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Table of Contents

1. PRE-RAMBLE
2. INTRODUCTION
3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED
4. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC
5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC
6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES
7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE
8. JOINING A SONGWRITER ORGANIZATION by Anne Freeman
9. TIPS ON RECORDING VOCALS by Lynn Carey Saylor
10. ARTIST MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS I by Joyce Sydnee Dollinger
11. UNDERSTANDING YOUR MUSIC IS A KEYTO PROMOTING
& SELLING IT by Tim Sweeney
12. REMOVING THE WEEDS FROM YOUR WEBSITE by David Wimble



1. PRE-RAMBLE

I have sent you this newsletter because
a. you have bought a copy of The Indie Contact Bible
b. your site is listed in The Indie Contact Bible
c. you signed up to receive the newsletter
d. you are a member of The Indie Link Exchange
e. you are selling The Indie Contact Bible from your site

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2. INTRODUCTION

The Indie Contact Newsletter is off to a tremendous start in 2001. The January issue is CRAMMED with valuable information!!

One of the newsletter's regular contributors, Joyce Sydnee Dollinger, has submitted the first article in a three part series on "Artist Management Contracts".

Lynn Carey Saylor continues her series on recording tips, with some excellent points on how to "record vocals". It is definitely something that everyone (who is ever going to record) should read.

A lady that I have had the pleasure of meeting at the last two Indie Music Forums, Anne Freeman, has written an in-depth article on how to shop around and eventually choose a Songwriter Organization that fits your needs. Anne is the coordinator of the Princeton, NJ Chapter of The Nashville Songwriters Association.

Well known author Tim Sweeney has presented some interesting insights on how to promote your music.

Lastly, yours truly has written a short piece on how to weed your website. It's a list of very simple ways to enhance your website in order to create a professional appearance. These are obvious tips that, if followed, will make a world of difference in the eyes of your visitors.

As always, there are a sizable group of new contacts listed that can help you to gain exposure for your music.

I would like to pass on a special thanks to Bryan at Gajoob, Jodi at The Muse's Muse and Michael and The Global Muse for putting the word out about The Indie Contact Newsletter! The interest in the newsletter has been outstanding!

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Rainmaker Music Publicity in 2001!
Rainmaker Publicity, founded in 1996 by ex-ABC Radio exec,
Rhonda Kelley , is looking to add a few new bands to their roster
this year. Rainmaker works with unsigned artists and indie labels ONLY!!
For more info and rates, go to: www.rainmakerpublicity.com
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Below are the contacts that were submitted to me in December. As is the case in The Indie Contact Bible the contacts listed are sorted into five sections.
1. Sites that will review Independent Music
2. Radio stations/shows that will play Independent music
3. Online services that will help to sell your
4. Sites where you can upload your band's MP3 files
5. Sites where you can promote your band online for FREE!

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3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED

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El PARCHE WebZine Colombian Rock
jose castro chente@altavista.net
http://elparche.tripod.com
A Spanish web zine, Colombian Rock!!!

Hot Pants sash
hotpantsent@earthlink.net
http://www.hotpantsla.com
Los Angeles webzine specializing in indie, punk, gothic, garage and experimental music with interviews, reviews, etc.. a new site.

TotalChrist.com
Gran Roberts totalchrist@hotmail.com
http://www.TotalChrist.com
Online E-zine that covers Christian rock, punk, ska, metal, rapcore, and hardcore music. We post Indie reviews and music news daily.

Solemn Music - Web-Zine
Christopher Zarb solemusic@hotmail.com
http://www.solemn.s5.com
Dedicated to extreme metal music from heavy metal to blackmetal and ambient. reviews and interviews.

GuitarGirls.com
Lynn guitargirlsmail@aol.com
http://www.guitargirls.com
I do music reviews on a one-on-one basis by email for people who ask. I don't do them for the purpose of posting the review on my site. It's more of a courtesy thing I will do when someone asks me.

The Official DJ Style Web Site
DJ Style djstyle@djstyle.com
http://www.djstyle.com
Free Dance Music Reviews specializing in underground progressive house, trance, and techno. Can add your own link and post on the WWWBoard.

Tartarean Desire Webzine
Vincent Eldefors tartareandesire@yahoo.com
http://embark.to/tartareandesire
A webzine dedicated to metal and dark music with reviews, interviews etc. Usually updated once a week.

