20-Plus Ways to Promote
With baseball season comes the inevitable references to “Field of Dreams” and probably the best-known line from that film, despite it now being 31 years old. (Yes, really. Look it up!) Without a doubt you’ll read or hear, “Build it and they will come.” Turn it into a little game, to see how long it takes for that dialogue to come up once the Major League Baseball season begins.
Why Musicians Need to be on LinkedIn
Being in the entertainment business as long as I have, not to mention writing a weekly blog and hosting a weekly podcast, plus with the number of events that I speak at, you can appreciate the volume of questions that I get asked, via email, face-to-face, through social media, and so on. Some of them repeat, some of them are, ahem, quite unique, and others deserve praise for their depth and/or quality.
The New Economy in Entertainment
You’re in entertainment and you’re nervously watching your bank account as compared to the monthly bills that for some reason don’t seem to stop coming in. (I know, how dare they keep sending those, right?) You keep working hard and are hoping and praying that music sales will (finally) pick up and/or that more fans and followers will buy merchandise. You’ve tried crowdfunding, Patreon, an electronic tip jar, and anything else you can think of to make being a performer your full-time job.
The Online Cream Will Rise to the Top – Production and Performance Counts
I wish that I didn’t have to write about this topic. And I actually wouldn’t mind being proven wrong about this – sooner than later! But for now, revisit what you’re doing online-performance-wise, and fine tune every aspect until it’s a well-oiled machine.
From Performance Reality Shows to Out-of-Sight, Out-of-Mind?
Can you name five “American Idol” winners since the show’s inception? What if I said that you can’t include Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood? Then could you?
The truth is, it’s what you do with your time on and, more importantly, after those shows that can keep your name top of mind, whether you have that number 1 entry on your performance résumé or not.
Unique Music Collaborator – A Baby
The first four Wednesday nights in April featured the Now Hear This Entertainment Virtual Music Series, with artists from around the country performing live on Instagram and, in between their original songs, talking about what they were up to, what with the pandemic hanging over everyone, as we were all hunkered down in quarantine mode. One of the performers, Atlanta-based singer, songwriter, guitar and piano player Melissa Bret, didn’t talk about a new single or EP or album.
Are You Creating Content Consistently?
Like so many others, I’ve probably participated in more webinars over the last two months than I have in the last two years. And, of course, as so many people were – and, to an extent, still are – limited (homebound) by the pandemic, more and more eyeballs are being driven to video content. People are looking for three Es – entertainment, education, and escape.
Joe Rogan Heads for Spotify While I Head in 20 Other Directions
The overwhelming majority of the time my blog here each week is about and for the indie music community. Today is one of those exceptions. Sort of. It’s Memorial Day and despite the Covid-19 crisis, people will still be more relaxed today, so, why not ease back a tad on the blog?
The "New Normal" is "Business as (Un)Usual"
For many years I would laugh at people continuing to use the expression ‘new media’ in reference to what, in fact, really wasn’t all that new anymore. And now, similarly, can we dispense with the repeated usage of ‘new normal,’ which has really been overdone?
Other Ways to Make Money Besides Just Your Music
It’s back to the mixing console at Crystal Blue Sound Studios for Dominick Pages this morning, as a new week begins. His setup is a bit different from what he sits down to as the Front of House Engineer and Audio Director at New Hope United Methodist Church.