Archive | May, 2011

31 May 2011

How to avoid getting ripped off by promoters

Many promoters go out of their way to make gigs great for bands and audiences, listing gigs on Live Unsigned, putting up posters, flyering and spreading the word across social media. This post isn’t about those promoters. It is about the promoters who create the gigs that split up bands and waste your time. You [...]

26 May 2011

What do A&R people really want?

Increasingly record labels are taking less chances with the artists they sign. At the recent Great Escape music conference we got a chance to talk to a major label A & R person and ask them about some of the things they are looking for. One of the most important things to note is that [...]

24 May 2011

5 ways you can make your fans feel special

Every act from hip-hop to death metal needs fans, people who support you financially and spread the word about your music. But why should fans choose to follow you? It takes more than great music, although that always has to be the start of it all. To build a fan base you need to build [...]

20 May 2011

10 lessons DIY artists can learn from Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa was an artist that people either loved or hated. A brilliant guitarist, composer, satirist and band leader Zappa’s career extended from the 60′s to his tragically early death in 1993. An original thinker way ahead of his time, by the end of his career Zappa owned his own masters and released a vast amount [...]

17 May 2011

6 reasons why you should promote your own live music night

Bands often complain that they can’t get gigs or have trouble building an audience. You can wait around for promoters, the press, bloggers and fans to discover your music or you can be proactive and make it happen yourself.  Promoting your own gig with other bands/acts you want to play with and a decent DJ [...]

12 May 2011

How often should you put out new music?

Many bands are starting to abandon the traditional method of releasing an album and some singles every few years. Artists as diverse as Kanye West, Jonathan Coulton and Radiohead have all chosen to abandon or vary the usual release schedules. Doing things differently gets fans talking especially when tied in with live events (listed on [...]

10 May 2011

Should your band accept the gig?

Once your band has been going for a while you should be in the position where promoters are offering you gigs. If you are a new band it is wise to take as many gigs as possible to gain experience of playing in front of an audience but once you’ve been gigging for a while [...]

05 May 2011

How to create a music press release

Press releases are an essential for getting print press, it gives journalists a quick and easy way to get the information about your band and what you are doing. They need to be well written, interesting and to the point. Just a few paragraphs and less than 500 words. Often the text of a press [...]

03 May 2011

Building your unsigned artist support network (part 2)

In part 2 of this post we look at some more people you will need for your support team. These people may be in your band or may be friends, fans or family. You’ll need all the help you can get in the early stages of your musical career: A social media person – This [...]