Break The Static
Thomas Grogan tinytizzy@hotmail.com
http://www.breakthestatic.cjb.net
We are a new music site that promotes underground and unsigned artists. News, pics, bands, CD reviews and more!

Line Noise Magazine
Jacqueline Carlson info@line-noise.com
http://www.line-noise.com
Online Music Magazine - Specializing in Indie Rock.

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2001 USA International Songwriting Competition
The world's leading international songwriting
competition is currently accepting entries. Win
a $50,000 Grand Prize worth of cash, merchandise
and exposure (largest prize package in any annual
songwriting competition).

Also, winners' songs will be featured on a nationally
syndicated radio program serving over 60 cities in
the US and Canada! Judges include record labels such
as Warner/Reprise Records, SONY Music, Epic Records,
Mars Music Records and Peer Music.

For more information on this event's rules, regulations
and entry forms visit the competition website at:
http://www.songwriting.net
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4. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC

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UNC Student Radio
Jonathan Kraft ksrx@blue.univnorthco.edu
http://www.unco.edu/ksrx
We are more than happy to accept new music and CD's from any artist at any time. We will review the music, and even if it doesn't go on our play list, all music will be made available to our DJ's in the studio.

theiceberg.com
David Marsden david@theiceberg.com
http://www.theiceberg.com
http://www.primeticket.net
http://www.2Kool4Radio.com
http://www.1groove.com
Live 24 - 7 with some of the world's best DJs. Canada's number 1 dance audio system.

WUSC
Susan Lucas sisdelsgroove@hotmail.com
http://wusc.sc.edu
Any bands that would like play on WUSC (University of South Carolina-Columbia's radio station) can send their music to me for review and I'll try and get it into rotation:
Susan Lucas
WUSC
Drawer B
Columbia, SC 29208

Tom Lambert/RealCountry
Tom Lambert tom@tomlambertrealcountry.net
http://www.TomLambertRealCountry.net/onair.htm
Independent Country Radio/Playing Independent RealCountry Music.

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Maggieb.com Indie Artists promotes and supports the indie
artist community by offering a dedicated platform for indie
artists to be recognized and to be heard. We feature enormously
talented independent artists who are underexposed, or on
private record labels that are difficult to locate. Maggieb.com
offers many creative, strategic marketing and promotional
opportunities to indie artists while simultaneously providing
a venue for worldwide exposure. We invite indie artists, of ALL
musical styles and genres, to submit their projects for
consideration to showcase their work.

For submission information visit: http://www.maggieb.com
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5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC

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***note: The online vendors and labels listed below are those that offer artists a NON-exclusive contract, meaning, you can join up with as many of these services as you like.

something sacred
jon broyles info@somethingsacred.com http://www.somethingsacred.com
A collection of artists with the goal to promote, music, art, literature and clothing. DEATH.LIFE.MUSIC.
CDFreedom.com
Phil Antoniades info@artistdevelopment.com
http://www.cdfreedom.com
Make more from on-line sales! CDfreedom takes a smaller cut than most on-line distributors!

FastLane Records
Shawn C. Lane fastlanerecords1@aol.com
http://www.fastlanerecords.com
An indie that specializes in glam/hard rock/power pop..help in structuring bands.

Belham Valley Records Songwriting Contest
Gary Robilotta bvrsc@hotmail.com
http://theartscontest.com
An international songwriting competition featuring the largest cash awards.

Zuvuya Music
Jeff Justice
justice@zuvuyamusic.com
http://www.greatspiritproductions.com/zuvuyamusic.ivnu
Independent Online label offering non-exclusive contracts, to promote new music with positive attitude.

NearlyFamous.com
Dave Haantz dave@nearlyfamous.com
http://www.NearlyFamous.com
Our goal is find artists on the crest of reputation and distinction, then help them take the quantum leap to critical masses.

