Indie Music Marketing Insiders Club: Get Your Free Guest Pass

It's New Year's Eve -- that spot on the calendar when we're once again eyeball to eyeball with a brand new year. How will 2007 be different? How will you make it better than '06?


One thing I'm doing is getting off my butt and finally launching something that's been on my backburner for years. It's called the Indie Music Marketing Insiders Club, and my resolution is to make this new project one of the most important things I do in 2007.

Granted, it won't be for everyone. But if you're a serious, action-oriented independent artist, manager, promoter, record label owner, or music service provider ... I think you'll find a lot of value.

Grab your free Guest Pass and take a sneak peek at the new Insiders Club now. If nothing else, you will enjoy the many free resources that come with the "sneak peek."

Happy New Year! Here's to a fun and prosperous 2007!

-Bob

Top 10 Indie Music Promotion Blog Posts of 2006

Here's a year-end roundup of top posts from this blog. My criteria for this hit list: posts that got the most traffic, posts that got the most comments and email, or posts I simply feel are worth highlighting again.

1. The Music Marketing Idea Scavenger Hunt series, parts one, two and three.
   
   
2. 2006, The Year of Internet Video: Get Ready
   
   
3. The Hunted Become the Hunters
   
   
4. Going Postal Over the Music Industry
   
   
5. How to 'Fix' the Music Industry
   
   
6. Names, Numbers & Big Breaks
   
   
7. Erections and Good Headlines
   
   
8. Hits and Misses vs Hits and Niches
   
   
9. Free Music Downloads: The Smart Way
   
   
10. (This post is from early 2005, but it continues to be one of the most-read posts on the blog every month) How to Stream Audio From Your Web Site - be sure to read the update here.

-Bob

Fear & Loathing in Manhattan

Here's a quick video montage from my recent trip to New York City. No marketing lesson here. Just some fun footage from the streets of Manhattan at night.

I think I may have watched too much David Letterman growing up. But I'll let you decide.


-Bob

4 Steps to Creating a Music Video Buzz

This Saturday Night Live music video clip has been viewed more than six and a half million times on YouTube. It's hilarious. Watch this uncensored version (featuring Justin Timberlake and SNL cast member Andy Samberg) and then continue reading below for my four-step formula to duplicate its success ...


That's what I call thinking inside the box!

But I can hear you now: "I can't possibly duplicate what NBC and the Justin Timberlake/Saturday Night Live brand names can accomplish."

I don't buy it. With the right idea, you can reach millions, regardless of who you are or where you start from.

The Four-Step Formula for Creating a Music Video Buzz

1) Write and record a clever, meaningful, risque and/or hilarious song.

2) Produce a low-budget video to visually represent the song.

3) Post it on YouTube and share the link with your friends and fans.

4) If it's remarkable and "Hey, you've got to see this"-worthy enough, people will do all the promotion work for you by spreading it.

Come on, admit it ... If Joe Blow from Podunk, Montana, had produced the "Dick in a Box" music video, it would still be a huge hit on YouTube.

It's not money and clout that you need. It's a remarkable, buzz-worthy idea. What's yours?

-Bob

P.S. Want more online music video ideas? You'll find dozens of them in my new special report How to Use Video to Promote Your Music Online.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Me

There's this crazy version of a chain letter going around the blogsphere where bloggers are posting "5 Things You Didn't Know About Me" and then challenging five other bloggers to do the same. Tag, I'm it!
I was tagged by Joan Stewart (The Publicity Hound), who was tagged by Denise Wakeman of the Blog Squad. So I'm in good company. Here are my surprise revelations:

1) For about 15 years -- in my 20s and 30s -- I did stand-up comedy on a regular basis. My stage name was Royce Kelly. (I thought Bob Baker was too bland.) I was best known for the song parodies I came up with.

2) I've also been semi-active in theatre over the past 20 years. I've acted in plays, directed plays, written and performed sketch comedy, put together improv troupes a la Whose Line Is It Anyway. All fun stuff!

3) I have a longstanding interest in video production. In my 20s, I took every video class offered by St. Louis Community College. In the '90s I hosted a local cable music video show. More recently, I've been involved in indie film projects and just bought a digital camcorder. I plan to crank out a lot more video content on YouTube.

4) Ever since I was a little kid, I've enjoyed doing impressions and sound effects with my voice. I can do a decent Jimmy Stewart, Johnny Carson, Zig Ziglar, as well as singers like Michael MacDonald, Elvis and more. Oh, and I can simulate the sound of bird wings flapping using my tongue.

5) I don't just write about music -- I've been an active musician for 30 years. I play guitar, sing, and write and record my own songs. Check out some of my original song samples here and here.

That was fun. Now I tag David Hooper, Scott Ginsberg, Chris Anderson, Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba, , and Curt Rosengren.

-Bob

Holiday Video Clip - From My Family to Yours

Here's a fun holiday video greeting -- complete with bloopers at the end -- from Pooki, Kelli and me.


Have a Happy Holiday, a Merry Christmas, and Mouse Cake! (Watch the video and you'll know what this means.)

Cheers!

Bob

Free Music Web Site Teleclass Dec 20

Want to learn how to turn your music web site into a selling machine? Then join Julie Blake and me for a free one-hour live conference call this Wednesday evening, Dec. 20. It starts at 8 PM Central (that's 9 PM EST, 6 PM PST).

Take a break from your holiday shopping and load up on some creative indie music promotion strategies. On this call, you'll learn proven ways to attract more fans, powerful selling techniques to increase your sales, and more.

To register for the free call, go to www.iwantmorefans.com/FreeConference.html

Julie is president of the Nashville, TN-based Music Biz Website Pro and owner of www.iwantmorefans.com. She's full of energy and great ideas. This will be a fun and informative call. I hope you can join us.

Again, to register for this teleclass, go here.

