In a nutshell, Chat Roulette allows anyone with a webcam to log on and randomly be connected live with other people on the site one by one. If you don’t like who you’re connected to, you click “Next” and get another random paring.

It’s been widely covered (and made fun of) in the media. But I, along with a lot of online marketing people, thought it was a flash-in-the-pan novelty site with no possible self-promotion value. How could you possibly make use of such random connections?

Well, my view of that unraveled once I saw this YouTube video of a piano-playing musician named Merton. He does a wonderful and hilarious job of improvising songs based on the people he’s randomly connected with.

His first video clip, called Chat Roulette Funny Piano Improv #1, was just uploaded on March 11. In six days it racked up one and a half MILLION views. Coverage on Mashable, the Huffington Post, and many other web sites has certainly fueled Merton’s sudden burst of exposure.

Here’s the marketing lesson …

If you can be the first person to do something funny and cool with a new site or gadget that is creating a buzz, you will be rewarded. There’s power in first-mover status.

Also, use what’s given to you and don’t be blinded by tunnel-vision. I looked at the limited qualities of Chat Roulette and didn’t see it as a music promotion tool at all. But Merton opened his mind and asked a better question:

“How can I use the random nature of this site (and the buzz it’s creating) in a new and amusing way?”

And the roulette aspect of the site lent itself perfectly to the music improvisation format. Brilliant! Of course, Merton also had to be talented and quick on his feet to make this work.

Two questions for you:

Your USB key doesn’t count. The story of the guy whose laptop was stolen with the USB key still sticking out the side has been told too many times. I’ve had 10,000 word dissertations go that way, only to necessitate a complete 24-hour rewrite from memory.

There are lots of satisfactory ways to back up your important data (and when your business is digital music - what data isn’t?). Personally, I have two external 1TB hard drives. I use Apple’s Time Machine on my Mac to back up to one of them, and every other week I swap it out with the other one. The one that’s ‘resting’ is stored in my office way over the other side of town.

But for smaller files - particularly individual documents and media files you want to be able to find easily again in case of emergency, I recommend webmail. Specifically, Gmail. I’m on a weekly backup regime for this - and I’m tempted to go daily.

After all, Google have spent millions on the best and most reliable servers and hard drive storage money can buy with full redundancy RAID arrays should anything ever go awry. They’re far more secure than your average home, and you can retrieve your data from anywhere. You get about 2 and a half gig of storage with them, and actually - you can have multiple accounts.

I have a Gmail account for my email (I like the interface) and a separate one for backups. I email all my important files there - and the search function makes it really easy to find stuff. Just throw a few keywords into the email before you send it to yourself, and everything’s findable.

I have all this in my calendar, but if you’d like to receive a reminder to back up every so often, then you might want to send your future self an email using the very helpful FutureMe.org website.

Try something like:

Dear Future Me — Stop what you’re doing and back up all the data. No - do it now. This is important. Remember what happened last time. Lots of love, Me.

________________________________

A version of this post first appeared on New Music Strategies on November 7th, 2006. It’s still relevant - and some people are still experiencing catastrophic losses. Don’t let that be you.

WHILE YOU ARE THERE

Go With The Flow
Don’t bother jotting down the bands you want to see because chances are, you will not make it to most of them. You’ll be on your way to see the band you “must see,” and you will absolutely run into someone you know on the street, then one thing leads to another, and you missed the show.
- Lou Plaia

Stay Portable
Unless your artist image is “musical Sherpa,” then you don’t want to be tied down to a huge backpack or bag full of crap. You’d be better off having a second-run CD batch made in thin, lightweight packaging OR have some download cards made. Nothing sucks more than hauling 40 pounds of round plastic with you. If it’s too late to make your CD’s in flat packaging (cardboard sleeves, paper envelopes, Tyvek, etc.), don’t lug around a bunch of jewel cases. You’ll be better off in the long run if you can just pick up and move to the next party, function, session, etc.
- Matthew Ebel

Make Free Time
Scheduling meetings is great, but you never know who you are going to run into on sixth street, so leave some holes in your schedule. Some of my best meetings at SXSW have been by chance.
- Rick Goetz

Try Not To Judge A Man By His Business Card
The music business is like that board game perfection. Every few months all the pieces pop up and people land in different positions and in different companies. Do your best to meet people of quality rather than just the people you think have something you need. You never know where people end up and having been nowhere important and somewhere important several different times in my career – trust me when I say I appreciate the people who gave me the time a day when I didn’t have a flashy business card or a lot going on.
- Rick Goetz

