Create And Succeed In Your Own Music Niche

You want to stand out. Be the hottest independent band or artist on the music industry’s lips. You have a vision for success but don’t quite know how to go about this. You need to find your ground and start from the bottom up. So the first question you need to ask yourself is: how do I find my niche?

There are two options…

Create your own niche market.

See what doesn’t exist and become it (provided it makes sense, of course). Music fans love something new and unexpected. It creates excitement! Be that new sound or start that new movement. One piece of advice I would give however is to not be TOO different. Music fans do like some degree of familiarity. So while it’s great to be strange and edgy, you don’t want to stray too far from the norm — as it is more likely to put music fans off. Be clever about it.

Put your own spin on an emerging niche market  

You may not have your own niche market to create — so the next best thing is to follow the music you like and what happens to be popular at the time. But remember, your own unique contribution to this niche is crucial. Please don’t try to emulate an existing band too closely. My advice is to see what the trend is; take elements from it and let it influence you; but come up with something new and edgier to set you apart from the herd.

Once you have found your market you have to work on the following things:

Your Sound – It is crucial that you stand out in your niche. You must have your own special take on things.

Your Image – Look the part. If there is a certain fashion trend in that niche — you probably need to get on it. However, just as you don’t want to sound like every other band out there, you don’t want to look like every other band/artist in that market either.

Take elements of the trend and mix it with something new so to your potential fans you look like the kind of band they idealise and want to dress like but you offer them something a little new to feast their eyes on. Do you want to be like the all the other plain hot dogs in the factory or do you want to add some mustard? Bad example, but you get the point.

Your Attitude – Excite your audience. Don’t play it safe; make an impact. Make your live shows amazing. Do something visually memorable. It’s not usually the music that fans talk about after the gig but more when the bassist does a flip over the guitarist. Now I’m guessing not all of you are gymnast,s but it’s the kind of unexpected thing that people remember — so think of what you can do in your live shows or anywhere else for that matter to stand out and be remembered; positively I might add.

Broadening beyond your niche

So you’re making yourself known in your niche market. You’re gaining fans, touring around your home country and making a name for yourselves. Great! But maybe now you want to aim a little bigger. Sometimes a niche market can only take you so far. Depending on the kind of success you’re aiming at in your career, you may need to appeal to other niche markets too.

Now this must be approached in a clever way that isn’t going to alienate your existing fan base. You don’t want to be labelled as ‘sell outs’. You need to remain ‘cool’ essentially. Now I’m not suggesting that you change your style at all. Many bands try to become something they’re not just to appeal more to the mainstream — and few succeed. The option I present to you lets you keep your credibility and not scare off your fans.

Subscribe to my mailing list

Email Address

Business Marketing Power With Email Marketing For Fans And Bands

Music marketing with email marketing? What would it mean to the bottom line of your music business if you could increase your sales by up to 50%? Would that entice you to consider email marketing? My imagination tells me that you're screaming a resounding YES to yourself at this point.

Email marketing is a relatively new and very lucrative method of marketing your music, and is definitely something that you should be looking into if you're not already taking advantage of this profitable marketing medium.

Email Marketing Done Properly Is Not Spam

Over the years, many internet users have been consistently blasted with what has now become known internationally as spam. However spam is not what we'll be discussing today. In fact, spam is a practice that as a musician you're going to want to keep yourself as far away from as possible. There is a very thin line between what we know as spam and a music business email, such as the professional(and free) option offered by ReverbNation. You're not only going to want to make certain that your emails don't look like spam, but you'll also want to be certain that your emails are providing enough punch so your readers will really take notice of the great information you send them.

To start, your music business website should be designed to capture potential fan and customer email addresses the moment they've arrived at your website. This is a great way to start a non-threatening relationship that - if approached properly - can lead to merch sales later on in your email marketing efforts.

Studies have shown that the best way to entice your visitors to either buy your merchandise, or join your email list is by offering them something of value related to your band - at no cost. Think coupon and you'll understand why this works so well. Your fans have already shown an interest in what you have to offer by visiting your band website, so by offering them something free (like a song, or free entry to one of your shows) without a sales pitch will begin to develop the trust that is absolutely necessary to making the future sale.

