YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINK

The most important thing I can tell you is you have more control than you think. If you really get the hang of image presentation and playing this game we call the music biz you can virtually create any image you want of yourself or your band. First and foremost I want to talk about the press. Ever surf the net doing some research of some new band your friend told you about? Ever notice how multiple music sites will have the exact same description of the band? Of course, you aren?t an idiot, you realize these sites simply rip what the band wrote in their bio on the band homepage. But do you realize the POWER of this? Basically, you have the power to syndicate your image in a way. These websites simply don?t have the time, nor intimate knowledge of your band, to create some pseudo-bio for you. They rely on you, and what you have to say about yourself. This is power. Use it wisely.

But you already knew that. What I?m about to tell you is something you may not know, but could drastically affect your bands promotional campaign. PRINT MAGAZINES DO THIS TOO. Yep, a lot of those long write-ups you see in your favorite magazines about your favorite band, have content ripped straight from the bands? bio. The trick is that this only applies to well written bios. If you do in fact have such a bio, this can be the most powerful weapon in your promotional arsenal.

THE SECRET BIO SAUCE RECIPE

Ok. So let?s recap real quickly. You know that your bio can help control your image on the net. And now you know you can even control how the print media presents you. But how do you write such a bio? First, let?s go over what NOT to do.

INFLATE: Do not inflate your image beyond the reality of your band. Don?t be all flash and no smash. In other words, don?t talk about what you can?t back up. This is the most common mistake in bio writing. I call it ?inflation?. This is pretty much adjective abuse. Avoid phrases like ?intense live show? or ?super sonic blast from the future?. This is stock. This is not creative. If you aren?t the biggest drawing band in your own market, don?t say ?this band is taking the nation by storm?. The press and online community have been reading bios with such inflations since the beginning, they see past this very well.

QUOTE FANS: If you can?t get someone credible to say something nice about your band DO NOT resort to using a fan comment. Ever?for any reason.

LIST SONG DESCRIPTIONS: If you are already an ?inflator? then talking about your own songs will only cause pain and tragedy.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON PREVIOUS BANDS: If your last band didn?t have a record deal or tour, don?t bother. If you have some leverage with your ?former member of?? status use it tastefully and only in brief.

Now that we have got those cardinal sins out of the way you are probably thinking ?jeeze, what else is there to write about?. This is where we start digging. Time to put on your thinking cap. You have to think like a reporter looking for a refreshing angle. You have to find the one thing that can create an image that will stick. You have to find THE STORY.

By this time I have lost some of you. You either don?t know what I mean by ?the story? or you have a bio that breaks every rule I just outlined and you can?t admit it. The best bios read like a good music rag write-up. If your bio is written correctly it should make a staff writer?s job easy. It should be easy for him to ?rip? or ?cop?. It?s no co-incidence that many pro bands use these kinds of writers to pen their own bios!

Perhaps you have an interesting story about how you came together. Perhaps you have some gimmick, like Siamese twins or 3 bearded lady bassists. But hopefully you have something that connects your band to something going on in the world of music. You need something that will get people?s attention. Maybe your band is the only Death Metal band for 100 miles in the Bible belt. You get the picture.

I am going to list some things that can make great stories (and double as press releases).

-Being produced by someone reputable

-Being managed by someone reputable

-Breaking some mark in online CD sales or downloads

-Getting a supporting slot on a festival or tour

-Having a reputable person as a quoted fan

A PHOTO SPEAKS 1,000 FLAWS

I want to get one thing out of the way: I?m not going to tell you how to dress. But I am going to tell you that it may be your biggest problem. I am not a stylist. I can not solve this problem. I can tell you this though: The camera will expose every flaw you have in your style. With that said, let?s get on with at least getting a quality photo.

I am not a professional photographer. I am not going to tell you how to take a photo of yourself. I am going to tell you where to get one. Your best bet is to find a local photographer that you see at local shows. More often than not, they are either legitimate press, legitimate artist, or a legitimate student. Browse their catalog of band photography and if you think it stands up, there ya go. This may all seem like common sense, but I want to stress that this is abandoned and somehow your guitar player?s girlfriend is your ?photographer? because her mom has a camera. Do not let this happen to you. Find people with pro gear. Get a professional or at least a digital arts student. These are always your best bets.

