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1. PROMO ITEMS: CD VS. TAPE

You’ve got CDs and cassette tapes of your work and contacts from the Industry Yellow Pages at http://www.musiccontracts101.com/docs/products/005/index.html.

Now it’s decision time. Do you send the CD or the cassette tape? If you’re unsure of what to send, consider the following:

Who is it going to? A busy label exec with thousands of items arriving each month? If that’s the case, it’s CD all the way – especially if it’s a mid- to large-size label. For one, compact discs sound better. When you stack a CD against a tape, there is no comparison quality wise. Two, track selection is much easier on CD. Big exec’s don’t have time to press the fast forward button continuously just to listen to little ole you. If you plan to submit a tape to these kinds of labels, save your money and send nothing. Chances are your tape will end up in ‘file 13’ in favor of artists who sent convenient CDs. Also consider that CD players are standard in most cars today. So if the execs can’t listen in the office, the CD allows them to listen on the road. Bottom line – make it easy for these people to hear you.

Does that mean that cassette tapes are evil by industry standards? Not at all! Cassettes work well for music reviewers, radio stations and even free giveaways to fans who want to help you promote your sound. The rules to remember are, determine your audience and distribute accordingly.

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2. THE ROAD TO RADIO INTERVIEWS!

You’ve heard other acts on the local radio stations and now you want your shot, but how do you go about it? First, become a regular listener to stations that feature such acts. When you do, note what makes a good interview as opposed to a bad interview. Do the band members speak clearly? Do they give more than one word answers to questions? Do they sound excited about their music? Are they happy and comfortable talking to callers? Remember all of this as you listen.

After a few weeks when you have a ‘feel’ of the show, start calling in yourself with questions to bands. Get to know the switchboard operators and the DJs. And when you do call in, make sure to ask smart, thought-provoking questions. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist, but you do need something more than ‘What’s your favorite color?’ The old adage it’s not what you know, but who you know comes in here. Getting your foot in the door with people who run the show will help because it’s a lot hard to deny a request for an interview from someone they know as opposed to John Doe.

And if you get the green light to come aboard for an interview, don’t let stage fright get to you. Sure you can sing to a packed crowd, but maybe you’re not as comfortable as you thought talking one on one with people over the airwaves. A good rule is to practice standard interview questions with someone. Now you don’t want to sound like a robot, but having some idea of how to respond will cure that anxiety. And once you’re on the air remember what made the other great interviews, well, great.

Chances are they featured acts who had quick responses and a positive outlook on their music. Dick Clark once said the most nerve-wracking interview on ‘American Bandstand’ was with Prince who gave three word answers at the most. His Royal Purpleness didn’t come off as conceited, just shy, if you’ve ever seen the video footage. Keep in mind you’re not a musical, songwriting legend like Prince…at least not yet. So remember to engage the audience to make it easier on everyone. The more appealing the interview is, the more likely you’ll be asked to return again.

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3. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!

There’re more to sales and promotion than just posting pictures and handing out flyers all over town. The more work you don’t have to do hands on, the more time you have to establish more contacts. Newspapers, radio stations and club owners are all places and people you want to spread the word naturally. But don’t forget you have other avenues you might be able to explore such as:

• Doctors Offices – Lots of people come in and out of these doors everyday. If you’ve got a long-term relationship with your physician, ask if their office would be interested in lending a hand by giving out your business cards. Worse case, they say no. Best case, you get more fans.
• Waiters and Waitresses – Got a truck stop in your area or a favorite high traffic diner? Get to know the waitstaff and the management. They deal with a huge volume of people you could hit promotion wise.
• Family – Maybe Aunt June works for a large company with hundreds of people. Many places like this have an area where employees can post news or even product information. Check with her and see if she can leave your promotional materials or even hand out cards to people in her department letting them know about you and how to buy your music. It’s maybe 10 minutes out of her life before the workday starts and could earn you a bigger following as a result. Some companies are even nice enough to allow people in their departments to post personal news updates so why not have her tell everyone where her ultra-talented niece or nephew is playing next weekend.
• Supermarkets – Ever seen those ‘for sale by owner’ bulletin boards some stores have. Why not put up a ‘tear sheet’ with your web address so people can visit you next time you go on a potato chip run? Buyers might be looking for a loaf of bread, but perhaps they end up picking up your latest CD instead.

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4. KEEPING IT TOGETHER: BAND TIPS

Some bands last a matter of months while others can last decades. The kicker is that it doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s big recording stars or local groups. The reason is actually quite simple – communication. A band is a team. It’s several entities who make up one whole. If band members can’t be honest and communicate their needs, it’s doomed to fail. Why did The Beatles break up in the early 70s while the Rolling Stones are still around today? The answer is not Yoko Ono, despite popular opinion.

Here are a few tips to consider:

• USE ‘I’ STATEMENTS. Don’t tell the lead singer, “Your choice of songs this week sucks.” Instead offer up something like, “I think the selection isn’t gonna hit our audience. How about this…?”
• BE RESPECTFUL – Treat band mates how you expect to be treated. You don’t have to agree, but you should remember they’ve got feelings just like you. Don’t trample on them.
• LISTEN, DON’T JUST ‘HEAR’ – If someone tells you something parrot it back to them in your own words so you know you’re talking about the same thing and understanding one another.
• KEEP YOUR COOL AND EGO IN CHECK – Perhaps the hardest one of all, but the bands that manage to stay together know that no ONE person is the be all, end all of the band. They’re a team.

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