New indie label Panacea3 featured in "Minnesota Business"

Article in "Minnesota Business":

New Record
By David Gee
(Photo by Tate Carlson)



Panacea3 is comprised of young professionals/musicians determined to turn the dismal state of the music industry and general economy into an opportunity, not a roadblock. Company founder, drummer, producer and Berklee School of Music grad Andrew Linde says the venture is a vehicle to transform hobby into career while maintaining creative control and feeling good about their revenue streams as artists. Right now, the label consists of one artist (his group) as the flagship/guinea pig. As the strategies become tested and more refined, he says they will expand to work with more artists

Complete article

New indie label started by Nellie Furtado

Thanks to Mind Booster Noori for bringing this to my attention.

Interesting report in Billboard that Nellie Furtado, a singer signed to frequent RIAA plaintiff Interscope Records, has gone into competition with her label, launching her own "indie" record label:

Nelly Furtado Launches Indie Label

March 16, 2009 06:00 AM ET
Cortney Harding, N.Y.

Pop star Nelly Furtado is not the first major-label musician to start her own label, but she is one of the few to do it with an indie. Furtado is launching Nelstar in cooperation with the Canadian independent label group Last Gang Labels.

The Toronto-based electro-dance band Fritz Helder & the Phantoms is the first act signed to Nelstar and will release its debut album July 7.

"Nelly just wasn't that interested in doing a OneRepublic/Timbaland type of thing," says Chris Taylor, president of Last Gang and Furtado's longtime attorney. "She's an independent spirit, and she wants to make sure we build the band at the right pace. It's also very important to launch a band with indie branding behind them and be able to build them brick by brick."

Taylor points out that Furtado has close ties to the band, noting that two members are her backup dancers.

Furtado says she never considered introducing the Nelstar imprint via her label, Interscope.....

"....When you are a new band and you sign to a major, you get thrown to the fire."

Complete article

[Ed. note. Anyone taking bets on where Ms. Furtado will sign once her contract with Interscope has been fulfilled? -R.B.]



For music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Six Steps to Maximize Your Conference Experience, Make More Music-Business Contacts, and Advance Your Music Career

Over my 13 years of attending SXSW I’ve seen plenty of bands who did get a coveted showcase and not only did they not get signed, but also they did not meet any key players in the business or benefit their careers in any way by showcasing.

Reasons for this included: They received awful showcase venues and times; they were busy loading and unloading gear, babysitting band members, or getting tanked at parties to make the journey worthwhile; or they opted for their measly $100 stipend instead of for the gold: the festival pass.

Here’s my musician’s South by Southwest survival guide to get your through one of the most massive and overwhelming conferences of the year. This guide is not just for SXSW; it’s also for any music conference out there!

Part of the trick is: Show up prepared. Know who will be attending and create some goals before you get there.

I believe all musicians should attend at least one music conference per year. They are expensive to get to. 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 vital people in.

For those of you who do not have connections in the music industry, going to a music conference is your chance. This is an annual business trip you should never miss!

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.

STEP ONE: Before You Go, Get Connected! Get involved with some online communities that are SXSW-related.

Facebook Group:
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2307340129

MySpace Group:
www.myspace.com/sxsw

Ning Group:
www.sxsw.ning.com

Twitter:
When you get there: tweet!
www.twitter.com/sxsw

TIP: Use all of these sites and more social media sites to connect to individuals who may be attending as well.

LOCALS TIP: If you live in one of the towns that a conference is taking place in be helpful - offer advice on where to eat a good inexpensive meal in town, where to get an instrument repaired, find a rehearsal studio, good backline or offer up your couch and floor for a band to crash on.

SXSW site:
Use the SXSW Registrant Directory
www.regdir.sxsw.com/registrants/login

Get registered to the South by Southwest directory and go through and determine who you may want to meet before you arrive in Austin A producer? A publicist? A manager? An agent? Drop them a personal e-mail using the amazing South by Southwest interactive tools Web site and introduce yourself. If you are playing, invite people to come to your showcase. Also post messages on the blog (and if you do blog and Twitter about it before you go!)

STEP TWO: Bring Business Cards, Fizzkicks Cards & Postcards Go armed with business cards. If you over the age of 18, you should have a business card, especially at events like this. Your business card should not just have your name and number, but should have good information about what your band sounds like, your Myspace page, your Facebook, 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.

I know what you are thinking! It is very easy to unsubscribe once signed up and so it’s not a ploy at all. You are providing a quality offer and you are askig for their email address in exchange for it.

I love Fizzkicks cards because they double as a business card and a music-download card - www.fizzkicks.com

TIP: Put one sentence about your music (your pitch) on your card and the instrument you play. A card with a name and address is totally useless and unmemorable! Put a photo of yourself on the card or your band logo to add even more branding and recognition.

I suggest talking to your webs designer to implement this. aweber and 1 Shopping Cart are two systems that can be integrated into your site to deliver these results.

TIP: I do not recommend bringing a ton of CDs. People are overwhelmed with free CDs so it’s better to get people’s business cards and mail them a CD as a follow-up after you get home.

STEP THREE: Take Risks Introduce yourself to a stranger.
I “accidentally” met Tommy from Universal Buzz at a bar because I thought he was someone else who I was supposed to meet, and we’ve been colleagues ever since. Don’t be scared to take risks and meet people. Conferences are friendly places.

STEP FOUR: Attend Panels
It’s tempting to blow them off and hit all of the parties but you should make an effort to sit in on at least one or two panels per day, on any topic that interests you, and learn. Take notes.

STEP FIVE: Sign Up for Mentoring Sessions
Most conferences have amazing mentoring sessions where you can sign up to have one-on-one face time with the industry people that are paneling (and some of the most important people in the music business will be sitting there ready to meet with you). I never, ever would have met one of the most important editors at Rolling Stone had I not signed up.

TIP: 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.

STEP SIX: 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.

TIP: If you do not follow up your trip and hard work will have been a waste of your time. Do not rip yourself off here!

There are plenty of other great conferences that I recommend including:

CMJ, New York City, NY
www.cmj.com/marathon

Atlantis, Atlanta, GA
www.atlantismusic.com

Winter Music Conference, Miami, FL
www.wmcon.com

Folk Alliance, Memphis, TN
www.folkalliance.org

Americana Music Conference, Nashville, TN
www.americanamusic.org/site.php?content=conference

Taxi Road Rally, Los Angeles, CA
www.taxi.com

Former Windows chief Jim Allchin to release debut podsafe album: 'Enigma'

As his former Microsoft colleagues work to get Windows 7 out the door, Jim Allchin is getting ready for a new release of his own. The longtime Windows chief, who retired after Vista's debut, sings and displays his considerable guitar skills on "Enigma," a new solo CD scheduled to debut next month. Amazon is already taking preorders.

To get a sense for Allchin's talent on the guitar, check out "Kick It," the last track on this sample page. Allchin's site also has an interesting biography in the style of VH1's "Behind the Music," tracking his life from its modest origins on a Florida orange grove through college to Microsoft and beyond. There's even a fun, Rick Springfield-style photo (below) among his press images.

"Enigma" incorporates a wide range of styles, but one reference on the Web site shows that Allchin applied to the album a level of discipline that the Windows team, under his leadership, struggled to achieve at times during the Vista development process: "To avoid even more diversity several songs were eventually removed from the CD because they included even more styles," the site says.