Explore…
Leave the main drag and go golfing, or go to a great restaurant on the outskirts of town with a smaller group. These little adventures are great bonding experiences and will keep you fresh for the onslaught of frenzied social activity.
- Rick Goetz

SXSW has a showcase in every nook and cranny of the city. There are concerts in parking lots and pita shops, not to mention Austin’s unique natural attractions. Take some time to get a map and just walk.This is how I found out about the bats that fly from underCongress Bridgeevery evening at dusk.Creepy and incredible to behold.We met a filmmaker at the site as we all crept out from the bats and laughed. He has my card.Films need music and he’ll remember meeting my band at the bat bridge.
- Derek Nicoletto

If You Are An Industry Professional – Go To Panels
If you are an industry professional (not an artist), go to a few panels because you will probably pick up something you didn’t already know. Also, you have a great opportunity to meet with people who know more than you do in their field. If you think you know everything, stay home because nobody wants to hang out with people who think they know it all.  If you are not interested in learning more, or meeting new people in the industry, you are one step closer to failure in this new music business.
- Lou Plaia

If You Are An Artist – Go To Panels
If you are an artist, get your butt to the panels. It blows my mind that only a small percentage of artists show up for panels. You will learn a lot. You will meet a lot of artists that you may be able to work or gig with. Where else can you get the chance to meet people face to face who may be able to help your career?
- Lou Plaia

Panels are great way to learn the latest that is happening in the music business, by actually attending all the panels and taking notes. I like to study the panels ahead of time to determinewhich ones while be the best use of my time. I look at the panelist bios and try to attend panels where I know the speakers so I can say hello before or after the event. Before is always better, as the panelists get mobbed.
- Jennie Walker

Think Of How You Can Help Them
For each person you meet: how can you help them?
Turn to a stranger and say, “Hi. What do you do?”

If you don’t know yet, keep asking questions. (Sometimes the way to help someone is not what you’d expect! If they are painfully shy, maybe the best way you can help them is by introducing them to the next person you meet, or inviting them to dinner. If they are painfully popular, maybe they need your help to escape the crowd for a little peace and quiet.)
- Derek Sivers

Follow Up While Still There
Each night, before bed, enter everyone’s info into your computer, including your notes.  (Trust me: it only takes 15 minutes, but it’s crucial to do it that night before you meet more people the next day!) Send them one tiny email immediately, connecting the digital you to the physical you.  (“Hi John. Nice to meet you today. I’m the one in red who also hates Björk. You were right about the burritos! I still want to see your Malaysia photos. Maybe see you at the wrap-up party tomorrow.”)  Your email signature should have your full contact info.
- Derek Sivers

Musicians Sometimes Do Know Best…
Wurst Dogs really are the best.
Hotel Lobbys have clean bathrooms
Get off the beaten path, check out the small parties; you may discover something.
Stay Sunday and go to The Continental.
Guerros, hand shaken margarita is a must.
Check out the art at the Yard Dog
Share a cab, always. (Last year I shared a cab at 5 in the morning with Luke Doucett, who I had been trying to see play all weekend.)
Make a pilgrimage to the Salt Lick.
If the line looks oppressively long, check the back door.
If you aren’t on the list, act like you know what you are doing and where you are going and people will usually let you in.
- Jason Walsmith

Shut Up After 3 Sentences.
Notice I said nothing about promoting your gig, your band, your service.  You have to trust the Tao of promotion.  This is about them, not you.  Your promotion will come later. When they do ask about you, have a very (VERY!) short but impressive summary of what you do, with one question-inducing curiosity. (“Songwriter of the Crunchy Frogs – the worst punk bluegrass band ever. We’re headlining the showcase tonight. Our singer milks horses.”)

Then seriously, I can’t emphasize this enough: SHUT UP after 3 sentences. Please. Stop there. Don’t pull out your CD. Don’t hand them a flyer. Wait for them to ask, or change the subject back to them if they don’t!
- Derek Sivers

Don’t Push Them
DO NOT push your crap on someone who isn’t asking for it. It’s the biggest turn-off of all. Because it shows you don’t understand the real point, which is…

REAL business is done in the follow-up, NOT the conference itself! The conference itself is a mad blitz of distractions. Only use it for these initial connections, as described above.
- Derek Sivers

Introduce Yourself And Join In!
If you overhear people talking about something that interests you (like a new producer the person is working with, or how one person got their song on a TV show), feel free to introduce yourself and join the conversation. It’s a friendly place where everyone is too drained to fight you or too drunk to
care. Make friends, not enemies and do so nicely.
- Lou Plaia

