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Making Money in the Industry

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Making money doing what you love is never easy. Most have to have at least one other job while they have their passion as a side job or even just as a hobby. There are a few things that you can do to help make money with your music, whether it’s writing for yourself or being a song writer for someone else. It’s always good to keep your mind open when trying to make money. Try something different and exciting that will get peoples’ attentions and make them want to support you. I will be talking about a few things that might help, but always think of new and exciting ways to generate money, especially since it’s very easy to download music for free.

Merchandise:

Selling merchandise is a great way to create money. Everyone wants to show off their support for bands that they love or for bands that they just found out about. They will wear shirts and pins to shows and on the street, which will get others around them interested in checking you out and will mean that they will purchase things as well. It’s very easy to buy and sell merchandise anywhere. You can sell at shows, but you can also sell online in many different ways. There’s always social media you can sell on as long as you have a PayPal account, multiple websites that help you sell online, as well as selling on your own website.

Live Shows:

Live shows are always great to get money at. As noted above, you can sell your merchandise at shows, but you can also make money in other ways. Some venues will pay you for playing there, others will let you set up a tip jar on stage where anyone at the show can donate money while you’re performing. You can also put a tip jar on your merchandise table for anyone who would like to donate more money or still show monetary support if they cannot purchase anything.

Another great form of “live shows” are to do it online. It’s not exactly “live” but you will be live streaming and performing live for fans. Streaming sites, such as StageIt, will let you set a price for a live streaming a concert and your fans can pay to see you perform from all over the world.

Crowdfunding/Pledge Music:

There are multiple forms online to have fans donate money to your music. Things like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo will let people donate money to your cause if they feel connected to it. Sites like Patreon help artists support each other and have fans support them as well. Patreon usually has it where you have something to give to the person who donated the money. Doesn’t need to be anything big, just something small to say thank you. I believe it’s always good to give back to those who help out. If you can do that while they’re donating, it would help so much.

Exclusives:

Having something extra for fans will make them more excited about purchasing things. You can have certain songs be free, but if they want to be able to download a special video from the band or an exclusive song, then they’d have to pay for it. Make it seem special. Having a few songs free for listeners to check out and download before purchasing the album will make them able to listen to you and want more.

Cover Shows:

A lot of bands don’t care for doing cover shows and would rather play their own music, but most (if not all) bands who do cover gigs will get paid. Most places would like to hire performers that sound or can at least perform popular songs. It gets the crowd excited and want to people to show up. It may not be the best o most popular around performers to do, but it is a good way to get some money and sometimes even be heard by someone in the industry.

YouTube:

YouTube is a great way to get money and to be heard. A lot of venues and even labels go to YouTube to see what you’re about. It shows how many people are listening to you, what you can creatively do with the music in terms of writing and music videos if you have any, and they will be able to see your music persona and how people react to it. YouTube also has ads that will generate money overtime someone watches one of your videos. You can decide which video you’d like the ads to be on and will generate more income. Yes, the ads are annoying, but it’s not going to stop anyone from listening to you. Performers all over have gotten signed thanks to YouTube and many that haven’t been signed yet are getting paid through the ads.

Sponsorship:

Having someone sponsor you is a great way to have money. Whoever is sponsoring you will donate money to whatever you need, whether it be to go on tour, buy new merchandise, help with recording, or getting instruments. You may not always be able to use the money as you want, but it will help pay for the important “business” things so that when you do make money from sales or anything, that will be your money and you won’t have to worry about business expenses. Sponsors also make it easier to get booked at shows and at festivals. You both can help each other out and booking agents will notice.

There are plenty of ways to make money doing what you love. You just have to keep an open mind and be creative. These were a few ideas that may help, but should only be a starting point for trying to make money with your music. Some are not as popular as others and some are very easy to do. You just have to find out what works best for you and your music, as well as for you fans.

