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Posts by audimated
Website Mistakes to Avoid
Jul 19th
While there are hundreds of great ways to enhance your presence online as an artist, there are many common mistakes that musicians make that actually turn away potential fans. Avoiding these mistakes and measuring the success of your online presence is now a very important component of any online music campaign.
First, make sure that your music is easily accessible on your site since that is why people are visiting your website in the first place. Don’t bury your music under a tab or behind a link. Visitors to your page are not necessarily looking for a blog post, picture or tour dates. They are likely there for your music first and other content second so make sure your music is front and center. If your visitors can’t easily find what they are looking for in their initial visit to your site, they are going to leave your page.
Many artists and their websites have their music set on “autoplay.” Surveys have shown that most Internet users find this feature to be annoying. Not all site visitors are in a location where listening to music is possible, nor do they want to hear the same song for the 100thtime every time they visit your website, refresh the page or return to your homepage. Playing your song automatically also distorts your play counts because thousands of hits will translate into thousands of listens when your visitors might be stopping your song right away or not listening to it at all. On the other hand, if you don’t set your songs to play automatically, then you know that each play can from an authentic and interested fan.
This seems simple, but often goes over looked: make sure to test and update the links on your page. Otherwise, it looks like you are just too busy to keep up your own site. This is one of the most common errors that people make so take time to make/update your website. You want to appear as professional as possible and having current information available says a lot about your seriousness as an artist. Have your friends test the links also and double check the links in your newsletter before sending because the last thing you want to do is send it out twice. Make sure to test your email as well. Bounceback e-mails are very common, and you do not want to miss out on important e-mails from fans, labels or other businesses in the music industry.
Interaction with fans is most important, and if you are not building an email fan list, you should start today. Your fans need a way to contact you, and you need a way to keep in touch with your fans. Email has quickly become the preferred format. Many websites have contact forms directly on the site for either messaging the artist or joining a mailing list. Contact forms are becoming increasingly popular (instead of just listing your email address) since it avoids spam or robots sending you unnecessary e-mail.
In addition to the music, it is important to invest your time putting up photographs of you and the band. Hire a professional photographer or have a friend take high quality pictures of the band during one of your gigs. Seeing live photos from concerts will get fans excited and perhaps even motivate them to attend one of your shows in the future. Pictures are valuable content to support your music and uploading photos is a great way to keep fans coming back to your site.
Also focus on keeping your website professional, even if you are using just using a social media profile alone to represent your music. Some artists have very long posts, random pictures, funny stories or other information that can be tiresome to read or make the site look disorganized. Keep your biographical information short and to the point, and make sure the information on the rest of your page is relevant so that your site looks inviting. Consider your online presence to be your musical resume. Keep it short, simple and remember that sometimes “less is more.” If you have old content, random information or anything that is not directly related to your musical career, it should be removed.
Lastly, if fans are able to buy your music directly from your website, make it obvious. Many sales are often lost because the option to buy is unclear or difficult to find. Do not be afraid to ask for the sale. Your fans might just start responding.
Greg Gerla
greg@audimated.com
Featured Artist: Moe D
Jul 17th
Profile: http://www.audimated.com/MoeDMusiC
Location: Holyoke, MA, U.S
Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
Website: www.MoeD.tk
How did you get your start in music?
It all began with me as youngster receiving a Karoke for christmas. I dragged it all the way to my home from my grandmas house since I was not yet able to carry it and plugged it in right when I arrived. I have been making music consistently ever since, its my passion, desire, & love.
What makes you continue to make music?
I continue to make music because its in my blood. I get this feeling inside of me and need to create a song right then and there, inspired by the pain and struggle that my family and I have experienced, determined to live a higher quality of life. My biggest motivation is that Sky is the Limit, and working hard to exceed those limits.
Do you think that artists should stay independent or try to get a record deal?
I think that artists should do whatever fits their interests in terms of how they wanna go about with their music career, but a record deal is commonly a music artist’s goal, knowing that a record label can supply valuable connectivity to the music world and help the music artist take their music career to the next level.
How do you think artists should be compensated for their music?
I think that artists should be compensated for their music as much as possible for they are the one’s whom create the music. High percentages of royalties is relative and reasonable for their large contributions toward creating music.
What is a challenge you have faced as an independent musician?
Everyday we climb hills and maneuver in and around various obstacles. A particular challenge I have experienced as an independent musician is finding music related individuals and groups whom have connections such as record labels and music tools such as promotion, marketing, booking agents and the whole nine.
Why:
It was and still is a challenge knowing how much incoming messages and songs major record labels receive daily, and being a part of a pool of very talented and potential candidates for the record label roster only makes it that much more competitive. But that only inspires me to continue on even more. A dream is only a dream, it’s one who decides whether to chase it.
Solution:
I just continue to build and market myself. The Web has become a great source for me to share my music and promote myself. I just continue to do what I love, and that’s music.
If you would like to be featured on the Audimated Blog, please contact support@audimated.com
Worried About Unauthorized Copying and Piracy?
