6 Tips to Build a Network in the Music Industry

02-Mar-2021 By Brandy Corlett Leave a Comment

Every artist or band has to network to be successful in the music industry. Networking is critical to have a music career. Communication, marketing yourself, and patience are beneficial to expanding your goals and building your community. The following six tips will help you to make a connection with other musicians.

In Person
In person is the best way to build a relationship. Show enthusiasm when initiating a conversation and include questions that are thoughtful.

Attend Concerts
This is a great way to network as a beginner. Most likely, you will want to start small by networking at local concerts, then attend bigger events such as festivals and conferences.

Target Audience
Communicate with your fans through your email list and street team to spread the word about your music, concerts, contests etc. Remember to always keep your old fans and new audience informed about the latest news weekly/monthly.

Maintain Contacts
Once you have new contacts, don’t hesitate to send a short email to say that it was a pleasure to meet them. This is an opportunity to follow up on anything discussed face to face and arrange another meeting.

Promote Music
Write, create, and promote music that will excite people to draw them in. You want people to love your music as much as you do and make an instant and lasting impression of who you are as an artist/band.

Social Media
Networking on social media is the easiest way to network with musicians. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram make it accessible to instantly connect and communicate with your local music scene.

youbloom CityReps can help by promoting shows.

Never miss an opportunity to network and create a new relationship with someone. It’s great to have contacts; remember to share as well. Most importantly, enjoy meeting new people and creating new opportunities. Best of all, look forward to having long-lasting connections throughout your music career.

How To Plan A Concert Tour

28-Jan-2021 By Leave a Comment

(Picture via eventbrite.co.uk)

An estimated 5% of total revenue from the music industry goes to emerging artists, meaning it can be hard to get show opportunities. Our mission at youbloom is to showcase these artists. With COVID affecting the music industry, revenue is more important than ever for all performers. When looking over revenue for the overall industry, over 75% of the overall industry money goes to a few hundred superstars.

Adopt-a-Band helps with lowering costs for artists

Many things impact a live performance. Artist/band partnerships can occur by using the Adopt-a-Band program to lower tour costs for youbloom partner artists. As one band assists another band or artist in taking care of costs, they earn transferable “Adopt a Band”points that can be used with other bands who adopt them in return. It is a system that allows everyone involved to get benefits no matter what.

Street Teams spread the word about performances

Even if live shows are COVID limited, touring costs are always a worry. youbloom encourages fans to join in promoting music via the Street Team program, which gives fans a chance to spread the word about an artist’s music no matter their location and earn rewards in the process. Live performance does not have to be limited to the hometown of an artist, Street Teams, groups of fans who are promoting artists in their respective cities, can help in spreading the word and getting more fan requests for artists who might be able to perform down the road.

Ticket Sales are critical in determining profit

Ticket sales are central in determining profits from a concert. Networks like youbloom can positively influence how many fans attend your performance. youbloom allows fans to request concerts and give their favorite bands more exposure as a result. By increasing fan requests, youbloom gives CityReps the confidence that they will sell out a show they put on with youbloom.

CityReps help promote concerts when no one else might

With fan, artist requests, youbloom promoters can find the right artists to book.. These promoters, CityReps, are located in different cities worldwide. Concert requests make them aware of the right acts to showcase.

youbloom can assist in all parts of getting a concert together

If you are having trouble finding someone to book shows for you, youbloom can be a great way to go. Just sign up on youbloom.com to get started. There is plenty of guidance available to take you through the steps to getting booked into shows and tours.

Getting A Record Label Deal: Musician’s Guide

15-Jul-2020 By Leave a Comment

(Post Via Michele Enoch) One of the most important things that artists look for when starting out is a record label. A label is very important to many artists and they always aspire to get one. A record label deal is a great thing to have but is not always needed. This article will start with what labels help out with and then list ways to get a label and how to do things on your own.

Record Labels:

Labels help with so many things. They help you pay for things such as tours, merchandise, and recording. They also help with creating shows and other performers to work with. Labels also help with distribution and marketing. They do a lot of the business side so you don’t have to.

YouTube:

YouTube is a great way to get your music noticed. Record labels go there looking for what’s new and making waves. It shows a lot about you and your music. Live videos will show them how fans and people react to you as well as show your stage presence. Music videos show your artistic side and even what your songs are about. They’re easy to link to and easy to find.

