Music Promotion
The Music Industry Is All About Community
It’s a well known fact that having a sense of community in our lives is so very important for us as human beings
However, it’s even more important for independent artists and musicians.
Swimming upstream can be very tiring and we need all the support and encouragement we can get but we’re living in a world that’s losing this sense of community. FAST!
At the moment, the achievements of the individual is cherished way, way above the endeavours of the collective group. I personally believe that individual and group efforts should be looked at in a more balanced way.
Quite simply human beings don’t function at their fullest potential in anything by themselves. We need other people around us.
This is the power of community.
I have mentioned in previous posts the power of networking and getting to know the music industry from the inside.
The main aim of all of this networking activity is to build your own community.
A community of fans, like minded individuals, businesses and organisations that can help you, support you, enourage you and inspire you to do whatever it is that you want to in the music industry.
This is the very thing which anyone working in the music industry has in common with each other.
We all have our own communities and, at the same we’re all part of someone else’s community even if we dont know it. The real secret is realising this fact and using this knowledge to the advantage of you and everyone else around you.
Everyone has a skill or something that they can offer, even if it’s words of encouragement.
If I find someone that does wonderful work in any field then I’ll try use them all of the time. I want the people that I work with to grow with me and my work. This creates a community.
I personally have a wonderful community of people, bands and networks that I can tap into and I’m always on the lookout to expand on this.
If everyone in the indie music industry worked on the basis of inclusion rather than competition, there would be networks upon networks moving congruently with each other, all reaching for the same goals.
To be seen, to be heard and to be noticed.
If you’re a solo artist or part of a band then your fans and associated businesses are your community.
If you run a business then your clients and other networks you deal with are your community.
Communities are the lifeblood of your dreams and goals. Build them and use them.
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: indie music, independent music, music industry, music marketing, music business, music promotion, orangutang music, corey stewart
Ok, So You Want To Start A Band
Alright, you’ve decided that you want to tackle this indie music industry caper head on by getting a band together.
You’ve written some songs and learnt some choice covers just in case but there’s one missing ingredient left to consider.
Band members. Where do you find them?
Starting up a band is a very exciting time in a musicians life. There is a fine balance of nervous anticipation and the fear of the unknown that follows the whole process.
A band has a different dynamic than working as a solo artist.
There are other people involved, other personalities, other strengths and weaknesses in character and abilities to consider.
Because of this, it’s really important that you have a few things worked out before you start looking for band members.
1. Have a good idea of your own strengths and weaknesses
The band members that you want to get will need to be around the same level of competence as you are. The main reason for this is that you can all grow together rather than have one or two musicians carrying everyone else. This type of player imbalance causes doubt in the group and doubt is one of the major killers of bands.
2. Know beforehand how the band is going to be run
Is the band going to be run by you or the whole group? The personality types of the musicians that you choose will need to be agreeable to the way the band is going to be run.
3. What instrumentation is the band having in its lineup?
This is mainly determined by the type(s) of music that you want to play but having an idea of what musicians you are looking for will be of great help.
It is now time to hunt down some band members 
4. Ask your network of friends and/or contacts
This is always a good place to start. Ask everyone that you know or come into contact with. If you dont have much of a circle of friends and/or contacts this will be a great chance to widen it.
This is one of the reasons why networking in the industry is so important, for occasions such as this. Having a musician referred to you has a much better chance of working than one that comes from an advertisement.
This leads me onto my next point.
5. Post an advertisement
Having said that I have had made some great contacts from musicians enquiring from a ‘muso wanted’ ad.
The key to effective ads is that they need to be concise, to the point, not too lengthy and put in places where musicians are very likely to see it and read it like in a music shop, a local music magazine or a music classifieds website.
A sample ‘musician wanted’ advertisement could read something like this:
BASS PLAYER WANTED
To join folk/rock band
Influences include
Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows
Some experience preferred
Own gear and trasport essential
Interested?? Give me a call
Corey – 555 555 555
As you can see, the ad is clear in its intention. It clearly states the musician wanted, the type of music the band is playing, what the music may sound like and that the band has some experience behind it.
Make sure you have a clear contact name and phone numbers (if you want to include an email address as well, that’s cool).
Don’t put in stuff like work waiting or no time wasters please. You can judge those sort of things yourself when an interested musician contacts you.
Once you’ve done that the waiting game begins. More on the auditioning process later.
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: indie music, independent music, music industry, music business, music marketing, music promotion, orangutang music, corey stewart
The Power Of Networking In The Music Industry
“It’s not what you know it’s who you know!”
I know that we’ve all heard that saying thousands of times but at the end of the day, when you’re dealing with the music industry it does comes down to who you know doesn’t it?
I would even go as far as saying that your circle of contacts is like bank currency. Having a lot of people that know who you are is always a benefit, not a hinderence.
Here is an example of the power of having a good network around you.
Not long ago I got a call from someone who wanted to find out if I was available to play bass with their band. I declined on their offer due to not having the time to take on another project but, I did give them the number of someone else I knew that would fit the bill perfectly.