Jul 10th
Many artists and music fans alike mistakenly consider piracy and unauthorized copying of music to be the same thing, however, there are major differences. Unauthorized copying is making duplicates of music, most of the time for personal convenience. Some examples include burning CDs, importing music from a friend’s iTunes onto your iPod, or sharing music through Limewire. Artists must be aware that copying is prevalent and that it can be performed both legally and illegally. From the artists perspective controlling or stopping unauthorized copying of your music is next to impossible. It might be a better strategy to plan on your music being copied and try to maximize the positive effects that copying can have on your success. More copies of your music (even if you are not being paid for them) can mean more fans, more plays and more buzz for your band.
Piracy, on the other hand, is when someone is mass producing and selling your music for their personal income. This is always illegal (unlike other forms of legal copying). Pirates generally replicate the most popular songs and big hits because that is how they can make the most money. Piracy will only be a problem if your music becomes very successful, but it is important to have a strategy in place in case it does.
There have been several unsuccessful attempts at stopping piracy. Apple tried to use Digital Rights Management (DRM), which can provide restrictions that will not allow people to burn your CDs using your personal computer. Many companies, such as Blockbuster, for instance, use DRM for their DVDs to prevent renters from copying their movies. Without DRM people are often tempted to burn rented/borrowed DVD’s or music and distribute it to their friends for free.
On the bright side, pirating and unauthorized copying can enhance an artist’s success because when people share your music, they are recommending your music to other people. A recent study also shows that the people that do the most unauthorized copying also spend the most money on music, merchandise and products. Getting your music into the hands of these interested fans, even if they don’t pay for it, can lead to other income in the future. Previously, many musicians were faced with the problem of getting their music out there, but with copying, their music can be effectively distributed. Imagine a trade-off between distribution and the amount of money you make of each piece of music. Controlling this trade-off can be difficult in the beginning, so spend your time making quality music because quality content will earn you fans, exposure and opportunities. One way or another, your expanding fan base (maybe through unauthorized copying) will find a way to support you and your music.
This article was written by Greg Gerla for Audimated.com, if you have any further information or recommendations for future article, please contact Greg@audimated.com.
Featured Artist: Fourteen Twentysix
Jul 1st
Profile: audimated.com/fourteentwentysix
Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Genre: Alternative / Rock / Electronic
Website: www.fourteentwentysix.com
How did you get your start in music?
When I was a kid I wanted to start playing guitar. On the day we went to the music store my father said “Why not check out some drums first?”. At the end of the day I came home with my first drumkit, everyone was excited except for our neighbours. I joined my first (metal) band soon after.
What makes you continue to make music?
The inner drive to “create” that makes me breathe. There’s nothing quite like the feeling I get from making a new song. I think it’s the same feeling painters have when putting their brush to the canvas: we enter that magical world where everything is possible.
Do you think that artists should stay independent or try to get a record deal?
Depends on what you want. We are independent at the moment which enables us to do what we like, when we like. We have no label saying “you can’t post this video on youtube”. Friends of mine who are signed by Universal do. On the other side, if you want to be able to reach a larger, mainstream, fan base and get your CD in the record shops, then there’s really only one path to pursue.
How do you think artists should be compensated for their music?
The most important ‘reward’ is the feedback from fans, coming to your shows and buying a shirt. They love your music and that’s what it’s all about. I’m a graphical designer so I still love the physical CD/Vinyl but favour the online sales for its liberating effect on the music industry (from the artist point of view at least).
What is a challenge you have faced as an independent musician?
Selling music through the popular online stores such as Amazon and iTunes is not paradise. We have sold more CD’s at a single gig than a whole year of online sales.
Why:
If you are not promoted by a label it’s hard for people to find your music in those stores. You have to hardcore promote it yourself, it’s not going “sell” just because it’s on iTunes, although that’s what people want you to believe.
Solution:
We put our music on all the online stores to look professional. Next to that we’ve released all our music for free on Bandcamp, Last.fm and Torrents. In result we generated over 30.000 downloads (and counting) creating a modest fan base quickly. While we love to earn a buck for our hard work we try to gain momentum first and worry about revenue’s later.
What is a challenge you have faced as an independent musician? #2:
Having the experience and mindset/work ethic that rivals professional bands but still not be taken seriously by magazines and venues.
Why:
We’ve got over 15 years of band experience, but it doesn’t really seem to matter.
Until you’re backed up by a label you get treated like all those other 10.000 starting bands out there. Which I think is unfair because we really are on top of our business in every way. It doesn’t mean we don’t want to work very hard for it or take a shortcut, but it’s almost like it doesn’t matter how good you have your business set up.
Solution:
Networking, networking. Meet people in the music scene and get to know them. Always put on a great show, even if it’s for 5 people. Be active and optimistic. While it’s easy to become cynical we try hard to be positive about everything. Reach out, pursue interviews, features, radio shows, try to get your interesting story “sold” to that magazine. Be bold but polite, make your own success. Get creative!
If you would like to be featured on the Audimated Blog, please contact support@audimated.com