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Music and Social Media: LinkedIn

By NationWide Source - Jan 23, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn is not aimed at helping fans find you or you communicate with the masses. Instead, its purpose is to facilitate networking within industries. On a personal account, this means adding business connections instead of friends and family. For your band, it means focusing on your peers and others in the music industry, not your fans. Here are a few tips for maximizing what LinkedIn has to offer:

Connect With The Right People

Again, LinkedIn is not like other social sites. Focus on the quality (not quantity) of your connections; connect with those that can actually benefit you, either by example, advice, or working together. Music managers, media personnel, marketers, and other musicians are contacts that will help you advance your career.

Be Professional

It’s accepted (if not expected) that you have fun with your band’s Instagram or MySpace page; however, your LinkedIn profile should be polished and professional. Keep your page free of clutter and ill-conceived ramblings; focus on making the best impression possible. Make sure any links you share will send users to relevant, attractive, information-packed sites.

Optimize Your Page For Searches

Aside from direct connections, keywords are the best way to generate new traffic to your profile. Think of words that promoters and record labels are likely to search for; this includes your band’s genre, location, and your music’s subject matter.

Use Your Resources

You are not alone. Hundreds of bands and promoters use LinkedIn every day, discussing various aspects of the industry. If you have questions, use your connections as resources. Start by joining groups related to your band or interest (Independent Artists and Musicians, or Music Promoters of America). If you have something to contribute, comment on existing discussions; or, if you don’t see an existing thread with your topic, start a new discussion.

DON’T Spam!

We’ve said it before, but it’s even more important on LinkedIn. Spamming on other sites might cost you a few fans; on LinkedIn, spamming equals banning. Keep comments and updates professional and relevant, and save the spam for the grocery store.

Having a lot of fans is an important part of any band’s success, but it’s certainly not the only part. If you want to take your band to the next level—a professional level—then you need to treat it like the business that it is. Use LinkedIn to connect your band to right resources to make that happen.

Is your band on LinkedIn? How have you used it to help advance your music career?

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Collaborate: Write a Song with Another Artist

By NationWide Source - Jan 22, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Experienced songwriters will tell you that one of the most potentially rewarding yet potentially perilous ways to write a song is to collaborate. Unless you’re a solo singer/songwriter who plays the piano, guitar, or some other instrument, you will have to work with others at some point in the songwriting process. Being prepared can help smooth that process out.

The Pros And Cons Of Collaborative Songwriting

The benefits of writing a song with another musician are countless. For starters, you can learn how other artists write their music. Having these methods as options can help you get out of a writer’s block rut down the road. If the musicians are from other bands or genres, you can experiment with different styles and sounds, and the collaboration extends your music to the audience and fan base of your co-writer. The alliances forged during these songwriting sessions can prove invaluable down the road.

Of course, there are risks when trying to write a song with another artist. Going into a collaboration, you have no guarantee that your songwriting skills will gel well, even if you both appreciate the others work. Since it can be tough to hear critiques, you need to have a thick skin and speak thoughtfully. The lack of guarantees, presence of criticism, and a host of other factors means those potential alliances can easily turn into hurt feelings, damaged reputations, and bitter enemies.

Pick A Good Partner For Collaboration

Honestly, making this decision requires a combination of careful deliberation and blind faith. Some prefer to only write with musicians they don’t know, thereby not risking ruined friendships. For others, the opposite is true, as they already trust artists they know. The opportunity to write a song with someone who you know quite well can be just as valuable an experience as the opportunity to write with someone you have recently met. The same is true for known and unknown artists. Each opportunity is what you make of it.

A Matter of Money

If you’re under a contract, you should probably speak to your manager or A&R rep about how to split profits from collaborated projects before you get going on the process. If you’re both independent musicians, agree ahead of time on how the profits will break down. You might split it evenly, or you might base it on the percentage of work done. Some up-and-coming musicians might take less money simply to share the songwriting credits and have the experience under their belt.

Have you collaborated on projects with other musicians before? How did the process go? What advice do you have for those considering their first collaboration?

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Can Affiliate Marketing Help Musicians Make More Money

By NationWide Source - Jan 22, 2014 Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Musicians are creative people. To be successful, though, they need to learn how to apply that creativity to the business side of their music. Blogs, forums, and podcasts can be a wealth of information and inspiration for those not inclined to understanding royalties, copyright law, or marketing strategies.

One creative business strategy available to musicians is affiliate marketing. Below, we’ll explain how it works and whether or not it’s a good idea for you.

Where to Sell Your Music

Companies such as iTunes and Amazon are big businesses, and their business is to sell product (like music). As large companies, they have the ability to reach large audiences. These large audiences might not know who you are, might not know your products are available, might not trust your small website, and might not care to visit dozens of independent musicians’ various websites to buy music… but making your product available on the larger site could remove some of those hurdles. In fact, the large companies are counting on it.

Your business is selling your music. You could sell your music on your own website, but the large audiences of the big businesses make it awfully tempting to sell your music on their sites instead. To tempt you further, the big businesses might offer an affiliate marketing program.

How Affiliate Marketing Works

Here’s how it works: instead of selling the music directly on your own website, you can link from your site to your music for sale on the large companies’ sites. When your fans click the link and buy the product on the large companies’ websites, the companies track that incoming link and give you a percentage of the sale on top of the income you’re already making from it being your music. The more people you refer to them for sales, the more money you make on your music… or so the large companies argue.

While it sounds like a great concept, a closer look suggests otherwise. The traffic you’re sending to the large company was already on your site or profile; they could have bought from you directly. By selling through a third party, you won’t make as much off of each sale as if you sold the music yourself. If you’re able to sell your music yourself and already have the fans on your site where your profit margin is higher, wouldn’t you want to capitalize on that opportunity? We’re not saying you should ignore the third party options altogether, but we are saying you should not send your fans there. (Read this for more.)

If, for some strange reason, you aren’t able to sell music on your site and you absolutely have to use a third party store, affiliate marketing can help boost your income (albeit minimally).

Where Can I Find Out More?

Retailers like Amazon and iTunes offer affiliate programs with varying profits for the seller.

Making money as a musician is tough; but with the right tools and knowledge of how to use them to your advantage, there are a lot of things you can do to make a little bit of extra money. It may start out as pennies, but as Ben Franklin said, “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” He may not have been in music marketing, but he was a smart guy, right?

Have you joined an affiliate marketing program? How did it work for you? Was it in addition to selling the music yourself, or did you only sell through the retailer?

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Branding Your Band: Marketing for Musicians

By NationWide Source - Jan 22, 2014 Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

In the business world, an essential component of successful marketing is establishing and maintaining a brand. The same holds true in the music world. Your act—whether it’s just you, a small band, or a gospel choir—needs its own consistent identity and story.

If you’re just starting out, figure out your branding ahead of the fame. If you have been around a while and need help refocusing your career, branding might be the solution for you. Either way, here are some branding elements to consider:

Image

How do you want your act to be seen, and who do you want to attract? Think of the various stereotypes of musicians or their fans: burnouts, thugs, ingenues, rockers, all out thrashers, country darlings, hipsters, and so on. Your answer to that question will determine how you market your band to the public.

Bio

Your band should have a story, and the best story to tell is the real one. If you fabricate a past, you run the risk of curious journalists or fans uncovering the truth; losing your credibility with either is never a good thing. So, stick to the truth. Bands need to decide how much weight should be placed on individual members’ bios versus the group’s bio, and all acts need to draw a line protecting their personal lives from the public eye.

Spotlight

This is a little easier for a solo artist. With bands, though, chances are some members will stand out while the rest don’t receive as much attention. Before this happens, determine as a group how you want to handle this situation. It’s okay if someone does take the lead, as long as it doesn’t foster resentment among the band members. If the band’s brand focuses on unity, though, remember to share the spotlight.

Design

Another element of branding is graphic design and artwork. Commercial brands are recognized for their logos and types of ads; surely you can identify the brand with the animated polar bears without seeing a logo or product. Bands can be recognizable, too. Any Pearl Jam fan will recognize the stick figure raising his fingers to the sky. Decide on your band’s logo; set a color scheme. What style of photography do you lean toward: journalistic snapshots from gigs, or posed in-studio shots? This doesn’t mean that the artwork for all five albums is identical, but they should all be recognizably yours. Also, put your brand where your band is: brand your website, your social media accounts, and your merchandise. Fans should know immediately that they’ve found you and your work, not another band with the same name.

It’s important for your band to establish and maintain a consistent public image. Do note the word “maintain”. As your band or act advances in its career, you will need to regularly reevaluate your brand. If you find that adjustments are needed, make them. If you’ve branded your band well, though, the adjustments along the way will be minor.

Have you done any branding work for your band? How has it helped your act? Have you had to make adjustments to it?

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Press Kits and Your Band

By NationWide Source - Jan 22, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

As a band, music marketing and the right supplies are something you need to think about. If you meet someone at a bar, show, or around town, do you have an eye-catching, informative business card with you? If not, you just missed an opportunity. Having the right marketing materials can make or break you.

In the past, press kits have been an essential marketing material for musicians. However, in a changing music industry, you might wonder if they still necessary. The answer: absolutely!

The Role of Press Kits

Press kits were sent to record labels, music reviewers, clubs, and managers as a way of familiarizing the recipient with the band. They included a press release with current news about your band (new releases, tour, studio) as well as a band bio. A single, full album, or demo and band photo(s) are also often part of the package. Because a press kit may be your band’s first and only chance to make an impression, have a polished, professional, and interesting press kit ready to go.

Digital Press Kits

As technology has advanced, an electronic or digital press kit has emerged as a greener, more state-of-the-art alternative to the traditional physical version, containing the same or more content but in digital format. They allow the recipient to quickly click a few links, preview your music, read your bio, and make a decision. If you want to create an electronic press kit for your band, websites like SonicBids and ReverbNation can help. If creating your own, be sure to include links to your band’s music, website, and social media accounts and text with your band’s latest press release.

Physical vs. Digital

Some artist reps, media outlets, blogs, magazines, record companies, and booking agencies will only take a physical press kit, while others will only take a digital press kit. For now, your best bet as a band is to have both types ready and available.

Submitting Your Press Kit

There is a good chance that most places you would submit to have their submission guidelines available online. If you can’t find their submission policies online, give them a call or send a friendly email. The point is, be sure to follow their guidelines and send them exactly what they want in the format(s) they want. There is no faster way to earn a negative review or annoy someone you want to impress than to ignore their submission requirements.

Have you created a press kit for you band or act? Did you go with a physical press kit, an electronic press kit, or both? How do you use it the most?

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Music and Social Media: Instagram

By NationWide Source - Jan 22, 2014 Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Unlike more-generalized social media platforms, Instagram specializes in something: sharing photographs. In fact, that was all you could use the virtual photo album for until last year, when they began allowing short video clips. Regardless of its specialization, Instagram is a wonderful way to connect with your fans on a personal level.

To get the most out of Instagram for your band, here are a few tips:

Get creative

With its various photo filters and many challenge groups, Instagram was the first major social media platform to encourage users to play with their photographs. Feel free to explore their filters (or use one of hundreds of photo-editing apps) and participate in challenges; get creative with your shots, trying new angles or styles. You can even share a short video clip of your most recent gig or slideshow of images from a trip or event. Bonus: the video or slideshow should feature your band’s music.

Act Naturally

Save your staged photos for album cover art. Instead, post photos your fans can relate to, photos of you and your bandmates doing ordinary things. Whether it’s a snapshot of a massive burrito from an all night diner while on the road or a behind-the-scenes look at band practice, your fans will love you a whole lot more if you can show them just how “normal” you really are.

Add Captions

They say that “a picture speaks a thousand words”, but a caption can summarize it beautifully. Make sure to add captions to your photos to help your fans know what they are seeing.

Use hashtags

Hashtags are key to helping random users discover your account. Just add the hashtags to the caption of your photo using the number sign (#) and a searchable keyword description of the image without spaces (#houseparty, #livemusic, or #thekickstour2014, for some example). Do follow Instagram etiquette, though; make sure your hashtags are relevant to your picture.

Get help

Unless you’ve got your own personal photographer, chances are you won’t have time to be shooting all of your photos by yourselves. Ask your fans to take pictures of your band at gigs or take pictures of themselves hanging out, listening to, or imitating your band. Have them upload their photos on their own Instagram accounts and tag you to get more traffic your way. If their pic is phenomenal, you might consider reposting it; be sure to give them credit, though. Also, be sure to tag other users (bands you’re performing with, venues you’re at, or fans you’ve met) if they’re in your pictures.

Sync your accounts

With Instagram, posting photos directly to your other social media platforms is easy. As a word of caution: be sure to check your default settings and the active account (if you have a personal account and a band account) prior to posting to keep from sending a picture to the wrong crowd.

In the end, Instagram delivers what your fans want. Sure, they like your music, but they want to feel like they know you. Why not hand them a photo album to thumb through?

Have you used Instagram? Was it a personal account or one for your band? Did it affect the size or quality of your fan base?

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Music and Social Media: Google+

By NationWide Source - Jan 21, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Google+ has been designed to follow the framework of many other social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace, but it can do so much more. Like other sites, you can create your own profile page, post comments and promotions in news feed, and add contacts. However, Google+ allows you to sort those contacts into certain groups (called circles) and then control the content that each group sees.

With the right tools, you can create a Google+ band page that will get you noticed by the right people. Follow these tips to get the most out of Google+.

Use Your Circles Wisely

On Google+, you can customize your list of connections into as many groupings as you’d like; for bands, you’ll probably want to group contacts into circles like venues, fans, other bands, and music industry connections.

Hang Out With Your Audience

Google+ doesn’t limit you to simply posting thoughts or links to videos and articles. Instead, it works to break down the challenges presented by physical proximity. Using its Hangout feature, your band can perform for or interact with fans anywhere, collaborate with other bands around the world, or meet with industry professionals across the country. To fully explore this feature, visit the Hangout tab in the top right corner of your Google+ account window.

Get The Word Out

To reap the full benefits of Hangouts, don’t count on your circles being online when you happen to need them. Promote the Hangout ahead of time, both to your Google+ contacts and to fans and contacts from other social media platforms.

Offer Something Besides Self-Promotion

If you’re a musician, your fans assume that you’re creative and have something to say. Why not write some of those brilliant thoughts down and share them with fans? Providing regular, insightful glimpses into your band member’s lives, thoughts, and feelings can be a sure way to keep fans coming back. Besides, if all you ever share is shameless self-promoting content, your fans will tire of you.

Make a Guest Appearance

Use Google+ for networking and increasing your fan base. Find other bands you respect and trade guest posts on each others’ pages. This tit-for-tat is a great way to help new fans find you.

Google+ may be the new kid on the block, but it has the potential to become one of the most popular, too. If you use these ideas to promote your Google+ band page, you’ll see why.

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Music Recording Equipment: Finding the Right Headphones

By NationWide Source - Jan 21, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Headphones may be overlooked when people think about what equipment is needed to make music recordings happen, but they are an important part of the recording studio. In a recording session, artists may want to use headphones to hear their voice or other parts of the arrangement. The headphone mix may affect their performance, so it’s important that you have good headphones to help the artist hear clearly and perform their best.

DT 770 PRO by beyerdynamic

These crazy-comfortable closed-back headphones may be the very best on the market in their price range (or perhaps in general). They fit around the ears tightly but comfortably. Their clarity is amazing – if you solo a vocal, it’s like you are standing right in front of them. There is also a semi-open back model called the DT 880 PRO, and a fully-open back for critical listening and mastering called the DT 990 PRO. Price: $299

K240 Studio by AKG

The K240s are semi-open studio headphones that also have very comfortable pads. These headphones are very light while wearing (240g). The cable that comes included is a mini-XLR to 1/8th inch adapter, allowing for very easy cable replacement. Price: $149

HD 280 PRO by Sennheiser

Sennheiser makes a great set of headphones that isolate very well. This is important for recording. If you are trying to record a quiet, intimate vocal, you don’t need the music leaking out of their headphones and being recorded into the vocal track. The solid construction doesn’t hinder comfort and helps durability. This pair of headphones are built with closed construction. Price: $99

SRH240A by Shure

The SRH240A headphones are a rugged set of closed headphones. This more affordable pair is comfortable and isolating; again, perfect for recording with minimal bleed, and also great for music listening. Price: $75

Other Tips for Choosing Headphones

When choosing a pair of headphones for music recording, keep in mind your needs. Will you be mixing with them? Make sure they are comfortable and honest sounding. Will you be using them for artists to be monitoring while recording? Choose a pair that are closed and isolating. Before listening and trying them out, make a mix of music you are very familiar with. Listen to what the high end, low end, and mids sound like. Make sure the headphones replicate each well.