The tracks removed "will show up on the next CD for sure," the site says.

Allchin's longtime passion for the guitar was well-known during his time at the company, so his musical turn isn't a surprise. He has stayed in the news since his Microsoft departure because of a series of emails disclosed in lawsuits against the company, showing him writing candidly about about Apple and the Windows Vista Capable program, among other topics.

So what's with the album title? Appropriately enough, it appears to be based at least in part on computer science.

Enigma Machine is the name of the first track. "Enigma Machines were early encoders/decoders for cryptography," Allchin explains on his site. "They had many rotors and the guitar sound in this song reminds me of this amazing device as well as the intensity of the search for an answer to some puzzle."

Going Mobile - The Future Of Marketing For Musicians

Going Mobile - The Future Of Marketing For Musicians
by Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity/Cyber PR

Many experts say that the #1 way we will all communicate within the next 3-4 years will be thorough our mobile devices. It is no secret that the United States is far behind Europe and Asia in ease of use and advance technologies in the mobile realm but it is never too early to begin looking at a mobile strategy.

With that said I will be exploring how musicians can fully utilize using mobile technologies throughout 2009 but here is a primer. I saw Helen Keegan present in Iceland at the You Are In Control conference at Iceland Airwaves 2008 and I was wowed by her presentation.

Helen is a mobile marketing, advertising and media specialist working with a range of clients from media owners to brands and agencies to mobile technology companies. She has been working in mobile marketing for more than 8 years.

I asked her a few questions via email and she was generous enough to answer them for us here:

How Can Musicians Effectively Use Mobile For Marketing? - 7 Questions For Helen Keegan of Beep Marketing

Intro

Using mobile phones is now integral to our lives. Artists should be thinking about who their audience is and how to build it - whatever ways are relevant. And that has to include mobile today. Young audiences in particular are technology agnostic and want instant gratification and will use the nearest device or service available to them whether that's their phone, their laptop, the TV, their iPod, their PSP, whatever.

1. Where is a good place to start for artists just beginning to think about a mobile strategy?

The artist should probably start by using their mobile phone to create and capture content themselve - short video footage, podcasts, moblogging, photographs, twittering etc. All this can be done instantly and cheaply from a mobile phone and helps the audience get to the real essence of the artistóthey feel they're getting beyond the branding and the manufactured image. Music is about soul after all isn't it so being able to share what you're really thinking and doing would seem to make sense to me.

2. How often should artists communicate via mobile platforms once they have one set up?

There is no fixed answer to this. It's about building a community and having a conversation with members of your community and allowing your community to chat to each other. What I would say is that if you're using SMS, then make sure you have permission, make it easy to opt out at any time, make sure it's free (or very cheap or sponsored) and don't overdo it. Think about how much you might tolerate. Also think about what messages those individuals might be getting at that time - Friday night at 6 PM is probably not a good time to promote stuff when a lot of people are organizing their weekend. Similarly, if you have a teen audience then waking them up with a text message at 7 AM on a Sunday morning might not always go down well. We're talking about real people here and real conversations not just push alerts about gigs and releases.

3. What's the easiest way for an artist to build a mobile list?

It's not about building a list; that's too simplistic. It's about building a fanbase and community and allowing those people access to you via mobile and vice versa. Permission is a given when using a communication method. Spam is in the eye of the beholder and even if it's legal, people won't tolerate it - fans or not. Personal information can be collected in a variety of ways - text in promotions at gigs, fill in leaflets with your information, capture it on websites or mobile websites - all the usual methods. But make sure you have the tick box to opt in and make it easy to opt-out (by replying STOP to a text message for example).

4. What's the easiest way for artists to deliver MP3s to fans via mobile?

Helen suggested we ask Steve Lawson who coincidentally also writes for Music Think Tank and he generously provided the answer:

The MP3s to fans thing is an interesting one - the easiest way if you don't want to make your audience pay for them would be to do an MP3 blog with Wordpress, add the Mippin plug-in, and just post the links in blog posts - most mobile phones will just ask where you want to save the file when clicked on.

If you want to charge for it, life gets a little more difficult. I had a conversation recently with the former head of Paypal mobile - there's a joke name for a division. He left after Paypal failed to do anything sensible for mobile at all, despite him organising meetings with the top dogs at Nokia for them. He did say there is some code that can be used, so I'm going to get onto him, find out what it is, and as soon as I do, I'll post it on music think tank! But at the moment, it's pretty tough to do.

The big problem is that most of the online sales apps is that the front end is flash driven, and virtually no mobile handsets can handle flash. iPhone users can obviously use iTunes. I've no idea what the deal is with getting ones music onto the Nokia music store. I've had emails from the head of Nokia music, so will ask him as soon as I can!

This is an answer that seems it will unfold as time goes on.

Helen also comments:

Research tells us that young people are sideloading more tracks than their downloading from their phones. That means they're downloading tracks to their laptops and transferring the files across to their iPods, phones, whatever. So what I would say is that DRM is a no-no otherwise you're not able to share the track between devices.

5. I know ringtones have experienced a decline in popularity. Should artists still make their music available as ringtones? If so, what's the easiest way for them to do that?

Yes, ringtones are still important - short snippets of a track available in the various mobile formats would make sense. There's plenty software available on the Internet to allow for you to do that cheaply or free.

6. I know you are a twitter evangelist, just like me. Are there any tips on how musicians can use Twitter to create group mobile communication?

I love twitter and for me the most important things are authenticity and joining in. Be yourself and engage with other Twitterers. If Stephen Fry and Richard Branson can do it, then so can an artist!

7. Do you have any parting mobile advice you'd like to give a band or an artist looking to learn more?

Yes, check out Paul Brindley's MusicAlly and read David Jennings' book Net, Blogs 'n Rock 'n Roll. And get yourself into blogs and google alerts to keep track of what's happening in mobile and music.

You can read about Helens work and follow her interesting blog here:

http://www.beepmarketing.com

http://technokitten.blogspot.com

New Media Pioneer: Kevin Breuner of the CD Baby Podcast

New Media Pioneer: Kevin Breuner of the CD Baby Podcast

Kevin is a podcaster, blogger, and sync licensing agent. He resides in Portland, OR where he developed and maintains the podcasting and sync licensing efforts for CD Baby.

Podcast - http://cdbabypodcast.com
Blog - http://kevinbreuner.com
Twitter - kbreuner

Q: How long has the CD Baby Podcast been broadcasting?

A: Our first episode of the DIY Musician Podcast posted back in May 2007, so we have been podcasting for a year and a half.

Q: What do you try to acheive with each podcast?

With each episode, I'm always asking myself, "What can artists learn from this episode. Does this create discussion around topics that are really valuable to the indie music community?" Those questions are bouncing around in my head from the beginning to the end of an episodes production. I think with a podcast or blog, it's incredibly important to stick to the intended purpose, and because of that, there are interviews that were never released. When it came down to it, they didn't serve the purpose we want to achieve with the podcast. Ultimately, I hope that each episode continues to empower artists to take their music career into their own hands and make some realistic steps forward.

Q: What is the main goal of the CD Baby Podcast?

A: My goal with the podcast was to create an "honest" straight forward resource that CD Baby artists and the indie music community at large could use to help move their career forward. I always enjoy talking to other artists and musicians(I'm an artist as well!), and throughout my time at CD Baby, I've talked to thousands of artist that are trying to breakthrough with their music. What surprises me, is how many artists, both newbies and seasoned veterans alike, fall into the same traps over and over again.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have effected you most?

