Music Promotion 101
by David Nevue - Midnight Rain Productions
 David Nevue
is the author of "How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet," a step-by-step guide to online music promotion based on his own experiences. David started promoting his music on the Internet in 1995 and by 2001 was making enough money from his music to quit his day job. David now has nearly a dozen albums in his discography, books his own tours, and even runs his own very successful Internet radio station. You can read more about David's success in his article about making a living from just your music.
Here are a few of David's articles and blog entries on music promotion, the music business, and all things related to promoting music on the Internet.
David's Latest Columns...
Social Media: A Lesson in Self Defense for Musicians
Social interaction with your fans is a good thing... to a point. But it would be wise to give yourself a few rules to go by; rules to help protect you not only from yourself (you can be your own worst enemy), but also those who follow you that may or may not have your best interests in mind. Consider this a lesson in social media self-defense. Added 04/29/2009.
The "Secret" to Selling Lots of Music
I just received my biggest single payout ever for digital music sales from CD Baby.
Over $2,000 just in digital music sales. That
got me thinking. Why do people buy music? What is it that
makes someone, a total stranger, actually go out and PURCHASE music? Especially when, in this day and age, people can find so much
music for free on the Internet. To what do I owe my great digital sales success? Added 03/10/2009
House Concerts: Be an "American Idol," One House at a Time
You may scoff at the idea of playing a concert in a
persons home because you are concerned about SIZE. The size of the
audience doesn't matter. In fact, you will likely find, as I did, that
playing a concert to a small audience in a home is much more effective
and financially lucrative than playing in a "typical" venue. Added 02/27/2009
Making a Living From Just Your Music
Can it be done? Can it really be done? The answer is yes. I've
been doing it. I've been making a living from music for the last seven
years now. Living the dream. Doing music full time. Commentary by David Nevue. Added 08/01/2008
Twitter-ing Your Music: Google Alerts
One
of the aspects of Internet marketing I'm working on for the next
edition of my book (the 2009 Edition) is the impact of social media on
marketing music. Now, every year there is inevitably a "buzz" about the
this or that - some big new something that is the rage in online
marketing. Well, right now it's social media.
And so one of the things I have been exploring is the viability of
using social media to promote ones music. And one of the tools I have
just started using is Twitter. Commentary by David Nevue. Added 08/01/2008
Previous Columns
How to Copyright Music
How Do I Copyright My Music? That's a question I get asked a lot here at the Music Biz Academy. And so, I decided I might as well write a formal article about it. Article by David Nevue. Added 12/26/2007.
Selling Your Music Online: Starting
from Zero
The
nice thing about selling your
music on the Internet is that
you can get started with
very little cash up front. If
you already have a computer
and Internet access, you can
get going for as little as $50.
Article
by David Nevue. Added 04/05/2005.
Selling
Your Music Online: A Reality
Check
I
am often asked how much a person
can really
make selling music online. I
hear both extremes, both from
artists who think they'll use
the Internet to make it rich,
and others who don't believe
anyone can make any money selling
music online. The truth is somewhere
in the middle. Article by David
Nevue. Added 12/07/2004.
Can
You Help? And Please, No HYPE!
A
recent letter: "Can
you help? Please, NO HYPE. Either
yes or no is fine. Would you
GUARANTEE your success to me?"
David's response.... Added 09/27/2004.
How
to Offer Mechanical Licenses
for Your Music
Are
you confused about how to make
your music available for licensing
to other people? You're not
alone. I recently received the
below email from a visitor
confused about this issue. Here's
the advice I gave him... Article
by David Nevue. Added 03/05/2004.
RIAA
Email Hoax for Guilty Downloaders
Feeling
guilty about downloading all
that music illegally? Well,
if you are, you SHOULD. However,
don't fall prey to this e-mail
hoax circling the Internet right
now. AGAIN, THIS IS A HOAX.
The e-mail you receive will
look something like
this. Added 02/27/2004.
Using
Cover Tunes to Promote Your
Music Online
Can a singer or band find a 'niche' marketing
their music on the Internet
using old tunes and cover songs?
That was a question recently
put to David Nevue, the founder
of the Music Biz Academy.
Added 01/08/2004.
Interview
with an Internet Music
Marketing Pioneer
This
interview with Music Biz Academy
founder David Nevue is courtesy
of Louise Hall, Vertigo,
student magazine of Sydney Australia's University
of Technology. Get
David's take on being an flourishing
independent musician in today's
digital world. Added 11/05/2003.
Top 10 Free
Music
Promotion Newsletters
Our good friends at The
Bard's Crier have updated their list of the top ten music marketing
and promotion newsletters available on the net. We totally agree with them... with one exception. In their humility,
they didn't include their own newsletter, which should definitely be there! Added 11/05/2003.
