Music Marketing [dot] com

Like This Video? Maybe You Should Marry It!

Cool video and great promo campaign by OK Go...

Thoughts? Can OK Go have a hit without a cool video? Post comments below...

Using Craigslist to Find New Band Members

Saw this as part of a documentary series about how people use Craigslist and thought it would be a good introduction to a discussion on the topic of how to find good people to work with.

Check it out...

Post your thoughts on the subject of finding new band members below...  What's the best way to find a new person for your music business team?

Want to Be a YouTube Celebrity?

If so, watch these guys, because they have it down. Brilliant use of the medium.

Too bad Simon Cowell didn't get the joke...

iPhone 4 and Music Promotion

People can't seem to get enough of iPhone 4.  Even before it was out, Apple fans were going crazy talking about it.

The short film below is a great example of a creative person not only taking advantage of the iPhone's video technology, but also the hype surrounding it.

You really should have done something similar with a music video for your band.  Next time...

Thoughts? Post them below...

Pirated Copy vs. Legal Copy

When I was a Freshman in college, I was walking through the campus with a friend, more or less, sticking to the well-established sidewalks. Suddenly, he broke off to cut through the nicely maintained grass, showing total disregard for the signs asking people to stay off.

"This is how they figure out where to put sidewalks," he said.

And he was right... The general public is lazy.  If you're ever unsure of the easiest way to do something, throw it out to the general public and they'll show you how to cut corners you didn't even know existed.

When you're running a business that sells to the general public, this is important to remember.  If you want to stay in business, you must make things easy on them.  If you don't, they'll go somewhere else.

Always ask yourself, "How can I make things easier on my customer?"

Selling hamburgers?  Don't make people get out of their cars to get them!  Install a drive-thru.  Or better yet, deliver the burgers to their homes. 

I could give you dozens of examples, from every industry imaginable, but you get the idea... 

Here's the first "big idea" of this post though...

If you want to make money in the digital entertainment world, whether it be movies, music, or anything else, you have to make it easier to buy than steal.

iTunes is within days of selling it 10,000,000,000th track.  How are they doing it?

HINT: Read the "hamburger example" above.

People are cheap.  People like to get things for free.  Laziness trumps both these things though.

iTunes is winning the digital music game and has revolutionized the recorded music business because Apple knows this.  Paying $.99 is nothing when you can hit a button and get something instantly.

There is one problem though...  People hate DRM. 

And now for the second "big idea" of this post...

People want to consume things in the easiest and most comfortable way possible.  And for that, they'll do a little more work on the front end.

iTunes tried the "keep off the grass" method, but it didn't work.  You can't tell people to stay on a sidewalk when it doesn't make sense for them to do so.  And while it's kind of a bitch to wear down a new path, as more and more people do it, it gets easier.  New systems are built which compete with the original.

Which brings me to the final "big idea" of this post... When you have the easiest and most comfortable way possible, you can sell more units and do it at higher prices.

Remember this when you're setting up the sales process for your music business.  Had Apple started out with a 100% DRM-free catalog to sell, iTunes could have started at the premium price they're currently charging for DRM-free tracks, $1.29 per track, and they might very well have sold 20,000,000,000 tracks at that price by now rather than just 10,000,000,000, with an average price per track of $.99.  Instead, non-licensed distribution systems like Limewire, Rapidshare, and MP3 Fiesta were born, as well as major legal alternatives such as Amazon MP3, which are all viable alternatives and taking money that could have gone to iTunes, had Apple listened to what the public wanted from the very beginning.

Questions for you:

- Where do you purchase music?

- How are you currently selling your digital content?

- Do you feel threatened by releasing non-DRM content?

- Are you worried about music piracy?

Please post comments and thoughts below...  Like this post?  Please tell a friend.

Music Promotion on CNN

A band called Handsome Furs partnered with Sub Pop and CNN to do a Web series about its tour of Asia. Band members filmed it themselves using Flip cameras.

Get more info here.

Any touring band should be doing this!

Post thoughts below...

Another Great Indie Music Video

Here's another indie music video I found interesting. The whole thing was done in one take and the audio was recorded at the same time it was filmed.

As always keep sending in examples of people doing cool stuff with music videos...

Easy Way to Get More YouTube Viewers

Had the hiccups last night.  Looked up "hiccup cure" and this video popped up...

Sure, it was a bit weird taking advice from this lady, but I was in need and had nothing to lose...except maybe a little dignity.

Well, it worked.  No more hiccups.

What will work even better is the marketing idea behind this.  Giving people a simple solution to a common problem is gold when it comes to getting traffic online.

If you've got a fun personality, such as the woman in the video above, definitely think about doing some videos like this.

Cool Lo-Fi Music Video

This video by Tanya Davis is a great example of what can be done with video, even if you don't have a huge budget...

Thanks to Tricia Mitchell for the link.

Is Music Radio Dead?

This is going to sound a bit strange, but I have had a lot of music business executives come on my radio show and tell me that radio is dying...at least when it comes to music.

Found an interesting video clip from 1982, which talks about the subject...

Of course, the focus above is the switch from AM radio to FM.  However, I'd argue that we're seeing the exact same thing happen right now, with a switch from broadcast to other radio distribution methods, such as satellite, cable, and Internet.

Options are always a good thing when they're yours, and it's great to have various distribution methods for a medium such as radio.  The problem is that there are only so many people who actually like radio and, when you have thousands of choices to listen to, the audience is split thousands of ways.  That wasn't the case when broadcast radio was all we had, and our choices were limited to whatever was on an AM or FM dial.

Check out the video at 3:40, where WABC's Ron Lundy says, "I don't think there will ever be another radio station that will ever come close to being as big as we were."

True.  And the issue isn't just the new options on broadcast radio.  Those 6,000,000 listeners are split between online stations, satellite, mp3 players, and who knows what else...  

That's not saying that broadcast radio is totally gone.  It's the only format that is in the hands of almost everybody.  Even the poorest of people in this country can afford a $10 radio.  And even somebody who is afraid of new technology can figure out how to turn it on.  You plug it in, you get music...or talk, or sports, or whatever.  There is something to be said for the simplicity.

Because of how little it costs to receive and its ease of use, until something can compete on these issues, broadcast radio is here to stay and has the largest audience of any radio delivery system right now.

Here's the problem...

As was mentioned in the video, many broadcast stations are going to a talk format, or sports, or "syndicated formats" which broadcast the same "station" in multiple markets and don't play any new music.  And most of the stations which do play music have a small playlist, often times based on programming consultants who are concerned with how they can increase ad revenue more than being a benefit to local community or upcoming musicians.

And even if you can get on a broadcast station, the number of listeners are down.  If it worth all the trouble you have to go through?

The good news...

You have more options for your music than ever.  Radio isn't the only way to get the word out about what you're doing.  In fact, there are options available to you, the independent musician, songwriter, or band, that actually give you more publicity (and royalties) than broadcast radio.

Yes, I'm talking about licensing your music to:

• Film
• Television Shows
• Video Games

While the audience for broadcast radio has been shrinking, the audience for these things has been growing.  In fact, by 2011, the video game industry will be larger than the music industry.

I can help you to get your music licensed in film, television, and video games.  In fact, I can help you make a lot of money doing it.

I just released a video course which explains the opportunity you have right now and how you can cash in big time.  If you want it, input your name and primary email address below and I'll send it to you free, as my thanks for reading this blog.

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