Is Spotify a great resource for Artists?

recording studio nashville


Is Spotify a great resource for Artists?

Internet and social media have changed the way how songs reach song lovers and music enthusiasts across platforms. Moreover, it opens another wide door for musicians to make their songs known to their fans in many parts of the world. However, it also stirred an argument among fans and artists themselves about how online streaming such as Spotify become a great source for artists today.

To explain both views, well the majority of them, you have to weigh each opinion. Here are some points in the debate.

It is FREE music

People love anything that’s FREE. Why would you pay for something if there were an option to get it for free? Spotify is a free app that you can use whenever you want, wherever you are – as long as you got your internet connection with you. If you’re a singer, you will prefer this to better reach for your target audience.

Making money with Spotify

Spotify is not only a great avenue for artists to be heard but also an open opportunity for them to earn money from their music. When people know about your music through Spotify, they will play it over and over again, and a certain percentage for every download or play back will be credited to the singer. For a better return, people get to know your songs and it allows them to buy your album from music stores.

They say it degrades the value of music

Remember when only privilege people have access to high quality music? Those were times when music is only available to those who have the penny to buy records. Today, you can listen to your favorite music whenever you want, wherever you are.

Does it really threaten other musicians?

Some artists think that Spotify threaten their success in music industry because it becomes a fad that fades away over time. But if people really love music, they will listen to it whenever possible. As a result, it does not threaten your success as an artist. Do you think music sharing will do? Of course not! Music sharing allows more people to hear your song, and there is nothing threatening about it. It’s free promotion actually. 

/0 Comments/by

Bridging the Gap: Creating Your Brand as an Artist

As an artist, it can be difficult to transition from a creative mindset within the music industry to the business aspect. Selling your brand as an artist to the public is just as important as writing or playing songs for them. The most talented of artists can fall short due to sloppy marketing. If you’re looking to increase your success in the wonderful world of music, here are some things to keep in mind:

Cultivate Your Brand

A mistake a lot of new artists make when presenting themselves to the public is a lack of congruence. As you begin to develop as an artist, be sure to take time to decide how you would like to brand yourself. What do you want people to automatically think of when your name is mentioned? Whatever you decide, keep to it. When creating music videos or merchandise for a new project, pick a color palette, style, fonts, and tone of message — and stick to it. People recognize sloppiness. Be on the same page with your bandmates and manager so that your message and image is consistent. People will be watching you and building credibility among fans is essential. Keep this in mind when posting on social media. If you want people to take you seriously as an artist and get to the next step, cultivate your brand and master it.

 

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms are one of the easiest and most beneficial ways so market yourself as an artist. Having a strong online presence is essential for growth among the public. Platforms like Twitter, give you the opportunity to connect with fans or reach out to people who can help promote your music and give feedback. As much as social media allows unlimited branding for your music, it is only as helpful as the effort you put into it. If you want gain the full advantages of these platforms, be sure to stay on top of managing your social media by posting to your profiles regularly and responding quickly to anyone that interacts with you.

 

Networking

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Although this phrase may be a bit overused, it has strong meaning behind it. Making connections, especially in the music industry, is such an important part of growing your brand as an artist. Send emails. Shake hands. Remember names. People will have a positive impression of you, or at least remember who you are, simply for taking the initiative to reach out. Again, the internet can play a huge role in your networking endeavors. Reaching out to people in the industry via email to review your music can help get you to the next step. Be sure to include links to your music and social media when asking for a review. Publicity and promotion is key.

These areas are key steps to take when marketing yourself as an artist. If you’re not sure where to start, The Record Shop Nashville is here to help. We’re passionate about supporting the vision you have for your music and helping you reach your goals as an artist.

 

/0 Comments/by

YouTube Marketing Tips for Musicians

YouTube Marketing Tips for Musicians

With over 1 billion users, YouTube has become an invaluable recourse for both new and established artists to get their name heard. However, every minute of every day over 300 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. With this in mind, there is a lot more to successfully marketing your music through YouTube than simply just uploading a video and waiting for people to start watching. Here are some top tips on YouTube marketing to get you started:

YouTube Marketing tips for musicians

Network, network, network!

Research successful acts of the same genre and collaborate with them. If you are new to YouTube then consider asking them to upload your video to their channel as well. Your music will get out to a lot of people a lot quicker this way, as they will have more subscribers than you.

