For this week only anyone can listen to a fresh song 'The End Of Rapture' on the up-coming album!it's not 100% mixed but I believe it's good enough for the fans!
-KTB-
Application for Cimmarian Musician Position(s)
this is our application form!easy to fill out just click the doanload link and fill it out and send it to our e-mail in the document and we?ll get to yo...
So the first show went very well beside some minor set backs. We woke up about 1 hour from the meeting time and our singer Chris was at his new house sleeping. We almost left Bradford without a singer...
Mistake #1: Most bands focus either on the wrong things, tiny insignificant things or no specific things at all.
Mistake #2: Most bands put a lot of effort into their music (which is good), but very little effort into the many other critical elements needed to make it in the music business.
Mistake #3: Most bands don't think of their band as a 'business' and therefore don't run it like a business. Of course being in a band is about having fun and creating great music, but fact is, in order to be successful in the music business, you need to run your band operations like a business.
Mistake #4: Most bands have a fundamental misunderstanding about what record companies look for, and expect from, new bands. This misunderstanding puts bands on the wrong path.
Mistake #5: Most bands severely underestimate the importance of their image. Yes, music is about 'music', but music business success is about a total package which includes music, image, visual stage show among other things which need to be fully developed in a congruent way. (This is where the term "Artist Development" comes from!)
Mistake #6: Most bands' live show is mediocre at best. The music might be good, but a live 'show' requires more than great music. If people only wanted to hear the music, they would save their money and listen to the music at home. Both fans and record labels want (and expect) to see a REAL show. Neglecting this area results in talented bands quickly forgotten.
Mistake #7: Most bands falsely believe that the number of 'fans' they have is the holy grail for success. The fact is, it is not the number of 'fans' which matters most, it's the number of FANATICS which will contribute more directly to your success (or lack of it). Bands need to focus more effort on converting existing fans into raving fanatics of the band.
Mistake #8: Most bands do not understand nor have an effective music marketing strategy to promote their band. Without this you will continue to struggle.
Mistake #9: Most bands who do work on becoming successful typically focus on 'getting their name and music out there'. Their objective is to be seen and heard as much as possible. The biggest mistake is these bands usually do little or nothing to become totally unforgettable!
So where can you find the help you need to avoid all of the common mistakes mentioned above and finally begin to put your band on the right path to success?
The conventional way bands try to learn to become successful goes something like this:
When you're starting out (as an unknown band) you are typically limited in your ability to gain access to knowledge about how to become successful. So what usually happens is:
1. You spend a lot of time using the 'trial and error' approach hoping to learn from your own experiences.
2. You look at what other local bands are trying to do.
The information you have from these first two sources is only on the amateur level.
3. You look for information in music industry books.
Music industry books typically discuss general things about how the music industry functions. Those books are almost like dictionaries. They only offer basic outlines of things. In addition, those things are never written by musicians or from their perspective. They are written by former agents, entertainment lawyers or the occasional retired (or unemployed) A&R guy. There is still some useful information to be found in some books. Feel free to use 'recently written' music business books as a 'reference', not a 'blueprint' for aspiring bands like you. There are huge pieces of the puzzle missing about what YOU should be focusing on right now...
4. You look at what big famous bands do or have done and try to copy what they did.
Socialize
The number one thing to remember is the saying "it's not how good you are, its who you know." While not always the case, many bands get opportunities because they are in with another band. So how do you become "in" with another band? BE FRIENDLY! The single best thing you can do at an empty show is get together with the other bands and discuss real things... It pays to be friendly in these situations, even to bands who are terrible and have no fans! You never know who is going to get huge, even when you think they suck, that band could get a whole lot better in two years and take you with them. If you don't know it by now, being a dick doesn't make you seem like a rock star, it makes you seem like a dick.
Fans
It's not just the band you can socialize with, you can talk to the fans too! Something weird happens when you walk into a bar and it is filled to the brim with people, where as if you walk into the same size bar and it is kind of empty all of a sudden everyone starts talking to each other. This is the same thing at shows, it is totally acceptable to hang out and make good friends with the people...