A: So far, podcasting has remained relatively untouched. There are quite a few podcasts that play mainstream music (that has not been properly licensed), and I think we'll start seeing the major labels take an interest in cracking down on the usage of that content. But the beauty of the podcast and the invention of the RSS feed, is that you can have direct access to people who are interested in what you are saying. There is no gate keeper telling you what you can and can't do.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts have that power?

A: I do, and I'm actually surprised that more bands aren't using podcasting to help promote their music. We actually interviewed a band that released a podcast before they even had all their members. The podcast chronicled their journey as they found the final member and wrote songs, recorded and so on. It immediately caught the attention of the folks over in the iTunes podcast section, and the band's podcast received a front page feature before they had even played a show. By the time they had all their members and started playing out, people were coming out wearing the bands t-shirts they were selling through their website. The fans really felt a connection to the band. I will say though, for a band to have a podcast that builds their fan base, it must have a couple key components. 1. It must have a point - It can't be people goofing off in front of a mic or telling inside jokes 2. It must draw the listener into the bands story - Save the shameless self promotion(They probably already are a fan) and give them the real you. 3. It has to be consistent - quite possibly the hardest part. Nobody will be interested in it if you do one episode every couple months. I'm actually in a new band here in Portland, and we have a podcast in the works. We've spent so much time really trying to define what it will be and how it will work just to make sure that it becomes a part of what we do. If we just made a random haphazard stab at it, it would be doomed from the beginning.

Cyber PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser raises $850 for Charity!

Our Cyber PR Holiday Fundraiser for 2008 was a success! The goal of the Cyber PR Campaign was to bring musicians to make a difference. Because of our participants we were able to raise a total of $850 for charity!

Here are our prize winners:

Silver Tinsel Winner
Andrew Hand - Charity: World Hunger Year & Musicians on Call
Raising $125 they will be receiving a copy of my brand-new Sound Advice DVD featuring Derek Sivers – 82 minutes of our best marketing and PR tips.

Sparkly Lights Winner
Tom St. Louis- Charity: Sleeping Children Around the World
Raising $300 they will receive my “Music Success In 9 Weeks” book and the Sound Advice DVD, plus they will get full access to my closed private online Mastermind website for life.

And our Grand Prize Winner who raised the most was:
Jana Mashonee - Charity: Jana’s Kids
She will receive the Sparkly Lights prize package of Raising a whopping $425 she will receive my “Music Success In 9 Weeks” book and the Sound Advice DVD, plus get full access to my closed private online Mastermind website for life. We will also send her my Musicians Web 2.0 Boot Camp.

We would like to send a big THANK YOU to all of our participants including those who helped promote the fundraiser!

Sound Advice Ezine- Acknowledge Your Notable Accomplishments of 2008

Acknowledge Your Notable Accomplishments of 2008

During times like this when the television and the newspapers seem to be chock full of only doom and gloom, it is an appropriate exercise and it is simple. Here it is:

Write down at least 20 notable accomplishments that you have achieved over the past twelve months. They don't all have to be music-related, of course. Some of them can be things that are happening in your family, or at work, if your work is not being a full-time musician. Some examples are:

• Released an album
• Made 30 new friends on Facebook
• Played a benefit concert.
You get the idea...

When you have written them all, take a look at them, fold them up, and carry them around with you in your wallet. The next time you're faced with the doom and gloom, read them to yourself and acknowledge what you've done.

Bonus round, write down your lifetime accomplishments on the other side of the paper.

Happy holidays and may you have a healthy and successful 2009!
Cyber PR!

For music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Good article in Wall Street Journal about indie artists achieving success online

Here's a good article which ran in the Wall Street Journal about independent musical artists finding an audience for their music through the internet, and then signing with indie labels. Much thanks to reader Andres Rosado for bringing it to my attention.

Musician Finds a Following Online
Word-of-Mouth on Blogs and Other Sites Attracts Fans -- and a Record Deal

By SHELLY BANJO and KELLY K. SPORS

In late 2006, Justin Vernon, a musician in Eau Claire, Wis., recorded nine songs while staying at his parents' hunting cabin in northern Wisconsin after a breakup with a girlfriend and his long-time band. He used just a desktop computer with recording software, a three-piece drum set and a guitar.

A few months later, Mr. Vernon posted the songs on his MySpace page, hoping to get some listeners and feedback. He also printed 500 copies of a CD with those songs to sell to friends and fans and send to music bloggers for review.

He got that and much more.

Thanks to the buzz his online tracks generated on music blogs and social-networking sites, Mr. Vernon has played at numerous venues and appeared on the "Late Show With David Letterman." He signed a record deal in October 2007, and his first album, "For Emma, Forever Ago," sold about 87,000 copies through mid-December, with about half of those downloaded online. With a band he formed early this year, called Bon Iver, Mr. Vernon is now playing sold-out concerts across the U.S. and abroad.

Complete article

New Media Pioneer: Jason Tippitt of Mental Nomad Podcast and Pod Across America

New Media Pioneer: Jason Tippitt of Mental Nomad Podcast and Pod Across America

http://mentalnomad.libsyn.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mentalnomadshow
http://www.podacrossamerica.blogspot.com

Mental Nomad Podcast: Eclectic music podcast. I play almost every sort of music, though geared a little more toward singer-songwriters.

Pod Across America: Also an eclectic music show, but each episode focuses on one American state at a time.

Q: How long have you been broadcasting?

A: The Mental Nomad Podcast started in March 2007; it was initially a
twice-a-week show but has been weekly for about a year now, with a few
exceptions. The show's eclectic, with an intention toward including
music from outside the United States and music from female vocalists
in almost every episode.

Pod Across America started in October 2008 and will be two episodes a
month, usually one episode per state. I started in Delaware, the first
state, and will go through Hawaii, the 50th state, in order ... a few
states will get two episodes just due to the sheer number of musicians
from those states.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A: To me, a good song is one that gives me some sort of emotional
reaction ... thrilling to the highs, coasting through the lows,
laughing at a clever turn of phrase or feeling my stomach churn over
some emotional conflict that rings true to me.

A song can be really simple and yet really powerful: Bob Dylan's
"Tomorrow Is a Long Time" and Queen's "Bijou" are contain very short,
very simple lyrics but the mix of the lyrics, the vocal delivery and
the music turns them into something magical.

Most of the music I really enjoy has lyrics, and usually the lyrics
are in English. I do listen to some instrumental music, and I do
listen to some non-English-language music, but the instrumentalists or
vocalists really have to soar above and beyond for me to really engage
the music.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: Attorney and writer Andrew Vachss has observed that "blues is truth,"
and I agree wholeheartedly. Blues gets down to the core of the human
experience, the raw truth of emotions laid bare. It's naked and
honest, and even when the blues singer engages in bragging, the
exaggerations point the way toward his or her insecurities.

More broadly, music that tells a story is what really gets my
attention. Blues, certainly folk music, certain rap and rock 'n' roll,
the cabaret storytelling of a Tom Waits or the deeply emotional jazz
of Jimmy Scott ... music with personality.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc., have
affected you most?

A: I feel unqualified to answer this question. I haven't paid a lot of
attention to the legal issues, whereas I probably should pay more
attention. In early episodes, I was a lot quicker to download a song
from MySpace and play it, then ask permission after the fact. I
wouldn't dream of doing that now.

