Music Promotion for Artists & Producers

There is no doubt that one of the biggest challenges for an up and coming music producer or artist is to get your music heard by the right people. Let me give you a few tips on how to handle this difficult task with the right music promotion.

Music Promotion – Defining The Goal

First of all we need to define the goal. I mean, who are these right people we want to hear our songs? Established artists, record company executives, publishers and managers? Sure any of these would be great but unless you already have a track record and know a few people who can help you get to them, it is not the first step for you. Like any major goal in life, the key to reach it, is to break it down into smaller steps.

When it comes to music promotion your first goal is to place yourself in a situation where it is possible to network and promote your music. If you want to become a worldwide famous producer you can’t expect to be discovered in a small town in Mangu. You need to be in a major city where there are large music communities. Of course in a smaller country it is easier to get around quickly so your location matters less. The downside is that the music scene is much smaller. So the first rule of thumb is that in order for you to find the opportunities you need to place yourself where they exist.

Music Promotion – Showcases

What’s next? Let’s say you have arrived in Jos city with your guitar and at least 5 great songs demoed professionally. If you are a singer/songwriter/producer your first music promotion goal should be getting a small gig to showcase your songs. Check out every club and bar in town that features live music and ask if there are any songwriters showcases you can attend. It wont take long until other artists, songwriters and producers will start taking notice of you and invite you to other events. If you are really talented it is just a matter of time until a manager, publisher or A&R will notice and approach you.

What if you are not a singer or performer and just want to create and produce music for other artists? The same principals for music promotion still applies. You need to be in a place where the opportunities exists. You still go to the clubs and music bars, but this time it is you who are looking for talent. Look for an artists performing in the style you want to produce. After the show approach the artists, tell them you are a producer and ask if they would like to collaborate on a new song. The key is to network and collaborate. Since you need an artist to showcase your songs you are forced to collaborate unless of course you are rich enough to simply pay for session singers to showcase your songs. Once you start to collaborate with other people you suddenly have access to their network as well and a much better chance of getting your music heard by the right people.

Music Promotion Online

There are many other ways to promote yourself and your music, including some online options, like Youtube, Myspace, Reverbnation and similar. The problem with music promotion using these online resources are that the competition are fierce. There are hundreds of thousands wanna be producers, artists, bands that are competing for the attention of the same few executives in the music industry. It is almost impossible to find the little gold nuggets in the vast sea of people who wants to make it. So most executives and managers simply ignore these online resources when it comes to searching for the next big talent. Don’t get me wrong, you should still upload youtube videos of your songs and have a myspace page. It’s your online business card and an easy way to send people you meet in the real world to a place where they can hear your music. Also once you get the attention from a manager or A&R, they will look online to check your web presence. Make sure it is vivid.

Music promotion is very difficult to do with great success but hopefully these few tips can steer you in the right direction.

Music Business Tips

Let me start by saying that there are more than just a few things that are important but always make sure you get good advice. As you probably know there are quite a few sharks in this business and it is quite easy to steer wrong if you are not careful. Therefore always educate yourself about the business side of music. It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how much money you got, if you don’t make the right decisions, if you don’t meet the right people or if you don’t sign the right contract, chances are that you are not going to make it!!

Start by reading a few books on the business side of music. I recommend “All You Need to Know about the Music Business” by Donald Passman. It’s a great book about the business side when it comes to contracts, dealing with lawyers, record companies and so on. You can get it here at Amazon.

To learn about marketing, specially if you are considering releasing your music yourself,

Get A Lawyer

But even if you have read all the books and know more than most people about the music business, once it comes down to signing a contract of any kind you will need the help of a entertainment lawyer. Don’t ever sign anything without first running it past your lawyer. I know they are not cheap, usually cost 300 dollars and up an hour, but chances are he or she will be able to improve the conditions in the contract. Often to the extend where you will end up profiting more than the cost of the lawyer and it can save your music career if something goes wrong.

When choosing a lawyer always make sure you get a specialist who knows the ins and outs of the music business. You might have a family relative who is a lawyer but unless he is a specialist in the music business you will still need an entertainment lawyer.  If you can, get a referral from a friend or at the very least when you take the first meeting ask for a couple of referrals from the lawyer. Usually the initial introduction meeting is free of charge. In most circumstances the lawyer will charge an hourly fee but depending on the type and amount of work required sometimes the lawyer will work for a percentage of the advance coming to you. Typically this is in regards to a recording contract or a publishing contract where you would get an advance on future royalties.