Are you an independent artist looking for promotion or someone to help you get the most out of your own recordings? You might consider contacting Alexis at Birds Eye Media.

BEM works with each band or artist that contacts them one on one and figure out a game plan to help each band reach it’s potential. The advice is free, but one of the coolest things we do is take recordings that the artist has done either in the studio or at home and can either mix, remix, and/or master the tracks so they are radio ready.

Want some more info, contact Alexis.

Back in 2004 or early 2005 we had an opportunity to interview Brett, one of the founding fathers of purevolume.com.

As this interview has moved to the back of the site, I wanted to post this message as a reminder of our interview. It is still very interesting now even though PV has grown to be a very big player on the Internet.

You can find the interview with Brett Woitunski here.

We hear the term “indie” bounced around a lot these days. It’s become quite a trendy word (although some of us have been preaching about it for more years than most). So, let me ask you …

What’s your definition of indie?

Many people think of it as a reference to a musician, small record label or film company without an affiliation with a major corporation. That’s true, but I believe it has a much deeper meaning than that.

(By the way, “indie” is an abbreviation for “independent.” The “ie” at the end is the proper spelling, as opposed to “indy,” which is usually a reference to Indiana or Indianapolis — as in the Indy 500. There’s your grammar lesson for the day

I think of indie in much the same way I think of the term “guerrilla.” It’s more than a simple, surface-level reference to your financial backing. I believe it’s a state of mind and a way of life you must bring to your entire pursuit of music.

The best way to explain my angle on this is to use an acronym. So here’s my definition of I-N-D-I-E, with every letter standing for a separate concept (and I didn’t even use the word “independent,” which was tempting considering I had two I’s to work with).

I - Inspired
To embrace the indie frame of mind, you must be inspired. You have to know in your gut that music is what you are meant to do. You must become energized when writing, recording and performing your music. Hopefully, this is something you already experience fully, without having to force yourself to feel that way.

When this kind of natural inspiration comes over you, it’s a sure sign that you’re on the right path. And you will need this desire to carry you through the ups and downs of pursuing the independent music path.

N - Nontraditional
Indie musicians don’t mind learning about what has come before, and they are happy to listen to the “rules” that others say are required to have a successful music career. However, the smartest indie artists keep their minds flexible and constantly ask questions about how the supposed “rules” of the past really apply to them. They actually develop a mindset that seeks out the road less traveled. And when they spot a good idea that’s off the traditional path, they fearlessly go after it without apologies.

D - Determined
Successful indie artists are fixated on their goals and determined to reach them. They still leave room to veer from the original plan, when needed, but they are steadfast in their desire to produce more and better music, reach more fans, sell more CDs, etc. With this attitude, obstacles become short-term learning experiences along the road to higher levels of success.

I - Innovative
Being an indie means thinking outside of the proverbial box and looking at fresh opportunities from every angle. It means not promoting yourself the same way a thousand other acts have done it. It means being resistant to knee-jerk marketing tactics and open to new ideas and overlooked avenues for exposure.

E - Empowered
Indie musicians don’t wait for someone or something else to come along and rescue them. They don’t pray for a “lucky break” or to “be discovered.” They know to the core that the power to succeed with their music resides inside of them. And they understand that it’s their mission to tap into that personal power and use it to share their music with the world.

Let’s recap my definition of INDIE:

I - Inspired
N - Nontraditional
D - Determined
I - Innovative
E - Empowered

Print this article and pin it up where you’ll see it every day.

Being INDIE has nothing to do with what company you are or are not affiliated with. It has everything to do with how much you take control of your own life and take steps to build the kind of music career you deserve.

- - - - -

Bob Baker is the author of “Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook,” “Unleash the Artist Within” and “Branding Yourself Online.” He also publishes TheBuzzFactor.com, a web site and e-zine that deliver marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and other empowering messages to music people of all kinds. Get your FREE subscription to Bob’s e-zine by visiting http://TheBuzzFactor.com today.

Beware! The following may initially upset and frustrate you but you need to read this all the way through!
Motivation. Where did it go? What? What do you mean? I spent all this time recording a new CD, manufacturing it and now playing shows. Just because it’s not selling the way that I want it to I’m not upset about it. Am I?