If you are going for sheer impact with your 8 x 10 one good tip is to at least look like you are in the same band. I?m not saying get a gimmick or wear make-up. I?m saying that even if you think your personal look is ?plain?, your band as a whole can benefit from at least being on the same page.

LOGO

The miracle of Adobe Photoshop has given birth to some of the most breathtaking digital art we have seen. It has also, to the misfortune of bands mostly, created total rubbish. If your logo sucks it says many things about you.

It shows you have high tolerance for bad art.

It shows you yourself might be a bad artist and were not smart enough to hire a professional.

It shows you have a very distorted view about the genre of your band.

It shows some of you are totally unprofessional and don?t care about your image.

You might be surprised how many ways there are to find good digital artists to create your logo. In my personal opinion, even paying up to $100 is worth it for a good logo. Bottom line, the sites below are the best place to find killer artists.

DeviantArt.com
Mylkhead.com
AngryBlue.com
PlayWithKnives.com
EyeSuckInk.com

PRESS KIT SECRETS

One very strong tip I can offer is to try to think of your image as ?dynamic?. It has to be all things to all people. You might have to add something extra to that envelope before you send it off.

If you are sending your kit out to an artist rep at a prospective endorsee you ALWAYS want it to contain tour dates. This is the most important thing in your attempt to get gear for cheap and say those lovely words to all your loser musician friends playing crappy guitars? ?I got an endorsement deal?.

A great add-in is a DVD. There are a lot of affordable ways to make a DVD these days. Again, this is one of those things that will expose your flaws. You don?t want to put your life story on there. Live footage is great if its done right. Fake smoke and that cheesy ?page turn effect? are not. Don?t make a wedding video. This will be valuable in your arsenal when try to book gigs.

Ask First. Send. Follow Up. This is your best way to make some impact and get a solid contact in the biz. Your press kit will always have more impact if the person is expecting it (send it promptly).

Make sure you are to the point when calling someone you?d like to send a press kit to. You are Jon Doe from The Doetones. You are going to be in town around this time. You want to send a press kit for a possible gig. If you are sending an email and have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) NEVER send the press kit in first. Always try to get a response before sending the press kit. If you are sending to a possible endorsee put your upcoming dates in the initial email.

Following up is crucial. Many of the people you will be dealing with in this business are either busy or forgetful?mostly both. You must initiate contact. Be tactful and patient. Do not hound people, but make sure you give yourself a chance to make some opportunities and pick up the phone yourself.

Remember, you are in essence, trying to self yourself to a company or consumer. You have to be a salesman. Try to connect to people and have them want to talk to you. If you can do this they will always want to help you or get you involved in something that will. Or best of all, spend money on you and your product.

Bruce Prokopets, aka Bishop Dolarhyde, is co-founder and editor of music news blog http://www.scenejumper.com Bruce had his first live gig at 15 and has had various jobs in the industry since. He spent years as a guitar tech, tour manager, endorsement liaison, bassist in a national act, and promoter in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

The result has been a surge of music-based websites. These sites allow artists to create their own websites, upload MP3s and promote music free of cost. One website which has received much attention is iSOUND.COM.

A musician himself, D.J. Burdick?s purpose has been clear from the beginning: create a website that allows unsigned artists to upload MP3s so they can share their music with the world. Burdick, the founder and creator of the music-based website iSOUND.COM, began his career in 1999, shortly after graduating from high school. At first, the main focus of iSOUND.COM was to give visitors more information about their favorite bands.

?I was looking for information about artists I liked, and I couldn?t find anything comprehensive on the Internet,? says Burdick. ?So, I decided to create my own website.?

He then spent one year developing and implementing iSOUND.COM. In 2000, Burdick relocated to Dallas, Texas to attend Southern Methodist University. In Dallas, Burdick realized that it was difficult to find gigs and get his music heard. That is when he had an idea.