-Bob

Manhattan Marketing Ideas

On my latest video short, I highlight some of the great marketing ideas I found on the streets of Manhattan during my recent trip to NYC. Warning: You won't believe what I found in Times Square.

Watch Manhattan Marketing Ideas on YouTube here.

More NYC videos coming soon.

-Bob

Should Your Bits Be Free?

Cory Doctorow is a successful science fiction author and co-editor of the popular Boing Boing blog. In his online bio, he may be writing about books, but his perspective provides food for thought for indie musicians, as well:

I write science fiction novels -- three published to date ... These novels sell well, win awards, and are published by Tor Books (novels) and Avalon Books (collection). They're also given away for free on the Internet as Creative Commons-licensed downloads. They can be freely shared, and in some cases, remixed or translated and sold in developing countries.

I believe that we live in an era where anything that can be expressed as bits will be. I believe that bits exist to be copied. Therefore, I believe that any business-model that depends on your bits not being copied is just dumb, and that lawmakers who try to prop these up are like governments that sink fortunes into protecting people who insist on living on the sides of active volcanoes.

Me, I'm looking to find ways to use copying to make more money and it's working: enlisting my readers as evangelists for my work and giving them free ebooks to distribute sells more books. As Tim O'Reilly says, my problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity. Best of all, giving away ebooks gives me lots of key insights into how to make money without restricting the copying of bits. It's a win-win situation.

The quote I especially like is: "My problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity." In fact, that whole third paragraph holds a lot of wisdom. In so many ways, you have to give to get.

What do you think?

-Bob

When iPods Attack

This is funny. From Wired magazine's blog via The Simpsons.


A citizen of the future laments: "If only we'd known that iPods would unite and overthrow the very humans they entertained ..."

-Bob

Get the Music Tips You Want

In my early days on the Internet, there were basically two ways you could get my free music marketing ideas.

1) You could read them on web pages (on my site and many others)
2) You could subscribe to my ezine and get them delivered by email

Well, you can still do both of those things, but now you have a number of extra options to get the music tips and inspiration you want. In addition to online articles and this ezine, I now publish a blog, a podcast and video clips -- all free, and all filled with advice and tools you can use to promote yourself better.

Yes, you can enjoy all of these things by visiting the old-fashioned web pages they sit on. But one cool thing about the ever-changing Web is a little thing called RSS feeds.

If you subscribe to a blog or podcast, you probably already know what feeds are and how they work. If you don't, pay a quick visit to this page or this one for a primer.

Even though you can use feed readers like Bloglines, My Yahoo and even web browses like Firefox to manage your feeds, one option I just started using was Google's personalized home page feature.

Just set up a free Google account, click Personalized Home, then click Add Stuff on the right. Near the top, to the right of the Search box, click Add by URL, and enter the feed address of the blog or podcast you want to subscribe to. Add as many feeds as you want and arrange them on the screen to your liking.

Once set up, every time you go to Google, you'll see the latest headlines from all your favorite blogs. It's a great way to get only the news you want.

Your Music Tips Delivery Options

My Music Promotion Blog
Read it on the web here:
http://www.bob-baker.com/musicpromotionblog/
Subscribe to the feed using this address:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/MusicPromotionBlog
Get my blog posts delivered by email here:
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=59785

Artist Empowerment Radio Podcast
Access it on the web here:
http://www.bob-baker.com/podcast/
Subscribe to the feed with iTunes or another "podcatcher" using this address:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtistEmpRadio
Get my podcast updates delivered by email here:
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=59864

Note: You can also email any blog post or podcast description to your friends. Look for the "Email This" link at the end of every post.

Other Ways to Reach Me Online

The Buzz Factor Video Channel
http://www.youtube.com/mrbuzzfactor

The Buzz Factor on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/thebuzzfactor

My event and travel photos on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bob-baker/

Lots of options. Hope you choose one or several of them and stay in touch!

-Bob

Ice Storm Music Marketing Video

A winter storm brought lots of headaches to the Midwest. But I managed to find a music marketing lesson amidst the downed trees and ice-covered cars. Watch the new video below -- complete with bloopers at the end ...


I created this video clip using a Canon Elura 100 digital camcorder and Windows Movie Maker to edit. Years ago, I did a bit of video production in college (back in the tedious analog tape days). I'm having a great time playing with all the new digital video tools, and using them to deliver more promotion ideas to you.

-Bob

P.S. If you haven't heard about it yet, be sure to check out my new report, How to Use Video to Promote Your Music Online.

New Buzz Factor Ezine Online

If you don't subscribe to my Buzz Factor ezine (or if you do and the email got lost in your Inbox), you can read the latest issue online here:

www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/120506.htm


In it, you'll discover how to ...

• Get the Music Tips You Want, When You Want Them
  
  
• Meet Me in New York City This Weekend
  
  
• Offer Music Downloads -- The Smart Way

It's all ready for you to read online at
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/120506.htm

Please consider signing up to get it by email, if you don't already.

Cheers!

-Bob

The Power of Taking Action

Here's an inspiring email I got recently from a Vancouver musician. Her success story says a lot about the power of simply taking action.

I'm Robin, the front woman singer/songstress for the band RUBY RED. I have been reading your tips for years and wanted to thank you for all your great info and guidance.

I remember the first year playing in this band and thinking how slow it was going. Then, the next thing I know, I'm taking your advice and walking around downtown Vancouver determined to find something -- ANYTHING -- to make this thing GO.

So I'm standing in this little wine shop waiting to speak to the woman at the counter to ask about coming in to do some acoustic stuff. I overhear her talking to another woman about a big concert she's promoting.

She leaves and I ask the counter woman who she was, and she gives me her name and number off the card she left. So I call and she says, "I'm so glad you called. We are looking for an original local band to open both days for this festival." And the headliners? Eddie Money the first day and Eric Burdon & The Animals the second!

We had to audition for it and they came to see us at a small club the next week. We rocked their socks off and they hired us on the spot. Then a company called FanBoy Pictures found out we were opening and came to see us. They loved us and asked if they could do a five-camera video shoot of the event.