Support The Unsigned Bands.
STP doesn’t need the support. Yes, I will go see them but I won’t be going to every big artist show. Most of my time will be spent witnessing the future and not the past! Our industry works harder and longer than most industries, so I get why SXSW has become such a party for everyone and that’s cool and well deserved. But if we don’t support the new artists, SXSW will start looking like LiveNation’s top artists of 60+ year olds and no youth, which can only lead to its demise.
- Lou Plaia

Go See Other Bands
Instead of focusing solely on the shows you’re doing, be inspired by what music our colleagues are making.If you dig a show, introduce yourself afterwards.I’ve made some great connections this way, and other bands came to see my band’s shows later on in the week.Seeing other people perform is the perfect way to refuel for your own performances.Get caught up in the energy of it all.
- Derek Nicoletto

No One Wants Your Business Card
I’m stealing directly from Derek Sivers on this one, but don’t hand out business cards. Ask for someone else’s card and get in touch with them later. This is half-true for download/coupon cards as well… but if the card screams “free music” you can be a little more proactive about handing them out. Just tell the person “if you decide you don’t want this, please give it to someone else!”
- Matthew Ebel

Meet Less People
I know this one sounds counterintuitive but I have found that when I picked
a smaller group of people to spend time with that those relationships were more long lasting and more likely to bear fruit. Being a business card whore is okay, but I have found cementing a few meaningful relationships more effective than getting a big stack of business cards.
- Rick Goetz

Write On Their Business Cards
Get their business card. Take notes on the back of it as soon as the conversation is done.
- Derek Sivers

Each time I meet a new person at an event like SXSW, I write on the back
of their business card where I met them and any memorable items we spoke
about; I always have a date, place and event to reference for follow up.
- Jennie Walker

Ask How To Follow Up!
I have learned to always give out a business card if asked and not to be offended if I don’t receive one. I like to ask people the best way to follow up with them on topics of interest while I am in their presence. Every person seems to have a preference on follow up.
- Jennie Walker

Yes, They Will Throw It Out
Assume that anything you hand someone at a conference will be thrown out.  So don’t do it, unless they ask. Instead, if you want them to have something of yours, send it to them separately, afterwards.
- Derek Sivers

Push Yourself
Some people say “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”. My mantra is to always go full speed ahead and enjoy the most that my mind and body can take. If I crash early on the 4th or 5th night, so be it because I know I saw some old friends, made some new ones, closed a few deals, and had a helluva time doing it.
- Lou Plaia

Pace Yourself
You’re probably thinking I mean booze…yea sure – that too… but really I mean being over saturated with parties and people. Rare is the person who thrives on meeting more than 100 people a day so take your time – it’s okay to miss a few events if you need to process all of the people and information that have come your way.
-  Rick Goetz

Sleep
By the time Friday afternoon comes around, you will feel like you’ve been there for three years. One way to make it through to Sunday is to not get plastered every dayand night. There’s too much to enjoy, too many people to meet,and too much work to be done.
- Derek Nicoletto

Don’t Sleep
Don’t worry about how little sleep you are getting…you can sleep on Tuesday. (that is the title of my future book)
- Jason Walsmith 

As a follow up to last week’s The SXSW Survival Guide, I’ve decided to take some of the best tips from some of the experts of today’s music industry and provide them for you here! I took the time to talk to some of the contributors from our 2009 Indie Maximum Exposure list to see what they had to say.

Over the next several days, I will be posting all-new tips that you can use to maximize your South by Southwest experience.

This advice is divided up into 3 sections

1. Before You Go
2. While You Are There
3. After You Get Home

There are not 100 here but they are some great gems…

BEFORE YOU GO

Read “How to Talk to Anyone” A Week Ahead
So, the week before the conference, read “How to Talk to Anyone” or any book about how to be a great listener. Then, use the conference as your testing ground for your new listening skills. Get extremely interested in those around you. Think like an investigative reporter. Ask follow-up questions about how they got into that. What they love and hate about it. Ask why they came to the conference. Talk about non-work-stuff, too!  Be very curious about their unique perspective. Learn from it.
- Derek Sivers

Envision What You Want Before You Arrive
My first bit of advice: Arrive prepared. Know where will be attending and create some goals before you get there.
- Ariel Hyatt

Attend at Least One Music Conference Each Year
I believe all serious musicians should make it part of their job to attend at least one conference a year. They can be expensive to get to, but think abut it this way: music lessons and equipment were at one time expensive, and those things are also vital for your career. Conferences are the best place to meet people who work in and around the music industry, and conferences are a relaxed environment to connect with people in the industry who can change the course of your career.

