When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper doesn’t like you, how do you win over new audiences?

The good news: there are many, many ways. Here are ten of my favorites.

1. Approach a local college or alternative radio station or community access cable TV station with a programming idea, like a live songwriter showcase. Other musicians will want to be a part of your show, and you’ll build an audience for your own music–and theirs.

2. Write CD or concert reviews for a local alternative (or mainstream) paper.

3. Give copies of your CD away to public radio and TV stations for their fund drive premiums.

4. Organize, publicize, and perform at charity events for your favorite causes.

5. Lead songwriting or performing workshops in the schools (these are usually paying gigs, and all the parents hear your name). Invite some of the kids to perform with you; they’re sure to bring a bunch of relatives along who will pay for their tickets and maybe buy a CD.

6. Announce your gigs in every community calendar. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, community web sites, cable TV stations–they all run event listings. Type out one paragraph that includes a tag line about what you do, such as Sandy Songwriter, River City’s ‘Homegrown Bono,’ will perform labor songs and love ballads at The Trombone Shop, 444 4th Street in Downtown River City, Wednesday, January 15, 7 p.m. If admission is free or there’s a charity connection, say so. Include contact phone number and e-mail.

7. Find Internet discussion groups related to your cause. Whether it’s immigration, voting reform, peace, safe energy, the right to choose…there will be discussion groups online. Post responses and include a sig–a short on-line business card. Use different sigs for different purposes. Here’s one of mine (in a real e-mail, it would be single-spaced):

Shel Horowitz, mailto:shel@frugalfun.com, 800-683-WORD/413-586-2388

I make the world INSIST on learning why YOU’RE special

News releases, brochures, newsletters, ad copy, web copy, resumes, etc.

http://www.frugalmarketing.com * http://www.principledprofits.com

8. Set up a simple low-cost website. Include a couple of sound clips, pictures of you performing, a place for people to sign up for your fan newsletter, a link to your favorite musicians, and, of course, your tour schedule and gig availability.

9. Get exposure on other people’s websites. Write CD reviews, endorse their music with a blurb, submit articles on the local music scene…and always include your contact information and a statement that encourages people to visit your site.

10. Use the letters columns. Call in to talk shows. Post messages to Web forums…in short, use every feedback tool you have to spread the word.

Copywriter, marketing consultant, and speaker Shel Horowitz is the author of six books and publisher of five websites, five webzines and three ezines. His two most recent, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First (http://www.principledprofits.com) and Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World (http://www.frugalmarketing.com) have both won awards. He’s currently engaged in a campaign to get 25,000 people to sign–and spread–the Business Ethics Pledge: http://www.principledprofits.com/25000influencers.html

There is no way to avoid the saying It’s all about who you know. We’ve heard that phrase all over the place and specifically anytime we wanted to break into anything new. This philosophy tells me that I can get a great car at a great price depending on who I know. It also tells me I may be able to get my foot in the door with Universal Records, depending on who I know.

But that’s very broad to me because any and everything can be boiled down to – who you know. When it comes to music industry contacts I’m very skeptical and I think alot of the selling points are manipulative. The one thing that is needed most in the music industry is a directory of individuals who can actually help you with your career. Even if you do have the contact information for Steve Lunt , you still need to get his attention and get an incredibly good product.

I tend to think that if a contact is easy to get, then it’s probably easy for thousands upon thousands of other people just like me to get the same contact information. That’s actually just a fact because anyone serious about their career should be able to scrape up 40bucks to get a directory full of contacts. I would spend more time making sure I am familiar with publicists, A&Rs, A&R assistants, and Interns.

When you do obtain contact information for an exec, you are sure to spend more time talking to their assistant or an intern anyway. So instead of talking to them on a (secretarial or assistant) level, make sure to get them actively involved in what you have to present.

People always say know the names of the assistants, as they are gatekeepers, but it’s more important to be able to get as much information as you can about what’s happening in the department, which projects are most important to them at the moment, what’s going on in their week, etc. This information is just as valuable as the contact and will help you in your decision making.

A few resources I am most familiar with:

• A&R Directory
• Indie Bible
• Galaris

When I need to be very specific about contacts for a specific artist or celebrity – I use – Celebrity Access; although they are out of reach for most people – this is still another advantage. Most people will work so much longer and harder to get this kind of quality information that is not offered in the above resources.