Impress
True story! Once, a long, long time ago, I was in a band. We rolled into a desolate town and played a show to a dozen people. There were more people in bands than people in attendance. Despite this fact, we went on stage and did what we always did, gave it 110%. After the set, about ten of the dozen people in attendance came up to us and said they had never seen a band go so crazy despite no one being around, and we were rewarded with everyone in the audience buying tons of our merch, to make up for the fact that their town was so lame that no one came to see what they found to be an amazing experience. It gets even better! It turned out in attendance that night a girl was in the audience whose brother was A&R at one of the largest Indies in the country... playing our asses off for no one really made us worth talking about, and it gave us an amazing opportunity that could have been life changing.
Word Gets Around
When you give it your all live in front of a small audience, it isn't just about the sibling of a famous A&R person. When I have seen bands play their asses off to small crowds, I tell everyone...
Keep It Clean
I am not one to say you should play every show sober. I have seen some of my favorite bands play some of the best sets I have ever seen, intoxicated out of their minds. What I will say is this - do not use the show where no one is there as the time to test if you can really drink a whole bottle of absinthe and still get through the set. As we stated above, this is an opportunity to blow some people away... This is the night to get 8 people telling everyone of their friends "I saw ____ and even though no one was there they blew me away with how amazing they played." Save the drinking contest for practice or the next time you play a party.
Take Requests!
If you are in a band and some of those 8 people are actually people who like your band and know your music, make it fun and engaging for them... Don't look at an empty room as disappointment, but instead as good practice and occasionally an unforeseen opportunity."
1. Create A Free Electronic Press Kit
2. Play your instrument on the roof of your house/apartment.
3. Get Cool Mini CD's to give out at shows
4. Have business cards ready to give out.
5. Promote Your Band by sending out postcards to fans, venues, etc. (lol)
6. Join Ebay and buy stuff that will help you promote Cimmarian. (lol)
7. Make yourself available for gigs through websites like Ourstage.com or Supernova.com
8. Get Custom Promo Shirts Printed for Cimmarian
9. Create a Myspace to Promote Cimmarian
10.Promote Your Myspace on Myspace Forums and Music Groups
11.Optimize Your Bands Website for More Traffic
12.Hire A Myspace Promoter
13.Build and Launch a Website if you do not have one.
14.Promote Your Cimmarian's Website using SEO techniques
15.Post In Online Forums and Message Boards
16.Post in Free Online Classifieds Such as Craigslist in the Musicians Section
17.Use An Email/Newsletter System to keep in touch with fans and contacts.
18.Promote your band in Free Directories
19.Use Google Adwords to Promote Your Band's Website.
20.Open a Pay Per Click Account and drive traffic to your website.
21.Get As Many Links From Other Sites to Your Website and Myspace
22.Create and Maintain A Blog on Blogger.com or Wordpress.com
23.Submit Articles to EzineArticles.com
24.Post about your Band in Local Music Forums
25.Submit Your Blog to Blog Directories
26.Get Newspaper Ads Especially in local entertainment sections.
27.Play As Many Open Mics As Possible and Give Out Stuff!
28.Play At Festivals and Give Out Stuff!
29.Play For FREE Anywhere Possible
30.Signup For Battle of the Bands in your area (and give out stuff)
31.Play at Weddings! (lmao j/k)
32.Ask to Open For More Established Bands
33.Hire a Booking Agent (choose carefully)
34.Email Your Fans - Stay In Contact
35.Give out Stickers!
36.Compete for prizes and band exposure on sites like ourstage and supernova
37.Contact the Music Critic at your local newspaper.
38.Try Reverbnation.com
39.Try mp3.com
40.Try iSound.com
41.Try SoundPolish.com
42.Sell Your Music Online
43.Upload and Promote Your Music On Last.fm
44.Register for SoundClick.com
45.Get Color Stage Banners
46.Put up Color Flyers of Cimmarian up Everywhere
47.Have Someone Videotape and Take Pictures of You at Shows
48.Upload Videos of your music and shows on YouTube
49.Hire A Publicist To Get You in Magazines and Newspapers
50.Release Demo CD's to Record Companies
51.Promote Cimmarian on SecondLife (Virtual Reality, Really Weird but it can work)
52.Drive a White Bronco at High Speeds in LA running from the police with your band logo on the side of the SUV
53.Blow up Beach Balls with your logo printed on it and throw them everywhere especially at concerts (haha)
54.Ask Your Local Radio or College Radio Stations to Promote Your Band by Playing Your Music
55.Submit Expert Articles to GoArticles.com with links to your website or myspace
56.Network, Network, Network.