Be Present

This should go without saying, but make sure you engage with your audience. Take any opportunity to interact with your fans such as responding to their comments or thanking them for subscribing.

Hold a competition

Hold a competition to give away tickets to a show or some cool merchandise. What’s in it for you? If you make the terms of the competition that they have to subscribe to your channel and share your video, as well as making a buzz, the competition entrants are helping to market your channel!

YouTube Marketing tips for musicians

Upload a Cover Song

If you have a really interesting cover of a song, maybe even a new twist on something popular, then make sure you upload it. Many YouTube users may come across your video because they have searched for the original, or want to check out covers of their favorite song. A great way to attract new listeners.

Advertise

Last but not least, if you really want to get your music out there, a small investment in YouTube’s advertising feature could attract thousands of new viewers in a very short space of time.

 

/0 Comments/by

SEO Tips for musicians

SEO Tips for Musicians

In the digital age, where new information is accessible with just a click of the mouse, it is important that bands and artists ensure that they’re constantly on their fans’ or potential fans’ radar. For new artists this can be especially tricky as potential new listeners are not apt to just discover you by chance by Google unless you have some clever SEO content on your website and other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

SEO Tips for Musicians

What is SEO?

SEO (“search engine optimization”) is the term for some clever tricks and techniques writers use to increase traffic to a website, particularly when it is searched for on Google. This mainly involves deliberately using keywords and phrases that would likely be commonly searched for by a prospective customer, client or fan.

Why is SEO so important?

For any serious band or musician, having a strong and engaging online presence is incredibly important, and maintaining that presence is even more so. In an age where people are constantly connected to the internet, whether it be on their mobile or computer, SEO is an invaluable technique for artist music promotion. While many bands and recording artists are fantastic at selling themselves through their music, many often fail to see that there is a huge pool of potential new fans on social media who they do not reach because of the lack of great Search Engine Optimization on their artists’ website or Facebook page. With the internet becoming increasingly the audience’s preferred method of discovering a new artist, it is absolutely essential that clever SEO-focused writing is part of an artists’ website. Without this, you are potentially missing out on getting a huge amount of new fans.  

SEO Tips for Musicians

Where to get started with SEO?

It may seem daunting at first, but SEO really is essential in helping your fans find you. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, but a few tweaks your website can massively increase traffic. Here is a run-down of some basic tips on how to get started:

  • It seems obvious, but when creating your website, make sure your domain name is as close to your band name/artist name as possible.
  • Keep your website up-to-date. Make sure new and interesting content is added to your website regularly. Whether it be a news page or an artists’ blog, it will help your website stay fresh and present on Google.
  • Make use of the meta tags. A meta tag is written into a page’s website code and helps webmasters tell search engines what their website is about. They are not an instant solution, but they are essential in making sure that your website is found on Google.
  • Write engaging content. While using great SEO keywords in your content and meta description is essential, it is more important that that the content remains engaging and interesting to the reader. The SEO keywords may draw new fans to your website but poor writing won’t keep them there.

Search engine optimization really is an essential link between your band and potential new fans and, of course new sales. In order to survive in an evolving music industry, investing just a small amount of time in it can have a huge payoff.  

 

 

 

/0 Comments/by

The Importance of SEO for Artists

Modern Technology and the Artist

In this age of modern technology and digital marketing, it is beneficial for every business to own a website, blog site, and other social media platform accounts to be able to reach a wider audience to help promote their products and services. Same goes for writers, artist, photographers who are also considered as entrepreneurs selling their creations and masterpieces to their targeted audiences.The Importance of SEO for Artists

The Artist and His Target Audience

There are different kinds of artists like digital artists, painters, sculptors, cartoonists, illustrator, etc. and almost all are showcasing their works online. With a diverse array of artists coming from across continents, their online presence is a must as it is also highly competitive in the cyber world as it is offline.

To be able to reach the artist’s target audience who are art enthusiast themselves, individuals who buy and sell artworks, businesses who are in search for creative people to make up their team, among others.

Reasons Why SEO us Important for Artists’ Websites and BlogsThe Importance of SEO for Artists

There are many talented and creative artists around but it’s not enough that one is good or the best for his website or online art gallery to rank higher in search engines.