Howard Britt is the owner of Music Oxygen, a music industry resource that unsigned bands and independent artists use to promote their music and connect with fans. More information and resources can be found on his Music Industry Blog.

Most newcomers will soon discover that making a successful career in the entertainment industry is a hard market to break into more so than any other market..Its definitely not as easy to get into as working at McDonalds or processing insurance claims at Geico While this creates problems for most newcomers who spend their days and nights pouring their soul into their most finest masterpiece; the music industrys not-everyone-is-worthy policy is largely a reason why the music industry is so successful- earning 40 billion annually.

History has always been a part of understanding and predicting new trends. In order to fully discover new ways to get in the music industry, its a great benefit to understand some of the history of the music industry.

Music has been around before most people living today were born. Before the rise of sound recordings, then known as phonographs, the sheet music publishers were the almighty force in the musicsphere, before it was dubbed the music industry. Today more than half of U.S. homes are wired with a high-speed pipeline to the net and seventy-five percent of Americans use the Internet for an average of three hours a day. This makes easier access to information and new technologies which create new markets and opportunities for songwriters, singers, and producers to get their music heard.

The main components that make up the recording industry are the Record Labels, Publishing Companies, Licensing Companies, Artists, and Fans. Knowing fully how these components works together makes it easier to find new ways to enter the music scene. These different companies also have similar departments with leaders who know more than a few major contacts at any targeted major record label.

In addition to being separate entities, these companies are all connected at the level of being in the music industry. Most people will recommend internships and slowly climb the ladder from bottom until youre able to reach the top. But thats usually not good enough for those artists who have put everything into their music, lost or quit their job, and are clearly willing to work and have the music that deserves to be heard. So how do you use the different components to get into the music industry?

The answer invariably is research, plan, build, test, market, promote, prove it; rinse and repeat. You do not need to have infinite resources to get the attention of industry insiders if you are interested in you are willing to work hard at being different but following trends. There are 5 different approaches to consider if you are interested in getting in the music industry.

Work as an intern (even unpaid) for at least 6months to a year at a record label to develop relationships

Write and market songs to already established recording artists and bands and use that leverage to new opportunities

Push your songs to major music publishers to sign a publishing deal.

Build a presence at all the major industry functions and events

Develop your song catalog to license film/tv music

At first glance these seem a bit bleak, but you you should be able to get in the music industry, so long as your music is qualified in terms of being unique, interesting, and sellable.

Howard Britt, a composer and music producer, is also owner of a free Music Industry network site used to Listen to music from major, independent, and unsigned artists.

Howard’s Music Oxygen network is designed to give artists a free music resource and a massive outlet to share their music across a free high traffic site. For more tips & tricks visit Howard Britt’s Music Industry Blog at the Music Oxygen site.

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When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper doesn’t like you, how do you win over new audiences?

The good news: there are many, many ways. Here are ten of my favorites.

1. Approach a local college or alternative radio station or community access cable TV station with a programming idea, like a live songwriter showcase. Other musicians will want to be a part of your show, and you’ll build an audience for your own music–and theirs.

2. Write CD or concert reviews for a local alternative (or mainstream) paper.

3. Give copies of your CD away to public radio and TV stations for their fund drive premiums.

4. Organize, publicize, and perform at charity events for your favorite causes.

5. Lead songwriting or performing workshops in the schools (these are usually paying gigs, and all the parents hear your name). Invite some of the kids to perform with you; they’re sure to bring a bunch of relatives along who will pay for their tickets and maybe buy a CD.

6. Announce your gigs in every community calendar. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, community web sites, cable TV stations–they all run event listings. Type out one paragraph that includes a tag line about what you do, such as Sandy Songwriter, River City’s ‘Homegrown Bono,’ will perform labor songs and love ballads at The Trombone Shop, 444 4th Street in Downtown River City, Wednesday, January 15, 7 p.m. If admission is free or there’s a charity connection, say so. Include contact phone number and e-mail.

7. Find Internet discussion groups related to your cause. Whether it’s immigration, voting reform, peace, safe energy, the right to choose…there will be discussion groups online. Post responses and include a sig–a short on-line business card. Use different sigs for different purposes. Here’s one of mine (in a real e-mail, it would be single-spaced):

Shel Horowitz, mailto:shel@frugalfun.com, 800-683-WORD/413-586-2388

I make the world INSIST on learning why YOU’RE special

News releases, brochures, newsletters, ad copy, web copy, resumes, etc.

http://www.frugalmarketing.com * http://www.principledprofits.com

8. Set up a simple low-cost website. Include a couple of sound clips, pictures of you performing, a place for people to sign up for your fan newsletter, a link to your favorite musicians, and, of course, your tour schedule and gig availability.

