Self-promoting electronic music
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- Noggin
We finally completed the album and now onto promoting but I am kinda at a loss having been out the loop so long.
We just had a great review in Sound On Sound which was great but its not for the music market.
Back in the day (1996) we could just press up some white labels and send them to select DJ's and radio stations.
I am trying to apply the same idea now via soundcloud but I figure the DJ's get bombarded...
Any advice?
Shameless self promotion follows...
- sublocked0
Will listen when I get a chance - but these days it seems if you don't have a YouTube video to go along with it you're fucked.
Also try to get featured by something like Indie Shuffle, Shuffle.fm, etc. No idea on the process there......
- monNom0
have you considered trying to start a viral dance video meme?
- Noggin0
Actually, yes. There are 2 videos in the works, 1 for the electro track and the other will be done by the Pop Crunch troupe...
- BANKattack0
i struggle with this too. It helps sending your tunes to DJ's, though. That still works. Find global internet DJ's/radio shows. They'll give you a shout, a play, and if your lucky direct peeps to a soundcloud page.
I've also worked with different labels that do some "marketing" thru blogs and stuff. Social media, blah. Making real money on releases is a lost cause.
- also, most dj's love free music. If it's good, they'll play itBANKattack
- ukit20
I listened to some of the music and while it's well produced, I'm having trouble figuring out how it fits in exactly. Is it electro? Or falling under that (horrible IMO) nebulous label of "electronica?"
I'm not advocating conformity, but let's face it, electronic music is basically dozens of different sub-genres, each with their own particular sound. If people can't place your music within one of them (or at least draw parallels with some current sound or trend), it will make marketing your album a lot harder.
- BANKattack0
^ I would agree with that. I would also say that hitting people with a 20 track EP is a lot - rather than 2 or 4 song EP's or an album that's not so many tracks.
- can you technically call it an EP if you have 20 tracks on it though?Miguex
- nb0
Sounds good, but you should delete that first track.
Just my opinion.
- Miguex0
It's rough man, I think the best way to get your music out there is still the oldschool way, go to a shit load of shows and shake hands and trade business cards, you need to be in your scene till everyone knows your name, you either throw shows or you play shows.
This social media/ seo bull shit is all crap in my opinion.
That's just my opinion, I'm not a big time producer by any means but I had some years throwing small shows, and if it wasn't for all those small gigs, I would have never gotten in the festival circuit.
People will support you, if you support them first. The more people you know in your scene, the better your chances you get gigs (given that your music is good)
Another way to get attention is doing remixes of tunes, do a popular tune and loose underground cred, but get tons of hits on soundcloud.
So it all takes time and effort, I think the work you put outside the studio walking/ promoting can be sometimes more intense than writing music.You can be an amazing producer, but if you stay in your room all the time, that's where your music will stay (minus exceptions of course)
- omg0
Though I love the old school way, and probably the best way as a startup musician. Just to throw some ideas out... how about make some youTube videos, and hope that a talent manager to find you out. Worked for Justin Beiber. Tons of youTube videos are getting noticed, and getting paid on MTV.
- err0
A new trend for electronic music is to give some of your music away for free and play shows. Give it to DJs/blogs that play similar types of music. Hopefully they will put it in a mix and you get some hype going.
I have friends that have done this and now they tour around the world.
- Noggin0
I agree with all of you.
I am probably going to be making our old stuff free that never made it onto any album.
Ideally I need some connections in TV & film too as that is incredible for exposure.
- monNom0
Just an idea here: give all your music away free, even the latest stuff. Do this to build an audience. Then sell merchandise around it once people get into it. Do limited edition ts and posters or something so there's a bit of cache and you can sell for higher. Worked for angry birds.
- monNom0
Just an idea here: give all your music away free, even the latest stuff. Do this to build an audience. Then sell merchandise around it once people get into it. Do limited edition ts and posters or something so there's a bit of cache and you can sell for higher. Worked for angry birds.
- 23kon0
I'd say delete the first track too.
When sending out to radio stations or DJ's, i'd select my best few tracks with the best dancefloor/radio-friendly sound and hooks. And if you are going to do videos then do them for these songs.
It's more likely that people will pick up on these songs and hum them on the way to work etc if they get stuck in their head, then they'll look into what other work you've done if interested and perhaps buy the album.Getting stuff to big name djs/artists is a good idea and see if they'll tweet your stuff. If someone like Deadmau5 likes your stuff and he tweets it then you're instantly out to 2million+ people.
Another avenue is to go down the gear promo route. What gear do you use? Akai, Native Instruments, Ableton? When you get a video together send it to these guys social channels - I see these brands posting and promoting videos all the time for bands using their stuff.
Your music is a very eclectic style ( I do the same mixmash) so you'll find it hard to become pigeonholed by a particular fanbase.
What about offering the stems of one of your more dancey tracks up for a remix. Start a remix competition and give something like a Novation Launchpad away as a prize. For an investment of $100 you may get a lot of attention from other folk shouting about the comp and from submitters getting all their friends to stop by and vote. Gets your name out there.
- + delete "middleman" + "flip the tape". It makes a mockery of the rest of the music IMO23kon
- hans_glib0
mixcloud has all manner of djs and "radio stations" playing new music - maybe send samples to the ones that suit your music? F'rinstance I look for new music from the Tru Thoughts podcast and others like it, as it's my kind of music
- Noggin0
23kon, its kinda late to pull the 3 tracks and there is always a skip button...
We are going to pulling off tracks to release as 'singles' so to speak which will have vids.
Getting stuff to the big DJs is the tough part as they just get bombarded with stuff. I am playing the number game now were I just keeping adding them to the SoundCloud share list.
The gear/remix is interesting though, I will look into that.
- 23kon0
When sending out stuff the trick is to get noticed.
I saw a pile of demos sent into a UK Radio1 DJ the other day - she'd posted it up on Twitter. Pile was big! Most were just brown envelopes so the ones that were not stood out.If I was her, I know which one's i'd be opening first.
- people still send physical demos?autoflavour
- apparently from the girl's mailbag. big bundle every week!23kon
- autoflavour0
i used to work for a large music distributor in Australia, and getting promo heard is pretty difficult, even with existing relationships and rock solid content.. there is just so much stuff out there.. even gems are often overlooked.
i agree with Miguex, you really really need to know your market, and be part of it. especially now days.
who is your target audience? do they still buy music? do they still listen to music?
i know these are hard questions.. but when you are facing a tsunami of releases every week, from artists who currently have followings, gigs and market recognition, and even the majority of their music is not heard.. you have to really know your market.
- 23kon0
autoflavour ...
In response to your response in the comment box above (Not enough space to reply in that box).Yeah it seems as if people still do send CD's and she had a massive pile - maybe 60-80 - that she says she gets weekly.
Someone had replied to her tweet asking something similar to what you asked "people still send CD's?!"
And she replied saying that it actually works best for her and is the easiest for her as she can listen in car, at home on hifi or on computer and that it was a pain to have to burn everything to a drive/ipod/phone then listen.
I guess everyone who receives demos has their own preference of how they'd ideally like to receive them but that was hers.