Austin, Texas is a wonderful city, and its distractions are many. Keep in mind that this is not a vacation. It’s a work-related learning experience. With a little planning and foresight, you can have a million-dollar conference.
- Ariel Hyatt

Before You Go, Get Connected!
Here are the SXSW Social Media Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2307340129
MySpace: www.myspace.com/sxsw
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sxsw
- Ariel Hyatt

Use my.SXSW
This online schedule-builder has helped me build some structure within the madness. my.SXSW helps to spot conflicts ahead of time so you can make some informed decisions. So, if there’s a band playing at the same time a lecture is occurring, you’ll be able to see what other times that band is playing. Most bands perform a few times during the week, so you’ll probably have more than one opportunity to catch your favorites and still learn something from the seminars that most interest you.
- Derek Nicoletto

Don’t Worry if You Are Not Playing
Rockin’ SXSW includes pre-planning and finding out who is attending whom I
know or want to know better. With the pressure off, by attending as a non-performer, I can concentrate on meeting people and getting to know peopleI have met a bit better.
- Jennie Walker

Order Download Cards… Better Than Business Cards
Why just hand someone your info when you can hand them free music? It’s not like they’re going to listen to a CD you give them right on the spot anyway, they’re going to have to get back to their laptop before they hear your stuff. Give them a download card and you can carry 500 copies in one light jacket. Try doing that with jewel cases sometime.
- Matthew Ebel

Create A SXSW Survival Kit
My SXSW survival kit includes brand new memorable business cards, which include my photo, artist logo, website site address and twitter account. New artist photos with my logo embedded and inexpensive promo CD’s that are all information and sound with memorable image. While I have official press kits handy, I only give them out if asked. I focus on meeting people, listening, and exchanging business cards.
- Jennie Walker

For Bands: Rent A House, Not A Hotel
Overall, it was much cheaper to bring a full band and sit them in one place, especially since there are no hidden fees or services charges. Leading a band can be a bit like babysitting, so it was super helpful to have everyone in one place (the impromptu acoustic rehearsals and tomfoolery were invaluable). There are last minute cancellations, so check with my favorite house rental site, www.vrbo.com.
- Derek Nicoletto

Try Coupons
I use coupon cards for http://matthewebel.net so the recipient gets a free month of my subscription service. If they want to hear what I do, they’ll try it out. If not, I’m not wasting a $3 piece of round plastic that they’re just going to throw away or eBay later.
-  Matthew Ebel

Don’t Go To SXSW To Be Discovered
I don’t go to SXSW to be discovered, get a record deal, and become rich and famous. I go to get inspired, energized and reinvigorated about music and the music biz. I look at SXSW as a great big music industry family reunion; a chance to see all of my friends from around the country all in the same place at the same time. For that reason, I limit myself to a handful of meetings, and showcases I must see, and leave the rest to chance and happenstance. I bounce around like a pinball from place to place, party to party. Try to keep my cell phone charged and follow my instincts. Despite what most people say, you can survive off shiner bock and pizza.
- Jason Walsmith



Ellis Paul is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. To date, he has released 16 albums and has been the recipient of 14 Boston Music Awards.  He has published a book of original lyrics, poems, and drawings, and released a DVD that includes a live performance, guitar instruction, and a road-trip documentary.  As a touring musician, Ellis plays close to 150 dates each year and his extensive club and coffeehouse touring, together with radio airplay, has brought him a solid national following.

Rachael Klien from Ellis’s management team answered these questions for Ellis while chatting with him on the phone while he drove from Virginia to Atlanta

Ariel Hyatt: Do you believe that 1,000 True Fans is a theory that can work?  

Rachael Klien / Ellis Paul: Yes absolutely, Ellis has sustained his career as a musician for the last 20 years. I would even go so far as to say that this has been his theory from the get go.

Starting out in the Boston Music scene then taking it on the road developing fans one by one. (Mind you. this is before the Internet existed, and back in the cassette tapes days) Ellis got in his car driving city to city creating really loyal fans. He traveled around a lot building each market. Talking to each person before and after shows, staying in touch as he traveled.  People are willing to buy your record spend a couple hundred if they are really committed.

Ellis just left his record label of 15 years to go it on his own. We raised $100,000 in fan contributions from about 300 fans, which we believe to be the ultimate testament to his fan loyalty

AH:  Are you currently making a full-time living as a musician from your music?

RK/ EP: Yes

AH: How many years did it take you from day job to part time job to F/T Musician?