Good Music:

Having good music will intrigue them. You want something that will stick with them and they won’t forget you. The more you make unforgettable music, the more likely they’ll want to check you out. It can’t just be good to you. It has to be good to everyone. Have honest friends listen to your music and tell you what they think about it. Have music that stands out and doesn’t sound like everything else out there. There are popular sounds out there, but you still want to stand out amongst those sounds.

Live Shows:

You never know who’s going to show up to a live show. Labels will sometimes send out their A&R people and sometimes they’ll just show up on their own terms. You can always go to music industry conferences, such as SXSW, or find a local venue that holds industry night shows. There will be some venues who have nights where people from the industry will show up to check out a new artist. Most of the time you will have to bring a significant amount of people in order to just play there.

Contacting Record Labels:

When contacting record labels, you want to make sure you are contacting the right label for you. You want to make sure the label is helping out other artists like yourself and working in the same genre. Always look over the website before sending anything in. It will show you a lot about the company. It will show you what kind of music they work with, who’s on their roster, and how to send your music to them. Every A&R person will have a way they want you to send in music. If it doesn’t say, send them a link to your Spotify, Bandcamp or SoundCloud.

If a record label doesn’t respond right away, don’t get give up hope. They are most likely busy with other artists sending in their music and plenty of other things their job requires them to do. After a week or two, you can send in a follow-up email to remind them that you are still out there. Be respectful and understanding when doing so.

Website:

Owning a website is always a great thing to have. It has everything in one place. Links to music, videos, social media, merchandise, and news. Labels will be able to go to one place to get everything they need. There are plenty of domain owning sites out there to help you, you just have to find the right one for you. Like everything, shop around before settling with just one.

Artwork:

Artwork can be anything, it just needs to catch the eye of the people you want. Come up with a logo that is pleasing, eye-catching, and shows what your music is about. It can be very basic or very extravagant. Photos are the next things you need. It can be artsy and help show things about you. Shows how you look and describes the music you produce. Filters help show more than what a basic photograph can.

Independent:

Record Labels are now looking for artists who can handle things on their own. They will be there to help you out, but only after you are signed. They want you to be able to do things on your own before signing and even after signing. You have to know how to get fans on your own, have some music already recorded, and how to handle things that come to your music. Shows how passionate you are about your music and that you don’t have to rely on others to get things done.

Build Relationships:

Relationships are the most important thing in any business. It builds a connection between yourself and the other person. Try to build one with anyone at the label. Be genuine about it. Talk to them about themselves and get to know them. They will be more willing to help you with what you need. Don’t assume they are going to help just because you are being friendly. That should be left up to them. Do this before sending in music, otherwise, it might not work out the right way. Follow them on social media accounts and strike up conversations with them about some of their posts. It may take a while, but it will be worth it in the end. If the company is near you, go in and try talking to them face to face. Keep going in and trying to talk to their A&R person and become friends with everyone in the office, including the receptionist. Sometimes connecting with the first person you see when walking in is the best.

Looking for the right record label takes time and patience. Make sure you are ready before looking for one and have all the details about what you are looking for and what they are looking for. Build relationships and connect with them. Have followers and music to send them. You want to make sure they stay interested and won’t forget you.

Networking and making friends is crucial and takes a lot of work and dedication. If you’re looking for a simpler way to join these networks, check out youbloom Connect and/ or sign up here: https://www.youbloom.com/artist-apply/ where you can get partnered to perform with other local artists, build a steady fan-base, and even get your band on the road. Whether you reach out or decide to do it alone, do yourself a favor: get out more and meet like-minded people. Many of them might not be your next musical partner in crime, but the worst that’ll happen is you’ll have more friends.

About the Author

Michele Enoch is a music business graduate from Musicians Institute who has managed and promoted bands for years. She is now working on her photography and helping performers advance in their careers. Her passion has always been music and she is exploring all aspects of the industry. Michele appreciates all kinds of music and seeing music in all kinds of environments. She enjoys crocheting hats and toys, reading and writing mystery and horror stories, taking pictures of everything she can, food from around the world, and adorable animals. She is always on the lookout for anything new and exciting.

Beginner Drummer? First, Choose The Right Drums

08-Jun-2020 By Leave a Comment

As a beginner drummer, not only do you give the lesson provider a problem but also the drum set you will be working with. The former is not really something which should bother you because availing drum lessons in anywhere in the world is not that difficult given that a lot of establishments offer this service within the area. As for the latter, buying the right drums could indeed be both a confusing and exciting moment for a newbie drummer. Darren Perkins is a drummer and the owner of Red Drum Music Studio. A studio that teaches drum lessons to the people of Melbourne, Australia. He shares his knowledge and expertise through teaching and writing articles.

