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Street Team: How To Get An Army For Your Band

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(Post via Ryan Stable, written by Michele Enouch) Having a street team is a great way to promote. You have less stress and things to worry about, and most fans are more than willing to help out. Just make sure you are ready and prepared before starting a street team. Is your music good enough yet? Do you have the money to purchase promoting material? Do you have anything to promote? All of those are crucial to have before starting a street team. Always make sure that people know you have a street team and that you’re always recruiting people for it.

Online Street Team

When starting a street team, it is best to start online. The fans who signed up for your email list are best to start off with because they are already invested in you and are keeping up on you. It will be easier to contact those people and you can invite them individually. A social media street team should be done next. There are ways you can make forms for them to fill out on your social media and make multiple ways for them to join. It’s also easy for fans to keep up to date and for you to post tasks for them to do. It will also help your email list grow. Having members post things at the same time on multiple social medias will help give you more of a buzz and will get others interested. Getting an online street team gives you a wider range of things to do. You can have fans share videos, tweeting and re-tweeting, and share posts. It’s a great way to get feedback on things that you want to do. They can help you decide and create posters and shirts, as well as coming up with new merchandise to sell.

Offline Street Team

Having a street team on the streets is still very important. It’s a lot easier to find out what place you’re more popular online so you know where to start the street team. You want to find fans who are willing to go out and post fliers or pass out stickers and talk about you to other people and call up radio stations to request your song. They will make things more personal when promoting and it will help with getting more fans. You have to make sure that you have the money to provide the promotional tools for them to pass out. Asking fans to promote you isn’t all you need to do. You want to make sure to reward them as well since they are using their free time to help promote you. It can be anything. A shirt, tickets, CD, stickers, etc., will all work and will make people want to do more. You can even turn tasks into contests and give out prizes for whoever did the most. Keep them interested to have them want to help you. Make sure not to do give out the same thing too many times or it will get old and they won’t be doing it as much. Make sure to do meet-and-greets with them so you guys can connect and they’ll feel more excited to help.

Engage With Your Street Team 

Finding people who are most influential will help the most. They will be the ones who will talk to people about you and get them interested, whether it’s online or off. They’re the ones that their friends go-to for new music. You want to make sure that when you get people to join your team that they are willing to do things to help you out. You don’t want them to be rude and give you a bad name. They will be trying to help, but you don’t want them to be pushy are make people upset in any way. It will look bad on you. It’s not always easy to monitor that, but when you start hearing about it, you should try to fix it. Always make sure your team members know what you expect them to do for you and the Do’s and Don’ts of what you want before they sign up. And always keep them updated with events or anything coming up.

You want to make sure that there’s always a way for your members to contact you or anyone else. Email is always a great way for them to keep in contact, but creating a FaceBook private group for just the members is a great way for them to keep in touch with each other and get help from each other. Having groups set up for specific cities will help the members feel more connected with each other and can even get together to come up with ideas on what to do. Emails are great for members to report what they’re doing. They can send written reports and photos of what they’re doing. It will help you keep track of what’s going on and where. Having a forum will help each other stay in connect and have easy access to anything they have a question about and maybe even before they ask it. It’s easier to find what they’re looking for.

Make sure to reward them for their help and that they know you appreciate all that they are doing for you. If you get the right people to work on your team, they will do anything to help you out, so you want to make sure you can do anything to show your appreciation. It will be hard to get noticed without their help.

How Independent Musicians Can Build a Street Team is a guest post by Michele Enouch

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 career. 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 look out for anything new and exciting

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. If you are a fan, you can sign up right here: https://www.youbloom.com/request/

 

 

Improve Your Band Rehearsals: 11 Tips On Getting It Right

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(Post via ) So you’ve got a band. You’ve got a following. Heck, you’ve even got goals! But recently, you’ve hit a plateau and just aren’t playing any shows (not your fault at all!). But, maybe you need better sleep or better equipment, or maybe you just need to get…better. Your band needs to go into rehearsals! It’s time to unite this raw artistic fervor into a little something called rehearsal. Conducting an efficient rehearsal is paramount in improving your band’s sound. To help with this, we’ve outlined a few methods to make your sessions run like butter.

