Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 7:56 pm
New York, NY (August 19, 2008) - KnowTheMusicBiz.com caught up with TuneCore SVP Peter Wells and he offered some advice about making the industry work for you. Read the entire article here:
TIP #3: Define Your Own Success
Before looking into any kind of marketing and promotion, ask yourself:
* Who do you want to hear your music and why?
* How do you want them to listen?
* Do you want them to buy your music, and when, and how?
* Where do money, fame and your own musical career fit in?
Notice the first question-why should you ask why? Your music is good, right, isn’t that reason enough? And why should it matter how they listen? Isn’t it understood you want them to buy your music? What does “buy your music” really mean? These questions all highlight a trap, and if you don’t ask why, right at the beginning, you’re going to fall into it and exhaust yourself pursuing the wrong marketing and promotion.
Everyone markets and promotes for a different reason. A toothpaste manufacturer is wholly interested in making money (or perhaps branding), and selling toothpaste is how they plan to accumulate it. They promote their toothpaste to encourage people to buy it, they market their toothpaste to drive desire, to build demand. Music isn’t always so commercial: in fact, most people feel contemptuous towards music produced solely to sell or brand. Many consider it crass consumerism, or devoid of art. When you bring in beauty and art and even politics (if you don’t think music can have political aims, listen harder), the goals of creation are often very much at odds with making money.
So get a good idea of what you want your music to do. You wouldn’t be reading this article if you didn’t want it to get into at least a few hands, and presumably you’re not averse to making money when they get it. So now you have to ask “who, when and how,” and each of these has a value.
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