Archive for March, 2007
How Not to Promote A Band
There’s this band that I absolutely love. I have both of their albums and I listen to them regularly. I’ve been wanting to see them perform live for a very long time. I discovered about a month and a half ago that they had a date in Atlanta coming up. However, there was never any information posted about the show.
After a few weeks of waiting to see if information would be posted about the show (which is at probably one of the best live venues in the country, the Tabernacle), the date appears on MySpace (it had been on their website for some time) and it says something to the effect that it’s a free show sponsored by Blender Magazine and that more information will follow.
I’m impatient. I’ll admit it. And being that I have to drive 2-1/2 hours to the venue to get there, I wanted more information. Who wouldn’t? So I sent a message to the band’s MySpace, as well as leave a comment. I also track down some contact information for Blender Magazine and e-mail them as well. And finally, after hearing nothing from “the people in charge,” I sent an e-mail to a DJ at an Atlanta radio station. Who did get back to me, but only to tell me that they’d be giving tickets away on-air for the show that week. But I don’t live in Atlanta, I don’t listen to Atlanta radio stations. I did listen from time to time that week over the internet, but my timing must suck – I never heard any info. about the show.
The show is now in two days and the band’s MySpace still says “Info. to come.” And there’s no information on their website (which is down more than it’s up, I might add). I give up. That’s one less band I now need to support.
Did I mention they’re signed to Atlantic Records (major label)? Did I mention the band’s name was Jet?
If the big guys can’t get their proverbial sh** together, they’re setting a very poor example for the little guys.
All I can say is that if someone contacted me about any of the bands we work with, or even bands or musicians we know, I’d have that information to them asap.
There’s a reason the major labels are griping about losing money, and it’s not all due to illegal downloading.
Of course, this WAS a free show and I’m sure neither the label, nor the band, nor Blender Magazine really cared much about it in the first place. Another way to expose people to the band completely and utterly wasted. Why even bother?
The MySpace Mistake
There’s been a lot of talk lately about MySpace and it’s destiny to be yet another corporate lackey. Case in point:
MySpace is starting to delete third party widgets and software that come from competitors. I figure it’s only a matter of time before even YouTube videos will not be allowed to be shown on MySpace, since the rumor mill is stating they’re working on their own competitor to YouTube.
This is yet just another reason that ARTISTS NEED TO HAVE THEIR OWN SPACE ON THE WEB.
MySpace is most certainly NOT the best marketing solution for your band or your music. You need to get yourself a website if you don’t have one. And you need a website that not only collects information from your fans so that you can contact them when you need to, but you also need a website that has all of your information available, should the following occur:
1. MySpace deletes your profile. And it has happened. Many bands have been called spam and have found their profiles gone, with absolutely no warning. Think about it… all those friends you’ve carefully acquired gone. And don’t think that MySpace is going to give you their info. so that you can contact them to let them know what happened.
2. MySpace is going to prevent you from selling your music on its space, unless you use Snocap and Snocap only. If you have your own website, you can sell your music any way you want. It’s yours, after all, shouldn’t you be able to do that?
3. MySpace is going to be having one of its MANY technical glitches and you will be unable to post a bulletin (or even worse, as I can tell you often happens, your important bulletin doesn’t get posted until later… later might mean the difference in getting people to a show that night and not). Or maybe you can’t add last-minute shows to your profile (and as of Thursday, March 22nd at 5:57 p.m. ET – this is DEFINITELY the case). Or maybe you can’t even access MySpace. Or worse, those viewing your page can’t listen to your music because the music players are down. This happens a lot. If you’ve been on MySpace for any amount of time, you know this is the truth.
Also, an important thing to remember is that MySpace owns the information that’s on MySpace. Those friends you’ve collected? They don’t belong to you – they belong to MySpace. The information you’ve posted, whether in blogs, bulletins or otherwise… that’s not yours either. And control? You have none, because MySpace does not belong to you.
But you can have ownership of your information, as well as full control, by doing one simple thing – putting up a website. No, I don’t mean a domain name that points to your MySpace. You need an actual website with all of your show dates, music (heck, even give some away for free and see how people will flock to your page), photos and an online mailing list so that you have permanent access to your fanbase that YOU own.
I’m sure there will still be many of you out there who thinks MySpace is enough. And for those, I suppose, there is no help. Not until you lose your profile or your information or can’t contact fans when you need them the most.
So when that happens, contact us. Or contact us now and save yourself from the MySpace mistake.
Today is the Day: BumRush the Charts
Today, March 22nd, IS THE BIG DAY! We are going to make history by taking an “indie” podsafe music artist to number one on the iTunes singles chart as a demonstration of our reach to Main Street and our purchasing power to Wall Street. The track we’ve chosen is “Mine Again” by the band Black Lab. A band that was dropped from not just one, but two major record labels (Geffen and Sony/Epic) and in the process forced them to fight to get their own music back.
Use this link to buy the track right NOW!!!…
http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/bumrush
If you believe in the power of new media, take 99 cents and a minute of your time to join the revolution and make iTunes “Mine Again”.
For more info. on Bum Rush the Charts, please go here: http://bumrushthecharts.blogspot.com
Don’t have iTunes? Download it here: http://www.iTunes.com
SXSW Wrap-up at Hypebot
http://hypebot.typepad.com/hypebot/2007/03/sxsw_wrap_up.html
Now I wish major label acts and major labels would read the following part of this:
“”…today is all about monetizing the behavior of the fans instead of selling and focusing on units of any kind. It’s the overall behavior… give them what they want, and do it as direct and easily as possible. This is why labels are dying..the future is superserving the fan base”
MySpace Vs. Websites
From Online Fandom: