subject: Avoid Missing Out On A Record Deal By Promoting Your Band On The Internet [print this page] The odds are good that you will never make it as a rock musician. There are literally thousands of bands just like yours fighting every day for the attention of a handful of band promotors.
But don't feel sorry for yourself. It has nothing to do with your music. There is just simply too much noise out there in the music world. So how do you get yourself heard above the clatter? There are some tricks for the savvy marketer.
Take a moment to think about Lady Gaga, for example. She knows spectacle. Every show she puts on is purportedly a mass of visuals and showmanship. The same could be said for Pink Floyd. What they are doing is selling a good time. And that draws the crowds.
Now, think about your own band. When you are on stage, what are people doing? Are they paying attention to you? Or are they talking amongst themselves? If you are suffering from the boring stage-show syndrome it may be time to punch it all up a notch.
You should also think about your band's image. Some bands and musicians make on the power of imagination alone. Every band has an image of some sort, though some are more powerful than others. The Sex Pistols were drunk and uncontrollable. Meanwhile, the Talking Heads were off-beat and cerebral. What is your band?
Your band may need a thing. That is, you may need to figure out what it is your group stands for. For many bands, for instance, it is a matter of being political and speaking against the status quo. For others, it's just about having as much fun as possible while playing music.
But, even more important that being outrageous is having an online presence. The best way to do this is to post videos on the web. More often than not, this takes the form of YouTube clips. Some bands cultivate fans who capture clips and post them. If you don't have a following yet, though, do it yourself.
It's the big four: The fans, the culture, the concert and the presence. If you can build your band into a significant force, you may find yourself as the big new pop act on the radio rosters. Of course, even if that dream doesn't come true, you'll at least draw a crowd and have a good time doing it.