1. Scheduling

Step 1: Make a rehearsal schedule –>Step 2: (And this is the hard part) Stick to it. Going into a rehearsal with a plan is often the difference between rich, productive studio time and a jam session with the crew.

2. Build a List of the Songs You Want to Work

The more familiar your band is with the material to be rehearsed, the more songs you can expect to get through. Allot a certain amount of time you plan to spend on each track and stay true to it. Ask yourself: is this session about creating new music, work-shopping what’s already been written, or polishing off the finished stuff?

3. Document Any Issues for Next  Band Rehearsal 

Apps like SetBoss and Musician’s Diary make this easy by providing shareable templates and spreadsheets where you can record tracks directly, arrange them into set lists, log time spent rehearsing each track, and jot down notes as you go. Even a simple to-do list app like Things can streamline the rehearsal by getting the band on the same page through shareable schedules and to-dos.

4. Be mindful of others’ time and chops

Having a scheduled break time somewhere in the middle of the session can prevent burn-out and improve overall focus. Also, be courteous to your band mates when scheduling your rehearsal set list. If your quasi-ska band only requires the horn players in 3 tracks, then put those tracks back-to-back at the beginning so your brass can leave as soon as they’re done, they’ll thank you for it.

5. Warming up

Coming into a rehearsal “cold” can lead to wasted time and possible injury. Warming up effectively sets the tone for the rehearsal and should be used as a period to not only get the blood flowing through the relevant extremities, but as a chance
for the group to settle in and begin listening to one another. Instead of making it a private and rushed affair, factor the warm up into the rehearsal schedule.

Effective warm-ups:
~ Charts or covers familiar to the group
~ 12 bar blues & improvising
~If all else fails, Apps like Scales and Modes or FretBoard provide written and tabulated scales to play through as a group.

6. To Metronome or Not to Metronome?

When not to use one: Don’t even think about it. Tempo inconsistency is the cause for countless musical hiccups and is the ultimate killer of groove. Practice. With. A. Metronome. And, while you might think all metronomes are created equal, there has been an epidemic of stilted, inconsistent metronome apps that have developed along with the smartphone in recent years. We’ve dug through the bad and the laggy to present you some reliable metronomes.

Web: Metronomeonline.com promises a reliable tempo for free and is useful if you have a laptop handy. Free Apps: Metronome Plus (iOS),  Mobile Metronome (Android) Paid Apps: Drum Beats (iOS and Android) it’s $3.99 but includes hundreds of optional drum tracks to replace the standard metronome beat. Physical Metronome: Korg Metronome. This is pretty much the standard for portable metronomes and is a worthy trade-off for the unrelenting accuracy it promises its users. You can find these little guys at any music shop and you should only ever need one. Digital Audio Workstations: Cubase or Logic include metronomes with the most consistent tempos.

7. Pick a Leader

Coming to a consensus on who’s running this thing can prevent an Oasis-style meltdown between band members. Many bands have an unspoken understanding of who is calling the shots but for those who don’t, decide who is going to keep the ball rolling through the rehearsal. You can have one member who always takes on this role or try switching it up from one practice to another.

8. Record Your Band Rehearsals

Like hearing your own voice played back to you, hearing your own music sounding back can be grating at times. Nevertheless, playback is necessary to suss out the problem spots in your sound and be an effective critic of your music. The recording process need not be high-fidelity. This is recording for practical purposes, it’s not going to be your next EP (until it is, of course).  The mic on most phones or laptops is adequate.  Free recording apps:  There is Rev (iOS and Android) or Voice Recorder Pro 7 (iOS). Both apps allow you to transcribe the audio to various formats and export files to Google Drive, Dropbox, and Voice Recorder Pro 7 also exports to Microsoft   OneDrive, Box Cloud, iCloud Drive, and SoundCloud. Handheld Recorders: Zoom makes handy little recorders in different sizes and price and while they cost a bit more than a recording app, on the whole their usability is more far-reaching in that they offer multiple recording channels, easy transfer and saving of files via memory chip, and a bevy of other features for you to peruse.