Using a content provider such as the Podsafe Music Network and working
with publicists such as the folks at Ariel Publicity -- where the
music is pre-cleared and podsafe -- is the smart way to go, I've
found. I'd rather be able to find new music I might not have heard
before and play that than risk getting sued for playing a U2 song that
everyone's going to hear all over the place, anyway.

So the limitations put in place by respecting the law challenges me to
look for the next Bob Dylan, the next Tom Waits, the next Emmylou
Harris.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in
generating album sales; do you feel podcasts have that power?

A: I haven't personally experienced any huge revenue surge from doing
podcasts and the blogs associated with them, though I do include links
to both the music I play and, to a lesser extent, to the videos that
strike my fancy from artists podsafe and non-podsafe.

That said, I have absolutely discovered new music that I've
subsequently bought through blogs and podcasts. Blogs and podcasts
offer a great way to sample a lot of music that I wouldn't hear on
heavily formatted local radio or even the music channels on digital
TV.

Podcasts come to you. Blogs come to you, if you syndicate their feeds
through a reader. They require less effort than logging into MySpace
or Facebook, slogging through the many pages of contacts you have, and
noticing when a particular band has updated the profile. So yes, I
think podcasts are a more forward-thinking way of marketing a band --
it's letting other people be your street team, rather than trusting
people to find you.

To find more interviews and New Media tips for musicians please visit: www.arielpublicity.net/blog

Premiere: Sound Advice TV

Premiere: Sound Advice TV

To view the premiere Webisode of Sound Advice TV with Derek Sivers click HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbVbK8Ou3s

This vodcast is just one of 16 installments featuring Derek Sivers

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel so you do not miss a single episode!

http://www.youtube.com/ArielPublicity

Don't want to wait 16 weeks to get all of Derek and Ariel's knowledge

BUY THE WHOLE DVD:
http://www.arielpublicity.com/soundadvicedvd

Cyber PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser

The Holiday Season is upon us and Ariel Publicity/Cyber PR are thrilled to announce our
First Annual CYBER PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser

1. You ask your fans to make a difference (it's tax-deductible for them).

2. We reward you with a free PR Campaign and gifts to help you get ahead in the music business.

3. We all make a difference together!

As our way of celebrating the holiday season, we want to work with you to raise money for musicians in need, and contribute to the future of creativity and music.

Soon, I will be launching a full PR campaign announcing our CYBER PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser featuring every artist that is participating. If you have holiday music recorded I will promote in exchange for your participation in the drive.

This is an opportunity for you to get extra publicity from us by simply participating in the CYBER PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser.

Here's how it works:

1. You send out your e-mail newsletter (or a series of newsletters) to all of your fans and friends wishing them a happy holiday and requesting that they make a donation to any charity of your choice (I have supplied a list of 5 musician-oriented charities to consider).

2. Your fans e-mail you their proof of contribution email or a screen shot that they donated.

3. You report it back to us to qualify for complimentary prizes that will help you grow in 2009.



Donation Levels:

Silver Tinsel - $75 to $250
Raise between $75 to $250, I will send you a copy of my brand-new Sound Advice DVD featuring Derek Sivers – 82 minutes of our best marketing and PR tips.

Sparkly Lights - $250 to $500
Raise between $250 to $500 I will send you my “Music Success In 9 Weeks” book and a the Sound Advice DVD, plus you will get full access to my closed private online Mastermind website for life.

Shining Star - $1,000 to $2,500
Raise between $1,000 to $2,500 I will give you my Musicians Web 2.0 Boot Camp, plus the “Music Success In 9 Weeks” book, the Sound Advice DVD, and the private online Mastermind website and an invitation to attend one of our digital press conferences where you can get exposure to bloggers podcasters, Internet radio stations and new media makers. Our digital press conferences take place several times a year in New York City.

Holiday Angel - $2,500+
Raise $2,500 or more and I will give you everything above plus a complimentary full Cyber PR Headliner Campaign: Three months of online publicity, to new media outlets and a personal strategy consultation with me.

The Rock Star Extraordinaire – Grand Prize
The artist who raises the most money gets the all-access grand prize, which includes everything Ariel ever created plus a full four-month Rock Star campaign!


How To Participate:

1. Select the charity you would like to donate to. Choose from my list of 5 or select one of your own.

2. Send out your newsletters with full instructions on how your fans can get involved and donate. (I have written a sample newsletter for you below – all you have to do is cut, edit, paste and send)

3. Report your donations to us via email as they come in, we will track them on our holiday fundraising blog. E-mail the receipts as they come in to holidaydrive@arielpublicity.com

We will report all of your progress on our blog!

By Participating You Will Receive:

* Features in both of our newsletters. Sound Advice and Pre Cleared and Podsafe, which go out to a total of over 18,000 subscribers.

* We will promote your holiday track as a participating artist to our network of over 10,000 bloggers, podcasters, Internet radio stations, zines, and social media makers (You must supply your holiday song with a public service announcement promoting our charity drive.)

* A chance to connect with your fan base this holiday season AND make a difference at the same time.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain – while we all make a difference together this season.


Here’s How to Signup:

Send an e-mail to holidaydrive@arielpublicity.com

Include:

1. Your name

2. Your e-mail address

3. Your band's name

4. The charity that you choose

5. If you have a holiday song that you would like us to promote attach it as an MP3

Let's make a difference together this season.

We will be reporting all of our progress on this blog: http://www.arielpublicity.com/blog

The drive ends on December 31st.


CYBER PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser Rules:

In order to participate, you must:

1. Submit your entry via e-mail by December 10, 2008.

2. E-mail us proof of all donations using receipt numbers or screen shots from your fans. You will e-mail us on Friday afternoons and only once a week and we will tally the donations on weekends.

3. Submit all donation notifications by December 31st, 2008. We will announce the grand prize winner the first week of January and all of the winners along the way.)




Sample email letter to send to your fanbase:

CYBER PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser
Musicians Working Together To Make A Difference


Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Holidays from [Your Name / Bands Name].

This year [You can add some of your 2008 highlights here]

This holiday season we are participating in the CYBER PR 2008 Holiday Fundraiser by raising money for [Name of Charity] which benefits [who it benefits]

[add the name of the charity with a blurb about what that charity does]

We are inviting you to make a difference this season by donating [suggested amount]

OR
We are inviting you to make a difference this season by making a donation.

As a thank you we will send you [ A complimentary MP3, a free CD, or another bonus gift of your choice]

Click here to donate. [this links to a donate link]

Simply email us proof of your donation by forwarding us your confirmation email or send us a screen shot as a proof of your donation, and we will send you your free gift!

For our collective efforts we will be rewarded by Cyber PR, a music PR firm that will send us DVDs, books, and audio courses, to help us get ahead in the music business.

So you are not only helping make a difference in the world for other musicians, you are also directly be making a difference for us.

If we raise $2,500 or more we get a complimentary full cyber PR campaign that will expose us to thousands of online resources. Please click here to donate and have a happy holiday!

Warmest Wishes
[Your Name Here]


If you don't want to give away free MP3s, CDs, and downloads – that's OK! Just remove that part of the letter.


