The landscape of the music industry has changed vastly over the past ten years. We are no longer in the times where being successful musician is tied to record deals and album sales. Today people turn to the Internet for their music needs. Although the Internet has diminished the album sales and profits the music industry was accustomed to, it is also creating new opportunities for up and coming musicians to gain exposure for free.

Top 10 Websites to Promote Music Online:

1. www.youtube.com : Youtube is a video sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos. The website displays a wide variety of user generated video content and has had a profound impact on the music industry since its founding in 2005.
2. www.Facebook.com : “Musicians can literally advertise themselves on Facebook by making their own band page and having fans join their page as ‘Facebook fans.’” Having a Facebook page can put a musician in direct contact with over 200 Million Facebook users who browse the site.
3. www.Twitter.com : Twitter is an online social networking service / personal blog service. The website enables users to send and read text based messages of up to 140 characters known as “tweets”. Created in 2006 Twitter is one of the most popular web services in the world, operating with over 500 million registered users as of 2012.
4. www.SoundCloud.com : SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform that allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings by users. The website provides access to 20+ million users and is growing by 1.5+ users per month.
5. www.SoundClick.com : SoundClick is a music based social community which offers bands, artists, and music labels a platform for self promotion. Songs can be streamed, downloaded in MP3 format, sold through the store, or licensed to others. SoundClick boasts over 4.5 million songs, 530,000 bands and artists and over 4.5 million registered members.
6. www.DatPiff.com : DatPiff is an online mixtape distribution platform. Datpiff has 19.7 downloads generated solely by “major label” mixtapes providing a major platform for its “upcoming artists” user generated content section of the website.
7. iTunes: Although iTunes is not the ideal place for up and coming musicians to start spreading their music – it is one of the only media outlet that will pay you for your content. “iTunes pays musicians for the songs they sell, as opposed to just spreading them across the Web. Musicians should always keep in mind that iTunes does take $.35 for every $.99 per song a musician sells.”
8. www.MySpace.com : “MySpace is one of the biggest social networking sites for people who live for music, providing a remarkable opportunity for musicians to gain online exposure.” MySpace Music provides artists a way to interact with fans while promoting their music virally.
9. www.Last.fm : “Last.fm is one of the world’s largest and most respected social music platforms for upcoming artists to get their brand seen by a giant online community of music lovers. Last.fm operates under a system of “scrobbling,” where the name of the song a member listens to is sent to Last.fm and added to their music profile for others to see. Millions of songs are scrobbled every day, helping fans figure out which songs they listen to the most while helping artists spread their music at the same time.”
10. www.Mp3.com : Mp3.com is a web site that provides information about digital music, artists, songs, services, community and technologies. At its peak Mp3.com delivered over 4 million MP3 audio files per day to over 800,000 resisted users.

Each of these websites are great media outlets to grow a musicians fan base. Although most of these websites offer very similar services, it is best to be on as many of these as possible in order for unsigned acts to garner any type of “buzz”.

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Are you a DIY artist trying to get your name out there, but you’re not really sure how to do it? Well, this week we’re gonna offer you some pointers that will hopefully help you along!

For Starters, if you have an album you’re trying to sell, it’s important to create a press release to make people aware of your project and gain media coverage. PR News has some great tips on writing an effective press release.

Another essential step in promoting your music is to have an artist bio, according to the Indie Guide. This will offer some more in depth information that is musically relevant to who you or your band is. This is also a good way to keep people up to date with where you are today with your music.

If you’re trying to get some radio play for your album, or maybe a single, putting a radio one sheet together can be a helpful way to show radio stations why they should play your music. About.com Music Careers has everything you need to know about making your own radio one sheet.

Maybe you or your band is just starting out, and you don’t quite have the fanbase you were hoping for. DIY Musician has some tips on how to utilize social media in order to gain a solid following.

Hopefully you will find these tips useful, and good luck with your musical endeavors! Make sure to check out 1770 Records Facebook and Twitter pages for more helpful tips.

Hey all!  This week we’re focusing on how and where to use the limited recourses you have as a developing artist.  Here some great sites and articles we think are helpful.  Enjoy!

Trying to decide if you should invest in getting on the radio?  GrassRootsy.com is a great blog on marketing for independent artist.  This week they had some great insights on when and why radio play is important.

Buying gear can be extremely pricey.  Plus, comparing items can be difficult, time consuming and overwhelming.  SoundOnSound.com is a great resource to help guide you to the most bang for your buck.

How do you get discovered in this changing market?  Are things like Pandora and Spotify really helping break new artist?  Check out “Is Music Discovery an Impossible Dream?” article on Music3Point0.com for some great insight.

Facebook is a very powerful tool for any musician.  Gaining Facebook fans can be an important part of any promotion plan.  However, the trick is keeping those fans engaged once you have them.  MusicThinkTank.com gives “6 Shocking Reasons Your Facebook Fans Aren’t Engaged” that are seriously helpful in managing your Facebook page.