Then came the concert -- a huge event with a giant stage and a board bigger than I had ever imagined. The newspapers were writing all about it. FanBoy shot two songs during sound check. The videos turned out great -- you can see them at www.rubyredmusic.com.

Eddie Money loved us so much, he wanted to have a picture taken with us! He asked for a CD. We were thrilled. We played a stellar show both days, and it was the launching point for so many things we have done since.

I just wanted you to see that you really DO help people OUT THERE -- in more ways than you could ever know! I probably never would have walked out that door that day and gone into that wine shop if it hadn't been for YOU!

FYI, here's part of an email I sent back to Robin:

Thanks for the awesome email and for sharing your story. You made my day!

I'm flattered that you credit me with motivating you to act on your passion for music -- but make no mistake, it was YOU who took the action. And for that, and all that's come because of that first step, you should be proud.

-Bob

Free Music Downloads: The Smart Way

A couple days ago I expressed my frustration over the Best Buy/Rhapsody "free holiday music downloads" promotion. (You can read my rant here.)

Now let's shift gears and examine why I was intrigued by the concept to begin with and how you can use this basic idea to promote your own music downloads.


One of the coolest things about this type of promotion is that it combines the power of the online and physical worlds. Most free music download announcements are delivered online -- which makes sense, since that's where fans are looking for digital music. But if you can also reach fans in the offline world and send them to the Internet, all the better.

So here's what you do ...

Design and print something that you can give away in the real world. It should scream something like "Get 3 Free Reggae Songs from XYZ's New Album" or "Download 3 Free Blues Music Tracks from New Artists." Be sure to include a special web address where fans must go to get the downloads.

The item you print this on can be as simple as a colorful business card or post card, or as slick as a shiny candy wrapper package or cardboard cut-out in the shape of an MP3 player.

Then give away these "free music download" promos at your live shows, at festivals, outside concert venues, and at any retail stores that will allow you to distribute them.

When fans go to the special web page, design it so that all they have to do is enter their name and email address into a form and click Submit. This easy process should take them right to the page where they can start downloading the songs you promised. (Most email list management programs can be configured to take subscribers right to a welcome page. In this case, it would be your download page.)

Don't make the mistake of requiring too much of people. Getting an email address alone would be great. At the most, ask for their name, email and postal code. No more.

Here's the thing ...

I suggest that you follow up with these people by email -- maybe a few times over the next few weeks. They have identified themselves as people who are interested in what you play. Make the most of this relationship and send them a few reminders of who you are and what you do.

Through your follow-up emails, thank them for taking the time to download your music. Make them aware of the other things you have to offer: Your CDs, merchandise, paid downloads, additional free downloads, your regular mailing list, where they can get the latest on your live show schedule, etc.

This is the smart way to market music downloads offline. Compare this to what I (and thousands of other unsuspecting people) had to go through to get misled by Best Buy's "free" downloads.

But, as a self-empowered, independent artist, you're smarter then a "big box" retail chain. Right?

-Bob

P.S. I just completely revised and updated my popular special report 50 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet. Take a look at this guide and the free bonuses that come with it.

Sweet Tracks & Cheap Tricks

I was in the check-out line at Best Buy yesterday and came upon something I immediately wanted to blog about. As it turns out, I am blogging about it, but for all the wrong reasons.

What caught my eye near the cash register was a display of what looked like candy in bright, shiny wrappers. Looking closer, I saw that the packages read "Sweet Tracks." The text on the back read as follows:

Sweet Tracks is a delicious blend of 14 free holiday music downloads. You'll also enjoy 5 mouthwatering bonus tracks and tasty holiday ringtones ...

Sounded good. What a creative packaging idea to promote music! I was hooked. When I got home, I opened the package and went to the web site listed on the enclosed fold-out card. That's when things started to go down hill.

First, I had to register for the Best Buy Digital Music Store. Fair enough. Turns out this "Sweet Tracks" thing is a cross-promotion with Rhapsody, the online music subscription service. To take advantage of the "14 free holiday music tracks," I had to download and install Rhapsody. This was an unexpected hurdle. But I've heard good things about Rhapsody and figured I'd move ahead to check it out.

Once the program was installed, I had to register with Rhapsody. Yet another task I had to complete before getting to the free holiday music. Then I was given the option of signing up for a free Rhapsody trial (with a monthly subscription payment to follow after the trial period). I wasn't ready for that commitment just yet, so I opted for Rhapsody's free version.

Well, when you don't sign up for the potential paid membership, all you get of the holiday music is 30-second streaming samples of each song. So much for the "14 free holiday music downloads."

This is a great example of two corporations with money and the ability to reach lots of people taking a good idea and blowing it. Why make it so hard for people to take you up on an offer? Why mislead music consumers with the promise of free music downloads and then put so many hoops and requirements in the way?

I scoured the "Sweet Tracks" retail package in search of some indication of all that was needed to actually get the downloads. There is no mention of having to join Rhapsody in order to get the 14 full music tracks. Maybe they just figure consumers will deal with it. But frankly, I find it misleading and frustrating.

In my next post, I'll spell out what indie musicians can learn from this promotion and how to create your own version of it -- one that will endear music fans and not piss them off.

-Bob

Bob's New Video, Podcast & More

My mission these days is to deliver music marketing ideas and empowering messages by engaging most of your senses -- your eyes, your ears, your brain. I haven't incorporated a sense of touch or smell yet, and that's probably a good thing ... but I give you lots of choices to receive the message nonetheless.

Here's a rundown of my latest audio/visual food for thought:

• A new video clip featuring the three timeless music promotion principles that all artists should use to make their marketing most effective.
  
  
• A new Artist Empowerment Radio podcast that reveals clever networking strategies, creative ways to work your way into the songwriters' inner circle, the importance of fans and how to find them, and more.
  