9. Remote rehearsals 

When the rehearsal time is right but the location is not we must turn to remote rehearsing.Websites like jamkazam offer a platform for musicians to rehearse, record, and join open jam sessions with other musicians from the comfort of their home wifi connection and there is even an app version that promises low-latency. Another route you could go is investing in some hardware like Jamulus or Jam Link which make remote rehearsal work by providing low-latency network audio interface that is able to import and export uncompressed audio up to 500 miles at the highest quality. Think of this as Skype for your band, but with much less lag! Having said that, technology like the Jam Link and Jamulus is not impervious to a poor internet connection. They do require parties at both locations to purchase the necessary hardware so take these things into consideration as you decide on whether remote rehearsals are a must for your band. For more information on the topic you can hop over to this How-To guide on eJamming.

10. Run the Whole Show

This is an important step that often goes overlooked.We spend so much time rehearsing the music that we assume the rest will just fall in place when we’re up on stage. In a final rehearsal, run through the set a couple times. This allows you to work out any kinks in the transitions between tracks. Switching instruments, adjusting balance, and yes, even the banter between you and the keyboardist could really benefit from a practice run.

11. Make time to Jam

Hey, you got everyone using the google calendar to find available practice time, you’ve “woodshedded” those runs before showing up, you kept the rehearsal on the rails; I thought this was supposed to be fun! It is! So spend some time at the end of every rehearsal playing what you want. Whether this is a cover of the newest Yeezy or some Cream,  another lap through the 12-bar blues or something all you own, make time to unwind as a group. Often, it’s here that we stumble upon our next musical invention.

Now go forth and practice wisely!

Maintaining some control of your own booking and touring can be made easy for those who choose to hire manager and those who fly solo through youbloomConnect 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.

Author Bio

Robert Loustaunau is a content writer for youbloom and is a member of the social media team there. He is an avid music maker and listener. He enjoys the simple things in life: coffee, a good book, and quality time with his lovely girlfriend.

How to promote your music and get clients as a songwriter

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(Post via , written by Uche Ibe) How to Promote Your Music – It’s really frustrating, right? You are a songwriter and you write really good songs. People who have listened to your songs such as your friends and family tell you that you have the talent for writing awesome songs and lyrics. But the problem is that you have not been able to get clients to hire you to write songs for them. And this is giving you sleepless nights and leaving you frustrated.

The simple truth is that if you do not know how to promote your music and let people know about the services you offer, then no one will hire you. It’s that simple. In this article I will be showing you some easy ways on How to Promote Your Music and get clients as a songwriter.

1. You need to niche down and dominate it in order to get clients as a songwriter

Before we get started on the tips to market yourself, there is something very important you need to know about. That is you need to pick a niche and then dominate it. By this I simply mean, picking one genre of music and becoming a master there. You do not want to be known as that “music songwriter”, instead you want to be known as that jazz or country or rock music songwriter. By picking a niche and dominating it, you become the go to guy when clients need lyrics in that genre of music. This gives you an edge and helps you stand out amidst the many songwriters out there struggling to get by and will allow you to get clients as a songwriter.

2. You need to go digital to get clients as a songwriter

Thanks to technology and the internet, with a website and written content you can reach millions of people everyday. So you need to take advantage of this opportunity. Start by getting a blog and provide value for your fans and audience. The keyword here is “value”. You want to provide so much value for prospective clients that they see you as an expert and the go-to guy when they need your services. Also by having a website and a blog, you can upload samples of your writings and lyrics that people can download and assess your work. Most importantly, you can begin to build a fan base by collecting email addresses on your website and giving then tips and advice that they can use to stay in touch with you and your brand. By building your fan base you have an army that will spread the word about you to their friends and increase your reach.

3. You need to embrace social media to get clients as a songwriter

Social media is probably the hottest thing right now. If you are looking for the fastest way to spread your name and become known then you need to jump on the social media bandwagon. By having social media profiles on the major platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), you can easily get heard by a lot of people. Just imagine that recently Facebook announced that they have about 1 billion active users on their platform. That’s really huge if you ask me and you do not need that amount of people to become successful. All you need is a way to reach some of those people, preferably within your local community and build up your fan base. By posting your lyrics and songs you have completed online, you get to have people connecting with you and your brand. Maintaining a social network presence is one of the most time effective strategies that you can employ to get yourself known and attract paying clients to your business.

