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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

Interview with Sean Rooney: Featured Artist at youbloomDublin 2017

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Featured artist at youbloomDublin 2017, Sean Rooney, is the type of soulful singer/songwriter that you can take home to mother. Having performed at a myriad of festivals and venues around the world, youbloom gets to know Sean a little better before his performance at at youbloomDublin 2017 in this exclusive interview.

 

 How long have you been playing music? What inspired you to pick up an instrument?
Sean Rooney: I’ve been playing music about 12 years .. I started playing just from a love of pop punk music in my early teens .. thankfully my tastes have broadened a lot since then..
What instrument did you first lean to play?
Sean Rooney: I first learned to play the guitar .. well.. I’m still learning ! I’m self taught so I’m always learning.
What is your favorite part of your writing process when making new music?
Sean Rooney: My favourite part of the writing process is whenever I manage to capture exactly what I want to say lyrically and melodically.. I do enjoy the challenge of writing lyrics .. it might be trite but I write about my own life and that makes lyric writing a cathartic process for me.
In your song “Everest High” you say that its about dealing with depression from a first person point of view. How have you been able to cope with that and what role has music played to help battle with this?
Sean Rooney:  coping with depression isn’t easy. Not only because there is a lot of stigma attached to the subject and It’s different for everyone but I’ve found talking to a psychologist and taking medication very helpful. In terms of music, the cathartic element is very important. There is a release that comes with expressing your emotions through song.
“Everest High” sounds like a very up beat song. Was that intentional when writing this song due to the meaning?
Sean Rooney:  Yes .. the upbeat and borderline aggressive sound of the song is basically my way of conveying that I will not let depression beat me. I’m fighting against it with everything I have; also there’s nothing more melancholy than a ballad about depression .. it would just be too much if it sounded sad too.
 
You have a great cover of Bruce Springsteen. What are some other artists that inspired you to make music? And what would be another cover you would enjoy to make?
Sean Rooney:  Thank you! My main inspiration comes from the genres of soul, indie-rock/rock and R&B.. In terms of idols I’d have to say Paul Weller is my favourite artist. The body of incredible work he had created and continues to create is a never ending reservoir of inspiration to me. There aren’t that many covers that I feel I could really add much to or change without ruining! But a couple of songs I would love to play live with a band are “Soul Man” by Sam&Dave and “The Changingman” by Paul Weller
For someone who has never heard your music before, how would you describe your sound?
Sean Rooney: I would describe my music as sort of.. Blue-eyed soul rock .. although not all of my songs would fit neatly into that genre!
What advice would you give new musicians trying to get their music out there?
Sean Rooney: The only advice I feel qualified to give is to not criticise yourself too much.. some self criticism is healthy but there comes a point when it can ruin things and I know that from experience. In terms of physically getting music out there, Facebook videos are a great way to go.
What are you anticipating the most at the YouBloom festival?
Sean Rooney: What I’m anticipating most at Youbloom is just the opportunity to play for a new audience and to meet lots of new punters and musicians alike. I’m always super grateful to get to play live. It is what I love most in the world, so to that end I’d like to say thank you to Youbloom for giving me the opportunity.
Do you have any new material coming out in the near future?
Sean Rooney: Yes! I’ve been writing and recording recently. my first official single will be released soon and then the plan is to release my first EP in around May!
Learn more about Sean Rooney on his Facebook page here. You can catch Sean Rooney performing live at youblomDublin 2017.

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.

[Read more…]

How to Get Fans to Listen to Your Music

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Every musician wants people to hear their music. Why wouldn’t they? They put so much energy, emotions, and themselves in their songs and want to share it with the world. They write and record for hours and post the songs up on sites, hoping that people will hear their music. The problem is, there is so much music out there that some people are getting overloaded by music and find it difficult to listen to songs from musicians they don’t already know. So, how does one get fans and possible fans to listen to their music? Here are some tips that might help:

How to Get Fans to Listen to Your Music

Songs:

The first thing you want to look at is the song themselves. You want to make sure the quality is good and if it’s something that you would listen to. Even recording in a bedroom or basement can produce some good quality sounding music. You’ve got to listen to every detail before putting it out. Just recording won’t work and posting won’t work. You will listen to the song if it’s yours, but if it’s from another artist doing it in that quality, would you listen to it?

Don’t rush to get the song out. Fans will know if it’s been rushed and shy away from listening to it. You put the time and effort into writing it, why not show them that in the recording? Fans will feel like you didn’t care about the song or them. Take your time. They will wait for it to come out the right way. You also don’t want to rush and put out a bunch of songs at once. As the old saying goes, its quality over quantity. Fans would rather hear one amazing song than 10 average songs that have been put together fast.

 

Fans:

The next thing you want to think about is the fans. They are the ones who will be listening and passing the songs on to others. You want to make sure you find the right fans as well. Just because they follow you back on Twitter or Instagram doesn’t mean they’ll want to actually listen to your music. Nowadays, people will follow anyone online to get numbers. Do research on them and see what they’re posting and who they’re talking about before sending them music. You want to make sure you put effort into the right people.