RK/ EP: Full time job for 5 years (did music part time for 5 years) coming out of college quit day job at 26 (now, in his 19th year playing music full time).

AH: Can you give us a breakdown percentage wise of the following:

RK/EP:

A. CD sales? 27%

B. Subscription site? Zero

C. Live shows? 60%

D. Merchandise? 2%

E. Other? Please name what the other categories might be.

Royalties from airplay 11%

AH: If possible (I know you may not want to share this information), can you share the amount of money you have grossed in the last 12 months, broken down by months correlating with market, and promotional, and touring efforts? Don’t mind sharing I think it’s valuable to musicians.

RK/ EP: Ariel we are happy to share this information, Ellis thinks this is valuable to other musicians. But the breakdown I would need a little more time to breakdown

Gross is $270,000 (his expenses are very high so he nets less than half of that)

AH: How many die hard fans, fans that will buy everything and anything from you, would you imagine that you have?

RK/ EP: 2500

AH: How long did it take you to build up this many fans?

RK/ EP: 10 years

 AH:  Do you have a strategy with long-term and short-term goals in place to get to 1,000 true fans or for any future looking aspects of your music career? If so, can you share these goals?

RK/ EP: The direct contact that people get from being with and experiencing the creation of a community. We want to continue to form a tribe around my music and career. Finding ways to connect, special events, blogs, Youtube videos that bring them into my world.

It’s more than the name in the mailing list and a friend on Facebook or MySpace. It’s about getting them involved deeper than just listening to the music.

AH: Have you ever made money from social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, or Ustream? Can you please tell us exactly how and correlate them?

RK/ EP: Not really. We have spread the word about videos, CDs on sale, sent out special downloads. But, we have not used these forms of networking for commerce. Not saying we shouldn’t and we probably will. But I feel a little like this is a place to connect, which is the number one reason they become such loyal fans. The personal and intimate conversation via these sites, helps them to get to know me and want to come to shows, buy CDs and pass my music on to others. 

AH: What are your next steps to continue to help yourself move forward in your own career?

RK/ EP: Trying to branch out and get the next 2500 people. Finding the audience in places we haven’t looked yet. 
Start doing podcasts, more movie placements, getting the songs out there in unconventional ways. We are creating ways now so that we can get the fans involved to a level that they want to pass it around. It’s no secret that the viral nature of the Internet is the key and we are exploring some unique ways to do this.

AH: If you could give a band or artist any type of advice on how to start in social media, what would you advise them to do?

RK/ EP: Connect on a personal level. Create interesting video blogs, do video versions of songs. But really, keep in touch on a personal level THAT is where the casual fan turns into a loyal one. Driving 200 miles to see your shows, going to two shows in a row in the region they live and bringing friends to every show to introduce my music to them.

AH: If you had $500 to spend on marketing and promotion, how would you spend that money?

RK/ EP: Do a really great video for Youtube that is worthy of getting passed around. Maybe even hire someone to get it posted every were possible that helps it catch wind in it’s sails.

AH: Is there anything else you would like to say about 1,000 True Fans?

RK/ EP: The concept is to get locked into being a part of a group. Getting message out that attracts people who affect the members of the tribe.

AH:  How do you use analytics to your advantage? What are your measurable online results, and how do your measures help you with your music career?

RK/ EP: We completely redesigned the website based on the analytics. We were able to see where everyone lands, exits and spends time.

At the moment we are working to get photos and video on the sidebar of the tour page… this is by far the most popular page. So we want the tour page to be interactive so they stay on the site longer and keep clicking stuff that lands them hopefully to buy stuff.

AH: On a scale of 1 to 10, would you say you share a lot (a 10) or are you guarded in what you exposure on social media sites about yourself and your personal life?

RK/ EP: 8

AH: What would you say to a fellow musician, that thinks that Twitter is just sharing “eating a tuna sandwich” and is stupid?

RK/ EP: It’s as stupid or as useful as you want to make it. But I feel if your going to write about a tuna fish sandwich at least post a picture with a bit out of it or write a Haiku about it, with seventeen syllables you can make your tweets interesting and great.

We have seen a difference in each inane tweet. But I am not into just posting things like that. But you know what? People love it for whatever reason.