57.Hang out at Karaoke Bars (and even perform!)
58.Try out for American Idol. If you are good maybe you will make it. If you stink at least act really crazy and wear something weird so you get 30 seconds on TV.
59.Streak while wearing only your Band T-Shirt or Hat.
60.Do What the Naked Cowboy Did.
61.Attach Promotional Material, Bumper Stickers, Lettering, to Your Vehicle and Drive!
62.Design and Distribute Custom Band Shirts to fans and to wear yourself.
63.Host Local Open Mic Nights.
64.Give out Promotional Socks.
65.Participate in Local Charitable Functions (Network! Wear Your TShirts Etc).
66.Upload Your Songs Anywhere Possible
67.Give out as Much Stuff As Possible With Your Logo on it
68.Advertise Upcoming Shows and Events on Community Websites
69.Advertise Upcoming Album Releases On all fronts
70.Frequently Update Website, Myspace, and Blog if you have.
71.Name Your Cat After Your Band, and Put a Collar on it with it's name on it, and then let the cat get 'lost'.
72.Repeat #71 With Various Breeds of Dogs and Cats.
73.Give Music Lessons and Bring Students into your following.
74.Participate in Community Groups.
75.Post in Local Forums on Craigslist and Other Websites.
76.Recruit Local Fans to Help Promote Your Band or Music for Free. Delegate!!!
77. Sexy Pictures of Cimmarian everywhere!
78.One of the Absolute Best Ways to Promote Your Band is by Word of Mouth! Tell Everyone about Your Music and Ask Them to Listen or Come to a Show!
Finding a Record Label for Your Band
OK, by now you should have read and taken the appropriate steps for How to Get Signed. Your band is prepped and ready to go. Now you just need to connect your unsigned band with the label and A&R Rep ready to sign you. How do you find this mysterious A&R Rep and perfect label?
1. Send a Press Kit
Search the web for appropriate labels and use contact directories such as CMJ Directory, The Musician's Atlas, or the Musicians' Guide To Touring and Promoting The directories contain lists of record labels, clubs, radio stations, and press outlets for you to send your band's press kit. But before you start sending your demo package (press kit) to every contact you see, you have to answer 2 big questions first:
Does my band's music fit with this label's style of bands?
Assuming that you like your band's music, if you like the bands on the label then chances are the music is similar enough. Yes, labels are looking for bands that are different than what they already have, but not radically different. If you've never heard of the label, make sure you listen to some songs of the bands on the label first. You don't have to take too much time on this, but enough to know if you're a good fit or not.
Is this label accepting unsolicited demo packages and press kits?
If the answer is yes, then call to confirm. Simply tell them you're sending a press kit and ask who you should put it attention to. (You don't want half your press kits trashed because the directory or website you got your initial information from is now outdated.) If the answer is no, then try another label. Or try and make a face-to-face connection with a rep on the label. Even if your band isn't playing, festivals (and other music industry events) are still a good place to make some contacts. Ideally you'll find one or two reps that you can get the go ahead to send a kit directly to their attention.
2. Play Showcases
The big music festivals such as South By Southwest (SXSW), North By Northeast (NXNE), CMJ, etc.are a great way to show off your band and talk to a lot of people. And you need to do quite a bit of meeting and greeting. You want to try and get as many people as possible interested in your band before you play. That way you aren't just hoping they happen to see you when you're on stage. Of course, don't go overboard. Don't be obnoxious. Be professional, but market your band before, during, and after your set. Know ahead of time what results you want, and then do everything you can to make that happen. Your chances of success will be substantially greater.
3. Follow up
If you haven't heard anything yet, call back the people and labels you sent press kits to and ask if they had a chance to review your material (wait 4-8 weeks after you send your kit before calling). If they say 'Yes, we want to sign you' then start celebrating. If they say 'No, we haven't reviewed it yet' then ask when would be a good time to call back. And if they say 'Yes we reviewed it, we're not interested' then ask them the hard question. Ask if they can give a little more specific feedback. You can't get better results if you don't know what to improve upon. If several people are telling you the same thing, then you'll know what you need to fix, change, or approach differently.