Here are some additional giveaway ideas for your bonus:

1) CDs / A holiday EP
2) Leave a personal message on their voicemail.
3) A signed holiday / Christmas card
4) A signed poster, t-shirt, hat, et cetera
5) A live video of you personally thanking your fans who donate
6) A personal song written for the person who gives the most

To see the list of the Charities please visit:
http://www.arielpublicity.com/holidaydrive/

This Week's Featured Artist

Daydream on Autopilot
Genre: Rock, Pop, Alternative
http://www.arielpublicity.net/clients/2498
High-energy shows, goosebump-inducing vocals, and songs you'll want to sing again and again are just a few reasons why you'll want to hear Daydream On Autopilot. High-energy shows, goosebump-inducing vocals, and songs you'll want to sing again and again are just a few reasons why you'll want to hear Daydream On Autopilot.



Ryan Calhoun
Genre: Acoustic, Pop, Rock
http://www.arielpublicity.net/clients/2501
“Of the new project, Ryan says, “I’m not trying to save the world. I’m just trying to make music that matters to me and finds a place in other people’s lives. I draw from my experiences in life, my relationships, fears, struggles, faith and everything that surrounds me.”

Podsafe Artist Val Emmich on Ugly Betty

Podsafe Artist Val Emmich on Ugly Betty

Val Emmich
http://www.arielpublicity.net/clients/2485
Genre: Pop, Alternative, Rock

Podsafe Artist Val Emmich has joined the cast of Ugly Betty as a recurring character. Val will be playing "Jesse," Betty's love interest in this week's episode on Ugly Betty. Val as "Jesse" will be serenading Betty. Watch below to see the preview for tomorrow's episode.

Musicians Twitter Roadmap

Musicians Twitter Roadmap
By Ariel Hyatt (@CyberPR) & Laura Fitton (@Pistachio)

I recently interviewed my friend Laura Fitton AKA Pistachio (that's her twitter handle) and I asked her to walk with me through creating a musicians roadmap for Twitter. It answers the question: If you wanted to create a community to promote yourself as a musician on Twitter and you didn't really have a lot of technological "social networking know how" How do you do it?

The full interview can be found on my blog here: http://www.arielpublicity.com/blog and I encourage all of you to please go to my blog and leave your feedback.

Step One - Think About Your Brand First
Set up and account and use your brand name, your band, whatever name it is that you want people to be able to find using Google. That's very important. Don't just pick a name you like. Whatever name you choose on Twitter it becomes very Googleable.

So the thing you want fans and prospective fans to find you as. If you're just starting out, you might use a generic like singer/songwriter or something. But choose something you're comfortable with, that you want to do well in search results and that's the name you want to get out there.

Step Two - Sign Up
Go To: http://twitter.com to sign up.

First: You may want to watch the video that gives an easy-to understand overview of Twitter - It's right on the homepage - just click the button that says Watch a video!

Second: Twitter will take you through a few sign up steps and you will enter your username and your password and your email

Third: Twitter will help you search your email address book to see if anyone you know is already on it. You may be surprised at just how many people you know are already using it. You will also have the option of sending email invites to your friends.

TIP: Take some time and set up your profile properly. Think about it this way: You probably had a website made for your music and that either involved spending a bunch of money or hitting up a friend for a favor. You put a lot of thought into it and you really worked it out. Well, here's a chance to have a free website. It's not going to be as souped up as your own website, but put a little bit of time. You can set up a static electronic image as your background, just single image, maybe an album cover, maybe a candid of you on the road. Put up a good profile picture. Tha's the little, tiny square picture that goes next to all your messages. If you're in Twitter, you'll see what I mean. Write a couple things about yourself. Make sure there's a link to your web page. Just get it all nicely set up so it looks cool when you get there.

Step Three - Link Your Mobile Phone
You should enter your cell phone number (it is up to you if you want to accept tweets via texts) this depends on your text messaging plan and your tolerance to loads of texts hitting your mobile constantly. You will have the option of receiving tweets to your phone from individuals so you can have only a few select people tweet straight to your phone.

TIP: To text from your phone send messages to: 40404 and they will immediately go to your Twitter feed

TIP: To message friends that follow you from your cell phone you can type d (for direct) then their username.

Step Four- Search Keywords
Next go to the search page: http://search.twitter.com

On this page, start searching key words, words that are important to you, topics that you like to write about, words about the music you play, whether it be the genre or the instrument. And f you want to really bond with other musicians just to start, you can even search the brand names of your band equipment. Like your amplifiers are from so-and-so, you search that keyword, you're going to find a bunch of other people who've made remarks about that word. That gives you a jumping off point.

You can click in each of their profiles. Remember how I said reading one to four pages of someone's Tweets gives you a surprising accurate sense of their personality? Just find random strangers that way and start following them and see if you have anything in common. If you don't, you just stop following. That's the way to find people with common interests.

Step Five - Link Twitter To Update Status At Facebook
Next go here: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543&
b&ref=pd and you can link your Twitter page directly to your Facebook and you will be able to update your status on Facebook by using twitter from your phone

Step Six - Follow At least 100 People
Twitter does not work in a vacuum (OK - unless you are Dave Matthews!) But even Dave is directly responding to people and really connecting with his fans - It's amazing to see.

Here are some people to check out and follow:

TIP: Take the time to look at each persons profile to get to understand them more deeply

Ariel
http://twitter.com/cyberpr

Laura
http://twitter.com/pistachio

Musicians Who Twitter
http://twitter.com/DaveJMatthews
http://twitter.com/SLessard
http://twitter.com/QtipTheAbstract
http://twitter.com/matthewebel
http://twitter.com/NicholasHoward
http://twitter.com/Reykjavikband
http://twitter.com/andrewhand
http://twitter.com/joshcharles
http://twitter.com/kellyrichey
http://twitter.com/NatalieGelman
http://twitter.com/carlalynnehall
http://twitter.com/HeatherMariePh
http://twitter.com/jodyg
http://twitter.com/steinebone
http://twitter.com/MarkWilliams13
http://twitter.com/johntaglieri
http://twitter.com/KaitlinMcGaw
http://twitter.com/RBPviolinist
http://twitter.com/IncaMaya
http://twitter.com/kalliopimusic
http://twitter.com/bjork
http://twitter.com/tellingontrixie
http://twitter.com/SaraBareilles
http://twitter.com/JeffKrantz

Music Industry Thought Leaders
http://twitter.com/dubber
http://twitter.com/kavitharia
http://twitter.com/MrBuzzFactor
http://twitter.com/sivers

Music Bloggers & Podcasters & Zines
http://twitter.com/rnrgeek
http://twitter.com/coverville
http://twitter.com/fave
http://twitter.com/weheartmusic
http://twitter.com/indiefeed
http://twitter.com/cc_chapman
http://twitter.com/billpalmer
http://twitter.com/jeffhinz
http://twitter.com/wellroundedradi
http://twitter.com/zaldor
http://twitter.com/MikeyPod
http://twitter.com/rubyfruitradio
http://twitter.com/cybster
http://twitter.com/indieradiochatt
http://twitter.com/fascinated
http://twitter.com/DprShadeOfSoul

Web Thought Leaders & Brilliant Marketing Peeps
http://twitter.com/chrisbrogan
http://twitter.com/briansolis
http://twitter.com/davedelaney
http://twitter.com/cspenn
http://twitter.com/leelefever
http://twitter.com/stevegarfield
http://twitter.com/charleneli
http://twitter.com/Ed_Dale
http://twitter.com/jeffpulver
http://twitter.com/jowyang
http://twitter.com/jasonvo