When you seem to lose your motivation for your music or your art it becomes a confusing time. As artists we become everything from frustrated and rattled by it to a state of mind where we are unmotivated and depressed. But where did it come from? You spent days and weeks writing songs and fine tuning them to capture the experiences and elements of life that have impacted you enough that you had to express them. Once you had them down the way you wanted them, you decided they had to be recorded in the studio so you could put out a new CD for others to hear them. After all, these songs are much better than your previous material. (Sounds familiar?) Then you made a decision to save money from your day job, borrow from friends or family or even pre-sell CDs to pay for the studio and manufacturing of your new CDs. Then after months of hard work and frustration in the studio, at work and with the manufacturer, your new CDs arrived. Boxes of them.

You gave some out to your family and friends or sold them a few of the initial copies. You sent out an emailer to your mailing list and said check out my new CD on my site and come buy one. Maybe a few did but not hundreds. Then you put them on other music sites that sell CDs. It should have sold hundreds or thousands of copies. After all they claim to have thousands or even millions of customers. But again that didn’t seem to work either. But that’s okay, you just need to play a CD release party and hit your mailing list again and send an invitation to the various press people about the show and hundreds of people will show up! However that didn’t work the way it was supposed to either because most of the initial 1,000 CDs are still sitting there on your floor.

The next step you tried was to hire a radio promoter or publicist (who really aren’t and who don’t care about CD sales). You paid them thousands of dollars to get you college or low ranking commercial stations to play your CD for a few weeks in cities and states where you can’t even travel to play shows or for 2-3 sentence write ups in publications that didn’t generate any new fans at your site or at shows. And now you are becoming unmotivated and frustrated because after they “supposedly” did their job, you still didn’t sell hundreds of CDs. Even after more shows in our hometown and more promotion to your mailing list you don’t seem to be selling very much!

If this sounds familiar to you, you are not alone! This is what I hear from almost every artist that contacts me and wants me to help them. How do I fix this scenario so the artists become more successful? I work with them on the following.

1. This is your passion.
As artists the first thing we have to do is stop taking the rejection we receive as something personal. Instead of learning from what we are not doing to effectively tell people about the messages in our songs, we see them not paying attention or not wanting to hear our music as a personal attack. This includes the media not wanting to write about us or our upcoming shows or play our songs on the radio to people not coming to shows or even if they do, not wanting to buy your CD afterwards. The first step in solving the problems mentioned here is to stop doing what you are doing.

Throw away your press kit and one sheet that “supposed” publicists and radio promotion people think is right (but only signifies you as a non-priority that people can ignore) and create an Artist Profile. One that talks about who you are as an artist and what your music is about. Two, use what’s in your Artist Profile at shows. Don’t play the same shows as before, give people you. 45 minutes of music is not going to motivate people to buy CDs. Learn to interact with them before, during and after your shows.

2. Reconnect with the reasons why you wrote the songs.
What inspired you to work that crappy day job and save money to record these songs in the first place! What motivated you to keep going when it looked like you wouldn’t get the project done? Where did that go? Nowhere. It’s still inside of you! Just waiting for you to bring it out.

3. To reactivate your passion and inspire you to stop sitting around and making the same mistakes, we must change your focus.
You will now focus only on the things that will get people to shows, get you exposure in your home city and generate sales. First, a new specific marketing plan that will focus on how to double your fan base that actually comes to shows. Second, a small list of daily actions you can take with the limited time you have to promote your music. For example, researching the media in your home city and what are they writing about or what they are playing on the radio these days. Who is drawing most of the music fans in town to their shows and how are they doing it? You must focus on the things that will work right now. Mailing CDs around the country where you can’t put them in stores, play shows or won’t get enough attention that it will generate any online sales either isn’t.

4. Interrupt your pattern.
If you can’t think of new ideas sitting at home then do what successful people do, leave. Go to the gym (another place you promised to go to); go outside, to a coffeehouse, the park or go play golf instead. Change your environment and you will begin to remember what inspired you to take this path.

5. Understand that this is your passion. Not others.
You must communicate it to people whether in person or in writing. Who cares what other people think is right or wrong for you. Be bold and passionate. You wanted to influence people with your music and change them, do it by showing that same passion everyday! Hand out CD samplers every week so you can meet new people and let them know what you are doing. Play shows in new places.