  1. To attract potential buyers and lover of art. No matter what genre of the art an individual is into, there would be lovers of his masterpieces who would love to follow or visit his website or blog to have a preview of his great works. Optimization of your website has a great impact on your online presence and will help your followers and prospective customers to see you instantly and correspond with you.
  2. To get a higher page rank. Proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques should be applied to your website contents so as to obtain a higher page rank in the different search engines. When efficient and effective keywords placing and optimization is applied, the higher the page rank a site achieves. Your followers and prospective buyers will see you immediately once they type in distinct keywords in the search engines.
  3. Too make your websites, blog sites readily visible in different search engines like Google or Yahoo, the two most common search engines used by most netizens.

Artists and Their Online Portfolios

It is important for any kind of artist to have a well-structured website design and contents as well as should be visually-appealing to lure fans and prospective purchasers. An artist’s website portfolio should not be limited to these features mentioned above but should also take into consideration the keywords used in the contents so as to help in the page optimization. Distinct keywords being typed in the search engines help in directing to your online portfolio to increase your visitors.

/0 Comments/by

Social Media Marketing Tips

Importance of Social Media Marketing to E-businesses

Social media marketing is essential for e-businesses as this helps in the promotion of your products and services in different social networking sites. Online presence has become vital as it increases traffic to your site as well as attracting prospective clients or customers. There are various social media campaigns being launched for a range of different commodities available on the internet. As with any other businesses online or offline, there would be high competition as well.1st snapshot

Connect with Your Target Audience

To be able to reach your prospective buyers or customers, you must build up and efficient social media marketing campaign. Companies and different brands these days know how to effectively make use of this marketing tool to increase their sales.

Effective Social Media Marketing Tips

Here are some effective social media marketing tips which can help you build up an effective online reputation and thus increase sales on the long run:

  1. Write and share contents with your readers. If you already established your fan base and followers online through your social networking accounts, regular posting is a must to connect with your audience and for them to be updated about your latest brands and promotions.
  2. Post contents relevant to your brand. Make sure that the contents you share in social networking sites such as Face book, Twitter, Google +, among others are relevant to your products or services or your brand.1st snapshot

Relevant Contents Give You the Following Leverage:

  • Attract potential buyers or patrons of your products and services.
  • Help in the online reputation of your brand.
  1. Write contents and texts which are original to help you stand up among the rest in social networking sites and not just post which your readers could have possibly read somewhere else.
  2. Always reshare and retweet your contents to get traffic to your site or attract readers.
  3. Try to engage yourself in different social networking sites not just Face book. Open accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or Google + among others as you can reach a wider audience doing this.
  4.  Be mindful of your online presence and connect even with your direct competitors.
  5. Always make it a point to reply on social media regarding inquiries of possible customers or clients and make people feel you are glad to assist them.
  6. Learn to only post contents which will be trending on social networking sites. You can do this by looking back at your previous posts. Check which kind of content offers effective online engagement from readers and potential customers.
  7. Know the importance of adding images and graphics in Twitter. Tweets get better online presence and activity if they also have interesting photos or graphics which help attract readers and followers.
  8. Do not underestimate the impact of having an effective logo which clearly represents your brand identity.
/0 Comments/by

Get noticed! Effective strategies for your music videos to become popular

nashville recording studio

Get noticed! Effective strategies for your music videos to become popular

Although disseminating information is easier nowadays, due to the prevalence of mobile technologies and the Internet, marketing products and/or services becomes more difficult and tactical. Music videos for instance, may seem easier to share and promote online, especially since it’s a form of visual content. However, it has become more challenging for marketers as the competition has become highly competitive with a seemingly endless sea of new music online.

In Nashville, entertainment production is one of their most booming industries. Based on a comprehensive study by the Music City Music Council (MC2), the industry has contributed 5.5 billion yearly to their local economy, leaving Nashville with more music industry job opportunities than other city in the United States.