  
• Another podcast that covers how video has exploded on the Internet, and how you can make the most of this new online music promotion opportunity.
  
  
• And if you haven't grabbed it yet, be sure to get this FREE collection of music promotion reports, tip sheets and tools.

That should keep your senses busy for a while!

-Bob

P.S. For more in-depth study, check out my books, special reports, and audio programs.

Why Am I Thanking You?

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the U.S. While a lot of focus is put on tasty meals, parades and football ... it's also a great day to express gratitude for the people, things and events of our lives.

With that in mind, I would like to acknowledge the role YOU play in my life and thank you if you have ever ...

• Taken the time to read this blog
  
  
• Shared one of my articles with a friend
  
  
• Subscribed to my ezine or podcast
  
  
• Purchased one my books, reports or CDs
  
  
• Attended any of my speaking events
  
  
• Encouraged me to keep doing what I do
  
  
• Sent me some honest feedback - good or bad

Without someone paying attention, I'd just be flinging words into the ether. The time and attention you give my work gives it meaning. And for that, I thank you!

-Bob

Music Promoter from Hell: Clell Tickle

This video is hilarious. It's described as "A behind the scenes look at Clell Tickle, the man who makes indie rock dreams come true. By any means necessary."


Funny, huh?

-Bob

Universal Sues Myspace for Copyright Violations

According to this ZDNet News article ...

Universal Music Group sued MySpace.com late Friday, claiming that the social-networking site is infringing on the copyrights of thousands of songs and videos. Universal, owned by French media conglomerate Vivendi, claims that Myspace has looked the other way as users unlawfully uploaded copyright music videos.

James Hutchinson posted some sharp remarks about the suit on Blogcritics:

Give music labels time and they'll sue their own grandmothers upon the sole premise that said grandmothers aren't buying enough of the labels' music ... Unfortunately, this is an inevitable action in a bid by music labels to ensure that the money keeps streaming out of wallets.

Of course, [MySpace still has] the might of Rupert Murdoch himself to compete against, but as much of a burden as MySpace appears to be, it has actually done the music industry some good. Rather than relying on Saturday morning video charts for music recommendations, the average consumer can now find for themselves whether a band is worth their hard-earned cash or not.

I'm sure MySpace has been bracing itself for this kind of legal battle for a while now. But it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

-Bob

Nova Scotia Music Week Rocked!

I'm still catching my breath after the exhilarating trip I just took to Nova Scotia. The reason for the visit was Nova Scotia Music Week, held this year in the charming town of Liverpool and the nearby White Point Beach Resort -- about an hour and a half from Halifax.

I honestly can't remember the last time I felt so good about attending a music event. The people I met were wonderful, the amount of musical talent I witnessed was truly impressive, and the way the organizers treated my girlfriend, Pooki, and I during our stay was top-notch.


Check out photos of the people we met here on Flickr:

Nova Scotia has a rich musical history. Some of the artists who have made their mark include Hank Snow, Anne Murray, Sarah McLachlan, Sloan, the Rankin Family, and Joel Plaskett. (Check out this Wikipedia entry on the province.) There appears to be yet another surge of incredible songs and acts emerging from the region.

Here's a list of just some of the awesome artists we were lucky enough to hear live over three short days:

• Scott Macmillan & Brian Doyle
• Jill Barber
• Charlie A'Court
• RyLee Madison
• Norma MacDonald
• Jimmy Rankin
• JP Cormier
• Dave Gunning
• Old Man Luedecke
• Steven Bowers
• Joel Plaskett
• Mary Jane Lamond

Here are a few more friends we made that weekend:

• Audra Raulyns
• Ian Sherwood
• Joyce Seamone
• Little Derek Caine
• Lynn Horne
• Anne Oakley
• Andree Gracie

A big thanks to Gordon Lapp, Chuck Teed, Mickey Quase and Keith Publicover of Music Nova Scotia for inviting me and making us feel so welcome and at home!

-Bob

P.S. The cool thing is, I may be returning to Halifax in February for the East Coast Music Awards, an even bigger event. Stay tuned.

P.P.S. To cap off an already memorable trip, guess who sat behind us on the flight from Halifax to JFK? None other than Tom Selleck, Mr. Magnum PI himself.

Meet Me in NYC, Nova Scotia, St Louis

Would you like me to come to your city and speak? Maybe I will. Read on ...

It looks like I'll be in New York City the weekend of December 9 & 10 for the Global Entertainment & Media Summit. It'll be held at the Laugh Factory in Times Square. My panel is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 2 PM. Go here for more details: www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com


While I'm in the Big Apple, I'd love to organize another speaking event and meet some of my longtime readers -- like you, if you're in the area. And that's where I can use your help ...

Do you know of an association, school, store, or studio in the NYC area that would like to host a marketing workshop by yours truly? Ideally, the event would draw at least 50 people. The evening of Dec 10 or 11 would probably be best. If you have an idea, send an email to Bob AT TheBuzzFactor.com and let me know.

Or if you simply would like to attend such an event in the area, let me know and I'll put you on a special email list and let you know where I'll be.

In New York I plan to talk about social networking and "The New Rules of Internet Music Marketing." I'm taking that same workshop this weekend (Nov. 11-12) to Nova Scotia, Canada, where I'll speak at White Point Beach Resort during Nova Scotia Music Week. Visit www.musicnovascotia.ca/default2.asp for details.

And on Monday, Nov. 20, I will present the same workshop in my hometown of St. Louis, MO. It'll be held at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar, 63112, 7 to 9 PM. To register, just visit www.vlaa.org/workshops.asp and scroll down to "The New Rules of Internet Music Marketing." Or call 314-863-6930.

In 2007, I plan to take my message on the road a bit more. So let me know about speaking opportunities in your city. Especially places like Chicago, Nashville, Memphis or Kansas City. You never know, maybe I'll come to your town and get to meet you in person.