4. Get out there and network to get clients as a songwriter

This is one idea that a lot of people find very difficult. Most people (myself included) would prefer to sit in my house and do all the interactions by mail or by phone. But unfortunately, this does not work very well. As a songwriter trying to get clients, you need to be ready to meet people and do a lot of networking. Now I am not advising that you travel around the country just to network. You can and should start small by meeting people around your community. One phrase that I like so much is “It’s all about who you know”. While this might sound like a cliché, it is absolutely true. You need to keep your ear to the ground and go out and network with people in the same industry as you. One thing you need to know about networking is that you want to avoid coming across as a needy or offensive. Think about what you can offer to the other person even before you pitch your services. This way the relationship is more of a win-win situation than a needy one.

5. Pick someone and develop them to get clients as a songwriter

This point is all about working with an upcoming artist and providing lyrics for them. The advantage of this is that you get to flex your creative writing skills while using the artist as a stage to project your lyrics. The truth is that when starting out, you are going to find it a little difficult to get noticed by the big boys in your industry. The best way to get on their radar is to have an upcoming artist who you can easily work with sing your lyrics. This way you are not just pitching them lyrics, you are also showing them a complete work and how your lyrics sound with instrumentals. This helps you become recognized as an expert and someone that they actually want to work with.

Conclusion

Promoting yourself is crucial to your success and will help you get clients as a songwriter.  It is probably more important than stage performance or understanding song theory. The truth is that if nobody knows you, then nobody hires you. If you liked reading this blog post, here’s a similar one on digital marketing tips for musicians. Give it a read!

How to promote your music and get clients as a songwriter is a guest post by Uche Ibe.

Uche Ibe is a passionate singer and blogger as www.welovesinging.com. He enjoys teaching people how to sing and helping them become better singers. You can connect with him by visiting his blog or sending him an email. 

 

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.

Independent Artists: How to Write Grant Proposals

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(Post Via Lori Wade) So you’ve got a great proposal for a music project, but how are you going to get it off the ground? If you have a good idea, you need good financial backing to get it off the ground. There’s a lot of money being given out on music grants, for instance, the UK Arts Council planned to invest over £1 billion in 2016, but nevertheless, the grant application is a highly competitive process. Whatever this proposal contains and whatever music you’re planning to embark on, you’ll need the most important tools to get funding and this will come from a grant. A grant will take the financial load off of you and increase your chances of success. So you’ve got a great proposal for a music project, but how are you going to get it off the ground? Whatever this proposal contains and whatever music you’re planning to embark on, you’ll need the most important tools to get funding and this will come from a grant. A grant will take the financial load off of you and increase your chances of success. Let’s consider how to write an outstanding proposal that will engage the audience and help get your project started.

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Research That Could Help

In order to secure the best grant you can, you’ll need to do thorough research about what kind of opportunities are present. Create a definitive list of all the grant bodies and funding opportunities that exist within your local area – just like when you look through a list of the best up and coming bands, it’s good to have a base that you can target in the future. If you’re at college, a lot of colleges have grant schemes for promising students, so look into these. Perhaps you’re in a strong music scene where a lot of other live musicians have been given grants in the past? Ask around and see where these musicians may have gained funding. Yes, you read that right. With every grant body, there are strict criteria for what is needed to make an application, so do take time to meticulously check if you qualify. It may take a long time, however, there is nothing worse than writing out a bespoke grant proposal for a body that won’t be able to award you one in the first place – it’s simply a waste of time. Paying attention to the eligibility criteria will give you the best chances in terms of knowing what you can apply for. Get organized, create spreadsheets, and make some calls if need be – whatever it takes to secure the best grant for you.

Don’t Sit Behind Your Computer

It’s important that you don’t just sit behind your computer and expect a grant to appear before your eyes. Be proactive in your approach when you look through your list to see the grant bodies that are applicable to you. A great way to help yourself is for someone else to help you. Apply for a granting agent and let them see how they can help you send your application and make it stand out. There are many professionals with a lot more contacts than you, so it can be wise to make use of agents to assist you in your grant application process.

The Application Process

Depending on which body you’re applying for, you will need to state the reasons for your project and its value in a succinct and professional manner. Try to convince grant bodies that it is your project that they should get behind and only yours. Think of how your project can add value and drive this through in your application. Be sure when you’re looking through the assessment criteria that you nail every point on the head. There is no room for complacency and error because these grant applications are highly competitive. You shouldn’t feel down about rejection either – research has found that almost 80% of applications are rejected by grant bodies. Do not procrastinate and write with a professional feel, giving yourself ample time to tailor each grant application to the body you’re sending it to.

