How to Write a Band Bio If you are a working musician – or aspire to be a working musician – you need to be able to sell yourself and your music. At some point you may have to present your work to a record label or publishing company and you will be competing against many other artists for a label representative’s attention. Believe it or not, it is very similar to applying for a job: your band needs a resume and it needs to stand out. This is accomplished with two key pieces of information – a bio and a factsheet. A bio and factsheet are useful for many different reasons. A record labels A&R representative will use your bio and factsheet to determine if your band is a good fit for their label – likewise radio stations look at your bio/factsheet before they bother to listen to your music, there’s only so much time in the day and if your bio doesn’t sound like you fit with the station then they won’t even crack the case on your album. There are two primary ways to go about creating a bio and factsheet.
additive & subtractive color mixing 2. The reflectance curve changes with the physical state of the colorant. A pigment such as quinacridone violet (PV19) does not have fixed, unchanging color attributes. The reflectance curve, and hence the apparent color under standard viewing conditions, changes with the physical state of the pigment — the pigment may be dry or wet, it may be suspended in water or oil, it may be diluted or concentrated, it may be displayed as a thin or thick layer (diagram, right). 3. 4. Of all these issues, material metamerism (1) is probably the most troublesome. Even if we do know all the important physical attributes of the colorants we mix, the prediction of their subtractive mixture from their separate reflectance curves is mathematically complex. The Subtractive "Primary" Colors. In fact, the historical choice of primary colors was limited by the historical availability of suitable pigments, which until the late 19th century were comparatively dull and dark. The "Black" Color Theory.
6 Essential Elements Of A Music Digital Press Kit [Musician Website Quick Fix #9] Guest post from musician website and marketing platform Bandzoogle. When creating your website, you have to think about the different kinds of people that will be visiting it. These can be your current fans, potential new fans, as well as media and industry people. For that latter group, they’re likely looking for different information than your fans are, and you have to be sure to make it easy for them to find it. This can best be done by adding a Digital Press Kit to your website. 6 Essential Elements for your Digital Press Kit 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Where to place a Digital Press Kit on your Website A digital press kit is an important element of your website, so create a “Press” or “Press Kit” section and include it as part of your main menu navigation.
Parlour: Patina-ing a Mirror! This is something that I have just recently needed to learn for a client. I thought I might share with you the process, so you can do it for yourself. If you don't want to assemble all the needed materials yourself, you can just get a patina kit here.Materials needed • Mirror• X-Acto knife• Staple remover or a pair of pliers• Clear packing tape• Drop cloth• Protective goggles ($2.97 at Home Depot)• Heavy-duty rubber gloves ($3.29 at Home Depot)• Sprayable paint stripper ($9.26 at Home Depot)• Paint scraper• Patina solution ($4.99 for Modern Masters Metal Effects Blue Patina Aging Solution at Janovic)• Kitchen sponge• Washcloth• Sea sponge• Glass or bucket (for water)• Paintbrush• Gold, copper or black paint (we used Modern Masters Metal Effects Rich Gold, $11.99, at Janovic) 1. Place the mirror face-down and carefully cut through the paper backing with an X-Acto knife. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Information found here.
Creating a Perfect Pitch - Laser Focus Your Message We had Music PR superstar Ariel Hyatt as a guest here a few weeks ago, announcing Bandzoogle's sponsorship of her Music Success in 9 Weeks Blogging Challenge. The Challenge is in full swing, with many old and new Bandzooglers taking part... among others: Jennifer Grassman, Hudson K, J Ammo, Sean Wright, Core Zero, Jacknife Stiletto, Atlas Take Aim, Brett Barry, Ed-O, Gord Yelich, Jay Trainer, Jordan Martyn, From Chaos, Maura Jensen, Meghan Morrison, Nicholas Howard, Agenda Red, Saturn, The April Maze, (wheeew... and more... let us know in the comments if we forgot you). After setting some goals, Week 2 was all about creating a pitch about your band or solo act. We liked the advice so much that we asked Ariel if she would re-blog that chapter here and she gracefully accepted. The Internet is full of messages only the ones with Laser Focus will stand out. A pitch has many names. Creating Your Pitch Take out a clean piece of paper, or open a new doc on your computer and: 1. Still not sure?
How to Set Up a Blog in Under 10 Minutes - Daniela Uslan You’ve been wanting to start a blog for a long time, thinking of amazing post ideas and how awesome it will be to have an audience eager to read your stuff. There’s just one problem. You need to set it up, and you’re not sure how. Well, lucky for you, it’s super easy. And I’m about to walk you through the entire process. Note: This post shows you how to set up a self-hosted WordPress blog. Step 1 in setting up a blog is signing up with Bluehost. Go to their hosting page here. Click “get started now” to sign up. Step 2 in setting up a blog is choosing your domain name. 5 things to think about when you choose a domain name for your new blog: 1. Before you choose a domain name, take a minute and ask yourself, “What 3 adjectives do I want people to mention when they talk about my blog?” 2. Using your name means that your blog can be about any topic, so you won’t have to create a completely new blog if you decide to change directions later on. 3. 4. 5. Sweeeet! Next, press Start.