Getting a Label to Notice Your Band
Every band wants to be successful. And most bands or solo musicians define success as getting signed to a label. In order to get signed, you need to get noticed. Below are the four things you must do to get signed:
1. Play good music
Easier said than done. To make good music you need to have talent plus a good work ethic. If you're not sure if your music is good enough, chances are it's not. Which means you need to upgrade your talent level (more practice or a different mix of band members). As for the work ethic, you need to have specific goals, a timeline for achieving those goals, and follow through on responsibilities. You need to decide if your goal is just to play some local shows or to get signed. If it's to get signed, you better not be starting practice 20 minutes late every other day and figuring out who's going to hand out flyers for your next show because no one wants to do it.
2. Have a Unique Characteristic(s) (aka Be Signable)
Everyone notices the tall guy at a show. Usually because you're stuck standing right behind him. You can't help but notice. Your band needs the 'Tall Guy' approach as well. You need to be different in some way that distinguishes you from the rest of the crowd. Sounds easy - and it should be. Have a regular person (unbiased - not a friend of the band) look at your band's presskit and three other bands. Ask them to pick out the one that's the most interesting. If the band they pick isn't yours, you know why your band is still 'under the radar'.
Now that doesn't mean you have to wear costumes on stage or have four guys named Alfred in the band (although either would work). It can be that all of your songs are about hockey, or you have a male lead singer with all girls in the rest of the band. Anything will do. But you have to be unique in some way, or you really are just leaving a lot of your success to hope and luck that the right A&R Rep picks your band out from the other hundreds of bands that look and sound pretty much the same as you.
And to stress this point a little more, think about all the bands you've said this about: "They aren't that good. They're just famous because of ___." Exactly. Signability + good music is often the case, but good signability + good enough music is seen just as much.
3. Market and Advertise Your Ban
See How to Promote Your Band: Press Kits, Playing Shows, Promo Merchandise, and More
4. Answer The Ultimate Question: What's in it for the A&R Rep?
Forget what's in it for you and your band. You need to figure out what's in it for the A&R Rep. The A&R rep is not Bigfoot, Santa Claus, or the Jolly Green Giant. The A&R Rep is a regular person who works for a company. It's the rep's job to make money for the company. For the rep to do that, he or she has to find bands that can be marketed to make money. Money for the Record Label = money to pay the A&R Reps + money to pay the band. If you do have #1, #2, and #3, you are making the A&R Rep's job easier. Which is what everyone wants - even the fry guy at McDonald's.
Ultimately it is the A&R Rep's job to tell his or her boss what bands should be signed. And the boss is going to ask why. The A&R rep needs to be able to say that the music is good. The boss then asks what makes this band different than every other band out there - why will people notice this band and want to buy their music. The Rep answers back with your Unique Position. The boss finally says he needs more information to make a final decision. The Rep hands over your presskit.
If you can get this process repeated at a bunch of record labels, chances are that you will be signed. Simple as that. The formula is easy... as long as you're willing to put in the work and look at your band from the right perspective - the A&R Rep's. And ultimately what's good for the A&R Rep is good for you.
Whether you're ready to promote your band, book shows, or get signed, you're going to need to have a presskit ready to go. Every band's press kit has three things you must include:
1. Cover Letter
Describe your unique position in a paragraph or two. Use the cover letter like a conversation. If you were in the elevator with the A&R Rep, what would you say to get them interested in just a few seconds. More than a few paragraphs and you're uniqueness is too hard to describe, which means it's too hard for the A&R Rep to promote.
2. Demo CD
Put your best songs first, or better yet put a sticky note saying which two tracks to listen to first (and no, all of your songs aren't equally great). If you don't know, take a poll and have other people decide for you.
3. Band Photo
No, you don't need a press shoot. Just a good picture (8x10 black/white or color) that shows every person in the band, with the lead singer in front. Not too far away - the Rep needs to see your faces. And not too close - from the knees up is usually a good rule of thumb. And nothing out of sync. Don't take a picture at a sports bar just because it looks cool when you're a country-western band.