The Superstars Of Twitter
http://twitter.com/BarackObama
http://twitter.com/scobleizer
http://twitter.com/leolaporte
http://twitter.com/kevinrose
http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis
http://twitter.com/dooce
http://twitter.com/laughingsquid
http://twitterholic.com/twitter/ijustine/

News Feeds, Celebrities & Products
http://twitter.com/cnn
http://twitter.com/nytimes
http://twitter.com/CNETNews
http://twitter.com/bbctech
http://twitter.com/nprnews
http://twitter.com/BreakingNewsOn
http://twitter.com/digg
http://twitter.com/JohnCleese
http://twitter.com/andersoncooper
http://twitter.com/woot
http://twitter.com/macworld
http://twitter.com/amazonmp3
http://twitter.com/pandora_radio
http://twitter.com/GuitarWorkshop
http://twitter.com/RhapsodyMP3

People Who Work At Ariel Publicity/ Cyber PR
http://twitter.com/cyberpr
http://twitter.com/cyberprvideo
http://twitter.com/cyberprurban
http://twitter.com/cyberprsports

Step Seven - Tweet 3x A Day
At first it seems really weird - just keep answering the question "What are you doing?" It will feel strange to just broadcast what you are doing at first but soon it will all make sense!

TIP: Don't Over Hype Yourself If you set up a Twitter account and every day, every Tweet just says, buy my album, buy my album, you're not going to get any audience there.

Step Eight - @ People you like!
To comment back at things you would like to react to or to connect directly with someone just tweet: @ and then their username. So if you want to say something directly to Derek Sivers type @Sivers - this will turn up in the @ Replies in Derek's Twitter dashboard and he will see your comment.

TIP: This is a public message that everyone on Twitter will see.

Step Nine - Connect Directly
To send someone a direct and private message - go to your dashboard homepage at Twitter and click on the right where it says "Direct Messages" and then choose the person you want to send a message to from the pull-down menu at the top of the page

TIP: This is a private message that only that user will see.

Finally, please read the full and in-depth interview with Laura which will give you useful strategies and insights about how to best maximize Twitter!

Join Us on the Blog - All issues of Sound Advice are waiting for your comments!

You can view past issues of Sound Advice; New Media Interviews; Ariel's Random Thoughts about the Music Business, Web 2.0; and more! All on our blog.

http://www.arielpublicity.com/blog

Interview w/ New Media Pioneer: Jeff Skonieczny of Imagine Echoes Blog

New Media Pioneer: Jeff Skonieczny of Imagine Echoes Blog

http://www.imagineechoes.com

Q: How long have you been blogging?

A: Ironically, I've been blogging for exactly three years today.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A: I believe a good song needs to display some form of true emotion. It's typically pretty easy to see when a band is truly pouring their heart and soul into what they are doing. Now the difference from a good song and a great song is, it needs to be fleshed out. It needs to be like a story, it needs a beginning, middle and end. The best songs are ones that have the ability to build up to a great climax, for instance songs like King Crimson's "Starless" and Pink Floyd's "Echoes". Lengthier songs seem to accomplish this with more ease, but plenty of shorter songs do this as well. But in the end, the most important characteristic of a song is for it to be true to itself, the band/artist must have a personal connection with what they're doing.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: Pink Floyd would rank as my favorite band. They consistently threw new and creative things at their listeners and nearly every album turned out to be an amazing experience. Albums like "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" are practically flawless. David Gilmour's guitar work is so iconic and soulful, every note seems to carry as much weight as the previous. The song writing from the band is absolutely unforgettable, they had the ability to take the listener on a journey which surpassed just listening to the music. They were one of the few bands that made progressive rock more accessible, and they certainly helped to propel the genre to new heights.



Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have affected you most?

A: Personally I haven't run into any problems with the law when it comes to broadcasting my blog. Although I must say, I try to avoid posting samples of music in fear of infringing on the law.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel that that is a true statement?

A: While I don't participate in social networking sites such as MySpace, I do believe it is a great thing for music. It allows for lesser known bands to get their music heard, and nothing is more important than that. On the other hand however, I can easily see how blogging has generated more album sales than MySpace. By creating hype around an album, people will take notice. Every band can have a MySpace, but not every band is lucky enough to have their music actually heard and critiqued. The most important thing for a band, other than their music, is to create some buzz, and to have people talking about their music, blogging is the ultimate source for just that.

To find more interviews and New Media tips for musicians please visit: www.arielpublicity.net/blog

The New Facebook - A Musicians Guide

The New Facebook - A Musicians Guide
by Ariel Hyatt of Cyber PR

Several months ago I wrote an article on my 6 favorite Facebook apps. Since then Facebook has relaunched with a new design and now as a musician you can create a band / musician page.

Here is an updated version that explain how to set up a page from scratch and my favorite apps for you!

Getting Started & Ariel's Top 6 Facebook Apps For Musicians

Facebook is here to stay. I know a lot of artists who are already overwhelmed with MySpace tend to feel daunted by the whole concept of introducing yet another social network into their lives. On September 4, 2008 Facebook launched "new" Facebook and the new interface is easier to use than before.

You won't believe how many people who you never saw around MySpace are on Facebook. All of a sudden you will be back in touch with your babysitter from grade school, a ton of old friends, and even the drummer from your first band. And, if you have been resisting because you think Facebook is just for kids in college, you are mistaken. The largest demographic on Facebook is over 25. It's the 4th most-trafficked website in the world and it's the number one photo sharing application. Read the full stats here: http://www.new.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

With over 110 million active users it’s here to stay so my advice is DIVE in (if you haven't already).

Here is a quick rundown for newbies on how to create a page as a band / musician and my favorite apps for Musicians when pimping out your Facebook profile!

FACEBOOK FOR NEWBIES - HOW TO SET UP A PROFILE

STEP ONE: Create a Band / Artist Profile
Go Here: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/create.php

STEP TWO: click on the third button down, it will say: Artist, Band, or Public Figure

STEP THREE: Select Band or Musician After you select it, a pull down menu will pop up. Select band it if you are a band, or musician if you play solo or want to create a solo-page (you can create as many as you want so you can create one for you and one for your band).

STEP FOUR: Enter Your Name Name your page and select create page. You are now off to the races!

The rest is pretty self-explanatory & you will upload your photo for your main user icon, your bio, band members and photos and details.

STEP FIVE: Click Create Page Now you are live and ready to add Apps! What is an App? It's short for application and it is simply a cool additional tool that you can add to your page so that you can display features such as music, photos, and videos.

Facebook has a great page that explains how to help you with apps. FAQ's are here: http://www.new.facebook.com/help.php?page=25

And the whole list of available apps is here: http://www.facebook.com/apps/

Here are my top picks for musicians and links to where you can download the apps for your own profile.

1. Music By Reverb Nation
Play Your Tunes
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6452028673&b= &ref=pd_r_c

Musicians and bands can post unlimited songs for streaming or download, add bios and band photos, sell your music and have your friends add your music and share with their friends (viral marketing for you!). This app also includes links to your homepage and you can add up to 30 of your songs (full-length) to your Facebook Musician Page. And the best part: great stats track song-play activity.

2. Vod:Pod
Display Your Videos
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2398125241&b&ref=pd

I am a big advocate in creating small casual videos to share with your fans. Videos are an excellent viral marketing tool. This app is the easiest way to show your videos and your favorite videos. This is a good place to display backstage moments, live shows and of course your music videos

3. zuPort
Show your Flickr photos
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2893465429&b&ref=pd

If you are a Flickr user zuPort automatically imports your public Flickr photostream so you can show off even more photos to your friends. zuPort: Flickr keeps your sets, collections, tags, comments and everything else linked so you only have to update only once.