?I decided to expand iSOUND.COM. I wanted to make it a music community where artists could share their music with the world,? says Burdick.

While attending university, Burdick continued working on his website. In 2004, he graduated from SMU?s Cox School of Business. Along with a few college friends, he decided to make iSOUND.COM his full-time career.

?Working on my own company has allowed me to work on what I?m truly passionate about. I get to focus on what I believe in,? says Burdick. ?I wanted to make iSOUND.COM my full-time job because I had so many ideas. Working for a large, established company may provide more security but that wasn?t dynamic enough for me. I needed something that would allow me to control the vision of the business and let me implement my business ideas. It is very rewarding to see over a million people visiting iSOUND per month who are sharing in this vision and desire to bring great unheard music to the masses.?

The music industry is changing drastically. MP3s are no longer just about illegal pirating and file sharing. In fact, MP3s are becoming imperative to unsigned artists wishing to promote their music on the Internet. There are tons of talented artists out there. Unfortunately, they do not have the money to push into advertising or music promotion. The solution to this problem: level the playing field by promoting on the internet.

?The [music industry is going through a huge transitional phase. Everything is changing and the [record labels are realizing this. They are now using many of the same avenues to promote their artists as those available to unsigned artists,? says Burdick.

In fact, a complete industry of music-based websites has developed, allowing musicians to promote their music over the Internet. The way iSOUND.COM works is that artists may sign up and upload their music for free. Staff members then listen to the songs and rate the music. Listeners visit the site, discover new music, and earn points for sharing that music with their friends. The most popular artists on iSOUND.COM receive thousands of plays per month. Musicians can literally gain thousands of new fans just by uploading their music onto popular music websites and networking via those sites.

?There is a growing group of signed bands getting a large share of radio and [music video play that started entirely by promoting on the Internet and playing small clubs,? says Burdick. ?The future of music is on the Internet. Get your music uploaded, spend a few hours a week promoting online, and you?ll be amazed at the results.?

Shannon Mott is a freelance writer and employee of iSOUND.COM

You might think having a CD and sending it out to the stations is the best way, but it really isn’t. First off your wasting waaay to much money for postage, the CD, and any other costs involved in that process. If you have your music on your computer, you have many advantages. Not only can you send your music faster, but you also keep it in great condition. Meaning a computer file will not get damaged or scratched, however your CD you can lose, scratch, or damage.

Now having CDs is a good thing to sell to people, or give them as promotional material, but you should also have them in digital format. The way to do this is to RIP the CD onto your computer. There are many different programs to use to do this, the easiest one for everyone to use is Windows Media Player.

This will probably be already installed onto your computer if you have Windows, which I figure 85%-90% of you do. If you don’t have it download it. Its free so don’t worry about it.

Once you have installed it, you want to insert your CD, and then go to the RIP tab, which will show your CDs information. Now it won’t have your information, so change it right there before you RIP the CD. All you need to do is click once and it should go into EDIT Mode. The text will be highlighted and you just change the information.

TIP: Go to Tools, Options, and Rip Music tab. You should rip your music to at least 128kps bitrate (lower quality) or what I recommend is 320kps bitrate. The higher the bitrate the better the quality, so you might as well go to 320kps and use MP3 format, however burning WMA files wouldn’t hurt as well.

After putting the correct information in you will click RIP MUSIC button, at the upper right hand corner, below the Music Tab. It will take about 10-20 minutes depending on how many tracks and what quality you want to RIP at.

TIP: Go to Tools, Options, and Rip Music tab. Above the bitrate and audio file format, you’ll see RIP Music Folder. This is where once the CD Ripping is complete will go, so make note so you can find your music.

That is pretty much it! Just rename your music files to Artists Name – Song title.(mp3, wma, or wav), doing so will result in a better and more professional looking song file!

Hope this helps many unsigned musicians, if you need more information or help please reply in this thread. And I will try to help you.

Nick Willever Currently Runs An Entire Unsigned Music Network Main Site – http://www.supportingunsignedmusic.com Community Site – http://www.unsignedmusicforum.com