On an unrelated note, this week Amazon announced that they are bringing their AutoRip program to vinyl records.  This means when you purchase a vinyl record through Amazon they’ll give you a MP3 version of the record for free!  For more information and restrictions go to Marshable.com.

As always make sure to check out 1770 Records Facebook and Twitter pages and give any feedback you may have.  Hope you all have a good week!

There have been a lot of amazing changes in the music industry over the last 5 years and technology has been the driving force behind most of them. Bands now have several methods of direct communication with fans through social media sites and music lovers now have programs like Spotify, iTunes and Shazzam, that immediately help them discover and listen to new music. However, on the flip side fans can now access music and download it for free online without paying a penny. Some critics believe the integration of the internet in the music industry will slowly collapse the entire business, while others believe the accessibility of music is a major attribute.

For better or for worse, the use of online music distribution has changed the industry forever. No matter what side you choose to take, as an artist you need to adapt to the current market and prepare yourself for even bigger changes in the future. Below are a few articles that will hopefully aid you on your journey.

EMI’s Barak Moffitt offers his thoughts in an interview as he discusses the future innovations that will occur in the music industry.

Wires, David Byrne offers some “Survival Strategies” for artists. While a few of the stats are dated, he offers very valuable information and it’s well worth the read.

A new study from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre says that illegally downloading music is not hurting the music business.

Listen to WHYY Public Media on Soundcloud.com to hear how the internet has changed the music industry.

Through these links it is clear that the internet is gaining more and more control over the music industry. CD sales have been dramatically decreasing within the last decade while cassettes and vinyls are almost nowhere to be found for purchase. Companies such as iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, and Amazon let you purchase digital music online from single songs to whole albums onto your computer or phone instantly anytime, anywhere. Other websites such as Spotify, YouTube, and Pandora let you listen to almost any music online for free. There are even certain websites that let you illegally download music to your computer. Many believe that because of these kinds of sites letting people steal music, the industry will collapse. Others think the contrary in that more music is being heard now with such great accessibility to buyers.

Come visit 1770 Records onFacebook and    Twitter! See you next week!

Every musician knows that spreading the word about your music is easier said than done.  It can be an expensive and annoying process, and can be the one thing standing between you and hitting the stage.  In this week’s College of Charleston 1770 Records blog, we’d like to share a few links to tools we’re had success using in hope they’ll help you, too!

Are you an independent artist looking to make a profit from your music to fund other projects?  Are you tired of relying on PayPal, or don’t know where to start?  Check out Kicktstarter! This site is a perfect combination of PayPal and Youtube—people surfing the site can watch your video and put money towards your final goal from your kickstarter page. Types of projects range from music to fashion design and everything in between, and are divided up by categories to ensure your project won’t be lost on this website. Learn how Amanda Palmer raised $1 million on Kickstarter on the Verge site.

If you are trying to spread the word about your music but don’t know where to begin, check out some local open mic nights.  Here in Charleston, there are places to play every night of the week, and many towns are the same. One of our favorites is Wednesday nights at Tabbuli Bar and Grill – for just $10 you can get a professional live recording of your set from that night. Check out Help for Bands to learn the value of open mic nights.

If you want to network and hear good live music, be a regular on your local club circuit.  Come out to meet musicians and to intermingle with the fans. For us, that means visiting Awendaw Green. Find venues in your area using the Music Venue List site or by looking in your local paper.

If you would like to circulate your music on the web, it’s beneficial to get a package where it can be done for you.  Good resources for this are CD Baby and Discmakers.  These sites will make it easy for you to get your music in hard copy and on the internet for an affordable price, and lift the burden of dealing with iTunes.

Make the Internet your friend by using these links to make your life a lot easier.  Don’t forget to visit 1770 Records on Facebook. Stay jammin’!

