Kara Swisher of The Wall Street Journal Blog, "All things Digital" reported that MySpace and MSN Music are discussing a "possible" Music Promotion deal.
What will this deal mean for Artist on MySpace?
Well it could mean even greater reach for Artists currenly on MySpace. It certainly means that every Indie Artist should have a MySpace page.
Today's Music Biz discussed 7 MySpace Music Promotion Best Practices earlier this week. The news of a possible partnership between the number #2 Music Website (MySpace) and the #6 Music Website (MSN) backs up our MySpace article perfectly.
Although the talks between MSN and MySpace are in the early stages, just the idea of this partnership provides MySpace.com with even credibility on the internet.
To Learn The Secrets Of Becoming A (P.I.M.P.) "Professional In Music Promotion":Click here
Forget the negative thoughts you may think about Myspace.
Myspace.com is still one of the hottest music promotional tool available to anyone in the Music Biz. Sure there are other social media networking sites out there, but few have the reach of Myspace.
In fact, many popular recording artist still use myspace to market and promote their latest singles or releases.
Did you know there are over two million Music Biz Artists on Myspace?
That is a lot of competition for Fan's. So how do you stand out among 2,000,000 competitors on Myspace? Short answer, use methods that work. In business, methods that work are called "best practices".
So what are the best practices for successful music promotion on Myspace?
There are 7 Best Practices of successful Myspace music promotion. Do you know what they are? If not keep reading as Today's Music Biz Staff counts 'em down.
1. Get a myspace.com music page.
Getting a myspace.com music page is free so there is no reason not to have one. We've been using Myspace to educate people for years. Feel free to friend us here (right click to open in a new window or tab).
2. Make sure your page is user friendly.
There are many would-be music business professionals who have myspace pages take too long to load. If your myspace page loads too slow, you could be losing potential fans. Mega bandwidth graphics and images will prevent your page from loading quickly. Your myspace page should take no longer than 20 or 30 seconds to load.
Many artists on myspace use layouts that emphasize their creativity but are a nightmare to navigate. Refrain from using dancing cursor's, raining text, and distracting images on your myspace music pages. Other myspace artists have "about me" blurbs that go on forever. Keep about me blurbs short (no more than 1000 words), if people want to know more about you, they will ask. 3. Have you-own music on your myspace page. Don't put someone else's music on your myspace page unless you were involved in the creation of the music. How can you be discovered if your music isn't on your page?
4. Reach out for friends.
Networking on myspace is one of the most powerful tools you can use to build your fan-base. Take advantage of the opportunity to reach out to people with like interests. Never ignore or decline a friend request (unless you are sure it's spam or a scam). You never know who can help your music career.
5. Treat your friends like friends.
Common courtesy applies on myspace just as in real life. Be willing to thank your friends for adding you as a friend. Respond to friend's when they reach out (if appropriate). Never post your ad as a comment on someone's myspace page without acknowledging them. Limit the size of your "ad comments".
6. Promote yourself in appropriate ways.
Noteworthy career updates, or new music added to your page are good reasons to promote yourself on myspace. List your tour dates on your page and use bulletins to let people know where you are performing. Limit the number of bulletins you post. Posting irrelevant bulletins, or posting bulletins too often, will force your friends to ignore you or "un-friend" you.
Let people know about your myspace.com page. Putting your unique myspace.com address on your website and business cards will make it convenient for you to build your network and fan base faster.
7. Provide ways for people to purchase your music from your myspace page.
If you sell your music anywhere online make sure there is a direct link from your myspace page to the location where people can buy your music. Follow our rules and you will have fun and make many friends on Myspace.
Last night at the 2009 MTV (VMA's) Video Music Awards, in 30 seconds, Kanye West stole the show and the press coverage from Micheal Jackson, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and even Beyonce. If you didn't catch the VMA's but want to know how Kanye West stole the show, click play on the video below.
Why We Shouldn't Be Shocked?
No one should be shocked that Kayne West upstaged Taylor Swift. Kanye West knows that any publicity (good or bad) is publicity. As I write today's blog, Kayne West has already received mentions on Good Morning America (on ABC), and on every Radio Station in America.
Last week, I would have never thought, that when I wrote about how Taylor Swift makes songs that sell that Ms. Swift would win a VMA. But I'm not surprised she won. Nor am I shocked that Kanye West stunned the audience by bum-rushing the stage to give Beyonce her props.
How Will Kanyes' Outburst Help Taylor Swift?