Tonos
Calls it Quits
"Dear members:
It is with regret that we inform
you of the decision by the Tonos Board of Directors to close down Tonos
Entertainment..." Added 07/25/2003.
CD
Baby Goes Digital, MP3.com
Goes
Quietly
I
have some big, big news for
my fellow independent musicians.
CD Baby announced over the weekend
that members can now submit
their music for inclusion Apple's
iTunes Music Store. That means
you'll be able to sell, and
make royalties from digital
downloads of your music to anyone
who has access to iTunes. Added
07/21/2003.
A
Better, Braver World for Independent
Musicians
What
kind of opportunities await independent
musicians today as opposed to,
say, ten years ago? That was
the question posed to Music
Biz Academy founder David Nevue
in this interview for Henry
Hutton, Internet Media Director
for Lulu.com.
Added
07/16/2003.
iTunes is Changing
Everything
"Everyone, and I mean everyone, is talking about the new iTunes Music Store just opened by Steve Jobs and
Apple Computing. I don't think Apple has gotten this much good press since... well, maybe even before anyone heard
of the Internet..." Added 06/10/2003.
Is MP3.com on
its Last Leg?
"MP3.com has found itself in a very awkward position, I think. It's a strange experiment gone haywire, a once-totally-independent
web site that has been genetically grafted into the corporate music family....MP3.com started out like a child
with big dreams and ideas, now it seems more like a confused teenager, trying to find its place in the changing
digital world. Will it survive its adolescent years?" Article by David Nevue. Added 12/20/2002.
Planning
Your Music Career: One Step at a Time
How to you begin planning for a serious career in the music business?
What are the steps you need to take to 'make it?' Article by David Nevue. Added 10/27/2002.
Digital
Music in a Changing Digital World
Will digital technology ever truly "level the playing field"
for independent musicians? Or will the disparity we see today between struggling musicians and the corporate music
industry continue for the foreseeable future? Does it even really matter? Article by David Nevue. Added 07/08/2002.
How to Accept
Credit Cards on the Internet
(and Increase Your CD Sales!)
To run a successful business on the Internet, credit card acceptance
is an absolute must. Unfortunately, accepting credit cards typically means setting up a merchant vendor account
with a bank and incurring additional monthly costs. A tough call for most musicians. Here are some tips that will
get you up and running fast, without the huge expense or hassle. Added 06/21/2002.
How to Promote
Your Music on MP3.com for (Almost) Nothing
In one of my recent articles, Selling More CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach,
I stated I was able to generate over 50,000 song listens at MP3.com using 'basic, simple, inexpensive' promotion
strategies. This comment generated a few inquiries from readers. Namely, what exactly do I mean by 'inexpensive'
promotion? Article by David Nevue. Added 04/29/2002.
Ready to Promote
Your Music Through Morpheus?
MusicCity.com, the heir-apparent to Napster, is seeking to 'level
the playing field' for independent artists and musicians. Beginning in early April, independent artists will be
able to promote and distribute their music to millions of listeners through the Morpheus User Network. Updated
April 2002
Finding Radio Stations to Play Your Music
Our good friends at The Buzz Factor
have compiled a very helpful list of places where you can find radio stations for potential airplay. Added March,
2002.
Selling
More CDs Online: A Three-Pronged Approach
Recently, a visitor to the Music Biz Academy asked me a very common question; "How can I sell more CDs on
the Internet?" Good question, though very open-ended. How you go about marketing your music successfully depends
on a great many factors. This article contains some suggestions where to start. Added Feb 2002.
2001: The
Year in Online Music
2001 was a year that brought a lot of change to the online music
business. In reviewing the big stories of the last year, a few really stood out... By David Nevue, Jan 2002. .
Instrumental
Guitarist Rides MP3.com to Success
Last month I received a great letter from MP3 artist GuyPaul
Thibault, AKA 'Little Bastard.' He shared his story with me, and now I pass it on to you. For those of you struggling
on MP3.com, be encouraged. There's still room for more success stories at MP3.com. Added 06/01/2001.
MP3.com: A
Case Study For Musicians On The Fence
Ever wonder whether it's really possible to promote your music
successfully on MP3.com? Here's an MP3.com case study based on one musician's experience. Commentary by David Nevue.
Added 02/15/2001.
Selling Your
Music on the Net: Key Strategies to Success
So, you've got your own CD and now you want to sell your music on the net. You probably have two burning questions:
Where do I start? and How many CDs will I sell?
Newscasting
and Music Promotion: Quick Hits for Quick Results
Your next customer may be surfing the net right now looking for
information.
Provide them the information they are looking for and you may find an increase in your overall CD sales. Here's
how. Added 3/25/2000
Marketing
Music on the Net: An Interview with David Nevue
Selling CDs on the net: Where there's a will there's a way. One musicians story.