4. Twitter
Tweet Away and Have It Synched!
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543&b&ref=pd

This app allows you to update your status on Facebook straight from your mobile phone. So you can be on the road but your facebook page can be updated from your van! Pretty cool eh?

5. Facebook Mobile
Bring Facebook on the go
http://www.facebook.com/apps/#/mobile/

This app allows you to use Facebook on the go. With it, you can quickly to upload photos and notes from your camera phone straight to Facebook. You can also receive and reply to Facebook messages, pokes and Wall posts using text messages, or use your phone’s mobile browser.

6. iCast By iLike
Tell your fans your news
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6917629807&b=&ref=pd_r_c

Send bulletins to fans with iCast, the best bulletins system on Facebook. You can send multimedia or mobile bulletins, or just plain blogs. Your bulletins will show not only to Facebook fans, but also via iLike across 10 different networks. They are the go to app for communicating your music to your fans.

7. iLike this Artist
Show off to your fans
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6627984866&b=&ref=pd_r_c

Musicians, you can show off your fans on iLike on your artist page. This will add an "iLike this artist" button on your page, and will show your (larger) fan count across the entire iLike network.

Happy facebooking and please find me and join our group which features loads of free tips for musicians:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ariel_Hyatt/571390595

Sign up for our bi-weekly musicians tips newsletter Sound Advice here: http://www.arielpublicity.com

For music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Interview w/ New Media Pioneer: Steve Springall of Cybster TV

New Media Pioneer: Steve Springall of Cybster TV

http://www.cybster.dj
http://www.rockoutloud.com
http://www.myspace.com/cybsterdj

CYBSTER TV is an Internet TV show presenting Independent artists and bands in a format similar to MTV, Rage and Video Hits. We are always on the lookout for great content and would like to invite the artists you represent to contribute their professionally produced music videos to be on the show.

Q: How long have you been broadcasting and doing the Cybster DJ video channel?

A: I discovered podcasting in mid 2005 and saw it as an opportunity to play music to more people than those in a venue. It also meant I could enjoy playing music that I liked without having to be booked for a real life event. CYBSTER TV began 2 years ago once I was able to source quality music videos from independent bands and artists.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A: To me the most important thing a song needs is a good melody and persistent beat. Without these things a song is merely a poem.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: My all time favorite band is AC/DC. Other favorites include David Bowie, INXS, MC Hammer and Michael Jackson... (I taught him the Moonwalk... haha). So whilst I obviously enjoy Pop and hard rock, my favorites Genre is electronica... house and trance especially... it just connects with my soul.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have affected you most?

A: I have only been able to use material that I have express permission to use. I obtain this directly from the artists, or from networks such at the Podsafe Music Network, Ariel Cyber PR, PromoNET and GarageBand. Licencing in Australia is very strict and too expensive to use mainstream music in my shows. I don't mind anyway, it's a thrill to help independent artists get exposure around the world; we help each other.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts have the same power?

A: Definitely, most podcasts have a show notes page for each show with direct purchase links to the artists website or iTunes. It makes it real easy for those who enjoyed the song to get a copy quickly. I've used this myself plenty of times. I'm so lazy I like it when things are made easy for me. :)

To find more interviews and New Media tips for musicians please visit: www.arielpublicity.net/blog

For music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Book Review: The Indie Band Survival Guide

Book Review: The Indie Band Survival Guide by Ariel Hyatt of Cyber PR

A few weeks ago, I threw a book launch party for my friends, Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan to celebrate the launch of their new fabulous book, "The Indie Band Survival Guide," published by St. Martin's Griffin here in New York, and I was honored to be interviewed and prominently featured in the PR chapter. Weighing in at 329 pages, it is jam-packed full of incredible information.

"The Indie Band Survival Guide" is a book that all artists, independent or not, need to own.

Randy & Jason are founding members of the Chicago based independent band Beatnik Turtle, and this book started out as their blog where they chronicled their personal experience releasing a whopping 18 albums, touring, building a formidable following, and writing music for film and TV. This book was not motivated by money or a desire for fame. It came from the 12 years of experience as independent artists that they achieved directly by releasing albums, and as they learned along the way, they wrote it all down. As their lessons and experiences grew, so did their blog, and because of their blog a literary agent approached them, and they got a publishing deal.

It was very hard not to write a hundred page review of this bookÂ… Randy & Jason share exactly the same philosophies and opinions about the realities of the 'new' music business and their insights are striking and very important to understand to stay ahead during this wild west time of the music business.

When I started Ariel Publicity in 1996 there was ONE conversation that took place at all music festivals like SXSW and in my office and anywhere you went where there were musicians present. That conversation was: "How am I going to get signed?"

The first key point this book makes is: Back in the day when getting signed was the principal goal of all artists, the entire game was all about winning over just a few key record executives in the business. Today, the rules have completely changed and this is no longer true at all. It's now the sole responsibility of the artist to take on what an entire staff used to do, and there is a lot to take on.

This book begins by reminding artists that you don't have to do it all alone, and that technology is wonderful and helps empower artists, "but it's not the technology that will get your music listened to, booked, distributed, played, seen, and publicized." It's people. People make things happen for musicians...

Here are some highlights that struck me:

- Randy & Jason take you through the myths and realities of old-school music business versus the new music business, including how commercial radio works and why independent artists will have to spend between $20,000 and $100,000 to get commercial radio airplay

- Why signing to a major label makes no sense in this day and age

- Why networking is key and how it doesn't have to feel icky

- How to use your fans to help you network and get the word out about you

- People who have met you or seen you play live are likely to be in the minority of people who will listen to your music now that the Internet is the number one medium for music delivery

- The importance of a good website and why just having a MySpace page is a big mistake and how to plan it soup to nuts and how to make people return to your website over and over

- A complete guide to blogging and micro-blogging and the benefits

- The ins and outs of social networking

- How to create a CD, home studio versus pro studios, everything about CD manufacturing and merchandising with a complete bulleted list, which they provide so you don't even have to think. You just have to follow the list and get your CD released

- Copyright laws and trademark your rights to the songs and recording in a handy flow chart that breaks down every aspect, from sampling to who pays you to trademark

- Why multi-tasking is totally necessary for artists in this day and age and why having multiple income streams is what will make you money in the long run.

- The death of the big splash - The new approach for releasing albums is slow and steady wins the race

- How to get booked at clubs and house concerts, charity events, festivals, college gigs and weddings

- How to get your fans to help you get the word out

This book is an indispensable goldmine and a must-have for every independent musician's library. No matter what level you are at in your career, you need to own this fabulous book, The Indie Band Survival Guide.

Here is a free preview on their website: http://indiebandsurvivalguide.com

Don't miss out on a chance to change your music career for $14.95 - buy this book today!

Amazon Link:
http://tinyurl.com/indieband

Check out photos from the release party on Flickr!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arielpublicitypr/

For music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Interview w/ New Media Pioneer: Michael Butler of Mevio and the Rock and Roll Geek Show

http://www.mevio.com

As the premier social media community, Mevio is the only network providing single-click access to the best in new media in audio, video, podcasts, and music to be delivered to your computer, iPod, mobile device, or television.

