BANDCOCKTAIL.COM

Get the Hits That Really Count!

Here’s something to remember: if you receive 1,000 hits a day on your web page, it won’t mean a thing if only one of those visitors is interested in your product. Use your time and energy to generate publicity that brings you a meaningful, targeted audience! Don’t worry about getting thousands of random hits on your site. It’s the targeted visitors who will buy your product that you really want!

Internet Press Release

Why and where?

If you’re doing anything worthwhile at your web site, you ought to be sending out press releases on a periodic basis. These press or news releases can be sent to your music fans, subscribers to your e-mail list (covered in detail later), or the music industry at large. However, be careful who you target your press release to. The last thing you want to do is start sending your press releases to people who don’t want them. The line between an appropriate press release and spam can be a very thin one.

For example, the press release for your band’s new CD would not likely be considered real news to the music industry at large (sorry, but unless you’re a mega-star, it wouldn’t), so you should avoid sending e-mails to announce your new CD to the major record labels and A&R people. That would likely irritate the very A&R people you wish to attract! I myself receive unsolicited press releases from artists that, after the umpteenth time, I really don’t want. Their e-mail address has permanently been placed in my ‘nuisance’ spam filter. That’s exactly the kind of thing you don’t want to do!

If you want to send out a press release about your brand new just-released CD, ask yourself the question, “Who cares about my new CD?” Your fans do, so a news release sent to them would be appropriate. Any time you prepare a press release or news announcement, ask yourself “Who cares?” The answer to that question is a good test to determine whether your news item is worthy of widespread distribution.

When I release my brand new CD, who cares? My fans do, so the news release would be sent to them, as well as those who have subscribed to my personal e-mail list.

So, are you working on a project worthy of widespread recognition? Do you have an event or news you want to get the word out about? Here are a few places online to consider sending your press release:

Mi2N: The Music Industry News Network (http://www.mi2n.com/input.php3) is the first place to go
to find out what’s going on right now in the music industry. Every day, you’ll find dozens of new stories,
and you can submit yours. Some items also get published in MusicDish (http://www.musicdish.com), which is owned by the same people. Don’t miss this one.

Mi2N: Express Release News Service (http://www.mi2n.com/expressr.php3) is the same company as above, but this service is for those who want more widespread coverage and are willing to pay a bit
more for it. For just $55, you can have your release sent out to over 20 music sites on the MusicDish Network.

Beat Wire (http://www.beatwire.com/submit) is a press release service designed specifically for musicians that I’ve consistently heard good things about. Your news is delivered directly to the desktops of over 10 000 music editors at daily newspapers, magazines, news agencies,
top Web sites, radio stations, and other outlets. You can submit your press release to music critics, journalists, editors, and radio programmers. The cost is $99.95.

Finally, EWorldWire.com (http://www.eworldwire.com/) is interesting as you can target very specific groups, which includes major newswires, trade/industry specific, local distribution, top 100 newspapers, European markets, college & university press, and pretty much any ethnic group. Their fees start at only $99.

There are many other press release distribution services out there, many of which overlap in terms of who actually sees your release. Check out the above services and if you want to compare these with others, simply search Google.com for ‘press release distribution.’

If you are a “Music Artist” desiring to have “Major Exposure” for your Band and Songs, but you only have little Promotions and Marketing funds as a budget to promote yourself and your music, Internet (the super highway) Promotion is the way to go.

There was a time India Bands had to have Major Money from Major Sources to get Major Exposure for your music… not anymore! Independent Artists can now promote and market your own music through many Internet Outlets such as; Radio, Social Sites, Blogs, Communities, Web Directories, Digital Distribution and more. But if you as a band don’t have the time to promote yourself, or perhaps you just don’t know how to, then consult with a reputable company that can help you achieve your “Major Marketing Goals” at affordable India prices.

It’s a big help in promoting “Music Online” when you can find Internet & College Radio Stations that will play your songs on the Radio. For the “Independent Musicians and Singers”, Internet Radio is definitely a savior!  Your “Original Songs” can now be heard throughout the Whole Wide World.  But remember, radio is only one portion of many other outlets for the Music Artists to use, especially if their plans are to have a successful Promotions Campaign that gets Major results.

Placing yourself and your music on every site possible may sound like a tab bit too much, and for many it is. But if you really want to see Major results with only having low budget money, then you need to write articles, upload your music to social sites, to communities, submit to web directories, blogs…find digital distribution that will place your music in Major Online Retail Stores etc… There is no excuse! The Internet has made Major Resources a lot more accessible for Music Indie Artists to grasp, and the playing field has become more of a common ground for both the Indie and the Major labels alike.  The internet is the stepping stone used now to reach Millions of possible fans, friends and music industry contacts!

For example, Independent Record Label “Bell Time Records” released Rnb Artist “Tamalaneh”, and took her new Cd “I Know You’re Gonna Like This” and promoted it on just about every music related website, blog, social site, community site web directory on the internet. Anybody can do it if you’re willing to do the time consuming work it takes to get the job done. Here are a couple of free music outlets you can submit your articles and songs to for starters:  Current.com has now The Indie Music Show, another outlet!! Thank you current. L.L Cool J. has BoomDizzle etc… these music sites are free!