Why is Chamillionaire so good at Music 2.0

We've written about Chamillionaire before and how he connects with the tech crowd and the music fans.

But, why is he so good at it? What is it about his journey, learning and skills that has enabled him to use technology so effectively in building his fanbase? And what can you learn to help you build your fanbase?

This is a great blog post that delves into that very question. I heartily recommend that you read and watch it all.

With all of the knowledge in the room the person who stole the night wasn’t even on a panel.  I had called on Chamillionaire from the audience and asked him to provide some views on how artists view social media, why they use it and where it’s heading.  He was riveting.

He stood up, grabbed the mic and gave a heartfelt overview of his experiences in experimenting with new technologies to build relationships with his audience, get feedback on his product quality and to market his music all the way to the top of iTunes.  To stay the crowed was “wowed” was an understatement. He received that only round of applause of the evening.

Read the whole thing here.

Make money with your videos on Youtube

The YouTube partner program for musicians - known as Musicians Wanted -  has been available to US users for some time but has just been rolled out to the rest of the world. It's a great add-on to your YouTube music marketing.

In a nutshell, it allows you to partner with YouTube to earn money from ads linked to your videos. This might not be suitable for some bands but if you are cool with it and if you are getting serious traffic to your YouTube channel then it's something that you should know about and think about doing.

Read the YouTube details and find the sign up here.

How to write effective emails to your fans

We have @BuzzSonic to thank for putting me on to this. His tweets are fantastic and always on the money.

This mammoth post on the Pet Marmoset blog is a perfect companion to our posts on building a fan mailing list.

It is essential to build a mailing list for your fans and it is also essential to learn how to communicate with them by email and how to analyse and improve the response you get from those mailings.

This is a great post to help you do that.

Moreover, if you are an artist or you are in a band and you confidently think your fan emails are good and effective, I would like to ask you how you know this is the case. How do you know you are successful? Are you assuming your emails work because people come out to your shows and because the fans you encounter mention that they like your emails? I would like to politely challenge your confidence and proclaim that if you’re not actually tracking, analyzing and optimizing your emails, based on real response data – than you truly have no idea if you are successful with your emails or not. But don’t worry…. you’re not alone.

Read the whole post here.

 

Use Internet Marketing techniques to sell music

Some of what we teach on our main site - Make It In Music - is the application of Internet Marketing techniques to the promotion, marketing and sale of your music.

Some of what people call Internet Marketing has a very cheesy image (rightly) and many people view Internet Marketers as con-men. Most aren't but they do find themselves peddling 'How to make money' ideas in order to make money - which is obviously circular and therefore feels wrong.

However, taking those methods that they have developed and using them to sell your music isn't cheesy or wrong - it's very right and it WORKS.

Building an email or friend list of people that like your music, giving them free stuff to show your appreciation and asking them to buy your artistic output when appropriate is the most valid way to work the diy musician route.

Seamus Anthony goes into more detail here.

 

How to approach a magazine editor

This isn't about the usual way an unsigned or new artist would go about seking music publicity. There are established agencies and their relationships will help get your music reviewed and you featured.

But, it can be done on your own. Given that you have finished high quality material and a professionally set-up release you can use these tips (not aimed at music at all, but applicable) to get coverage in offline media.

Why do we often feel like a magazine editor holds our future in their hands?

Will we ever feel comfortable pitching ourselves?

Believe me, I am right there with ya!  Pitching ourselves is just about the hardest thing for most people – no matter what your business is.

I think the biggest tips I can give are to pitch on target, keep it short and concise, and really know who you are pitching to.  Be sure to take the time do the research and really be sure that editor is the right one for your product. There is nothing more embarrassing than pitching to the wrong person!

Read all the tips here.

Have a story and market it

This isn't a shocking revelation but it is one that people forget.

As an artist you need to create a story about you and your music and then you need to aply the principles of music marketing to get that story across and your music heard. This article covers it as well as any.

We’ve seen it coming for several years, but it’s here, full on and in our faces now… so what do artists do? The word “artist” means: “One whose work shows skill.” (The American Heritage Dictionary)

However, with the arrival of unskilled, but nice “artists” being signed to contracts and marketed to the public – and the public is hearing the call and purchasing their music – what is the secret?

Read the whole article here.

Superfans and how not to upset them

If you are relying on your superfans to promote yor music, which is a perfectly accetpable thing to do, what are they expecting in return?

Generally some of your time and attention and some privileged access - but what happens when and if you do become succesful, at least partly thanks to their efforts, and you can't give them that time and access?

In his column for a Seattle Weekly blog, singer and songwriter John Roderick gets to the heart of the tension between superfans and musicians. Together, they walk a thin line. Superfans do work on behalf of the groups they love. Only to find themselves neglected or taken for granted down the road.

New fans come along and the group isn't able to give them the access they crave. Superfans get disappointed. They're happy to see groups grow and gain more traction. Yet, all of the sudden, if they deem themselves to be mistreated, they start to second guess that show they booked and the cookies they baked.

Read the insightful piece here.