-Bob

John Legend: Success Without Radio

John Legend sold more than 1.7 million copies of his last album, Get Lifted, in the U.S., but he has yet to put out a single that gets major radio play.


So says the Wall Street Journal, by way of an item on Kurt Hanson's "Radio And Internet Newsletter." Legend's new album, Once Again, was just released to rave reviews -- but still no significant airplay. Turning again to the WSJ article ...

"A growing number of musicians are marketing singles and sometimes turning them into hits without the support of radio, at least initially. Radio still matters -- a recent report by Mercury Radio Research, a company that studies the industry, found that the medium is still the primary way people discover new music. But other methods are making inroads ... Panic! At the Disco, a Nevada rock band, got an early push from Purevolume, a music fan site, and the social networking site MySpace."

Here's the interesting thing:

"The online attention spurred radio stations to play Panic! At the Disco's music and fans to buy their albums and attend their shows."

Lesson: In the old days, radio was the main thing that spread new music and created hits. Today, radio is much less important than it once was, but it can still help a great deal. The key to getting radio airplay these days is to first make a splash in another medium: online, live shows, print media or TV exposure.

Grant Robertson at the Digital Music Weblog reported on this story as well. He pointed out John Legend's previous stint as a consultant for a Boston consulting group, then remarked ...

"This is so important for any up and coming musician to understand. You may be bright, hot and talented but today's music business requires you to be a sharp business person as well. Certainly, those with business or marketing skills are at an advantage but, increasingly, those without face greater hurdles to expansion."

Take heed!

-Bob

Music Business Radio: The Dave & Bob Show

This past summer I took a drive to Nashville and spent some time in the studio as a guest on David Hooper's Music Business Radio show. It aired a week ago Sunday in Nashville and is now available as a podcast.

On the show we talk about what music marketing really is, how to double (and even triple) your music income, and the biggest mistakes artists make with their press kits. You can download an MP3 of the show using this link or subscribe to the podcast with iTunes using this link.

Hats off to whomever edited this show. I remember not being particularly articulate that day in the studio (see this picture). Perhaps it was engineer Dan Buckley who painstakingly removed all my mumbles and stumbles and made me sound like a silver-tongued expert.

In any event, enjoy the show. We had fun doing it.

-Bob

Knocking Music Fans Off the Fence

When it comes to generating music income from your web site, you must start thinking of the fans who visit your site as falling into one of three categories:

1. People who will buy from you no matter what

2. People who have no intention of spending any money on you

3. People who are on the fence about making a purchase

People in that first category are often your hard-core fans who just found out about a new recording or piece of merchandise you have available. And they want it now. These people have already made up their minds to buy from you, and they go to your web site with the direct intent to make a purchase. These are quite likely some of your favorite fans.

People in the second category are the musical version of tire-kickers. They're looking for freebies or are simply nosing around the Internet checking out new music -- with no intention of parting with their money. And that's fine. You shouldn't curse these people. While they won't buy your music or merch, they may very well talk about you to people who will. And that's a good thing.

It's the people in that fickle third category -- the fence-sitters -- that I suggest you spend more time thinking about. They have money to spend, and are actually considering spending it on you. Some of them actually end up clicking the "Buy Now" button. But some of them -- perhaps a lot of them -- end up clicking away from your site. An opportunity for both of you lost.

So, what can you do to persuade those people on the fence?

A money-back guarantee? A special bonus offer? A discount if they act now? A more appealing description of what your music will do for them? A better song sample?

Take a long look at your music and sales pages. What would it really take to knock a music fan off the fence and into the purchase side of your yard?

-Bob

P.S. A couple of chapters in Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition go into depth examining how to sell more music and merchandise, both online and off.

Hits and Misses vs Hits and Niches

I've written about Chris Anderson and his Long Tail blog before. I finally got around to reading his new book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. It's a real eye-opener. Do yourself a favor and go to Amazon or wherever and get a copy, because in it he writes at length about the changing face of the entertainment industries.

Here's the Long Tail concept in a nutshell:

For decades, we lived in a scarcity economy. We got introduced to new music, books and films via retail outlets, radio, TV and print publications. But all of these avenues of exposure had physical limitations. There was only so much shelf space, air time and editorial pages to fill. So, in order to appeal to the widest audience and turn a profit, only those things that were determined to be most popular were stocked or covered.

This lead to a cultural mentality that a band, book or movie was either a big hit or a giant dud. There was little ground in between the two extremes of popularity. You were either part of the system ... or an outsider.

Then came online retailers such as Amazon and Netflix, which were not constrained by the physical space limitations of traditional sellers. For example, the average Borders bookstore carries about 100,000 titles, while Amazon offers nearly 4 million book titles. The average Blockbuster carries about 3,000 DVDs, while Netflix offers close to 60,000.

And guess what? About 25% of the total revenues on Amazon and Netflix come from products not available in retail stores. Yes, from titles outside the "hit list." Anderson's overwhelming research concludes that, when given unlimited choice (along with the ability to filter through the choices), people will stray from the hits and spend a considerable amount of money on non-mainstream products.

Unfortunately, the old scarcity business model is so ingrained in our culture, it has lead to many unfounded beliefs, such as:

• If it isn't a hit, it's a miss
  
  
• The only success is mass success
  
  
• "Independent" = "They couldn't get a deal"
  
  
• "Self-published" = bad
  
  
• Low-selling = low-quality
  
  
• If it were good, it would be popular

Luckily, a growing number of creative entrepreneurs are figuring out ways to make the most of this new "abundance economy" -- where practically everything is available to the public, where the cream rises to the top based on what consumers actually want, and where you can make an impact (and a living) without ever ranking on the Billboard Hot 100.

So, what kind of world do you want to live in? One of scarcity, hits and misses? Or one of abundance, hits and niches?

The choice is ultimately up to you.

-Bob

P.S. To make the most of the abundance economy, you simply must squeeze everything you can out of Internet promotions. I just completely revised and updated my popular special report 50 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet. Take a look at this guide and the free bonuses that come with it.