Below I've detailed 7 very effective ways in which you can achieve the same results that many successful musicians are already putting to good use;

1 - Add a Form For Your Band's Email List to Your Band Website

You can set up an auto-responder to automate your communication with new subscribers. With a set it and forget it system, your email marketing campaign can work at marketing your music for you 24 hours a day and 365 days a year... all while you attend to important daily music business affairs, and while you sleep peacefully at night.

2 - Provide Great Content In Your First Email and Continue to Build Trust

Be diligent and creative in what you provide your readers in their first email. This is a make or break email in terms of creating a long term relationship with your potential customers. The first email you send will almost always be opened and read and it's at this point that you really need to wow them with the quality of your content. Impress them at this stage and you can raise your chances considerably of having them open your future emails.

3 - Provide Free & Valuable Information To Entice Continued Interest

Remember that you're not always "on" when it comes to selling. No one wants to be sold to all of the time, and nowhere is this more true than in your fans in-box. Providing quality content and information related to your music is most useful to your visitors. It's best if your first two to three emails are nothing but quality information that's absolutely free.

4 - 

Your Fans Expect To Be Sold... Eventually. Provide Solid Offers And Free Content - Keep Them Happy

Once you've gained your readers trust they are most certainly ready to hear from you regarding what you have to offer in terms of the sales of your music and merchandise. Heck, they are fans right? And they signed on to your email list knowing that you'd be selling them something at some point in time, so by the third email they should be ready to receive some type of sales offer. To maintain a good relationship, continue offering free quality content in every email you send. This will continue to raise their trust levels with your band and your music business and as a result, you'll elevate their reciprocity (give and take) patterns with your products.

5 - Don't Give Away The Farm In Your Music Business Email Marketing Campaigns

Remember not to raise their expectations too high. Offering ONE free bit of music news, a helpful resource link, a free downloadable video, a secret advanced listening opportunity, or a trial to your band membership club per email is more than enough to demonstrate your willingness to share valuable information with them.

6 - Encourage Interactivity - Keep Your Fans Involved

Always try to make your emails as interactive as possible. Whenever possible, include an excerpt to a post on your music business website to direct them back to your own band website. (You DO have your own band website... right?) Ask them to comment and join in the community conversations. Provide them with opportunities to enter contests on your website or to respond to surveys - again - all hosted on your website. A great website that is loved by the search engines, ensures repeat visits, bookmarks and the nirvana of all music business email marketers and indie bands, blog subscribers. Concentrate your efforts on generating traffic to your band website as much as you do on the quality of the emails that you send.

7 -  A Great Subject Line Can Raise Your Email Marketing Open Rates Exponentially

I simply can't stress enough, the importance of your subject line. This is the one area that studies have shown is key to whether your email is opened or not. You'll need to rivet their attention with an enticing subject line if you're going to succeed with your band's email marketing campaigns. The subject line is what they see before anything else, so spell out the details of your message clearly and give them just enough information to make it compelling enough to open your message and read the contents. Of course once you've proven that you provide quality content regularly, your fans will come to know that opening your emails will be well worth their time and they'll open them without even thinking at some point.

These are just some of the basics of managing a successful band email marketing system and is by no means a complete list of what you'll need to succeed in your email campaigns. 

Use these tips as a starting point and you could very well have your own successful band email marketing campaign up and running in no time. Just remember to always treat your fans with respect and integrity when sending anything to their in-box. No one likes spam.

Subscribe to my mailing list

* indicates required

Email Address *

Email Format

• html
• text
• mobile

Networking And The Music Business

You have set up your music business and now you want to get your clients? You do not know where to start? Well there is no other tool better than networking to help you succeed in this business. Below are some tips that you can use to sharpen your networking skills which can help you grow your business leaps and bounds.

Freshen up old relationships. Reach out to old friends. It could be a small telephone call or an email or most innocent of all invite friends through social networking sites like Facebook. The key here is to just start keeping in touch and not start selling your business from day one. Try and find out more about them, their professions, their hobbies etc. Meet them up over a drink if they are in the same town. Revisit old times but do not speak much about your business. Keep in regular touch with friends who seem to have some form of interest in music. Once you have had enough communication with them and both of you feel comfortable with each other, at that time introduce your business. Remember it should never sound like you have got in touch with them just because of your business else you will lose your friends.

Next reach out to local businesses. Offer your services to them for free or nominal fee. Take part in online competitions and community events. Meet up prospective clients in these events. In fact playing in local competitions is one of the most time tested ways of getting clients. If you play well you will start developing a fan base and you can then reach out to them to give you business.