Submit and Wait

Before you submit your grant, double check that you have included all supporting materials that can aid your application chances. Have you put in enough videos or recordings? Are all your references up-to-date? Whatever the application requirements are, be as professional as you can in your approach and think about how you can achieve all the requirements sufficiently.

Success?

When you get the grant that you wanted, it’s necessary to report on the project after its completion. Just like with your grant application, it is vital that you produce this report with the utmost professionalism so that you can have the best chance in the future to apply for further grants. Grant bodies and funders would like to know how you have made an impact with their funding. Collect necessary data and include it in your report in order to reassure the body that they have made the right decision. Whatever information you can provide, whether it’s quantitative information on interaction with your music or references from those that have heard it, put the necessary details in.

We’re not through yet! Think about the long term when you are writing this report and try to establish a long lasting relationship with the organisation that has given you funding. Often, a lot of the organisations are in a close circle, so a good reputation will allow you to access greater funding for your projects at a later date. You don’t want to burn any bridges – quite the opposite. Even if you haven’t received the money you’d hoped for or if your project hasn’t gone as well as it could have, keep good relations with those that have helped you.

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.

Author bio

Lori Wade is a content writer for custom-writings.net who is interested in a wide range of spheres from education and online marketing to entrepreneurship. She is also an aspiring tutor striving to bring education to another level like we all do. If you are interested in writing, you can find her onTwitter orGoogle+ or find her on other social media. Read and take over Lori’s useful insights!

E-mail Marketing Strategies For Musicians

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(Post via April Alen ) Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has been the primary marketing tool of musicians to grow their network and promote their name. These platforms are taking off but as an up-and-coming independent artist, you also have to take advantage of other marketing strategies that could do great for the success of your career. One of which is the commonly neglected, e-mail marketing. Here are some effective e-mail marketing strategies for you!

 

E-mail Marketing  Strategies and Why They Important For Bands?

Facebook and other social media networks can give you access to millions or billions of fans but only e-mail marketing can provide you with the control over your connections. Therefore, build your e-mail list and begin promoting your music.

Grow Your Email List and Promote Your Music

Design Your Website with an E-mail Sign Up Box! Email marketing for bands start with your website. Your music website should not only have your artist’s details but it should contain information that will help you convert visitors into fans. Therefore, design your website with a sign up box to collect your visitor’s e-mail addresses. Place it in a prominent area on your page or design it as a pop out so your visitors will immediately see it once they visit your site.

Generate an Effective Call-to-Action

Your e-mail sign box should be accompanied with an effective call-to-action. This short introductory phrase should invite and persuade people to submit their e-mail addresses to your list. It is also ideal that you introduce the benefits of their subscription like getting regular music updates, concert dates, news, and other exclusive surprises.

Send Gifts to Subscribers

Aside from generating call-to-actions that convert, surprise your visitors with free and exclusive gifts in exchange of their e-mails. You can send them personalized items like posters, Bluetooth speakers, or wristband; or electronic files like a short video of your behind-the-scene rehearsals, a downloadable file of your music, and so on.

Through this, you are giving your fans a fresh and insider look of your life and activities as a musician.

Advertise at your Merch Booth

Do not only use your merch booth to sell your items but utilize it to gather more e-mail subscribers from fans and people who attended the event. Place signage in a noticeable area of your booth and invite them to sign up. Once they sign up, use your newly acquired skill on e-mail marketing to send them a thank you note!

Write a Compelling Blog post

An engaging and informative content can help you grow your e-mail list. The more compelling your story is, the more your readers become interested to reading your succeeding posts. Therefore, add an e-mail sign up box in your blog post area to turn your readers into loyal fans. And once you have gained more e-mail sign ups, make your promise to send them informative, entertaining, and fresh news about your music. And never try to spam them with promotions and non-sense agenda. Or else, they will hit the unsubscribe button.

About the Author 

April Alen is a content and social media Manager of the popular SpeakStick brand. SpeakStick creates innovative waterproof bluetooth speakers to aid the burning desire of music lovers and enthusiasts to listen to music whenever wherever. With this goal in mind, we invite you to be a part of our community of music lovers and to Set Your Music Free.

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.