How do I get my band signed?

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Upvote Models Standard 2

Today, a lot of bands are trying to get ‘signed’. It has really always been the case; bands trying to gain label interest in hopes that somewhere, somehow, somebody will step up and help the band reach new fame and fortune. This may mean recording money, promotional tools, or tours. It may mean using your music in television or movies. However, one thing is certain, most people would like to be invited onto a record label of some sort if they are serious with their music.

In the past month, I have helped 122 bands promote on their social media networks, and I am happy to report that 24 of those bands have gotten label interest since doing so, and 4 have actually been signed to a record deal. What is the secret?

Social media promotion
Dominating a specific market demographic (with respect to genre and city)
Interacting old school; shaking hands with promoters, venue owners, etc
Recording a high quality demo or album
Constantly updating and interacting with fans
Running promotions/contests
HAVING GOOD MUSIC!

Now of course, some of this is easier to do than others. I assume you have good music already that you need promoted. Let’s start with that. The rest, I can help you with.

Please contact us ASAP to see how we can help your band promote.

http://davidlombardo.com/request-a-quote/

Thank you!

David Lombardo of Musical Dark Horse and Derek Rogers of Saratoga Springs, NY

How important is social media for your band?

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Upvote Models Standard Reply

Social media has become a popular way for bands to connect with their fan base and to market and promote their music. Because very much of the music industry has turned into an online effort, and because many bands are selling their music digitally through networks such as iTunes, social media has become extremely important for bands to use as a promotional tool to connect with fans and to sell their music.
In this day and age it can be very easy for just about any band to record their own songs using an in-home studio and editing software on their home-based PC. It is also now possible to shop around your demos, and to sell these recordings quite easily over the Internet. In order to actually make a go of it, a band will have to utilize social media in order to advertise their music and to try and grow their fan base.
Social networks like Facebook now have well over 1 billion registered users. Getting access to this market is extremely vital for a band to connect with new fans and to make sure that their music is heard. The great thing about advertising on a website like Facebook is that fans have the chance of connecting with a few fans and watching their fan base grow organically if they are able to produce music that people really enjoy. In many cases if you are able to create a good piece of music, or something that’s very creative for your band, like an excellent music video, there is a very good chance that you can spread this content over a website like Facebook quite easily. All that’s really required is for you to start with a small facebook fan base and to begin building it by contacting other fans or having your existing fan base reach out to other people in their network to spread your music and content.

In the beginning stages of creating a Facebook page or social media page for band promotion, it can be very difficult to grow your initial fan base to make sure that you can continue to see growth. Once you have a fair number of connections with fans who are dedicated to your band and your music, you will be able to see your music and band page spread organically. What this can mean is every time that you post a new song, an update about a show, new band pictures, or new content on your social media website, this content can immediately be accessed and spread throughout the social network. In these beginning stages you may want to consider getting some third-party help to identify people on a social network who could help to benefit your cause and would be interested in your music and helping you grow as a band.
When you’re following eventually grows to a mass following you can let people know about your shows ahead of time, give them news about album releases and where they can buy your music so that you can ensure future sales of your tickets, merchandise, and albums.

Starting to get fans and starting to get traffic to your websites and album sales pages, is the real challenge for a band. Once you have generated the right amount of fans the traffic will eventually begin to flow naturally and increase organically.

If you are at all interested in creating a good fan base, or getting a leg up in creating an effective social media page for your band, consider looking into Facebook bans promotion services like Musical Dark Horse.

Musical Dark Horse Promote Your Page Too

The Power of The Internet…

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Upvote Models Standard Reply

For nearly 9 years, I have been interested in the internet, and specifically trying to get the most exposure I could possibly get out of the thing. When you stop and think about it, the internet has changed the way humanity communicates. Not only is it an incredible communication tool, but it also has it’s own culture and products. The internet has caused seamlessly ordinary people, places, and things to become superstars at an amazing rate. When I was at Purdue, I had one economics professor that said Google was one of the most important technological revolutions of all time. Never before had so many people been able to share their voices in one central location. Never before had finding products, services, and properties been so easy. That professor knew what he was talking about. While running The Venue, I had the uncomfortably realization that no matter how popular the actual business had or would become, we were meaningless without some sort of web presence. Now, mind you, this was back in 2007 and although that was only 5 years ago, a lot of things have changed. One example of this is the social networking site MySpace, which has effectually been rendered into useless garbage. Nobody uses it anymore. However, in 2007, if you were in a band, MySpace.com was one of the most convenient and expected ways to promote your music online. At one point, you could even sell your music, and I believe MySpace did (or still does?) have an indie label called MySpace Records. Anyway, of course being in a band myself, we had a very prominent MySpace page (or so I thought). It was our job to try to somehow integrate our band’s fans into our business. We eventually ended up doing it quite well, and the word spread quickly. Our little music venue had quite the story. We had hundreds of e-mails, mostly bands and promoters looking to book our venue. We were located in a huge Big 10 college town, and to most promoters and bands, that was instant gold. Now, mind you, that wasn’t always the way it worked out. There were a number of shows that did not result in the kind of crowd you would hope to see at a rock show. Nevertheless, the idea of getting people into our business from MySpace was a valid and very real phenomenon, and it worked.

I actually began writing a book on The Venue back in 2008, and the manuscript is pretty much done. However, I never released it. This is not really in the scope of what I am talking about, but The Venue was one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life, and I have decided to release the book shortly as a .pdf file on this site. The reader can then look into some of the stories of being involved with the entertainment scene at a Big 10 college campus. I promise you, all of the stories in the book are true. Don’t ask me later.

Anyway, it goes without saying that MySpace and the internet as a whole was a major factor in our business. We did use conventional methods of advertising, such as radio, and newspaper. However, the internet worked the best. Why? The internet is self regulating. It supports itself. If people like you, the internet is instant word-of mouth communication. Of course, it works both ways, and if people hate your guts, it will also spread (and probably 10x as fast). I find it quite amusing just how fast information spreads, too. Once upon a time Lady Gaga played at Purdue, and I had known it about 3 days before the event. I made a Facebook event about this concert, and within 3 hours it had over 2,000 people (mostly from Purdue). Shortly before the concert, the event had almost 8,000 confirmed guests. Of course, being the person who created that stupid Facebook event, I had the ability to message everyone. I also helped broker multiple tickets, and many people were able to buy and sell their tickets for prices that made them very happy. The cost for me? Nothing, of course.

Another growing force on the internet is YouTube. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you have probably watched a video on YouTube. The site, the darling of Google, has also spawned plenty of hometown heroes. There are literally too many to list here, but suffice it to say there have been a lot of people who have come from that site over the years. I had back surgery in April 2011 and I put up a video of my recovery, and it has received over 20,000 views, and I have had many responses from all over the world. Many people needed the same surgery, or something similar, so I have been in contact with them to help them understand the process. Before YouTube, this would have been impossible.

The bottom line here is that there are too many methods to promote on the internet, and you must find one which works best for you. I have mentioned a few that have worked for me: MySpace (when it was relevant), Facebook events, and YouTube. But of course, this blog works as well. I have about 1000 readers a week. There is no good way to promote on the internet, but everyone has their own favorite that seems to work out.