Artist Marketing

As part of our mandate to you our clients, NMZ will do everything we can to promote your music, however there are many things that you can do to advance your music and maximize your earnings. Below are just a few of the many options.

Join a social network.

MySpace, Facebook and their likes act as one-stop band adverts where you can upload anything you want: photos, songs, video, text and more. Limit yourself to two or three social networks though – you don’t want to spread yourself too thinly.

Write an interesting biography.

An artist biog should be concise, informative and interesting. People (particularly venue staff) don’t want to know that your band was formed “in the first year of university or high school by songwriter Joe Bloggs and producer John Smith” – cut out the background and write something that’s a bit different. Write something that keeps your fans engaged.

Take great photos.

Top-notch imagery is crucial if you want to be noticed online. Try to present a uniform ‘look’ that fits with your music. There are plenty of aspiring photographers throughout the Caribbean who will be willing to take press or live photos of you and/or your band for little or no money. Take advantage of them!

Dedicate some time to your fans.

Replying to emails and friend requests can sometimes be a chore but try to avoid blanket “thanks for the add” messages. If you keep things personal you’re far more likely to be remembered and if your audience likes you, they’ll be predisposed to like your music. Make it a point of duty to go online at least once a day and update your page, put up a post and or write comments.

Do something to stand out from the crowd.

The sad truth is that the quality of your music won’t always be enough to get you noticed. Try doing a blog, a quiz, a gimmick – anything that will make your profile a bit different and interesting.

Email blasts.

Once you have a newsletter set up, you have to keep your audience entertained! This is where the email blast come in! After all, they want to know the scoop before the next guy does. Make sure you give them something on a regular basis. Monthly may be a bit too slow, while daily is overkill. Somewhere in the middle is a good way to start. Always remind your fans that your music can be purchased at www.numusiczone.com. It has to become part of your routine on stage.

Play live shows.

There’s no CD promotion quite like it. Don’t forget to make sure you remind your fans at every performance and every promotional opportunity where they can find your music. In this specific case, your page on Numusiczone.com has to become second nature. If someone really likes your show and you, they will gravitate to areas where your music is available.

Support your local live music scene by attending your fellow musicians’ gigs. Ask them for the opportunity to open a few of their shows and then return the favor. It’s a great way for both artists to expose their music to a new audience. Again use the opportunity to promote your music on numusiczone.com.

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Every musician should watch the MTV documentary “Drake: Better Than Good Enough”. The show takes you behind the scenes of Drakes career revealing his work and life philosophy. Here are seven tips from Drakes career you can start using today.

1.  Never stop improving.

Drake takes vocal classes to improve his technique and was amazed to learn that Denzel Washington still takes acting classes.  ”Who could tell Denzel how to act better?”  Even one small take away from a class or course makes you better than before.

2.  Build your dream team.

“My career would be over if 40 (my producer) was gone”.  Drake relies heavily on 40, who acts as a road manager, producer, engineer and best friend.   As a team they energize, strategize and keep each other going when things get tough.  You can’t do it all yourself, and even if you could, it’s not as  fun as with partners.

3.  Dont jump at the first deal.

Drake didn’t snap up the first deal offered but waited until Lil Wayne offered him exactly what he wanted.  He believed in himself so much that he didn’t settle for less.

4. Get your music online.

Drake first got his music on Myspace after the advice of a friend.  Fans could listen and more importantly, he could track the number of plays of his songs, gauging the interest of fans for particular songs.  He also compared his plays per day to similar artists and found he had more plays than they did, giving him collateral in deal negotiations.

5.  Make every performance your best.

Drake understands that the most important part of an artist is commanding the crowd and carrying a performance. “I had a bad habit of looking down at the ground when I performed, people started talking about it”. Now he makes constant eye contact with his fans, making them feel more engaged. In a room full of thousands of people Drake pretends he’s talking to one person, creating an intimate feel.

6.  Focus on Lyrics

Undoubtedly the most important aspect in any song are the lyrics, which play a huge part in Drakes songs on a personal level.   He writes about real life experiences along with the people involved.

7.  Be Yourself

The only way to stand out in a crowd is to be yourself.   Drake ends up sounding unique and fresh by modeling after no one.  Fans flock to artists who are new and different which clearly explains Drakes current success.

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