Networking with relatives is another area where you can use your networking skills. In most cases you might be aware which of your relatives are interested in music. You can keep in touch with them and speak to them about your progress and latest developments in the world of music. Once they know that you are genuine and not keeping in touch with them for getting business they will be more than happy to recommend you.

There are some golden principles of networking that you should remember: 
- Keep in touch with your network. Start a newsletter. It is  my favourite and most effective tool here. It takes time but a solid mailing list will be your biggest asset. Take the effort to know them - their likes and dislikes and have common topics of discussion when you meet them. 
- Do not always talk about your business. Business will come your way if you genuinely keep in touch with them. Even if you have to talk business, let that be the last point of discussion. 
- Be courteous. Do not keep on bragging about yourself and how well you play. If you are good they will notice and it is always better to get praise from your customers. 
- Finally take time out for your network and do things for them even if it is not part of your business. When they see that you care about them, they will make sure that they will send business your way.

Subscribe to my mailing list

How To Support Independent Musicians

Are independent musicians destined to go the way of Big Band music - a quaint but dated genre appreciated only by a certain generation? Fans of independent rock musicians answer that question with an emphatic "No way!" and are determined to promote and encourage both famous rock bands as well as unsigned independent musicians.

Whether they're into punk music, grunge bands, vintage music, or hard rock and roll music, fans want more from their favorites and want to hear the voices of new, unsigned bands. They show their appreciation by wearing rock and roll T-shirts or their favorite band T-shirts, and by displaying rock music posters, rock concert posters and other band posters on their walls.

Fans of independent musicians are even using social networking websites to discover and discuss the new talent that's emerging from unsigned bands. Web portals are springing up that direct fans to unsigned bands' websites and that promote unsigned rock bands' CDs and merchandise.

If you're a member of an unsigned band, there are a number of ways you can get noticed and create buzz - which could lead to a lucrative recording contract. The first thing you need to do is create a CD that contains at least three original songs. The songs should accurately reflect your band's style and voice. That means booking some studio time, but it's well worth it to have your music heard by hundreds of thousands of potential fans.

Next, write up a biography of your band. Make the text enticing, and talk about your music, your musical influences, and each of your band members. Your biography doesn't have to be long, but it does have to grab the reader's attention.

After that, it's time for a good band photo. If you don' t have the money to hire a professional photographer, find a good amateur with a digital camera. If a studio shot is out of the question, consider an outdoors shot in a venue that reflects your band's musical style. Use your imagination and try out different poses, different clothes, and different backgrounds. With a digital camera, you can literally take hundreds of photos, which will ultimately give you a greater choice.

Once you have your band biography, your CD, and your band photo, seek out a Web portal that specifically promotes unsigned rock and roll bands. You can use their web site to promote your own web site, your CD, and any band merchandise you might have.

App Technology For Musicians

Okay, so it's 2013 and I have only recently dived head-first into the world of mobile apps. I did so for the same reason that I enlist myself on certain music sites.....a combination of fan reach and moving along with the times.

If, like myself, you are a musician or a recording artist or entertainer who has your own music or recordings in the apple iTunes store or available on-line then you should be thinking about having your own app or "application" as a useful tool to help promote your music. So what is an app you ask? It is simply a software programme that is designed to specifically operate on a particular device (e.g. smartphone, iPhone, template computer, iPod, iPad, etc). Each app is usually represented by an icon on the devices menu screen.

So how can an app help you find potential customers? Well currently there are 5.3 billion mobile subscribers in the world, in 2009 half a billion mobile subscribers accessed the internet worldwide. Android is expected to become the top operating system for new smartphones in 2011 and top the Apple iPhone. These stats can be seen at the "mobiThinking" website.

In February 2010 the 10 billionth song was downloaded from the iTunes store. So there is plenty of demand for those artists that make it into the iTunes store. An app can provide a vehicle to assist a musician gain exposure. While I am relatively new to the app building industry I can identify the big advantages for the musician in having their own app and the shortage of affordable app producers that can meet the rapidly expanding demand for good, basic affordable apps.