Once you find the right people, you want to show them that you actually care about them. Send them a personal message or comment, not a generic one with a link to your music. People are tired of getting messages every time they add a band that just talks about the band and has a link to the music. They want to know about the people in the band as people, not as just musicians. Talk to people after shows, whether they were there for you or not. If you’re performing with someone they like, they will most likely be interested in your music as well. Don’t just talk about the music either. Talk to them about anything and then talking about music will flow in the conversation without sounding like you’re forcing it on them.

Do things for the fans, don’t expect them to do things for you. Fans will wait for new music, but you want to show them that you’re still thinking about them while writing, recording, and doing shows. Post short videos of what you’re doing. Either of the songs you’re recording/practicing or of acoustic covers of songs they want to hear you do or that you want to do, or of just daily things you’re doing. Post things on social media sites of things you’re interested in. There are sites that will help you post on all them at once. Live streams are great ways to do things. FaceBook has made it so easy to do that since everyone is on there anyway. Another great site is Twitch. Those are the most popular ones that people will hear you on.

 

Promotion:

The last thing is promotion. A lot of people think this should be the first thing, but I personally believe that once you have everything else, promotion will be easier. You need a song in order to promote and to do shows with so people can hear your music. Fans will hear your song at a shows and then help spread the songs around. Not saying that you should just use fans to promote, but if you get the right relationship with them and show them you care, they will want to help you without you even asking.

Finding shows isn’t easy if you don’t have many fans, but if you find the right musicians who are willing to put you on a show with them, you will be able to get on a bill. Some venues are even willing to give any bands a chance, but you want to make sure you play with others who are in the same genre. Performing with someone who is in the same genre as you will help you gain fans and will have people who will be interested in you. For example, if you’re a metal band and you end up on a bill with a very pop oriented performer, it will be hard for either fans to like either of the performers. Getting on a bill with like performers isn’t all you need to do. Help promote those performers and they will help you back. Performers can help each other. Post their shows and tag them in things. The tags will show you tagging them and their fans will want to know about you.

 

These things may not always work and may not work for everyone. The one thing to remember is to have quality over quantity with the music and to have a relationship with fans and other performers you’re working with. They will be the ones who help.

Michele Enoch

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.

5 Reasons to Apply to Perform at youbloomDublin 2017

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Will you or your band be at youbloomDublin 2017? If you’re a musician, there is no better place to be in Ireland from June 1 to 5 than Dublin City Centre for this year’s youbloomDublin. With hundreds of local and international bands and artists performing music in every genre imaginable as well as music industry professions speaking on panels where they will be taking questions from independent musicians, the benefits of applying to play youbloomDublin 2017 are many.

Here are 5 reasons why you or your band should apply to perform at youbloomDublin 2017.

  1. If you’re an independent artist or band looking to share your music with the world in a unique DIY festival alongside a selection of the most promising rising stars, look no further than youbloomDublin 2017.
  2. Meet other musicians from around the world. You don’t need to live in Ireland to perform at youbloomDublin 2017. This year’s music festival & summit will feature over a hundred musicians coming from all over the world to perform and share their music.
  3. Get introduced to music industry professionals. Last year’s music festival & summit featured panels from Liz Garo, Talent Buyer & Event Producer at Spaceland Productions, Loretta Muñoz , Vice President at ASCAP, James Leach, Vice President SESAC, and many more of the top music industry influences from around the world – And youbloomDublin 2017 looks even more promising!
  4. Perform at venues all over Dublin. Not only does youbloomDublin 2017 offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience unlike anything else, performing at the music festival & summit gives independent musicians the opportunity to win more fans, increase their visibility, and become a well-known international artist.
  5. When you get accepted to perform at youbloomDublin 2017, your entire band and crew also gains free, all-access passes to everything that the festival has to offer. Not only will you be able to perform, but you’ll enjoy performances from tons of other bands, music industry conferences and panels, and everything that the best venues across Dublin have to offer.

Be sure to fill out your application early! This year’s youbloomDublin has already received a record-breaking number of applicants and we anticipate more than twice as many as last year. What are you waiting for?! Apply to perform at youbloomDublin 2017 here.

Want a taste of the youbloom experience? Take a peek at all of the photos, videos, interviews and more coverage from this past youbloomLA 2016 here.

Need more reasons to apply to perform at youbloomDublin 2017? Subscribe to the youbloom newsletter and you’ll get valuable music industry insights delivered directly to your inbox each week. When you subscribe to the youbloom newsletter, you’ll also be the first to discover who will appear at youbloom.

When is youbloomDublin 2017? The 5th annual youbloomDublin Music Festival & Summit takes place June 1-5 in Ireland’s gorgeous Dublin City Centre.

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