Have you established a recording studio? What type of headphones do you prefer to use, and why?

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Music Recording Equipment: The Best Microphones

By NationWide Source - Jan 21, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In both live performances and music recording, there are a lot of components that affect the way the final product will sound. Because they are the initial pieces to capture and filter the sound of instruments or voices, microphones are very important.

If you’re setting up a studio, here are some different microphones to consider:

U87 by Neumann

One of the most popular microphones, this large diaphragm condenser (LDC) is mostly used on female vocals or breathy vocalists because of the way it beautifully captures the “air” of a voice. In 2012, this microphone was rated by Sound On Sound magazine to be the “best microphone”. $3,600

TLM 103 by Neumann

With the same capsule as the U87, this more-affordable LDC is also great for capturing the air and presence of a vocal. It has a flat response to around 5k, then a 4 dB boost. This mic has very little noise, so it can be used for very quiet things (radio broadcast, foley recording) while still handling high SPL (for use as drum overheads). $1,100

C1 by Studio Projects

This mic is very, very affordable, but the low price doesn’t mean low quality. This microphone can be found in high end music studios recording some big records, and it has been compared to microphones 10 times its price. The C1 has the ability to close mic high SPL sources (such as guitar cabs and drum overheads). $300

C414 XLII by AKG

This is another versatile microphone that is mainly used for drum overheads and vocals. This LDC is often sold in pairs for the application of recording stereo rooms or overheads. Acoustic guitars and other acoustic instruments also sound great through this. $1,100 (single) $2,300 (pair)

SM27 by Shure

This mic is another affordable, flexible LDC. Compared to the other, more expensive microphones in this list, this one might need some shaping in post, depending on what you are using it for. It can take the high SPL of drums and capture all the light nuances of vocals. $299

Capturing the sound during music recording sessions as best as possible is an important part of the recording process. Although they aren’t the only element that matters, the right tools make a big difference.

Do you have a favorite mic for recording? Is it one of the above mics, or something else? Does your go-to mic vary depending on what you’re recording?

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Music Recording Equipment: Digital Audio Workstations

By NationWide Source - Jan 21, 2014 Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Before the rise of computers, recording studios had tape machines that they recorded to, and editing was done by cutting and pasting pieces of the recording with a razor and tape. Today, Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) have taken the place of those tape machines, bringing with them a multitude of options that didn’t exist previously. If you are setting up a recording studio, DAWs are a necessity, especially you plan to collaborate with other industry professionals.

There are many different DAWs to choose from, so we’ve pulled together some of the best and most popular. Take a look through these options and see what is best for you.

Pro Tools

Pro Tools is arguably the most popular (or perhaps a more appropriate word is common) DAW. Pro Tools Express comes with an interface and a basic set of plug-ins for $499. Compare the different versions on this comparison chart. A free trial of Pro Tools 11 is available. Available for both Mac and Windows OS.

Logic Pro X

The latest version of Logic Pro X comes with awesome new features which previously required third-party plug-ins (Drummer, a drum programmer; Arpeggiator; and Flex Pitch, a tuning application). The now-included plug-ins are a step forward, making this program excellent for programming and making synths and beats. The dark interface also allows for less strain on your screen and battery.
$199 on the App Store; Mac OS only.

Cubase

Like other DAWs, Cubase offers versions of the program at varying price points and with various features, allowing you to choose the level that fits your budget and your needs. This program has many plug-ins, including pitch correction (standard in all versions). Prices range from US $99 to EUR $699; available for both Mac and Windows OS.

Studio One

This program is made by Presonus and also has varying programs (Free, Artist, Producer, and Professional) at varying prices. Compare their different features and prices, and find the version best suited to your needs and budget. Available for both Mac and Windows OS.

Reaper

Reaper is a one-version program with much of the same functionality and ability as the other DAWs listed. It offers a 60-day free trial, after which the license is only $60. Available for both Mac and Windows OS.

While it may be obvious that you need this equipment, the choice may not be as clear. Our best advice is to identify your studio’s needs first, then research and compare your options.

Have you purchased one of the above DAWs? Or is there another version that you use? How has it worked out for your studio?

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