Nimbit

The platform that Ellis used to help him raise his money was Nimbit.  They have created a case study outlining the actions that the team took and the tools that they used on the Nimbit Platform they have generously allowed me to share it here with you:

Ellis’s Inner Circle: 300 core fans

Ellis’ Outer Circle: 10,000 fans purchasing any new release

Total Reach: 100,000 fan interactions throughout career

Goal: Create a direct to fan relationship with 100k fans that he can sell/promote his new release “The Day After Everything Changed”

Strategy: Solicit core fans to raise funds for recording album. Phased exclusive rollouts direct to fan prior to official 1/12/10 street date. Engage the loyal core fans in the promotion process to maximize new fan capture, reactivate casual fans, and build pre-release buzz.

How Ellis Did It: Step-By-Step Execution:

Before You Ask For Anything: Engage fans on Facebook via FB fan page and via mailing list, website, etc.

Step 1: Set up unique and compelling sponsorship levels ranging from $15 – $10,000 ( the levels started at “Street Busker” for $15 and went up to the “Woody Guthrie Level” for $10,000

Here is an example of how Ellis bundled the offerings for the:  $1,000 “The Johnny Cash Level”

1. Receive an advance copy of Ellis’ new CD personally signed and numbered; including a bonus disc of demos and outtakes of the songs

2. Antje Duvekot will personally sign a copy of her recent release “Big Dream Boulevard” on Black Wolf Records

3. You and a friend will be put on Ellis’ guest list for an Ellis Paul show of your choice

4. Limited edition signed EP of Ellis performing live in the studio at Boston’s WERS

5. One Year membership to Club Passim, the legendary folk room and Ellis’ home venue

6. Ellis will thank you by including your name in the liner notes of the CD booklet

7. Ellis will handwrite and illustrate lyrics to any one Ellis Paul song of your choice, which will be suitable for framing

8. Limited Edition 11x 17 signed and numbered cover artwork from the new album, which will be suitable for framing

Step 2: Send advance copies of new album to every contributor with a personal note and a download card to pass along only to people they knew that are/could become a “true fan.”

Step 3: CD goes on sale exclusively from website and Facebook (Nov-Dec 2009) No digital album available.  Free single download offer available directly in the online store using download codes to track success of promotions and events.

Step 4: Album art features image of picture of Ellis over a lake with a vintage guitar in his hands. Some people think it’s a fake, but it’s from an HD video.  Creative team and Nimbit decide to post video on YouTube (http://bit.ly/4nOAMo) and spread the word around social networks creating viral buzz.  Over 6,000 views help drive traffic to website, increasing sales and exposure.

Step 5: Put download card into all orders of the CD encouraging purchaser to share the music with a friend.

Step 6: Early digital release and promotion with Amazon MP3 (12/15), start radio and press interviews.  EllisPaul.com offers a better, more compelling package than anywhere else which both drives fans to Ellis’ website and increases sales.

Step 8: Digital street date, 1/12/10

Ellis’s Results

“We awakened fans that had been disconnected for many years.  Fans that had not been to see him in 10 years were now coming out to shows and getting reconnected with all his work.

Many donors were just waiting to have an opportunity to help him financially. We made sure they had several copies to spread the word.  And the higher contributors get as many as they want to give away to people.  We do feel we are spreading the music in a more unique and efficient way.  If Ellis was on a record label, we’d have buy the disc from the label at $7 each.   Because the CD costs us so little to manufacture with Nimbit, we’re able to market the CD more rapidly and at lower cost.  Nimbit’s Facebook app, download cards, and other direct to fan platforms helped us get to more of our fans quickly and easily.

What About You?

I hope that this interview inspires you to begin to think differently about just how powerful your fas can be.  Do You Use Nimbit?  Have you bundled products together to sell?  If so I would love to hear your about experience here….



Stay out of the scene

Conventional wisdom in the music business has it that you should send promo copies of new releases to music publications and music radio. This, of course, makes perfect sense. People who are reading about music are likely to be interested in the music that you make, as long as it’s within the ballpark of the music that they came to the periodical or the broadcaster for.

The logical extension of this idea — that you should send promotions to the online equivalent of music broadcasters and publications — also makes perfect sense. Therefore, one of the most clearly sensible things to do would be to locate MP3 blogs to have much in common with the kind of music that you promote.

Here’s a good place to start looking:
MonkeyFilter’s MP3 blog listing

MP3 blogs are written by enthusiasts who have become opinion leaders in their field. They provide MP3 use of songs that they recommend to their readership. This differs from a music publications in the sense that every review is therefore necessarily a positive one. So by extension, if you send them your music and they choose to talk about it on a blog they are doing so as an opinion leader with their implicit approval.

Of course you have to content worth the idea that your music is now being given away for free to potential customers. However as we have discussed, and will no doubt discussed further at great length, this should not concern you. At any rate, MP3 blogs typically leave music up online for only a week or so, so that bandwidth costs do not become excessive.