Q: What is the background story of how Mevio came along?

A: Mevio was originally Podshow. The company was founded by former MTV VJ Adam Curry and his business partner Ron Bloom.

In 2004 Adam had been messing around with audio blogging, before the term podcasting existed. He and Dave Winer were experimenting with adding enclosures to rss feeds and podcasting was born. Soon, podcasters were starting shows and shortly after, Podshow was started. They signed some of the early producers including my show (The Rock and Roll Geek Show), Dawn and Drew, Yeast Radio and some others.


Back then, people were playing whatever music they wanted on their shows. Then people started getting worried that the RIAA may not like that so Adam and some other creative minds started a place for bands who actually wanted to be heard on podcasts to post their music and The Podsafe Music Network was born. Shortly after, Adam and Ron asked me to quit my job as a house painter and work with artists on the network. 4 years later, it is THE place for bands, record labels and content creators to connect.

Q: What do you see the future of Mevio being?

A: I can't speak for the entire company, since I only work on the music network but my goal is to have every record label, band and aritst on the network. I want independent content creators to have as much power in the music business as radio stations had in the good old days. It is my dream to have back catalog available to podcasters. I can't speak for everyone but as a content creator, I want to play not only up and coming independent artists but also bands that were a part of the soundtrack of my life.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: I am partial to 70's rock and punk because that is what I grew up listening to. My favorite bands are still Cheap Trick, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Ramones and Joan Jett.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have affected you most?

A: When I reach out to some of the major labels to try to get their artists on the Podsafe Music Network, some of them still think that posting an mp3 on a website is piracy. The indies have been posting mp3s on their own websites for a few years not but the majors are a little harder to convince. That being said, the majors are now starting new media departments so there may still be hope for the dinosaurs.

The Podsafe Music Network now deals with some of the largest digital music distributors and independent labels in the world and I am really proud of that.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts has the same power?

A: I think the labels are slowly realizing that by releasing a song from their artists to blogs and podcasts does more good than harm and can actually help break a band. For example, last year, there was a band from Australia called Airbourne. No one in the US or Europe had ever heard of them. I started playing them on The Rock and Roll Geek Show and listeners seemed to really like them. They emailed the band and let them know they discovered them from my show. Soon after that, got a CD from the band's management and offered an interview with the band. I interviewed the band and continued to sing their praises. Now that band has taken the country by storm and has released one of the best selling independent hard rock records this year!

To find more interviews and New Media tips for musicians please visit: www.arielpublicity.net/blog

Deni Bonet

Lilith Fair artist, Deni Bonet is a singer/songwriter and world-class electric violinist. She was an original cast member of National Public Radio's premier music show, MOUNTAIN STAGE and performed with Cyndi Lauper, REM, Sarah McLachlan, etc. before forming her own highly regarded band.

For her music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Career Club

CAREER CLUB combines the buoyant melodies of power-pop, the visceral thrills of rock, and the slyness and wit of indie, creating a sound that meshes well with the Brooklyn music scene, yet stands on its own.

For their music, pix, video, and more info, go here

Kalliopi

Kalliopi is a pop-rock singer/songwriter from Athens, Greece. She recently completed a single called Around the World including the track Fire and Sea and a rock n roll version of T.Springfield/ C.Westlake song Summer Is Over, originally sung by Dusty Springfield.

For her music, pix, and more info, go here.

What does the future hold for musicians?

If you can be at New York City's Public Theater on Monday, October 6th, you might want to sign up for what promises to be a very interesting all-day event, at a very modest $25 registration fee, sponsored by the Future of Music Coalition, entitled What's the Future for Musicians?".

Here's how the hosts introduce it:

Today's music landscape is filled with both excitement and foreboding. With so many new technologies and ways to promote and distribute music, how do performers, composers, songwriters and independent labels know how to participate, who to trust, and what is most effective?

FMC is working with The Public Theater and other musician organizations to program our sixth "What's the Future for Musicians?" educational event, this one in New York City on October 6, 2008.

This seminar will educate musicians and label owners from a range of genres – classical, jazz, rock, folk and hip-hop – about the critical issues at the intersection of music, law, technology and policy, with the goal of better preparing musicians to participate in the issues that affect their livelihood.

The speakers' list includes the following folks, and even more are being added:

Richard Bengloff President , American Association of Independent Music

Michael Bracy Policy Director, Future of Music Coalition

Brian Camelio CEO/Founder, ArtistShare

Ann Chaitovitz Executive Director, Future of Music Coalition

Jennifer Wright Cook Executive Director, The Field

Matthew Covey Executive Director, Tamizdat Inc.

Ken Freedman Station Manager, WFMU

Joel Hamilton Engineer, Producer, Jerk, Studio Owner, Studio G Brooklyn

Dick Huey CEO, Toolshed

Ariel Hyatt President , Ariel Publicity and Cyber PR

Zoe Knight Associate Director/Consultant, Artist Mangement & Publishing

Alex Maiolo Project Director, HINT

Charles McEnerney Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio

Marie Ortiz Program Director, Healthcare, Fractured Atlas

hal ponder director of government relations, american federation of musicians

hal ponder director of government relations, american federation of musicians

Jeff Price CEO/Founder, TuneCore

Molly Sheridan Managing Editor, NewMusicBox.org/Director, CounterstreamRadio.org, American Music Center

Marcy Rauer Wagman Associate Professor/CEO, MAD Dragon UNLTD, Drexel University/MAD Dragon UNLTD

Event website

Download Squad lists 35 sites for RIAA-free music

Thanks to Living the Liminal for pointing out "35 Places To Download Free, Legal MP3s - Sorry, RIAA!" published by Download Squad.

We will be adding that to our own listing, Liberated Music.

Radiohead's Web venture spooks Wall Street

C/Net News reports:


Radiohead's Web venture spooks Wall Street
Posted by Greg Sandoval

Wall Street is taking record labels to task for lackluster Web sales, spiraling CD revenue, and the defections of marquee acts such as Madonna and Radiohead.

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor
(Credit: Rob Sheridan)

Two analysts downgraded Warner Music Group last week, leading to a sharp drop in the company's stock price. One of the analysts, Richard Greenfield of Pali Research, penned a gloomy report about why he thinks the sector is headed for even greater losses.

"No matter how many people the RIAA sues, no matter how many times music executives point to the growth of digital music, we believe an increasing majority of worldwide consumers simply view recorded music as free," Greenfield wrote.

Proof of this was provided last month by Radiohead fans. The British supergroup offered the digital version of In Rainbows, the band's latest album, for whatever fans wanted to pay. According to research firm ComScore, which conducted a study of the groundbreaking promotion, 62 percent of those who downloaded the album paid nothing.

Complete article

Trent Reznor: Take my music, please

From C/Net News:

Trent Reznor: Take my music, please
Posted by Greg Sandoval

Rocker Trent Reznor doesn't pretend to know the answers to what ails the music industry.

But that hasn't stopped the iconoclastic front man for the band Nine Inch Nails from marching to the front lines--in lock step with British band Radiohead--in an assault on the traditional music business.

Reznor, who made news earlier this month when he left his record label, spoke Tuesday with CNET News.com about the decision. He also bashed the music industry, detailed how he persuaded performer Saul Williams to give away his latest album for free, praised Radiohead for distributing music directly to fans via the Web, and indicated that instead of fighting the so-called free culture--people who share music online--he plans to embrace it.

Complete article