BiP_HOp webzine
philippe petit ip@bip-hop.com
http://www.bip-hop.com
Bip-Hop is a label, a radio show and a webzine devoted to spread unconventional sound adventures, adventurous & creative electronica... sounds, based on machines, mix, modulations, modifications, sampling, glitches, clicks & cuts... blip... bleep... bip... BiP-HOp Generation

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VersusMedia focuses on designing unique websites for artists,
record labels, venues, and any other form of media that
supports them. Don't just add your band to another music
database, have VersusMedia create your own web presence. We
also offer our extensive music industry knowledge for audience
targeting and promotion. Tired of fighting the industry alone?
Let VersusMedia fight the battle for you.

http://www.versusmedia.com
music@versusmedia.com
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6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES

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GuitarGirls.com
Lynn Guitargirlsmail@aol.com
http://www.guitargirls.com
A resource & support site for female artists who write, sing and play guitar. The site features MIDI, MP3 & Real Audio files plus a GuitarGirls contest which showcases & promotes independent female talent.

psyrox
jake jake@psyrox.net
http://psyrox.net
Promote Your Band By Sharing your Heavy Metal MP3 on the Psyrox MP3 Exchange.

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FEMMUSIC, The Place for Emerging Women In Music

FEMMUSIC's January issue is a focus on jazz and includes
interviews with Patricia Barber, Helen Merrill, Claudia
Acuna, MRS.FUN, and others. FEMMUSIC is an international,
online, monthly magazine that includes interviews, CD
reviews, show reviews, artist directories, and many
other resources for musicians of all levels.

For more information visit http://www.femmusic.com
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7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE

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BuscaMusica.es.fm
Juanma buscamusica@mail.com
http://www.buscamusica.es.fm
Site that allows Independent artists to post information about themselves for free.

IzMuz - Internet Muzik ve Müzisyenler Rehberi
Tolga Gurpinar tolgag@favemail.com
http://www.izlenim.com/muzik
Internet music and independent musicians guide in Turkish. Offers nonexclusive free listing if we qualify the work. (Soon in English)

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"How To Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet" by
David Neuve, shows you powerful Internet marketing techniques
to help sell your music merchandise online!

Check it out at BEST MUSIC BOOKS
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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8. JOINING A SONGWRITER ORGANIZATION by Anne Freeman, © 2001

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The Aspiring Songwriter

Local and national songwriter organizations can be a great opportunity for beginning songwriters to learn their craft, interact with other songwriters, and learn about the music business. But how do you find them and how do you choose one to join? Types of Songwriter Organizations

There are different types of local songwriter organizations. Some offer formal workshops, like those sponsored by the Nashville Songwriters Association, International (NSAI). Regional NSAI workshops have regular meetings run by volunteer coordinators who are trained by NSAI. These workshops offer lessons using professionally designed songwriting curriculum, peer song critiques, performance events, industry speakers, and more. You can find the location of regional NSAI workshops on NSAI's website at www.nashvillesongwriters.com. Another large songwriter organization is the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), which you can learn about by visiting their website at www.songwriters.org.

There are also numerous independent, local songwriter organizations. These are usually formed by one or two songwriters who offer their time and effort to help area songwriters. Often these workshops will focus on performance opportunities, guitar pulls, song circles, and peer song critiques. If they are located near a major music city, they may also offer music industry speakers and events. Other music-related organizations, such as the Acoustic Guitar Guild, will often have local chapter meetings and events that may include songwriting or music composition as part of their offerings. These organizations are worth looking into if you are a songwriter.

Finding a Songwriting Organization

The easiest way to find songwriter organizations is the Internet. Do a search using the word "songwriting" or "songwriter" and you will find a myriad of web sites that offer basic songwriting concepts, advise, chat rooms, message boards, e-newsletters, and more. Get to know what's out there. If you don't have a computer, check with your local library or college library about using their computers with Internet access.

There are publications and magazines for songwriters, which often list songwriter organizations. Three magazines that you should know about are American Songwriter Magazine (www.americansongwriter.com), Songwriters Monthly Magazine (www.lafay.com/sm), and Performing Songwriter Magazine (www.performingsongwriter.com). They are great resources for all kinds of songwriting information. And don't forget to check out The Independent Musician's Contact Bible for additional songwriting resources, too!

Next, visit local venues that host open mics. Open mics are events where songwriters can sign up to perform one to three original songs, without having to audition. Coffee shops and small clubs will often host open mics on slow nights, like Tuesday or Sunday. Look for open mic listings in area newspapers and publications that promote the local music scene. Ask open mic performers if they can recommend a local songwriter organization. Songwriter workshop fliers may be posted in these venues, too.

