s one secret: Invite the local music industry folks to come out to your shows...Here’s what you do:" View Full Article
Posted: Sep 21, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Michael Corcoran of musicSUBMIT.
"It goes without saying, all bands and musicians want to get their songs on the radio. There’s no point drumming up all the benefits of having your music broadcast to thousands of listeners with one spin on the radio. And of course radio stations want to find songs they think their audiences will want to hear...
But therein lies a nearly century-old problem for both artists and radio stations..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 13, 2015
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by BeTH isBell, host of The Flower Power Hour and the New Releases show on KMUD, an FM station in Northern California.
"1. We have a music library at the station where we label and file all CDs, and vinyl records, that we receive from artists, labels, and distributors. What I've noticed is that CDs in jewel cases or digipaks with the artist and album name on spine get pulled for airplay 5x-10x more frequently than CDs in slim cases or sleeves where the artist/album name, and sometimes, the CD itself can't be seen hiding on the shelf squeezed between the CDs in jewel cases. Truth..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 27, 2014
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post originally featured in the DIY Musician Blog.
"Pandora launches free analytics tools for artists..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 28, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Erica Sinkovic, CD Baby's Web Product Manager and general music enthusiast, as featured in the DIY Musician Blog.
"Whether you’re an independent artist or signed to an independent label, you’re sure to have a lot on your plate already. Between booking shows, debating merch, planning your next big marketing move, juggling social media-insanity, oh yeah, and writing new material, the last thing you want to add to your plate is a radio campaign...I’m here to tell you: don’t abandon radio."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jun 9, 2014
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post written by Patrick Hertz of Tinderbox Music. This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids Blog.
"College radio is a unique mix of non-commercial stations that range from small-watt student-run operations to huge, vastly influential public and/or community stations. This spectrum allows for most any independent artist to find terrestrial radio airplay – that is, of course, if the music is good..." View Full Article
Posted: Feb 18, 2014
Category: Online Distribution
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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand, a DIY singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, CA with 550+ shows under his belt. Originally written for Digital Music News and featured in his blog Ari's Take.
"Pandora Radio just quietly updated their submission process to allow anyone to submit music for consideration WITHOUT a physical CD." Here's how... View Full Article
Posted: Oct 28, 2013
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Brian Penick, author of Musicians' Desk Reference and Touring Musician, as featured on Billboard.com.
1. Reality Check! (Setting Milestones + Goals) 2. Proper Merch Mentality 3. Take Care Of Yourself First - Initial Self-Servicing...
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 9, 2013
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Stephen Wrench of Musik and Film as featured in their blog.
If you want to get a hit in the US, you will have to play the game. Meaning - you better have some very deep pockets to play in this high stakes game. You will need to hire a team of promoters to maneuver your song into the charts. This team will need to be in a position to grease the airplay wheels to get your song played. Call it payola, call it big business, call it what you want. But the bottom line is -- unless you have a million dollars to drop into your single you are not going to get a hit record in the US.
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 21, 2013
Category: Renman Music & Business
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It's easy to understand that there wouldn't be a music industry without music, but sometimes we forget that the creation process is only the beginning. Once created, a major part of the battle is having the right people, plan, timeline, and creative ideas to get your music to an audience. In this clip Pat Magnarella, manager of Green Day, talks about marketing an album a year and a half before release and some of the pieces he used in the campaign.
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 20, 2013
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Stephen Wrench of Musik and Film as featured in their blog.
The sooner that indie artists realize that they are on their own in this world of 360 deals and pay-to-play radio, the better off they will be. There will be no major label knocking on your door offering riches and fame just because you’re good. If you are good, you better be very smart and be savvy in business and the art of promotion if you want to succeed in the new world of being an independent artist.
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 29, 2013
Category: Promotion
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**Guest post by Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion as featured in their Song/Album Promotion Articles/Advice/Content.