Although drum teachers or tutors usually provide a drum set within their facilities wherein they teach newbies, many still prefer buying their own drum set so that they can practice at home. If you prefer to have a set of your own, it is highly suggested that you invest time and effort in researching various drums that can satisfy the needs of a beginner while taking into consideration the price, features, and suggestions of your drum lesson provider. Drum teachers can help you in choosing the right drum set because they can basically give pointers on what a beginner should look for when buying your first drum set.

Before getting into detail as to which to choose, it would be best to be knowledgeable of the basic components of a drum set. It is composed of the bass drum, snare drum, and toms. For more sophisticated ones, it may include cymbals and hardware. Since there are a lot of possible configurations for a drum set, you should narrow it down to the configuration which fits a beginner. For newbies, the basic 4-piece drum set, if recommended. It includes a snare drum, a bass drum, a floor tom, and a mounted tom. These four components can provide for all the basic sounds needed. Aside from this, a 4-piece set only requires minimal space, portable, and highly affordable. All of these without compromising the sound produced for this basic set works well with either jazz or rock styles.

The tricky part in choosing the right drums for you is when you assemble seemingly different pieces into your own set. This includes the hardware like the stand and pedals making the drum set more complicated and more sophisticated. However, the hardware should not be confused with mere holders for toms. Choosing your drum hardware can be challenging but is made less complicated by the fact that it can come in “shell packs.” This pack is composed of a hi-hat stand, a bass drum pedal and stand for the snare drum. Some packs include two cymbal stands. Buyers should be wary on whether or not the drum set being bought includes a hardware pack already so there will be no need for additional expense for a shell pack. It might be hard to believe but most of the drum sets do not include the sticks. You generally separately buy it.

There is a wide range of drum sets you can choose from but you can narrow it down based on either the components or the needs you have to meet (the genre of songs you need to cover or play). However, you should not be discouraged. Shops or drum lesson teachers can be of great help in choosing the perfect drum kits which not only give off a good sound but also match your current capability as a drummer and of course your budget.

youbloom is a platform that helps you as an artist to grow, sign up here and find out more: https://www.youbloom.com/artist-apply/

If you enjoy this blog about music and want to know more about youbloomConnect be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Super-Fan: How To Engage A Solid Fan Base

06-May-2020 By Leave a Comment

(Post Via Josey Dunbar) Contrary to popular belief, a super-fan is not always a crazed group of followers or a die-hard groupie. Josey Dunbar explains to us how all brands have super-fans. They’re a key component in building and sustaining a successful career by engaging a solid fanbase.

How do you build one that attracts a super-fan (s).

The term ‘Super-Fan’ refers to an individual who supports a brand and everything that the brand produces. Artists depend on super-fans as a bedrock of support. When on tour, a band can trust that their super-fans will show up, buy merch, and by tweeting about the show long after it’s over. When bands establish a healthy base of super-fans, they are establishing a continuous body of support that can last throughout their careers.

From Starbucks to your local coffee shop that plays nothing but bluegrass, all brands attract super-fans. This comes down to the fact that people are drawn to originality. Every brand needs its own niche to attract a sustaining number of super-fans.

Who will your super-fans be?

Before a company, artist or individual can successfully attract, engage, and retain super-fans they must have a well-established brand. At the end of the day, there are billions of different people in the world with trillions of different interests; this means every brand that successfully markets a clear and individual niche has a high likelihood of attracting super-fans.

Whether you’re trying to market your sound or attract a wider demographic of ticket-buyers, your brand begins with your unique offerings and intended audience. Detecting what sets you apart is the quickest way to identify the basis for your brand.

After establishing a solid brand with individualized characteristics that will attract super-fans, the task becomes maintaining engagement from those fans. This maintained loyalty is often seen when artists create personal relationships with fans and release a steady flow of their branded product (shows, recorded music, etc.). In addition to establishing these bonds, the branded product must retain its super-fan as the brand grows.

Joining a community with inter-industry connections can make a huge difference too. Today, a lot of artists are finding security in artist networks, like youbloomConnect, which help bands grow their fanbase and develop their brand through artist-partnering and co-marketing tactics. Definitely check out our guide to how youbloomConnect works if you want to learn more about our strategy.

Ultimately, developing a brand comes down to originality. Pursuing what sets you apart and working to maintain relations with super-fans as your brand-base expands will ensure your success in the future marketing of your music.

youbloom is a platform that helps you as an artist to grow, sign up here and find out more: https://www.youbloom.com/artist-apply