If you live in or near a major music center, such as NYC, Nashville, and LA, contact organizations such as ASCAP (www.ascap.com), BMI (www.bmi.com), SESAC (www.sesac.com), and NARAS (www.grammy.com). These organizations offer educational seminars that include songwriting and music business topics. They are generally aware of area songwriter organizations and activities, as well.

Choosing a Songwriter Organization

I chose NSAI because I liked its educational focus and because it offered regional workshops. During your decision-making process, ask yourself a few questions about each national and/or local organization that you consider:

1) Does it state anywhere that it addresses the needs of beginning songwriters?

2) Does it offer educational/developmental opportunities and/or services to its beginning songwriter members?

3) Are its services accessible to you? In other words, is there a nearby local workshop or other opportunities for you to meet with area members, etc?

4) Does it offer major events, such as song camps, conferences, etc, where you can interact with music industry professionals and get professional instruction?

5) Does it focus on the kind of music you're interested in writing?

Each organization has its own goals, strengths, and weaknesses, so it's up to you to find the right match. Do your homework before joining. When you are ready to join, THEN JOIN! ATTEND! PARTICIPATE! If they offer songwriting classes, you should definitely get involved in those. There is a lot to learn about songwriting and it takes time and practice.

If there are no local songwriter organizations in your area, consider joining a national group like NSAI and then start a local chapter. In the end, anything that you can do to learn about songwriting and the music business, whether through an established group or one that you start yourself, you will benefit from the investment.

Finally, once you join a group and it feels like a good fit, then have fun with it. Don't shortchange yourself by rushing the process. Take you time, grow your craft, and grow with your craft. You have your entire life to write songs. Most of all - keep it fun!

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Anne Freeman is the Volunteer Coordinator of the Princeton, NJ Chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association, International. For information about the workshop and their free songwriters E-NewsLetter, visit http://community.nj.com/cc/princetonsongwriters
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"Make $100,000+ a year without a Record Contract!" by Lee Kennedy

BANDS, are you making the kind of $$$$$ that you really want?
Thousands of bands and entertainers make Hundreds of Thousands
of dollars a year, and you can too!!!
- are you booked through the end of NEXT year?
- are Record Companies, Clubs and Agents knocking on your door?
- are you making TOP $$$$ for your gigs?
- are you getting weekly press?

DOUBLE even TRIPLE your current income !!

Purchase it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS!
http://www.bestmusicbooks.com
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9. TIPS ON RECORDING VOCALS by Lynn Carey Saylor

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Since the announcement of the GuitarGirls.com songwriting contest on my Web site, I've had the unique experience of being able to hear many talented independent singer/songwriters from all over the U.S., U.K. and Canada who have submitted songs to me for evaluation and consideration of a spot in the contest.

After putting my "A&R" hat on so many times recently, I've begun to notice some consistent problems in the recording of the vocals on many of the demos I've been sent. With that in mind, I thought I'd talk this month about three general concepts to be aware of while creating vocals in the recording studio - watching out for fluctuating dynamics in the vocal, sibilance and plosives, and the overuse of effects.

The voice is especially prone to wide fluctuations in dynamics, much more so than the music. It is very distracting to the listener to hear a vocal that fades in and out of the mix for no apparent reason. A very experienced studio singer knows how to work the microphone in a way that keeps this problem to a minimum, but often times singers who may even have a lot of "live" experience go into the studio and are surprised at how difficult it can be to sing a vocal that has even and consistent levels throughout the performance. Unfortunately, most independent artists don't have the luxury of being able to sing a song over and over in the studio to work out all the subtleties of dynamics AND create an emotionally powerful vocal with great pitch. That's a tall order on a short budget. Character and emotion are "king" of course and things that can't be fixed in the mix, so mostly you'll want to think about that as you sing the vocal.

When in the mix stage, however, make sure you think about those dynamics. Are certain parts of the vocal jumping out in a way that might jar the listener or are other parts being overwhelmed by the music or both? If so, then applying compression to the vocal may help significantly. Compressors tame peaks in a track by attenuating levels that exceed a given loudness or raise the level of quieter parts with the use of makeup gain. Another method, which I frequently employ, is referred to as "gain-riding" or "riding the vocal" during the mix of the track. Studios such as ours that have automated consoles make this process an easy one since the computer in the board records and remembers your moves as you ride the vocal during practice mixes. Many lower-end studios, however, do not have consoles with automation and you (or your engineer) have to do the rides "on the fly" during the final mix.