9. Get exposure on other people’s websites. Write CD reviews, endorse their music with a blurb, submit articles on the local music scene…and always include your contact information and a statement that encourages people to visit your site.

10. Use the letters columns. Call in to talk shows. Post messages to Web forums…in short, use every feedback tool you have to spread the word.

Copywriter, marketing consultant, and speaker Shel Horowitz is the author of six books and publisher of five websites, five webzines and three ezines. His two most recent, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First (http://www.principledprofits.com) and Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World (http://www.frugalmarketing.com) have both won awards. He’s currently engaged in a campaign to get 25,000 people to sign–and spread–the Business Ethics Pledge: http://www.principledprofits.com/25000influencers.html

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You have to find radio airplay time if youre going to be heard and were not just talking the local college campus. The trick is called promotion. Now that doesnt mean you just put your press kit in an envelope with a demo and hope they take pity on you. Perhaps you call a station and they give you the standard pitch of, Send it and if we like it well put you in rotation. After a few months of never hearing your music, you automatically think youre not worthy.

First, dont buy that. Youre one of hundreds, maybe even thousands depending on your city. Your disc will probably end up in the trash or, for more enterprising DJ’s, on Ebay in a one-cent CD sale. If you want to be heard and make potential sales, you have to stand out from the crowd, and in this jewel of an article, Ill show you Five(5) Knock em Dead Ways to Do Just That!:

#1 – Get your CD into the right hands. The intern thats too busy to getting coffee or typing up a report for the station manager isnt going to be the one making the airplay decision. So find out who the head honcho is in that department and touch base with them. If the club youre playing at charges an admission or you have a show coming up offer to send the stations tickets to give away to listeners. Now keep in mind you cant give the tickets to the staff, since thats illegal and called payola, but you can offer free giveaway items to your potential audience.

#2 – If youve got one station in your pocket, then drop names. Let them know that WABC is playing your music and its getting a great response.

#3 – Make genuine friends in the business. If youve got a disc jockey thats got you in rotation and really likes your sound, get to know them. Find out why they enjoy it and see if theyve gotten any responses from listeners. If they havent, ask if perhaps they might Q & A their callers about your music so you get a feel for your target audience. Its not a bad idea to ask them for a testimonial or quote if theyre well known in your area if you know them personally. People help people. Thats a fact so if you treat your area disc jockeys like a living and breathing human and not dollar signs, thats a foot in the door. Another good source is club owners. If they play your music and the fans go nuts ask them to say a few words about your sound that you can pass along to prospective stations, but be sure to sit down for a drink with them. Ask them about the picture of him and the woman and two kids behind the Magic Kingdom. Dont be fake, but be genuinely interested.

#4 – Network. Find out if someone you know (or someone they know) has connections to the music stations. Remember six degrees of separation – youre only six people away from knowing anyone on the planet and yes that includes station managers, concert promoters and record execs. The trick is it takes a great deal of work and time, but if youre serious, its well worth it.

#5 – Go local, state, national. Dont think youre going to skip your local and state stations and be the next Matchbox Twenty. It doesnt work that way. Start small and then get big.

Making contacts and getting names can be tough, thats why you should start with a tested and proven music industry resource like The Industry Yellow Pages – Music Industry Contact Directory at http://www.TheIndustryYellowPages.com

The TIYP is helpful and loaded with contacts you can start using immediately without doing all the legwork yourself.

This article was written by Ty Cohen, the music industry’s most recognizable voice! Ty is the C.E.O of Platinum Millennium Publishing, Platinum Millennium Records as well as owner of http://www.MusicContracts101.com and http://www.MusicIndustrySuccess.com .

Some of his work includes: books, directories, mini-courses and software programs including the titles: How to Make a Fortune in the Music Industry by Doing it Yourself and How to Make $500,000.00 or More A Year in the Music Industry by Doing it Yourself.

To find out more about Ty Cohen, his services, products and how he may be able to help you succeed in the music industry go to http://www.MusicIndustrySuccess.com and sign up for his free limited edition music industry success 10-part Mini-Course, it will work wonders for you and best of all, its FREE, but EXTREMELY VALUABLE!

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