"It works like this: Radio stations are paid based upon their ratings (the number of listeners they have.) If a record label exposes an artist to many potential fans by way of performances, posters, TV, articles, or film, and these fans then want to hear that artist's song, they will have to tune in to the radio station that plays it. This means that this radio station is going to get all these new listeners, and thus is going to have higher ratings. But new acts can't do any of this for a station, and the station knows this."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jun 19, 2013
Category: Renman Music & Business
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The music industry of the new era has benefitted and suffered at the same time from the accessibility of music making technologies. As it stands, there are so many artists looking to break in and be heard that a lot of artists get lost in the mix. Tune in as we talk to Tunecore founder Jeff Price as he weighs in on all of the music streaming services that have become available to the common artist, and what he feels is the best way to be heard!
View Full ArticlePosted: Jun 17, 2013
Category: The Lefsetz Letter
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**Guest Post by Bob Lefsetz of The Lefsetz Letter.
"The major music business, the "new music" business, is built upon radio, it depends upon it....[but] just like music piracy is a dead conversation, just like streaming has eclipsed it, terrestrial radio is dying...however, its replacement has not reared its head yet. Therefore the oldsters say radio is forever. But lousy sales figures of today's mass market records proves this to be wrong...[so] The young acts of today have to depend upon the young entrepreneurs of today to build their careers..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 21, 2013
Category: Songwriting
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**Guest Post by Bret Alexander of The Badlees and Saturation Acres.
"One of the biggest problems bands have is that most musicians think they can write when they can’t. A great song is oftentimes very easy to play. A lot of great players have an almost elitist attitude about simple songs. It’s a weird aura to have in the studio. I hate it. But I can tell you (cover band musicians take heed), it is a helluva lot harder to write John Fogarty’s “Down On The Corner” than it is to play it...
Bands could save themselves so much suffering if they would just admit that they need better songs than they can write. Maybe they need a new member. Or they need to focus on the work of one guy in the group instead of pushing for a lukewarm democratic process..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 15, 2013
Category: Renman Music & Business
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Dale Connone has got to be one of the most well-traveled radio promoters in the business today. If you can think of a record label, he's probably worked there. But, after putting in more than his due diligence, Dale decided to split off to do his own thing. He wanted to build a radio promotion department that record labels have and make it into an actual independently run company. So he did just that with in2une Music, which has brought him such success that he still pretty much does radio promo for all the labels (if you take a look at his clients). One of our members, I am Demure, called in to ask Dale about radio promotion for indie artists, and he gives his thoughts on how to find the right promoters and what to look for here!
View Full ArticlePosted: May 6, 2013
Category: Promotion
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Word of mouth is as important today as it has ever been, plus now it’s got the engine of online social media behind it. People are more connected than ever and music fans, as you know, love to spread the word about their favorite music and bands. Fans also enjoy being a part of the discovery process and the more you enable them, the more effective their promotions can be. After you win them over with your awesome music, it is key to engage your fans regularly and show them that you really appreciate their support.
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 8, 2013
Category: Online Distribution
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Hear a new song you like? It can be yours in moments. It just takes a few clicks of the computer mouse or swipes on a smart device to find the song online, purchase and download it, and hit play. Is your music available for the instant gratification of your fans? If not, you could be missing out on potential sales and NEW fans. While iTunes dominates digital music sales, you can usually land your songs on Amazon, Google Play, and others at the same time. After all, the more places that people can find you, the better the chances are of them downloading your music.
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 26, 2013
Category: Online Distribution
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The internet has effectively leveled the playing field in the world of music. Music lovers no longer have to rely on radio djs at a handful of stations for exposure to new music; there is a seemingly limitless stream of great music available online all the time. The internet radio powerhouse Pandora, for example, played 1.39 billion hours of music for its listeners in December alone. And as most of you know, the great thing about Pandora is that it recognizes the user's taste in music and suggests new songs and artists they are likely to love, making it an ideal platform for exposing new listeners to your work.
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