Another problem I hear frequently has to do with sibilance and plosives. Sibilance occurs when singing consonants and sounds with high-frequency energy such as "s" and "ch." The harshness in the vocal that these sounds can create often becomes problematic in the track. Plosives are the percussive sounds such as "b" and particularly "p" that can result in unflattering popping sounds in the track. Again, experienced studio singers can keep these problems to a minimum by knowing how to work the microphone, but sometimes even a great studio singer needs tools to help deal with these potential annoyances. For plosive problems, use of a pop filter between you and the microphone helps alleviate the potential of popping b's and p's. For the sibilance problem, there are many de-esser's available which can be used during recording or, as is more often the case, during the mix. The DBX 902 is recognized by the studio industry as among the highest quality de-esser's out on the market, but several companies make similar and adequate units. Pro Tools, which many of you are probably familiar with, makes a de-esser plug-in for their system as well. Most studios have pop filters and de-essers, so don't be shy about requesting them if you think you need to. It may just save you a lot of aggravation later on!

The last subject that I want to address is perhaps the problem I most often encounter when listening to vocals on a demo -- the overuse of effects. With the plethora of effects now available to recording artists at minimum expense, it is often easy to over do things in this department. I can't tell you how many demos I have heard where the music is fairly well balanced and clear, but the vocals are dripping in reverb or other effects that make it nearly impossible to understand the lyrics of the song. Clearly, that is a problem. My first impression is that the singer doesn't like his or her own voice very much to be drowning out the natural sound of it that much.

Sometimes, however, effects can be used to create character in the track and when employed creatively, they can be used to add something special or unique to the song. For example, Cher's 1999 #1 single, "Believe" used a flanged effect in a novel way over the title word to great effect. It can even be argued that the effect applied to the song was one of the reasons for its great success. Other songs such as Peter Frampton's memorable 1976 hit, "Show Me The Way," the Eiffel 65 smash, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," and Faith Hill's, "The Way You Love Me," all have utilized this type of effect in an engaging and appealing way.

To sum up, make sure you pay particular attention to all the elements of your vocal sound when you are in the mixing stage of your project as it is the thing that is focused on the most. Always know why you are using a particular effect on your vocal -- is it to add a certain "spice" to your song or are you just trying to compensate for something that you feel is missing in your vocal sound? Can you understand the lyrics of the song? Have someone listen to your track who doesn't know the song and ask them if they can understand what you are singing. The old adage, "When in doubt, leave it out" comes to mind here. Believe me, the A&R person at your favorite record company would rather hear less than more as a general rule when it comes to affected vocals. It's easier to determine what you really sound like that way. And before you do that final mix, make sure that nothing in the way of popping, harsh sounds or fluctuating levels is undermining the vocal to the point where it is a distraction to the listener of the song. You want to leave 'em thinking about nothing other than what a great song and vocal performance they just heard. Good luck to all of you out there and Happy New Year!

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Lynn Carey Saylor is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and co-owner of the Los Angeles area recording studio, Skip Saylor Recording. Grammy Award winning records such as k.d. lang's "Ingenue," Guns n' Roses' "Use Your Illusion I and II" and the track, "Wishing It Was," from the 8x Grammy Award winning and Album of the Year Santana release, "Supernatural," are a few in a long list of gold and platinum records that have been mixed and/or recorded at the facility.

In early 2000, Lynn founded the Web site, GuitarGirls.com, which seeks to promote up and coming female singer/songwriter/guitarists with her GuitarGirls Contest as well as to pay homage to such successful female artists as Sheryl Crow.

Lynn has a degree in Communications (Radio, Broadcast and Film) and a music minor from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild with television commercial and film credits.

If you have a question that you would like Lynn to answer in upcoming issues, please e-mail her at: Guitargirlsmail@aol.com
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THE INDIE LINK EXCHANGE http://www.bigmeteor.com/ile
is a list of music people who wish to exchange links
with other music related sites. With over 400 current
members, it's a great way to get some exposure for
your site. Everyone involved with the music business
is welcome to join. It's a one-to-one exchange of text
links or banners....and it's FREE!
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10. ARTIST MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS I by Joyce Sydnee Dollinger

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"Music is a business and you must be well versed in the business to make a career as a musician." -- Music Industry Executive

In my last article I started to discuss artist record royalties and I was going to continue to analyze them and show a calculation of the basic artist record royalty from the record label perspective. However, I decided to take a different turn and discuss the artist manager relationship by starting with artist manager contracts. In the past couple of months I have been faced with this topic on a more regular basis because I have been receiving so many questions and emails about this hot area. So I thought I would discuss them here. Many independent bands want a manager to get them to the next level, yet they are both enamored and perplexed by this topic; it's a dichotomy. It's on their minds daily, even hourly.

