Weekend Blog
How to Build A Name/Brand Without Breaking Your Pocket
Artist! Producers! Writers! Managers!
Do you want to know how to get your track played? How do I increase my visibility without breaking the bank?
Today’s Marketing/Promotions session was just for you!
According to Mike Matthews, the key to exposure is relationships! Start with your social media presence. How many Facebook friends do you have? How many listings do you have on Google? The first things scouts do when they get a tip on a up and coming artist, is what? They Google them. If you only have fifteen friends on Facebook and one Google listing they are not going to take you seriously. How do you increase your internet presence? Guerilla marketing! Free exposure! Consider these options:
-blogs
-message boards forums and community (rapmasters.com)
-Facebook groups
-Sound exchange
More tips from Mike Matthews:
-Use your music as a platform! That’s how get to movies, commercials, etc. There is no money in record sells! Everyone is after the corporate dollar
-Never judge a book by the cover. No one knows where the next big artist is coming from. I missed out on T-Pain and Christina Aguilera, learn from my mistakes
-Don’t let your resources or lack thereof, keep you from trying. Just because you spend a lot of money doesn’t mean you will be successful.
-You can’t do everything in house. The homeboy hook up is not going to always be the best route.
Tips from Sha’Linda Jeanine:
-Be careful how you present yourself on social media sites.
-Follow through is key. You can’t just throw your cd out into a crowd of scouts and say somebody is going to find me. Follow up with them.
-Use conferences and award shows like the SEAs as a catapult. You never know who is going to be here.
-In some cases, we will reach out to you despite your lack of online visibility. Do you have a street buzz? If the people are feeling you, then many scouts will recognize your potential.
….AND MUCH MORE
Its not too late! We have panels until 4:30pm at the Cook Convention Center! Get here!
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RADIO: COMMERCIAL / INTERNET / SATELLITE:
“PUTTING GOOD PRODUCT, IN GOOD HANDS”
PANELISTS:
- DJ 007
- DJ DIMEPIECE
- DJ NINA STA
PPM is the new radio system. The landscape of radio is no longer about what you’re saying but what you’re doing.
If you don’t really have a buzz out there, the radio won’t pick up your song.
It’s still important to do street marketing.
Let’s put it all together so that when you go to these internet stations, they can help you build your buzz. You need to build your awareness so that when you do go to commercial radio, you’ll be prepared.
Open playlist/Closed playlist – A lot of markets are closed playlist.
So what if it takes 6 months to get your business together and fully understand your rights and the industry fine print.
Work on building and cultivating relationships. Contact people not just when you need them.
The goal of radio is advertising. Physical product is still viable but there is no where to sell it. Take advantage of the Internet.
With pop music, if it gets enough exposure it becomes pop music. There’s no real formula. Pop music is popular.
I don’t believe in just a rapper. I believe in brands.
Bbs.com
Mediabase.com
(registering music)
Performance rights organizations, register your music
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The Role they Play in Music Today
DJ Carebear, DJ Dimepiece, DJ Ron C and DJ 2Mello schooled us on the role DJs play in the music industry.
What’s the purpose of a DJ? The purpose of a DJ goes beyond rockin the club, but we have a responsibility to stay in tune with the streets and bring fresh new talent to the forefront.
How do I get my track to a hot DJ?
-Timing is everything. Don’t try to give us your track while we are setting up for or in the middle of a set.
-Selectivity. Choose one hot track, don’t give us your entire cd.
-Humility. Don’t approach us like you’re number one in the streets, when nobody knows you.
-Research. Find out where we are, how and when we like to be approached.
-Preparation. If you’re sending links, send the formats correctly. Avoid mp4s, name the track appropriate, slide in the bpm.
Key panel points:
*Support your DJs. They are doing a service for you. DJs have car notes and water bills too. A drink is nice, but money is better. DJs use the money they receive to build up their brand. If there is a DJ supporting you, as their brand becomes stronger, it gets better and better for you.
*Branding is key. Build a name for yourself. We can help you out a lot but we can not do all the work for you. You have to grind, you have to have talent, and you have to produce a good product.
*Instead of spreading pennies through many DJs, focus on one. Find that one DJ that you know is putting in work and stay on them. When that DJ starts playing your song, other DJs will hear and catch on.
To contact the panelist:
How do you get in touch with DJ Ron C? Ronceezy@gmail.com
How do you get in touch DJ CareCbzzy2k3@yahoo.com
Check out DJ Dimepiece at www.djdimepiece.com
Dj2mello on twitter
You Want Us, You Need Us, Now Respect Us! (Women)
What do I need to do in order to start my brand? How can I make a difference within my market?
The panelist agree that the first thing you have to do in order to begin your brand is to perfect your craft. DJ Dimepiece shared that you need to take care of home first. “Work on your craft, work on your look, do this all before you start promoting.” Then you need to develop your product and keep it on you. “Leave something with everyone who you speak to, or else they wont remember you.” You have to find different ways to get your brand in the streets. Miz Smurff created t shirts for men and women. On the back of her shirts she has all her contact information. She had pretty girls pass out her cds, wearing her T-shirts. She did what she had to do to exploit herself. This ties in directly with a point made by Janie Jennings, “Find your niche and exploit it”. She taught herself about this business and she began a column. “My column was my way of exploiting my niche.”
Straight from the hip-
What do you think is going to be some of the key factors in getting men to understand that women do need to be paid?
DJ Dimepiece: Females need to demand respect. And follow through with skill/product. Speak with action and they’re going to react.
Janie Jennings: Present yourself properly. Know your worth. Make sure you’re getting something out of it. Even if they aren’t paying you, make sure wardrobe is taken care of, they’re feeding you, whatever.
Ji Ji Sweets: Say what you’re going to do, and do it.
Miz Smurff: You can’t go in thinking with your vagina. Know your worth and know the business
This is only a glimpse of the knowledge that these industry women had to share. For more information, contact our panelist:
Mz Blessed (2053374117)
Ji Ji Sweets (JiJiSweets.com)
DJ Dimepiece (Djdimepiece.com)
Janie (Industryworks.org)
Miz Smurf (mizsmurfbooking@gmail.com)