Since it costs nothing, or next to nothing, to send promos via MP3, it does make sense to cast the net more widely than you might if you were posting physical CDs. With that in mind, I would like to propose a further lateral step beyond the logical MP3 blog approach.

People who write blogs with large readerships, but which are not about music, also probably quite like music.

That is to say, enthusiasts and opinion leaders in the area of politics, popular culture, technology — even accountancy — could still form part of your potential constituency, even if they are not readers of music publications. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that the vast majority of music buyers do not read music publications.

It’s probably also true that most of these opinion leaders are never sent promotional copies of music. The chances of an MP3 blogger choosing to promote your music on their blog is probably slimmer than the chances of a political blogger promoting your music on their blog… simply because being sent a promotional disc is nothing new to people in the music business — but quite a novelty outside of it.

So picking me a bunch of blogs that you have some affinity for (other than musical affinity) and locating the authors via e-mail might actually be a very good way to expose your music to a readership that isn’t looking in the places you might ordinarily expect.

You may find you want to do this more thematically. For instance, readers of blogs about wine, food, expensive cars, or right-wing politics may not be the ideal audience of your angry indie protest band.

However, there’s nothing to say that readers of blogs about hi-fi equipment, surf boarding, alsatian breeding, or indeed someone’s personal life, might not have clear areas of intersection with your kind of music.

So, strategy: spend some time on the Internet having a look at a range of different blogs. Track down the ones with significant readership that may have things in common with the kind of people you might expect to listen to your music.

Put a couple of MP3s on your website somewhere that the authors of these blogs can access them (but which aren’t immediately obvious to the general public). Send the blogger of choice a polite e-mail saying that you enjoy their writing, and that you would very much like for them to listen to your music. If they like it, you’d be very pleased for them to give it away as an exclusive gift to their readership.

For most recipients, this will most likely be a first. The sheer novelty of it will at least get you past the first hurdle. It will get listened to. However, I’d suggest you politely request that if they are going to go ahead and give it to their fellow alsation-fanciers, that they host the MP3’s on their own server. That way, they’re not just giving out a free link to your music to all and sundry but are instead valuing the promotional gifts to their own constituency and managing its distribution.

As a PR strategy, this strikes me as an incredibly effective ploy, and one I haven’t seen put in practice as yet. It gets your music in front of a whole new crowd of people that you might ordinarily never have had access to simply because they are not the people who read the music publications or listen to the radio stations you imagine they might.

In other words, it’ll get you talked about in the vast majority of scenes untouched by the rest of the music industry. Which strikes me as potentially of some value.

 If you are packing your bags for Austin Here are my tips for you (This guide is not just for SXSW; it’s also for any music conference out there!)

Envision What You Want Before You Arrive

My first bit of advice: Arrive prepared. Know who will be attending and create some goals before you get there.

Attend at Least One Music Conference Each Year

I believe all serious musicians should make it part of their job to attend at least one conference a year.  They can be expensive to get to, but think abut it this way: Music lessons were at one time expensive, and so was your equipment and those things are also vital for your career. Conferences are the best place to meet people who work in and around the music industry and are a relaxed environment to connect with people in it who can change the course of your career.

Austin, Texas, a wonderful city, and its distractions are many. But, keep in mind that this is not a vacation. It’s a work-related learning experience, and with a little planning and foresight you can have a million-dollar conference.

Before You Go, Get Connected!

SXSW Social Media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SXSWFestival

MySpace:www.myspace.com/sxsw

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sxsw

Get registered to the South by Southwest Directory

Go through the site, which is VERY user friendly and links to your Twitter and Facebook seamlessly to determine whom you may want to meet before you arrive. Drop them a personal e-mail using their interface.

Bring Business Cards, Fizzkicks Cards & Postcards

Yes, You should have a business card and your card should not just have your name and number.  It should have good information about what you or your band sounds like (your pitch) , your Twitter handle, Myspace & Facebook URLS, and links to any other places people might be able to find you online. A photo of you or a band logo would also be highly recommended.

Don’t Haul A Ton Of CDs

I do not recommend bringing a lot of CDs. People are overwhelmed with free CDs and they won’t want to carry them home so it’s better to get people’s business cards and mail them a CD or better yet send your music digitally through Bandcamp of Soundcloud as a follow-up after you get home.

Talk To Strangers

Don’t be scared to take risks and meet people. Conferences are friendly places.  Just walk right up and ask “So, what brings you here?” You’ll have a new BFF in no time.