However, with so many bands and artists out there, the only way to rise above the competition is to be unique by going viral. Here’s how you can effectively do it:

Make it appealing for mobile users
It’s no secret that mobile users are increasing in number year-on-year, and in order to successfully penetrate your target market, you will have to include mobile strategies in your marketing campaign. How do you do it, you may ask? For starters, consider the overall appearance of your video on a smaller screen, especially since online content consumption is expected to rise with the increased use of smartwatches and other wearables to access content. Smartphones, vary in size and features, thus you will have to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the device in general. Not all smartphones have powerful speakers like the Dolby Audio surround sound speakers on the HTC One M9 to enjoy good background music, so you will have to consider increasing the audio on your music video before uploading it on YouTube or Vimeo.

Connect with big names
Uploading your video online does not guarantee that it will be popular. You will have to start sharing it for other people to talk about it, and hope that it will go viral. Try to start socializing with influential people whose interest are connected to your niche and market. They are the ones with a high number of followers and connected brands, which are both necessary for your success. Maximize your social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, and even Instagram) in disseminating your video, finding connections, and strengthening relationships with top names in the industry.

Video must be viral-worthy itself
What is the point of marketing a product that does not have a unique selling point or is unlikely to be something that’s talked about? If you are in the stage of recording your music video, it might help to consider reviewing some viral videos online, especially on what made them click with the online users. Mashable has listed 10 of the most successful viral music videos and some tips that can help you get started on your campaign, such as always have fun while making the video and rehearse as much as you can to perfect your formation.

With the help of the strategies we’ve listed, you could be one step closer to your dreams of being noticed by music producers worldwide. To further guarantee the success of your video, you will need the assistance of a professional production team to handle your video recording and editing work.

Exclusively written for The Recordshop Nashville
Submitted by Jen Birch

/0 Comments/by
,

Multi-Tracking Your Live Performance Video

A live video of you, or your band, performing is one of the most useful tools an artist can have; shall I count the ways?  For starters, you can attach it as part of your EPK.  This adds a level of professionalism, gives talent agents, promoters, or venue owners a better idea of what it is you do, and may help you book more awesome shows where you can then get more live footage!  It can also function as a promotional tool.  For instance, if you have some upcoming gigs or any record releases, you can post this sucka all over your social sites and blogs thus gaining new fans.  Hell, slap this video on the ol’ YouTube; maybe you’ll be hit the lottery and your video will go viral!  Now, if you’re going to take the time to record yourself live head our advice.  Multi-Tracking your performance is the absolute best way to get the high end audio for synchronization.        (The Godfather of Multi-Tracking, Les Paul)les paul multi-tracking

Multi-Tracking Your Audio

Multi-Tracking your performance is the only real way to go when it comes to live videos.  Yes, these days everyone has their handy cellular telephonic device with a decent camera built in it that can also microwave popcorn in a few minutes.  These cameras though do not provide you with high resolution video, and they definitely do not provide you with high end audio.  Multi-tracking gives you the gift of isolating your sound sources, which in turn will give your audio clarity.  Even better than that clarity is that ability to then take those live tracks into a studio to get properly mixed and mastered before having every synced together!  Be prepared to invest in your video and yourself.  The gear required to multi-track a live performance can get rather expensive.  Luckily there are plenty of wonderful videographers and companies devoted to giving artists the best possible content.  For more information on what gear may be needed, and some helpful tips, follow this link HERE! If you are ready to get started with your next live recording process, we’d love to help. Shoot us a message or visit or Live Production page here…

The Exclusive

We’ve already mentioned a few ways that having a great live video of a song, or a whole concert, is a fantastic tool for an artist, but let us not forget that live videos are also great products for you to sell.  Packaging a whole concert onto a DVD or to be downloaded is a gimmie, but there are new methods to monetizing these videos that have been proven successful by the likes of Jack White and Trent Reznor.  On their websites, Reznor and White each have great content of all ilk for anyone to see, but what these guys also do is reward their fans with exclusive content that only the die-hards who are willing to pay for it can see.  Reznor made history in the early 2000’s with Nine Inch Nails’ album packaging, where the more you pay per package the more exclusive content you get.  White has joined the same ranks with The Third Man Vault, where you can pay for a 3-month subscription that makes exclusive content and products available for Vault Members.  A solo artist or band should look at what these rock n’ roll legends have done with their content to generate hype and reward those fans who care the most.  These of course aren’t the only means of rewarding, or giving fans incentives, to buy your music.  There is a new kid on the block, that The Record Shop and many of the artists we have worked with use to help spread their music and get fans involved in the process.  Have you heard of FanDistro?