Top 5 Email Marketing Tips for Musicians

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Email Marketing for Bands – Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has been the primary marketing tool of musicians to grow their network and promote their name. These platforms are taking off but as an up-and-coming independent artist, you also have to take advantage of other marketing strategies that could do great for the success of your career. One of which, is the commonly neglected, e-mail marketing.

Why is Email Marketing for Bands Important?

Facebook and other social media networks can give you access to millions or billions of fans but only e-mail marketing can provide you with the control over your connections. Therefore, build your e-mail list and begin promoting your music.

Grow Your Email List and Promote Your Music

  1. Design Your Website with an E-mail Sign Up Box

Email marketing for bands start with your website. Your music website should not only have your artist’s details but it should contain information that will help you convert visitors into fans. Therefore, design your website with a sign up box to collect your visitor’s e-mail addresses.

Place it in a prominent area on your page or design it as a pop out so your visitors will immediately see it once they visit your site.

  1.  Generate an Effective Call-to-Action

Your e-mail sign box should be accompanied with an effective call-to-action. This short introductory phrase should invite and persuade people to submit their e-mail addresses to your list.

It is also ideal that you introduce the benefits of their subscription like getting regular music updates, concert dates, news, and other exclusive surprises.

  1. Send Gifts to Subscribers

Aside from generating call-to-actions that convert, surprise your visitors with free and exclusive gifts in exchange of their e-mails. You can send them personalized items like posters, Bluetooth speakers, or wristband; or electronic files like a short video of your behind-the-scene rehearsals, a downloadable file of your music, and so on.

Through this, you are giving your fans a fresh and insider look of your life and activities as a musician.

  1. Advertise at your Merch Booth

Do not only use your merch booth to sell your items but utilize it to gather more e-mail subscribers from fans and people who attended the event. Place a signage in a noticeable area of your booth and invite them to sign up.

Or announce it on-stage after your performance. It’s also a good idea to assign someone from your team to go around and collect e-mail addresses from the crowd.

  1. Write a Compelling Blog post

An engaging and informative content can help you grow your e-mail list. The more compelling your story is, the more your readers become interested to reading your succeeding posts. Therefore, add an e-mail sign up box in your blog post area to turn your readers into loyal fans.

And once you have gained more e-mail sign ups, make your promise to send them informative, entertaining, and fresh news about your music. And never try to spam them with promotions and non-sense agenda. Or else, they will hit the unsubscribe button.

 

Top 5 Email Marketing Tips for Musicians is a guest post by April Alen.

April Alen is a content and social media Manager of the popular SpeakStick brand. SpeakStick creates innovative waterproof bluetooth speakers to aid the burning desire of music lovers and enthusiasts to listen to music whenever wherever. With this goal in mind, we invite you to be a part of our community of music lovers and to Set Your Music Free.

How to promote your music and get clients as a songwriter

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How to Promote Your Music – It’s really frustrating, right? You are a songwriter and you write really good songs. People who have listened to your songs such as your friends and family tell you that you have the talent for writing awesome songs and lyrics. But the problem is that you have not been able to get clients to hire you to write songs for them. And this is giving you sleepless nights and leaving you frustrated.

 

The simple truth is that if you do not know how to promote your music and let people know about the services you offer, then no one will hire you. It’s that simple…

In this article I will be showing you some easy ways on How to Promote Your Music and get clients as a songwriter.

  1. You need to niche down and dominate it in order to get clients as a songwriter

Before we get started on the tips to market yourself, there is something very important you need to know about. That is you need to pick a niche and then dominate it. By this I simply mean, picking one genre of music and becoming a master there. You do not want to be known as that “music songwriter”, instead you want to be known as that jazz or country or rock music songwriter.

By picking a niche and dominating it, you become the go to guy when clients need lyrics in that genre of music. This gives you an edge and helps you stand out amidst the many songwriters out there struggling to get by and will allow you to get clients as a songwriter.

  1. You need to go digital to get clients as a songwriter

Thanks to technology and the internet, with a website and written content you can reach millions of people everyday. So you need to take advantage of this opportunity. Start by getting a blog and provide value for your fans and audience.

