video interview about promoting and marketing your music
2009-03-28
The best publicist I know - Ariel Hyatt from Ariel Publicity - is doing a series of free helpful videos about promoting and marketing your music.
A few months ago, we did a good long interview where I share as much advice as I can about calling attention to your music.
It's broken into 16 short segments, just 2 to 6 minutes each, so you can watch one whenever you have a few spare minutes. Here are the direct links:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbVbK8Ou3s
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RvPeVUE1Ko
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Y4K0WJORY
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeMZmyM9CoI
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnxg_wG8ti4
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5mmCmoe3Cg
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQSZzjYILzE
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m6PXXnL3oM
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMbrMIibA_4
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jPTPV00m8Y
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDgalqBesB8
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WUMTY_SRow
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZtSWvfwrxE
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAV19ezbZv4
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78zJnzBj-is
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-7K0HCT8rg
When you're all done watching those, bookmark this page to catch more of her helpful videos in the future: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArielPublicity
If you've put any of these ideas into action, please leave a reply, below, telling your story with a link to your website.
I just watched the first clip with Ariel, and followed the link to 15secondpitch.com. In less than 2 minutes I have a pitch that I'm quite pleased with for now. It was an extremely quick and effective process. I recommend it highly.
"My name is Karen Pancoast and I am a pianist composer specializing in power piano. I write songs that show the powerful sound solo piano can produce. My music makes people sit up and listen, instead of letting the music be wallpaper. Check out our CDs on CD Baby.
this is outstanding, thank you for putting it together!
Hi Derek and Ariel,
Thank you both for the informative videos regarding marketing and promoting one's music. Wow! I was just about getting into action to take my music to the next level, and there you came right on time to send the links to me. I have done a page at reverb nation, worked on my pitch, and will continue to view the videos for more tips.
Once again, thank you and keep up the good work.
Joy Creed
Creed's Melody
Reggae Gospel Recording Artist
Thx Derek
I will be checking them out
I enjoyed the first video very much. The point I think is we (artist) want to be different and are, but to someone who has never heard of you, you need something to relate to.
My music is an overdose of Bone thugs, T.I, and Slim Thugg with a southern Twist. Midwest meets the south.
Cdbaby.com/all/Blockkingz
Thanks a ton for these videos.
This is it !
Derek is on the ball with these amazing insights on just about everything in the biz.
Your a treasure
Cheers
Billy Gilmore
Great videos! They really get to the point. I also love how you compared the Internet to the fax machine. It's so true. Personalizing messages to blog editors is also a great idea.
Thanks again Derek and Ariel
- Quang: Actor, Musician, Artist
The boxes I sent to the radio station included; two packs of Beef Jerky, a beer bottle opener, a mini bottle of red wine, a can of Guinness beer, a can of Rock Star energy drink, a 10 pack of Advil, a match box, about 200 feet of ¼ inch reel-to-reel tape with assorted random content, and our latest CD. This was all in a mini safe box with a lock, the kind you see in a hotel room. Our band is called HOTEL45 and in my twisted mind there is a connection between that and a survival kit for a rocker. Oh, by the way, I did spray paint HOTEL45 on each mini safe box. These boxes were dropped off at WXRT Chicago with names of majority of the DJs as recipients. I am happy to say they did notice our album “Photographs” and played our song “Runnin”.
Thank you Derek,
Info. very helpful, right now I'm on "Sound Click" "Our Stage" "Twitter" "Reverbnation" etc.& still browsing
Blessings,
Jerry Herrera
Thanks Derek and Ariel...I've just changed the Willys pitch (first on youtube) and will soon spread it around our other web sites as well. I'll be checking out the other vids as well!
I've been following these via her twitter for a while now. The best one for me right now is the "persistence is polite" video. I don't like hassling people too much and now I realise that hassling them is precisely what I should be doing in this music context!
Thanks for the tip man.
Some of the best videos I've ever seen! I watched every single one!
Thanks for this! I sent her an email-J.R.
great stuff!
Just viewed them all... They are filled with Vital Information, advice, experiences and ideas for one and all in the music industry! A must for all INDIE Musicians no matter what Genre or how seasoned the musician(s)! Great job Ariel and Derek.
Thanks,
Sifu Stephen Doe
Derek,
Thank you so much for your selfless dedication to helping working, creative musicians!!! These interviews provide some of the most useful and practical, to the point, info that I have heard in a while. For those of us who spend so much time devoted to the art of music, this is an invaluble resource.
I invite you and readers who may enjoy latin jazz to visit my site & take a listen...also see one of the most beautiful cd covers!!!
All the best,
Avelino
Hi Derek,
Just got to n*10 and will return later...lol
Very useful tips indeed and food for thought.
The pitch is sometimes a real problem and yes, needs to be at least in a form tham makes sense for the people you speak to.
The one I think I can totally associate with from recent experience is "persistence is polite" I have in these last 4 weeks spent my time on the phone with the labels we selected to contact for our new album W-I-R for Thamnos...and the difference between really looking for maintaining the "human touch" and not just emailing a link or posting a Demo is enormous...If you can find the name (usually googling massively does wonders) of the A&
R person and a phone number and you can handle brief, polite and confident telephone conversations, you will at least get your material to be heard, because your approach stands out. Add a personal touch and people will single you out as confident and profesional...My phrase when I call back not having had a response is something like: Just calling to check you have received the material and if you can let me know if this is something for your label...then something that shows I have done my homework about the artists they have,,,(like,,,fantastic new release by the way of Dave Tumbleweed...lol)
When I give the third call, I introduce it as needing to close my file and thanking them for having taken the time to listen if the answer is no...
So...Voilá...my 2cts of experience worth...lol
Thanks Derek. I'll let you know how the new album turns out...still waiting for some replies and I shall be on the phone again the next few days.
Be stubborn friends and let's make great music!
Amitié
Annemarie
Hi Derek,
Just got to n*10 and will return later...lol
Very useful tips indeed and food for thought.
The pitch is sometimes a real problem and yes, needs to be at least in a form tham makes sense for the people you speak to.
The one I think I can totally associate with from recent experience is "persistence is polite" I have in these last 4 weeks spent my time on the phone with the labels we selected to contact for our new album W-I-R for Thamnos...and the difference between really trying to maintain the "human touch" and not just emailing a link or posting a Demo is enormous...If you can find the name (usually googling massively does wonders) of the A&R person and a phone number and you can handle brief, polite and confident telephone conversations, you will at least get your material to be heard, because your approach stands out. Add a personal touch and people will single you out as confident and profesional...My phrase when I call back not having had a response for 2 weeks is something like: Just calling to check you have received the material and if you can let me know if this is something for your label...then something that shows I have done my homework about the artists they have,,,(like,,,fantastic new release by the way of Dave Tumbleweed...lol)
When I give the third call, I introduce it as needing to close my file and thanking them for having taken the time to listen if the answer is no...
So...Voilá...my 2cts of experience worth...lol
Thanks Derek. I'll let you know how the new album turns out...still waiting for some replies and I shall be on the phone again the next few days. Never lose faith in what you do, and if you don't find a label, remember that to set up your own is always possiblewith a bit of hard work and most of the time you get a better deal that way!!! lol
Be stubborn friends and let's keep music alive!
Amitié
Annemarie
Derek, thank you so much for posting these! They are a tremendously helpful resource for all of us who are making our own way in music and promoting ourselves. Very insightful and interesting, as always!