This is a mammoth set of posts that should be kept at hand as a reference for the diy musician planning an album release - really, there's not much he's missed!
It covers planning, recording, manufacturing, distibution and promotion in extreme detail. Brilliant work.
Good article on the uPlaya blog about using Facebook Ads in innovative targeted ways to acheive a specific result.
Facebook Ads can be very tightly focused using their own data so if you can make them pay in terms of return on investment they can be a brilliant way to build your fanbase.
I'm writing a long series of posts for the main blog on Twitter for Musicians.
In doing so I've looked at a lot of musician's tweets and seen some really good and some really bad.
The series will look at this issue in depth but I've realised that it can really help some artists to see how others use Twitter and learn the pattern of self-promotion, being engaging, funny, forthright etc from watching others.
So, this series of posts on Flavorwire is a good place to start - they list Top 10's of people to follow - all of whom use Twitter in an engaging way.
One of the lists is 'Indie Rockers' but you can look at them all to see what they do that you aren't doing.
This is a video of a panel from the recent North Park Music Thing in San Diego which saw a bunch of panels on a range of subjects - we'll probably show you some more!
This one looks at the changes in music publicity that the internet and the changing music industry have brought about.
There's good advice in here on how to find and work with a good music publicist and on how to do it yourself.
The Future of Music PR from North Park Music Thing on Vimeo.
If the embed video isn't viewable - you can find it here.
I'm on the road today so I'm not sure how many tips we'll manage - but it made this one seem timely since it's about making the most of your social media efforts by timing them right.
If you're sinking effort into your online music promotion but no-one is listening, what's the point?
Bobby Owsinski has uncovered some research that should help you time your posting for maximum effect.
Picture by Patrick Hoesly
One of the artists that I've worked with for many years relies solely on synchronisation licences for his income - that's when his tracks are licensed for a game, movie or TV (they are synchronised with visual images - hence the name).
It is a great way to earn a living making music and it's also obviously a great way to promote your music.
But, how do you go about it?
This article from Live Unsigned blog (which I've just found and has loads of great stuff on it) looks at 8 tips.
A recent article in Word magazine made the point that TV, Film and Game music placements are the new radio in terms of exposing your band to a mainstream audience. Top US TV shows like Greys Anatomy and House can expose bands to a new audience very quickly, making Music Supervisors very powerful within the industry.
BTW - I'd add that doing instrumentals and cut downs (20 seconds, 30, 45 and 60) with slightly different elements to the fore and having stems ready to be used to make alternative passes is a very wise investment in this field.
This is a great list of tips that is written by a musician actively engaged in the creation of great music and the use of modern direct to fan methods to get it heard.
He's at the coalface doing it and his tips are right on the money.