No Musician can ever go wrong by taking a stand on an issue. As I said earlier, Kanye West is getting major mentions in all major Media. Taylor Swift, on the other-hand will get the sympathy vote. Not like Taylor Swift needs sympathy. She was recently on Oprah, where it was announced that Taylor Swift was the best selling Recording Artist of 2008. But there will be million's of Fan's who like Taylors' music but have never purchased her songs, that will go to their computer and download her album.
On the flip-side, hard core Hip-Hop and R&B Fan's will go out and download Kanyes' and Beyonces' latest albums.
What's The Moral Of This Music Biz Story?
A few weeks ago, Kasondra Kay and I did a Podcast, titled, "How A Diss Can Help Increase Downloads". This is a win-win-win for Kayne West, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce. Kanyes' diss of Taylor Swift will help all three sell more music.
The moral of the story is, you can't please everyone - every time. If you try to please everyone, in Today's Music Biz, you'll find yourself pleasing very few. Take a stand on an issue, even if you're wrong, people will remember you for standing up and speaking out about what you thought was right. In addition, you might sell a few thousand more downloads.
Why are the Beatles considered America's most popular Rock Band ever?
Stick around for the reason's and use them to effectively market and sell more of your music to Mainstream America. But first, take a look at the new commercial for the Beatles Rock Band video game below.
How Did The Beatles Take America By Storm?
John Lennon of the Beatles knew insitinctively what I'm about to share with you about marketing music to American's. So in the spirit of coming together, I'm going to share top three music marketing tricks that the Beatles used to market music to mainstream America.
1. K.I.S.S. "Keep It Simple (for the) Stupid".
If you're a Beatles Fan you know that their music was composed dynamically and produced excellently. But the Beatles lyrics were very simple. "She loves you yeah yeah yeah", "Let it be, let it be, let it be yeah let be", Those are two of the choruses ('hooks') of the song's 'She Loves You' and 'Let It Be' . Now let's take a look at how the Beatles kept their verses very simple.
Here's The First Verse From The Beatles 'All My Lovin'
"Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, Tomorrow I'll miss you, Remember I'll always be true, And then while I'm away, I'll write home every day, And I'll send all my loving to you."
It doesn't take a Music Scholar to see that the verse above is simple enough for even the most stupid listener to understand. Many Musician's make the major mistake of choosing abstract lyrics and complicated story-lines in their songs. Those songs my receive critical acclaim, but rarely sell more than a few hundred copies. Keep it simple and you'll keep them coming back for more.
2. Using Pictures Can Be Worth A Thousand Record Sales.
Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the Music Biz, a picture is worth a thousand record sales. When the Beatles first started performing in Germany, every other Band was wearing two-piece suits and trying to look like the Guy every parent would approve of.
The picture to the upper-left is of (left to right) John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Pete Best in the early in 1961 (before Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr).
The Beatles Image:"we're the Guy's your Parents warned you about"
John Lennon was the Beatles Image Coach. John was always fashion-forward because he knew that listeners paid attention to how Musician's looked as well as how they sounded. John Lennon had the Beatles ditch the suits and wear leather jacket's and jeans.
The Beatles goal was to differentiate the Beatles from all the other stiff-suit Rockers in Europe. The message the Beatles meant to send was "we're the Guy's your Parents warned you about" .
When the Beatles came to the United States, every Rocker was wearing leather. The Beatles seeking to be seen as different, started wearing the two-piece suits. And again it worked. The Beatles again were seen as different and made an instant impression with Fan's, male and female alike and went on to become the greatest Rock Band of all time.
3. Sell-Out To Sell More Music
John Lennon admitted to Rolling Stone Magazine that he and the Beatles "sold out". What was the result? Billions on sales of the Beatles music and a legacy that lives on nearly 40 years after they broke up.
I hear today's Artists and Musicians ranting and raving that they'd rather die broke as opposed to selling out. And that's what a majority of Indie Artists and Musicians do - die broke because they wouldn't sell out. The Beatles, made simple music that the whole family could sing along to. The Beatles image was one that was compelling. The Beatles knew that if they made their music too abstract, no one would listen or buy their music.
The Ugly Truth Of Music Marketing
The Music Biz is not the art of music - it's the business of music. The ugly truth is, if you as an artist are not willing to sell out you are not willing to sell many records. The Beatles knew this fact and used it to sell more music to more fans more than any other artist. The good news is you can do the same if you are willing to follow the three music marketing tips of the Beatles.
What is your take on this topic? Feel free to place your comment below. In the mean-time, here's to your success in Today's Music Biz.
People who thought that Radio was a dying form of Media were dead wrong! At least that's what Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple seems to think. If you haven't heard yet, the new Apple iPod will have an FM Radio.