1. Begin with a Goal in Mind – Why exactly are you sending out emails to your fan list? This is a very important question to think through before hitting the send button on your next newsletter. Hint: Email newsletters are a great way to maintain and strength relationships with existing fans. Also note, email is a very poor tool for trying to recruit new fans. Focus your email efforts on providing as much value to your fans as possible.
2. Go Pro – If you are serious about building relationships with your fans and marketing your music, using a professional email solution is a must. Sending emails to fans from your Gmail account might seem like a simple solution, but it’s not! There are several companies that provide professional email solutions designed specifically for musicians including, FanBridge, Nimbit, Reverbnation and Topspin to name a few. Professional email solutions are a great investment of time and money. Go pro today!
3. Segmentation – Segmentation is a term used to describe a targeting strategy in email marketing. Targeting the right fans with the right message is critical to your long-term email marketing success. For example, don’t email everyone on your entire list about an upcoming show you’ve booked in Memphis! Pull a list of your fans in a particular market, Memphis for example, and only email them about the initial show announcement and a potentially a follow-up reminder or two as the show date approaches. Segmenting your audience helps prevent “list fatigue” from your subscribers that can lead to the dreaded “unsubscribes” from your list. Additionally, segmenting provides real value to the people you’ve targeted and are most interested in a particular piece of information (fans in Memphis hearing about a local, upcoming show for example).
4. Personalization – Remember that whole “building a relationship with fans” goal? A little personalization in an email can go a long way with fan goodwill and marketing effectiveness. Emails that begin “Dear David” (John, Kate, etc.) are much more personal and effective than emails that begin without a greeting or with just “Hey fans”. Most email marketing tools make automatically including your fans first name in the greeting quite simple. Reverbnation even has a tool that will search the Internet and find the names of your fans if you only have their email address.
5. Frequency – Be consistent with your email communications but be very careful with the frequency they are sent out. I recommend consistently emailing your entire fan list on a monthly basis and rarely more often than that. It’s ideal to send out your monthly email on the same day each month, the first Tuesday of each month for example. Emailing your entire list too frequently will ultimately lead to lower open rates and higher unsubscribe rates. Twitter, Facebook and blogs are much better tools for more frequent communications
6. Content Matters – Don’t forget that your fans are music fans! Always be sure to include your music for download or streaming and videos in your emails. Providing exclusive content for members of your list is a great way to keep fans engaged and looking forward to getting your next email. Don’t sweat the quality of your content too much. A live video shot with a flip cam or a new song recorded in your living room can turn out to be real fan pleasers.
7. Give to Get – If you want something from the fans on your list be prepared to offer them an incentive in return. For example, if you want fans to join your street team or vote for your band in an upcoming contest offer them a free MP3 download of a new song as a way of saying “thanks” for helping.
8. Analytics Rule! – Another advantage of using a professional email tool is the analytic reporting they provide on how your fans respond to your emails. Monitoring key statistics such as open rates, new subscriptions and unsubscribe rates will help you better understand the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts. If you send out an email that results in a high unsubscribe rate you did something your fans didn’t like. Figure out what went wrong and be sure not to make the same mistake again.
9. Cross Promotion – Always cross promote the other places where you connect with fans in your emails. If you have a band website, Twitter feed, Facebook Fan Page or blog be sure to always include links to these sites in your emails. Also, make it easy for your fans to sign up for your email list by including an email list signup option everywhere you have an online presence.
10. No Spam – It is very important that you NOT add people to your email list who did not personally sign up for it. Remember, emails are great tools for maintaining and strengthening fan relationships. Email is a highly ineffective as a tool for obtaining new fans. Adding unsuspecting names to your email list will only foster a negative impression of you from potential fans and might even get you dropped by your email provider. Don’t do it!

So your gig is coming up and you want to make sure that your event gets a solid turnout. Advertising your show properly is essential in ensuring that people will be in attendance; whether your performing at a local bar, restaurant, or small music venue. Today’s technology offers countless methods of advertising but we must not forget about advertising and promoting without the aid of technology.

The most common advice given from artist who made it big through the internet to those striving to make it in the music industry is to make as many accounts on as many different sites you can to spread your music. Reverbnation, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Youtube are all great sites to reach new fans, share your music, and to let them know about your next show. You can contact your fans directly with just a few clicks of a mouse or taps of a keyboard. This is a great form of advertising because it is practically free and can reach an infinite number of people worldwide. Here you can find a list of 25 ways to advertise for free.

You can now even create your own apps for people to download on their smart phones here at Conduit.

The Internet and its number of users are growing exponentially. By tacking into this valuable resource, one can gain a large fan base. By having a large fan base, the fans will share your music with others. By them sharing your music and information with others, you will rise in the ranks of other upcoming musicians. They will be advertising for you! Through the use of the Internet one can promote and advertise to a large audience instantaneously; anywhere, anytime. Here are 14 great points and ideas you should consider.

With the ease of use of the Internet, one should not forget about advertising “the old fashioned way”. Two great ways to promote your show without using the Internet is by creating a street team and placing flyers in businesses.

Your street team is created in order to personally hand out flyers containing information about your show. Who, what, where, and when. These questions should all be answered in your flyers. One of the most important questions to answer is why. Why should they spend their time at your show? Tell them about how great you are and how you are the next big thing. The street team creates a one-on-one environment with whomever they are informing. It is a more intimate way of conveying information and makes the individual feel important. Here you can find some good ideas to incorporate in your flyer.

When selecting a business to ask to dispense your flyers, think about the audience you are targeting. If you are a death metal band, you are not going to have much success advertising in a Lilly Pulitzer store. Select businesses that have an atmosphere that compliments your music style.  Another important aspect to consider is location. If you are an up and coming local band, you will want to keep your advertising relatively local. Unless you are well known, it will be tough to convince people to come to your show that live an hour away. Here you can find a “how to” guide to finding your target audience.

Thanks for checking out another blog from the College of Charleston! Visit 1770 Records on Twitter and Facebook, and follow us as we promote a historic live music television pilot featuring Edwin McCain and Sam Bush at the Charleston Music Hall on March 30.