Online Music Video Promotion: New How-To Guide

Have you seen the treadmill video from Ok Go? It was a simple but creative concept that spread like crazy online and primed music fans for the band's debut CD release.


Or how about the regular video clips published by indie artist Terra Naomi? During a two-month period in 2006, webcam music videos she produced in her apartment were viewed 2.5 million times on YouTube. Because of this exposure, Terra sold 2,000 copies of her new CD in eight days.

No doubt about it ...

Video Is Huge on the Internet

Over the past six months video has exploded online. YouTube alone now delivers about 100 million videos a day to its users. And much of it is music.

Are you making the most of this new online music promotion opportunity?

To help you create, promote and profit from online video, I just published a 22-page, info-packed special report called "How to Use Video to Promote Your Music Online."

To learn more about it (and get a special discount), please visit this special page:
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music-video-promotion.html

Here's just some of what you'll find in this one-of-a-kind report:

• 9 ways to produce music videos on a shoestring budget
  
  
• 4 places to find indie film directors who will produce your music videos at no cost
  
  
• 14 Music Video Themes you can use to create clips your fans will love (many of these will surprise you)
  
  
• 28 places to host and stream your videos online for free

Don't sit on this. Online music video promotion is hot. Get the ideas and tools you need to make the most of it. Visit this web page before you get distracted:

www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music-video-promotion.html

-Bob

Choose Your Words Carefully

Timing is everything. Just yesterday I published a post about learning from failure. Then this morning I open up today's DailyOM, an ezine I subscribe to. Here's part of the message:

The word failure puts forward a very simplistic way of thinking that allows for only two possibilities: failure or success. Few things in the universe are black and white, yet much of our language reads as if they are. The word failure signifies a paradigm in which all subtlety is lost.

When we regard something we have done, or ourselves, as a failure, we lose our ability to see the truth, which is no doubt considerably more complex. In addition, we hurt ourselves. All you have to do is speak or read the word failure and see how it makes you feel ...

When you are consciously aware of the word and its baggage, you will not fall victim to its darkness. In your own use of language, you may choose to stop using the word failure altogether. This might encourage you to articulate more clearly the truth of the situation, opening your mind to subtleties and possibilities the word failure would never have allowed.

Read the entire DailyOM message here.

-Bob

Learning From Failure

For years now I've been preaching that we live in an incredible era of self-expression and self-empowerment. And it's true. It's never been easier to record and distribute music, publish a book, or produce a short film.

But just because practically everyone can do these things, that doesn't mean everyone who does will succeed on a large scale. We often focus on the success stories and use them to inspire us, but we should be able to learn just as much from artists who don't make it to the limelight.

Scott Andrew expresses this idea well in a recent blog post:

Something like nine out of ten business ventures fail, for various reasons. We're told to embrace failure, to cherish it. Fail faster, fail better. Take your lumps and keep moving, lessons learned. So why is it only that the grand successes get lavish attention and adoring media play? The way things are spun now, it's like some people honestly believe that blogging creates everyday millionaires the same way they believe MySpace creates rock stars.

I'd love to learn more about the failures. I'd love to know why something didn't work out, why a great idea fizzled, how some crucial detail was overlooked or market overestimated. I think that'd be fascinating. I think there's real value in sharing your mistakes.

We need a new magazine. We'll call it Modern Failure or maybe Do-Over Monthly, and every month it'll contain in-depth interviews of people who screwed up, made mistakes, made wrong assumptions, and had plain ol' bad ideas. There will be no trace of snark, not an ounce of gloating. Just profiles of people who tried something and flunked it. What they learned, and what they'd do differently if they had a do-over.

Sure, some people only care about the summit and who's on top of it. Me, I want to hear more about the climb, and that time you rolled to the bottom in the center of a giant snowball!

Great post!

Final thought: Failure is nothing to be ashamed of. Looked at another way, it is simply a result you got when attempting to do something. And we can all learn from results -- our own results and results produced by others.

-Bob

Bob Pics on Flickr

I recently opened a Flickr account and am having fun loading up my account with pictures. Pay a visit yourself and see what stunning images are awaiting you at www.flickr.com/photos/bob-baker/.


So far on the site I have:

• Screen shots of my book in the movie "The School of Rock," starring Jack Black
• Pics of people I met at this year's SXSW and previous music conferneces I spoke at
• Shots taken during this year's 48 Hour Film Project (I was a co-writer and actor on my team)
• A picture of me with bestselling author Jack Canfield, Harry the Gorilla, and more.

Is there a picture of YOU there? Pay a visit and find out.

Enjoy!

-Bob

The Smartest Thing You Can Do

Do you think you're an indie music know-it-all?

Chances are, you aren't that bombastic. But I'll bet, if you really think about it and are honest with yourself, you'll agree that in many ways you have stopped learning all that you should.

Don't feel bad about it. It's human nature to fall into routines and neglect some of the things that are important. Plus, once you're officially out of school, people just don't have a system in place for continuous learning. Or, if you're currently in school, there doesn't seem to be any room to squeeze in extra studies.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because learning and growing mentally should be a lifelong activity -- especially when it comes to your music career. There's always more to understand. More ideas to consider. More success stories to be inspired by.

Here's one of the smartest things you can do to increase your indie music knowledge base:

Grab a spare three-ring binder, or go to an office supply store and buy one. As you come across articles and tip sheets that interest you, place them in the binder. Print off things you find on the Internet, photocopy articles from magazines, grab effective promotional pieces used by other artists ... anything that will expand your mind.

Organize these various items in the binder. Have sections for marketing, sales, recording, web design, songwriting, etc.

In addition to the articles, insert blank sheets of paper into the binder that you can brainstorm and doodle on. Let your creativity soar and then capture your ideas on paper.

