I was in a similar situation with my band... We were always trying different ways of marketing.
We had success with a few different methods.
1. MP3.com - we made very little money from this site, but it did help us by establishing relationships with other bands, also we were featured on tons of mp3.com listening stations and play lists. So people who were looking for other bands might run across us.
2. THE MUSICIANS ATLAS The fucking magazine rocks! It's a list of every radio station, Bar/Club, Record Label, music distributor, etc. in the country with complete contact information.
3.We targeted college radio. I firmly believe it's the last pure source of untainted music. My philosophy was, "If you listen to top 40, then i don't want you listening to my music". Then as it turned out a lot of college DJ's also work at top 40 stations and were playing our music on both... oh well fuck it.
4. HOT CHYX While you're playing have one of your best looking male friends go around and get hot chix to sign up... I know you think I'm cruel but I going somewhere with this... stay with me. Get as many hot chix to sign your mailing list as possible. Also hang out at crappy bars around closing time and pass out flyers to hot chyx... and talk to them. Most girls under the age of 24 are really impressed that you are in a band... even if you're ugly... even if your band sucks. So we need to take advantage of their weaning vulnerability. Also if you have AOL (I hate aol but AIM is ok by me) talk to girls on there and get them bring there friends to your shows. The more hot chyx you can get the better. Because where there are hot chyx, other are sure to follow... plus if you're in the band you might score.
5. E-mail list. - take a clipboard to live shows. Here is the trick. While you're playing have one of your friends go around and get people to sign up. Don't just leave it at the door. Also sign up on other bands e-mail lists. Some people are not very tech-savvy. So you might get an e-mail from a similar band and they might forget to bcc(blind carbon copy) the e-mail, thus revealing the entire list. Just copy and paste this list into yours... ok here is where ethics play a part. You are putting someone on an e-mail list that did not ask to be on it. This is spam. This is my justification: You are not selling bullshit. You are promoting something that has an artistic value...and these people are already interested in that type of music anyway... and always include a way to opt-out of the list. If someone asked to be taken off... please do so. We started doing this and before long we had about 2000 people on our list... Besides out friends we would usually get about a 5-10% response (i.e. you send an e-mail about an upcoming show and 10% show up--- 10% of 2000 is 200 people... not bad for an unsigned local band).
6. Trade links with major label bands. Most major label bands have websites run by normal guys like you and me. hook it up.
That's it for now. I have tons of other tricks. But have to go eat a pork chop.
liff... I would like to hear your band. maybe posting on slashdot is another way to get some exposer... eh
Slashdot Mirror
I was in a similar situation with my band... We were always trying different ways of marketing.
We had success with a few different methods.
1. MP3.com - we made very little money from this site, but it did help us by establishing relationships with other bands, also we were featured on tons of mp3.com listening stations and play lists. So people who were looking for other bands might run across us.
2. THE MUSICIANS ATLAS
The fucking magazine rocks! It's a list of every radio station, Bar/Club, Record Label, music distributor, etc. in the country with complete contact information.
3.We targeted college radio. I firmly believe it's the last pure source of untainted music. My philosophy was, "If you listen to top 40, then i don't want you listening to my music". Then as it turned out a lot of college DJ's also work at top 40 stations and were playing our music on both... oh well fuck it.
4. HOT CHYX
While you're playing have one of your best looking male friends go around and get hot chix to sign up... I know you think I'm cruel but I going somewhere with this... stay with me.
Get as many hot chix to sign your mailing list as possible. Also hang out at crappy bars around closing time and pass out flyers to hot chyx... and talk to them. Most girls under the age of 24 are really impressed that you are in a band... even if you're ugly... even if your band sucks. So we need to take advantage of their weaning vulnerability. Also if you have AOL (I hate aol but AIM is ok by me) talk to girls on there and get them bring there friends to your shows. The more hot chyx you can get the better. Because where there are hot chyx, other are sure to follow... plus if you're in the band you might score.
5. E-mail list. - take a clipboard to live shows. Here is the trick. While you're playing have one of your friends go around and get people to sign up. Don't just leave it at the door. Also sign up on other bands e-mail lists. Some people are not very tech-savvy. So you might get an e-mail from a similar band and they might forget to bcc(blind carbon copy) the e-mail, thus revealing the entire list. Just copy and paste this list into yours...
ok here is where ethics play a part. You are putting someone on an e-mail list that did not ask to be on it. This is spam. This is my justification: You are not selling bullshit. You are promoting something that has an artistic value...and these people are already interested in that type of music anyway... and always include a way to opt-out of the list. If someone asked to be taken off... please do so.
We started doing this and before long we had about 2000 people on our list... Besides out friends we would usually get about a 5-10% response (i.e. you send an e-mail about an upcoming show and 10% show up--- 10% of 2000 is 200 people... not bad for an unsigned local band).
6. Trade links with major label bands. Most major label bands have websites run by normal guys like you and me. hook it up.
That's it for now. I have tons of other tricks. But have to go eat a pork chop.
liff... I would like to hear your band. maybe posting on slashdot is another way to get some exposer... eh