The music industry is going digital, that’s no surprise. iTunes recently passed Walmart for the top digital music sales spot and passed the 5 billion song mark this summer. As social media sites continue to grow musicians need to learn how to promote themselves in a digital world rather than just using traditional methods.
Traditional Press Release:
A press release is an announcement of an event, performance, or other newsworthy item that is issued to the press. If you’ve released a CD or hosted an event that was news worthy, you’ve probably composed one of these and emailed it to your list of press contacts. Did you get any press coverage? Do you know how to track it?
If you’re like me then you haven’t had much luck. News papers and magazines only have so much room for print, so it’s sometimes hard to get placement. If you’re lucky the publication might have room on its digital version, which can be even better than a spot in the print version, depending on the groups you are targeting.
This brings us to the next kind of press release, one that is specifically designed for social and digital media, the Social Media Press Release.
Social Media Press Release:
This release is tailored for bloggers, online publications, and social media outlets. Shift Communications has a great template for the social media press release; you can download the PDF here. The social media release makes it easy for people to join in your social community, as well as allow the writer to easily link readers to you.
Additionally, online coverage is arguably easier to track than traditional placement. You can set up Google Alerts, and subscribe to different blogs and online publications using their RSS feeds.
Getting your foot in the door in the music and entertainment industry isn’t something that is usually handed to you; it’s something you have to work for. The first thing you need to do is figure out what role you would like to assume within the industry, this can be as simple as deciding on the creative side or business side in the beginning. Once you figure this out then you just have to start looking, and making contacts.
Many people advise moving to a city like Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville because there are lots of entertainment businesses, and with more companies come more “entry-level” jobs, in some cases unpaid or paid internships are also available.
The most important thing is staying on top of what’s going on in the industry, know about the companies, check job listings, and watch for news on upcoming projects. The industry moves quick, so if you’re on the job hunt you need to always be ready to jump on opportunities when they are available, not necessarily when you’re ready for an opportunity. With that in mind, keep your resume updated and be involved with as many projects and other opportunities that can, it might not be glamorous but it will be experience. The last thing to keep in mind is that you can’t be discouraged if your job hunt takes longer than expected. There are an estimated 10,000 applications submitted to each major label/studio a month, and usually only a handful of positions available. During your hunt keep taking the small projects and keep learning all that you can.
There are many helpful resources out there for people looking for work, check out our Career Center Resource Links for more helpful information.
For those of you who write your own copyrighting it should be a subject you know the ins and outs of, but if you don’t, then this is a 3 minute must see. Protecting your music is something in the forefront of every artist’s mind these days, in fact it dominated the conversation at last month’s professional development work shop Breaking into Commercials, Television, and Film for Minnesota Musicians presented by mnSpin in partnership with McNally Smith College of Music, Springboard for the Arts, and DEMO.
With the new digital wave and everyone putting their music on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook the world of copyrights is getting pretty cut-throat, and if you’re an artist who will put up music without copyrighting it first then you’re putting your work at risk. Did you know, there are programs available now that allow people to download music off social sites even if it’s not “downloadable?”
The video podcast below will outline how to copyright your music online in 4 easy steps. Remember, protect your work is easy and the most important thing you can do!
When you think of the entertainment industry there are 3 places that come to mind, Nashville, New York City, and Los Angeles. All of these places stick out because of the major roles they play in the music and entertainment. There are also 4 main industries that most often some to mind, music, film, television, and magazine publishing. There are a few things to consider to help make your decision:
1. Which side of the industry are you on? Creative or Business? This is a big question to consider, and is a great jumping off point for not only location but job category.
2. Choose an industry. Choosing an industry depends greatly on what your interests are and what your end goals are. Some other things to consider are: What medium do you prefer? Music? Film? Magazines? Would you mind working on a project for several years like with film and music; or would you prefer a shorter production time like with television and magazines?
3. Do your research. Every city has its own “vibe.” Los Angeles has most of the film/television development and distribution power, as well as is the home to many music label main offices. New York on the other hand has many music label main offices, as well as some television companies, and 90% of all publishing powerhouses.
4. Know your limits. Do you want to have a car or would you rather walk? Do you like the weather (snow, rain, sun)? Do you move at a pace that matches those around you? Can you afford it? Do you want a room mate?
Hands on research is sometimes the best way to find out if you like an industry or location, internships often provide you with the best hands on experience. Learn more about the internship program at McNally Smith. Also think about visiting all the places you’re interested in living in, make sure when you visit though that you explore more than just the tourist spots. Go to the areas where people live, shop, eat, and live; this will help you see what it would really be like.
Yesterday I felt a bit like an intern myself, setting foot for the first time in Los Angeles, California. The first thing I noticed was everything was bigger than life in LA, the billboards, the buildings, everything; everything also moves faster than “normal,” especially our cab driver.
I knew all of these interns before they left for their internships, some of them I’d even exchanged MySpace and Facebook conversations with as the faceless “MSCM” answering all their questions before they were even students; needless to say I was more than surprised to see how these students had become “young professtionals” since being in LA. Our west coast rep, Charley Brookes and their mentors, really know how to help these interns, getting them ready for their lives here and beyond, where ever that road my take them.
Last night I sat down with 3 of the interns that live in the Culver City student apartment and had the chance to talk with them about what they’ve learned, what they do in their internships, famous people they’ve met, what they see in their future, and whether or not they think it’s worth it here in LA. The videos will be coming soon.
Following these interns can be a learning experience for anyone, and you can read about their trials, lessons, and successes all on the Fall 2008 Internship Blog.
McNally Smith College of music is very proud of its talented faculty and staff, so proud in fact we wanted to start sharing their talents with the community; the result was the Faculty Performance Series. The event which will be held about once a month was kicked off by MSCM’s own President, Harry Chalmiers.
McNally Smith College of music is very proud of its talented faculty and staff, so proud in fact we wanted to start sharing their talents with the community; the result was the Faculty Performance Series. The event which will be held about once a month was kicked off by MSCM’s own President, Harry Chalmiers.
Have you ever wondered how they made those reed mouthpieces used in brass & woodwind instruments? How long does it take? Why are some spotted? Why do some in the package play different when they are labeled the same?