That day, that band found a new bass player.
That particular experience got me thinking about the power of networking. I worked out that all of my dealings with the music industry is based on who I know.
People like working with others whom they trust will do the job they want them to do or like recommending others for jobs that they can’t tackle themselves.
I was proud of myself when I heard that the band found their bassist through one of my contacts. I was glad to help someone out.
That’s what networking’s really all about though isn’t it? Helping people?
For anyone who is just starting out my advice is to seek out as many people and go to as many functions and gigs as you can. Immerse yourself in the local music scene.
The more people that know who you are, the more opportunities that will open up for you.
Become the squeaky wheel that gets all of the oil. Have that belief in yourself and dont be afraid of asking questions and attaining knowledge.
One thing that you don’t do however, is that you get to know people for what they can do for you.
Get to know them for who they are as a person. Others can spot your deperation and insincerity a mile away and that is a real turn-off.
Personally I am chuffed when someone asks me for advice or just wants to have a chat about how things are going for them, but only if they are genuine about it.
A great place to start networking would be at open mic nights. I happen to run one myself at the Daniel O’Connell Hotel (165 Tynte Street, North Adelaide) on Wednesday nights from 8:30pm. Feel free to come along and pick my brains.
When you’re at the open mic really get yourself involved, just walk up to someone and say “hi”. Everyone is there for the same reason so there is some common ground to talk about.
Another place to get involved is at a Music Managers Forum meeting or contact your local music or songwriting association. Make yourself known to a few music shops in your area.
The opportunities to expand your circle of contacts is virtually endless.
Remember, the more you network the more you will be known and the more you are known the more work you will get.
In time your little black book of names will become your greatest asset.
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: music business, music marketing, music promotion, music management, indie music, music industry, independent music, corey stewart
Getting Quality Gigs Not Quantity Gigs
“Treat your fans like gold because without them, you dont have a career”
Indie music bands and artists want the same thing as their record company sponsored contemporaries. A crowd to play in front of.
It took me a while to realise that it’s not how many shows you play but how many people come to them that’s important.
I’m not sure what the indie music business is like in the US, Canada or the UK when it comes to playing gigs as I have not been there (yet) but I know in Australia we still have venues that pay guarantees for bands to play.
This is great because you know exactly how much you are going to be paid at the end of the night for the service that you are providing.
What it can also do is lull you into a false sense of security by thinking that the more shows you play the better off you are.
That maybe true if every show that you play has a guarantee but what happens if you have to charge at the door and you haven’t cultivated a fanbase as yet?
I learnt this lesson pretty quickly. Let me tell you a little story.
In 1994 I moved from Adelaide to Sydney to further my music career and had the opportunity to get my own band together with a couple of really good players.
For the first time it was up to me to get the gigs as I considered myself pretty good with the “gift of the gab”. With that in mind I went out and got a lot of gigs for the next three months.
I was buoyed by the fact that I was part of a “working band” but I wasn’t prepared for what happened next. It ended up that the band was basically paying to play and we were losing money. FAST!
Because I spent all of my efforts in getting the gigs I forgot to develop a strategy to actually get people to the gigs. When we did play shows we didn’t have a mailing list to communicate with our audience about future gigs.
I then realised that the most important thing was not how many gigs you played but the amount of people you played to. Very soon after this realisation I started a mailing list and started to cultivate a fanbase.
Every gig or performance that you do needs to have some sort of reason behind it. As soon as you start saying to yourself that the gig is just there to do then you are not doing yourself (and your audience) any favours whatsoever.
It’s pretty lonely up there on stage when you have to charge money at the door and there are only three people (besides the band and a couple of mates that you let in for free) in the audience.
Think of every audience member as someone who can bring along at least five friends to the next show. Make every gig count. Focus on the quality, not the quantity.
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: indie music, independent music, music industry, music business, music marketing, music promotion, orangutang music, corey stewart
Indie Music Industry – Knowledge Is Power
Too much information is much better than not having enough.
If you are going to create a career for yourself in the global music industry, first you must understand how the industry works.
Here is probably the most important music industry tip you’ll ever recieve:
“Join up and subscribe to every indie music industry and DIY band promotion email list, newsletter and resource that you can get your hands on and read everything that you recieve”.
I really mean it when I say that too much information is better than not enough.
If something you joined up or subscribed to is not giving you the information that you need then you can just opt out or un-subscribe.
Read what you recieve, make notes, ask yourself if it’s relevent for you and where you live. Integrate the information into your life.
The only way to gain this knowledge is by research, and having intimate knowledge of your local music scene and becoming very active in it. Here are some ways that you can do this:
1. Start reading the music magazines in your area.
Local street press is an invaluable tool in letting you know what is going on in the local industry. Generally these magazines have features/interviews with local bands, a gig guide (great for targeting where to play), industry news and so on.
2. Go and see some local bands.
Check out your competition (I mean that as a figure of speech the most important thing about a healthy indie music industry is the community that builds from the music and the people who play it), introduce yourself, get out there amongst it all and immerse yourself in the vibe.