FanDistro Multi-TrackingFanDistro And You

FanDistro is a fun, new platform to get your music into the hands and social networks of your fans.  After setting up an account, you can use FanDistro to create gift programs that give your fans and listeners incentives to Share and purchase your music.  For example, if a fan gets X-amount of people to Share your song then that fan gets rewarded with that awesome live music video (which sounds amazing thanks to multi-tracking, right  ;-)), band wallpapers, exclusive tracks, a signed poster, t-shirts, or whatever incentives you want to give people.  FanDistro is one of the best, and easily the most fun, ways of engaging and interacting with the people that make doing what it is you do worthwhile.  Your fans want to be a part of your success, so let them!

 

logo-final1

 

Thanks for spending some time with us in The Record Shop!  Be sure to keep up with our blog, and HEY!  don’t be a stranger.  Follow and chat with us on Twitter @therecordshop for daily updates from Gio & The Henchmen inside our beautiful Nashville Recording Studios!  We’ll see you next time!

/0 Comments/by

How to Master Social Media as a Musician

If you want to make a name for yourself in the competitive world of music production without having to hire an expensive agent, it is absolutely essential that you learn how to master social media as a musician. Young musicians these days have to face an unlimited level of competition since almost anybody can claim to be a musician on the internet. However, what many do not realize is that social media actually provides people a platform through which they can promote their music and make a name for themselves.

Before one learns how to master social media as a musician, they must at least have a website where they can direct people to your page from their social media following. A good musician’s website should have easily accessible pictures, videos, gigs and email sign-ups. If you want to continually attract people to your website, you can add contests and your albums onto the site so that people feel the need to visit over and over again.

In order to learn how to master social media as a musician, you should have a Facebook and Twitter account. Later you can move onto other social media websites such as YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram. Once you have an account on these social media sites, you have to find your audience. Remember that a large number of followers or likes does not mean much. Sure, it might look great to have a million uninterested fans on your social media account, but wouldn’t it be better just having a small number of fans who actually care about your music?

A great way to find people to listen to your music is to find people who are following bands that are similar to yours. Reach out to them personally and ask them to listen to your music. If they do, and they like it, you’ll have yourself a genuine fan! Once you have a small number of fans, you should also focus on regularly posting sharable content onto your page. Try to post new, relevant things daily so that people continue to share them and your following grows automatically.

Before you know it, you will know how to master social media as a musician and you will start receiving gig requests on your website. Just make sure you don’t give up, and do not allow the quality of your music to suffer in the process.

/0 Comments/by
,

Picking the Perfect Songs for your Demo

A high quality demo recording is the first step to becoming a music sensation, and most musicians know it. Just like salespeople have calling cards that they hand out to prospective clients, musicians hand out their demos so that they can land themselves gigs and earn money. If you want to become a successful musician, it is imperative that you take time out for picking the perfect songs for your demo.

Picking the perfect songs for your demo is not rocket science. As a matter of fact, all you need to do is rely on your common sense. In case you don’t have any, there is no need to worry! Just go through this guide to picking the perfect songs for your demo and implement away.

Make sure your demos are the highest quality you can afford

Sometimes, it is worth paying an extra buck to get something of superior quality. Some people think they can record their demos at home, but the fact of the matter is that with the level of competition out there, inferior quality demos are often not even heard fully. Musicians are not hired to play at events unless they are able to make quality products, regardless of how great the songs they have written are.

Short and simple demos speak the loudest

Regardless of how good you think your music is, keep in mind that people who are looking to hire musicians are generally very busy. The last thing you should do is bore them with a three-hour tape of you performing every song you possibly know. By doing so, not only do you stand the risk of putting them to sleep or seriously annoying them, but also of perhaps revealing a potential flaw in your music. It is best to pick out a song or two that you KNOW will captivate them. Seeking the opinion of an impartial person may suit you best.

Choose songs that showcase you as an artist, and your full potential

The main purpose of a demo tape is so that you can prove to people who have never heard you play that you have what it takes to perform for them. You should make sure each song you put in shows a different side of your musical ability. Since it is likely that the different people who listen to your demo are looking for something different, it is essential to showcase as much of your talent and ability as possible in the shortest possible tape.

/0 Comments/by