The keyword here is “value”. You want to provide so much value for prospective clients that they see you as an expert and the go-to guy when they need your services. Also by having a website and a blog, you can upload samples of your writings and lyrics that people can download and assess your work.

Most importantly, you can begin to build a fan base by collecting email addresses on your website and giving then tips and advice that they can use to stay in touch with you and your brand. By building your fan base you have an army that will spread the word about you to their friends and increase your reach.

  1.  You need to embrace social media to get clients as a songwriter

Social media is probably the hottest thing right now. If you are looking for the fastest way to spread your name and become known then you need to jump on the social media bandwagon.

By having social media profiles on the major platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), you can easily get heard by a lot of people. Just imagine that recently Facebook announced that they have about 1 billion active users on their platform. That’s really huge if you ask me and you do not need that amount of people to become successful. All you need is a way to reach some of those people, preferably within your local community and build up your fan base.

By posting your lyrics and songs you have completed online, you get to have people connecting with you and your brand. Maintaining a social network presence is one of the most time effective strategies that you can employ to get yourself known and attract paying clients to your business.

  1. Get out there and network to get clients as a songwriter

This is one idea that a lot of people find very difficult. Most people (myself included) would prefer to sit in my house and do all the interactions by mail or by phone. But unfortunately, this does not work very well.

As a songwriter trying to get clients, you need to be ready to meet people and do a lot of networking. Now I am not advising that you travel around the country just to network. You can and should start small by meeting people around your community.

One phrase that I like so much is “It’s all about who you know”. While this might sound like a cliché, it is absolutely true. You need to keep your ear to the ground and go out and network with people in the same industry as you.

One thing you need to know about networking is that you want to avoid coming across as a needy or offensive. Think about what you can offer to the other person even before you pitch your services. This way the relationship is more of a win win situation than a needy one.

  1. Pick someone and develop them to get clients as a songwriter

This point is all about working with an upcoming artist and providing lyrics for them. The advantage of this is that you get to flex your creative writing skills while using the artist as a stage to project your lyrics.

The truth is that when starting out, you are going to find it a little difficult to get noticed by the big boys in your industry. The best way to get on their radar is to have an upcoming artist who you can easily work with sing your lyrics. This way you are not just pitching them lyrics, you are also showing them a complete work and how your lyrics sound with instrumentals. This helps you become recognized as an expert and someone that they actually want to work with.

Conclusion

Promoting yourself is crucial to your success and will help you get clients as a songwriter.  It is probably more important than stage performance or understanding song theory. The truth is that if nobody knows you, then nobody hires you. So unless you are a songwriter simply for fun, then you need to take the points discussed in this article very serious.

 

How to promote your music and get clients as a songwriter is a guest post by Uche Ibe.

Uche Ibe is a passionate singer and blogger as www.welovesinging.com. He enjoys teaching people how to sing and helping them become better singers. You can connect with him by visiting his blog or sending him an email.

 

How Independent Musicians Can Build a Street Team

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Having a street team is a great way to promote. You have less stress and things to worry about, and most fans are more than willing to help out. Just make sure you are ready and prepared before starting a street team. Is your music good enough yet? Do you have the money to purchase promoting material? Do you have anything to promote? All of those are crucial to have before starting a street team. Always make sure that people know you have a street team and that you’re always recruiting people for it.

 

 

Online Street Team:

When starting a street team, it is best to start online. The fans who signed up for your email list are best to start off with because they are already invested in you and are keeping up on you. It will be easier to contact those people and you can invite them individually.

A social media street team should be done next. There are ways you can make forms for them to fill out on your social media and make multiple ways for them to join. It’s also easy for fans to keep up to date and for you to post tasks for them to do. It will also help your email list grow. Having members post things at the same time on multiple social medias will help give you more of a buzz and will get others interested.

Getting an online street team gives you a wider range of things to do. You can have fans share videos, tweeting and re-tweeting, and share posts. It’s a great way to get feedback on things that you want to do. They can help you decide and create posters and shirts, as well as coming up with new merchandise to sell.

