Recording - November 2014 - 50

I often get asked if I know any 'secrets' to jump-start a career in music.
Sometimes it all comes down to being in the right place at the right time,
but while maintaining a successful career as a musician is partly talent
and partly luck, there are certainly things you can do to try and stay
ahead of a pretty crowded field.
The Internet has been a blessing in many ways, allowing for more and
more people to reach a global audience with their music. It's pretty incredible when you think about posting a song on YouTube and knowing someone in Holland could be listening to it twenty minutes later. However, it has
also made things harder for the same reason: everyone with a computer
and a few apps can compete with you for sonic immortality!
With that in mind, I've put together some tips for Recording's readers
on steps to take that will give you the best chance at cultivating an audience who will stick around. Whether you're looking to sign with a label
or not, music industry folks want to work with someone who has a following. While nearly everyone with a little bit of savvy knows that it's
now possible to boost social media numbers by paying for them, that's
no longer the most important yardstick. Engagement is!
So here are five ways to make sure your audience comes to you,
stays, and doesn't leave.

3. Capture All The Content You Can
Find a consistent rhythm for how often you post content on your website, which will also dictate what you
do with social media. It is a bit of trial and error when
you start, so it's important to watch and see what your
audience responds to.
For the most part, people love any behind-the-scenes
footage, photos and videos you can post. Make sure
you're inclusive, so your fans will feel like part of the
adventure. Ask for questions, but make sure you reply
to the ones you get. Show them some ideas you have
for album artwork and get their feedback. Post a song
snippet as a teaser and encourage fans to retweet it if
they like it. Their support, and word of mouth, is key.

1234

4. Network!
It might sound boring, but it's true. With so many people having the ability to post music, the best way to
stand out is to be as visible as possible.

Grow

Five Ways To Get, Keep, and

Your Audience!

By Katy Krassner

A successful publicist shares secrets of keeping a high profile

1. Own Your Own Website
Make sure you own your own website. This may not be at the top of
your list, but it's super important. A primary reason is because you want
your URL to be the official source of everything you do. You also want to
be able to have an archive, so when you become famous, you'll have a
timeline of all the events and moments of the journey that got you there.
Engagement should start on your own website. When you post a song
on YouTube, that's great, but you should also have it on your website as
well. A band that has used this to great effect is Pentatonix. Yes, they had
a following because of "The Sing-Off", but they took it to the next level
with YouTube videos that they then incorporated onto the homepage of
their website. A double whammy!
2. Lock In Your Name-Everywhere
Once you do have your own website, lock in social media accounts
in the same name, whether you plan to ever use them or not: Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Soundcloud, Vine, Instagram, Pinterest,
MySpace and SnapChat, just to name a few!
If your band name is AwesomeTanner, try and get your social media
accounts with that exact name. If someone else registers the name, you
may have to put a numerical value or an extra word to differentiate, such
as AwesomeTanner1 or RealAwesomeTanner, but don't get too esoteric
or you will come to regret it. (AwesomeTanner123113? You may know
that's the day your band had their first rehearsal, but who else cares?)
Once you have some social media in place, start using it. I am not suggesting you do everything at once... in fact, just the opposite. Start slowly and pay attention to where you get the best reception. If you immediately get 250 Instagram likes of a band photo as opposed to 5 retweets
of the same shot, it's a clue as to where your audience is. Elsewhere in
this issue, Bobby Owsinski has lots more tips in this realm.
50

RECORDING November 2014

Go to every conference you can afford to go to. Busk on
street corners, film it, and post it on your website and social
media pages. Create lyric videos for your songs so fans can
learn the words... and then ask them to post videos of them
singing the song. Offer to go play at a house party somewhere within a 3-hour driving distance of your base, only
asking for food and gas money and the ability to film the
show for your own use (and make sure they're over 21!).
Ask fans to write in and let you know what song they'd like
you to cover, pick one winner a week, and do it.
The trick is to engage your audience as much as possible so they tell other people how awesome and cool
you are!
5. Make good music
I saved the most obvious for last. You have to walk before
you can run, and what you post online lives there forever,
so make sure you sound good before you put anything up
on your website or YouTube or SoundCloud or Vine. You
can't take back a poorly edited video or audio performance, so make sure everything you post to the public is
top notch and, most importantly, feels real.
Oh, and here's a special bonus tip: Be nice on the
way up. It pays off.
Katy Krassner (krassner@recordingmag.com) is a social
media strategist and entertainment writer who has
worked with Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Robert Plant,
Jordin Sparks, Morrissey, and many others. Learn more
at katykrassner.com.

http://www.katykrassner.com

Recording - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - November 2014