It's one thing to randomly surf the Internet and read books and magazines. That's better than doing nothing, but the ideas you find are fleeting. Putting them all in one physical place (like a binder) adds muscle to your learning activities. It also gives you a place to turn when you're in need of a new idea or you want to remember that brilliant PR plan you came up with six months ago.

Here are some places to find learning material for your binder:

• www.bob-baker.com/buzz/articles.html
• www.bob-baker.com/musicpromotionblog/
• www.indiemusician.com
• www.garagespin.com
• www.spinme.com
• www.onlinefandom.com
• www.bardscrier.com/articles/

So, buy a three-ring binder today and start your own Indie Music University!

-Bob

Win a Free Ride On the New 'Billboard Publicity Wire'

This just in ... Today Billboard and Vocus announced plans to launch a major music and entertainment online press release service called "Billboard Publicity Wire." Billboard, of course, is the company that publishes the music charts, the trade magazine, and more. Vocus is an online communications company that recently acquired PRWeb, a popular site that pioneered search engine optimized (SEO) and social media press release distribution.

What does that mean?

Combined with Billboard's brand and Vocus's technology, the new service will help everyone from indie artists to major labels reach a wider audience on the Net when they post their press releases.

Here's the cool part: The service will be very affordable -- even for the most budget-minded acts -- with pricing plans ranging from roughly $80 to $200.

But here's the coolest part of all ...

I will be giving away 20 free press release submission coupons for the new Billboard Publicity Wire service. Look below for details on how to enter to win. But first, a little more about it:

When you post a press release through the new Billboard service, it will be indexed by major search engines and published on many news and entertainment sites, including Yahoo! News, Billboard.biz, eMediaWire and PRWeb. It will also be delivered through more than 20,000 PRWeb RSS feeds that reach millions of consumers and thousands of journalists daily.

Press releases will also be search engine optimized and enabled with such features as blog trackbacks and Technorati tagging. Each release can be categorized geographically and tagged with up to ten subjects and genres. Customers can elect to receive distribution reports that show how many times their releases were accessed, downloaded and printed; the most popular search terms used to find their releases; and a geographic breakdown of readers.

"Okay, enough with the hype, Bob. How can I enter to win?"

One more important thing: The Billboard service will officially launch on October 24. The press release coupons I'm giving away to 20 lucky winners must be used and posted sometime between October 16 and October 26. So if you won't have a press release ready to send during these dates, please don't enter. I only want people who will use them to win.

Here's what you need to do to enter:

By email, send me a short headline and subhead of the press release you plan to distribute using the Billboard Publicity Wire. That's all I need. So make them mouth-wateringly good! I'll select the 20 best headline/subhead combos and those smart people will get a free ride on the new service -- at the premium Double Platinum plan level.

For info on what a good headline is, read this recent blog post and this older article for insight into what I'm looking for.

• Email your entries to MrBuzzFactor AT Gmail.com (please replace the AT with @)
  
  
• Use the subject line "Billboard PR Entry"
  
  
• Deadline to enter is Thursday, Oct. 12.

Good luck. And may the best PR headlines win!

-Bob

Cingular YouTube Underground

Savvy cell phone company Cingular and video mega-site YouTube have teamed up to present "YouTube Underground," a talent hunt for unsigned bands and musicians.

Indie artists can submit their videos from Oct. 2 thru Oct. 18. After that, millions of YouTube users will vote for the finalists. From this smaller group, four grand prize winners -- best song, best music video, best live performance, and best creative work -- will be chosen.

Winning acts will get a video featured on Cingular mobile phones, an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," and new equipment from Gibson and Epiphone, among other things.

Might be worth a shot.

Visit this page for more info:
www.youtube.com/contest/youtubeunderground

-Bob

Erections and Good Headlines

I was skimming over the home page of MSNBC last week trying to digest the top news stories of the day ... when I was suddenly stopped dead in my virtual tracks by the following headline:

"Man with 10-Year Erection May Not Get His Cash"

Sorry, but that was just too intriguing to pass up. So I clicked the link and read about this poor fellow who had a failed penile implant that refused to ... um, let's say, relax. If interested (and I know you are), you can read the whole story here.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Because it's a good lesson in what it takes to stand out in a sea of competing news stories. You may not land a story on MSNBC, but there are a growing number of options these days for posting your own news stories and press releases online. In fact, Internet press releases have become standard operating practices for most businesses -- including bands, solo artists and record labels.

A well-placed online press release carries a lot of benefits. First, it gets listed in the news database of whatever service you post it on. Plus, your press release page can show up in search results on Google and various news feeds across the Internet.

All of these little glimpses of your musical activities across the Web add to your credibility and increase the odds that someone will stumble across your news item.

The thing is, your press release headline is usually the only thing surfers see before they click to the full release. And, your headline often becomes the title of the web page the release appears on.

So, to be effective, your press release headline must accomplish two things:

• Be intriguing enough to inspire people to click on it for more details
  
  
• Be filled with key words that will help it come up in targeted search results

Therefore, don't make a reference to erections in your headline if the release itself doesn't cover erections. But do find an interesting angle for your music news story and find a way to describe it in as few words as possible.

Examples ...

Lame headline: "Local Chicago Band Releases New CD Called 'Red, White & Blues'"

Good headline: "New CD Reveals the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Chicago Politics"

That second headline might not be as eye-catching as the "10-Year Erection" one, but you have to admit it's better than the lame version.

What can you do to make your music news story (and headline) stand out?

-Bob

P.S. For more music PR advice, check out:

Killer Music Press Kits - Deluxe Edition
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/presskits.html

Do-It-Yourself Internet Music PR
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/diy-internet-pr.html

Online Music PR Hot List 2006
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music_pr.htm

Grow Your Music Business

My Internet radio show blitz continues. A couple weeks ago I did a rollicking 40-minute phone interview with Fred Hueston and Lyna Farkas. I was a guest on their Growing Your Business show, which explores all aspects of running and marketing a small business.

