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In
today’s ultra-crowded and competitive marketplace,
artists should use every tool they have to reach out to
the influencers who can help their careers.
Unfortunately, many go about it in the wrong way, coming across
as naive and tone-deaf. Are you one of
them?
Guest Post by Cortney Harding, Director of
Media Relations for Muzooka.com
This article originally appeared on
Bandzoogle Blog
We’ve all seen the old cliche — a plucky, struggling artist
takes the stage at a small club, while a record exec who just
happens to be there skulks in the back. By the end of the set,
the exec is so blown away that he or she races after the
artist, promising them fame and fortune. Six months later, they
share a laugh while hoisting a gold record.
If only it were so easy. In
today’s ultra-crowded and competitive marketplace, artists
should use every tool they have to reach out to the influencers
who can help their careers. Unfortunately, many go about it in
the wrong way, coming across as naive and tone-deaf. Here are a
few pointers on how to get your music in front of the right
people — without getting ripped off.
-
Be smart about what you pay for. There are
plenty of sites promising big things for just a little
money — and yet those big things rarely materialize. This
isn’t to say you shouldn’t pay for someone’s time if it
provides value, but that you should do your homework
before entering your credit card number. If a site
promises that someone will listen to your demo, make sure
check the play count — at least one company that made this
promise got busted for taking cash without delivering
spins. And be aware of high-priced events and conferences
promising big names; the famous folks will generally show
up for their panel, say a few boilerplate things, and bail.
I’ve moderated several of these, and in one case had to
play the bodyguard to a pregnant exec who was racing out
and almost got trampled. Which leads me to… -
Don’t be a creep. Any industry person with
a tiny bit of experience can smell desperation. Don’t shove
your demos at people. Don’t hit people up on Twitter. If
you’re going to hit people up to Twitter to write about you
for a magazine, look at the masthead and make sure those
people are still there. Don’t spam. Don’t send random files
and huge attachments. DO use official platforms, like
(shameless plug) the Muzooka Partner Platform to submit
content. -
Start at the bottom of the totem pole.
Jimmy Iovine isn’t going to come to your show. But spend
some time surfing LinkedIn and search for interns at labels
you’re interested in, then email them (get the free
Rapportive plug-in for Gmail and Chrome to help figure out
email addresses) and put them on the guest list. Most
college kids aren’t going to say no to a night of free
music and free drinks, and they’ll talk you up to the
bosses.
Slogging through gigs in empty rooms can be tough, and it can
feel like things will never get better. But as long as you keep
your wits and basic manners about you, connecting with
the people who can make you a star can be remarkably
easy.
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