Still Looking For A Place to Sell Your CDs?
If you haven't the time or inclination to set up your own web
site for CD promotion, CDBaby.com is a reasonable alternative....
CD Baby
Passes Million Dollar Mark In Musician Payouts
CD Baby, an online retailer of independently released CDs, announced today that they have now paid over one million
dollars to musicians for CDs sold. CD Baby was started as a hobby in 1998 by musician Derek Sivers, looking for
a better way to sell his own CD online. His musician friends also joined up, and told their friends. Soon, without
any advertising, word-of-mouth quietly made CD Baby the largest independent-only CD store, with 10,000 artists
selling over 100,000 CDs a year.
More Recommended Reading....
FALLOUT
- A Follow Up To 'The Internet Debacle'
Quite frankly, when I spent three months researching and writing
The Internet Debacle, I wasn't planning to become part of a "cause". I assumed that the 35,000 subscribers
of Performing Songwriter Magazine might read it, and a few might email me about it. I had no idea that a scant
month later, the article would be posted on over 1,000 sites, translated into nine languages, and have been featured
on the BBC. Article by Janis
Ian.
'Making
It' in the Music Business - An
Alternate View
As an independent musician you will find that many experts in the
music industry will be more than happy to feed you great morsels of advice. Unfortunately, this advice can sometimes
be exactly what a budding musician does NOT need. Article by Graeme Kirk. Added 04/01/2002
The Truth About
Barcodes
I see many places that offer one a "personal barcode" for a small amount of money (which is illegal,
by the way); or often a CD manufacturing company will offer an artist a "barcode with your OWN name"
as part of the deal. But, let's talk about the ACTUAL barcode number, all right? Article by Janet Fisher. Added
04/01/2002.
Finding Radio Station to Play Your Music
Our good friends at The Buzz Factor
have compiled a very helpful list of places where you can find radio stations for potential airplay. Added 03/01/2002.
Indie
Artist Surpasses One Million Song Downloads
After ranking consistently as one of the most popular and most downloaded
artists on mp3.com with over 1,000,000 downloads, Independent artist Ryan Farish has gained national exposure in
a big way! Ryan’s Internet popularity has led to success beyond the net including licensing opportunities and national
television exposure. Added 02/04/2002.
MP3.com
Artist Success Story: Chris Burnett
The tools and resources available to online musicians at MP3.com have provided a platform for Chris Burnett to
reach a significant Jazz audience, earn some cash, and benefit from other opportunities as well. Music from his
debut independently released acoustic Jazz CD, "Time Flies", has had over 83,000 listeners and earned
him more than $3,700.00 under MP3.com's Payback For Playback and Premium Artist Service promotional programs. Added
07/12/2001.
The MP3 Way:
DAM CDs & Sophie
mp3.com and eBay have a lot in common. Both identified online punters as a way to get rich, and both grossly overcharge
for minimal services sold to what are effectively, captive audiences. A great comparison of MP3.com and eBay by
Jon Newton.
Musicians
Find Net Success Without Record Labels
At a time when the entire music-industry landscape is in flux -- with artists and labels alike trying to hammer
out issues over copyright and compensation for digital use -- former major-label artists like Brooke, Aimee Mann
and others are finding that going independent and using technology to their advantage can pay off both financially
and creatively.
Getting
The Most Out Of Your Music Website
If you are a regular cruiser and user of the world wide web, then it won't be any surprise for you to know that
the design of the sites you visit affects how, or even if, you will use that site. Article by Christopher Knab.
The
Story Of A Guy Who Made $200,000 On MP3.com
If you've been online and dealing with digital music for more than a
week, you know Mikel Fair, better known as 303 Infinity. David Hooper of Kathode Ray Music recently talked with
Mikel about his success online, stories of cheating the system, and what he recommends to other artists! This article is in PDF format
- Adobe Acrobat Required. Added 02/01/2001.
The "Bassics"
Of Earning Money Online
Martin Lindhe's online musical success started with a simple computer
storage problem. When graphic designer and hobby musician Lindhe moved to the U.S. from his native Sweden in 1999,
he needed a temporary place to store all the music he had written over the past several years. Since first posting
music on MP3.com in late 1999, Lindhe has earned over $87,000 through MP3.com's Payback for Playback program. Added
01/29/2001
Online E-Music Retailing
For bands and artists who are releasing their own records, the Internet offers many new and exciting opportunities.
But getting online retailers to pick up your CDs (and other music related product) is as much a business as getting
offline distributors or brick-and-mortar stores to carry your records. Article by Christopher Knab. Added 8/16/2000.
Secrets of
Successful Email Newsletters
Building and managing an email news service is one small but
important part of running a successful online business. For a musician selling music on the net, it provides a
proven method for marketing yourself to your fans. Here are a few useful tips from ZDNet.
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