1. Get a Press Kit
Whether you're ready to promote your band, book shows, or get signed, you're going to need to have a presskit ready to go.
2. Play Open Mics
Great for experience, plus you'll have an instant audience. And the audience part is important. If you book a show and all the promotion is up to you and nobody knows your band yet.... well, let's just say you're setting yourself up for an audience in the single digits (Yes, that can and does happen). You'll get lots of feedback and promotion, and be on your way to building a fan base.
3. Open for other Bands
Get in touch with other local bands that are more established. Offer/ask to open for them (for free, at least at first). You'll get a built in audience and promotion is what it's all about at this point. But make sure you pick a band with fans and music similar to yours or you'll be falling on deaf ears. Plus, it's a great way to learn the ropes from the established local indie bands.
4. Festivals, Battle of the Bands
Big audiences, which is both good and bad. If this is your first show and some people in your band are a little sketchy on where the changes are in a few songs... well, you don't want to let several hundred or thousand people know that you're just starting out. Practice a lot, make sure you're tight on every song, and have your set list ready. And put on a good show. Be fun to watch on stage (practice this part, too). Yeah, your music might be great, but if your lead singer just stands there and you don't make a huge impression, then you've wasted a great opportunity. And again, don't play festivals with a crowd that's wrong for your band. Pick shows that make sense, not just the first thing that's available.
5. Play for Free
If you're in this to make money right away, start playing weddings (seriously). Otherwise, realize that clubs and bars have no idea who you are, and assume that you can't draw anyone to your shows (which is probably true). If the club or bar owner is trying to make a profit, they want people to come pay a cover charge and drink/eat. With no draw, just booking you is a risk. Are they really going to want to pay you to play as well? Most will give you a percentage of the cover (if there's a cover). But once you do start drawing people make sure to mention this to the club/bar owners. Then you have some room to negotiate (and if you're drawing, most likely they've heard of you by now). Be honest. Don't say you normally draw 50 when your best draw was 40 and all the rest were 10. You might get that first show, but you won't get any more.
6. Booking Agent / Band Managers
If you live in a larger city you can consider getting a booking agent. Of course they will take a percentage, but that's the good part. More money for them by getting more shows for you. If you live in a smaller town be wary. Your choice of agents (if you can locate any) will be pretty slim and their credentials may be non-existant. Judge based on their past results and make a detailed timeline of expected results over the next month, six months, and year. Without letting your agent know your goals, you won't get the outcome or the agent you want. Re-evaluate your agent periodically. Are you currently playing as many shows and are you as well known as you want to be? Does this match what the agent said 6 months ago?
7. Get a Website
Make sure your domain name is easy to remember. If it has more than one slash (/) in it, it's too complicated. Include a list of your upcoming shows, and update this part regularly. How can you expect fans to show up if they don't know when you're playing next. And include details (the location of the show, directions if it's hard to find, time your band is expected to go on stage - especially useful if it's an all day festival). Check your e-mail and answer it. The last thing you want is to send out a buch of presskits and not respond to an e-mail from a label until 2 weeks later. Or get a last minute offer to play a big show and miss out because you didn't read your e-mail. And don't forget blogging, which is a great way to get feedback from fans. (Check out .mac for easy website design and blogging setup). Don't overcomplicate your site. If you know you don't have time to update the site every day, don't make a daily news section.
8. Get Promo Merchandise
Mention your website at your shows and have promo material with your web address on it. Stickers are a great tool - they're cheap and a great giveaway at shows. Yes, give them away. Would you rather charge $1 or $2 to try and make up the cost of the stickers, or would you rather have hundreds of people visiting your site and advertising your band on the back of their car, bookbag, etc.? T-shirts are a great way to promote your band and website, too. For these you do want to charge, so make sure you get a good graphic designer to come up with an awesome design. Be objective. If you wouldn't pay $15 for your shirt, why should someone else? Because they like you? You're not that famous, yet. Charge enough to cover the cost of the shirt with maybe a small profit. And always give away a few shirts to some lucky fans in the crowd. Makes the crowd like you plus it lets you promote the fact that you have merchandise for sale.