The passion you have for your music is still in you! You just to find it again. Here’s two ways you can find it right now. One, my two audio books, Guide To Releasing Independent Records Part 2 (which is NOT the same as the first one) will give you new promotion and marketing ideas you can use in the next few minutes. It will also help you write your first draft of an Artist Profile and help you create the materials you need to talk about your music. My other new audio book, Understanding Who You Are As An Artist (which seems to be everyone’s favorite), will give you specific ideas of what you need to do to more effectively communicate your passion to people and get yourself remotivated when you are frustrated or depressed. Both of these audio books are designed for you to be able to take the ideas and work with them immediately. You can order them through this link: http://www.TSAMusic.com/products.asp

The second way I can help you is directly. The books will help you get going again and will be a great source of ideas you can listen to again and again, but sometimes you need someone who has been through it to help you create a specific plan. A plan that you can actually do and write the material with you and help you accomplish the things you want to do so you can sell the first 1,000 CDs and start to influence people in your home town like you wanted to. I have helped and continue to help thousands of artists in these very areas and help them get on the path they need to sell more CDs and accomplish what they want with their music. Call me at 951-303-9506 or mail me your CD and promo material to the following address.

Tim Sweeney
TSA
31805 HWY 79 South #551
Temecula, CA 92592.

Include a note or a copy of this email in it. I will be happy to review your CD and promo material and let you know how I can help you.

Best Regards,
Tim Sweeney

You’re in a band and everyone wants to get serious, but you’re not sure what to do? Here are some helpful suggestions:

PRACTICE. You will get nowhere if you do not have the musical ability to back it up. Even if you’re playing pop punk, you better be the tightest band out there, with the ability to sing. An energetic performance is what makes people take notice. If you aren’t confident on stage, it will reflect in your performance.

RECORD. Now you’ve got a good 8-10 songs together that are well rehearsed, it’s time to record all of them, find a friend or a cheap studio to record your best 5 or 6 songs, then take the 3 that came out the best and press a short demo CD that sounds like you. This is what will open doors and get the word out. The CD should look semi-professional, and include all your contact information on the disc itself. Remember, this is your demonstration, not your artsy full length.

ORGANIZE. Before you can begin to book shows outside your hometown, and be successful, get together a clean, easy to navigate website. Have as much fun as you want with it, but keep in mind that accessible information is essential. Have your mp3s online for free (www.purevolume.com is a good place to start). When booking shows, promoters will go right for the mp3s, and if they like them they’ll check out the rest of the site. Your website should be an online press kit that includes a short descriptive bio that describes what the band has accomplished. It should mention where the band has performed, any notable achievements (record sales, tours, etc), and the band’s goal (to play music and have fun? get across an idea? represent something? etc….) A hi-resolution press photo should be easily accessible from the site to be downloaded for magazines, newspapers, and flyers. A pre-made flyer is also a good idea; something for someone to download and just scribble the show information on. CONTACT INFO EVERYWHERE ON THE SITE IS A MUST. People have to be able to get a hold of you. Anything else on the site is extra…and people like extra stuff, videos, flashy animations etc… but none of that is essential. Now you will want to begin playing shows outside your area. Get some friends to help with booking, press, and public relations…and try to keep playing music the whole time.

BOOKING. Definitely about who you know. Start by playing weekend shows that are short drives away. Remember every city is a completely different crowd even if it’s only 45 minutes away from the next one. There is no need to drive across the country if people in your own state don’t know who you are. Pick 12-20 areas that are a weekends drive away from where you live, and contact other bands in those areas. They will be excited to play with another band that isn’t from their town, and will help you get a show if you return the favor. Start to play these places regularly, going back to the same town every couple of months. If one person sees you and really really likes the show, they’ll tell ten of their friends. After you’ve established yourself in these areas, you can book a tour of a week or two and play the same 12-20 places right in a row and actually make some money.

MAILING LISTS. Start one and have a sign-up sheet at every show you play, even if it’s your hometown. It’s the only way to make sure everyone who wants to remain informed stays informed.

BOOKING ETTIQUITTE. Don’t be a rock star. You’re one of ten thousand guys who’s in a band so why should a promoter pay you anything at all? Ask for gas money and offer to be as helpful as possible in terms of promoting the show, press kits, and news releases. If you’re not sure how to write a press release, go to http://www.cucliscommunications.com/newsrels.html and learn. Many promoters don’t care and will not promote your show so it’s up to you to fill the venue. After you’ve proven yourself in an area and are drawing a decent crowd to your shows you can ask for more money and actually get it.

MERCH. This is where you make money. Make inexpensive t-shirts, CDs, pins, stickers, etc. This is also your best advertising, people love when they’re asked, “What’s your shirt mean?” They’ll talk about when they saw your band play and that will get more people interested. It’s also what labels look for when they begin to seek out a band. They’re interested in who’s doing work on their own, and when they repeatedly see kids each day wearing your band’s shirt, they’re going to realize something’s catching on.