Advantages for a musician in having their own app: -

1. Presence in the market place where your customers go to find music, yet not many musicians so far have an app, (there are reports of 306K iPhone apps and between 150 - 250,000 Android apps),

2. Add credibility to your existing PR portfolio (blog, fan page, social network pages) as your fans want to be able to access your music, videos, etc, anywhere on their mobile phone that goes everywhere with them,

3. Increase sales of your music, promo products, etc, once you connect with more potential fans,

4. Build your fan base, have old fans reconnect with you as well as have new fans find you.

5. Update your fans of your new releases, new products, albums, singles, etc,

6. Have a free app so anyone can afford to have it to use and it can potentially have a viral spread amongst the music community.

7. Be one of the first musicians to have an app in the app market and take advantage of the leverage it can give you.

So as you can see from the above list of advantages there are some valid reasons why musicians and recording artists should have their own app promoting their music. After much research, I recommend utilising 'Apps To Order.' The cost of having an app is no longer an issue. Irrespective of the time taken or complexity of your desired app, the cost varies from $20.00 up to $60.00. Time is no issue. Getting your app exactly as you want it is the number 1 objective. They are well worth giving a look-in. I have heard nothing but compliments to 'Apps On Order' and to me for suggesting them.

Be A Creative Musician

So you want to be a recording artist? Are you going to sing or just make the score for your music masterpiece? Are you any good? How can you know until you try? There are a lot of factors to consider when becoming a music artist or in getting started in your endeavors to create the music that you want everyone to love understand and of course play. It is so much easier now to produce your own music, whether it is the full compilation or just the musical score. Technology is advancing in ever increasing speed and while you thought you might one day want to try you may be surprised now at how easy it will be for you to do just that. You can get started the easy way from home and then as your career takes off you can move into the professional recording studios.

You could always try out for shows like the American Idol style of shows that are now on offer in almost every country of the world, even though they change the name of the show itself. However, perhaps you want to have a stab at it at home first just to make sure you don't sound terrible.

There are a wide variety of software options for creating music and you can start out with some very basic free options or you can turn to some more advanced packages it of course just depends on how committed you are to this music thing or whether you are just doing this for the fun of it. Either way check out the options you can find on the internet and perhaps find a blog or forum where other novice musicians are creating their music and get ideas from them about what might be the best software for you.

Make sure that you have written notes about the music as you can so that you can create your master piece over a period of time and remember where you were at when you started. Not everyone can create music in one day or one afternoon so you will generally need to come back to your music at different periods and if you keep good notes you will easily be able to pick up from where you left off.

When you are using home systems make sure that you have some set up on the software or program that you are automatically constantly saving your work because the last thing you want is that you forget to save something and the power goes out or your cat jumps on the keyboard while you are in the middle of getting the notes down just how you want them. In fact lock the cat out because you don't want a meow in the middle of your tracks either....unless you're a weirdo(!).

On that note make sure that you set up the area where you are going to do your work to be as comfortable and suitable for the type of recording you are going to be doing. You don't want to be recording in a room that is facing the street and mixing engine noise in with your music, unless of course that was your intention from the start?

Now there are a lot of steps to actually getting to your final product so make sure you take your time and get the desired results from your music. When you are finished make sure you give your music to others to listen too before you go sending out your tracks torecording studios. While you may think your music is fantastic and your mother or your wife or husband say it is just wonderful, it may be possible that they are just not willing to hurt your feelings.

Find a good friend who you know will be honest with you and have them listen to it. Or find a complete stranger who couldn't care less whether they hurt your feelings and get their response. You don't want to be in the position that you are actually perhaps not very good at this. If that does happen then you can tell all that it was about your music software and that you will give it another shot when you find a better program. But hey that maybe just me because I know I couldn't do it. Either way, why not just give it a go if it has been a dream then you should give yourself the chance to turn it into a reality.

Old Musician. New Tricks

If you are unfamiliar with my music, music promotion and blogging then prepare yourself for observations made and tried by someone who has limited computer skills. My techno-buffoonery is hilarious. Having said this, since early December 2012, I am very pleased to share with you the results of painstakingly accrued information relating to mobile on Android. 

Being 'almost' a techno-luddite, I accidentally encountered a site that allowed me to create a free and polished mobile app on Android. This first effort has remained my favourite....and it's free for my followers. Feeling rather pleased with this initial effort, I showed my two children who were very ho-hum' about it. After watching them flicking this and swiping that and then asking me to try out my app on Android. I had no idea....and still don't. I don't need to know anything outside of testing the functionality on my laptop.