Personal management is an important facet of an artist's career, for, it is the manager that can help an artist soar to new heights. In a nutshell, a personal manager is someone who agrees to handle the business end of the artist's affairs in exchange for a percentage of the artist's income. Personal management usually entails strategic developmental planning of an artist's career and advice in all business affairs decisions as well as acting as a pseudo coach, babysitter or mother. It is a full time job - 24/7. Another analogy is that this relationship is like a marriage. It must not be entered into lightly and both parties must give each other mutual respect. They both need each other to obtain their common goals - success in musicianship, advancing the artist's career and financial gain. It is a relationship in which each appreciates the other and work together with passion and endurance. The results of the work in which both parties participate, do not happen overnight. It accumulates over time.

A personal management contract should always be in writing and signed by both parties. Contracts can be oral, but contracts in writing avoid situations whereby one party reneges. Trust is important in the music industry, but these days, it alone is not enough for a new artist, or any artist for that matter.

In the music industry, personal managers are considered employees of an artist whom they represent and they must act as a fiduciary to them, as well. A fiduciary owes special duties to an artist and a special trust is placed on them. They must subordinate their interests to those of their client - the artist. In this way, the personal manager must put the best interests of the artist first and the manager must always disclose material information to the artist, such as business deals.

There are different aspects to a fair management contract. All management contracts vary in structure, but have the same terms in substance. A contract, in its most minimal terms, is a promise or a set of promises, for breach of which the law gives recourse. There are three elements required to create a contract. They are: mutual assent (i.e. offer and acceptance), consideration and no defenses to its formation or enforcement. An offer is a promise, undertaking, or commitment with definite terms communicated to the contracting party. Acceptance is when the contracting party communicates to the offering party that she wants to be bound by the offer. Consideration is a bargained-for-exchange. The parties must exchange something, either promises, or a promise for an act. It can even be money, which gives legal value to the offer. The last element is that the parties had capacity to contract and the subject matter of the contract is legal. Both parties must be able to perform the duties stated in the contract. In most jurisdictions, persons under the age of 18 lack capacity to contract. There are some exceptions, which will not be discussed here.

Please note that this article only touches on the key points of a management contract. I do suggest that if you are negotiating a deal with a personal manager, you consult an attorney first..

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Joyce Sydnee Dollinger is an attorney admitted in New York and Florida and currently works at a major label in the Corporate Legal & Business Affairs department. She is also the Vice President of 2 Generations SPA Music Management, Inc. and SPA Records, Inc.. 2 Generations (www.2generations.com) is a music management company representing signed and unsigned bands/artists, producers and songwriters in all genres of music. 2 Generations also represents entertainment organizations/ businesses and provides consulting and entertainment services. SPA Records, Inc. (www.sparecords.com) is a record label dedicated to developing, promoting and distributing breaking acts to the US and the World using traditional and innovative distribution channels. You can reach Joyce by email at joyce@2generations.com or by voice at 212-879-6997.
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It's no secret that the Internet is a great way to get your music out to the
world. There's only one problem. The Internet is so big it would literally
take you thousands of hours to find all of the places and people that are
interested in your music and are willing to help you and your band out. A
solution is finally here. It's called the Indie Contact Bible.

The 2nd Edition is 360 pages and contains:
2200 publications that will review your CD
1600 radio stations will play your music
250 services that will help you to sell your CD
300 sites where you can upload your music files
150 sites where you can promote your band (for FREE!)

Check it out today at: http://www.indiecontactbible.com
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11. UNDERSTANDING YOUR MUSIC IS A KEY TO PROMOTING & SELLING IT by Tim Sweeney (www.tsamusic.com)

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Now that January and the new year have arrived, we will see two usual and traditional events happen this month. First, a slue of articles from so-called music industry experts, who will try to convince you, now is the time to sit down and write out a year long plan for your CD and your music career. Second, panicked artists, who will desperately rush to try to do this with all their hopes, dreams and promises of a new year. Unfortunately, bad advice leads to bad results.