How to Make Sure A Potential Fan Never Comes Back to Your Website “But wait – don’t I want them to come back to my site?” Yes, you do. All the time. It’s 2013, and the web-surfing public has lost nearly all patience for things on the web that don’t work/look/act right. Here are some things that might give people a great reason to run screaming away from your site, vowing never to return. * Flash intros. * Not being mobile-ready. * Hard-to-read text. * Your site’s design is from the Stone Age. * Rampant grammar/spelling errors. * Too many ads/overlays. * Auto-playing music or video. * Bad nav. * Lack of updates. * No social sharing. What are some of the things that make you instantly dislike a website? Creating a professional author or musician websites takes a matter of minutes with HostBaby — FREE for 30 days! [Picture of ARRRRG!
The Art of Building a Blogging Career | CourseCraft Can you start up a blog and become a big overnight success? Probably not. Can you start a blog and work on it part time and make a living? Probably not. I started my career as a TV personality in Canada. When I started my blog I made no money. While I loved my career in television, I just like blogging at little bit more at this point in my life. And that is why I created this course. The key to creating an exceptional blog is your ability to create amazing content. Session one will give you an inside look into what makes some of the most successful bloggers unique, and show you totally new ways to think about your own blog. Topics Covered: Finding your voice. Creating content on a regular basis can be the most overwhelming part of blogging. You will leave this session with a deep understanding of how to create amazing content, and you will learn how to build your blog views into a substantial engaged readership. Topics Covered: What is included in this course?
Call to Action! 10 Ways To Grow One Gigantic Mailing List This guest post was written our very own Jon Ostrow, Cyber PR®’s publicity director, who can be reached by email or on Twitter! Email addresses collected from your fan base is an invaluable marketing tool. While social media’s real-time centricity remains it’s own beast of burden, email addresses allow you to target specific fans and then contact them directly, at any given time. A well-executed email marketing strategy can mean increased loyalty, increased engagement and ultimately an increase in revenue made from your fans, be it through recordings, ticket sales, merch, or other wise. So obviously, the act of collecting the email addresses from your fan base is vital to your success and therefore you need a strategy that maximizes the chance of your fans actually giving you their email address. This is not something you want to leave up to chance. The key is to make the offer that is high in: Desirability Don’t be afraid to ask fans what would make them excited and keep them interested.
Blogging Has Turned the Notion of Competition Upside Down I had to laugh out loud when I took this phone call the other day. A representative from a marketing agency in New York approached me about creating a guest post on my blog. Here is how it went: ME: So what is it exactly that your company does? HIM: We specialize in Social Media Marketing strategy. ME: Really. HIM: I know. ME: Well, you’re actually my competitor, right? HIM: Yes, I suppose you could say that. ME: So let me get this straight … (laughing) You are my competitor and you’re asking me to allow you to come on to my website to promote your business and attract business away from me? HIM: Well … Yes, that’s true. ME: Don’t you think that is a little crazy? Now, what may seem even crazier is that I’m going to encourage him do it. But the reason I wanted to tell this story is because if any “normal” business person really looked at the “best practices” on the social web, she would think we’re a bunch of blooming idiots! Last week a lady wrote “Dear Mr. Isn’t this nuts? What a world.
e-Journal - Press Release Headline Do's and Don'ts Press Release Headline Do's and Don'ts Before a writer or editor will read your press release, he or she must have a reason to look it over. A good headline and subhead combination can make the difference between a press release that gets read and exposed ... and one that gets ignored. Nowhere is this more true than with online press release postings. Take a look at mi2n.com/news/bands -- where bands and record labels post hundreds of PR notices. All you see is a listing of short headlines and slightly longer subheads. Here are some examples of headlines from the mi2n.com site, along with my thoughts on what works and what doesn't: Headline: Tito Puente Jr and His Orchestra Subhead: Tito Puente Jr Orchestra Ready for the World Comments: The best headlines succinctly spell out the essence of the news story. Headline: Marillion 'Anorak in the UK Live' Subhead: Marillion have delighted in attacking musical conventionality and have succeeded in forging a distinctive identity back | top
Is it better to be honest or nice on the social web? A friend of mine recently posted a provocative question on Facebook. He had received less-than-stellar books to review from people he knew well. This was the dilemma he posted: “So if I’m honest, I look like an ass and alienate my friends but serve those looking to me for my opinion. Or do I put a pleasant spin on it and help perpetuate the noise but don’t upset anyone? And I’ve apparently been upsetting more than my fair share lately.” This is a complex and nuanced dilemma we all face at some point in our online career. What is the answer? You have to make your own decisions about this stuff, but here are some thoughts about being honest versus nice. “Authenticity” is bullsh*t Nobody is authentic on the web. Stop expecting people to be authentic and stop saying you’re authentic unless you’re posting that you’re bloated, horny, gassy, constipated, heart-broken, depressed, and congested. I think it is more fair to expect people to be honest rather than authentic. Attack issues not people
Music Industry News Network Ideal for artists and labels, as well as supporting promoters and agencies, Mi2N Music PR service provides guaranteed press release placements through a network of newswires, eGroups, blog communities, boards and forums, as well as MP3 and video distribution. In addition to guaranteed PR placement, the packages provide exposure through the Mi2N website and daily newsletters sent to over 24,000 music professionals across the globe. Order any Mi2N Music PR package and receive 3 months of All Access membership on Musicpage.com, a secure online community built to promote musicians and music professionals to the music industry. You will be able to choose a Music PR package for your PR in Step 3 of the submission process below.