Creating Publicity for Your Music

Creating publicity is important for artists and bands. However, you can only promote yourself so much using your e-mail list, drawing from your existing fan-base and promoting your Web site using traditional grassroots methodology. To further build your presence, you will have to think creatively about other methods for getting recognition and traffic to your Web site.

Internet Radio

Many early-adopters heralded Internet radio as the new era, in which users controlled their programming. In theory, their predictions held merit. Several of the larger stations (such as Pandora, Live365 and SHOUTcast) have proven largely successful. Many of the stations, however, are still very small and generate little, if any, revenue.
 
Nevertheless, don’t completely rule out Internet radio. If you can contact stations that run channels you feel your music is suited to, submit material and build this relationship, just as you would with an offline commercial station. Search for them online, then closely read and adhere to their submission criteria.

Networking Superhighway

The possibilities provided by networking Web sites have had a surprising effect on the music industry. These sites include:
  • Facebook
  • Friendster
  • MySpace.
With these sites, users are able to create their own personalized place online where they can share themselves and their music as they network with other like-minded individuals around the world. Artists and bands can now set up their own promotional pages and offer their material for listening or download.

Diligence Yields Results

The key to success with online networking sites, such as MySpace, is diligence. As with any other relationship, if you want it to flourish you have to maintain it. If you take the time to create an account, personalize your page and upload your music, you have to prepare yourself for the interest from potential fans and build on those connections. The results can yield real revenue.
 
Let’s say someone finds your page, listens to your music and likes what they hear. In all likelihood, they will send you a friend request, which you should generally accept. Once they are in your extended network, they may e-mail you through the site to find out more about you and your music.
 
Thank them for their interest and answer their inquiries as professionally and courteously as possible. If they don’t e-mail you first, try approaching them and inquire what it was about you/your music that piqued their interest. In building this singular relationship, your new fan may want to purchase a CD.
 
Even if your new fans don’t order a CD from you, try to have some of your songs available for them to download and post on their personal page. This way, their friends will have the opportunity to hear your work, potentially increasing the scope of your fan-base.
 
If your music isn’t available in a hard-copy format, such as a CD, you can still reach out to fans by inviting them to your next show. Just because your new fan lives thousands of miles away, doesn’t mean that their best friend from high school doesn’t live three blocks from your next gig.
 
Remember that the key is diligence, and this process can be very time-consuming for one person. As tempting as it can be to sign up for every networking site, maintaining multiple pages over a number of networking sites can become a logistical nightmare.
 
Form Letters
One way to save time keeping up with networking sites is to create a few template letters and replies that will apply to inquiries about concerts, CDs or simply information about you. If you can use information that's already put together, you'll end up saving time in the long run. Simply leave yourself a few blank spaces that will allow you to personalize the letters for each fan.
 
If you’re in a band, assign each member a page on a site that (s)he maintains exclusively. If you’re a solo artist, ask fans with a little spare time to manage a page for you. Not only will they will feel a deeper connection with you, but you will also now have some help in maintaining your Web sites and creating publicity.

Physical Parallels

There are huge similarities between the energies you expend online and those you’d traditionally work toward offline.

For example, most artists know that press and reviews are key. If you don't have any reviews, use the following steps to start collecting some:

  1. Find a publication suited your particular style.
  2. Learn what the individual reviewers are looking for in an artist.
  3. Pick one you think would like your work.
  4. Make an initial contact and connect with the reviewer.
  5. Offer to send him or her a promotional packet (that should include a CD).
  6. Follow up.
This situation is completely adaptable to an online environment and can be used in much the same way.

Blogs

Just like radio, the Internet offers alternative opportunities for getting reviews. In fact, thousands of independent music reviewers maintain their own blogs online. When looked at individually, the promotional capabilities of these online reporters may seem marginal, but as a group they can be incredibly powerful. In recent years, relatively unknown bands and artists have broken into the mainstream consciousness thanks to the blogging community.
 
Jump online and begin looking for bloggers who appear to subscribe to your particular tastes and styling. Build a relationship with them. If they get behind you, you may be in for a shock. Once the good word picks up a buzz, it won’t be long before the energy expended here will yield real results offline.