"I'm not a businessman - I'm a business Man!" - Jay-Z

When I talk to artists who try to “make it” in the music business, I ask “what have you been doing so far?” 9 times out of 10, I get an answer that sounds something like this “I am coming out with a mixtape, demo, album, soon and I’m going to promote it online.”

Ok, that sounds great but what’s the plan? In order to be successful in any business you must understand how the business works and offer something that someone will want to buy.

Here are some questions that every artist needs to answers if they are serious amount making an impact:

Product: What are you offering? How is your music different from other artists? How will your music get produced?

Market: Who is your target market? A&R’s, fans? What are these markets looking for? And how will you offer them your product? By when?

Strategy: How are you going to market yourself and your music? Where are you going to market? What is the timing? Can you be contacted easily? Shows, videos, guest appearances, interviews in media (ezines, blogs, TV, radio, magazines, newspapers)?

These are just a few questions that need to be answered if you are serious about making an impact. If you want to make it in the music business you have to start thinking like a business man.

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www.yourprosound.com
1 Artist 1 Beat

Google Me Baby!

Do you have an online brand? and if so, can people easily find it?

Try this: Google your artist, band, or real name into Google. How many hits are there? How many of them are actually related to you? Can people find you and contact you easily? Is your name so common that it gets lost in the hundreds of links found on Google? If this is the case, you need to focus on creating your unique online brand. Even if you don't create music, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE AN ONLINE BRAND.

Tips:

Choose a unique name: How many people have an artist name that begins with "lil"? A LOT. It is important to create a unique online brand for yourself and your music. You must treat yourself and your brand like a company would. It is also not enough to just have a unique name, now you must create a unique brand which includes everything from, your sound, style, and language. Once you do this, you must convey this message to your audience.

Create an online presence: These days everyone has the basics Myspace, Facebook, & Twitter but what about the hundreds of other sites. Do your homework and sign up for as many as possible. What about www.yourname.com? Do you have your own website? Its not that hard to get one made with little or no money. A personal professional looking website creates credibility, which will serve you well in the future.

Keep in Touch: Once you create you online presence, make sure you stay connected so people can reach you. Don't just set up a fan page, blog, or twitter account and leave it there collecting dust. Update it! but don't annoy people. There is a fine line between informing and destroying your fan base or reputation.

www.yourprosound.com
1 Artist 1 Beat

Do you have music? Can you get on the internet? You can be a star.

Who says you can't make it in the music industry. All you need is a unique sound and internet marketing.

Create your music and then make a plan on how to market it.

I came across a good article that proves my point. Here are some quotes, read the full article with the link below.

"Anyone can record a CD on a laptop, and if they can figure out a way to market it, they can bypass traditional gatekeepers."

"Social media sites like Facebook and MySpace can play a huge role, too, with word-of-mouth marketing. A new film or recording can get an instant boost on Facebook, just 10 minutes after its release and well ahead of what media critics will say about it, he noted."

Read the full article here:
Tech change is music to his ears