Attend Panels – You Will Learn Something J 

It’s tempting to blow the panels off and hit all of the free day parties but I encourage you to make an effort to sit in on at least one or two panels per day, on any topic that interests you, and take notes.

Get Mentored!

Most conferences have amazing mentoring sessions where you can sign up to have one-on-one face time with the industry peeps. Some of the most important people in the music business will be sitting there ready to meet with you.

When you do go to a one-on-one mentoring panel, be prepared to meet these people, and make sure that you have done your research and have specific questions to ask them.

Follow Up!

The moment you get home, make sure to send thank you notes, e-mails and follow up with every single person that you met. If appropriate, add them to your e-mail list. Never send your pitch or talk about business in the first initial e-mail. Get people to respond to your follow up by just being friendly. If you do not follow up your trip and hard work will have been a waste of your time. So, don’t rip yourself off here!

Please add your own tips or tricks here:



After 45 hours of work over six weeks, my song is one of the 118 approved to be in the RBN Store when it launches. My last article laid out what it takes to get your song in the game, namely a deep skill set and lots of time. While I managed to clock in well under my 60-80 hour estimate, I had a considerable head start. I’d already messed around with Reaper, my stems were ready to go, I’d played through most of Rock Band 1 and 2 on all instruments, and my Xbox 360 was already networked to my studio computer. Plus, I’ve been a full-time mastering engineer for twelve years and a computer geek all my life. Even so, without the expert guidance of the folks at creators.rockband.com, my song never would’ve made it through the pipeline. They are a wonderful group of people – true professionals in every sense of the word.

Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? Probably not. Here’s why:

1. The authoring guidelines are rules, not suggestions. I mistakenly counted on some wiggle room. I figured if the parts made sense and felt right to play, they’d be acceptable. Not so. For example, on medium difficulty, green-blue chords are not allowed. There can be no kicks or snares between right hand time keeping gems, period. There are lots of rules, not all of them intuitive. Personally, I think that’s a good thing. My initial concern that amateurs would flood the store with flawed product was unfounded.
2. Playtesting others’ songs can take as long as authoring your own. Authoring is a collaborative process. It takes me about an hour to playtest a song completely, on all instruments at all difficulty levels. You might need a dozen playtests to prepare your song for peer review, so you should plan to do at least that many for others. It’s not just a goodwill gesture. If you don’t actively contribute to the community, nobody will touch your songs.
3. Hiring a professional is affordable. If you’re willing to share the royalties with an authoring company, your upfront cost can be as low as zero. There are plenty of companies eager to chart your song, with a variety of pricing structures.
4. Professionals do a better job. Authoring is both an art and a science, and experience matters. No two companies will chart the same song the same way. Check out the expert previews on YouTube and you’ll spot considerable variation. It’s not easy to capture the magic of a real live performance.

Currently, Noble Rhythm is charting another one of my songs. They’ll take half the royalties, but no money up front. Obviously they’re a lot more optimistic about my sales potential than I am!

Brian Hazard is a recording artist with fifteen years of experience promoting his seven Color Theory albums. His Passive Promotion blog emphasizes “set it and forget it” methods of music promotion. Brian is also the head mastering engineer and owner of Resonance Mastering in Huntington Beach, California.

Could you distill a lesson from that success that you could share as advice to other musicians in under 2 minutes?

I’m doing the opening keynote-style one-hour talk at the South by Southwest Music Conference in three weeks, and I’d like to include you, if so.

The subject is practical advice on how to get the most out of the conference. Similar to this article. (Please read that link first.)

During my talk, I’m going to feature videos of advice from my musician/music-biz friends. I thought it’d be nice to share the exposure, and good for the audience to hear many different opinions.

So if you have some short advice from experience, please:

1. Compose your thoughts to deliver it succinctly, between 20 seconds and 2 minutes. The shorter the better. Base it on fact, not opinion. Tell about your specific success at a conference, and the shareable lesson learned from it.
2. Record a video of you speaking this advice. (Audio quality is crucial! Avoid room reverb.)
3. Upload the video in the highest quality possible to vimeo.com
4. Email me the URL to your video when uploaded

I’ll use the best ones in my keynote speech, displayed on the big screen to the audience, with your name and URL in a big font.

Feel free to email me the text of your advice first, if you want feedback before bothering to record and upload a video.

I’ll reply back to every email, to let you know if I can use it or not.

VIDEO DEADLINE: NEXT WEEKEND: Sunday March 7, 2010.

(Of course the earlier the better, so if I can’t use it, there’s time to tell you why, if you want to re-do it.)