New Radio Features On the New iPod Nano:
The new iPod Nano will take Radio to the next level with the following features:
Live Pause; the listener will be able to pause live radio and play it back.
iTunes Tagging; when the listener hears a song they like, they can tag it in the Itunes Store
Why Should Musicians Care About the New iPod Radio Feature?
Radio takes unknown Musicians and makes them Superstars. In fact over 70% of the music purchased on-line is heard first on the Radio. I'm certain that Steve Jobs is aware of this fact. Apples' goal is to sell more products (music) to more people more often. That is the mantra of every successful marketer.
What better way to sell more from the iTunes Store than to allow listener's to hear a song on their iPod, tag it, and then buy the download from the iTunes Store?
As a Radio Expert, few things frustrate me more than people assuming that Radio Airplay doesn't matter. I've heard people say, "the Internet is where the Fan's are" or, "Radio Airplay doesn't matter, because I can sell my music to Fan's on Myspace". I know Radio hater's and naysayers to be dead wrong about Radio.
What Does the New iPod Nano Mean for Music Marketer's?
The new iPod Nano Radio feature makes it essential that every Music Marketer learn the secrets of getting Radio Airplay. No one wants to leave potentially millions of dollars on the table because they ignored Radio Airplay.
If You Missed "Lil Wayne" Wayne on the view today, I've dugg up the Video that I favored on Today's Music Biz's YOUTUBE Channel. Why Would I Give Prop's To Lil Wayne? Because in the interview, 'Young Weezy' discussed education. In fact a large portion of the interview on "The View" was dedicated to Wayne's quest for higher learning. At Today's Music Biz, we've been encouraging Musicians to educate themselves on-line. Wayne is studying Psychology, but I bet a big part of his college courses deal with "Music Business". We offer various real-life courses and discussions on how to succeed in Today's Music Business. I could go on all day about the libraries of Musician's who failed to educate themselves on the business aspects of the Music Business. For example, did you know that TLC the biggest selling female group of all time, sold 11 million units? TLC ended up having to file for Bankruptcy Protection because they were taken advantage of. "TLC was shafted because they didn't educate themselves about the Business of Music." The Music Biz is not all about platinum grills, big rims and sexy fan's. The Music Biz, now more than ever It's about Accounting, Marketing and a bundle of other intelligence that every artist must have to succeed. I hope after watching an objective source (Lil Wayne) discussing his education goals, you'll consider enrolling in the best music schooling. Click Here to Discover the Secrets of Success in Today's Music Business. Or log onto www.simbiz.info.
What Do Kings Of Leon, and Ani DiFranco Have In Common?
They have large Facebook.com followings. If you're a musician, singer, songwriter, producer in Today's Music Biz and you don't have a Facebook Fan page, you're missing a huge opportunity.
According to Entrepreneur Magazine (September 2009), Facebook has 200 million users, beating Myspace.com by 100 million. For that reason, Facebook is Today and Myspace "is like, so yesterday".
Top 5 Reasons To Have A Fan Page On Facebook
1. Facebook allows Public Figures to have a 'Facebook Fan Page'.
A Fan page is different from your profile page and allows people to comment and 'like' your latest updates. It also allows Fan's to show you some love without you having to worry about deleting spam comments.
2. Skanks stay away from Facebook.
I hate friend generators. The good thing about Facebook is that it doesn't have any friend generator applications. So people who become Fan's of your Facebook Fan Page, are usually not attention whores, trying to pad their friend counts. I've been on Facebook for about a year now and I've never gotten a request from a 'Spam Skank' inviting me to come watch her sexy vid's. Facebook allows you to truly build your fan base without the skanks and spam.
3. Facebook makes Music Marketing easier
Facebook allows you to get more traffic to your website, YOUTUBE Channel, blog and even your MySpace and Ilike pages. For example, if you have a gig coming up, you can update your status and inform your fans. Kings of Leon have over 1 million fan's (which I'm one of a million). Ani DiFranco has over 30,000 devoted fans on her Facebook Fan Page.
4, Facebook also allows 3rd Party applications.
If you're already on Twitter, there's good news. You can have Twitter automatically update your Facebook Page. Facebook allows many 3rd Party Applications.
5. Facebook makes viral marketing easy.
On Facebook, if someone likes what you're doing, they can share it with as many friends as the want. I know from experience that friends like to pass on stuff their friends send them. Facebook makes sharing easy. Viral Marketing is just a savvy word for sharing and Facebook is a simple way of marketing.
I’m a 20 Year Veteran of the Radio and Records Industries in the United States.