 

 

Offline Street Team:

Having a street team on the streets are still very important. It’s a lot easier to find out what place you’re more popular online so you know where to start the street team. You want to find fans who are willing to go out and post fliers or pass out stickers and talk about you to other people and call up radio stations to request your song. They will make things more personal when promoting and it will help with getting more fans. You have to make sure that you have the money to provide the promotional tools for them to pass out.

 

Asking fans to promote you isn’t all you need to do. You want to make sure to reward them as well since they are using their free time to help promote you. It can be anything. A shirt, tickets, CD, stickers, etc., will all work and will make people want to do more. You can even turn tasks into contests and give out prizes for whoever did the most. Keep them interested to have them want to help you. Make sure not to do give out the same thing too many times or it will get old and they won’t be doing it as much. Make sure to do meet-and-greets with them so you guys can connect and they’ll feel more excited to help.

Finding people who are most influential will help the most. They will be the ones who will talk to people about you and get them interested, whether it’s online or off. They’re the ones that their friends go to for new music.

You want to make sure that when you get people to join your team that they are willing to do things to help you out. You don’t want them to be rude and give you a bad name. They will be trying to help, but you don’t want them to be pushy are make people upset in any way. It will look bad on you. It’s not always easy to monitor that, but when you start hearing about it, you should try to fix it. Always make sure your team members know what you expect them to do for you and the Do’s and Don’ts of what you want, before they sign up. And always keep them updated with events or anything coming up.

You want to make sure that there’s always a way for your members to contact you or anyone else. Email is always a great way for them to keep in contact, but creating a FaceBook private group for just the members is a great way for them to keep in touch with each other and get help from each other. Having groups set up for specific cities will help the members fell more connected with each other and can even get together to come up with ideas on what to do. Emails are great for members to report what they’re doing. They can send written reports and photos of what they’re doing. It will help you keep track of what’s going on and where. Having a forum will help each other stay in connect and have easy access to anything they have a question about and maybe even before they ask it. It’s easier to find what they’re looking for.

Everyone wants to help their favorite bands or friends/family members in bands, but the bands have to make sure they are ready to have a street team. You have to purchase all the posters and stickers that the members need to pass out and you have to be able to afford to send the products to them. You want to make sure you have a song or music video or anything for them to promote. If there’s nothing to promote, then there’s nothing for them to really do and they’ll forget about it. Make sure to reward them for their help and that they know you appreciate all that they are doing for you. If you get the right people to work on your team, they will do anything to help you out, so you want to make sure you can do anything to show your appreciation. It will be hard to get noticed without their help.

 

How Independent Musicians Can Build a Street Team is a guest post by Michele Enouch

Michele Enoch is a music business graduate from Musicians Institute who has managed and promoted bands for years. She is now working on her photography and helping performers advance in their career. Her passion has always been music and she is exploring all aspects of the industry. Michele appreciates all kinds of music and seeing music in all kinds of environments. She enjoys crocheting hats and toys, reading and writing mystery and horror stories, taking pictures of everything she can, food from around the world, and adorable animals. She is always on the look out for anything new and exciting

The Ultimate Independent Musician Guide to Merchandise

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Merchandise is a great way for people to see that you’re out there. It’s advertisement that will interest people, if you do it the right way. You want to make sure that whatever merchandise you use (i.e., shirts, hats, jackets, etc.), it connects with your music and your fans. There are thousands of different kinds of merchandise you can sell, you just have to find what works best for you. With so many ways to download music for free, sometimes merchandise is the only way for bands to get paid. That’s why we put together The Ultimate Independent Musician Guide to Merchandise.

youbloom presents…

The Ultimate Independent Musician Guide to Merchandise

In The Ultimate Independent Musician Guide to Merchandise, we talk about everything you need to bring with you to sell your merch at a show, how you can prepare, what items sell best, common pitfalls, and how you can make the most money selling merchandise at your shows.

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