The age of the Android phone is well and truly upon us. Android phones have feature-rich applications that are not included in other mobile phones, and are ready to take on the market. The best part of Android is that you have a number of options with you, and not only some of them. An interesting feature of the Android phones that offer multiple levels of volume for the various functions of the phone.

The system, developed by Google Android, is a manufacturer of mobile phones to help compete with Apple's iPhone. The Android is now seen as increasingly strong competition from Apple and so many cell phone companies are able to offer smart phones like the people in the market to your current phone.

 I tried to put me in the shoes of my supporters. What do you need from your phone? It's a good question to consider when it comes to mobile phone users is for an update. Originally, the sole purpose of owning a mobile phone was to make calls andd make and receive messages. Since the mobile phone tour, people began to want to take Photos, text messages, listen to music and Internet access. You can do all this and much more if you choose a smartphone. Now you can play Games on their mobile phone, weather and a series of activities, and make calls. Before selecting one of the Android phones it should be considered what basically you are looking for in a phone.

If you are considering buying a new phone, here are some of the best options to Android phones. Best Android phones are as good as the other Smartphones on the market. The reason is that several mobile phone manufacturers have adopted the Android operating system on their phones. It is possible not noticed, but the fact is that Google's Android phones are all over the mobile phone market. As one of the best phones available on Android, the HTC Hero has made a lot of hype. This entry is made for the price conscious buyer who wants all mobile perks an Android phone and not to pay outrageous dollars for more comprehensive and 'official' apps. more. From in-depth research on my part another option for mobile phones running the Android software is BETouch Acer E400. The company Acer install its own user interface connected to the system and also installed GPS Android, 600 MHz processor and Wi-Fi. A Android phones on the market first is the LG MaxGW620 InTouch. This phone is powered from Android 2.

It is a business, while Android kicks WIN mobile in the teeth, &, a division of the open mobile advertising if a viable business because it can not expect Google stores Getting in a search application in all places and from any phone. One of them is the Google marketplace where thousands of applications for mobile running the operating system Android than T-Mobile G1 and the myTouch T-Mobile with Google. Android users are waiting months after the first announcement to receive Pandora Mobile App for Android. In fact, many people complain that there is absolutely no competition for Android phones in the mobile Market. An important aspect of owning a specifically themed mobile phone app is Android Marketplace mobile applications, with thousands of requests to choose. If you are a parent, and are concerned and monitor the activities of your children, to protect cell phones and other sexting Mobi dangers stealth, then parental control software is for you. The launch of Android, the Google mobile operating system in virtually all areas of the market as "beginner is published up to and including the super-power Smartphones. 

Since Android has progressed well, the Google mobile operating system used in virtually all market segments appear, including high beginners and the end Phones. Look at it, the Android phones can now be purchased almost everywhere. As Android, the mobile operating system designed by Google appeared in almost every conceivable niche, from "Rookie" to and including the super-smart phones. The Rough Guide Slick bag Phone reveals the secrets of this operating system back and forth, including models from Motorola, HTC, Samsung and many others. It is only by tradition, Android phone makes Skype instant messaging, voice and video calls worldwide via Skype. I love all the functions of Android, but UMA only tops, especially when I get home, I get off the frequency with which T-Mobile does not penetrate the walls of the building may have.

In addition to technical issues, Google has many areas that prior to any serious threat to address, as a substitute for a weight providing music Android/iTunes smartphone battle. However, since the reach of Google Android as a free open-source operating system that reduces the value of acquisitions Palm Goal. Having 'tried' an Android phone, and I have heard bad things about it, like Google uses the data for advertising, but I think it's a step towards a universal platform for open-source smartphone. The idea that Google will experience the same phenomenon in the store request U.S. dollars ridiculous. The iPhone uses a lot of Google applications and search in Google there is no difference in their pursuit of your surfing habits. 

Apple, however, is basically skimming the high-margin customers with valuable, Blackberry is still very popular in the society (and blackberry sell more servers, the real interest) and Android, will take over the rest of the smartphone market at $49 (for the app, not the user) - remember that Google gets nothing for all sold Android and Apple earns $200 - $300 for each iPhone sold without iTunes... that's the difference.

Related articles

• Mobile Apps And Fans And Bands (indirok.blogspot.com)
• Apple, Android have smartphone 'duopoly' (bigpondnews.com)
• Android captured almost 70% global smartphone market share in 2012, Apple just under 20% (venturebeat.com)