November 2nd, 2007

Royalty Free Music from RoyaltyFreeMusic.com - More Advice for making your own music from the Owner of CDBaby!

For the past couple months, we have been giving you some tips about getting started in creating background music and any other type of music professionally. We've been revealing tips by slowly unfolding an article written by Derek Sivers, the founder of CDBaby. Our own Mike Bielenberg, composer of royalty free music, stock music and discussed the ins and outs of Mike Bielenberg had with the Founder of CDBaby, Derek Sivers. (If you need to catch up visit the royalty free music news archives and start with the first two stories.)

Every artist and musician contributing to the royalty free music and stock music in our music library of over 10,000 tracks of original music are real-life working musicians with collective experience in the 20's of years in the music industry. No matter how much experience YOU have with making or selling background music, stock music or any other type of music, you probably already know that really being noticed in the music industry and getting your career off the ground is challenging. Here we present three additional tips from Derek Sivers, in his voice about getting yourself heard by fans, producers and others that will be integral to the success of your career.

"1. BE A NOVICE MARKETER, NOT AN EXPERT.

Get to the point of being a novice marketer/promoter/agent. Then hand it to an expert.

Moby, the famous techno artist, says the main reason for his success
was that he found experts to do what they're best at instead of trying to do it himself.

(Paraphrased:) ‘Instead of trying to be a booking agent, publicist, label, and manager, I put my initial energy into finding and impressing the best agent, publicist, label, and manager. And I just kept making lots of the best music I could.'

If you sense you are becoming an expert, figure out what your real passions in life are and act accordingly.

Maybe you're a better publicist than bassist. Maybe you're a better bassist than publicist.

Maybe it's time to admit your weakness as a booking agent, and hand it off to someone else. Maybe it's time to admit your genius as a booking agent and commit to it full-time.

THINK OF EVERYTHING FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW
(Derek Sivers - http://www.cdbaby.net/derek):


2. CONSTANTLY ASK, "WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?"

Want to know the basic rule or marketing and promoting your music?
Constantly ask, "What do they really want?" (with ‘they' being anyone you are trying to reach)

Think hard, and don't take this one lightly.

Thinking of everything from the other person's point of view is a seeeerious Jedi mind trick. If done right, it will elevate you into the clouds along with a few select immortal beings.

Every time you lift up the phone. Every time you write an E-mail. Every time you send out a presskit.

Think why people in the music industry are REALLY working this job. Try to imagine them as just a well-meaning human being who is probably overworked, looking for a little happiness in the world, and likes music (or the music world itself) enough to do what they do, even though they could be doing something else.

Think what their Email "IN" box must look like, and how it would be unwise for you to send them an email with the subject of ‘hey' followed by a 7-page Email detailing your wishes for success.

Think what people are REALLY looking for when they go out to a club to hear music. For some people, it's just a way to be seem to increase their popularity. For some, they're searching for some music that does something completely original and mind-blowing. Some are looking for total visual entertainment.

Nobody owes you their attention. Not your audience. Not a person you happened to call or E-mail. Not even the music industry.

Let go of your ego entirely. Think of everything from their point of view. Be their dream come true. Do what they really want.

(This even goes down to the smallest levels: what kind of phone message you leave, what kind of cover letter you write in a package, what kind of subject header you put in your email.)

And maybe - just maybe - they'll be or do exactly what you want.

3. REACH THEM LIKE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE REACHED.

Reach people like you would want to be reached.

Would you rather have someone call you up in a dry business monotone and start speaking a script like a telemarketer? Or would you rather have someone be a cool person - a real person?

When you contact people, no matter how it's done (phone, email, mail, face-to-face), show a little spunk. Stand apart from the crowd.

If it sounds like they have a moment and aren't in a major rush, entertain them a bit. Ask about their day and expect a real answer. Talk about something non-business for a minute or two.

Or - if they sound hectic, skip the "how are you", skip the long
introduction, ask your damn question and move out of the way.

This means you must know your exact question before you contact them,
just in case that ultra-quick situation is needed.

Reach them like you would want to be reached. Imagine what kind of
phone call or Email YOU would like to get.

If you're contacting fans, imagine what kind of flyer they would like to get in their mailbox. Something dull and "just the facts" - or something a little twisted, creative, funny, entertaining and unique … something corporate, or something artistic?

This is a creative decision on your part. Every contact with the people around your music (fans and industry) is an extension of your art. If you make depressing, morose, acoustic music, maybe you should send your fans a dark brown-and-black little understated flyer that's depressing just to look at. Set the tone. Pull in those people who love that kind of thing. Proudly alienate those that don't.

If you're an in-your-face, tattooed, country-metal-speedpunk band, have the guts to call a potential booking agent and scream, "Listen you $$%&&@@! I'm going to explode! Ah! Aaaaaaah!!!" If they like that introduction, you've found a good match.

Be different. (Even if it's just in your remarkable efficiency.)

Everyone wants a little change in their day."

We will continue to bring you more of the latest news related to royalty free music, stock music and background music on the RoyaltyFreeMusic.com home page. To revisit the wide range of topics covered by past stories, browse the Royalty Free Music News archives.

NEW! -   Music Tutorials

Are you a Composer, Musician, Band, Flash or Video Artist that would like to be featured on Royalty Free Music.com? If so, click here