Get familiar with the places these bands play at and know who to talk to when it’s your turn to play there.
3. If there are music associations where you live, join them.
Seek out anything that supports indie music on an association level and join up.
If it costs money to do that then do it (generally its not an expensive exercise). Joining these types of associations instantly gives you a sense of community and solidarity. Also the amount of information you will gain about your local area will be huge.
4. If these local organisations have websites then bookmark them.
Need I say more on this topic. Most websites for offline organisations offer more to online users.
It pays to be an active online user. One advantage that comes to mind is the fact that you are able to participate in forums and messageboards which, in time will become powerful DIY marketing tools for you.
You got to start somewhere and the best place to start is with your own local area. As you expand your knowledge base you will work out ways to further your career and hopefully a snowball effect will start.
This website/blogs purpose is to help you on your journey by providing you with information to make informed choices as to where you want to go in this indie music industry.
If you have any questions you can always contact me.
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: indie music, music business, music industry, music management, music marketing, music promotion, independent music, corey stewart
Indie Music Industry – You Got To Believe In Yourself
“Whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you’ll be right everytime.”
The only thing that matters at the end of the day is the amount of belief that you have in yourself and the music you create
Let’s face it, without that belief, you don’t have a career.
I have been involved in the music industry for twenty years however, I’ve only really belived in myself over the past five years and in that five years I’ve achieved much more than the fifteen years preceding that.
I don’t remember that moment when I finally climbed up the top of a mountain and put my flag of belief into the summit but I remember the feeling of knowing that it was okay to be doing what I am doing and, most importantly, it was okay to be ME.
I can’t tell you how to believe in yourself, only you can do that but I can tell you that if you are lacking in belief then you are not alone.
We live in a world that is not overly tolerant to artistic endeavours. I mean just the other day I had someone ask me at a party.
Q – “What do you do for a living?”
A – “I am a musician”
Q – “Oh, that’s nice. So what is it that you really do?”
That really threw me back. I was initially insulted but I proudly answered that being a musician was my ‘real job’.
We as musicians are always being told that we:
1. Can never make a living out of a hobby
2. Need something to fall back on
3. Should go and get a real job.
If you do have a day job, fantastic.
I’m not telling you to give it up all I’m saying is that when you have belief in yourself and what you do any decision that you make is made for you only, not to please well meaning friends or family.
Be proud of what you do but don’t be too proud to not take advice from people that have trodden the path that you’re about to take.
Use this website/blog for instance to ask any question that you want. I will only give you encouragement because I have been there myself.
Always remember, no matter how many articles you read, how many courses you take, how many bands you play in or how many gigs you do, you can’t get others to believe in you unless you start believing in yourself.
Starting today, go and look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you deserve to be a musician and that you are not going to feel guilty about it.
After that its time to go forth and ROCK (or country or punk or whatever you do)!!!
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: indie music, music business, music promotion, music industry, music marketing, music management, independent music, corey stewart
Orangutang Music – What Is It Anyway?
The Global Music Industry is a HUGE place
My name is Corey Stewart. I am a Singer/Songwriter/Musician from Australia and owner of Orangutang Music.
This is my way of helping independent songwriters and musicians get seen and heard online. I like to think that Orangutang Music helps independent musicians to help themselves.
No matter where you are in the world.
This website and music business blog is first and foremost, my way of showcasing what Orangutang Music can do for you.
I also want it to be a hub of relevent music business information gleaned from my own experiences or from my online research so we can all make some sense of this huge global music industry that we’ve chosen to be involved with.
Whether you’ve just stated out on your independent music journey or, you’ve been in the scene for years, you would’ve noticed that the global music industry seems like a large machine churning out artists and bands of all types and genres.
With the advent of the internet, music from all over the world has now a forum in which to present itself. It’s an exciting time to be independent at the moment.
Trying to pinpoint information on items of interest in the fields of music promotion, music marketing, music management and independent music can a very daunting task.
Hence why I created Orangutang Music.
I wanted a music industry resource that can help out as many artists, bands and musicians as possible. This is also an attempt by me to learn more about an industry I love to work in so lets all learn together.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the blog posts that’ll be coming your way in the near future. Who knows, what I put on this site may contain the exact information that you’re looking for.
Have a look at the services that Orangutang Music offers you and contact me if there’s anything you’d like me to do to help you, help yourself.
If you’ve anything questions that you want answered or, you have an article idea that you want me to follow up on or, have an article that you want me to include on this site, just let me know and we will work something out.
We are all in this music industry together, always remember that.
Until next time,
Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music
Keywords: indie music, music business, music promotion, music industry, music management, independent music, orangutang music, corey stewart
Contact Details
Search
Pages
Archives
- September 2008 (1)
- August 2008 (9)
- July 2008 (9)
- May 2008 (1)
Categories
- Band Stuff (7)
- Indie Music (4)
- Live Music (1)
- Music Business (9)
- Music Industry (5)
- Music Networking (3)
- Orangutang Music (1)
- Uncategorized (2)
No shows booked at the moment.