FUNDING. Everyone wants to be serious but never has any money. Well, credit can be a wonderful thing …if used wisely. Wait for a good deal from a place like Guitar Center, who are constantly offering one year same as cash sales. If you buy something on credit today, you don’t have to pay a dime for another year. But if you pay off the gear before one year has passed, you’re earning good credit and you haven’t paid a cent of interest.
Invest in some merch, stock up on shirts, and keep them affordable. You’ll make money if you sell them at every show. Even when only 15 kids are there, you could potentially sell 15 shirts and make $150. PLAY UNIVERSITIES. This is a good place for free exposure and LOTS of money. Universities have budgets they have to spend, so ask for a few hundred dollars, and you’re likely to get it in addition to food and a hotel.

BOOK A TOUR. Now that you’ve established yourself in 15 areas, begin to book a tour. Four months in advance is usually good timing. If you’ve played universities and made a decent amount in merch, you can probably afford a van and/or trailer. You’ll save more in gas if you spend the money and get a durable touring vehicle. If you’ve kept up your relationships with promoters in each area, booking a tour should be relatively easy. You already have your contacts and a good reputation. Avoid drives longer than four to six hours and keep in mind it doesn’t really matter if you zigzag back and forth as long as you have a show and are getting your gas money and food to eat.

ESTABLISH A CREW. A band can be it’s own management, promotion, and design team for a long time, but get a friend to go on the road with you. An extra person can help sell merch and change your guitar strings if you break one in the middle of a set. Get a few friends who are at home to be there when you need them. Shows will get cancelled when you’re eight hours away from home. Have your friends get on the internet and start making phone calls in case of such an emergency. Just because you’re stuck in a van doesn’t mean your friends are, too.

GET PREPARED TO TOUR.
PRACTICE! Get comfortable with your set so that you can have fun…you’ll be doing it every night.
GET YOUR VEHICLE ROAD READY. Any major repairs, or maintenance, oil changes, etc. Have a spare tire, a jack, and a first aid kit.
HAVE A CELL PHONE.
CONSERVE MONEY. You need to eat but you wont always get paid. Spend your money wisely. Groceries are the healthiest inexpensive option. You can get a loaf of bread for 99 cents and deli meat and some fresh vegetables or fruit for under $7 almost anywhere. If everyone eats you wont have any leftovers to store and you’ll feel good.
MENTALLY PREPARE. Throw the egos out the window. Force yourself to get along with everyone. You’ll be within ten feet of four other people 24 hours a day 7 days a week for as long as your on tour. Be prepared for that.
COMMUNICATE. If someone’s having a problem, talk it out immediately. Don’t let emotions build up to the point where they explode. Things like the way a person breathes will begin to irritate you. Get over it.
KEEP RECORDS. Keep a log of everywhere you go, who you played with, and contact information of everyone you meet. Keep track of who’s driving, who’s paying for what out of their pocket, and mileage. Save receipts. Eventually you might choose establish the band as a business. If you save your receipts you can get tax deductions later.

Now you’ve toured and made some money, what next?

KEEP DOING IT. If you’re doing things right and have the songs to back you up, you should notice an increase in attendance at your shows in areas you play periodically, and an increase in revenue. Keep going out a little farther each time to new places, and keep playing the old ones. Record a long EP, or a full length independently. Talk to recording majors at nearby colleges. Most will jump at the chance to record a full band. MAKE SURE TO GET THE RECORD SOUNDSCAN BARCODED. Be sure to copyright it and sign up with a licensing organization like ASCAP or BMI. You can track sales on the road with forms that are signed by the promoter to verify how many CDs you sold. Labels watch these stats religiously.

BE ASSERTIVE. Sending your CD to labels and waiting for a record deal is a waste of time. If you have a contact there, contact them, and then follow up on everything. If you get a buzz going, labels WILL come to you. Keep pushing your way onto bigger shows anyway you can. Keep sending out news releases and generating your name in print.

Remember, you’re unsigned but that doesn’t mean much. A band that believes in itself is more powerful than a label that believes in a band. It just takes a bit more work to get to the top. Labels can help, but the record industry is a dying one. You can reach a huge fan base through the internet and mp3s. You’ll make your money by playing shows and selling merch, not CDs. Remember that your music is the meat of your band, so CDs are important but not where you’ll make your profit.