exploremusic

Not a day goes by where I don’t get at least 50 emails/CDs/MySpace links from artists and band who want me to critique their songs, sound, image, artwork and performances.  Even if I were to do this full time, I’d never, ever manage to get through everything.  (Apologies to those who have asked for this kind of help.  I’d like to listen to everyone’s music, but…)

I can, however, help you to help yourself.  There are a number of excellent books on the subject of getting your band seen and heard. 

The Indie Band Bible was written by Mark Makoway (ex-Moist) and provides a very good primer on what to expect in the big, bad music industry. 

And the fact that it was written from a Canadian perspective is very good.  The bad news is that it’s out of print.  The good news is that Amazon.ca seems to have used editions available from time to time. Recommended.

Once you have Mark’s book, opt for The Indie Band Survival Guide:  The Complete Manual for the Do-It-Yourself Musician.  The authors, Jason Feehan and Randy Chertkow, are members of a Chicago-based band called Beatnik Turtle, who once managed to post a new song every day for a year.  Again, it’s recommended.

“Not every artist needs an A+ online.  But everyone needs at least a C-.

“The challenge for independent artists, label managers, artist managers and anyone working with artists in online marketing is deciding where to apportion effort.

“Am I doing enough online? Should I tweet?  Should I blog on MySpace?  Do I need my own website or is a MySpace enough?  Do I need a Facebook page?

“For digital music and music marketing in general to move forward, I think it’s important that some basic standards are established around an artist’s online presence.  If these standards are established, music marketers can spend more time innovating and less time worrying about whether the Bebo page has enough of a photo gallery.

“If we agree on a minimum standard then we can define what is exceptional and extraneous.

“Native has developed an online artist report card to help structure decision-making and reduce the grey area around representing music online.It moves from the basic to the advanced and is intended for all levels of artists.”

Take the test here. And don’t bother trying to cram for it.  You’re either doing it right or you’re not.