The show featuring yours truly airs tonight at 8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central U.S. time at AllTalkRadio.net

Tune in if you can.

Update: If you missed the live airing of the episode, you can still catch it on Fred and Lyna 's "Growing Your Business" audio archive page or download the MP3 directly using this link.

Enjoy!

-Bob

Terry McBride: Crazy Music Marketer or Just Plain Crazy?

Want to read something that will give you faith that the music business may be slowly turning in the right direction? Then head over to Wired magazine and read this article on Terry McBride and his Nettwerk management company.

The article's subhead says it all: "Terry McBride has a maverick approach to music management: Take care of the fans and the bands, and the business will take care of itself."

Here's an excerpt:

To all appearances, Nettwerk is just a midsize music management company with an indie record label on the side. Many of the artists on its client roster -- which includes Avril Lavigne, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, and Stereophonics -- are mainstream acts. But McBride, the company's cofounder and creative force, is quietly carrying out a plan to reinvent the music industry, including legalizing file-sharing and giving artists control over their own intellectual property.

The article then points out the many flaws of the traditional record business. (If you're not aware of these flaws, you REALLY need to read this.) It continues ...

Industry insiders like McBride think the old model is as antiquated as the 8-track. "The future of the business isn't selling records," McBride says. "It's in selling music, in every form imaginable."

McBride's first real test is the new release from Barenaked Ladies, the popular Canadian band that, on McBride's advice, left the Warner Music Group imprint Reprise Records three years ago to create its own label, Desperation Records.

BNL's new album, Barenaked Ladies Are Me, debuted this week at #17 in the U.S. and #7 in Canada. In a news release, McBride had this to say:

"Nettwerk and BNL are trying to get people to see beyond the physical number. Generating revenue, especially in the artist-run model, is about selling music in various mediums, selling concert tickets, licensing music to TV, ring tones, packed USB drives, etc. That is how success is measured, not by the physical album sales.

"The artist-run model is the future. If we can break bands using this model, the industry will be forever changed," McBride says. "We are making a music company, not a record label."

Again, read the entire Wired story here:
www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.09/nettwerk_pr.html

And the Barenaked Ladies news release at
www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=93582

-Bob

Can You Hear Me Now?

I've been spending a lot of time on the phone lately. Not gabbing with friends or working business deals, but instead doing phone interviews of various kinds. Last night I hosted my first-ever teleseminar with special guest John Taglieri. (I've been a guest on a few such conference calls before, but this was the first one I presented myself.)

We had a few dozen people on the line, John did a great job talking about his passion for music and the indie music career path ... it was a blast! I hope to do more of them. So stay tuned to this blog and the Buzz Factor ezine for details on future calls. I'll be posting a link to last night's call soon, in case you missed it.

Last week I had a great conversation with brothers Phil and Jason Montero, hosts of The Anywhere Office. The show covers work/life balance, virtual offices, mobile work technology, Internet marketing, and more.

Phil and Jason are musicians, so they asked me lots of questions about my background, the good and bad things artists do to promote themselves, and general online branding principles.

You can stream or download the show here.

-Bob

MySpace Favorite Friend Adder

Here's a great way to prioritize your growing friend list on MySpace. This tip is courtesy of Dave Stasiak, a singer-producer with the band Dream/Clone (www.dreamclone.net).

Hey Bob, just got your Myspace Marketing book (already own the Guerrilla Marketing one) and am almost done with it. One possible addition for future editions would be this ...

There is a function called "Add Friend to Favorites" which is a sub-list you can create with some of your friends. I believe this can help with the two clashing schools of thought:

1) It's good to have a lot of friends because it makes you look more legitimate and popular.

2) It's better to have more quality friends that will actually listen to your music and potentially support you and buy your music.

If you find the friends that are most dedicated (the ones that comment and visit your page frequently) and add them to your favorites, you can keep them organized and separate from your "filler" friends who are just there to bump up your friend numbers. This makes it easier to target your true dedicated fans, while still keeping the advantage of a lot of friends.

Fantastic advice! Thanks, Dave.

-Bob

P.S. Dave uses a short, sweet description to describe his band, Dream/Clone: "Techno-fueled hip-hop with edgy pop hooks." Now that's what I call a powerful little Brand Identity Statement!

Free Teleseminar Sept 25

I'll be doing a no-cost, one-hour conference call with John Taglieri called "Living the Full-Time Indie Music Mindset" -- and you're invited to join us. John is the artist I interviewed for the How to Make a Living as a Full-Time Indie Musician audio book I just released. This call will be a great opportunity for you to hear John speak and ask him some personal questions yourself during the call.

When will it take place?

Monday, September 25
9 to 10 pm Eastern / 8 to 9 pm Central / 6 to 7 pm Pacific

This teleseminar is available only to the first 100 people who call in. So I want to send the call-in number and access code only to people who are seriously interested in participating. So, if you want to be part of the call, please send an e-mail to Bob AT TheBuzzFactor.com and let me know to "count you in." I will follow up with the call-in details. Again, there is no charge to participate.

I hope you'll join John and me on the phone Sept. 25. In fact, go ahead and mark it on your calendar right now.

-Bob

14 Words or Less

If you've been reading or listening to my stuff for long, you know that I'm a big believer in clarity. Being clear about who you are and what you do musically is one of the most powerful marketing weapons you can unleash on the public. Why? Because so many artists confuse people and blow great opportunities to reach fans by being vague and mysterious about their music.

One artist who understands this clarity concept is Lanette Pennell of the Almost Patsy Cline Band (www.almostpatsycline.com). Last week she told me, "We recently held a contest where we asked our fans by e-mail to describe our music in 14 words or less. We got some really funny and wonderful replies that we have used in our promo materials."

Fantastic idea. Artists are often too close to their music to view it and describe it objectively. Why not turn to the people who matter the most -- your fans! Ask them to describe who you are and what you play. You just might get a cool phrase out of it that will help you lure even more fans.

-Bob