I've had the pleasure of working on publicity campaigns for Destinys Child, Janet Jackson, Prince, R. Kelly, Jay-z, Big Pun, EMINEM, 112, T.L.C., James Brown, B.B. King, Mary Mary, Mike Jones, 3/6 Mafia, Ginuwine, Busta Ryhmes, Jay-z, Eminem and many more.
Who Else Wants To Learn The Secrets Of Getting Radio Airplay
I’ve worked for some of the most successful stations, in diverse formats like; Adult Contemporary, Country, Hip-Hop & R&B and Rock just to name a few. Working for non-commercial and commercial radio formats, I’ve witnessed the awesome power of how getting one song played on the radio can send your record sales from none to 100,000 almost overnight.
Here's the ugly truth: without radio airplay your music may never live up to it’s true potential. Without radio airplay it’s almost like your music doesn't matter to anyone else but you. The ugly truth is, the majority of people will not take you seriously until they’ve heard your music on the radio.
Without radio airplay you are missing your only realistic shot at Music Super-stardom in the Music Biz.
I've published "Radio Airplay Secrets". This eBook reveals the exact secrets on how to successfully promote your music to radio for to get air play. Radio Airplay Secrets is delivered to your email as soon as PAYPAL confirms your order payment.
Solid Facts About Radio Air play. Radio Airplay is The Best Way to Become A Music Star"
1. Once your music is played on the air, you've turned your ”Star Machine” on. Once your music is heard on radio people who doubted that you would "make it" start believing in your success.
2.) Many artists have become rich and famous with only one song on the radio.
3.) Radio Airplay Gets you noticed by the Record Labels
4.) Radio airplay brings tons of more people to your shows
5.) Radio makes it possible to sell millions of your CD's
6.) To really succeed in the Music Biz, you need radio airplay.
Top 7 Benefits Of Radio Airplay Secrets Are you wondering what you'll get when you order Radio Airplay Secrets?
First, I show you exactly how to Get your music ready for radio airplay. You wouldn't believe all the people that don't get radio airplay because they make simple mistakes like sending their material to radio stations before it's ready for airplay.
In this report, I'll show you how to package your material to send to radio stations. I'll show you how to label your CD's and how to easily mix your music down to Radio Specifications ("Spec's).
I'll show you why 98% of Artists and Band make simple mistakes that prevent them from getting airplay and exactly what to do step-by-step to get your music on the Radio.
Second, you'll quickly understand how on-air radio works. This report will tell you how to connect with key people at radio stations, and how to influence them to play your music.
Third, you'll learn how to find the stations that will play your music. Too many Artist send music to the wrong Radio Stations hoping that the station will play an unrecognized talent. This is a dream. The reality is you have to choose your stations wisely.
You'll learn how to avoid the mistake of sending your music to the wrong stations.
Bonus in section three, you'll get access to websites that make it easy to find any radio Station in any format in America and Canada in a few simple clicks. Most importantly you'll be shown where to submit your music to get airplay. I'll give you proven techniques to get your music heard and on the air that Major Record Labels use, but don't want you to know.
Fourth, You'll learn the system of getting radio airplay. Why do you think so many average artists get played on the radio? Because they use the proven system for getting their music on the air. Radio Stations have only so many slots to play music. Those who follow the "system" get airplay. Those who don't follow the system don't get airplay.
WARNING: This system is not 'Payola". Payola is illegal and can land you in jail or ruin your future. The system I show you is an honest one used by successful Independent and Major Record Labels as well as Radio Promoters - to get their projects on the radio.
Fifth, You'll learn how to make your pitch to radio stations. There are so many mistakes that prevent so many artist from persuading radio station staff to play their music. Radio Airplay Secrets will show you word-for-word exactly what to say to get radio airplay.
Sixth, You'll learn what to do after you get radio airplay - to keep you getting radio airplay. There are so many secrets to keeping the momentum going that one-hit wonders never have taken advantage of. These secrets are free to use and can generate more publicity and sales than 98% of artists and bands. Best thing is these secrets are free to use, once you learn them.
Seventh, get Bonus FREE access to Top Secret Radio Websites and FREE Top Secret Radio Resources. "In this report, you'll get 5 additional bonus pages of FREE radio websites and services that are 100% guaranteed to get your music heard by major players in the Radio Industry".
Do you have the passion to get your Music heard by millions?
Do you want to get noticed and get a Record Deal? Would you like to be a Star in your City, Country or around the world? If you do, You can, and it all starts with radio airplay.
To Order Radio Airplay Secrets eBook Now For Only $47 Click Here.
What will this deal mean for Artist on MySpace? 
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