While most of the articles will be trying to convince you to do things that you can't possibly succeed at (national radio promotion, extensive touring, industry wide press coverage, etc.), they also lack the "real" advice of what the "true" first step is to becoming successful. "Understanding" your music.

While it is well known that I am a strong believer in focusing on your home market and home state first (at least until you sell 10,000+ CDs), it is important to understand that to succeed in your home market, you can not continue to promote yourself and your music the way you have in the past. To be successful in promoting and selling your music, you must "understand" it and use it. What does that mean?

You have to look at yourself, the artist, to realize where your music comes from and how it can help you. For example, most independent artists who send me their new CDs, focus a large percentage of their songs on personal relationships. Instead of rushing out to figure what radio stations you can send it to based upon format, or which publications you want to buy print ads in or try to get a review from, take a step back and "understand" how your songs can help market themselves.

If personal relationships is a common theme through out your CD, how can it be used in your home market? While radio and television can get you some exposure, it also limits your ability to personally "bond" with your new and existing fans. Obviously radio stations and television advertisements don't allow you to explain what your music is about and how it directly relates to your fans. (Unless of course, you can get on talk shows). So you need to think of creative new ways to promote your music using the content of what your songs are about and how that relates to your fans. All in the hope of generating the all important "word of mouth."

So lets use "relationships" as our common theme in our new CD. How can we use it in creative ways to generate more attention and sales in our home market?

Off the top of my head, I would look for discussion groups in your area or organizations that present meetings or seminars on the topics that are in your songs. Attend some of the meetings. Get to know the people who attend. Talk to them about your music and how you talk about your own experiences regarding past relationships in the songs on your CD. Talk to the person running the meeting. Can you play for the group? How about setting up a cocktail "mixer" to draw more attention to the group and introducing it to new people? Can you play at that? Can the organization buy your CDs and give them out as a premium, to the members of the group?

Then take the idea to the Web. Where can you post messages or talk about your songs online? Newsgroups? Chat rooms? Web sites that focus on the topics you sing about?

What if your common theme or even a key song or two, was about politics or an environmental issue? What organizations in your city can you play fund-raisers for? They can invite thousands of people who donated money. Can they buy your CDs and give them away as a premium?

The ideas are endless, let your mind go!

What about non-music related stores to sell your CD in? "Romantic" music can be sold in candle stores, to gift basket companies to be included in their packages, flower vendors, Victoria Secret stores, etc.

I once convinced a hotel chain to buy copies of a romantic CD to be given away to people staying at the hotel over the Valentine's weekend. Little did I ever imagine they would order 5,000 copies!

The point I'm trying to make is, before you follow the advice of one of these "so called" experts and waste your valuable time writing out an over extended marketing plan which features things you can't possibly hope to accomplish at this stage of your career, start by aiming for reachable goals in your home market. Use your own music as a creative factor in generating new ideas, instead of just another mail out to radio or the media.

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Tim Sweeney is the founder of the Los Angeles-based artist development company, Tim Sweeney & Associates (TSA) and the author of the best-selling book "Tim Sweeney's Guide to Releasing Independent Records". As one of the music industry's most highly sought-after experts in the areas of artist development, radio promotion, record distribution, and retail marketing, he has helped major labels like Sony, Geffen, Capitol and Warner Bros. develop hundreds of their most promising stars.
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12. REMOVING THE WEEDS FROM YOUR WEBSITE by David Wimble

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I was changing the endless "© 2000's" on my website the last few days to "© 2001's", and thought that since the new year is upon us, it would be a good time to point out the common mistakes that I see repeated over and over again as I search through the Internet.

They are not listed in the order of importance...

1. BROKEN GRAPHICS

The first thing that is going to catch a visitor's eye is broken graphics. When I visit a site and see even ONE broken link to a graphic, my immediate thought is that "this is a dead site".... and I usually move on.

This is especially evident on links pages. Often graphics are linked to the target server, rather than stored locally. I make it a point to copy graphics that I'm going to use to link to other sites locally. That way, even if the other site goes the way of the dinosaur, my graphic will still be present. Even though the link is broken, at least the overall appearance of the my links page looks professional.

2. DEAD LINKS

That leads me to the issue of dead links. If I had a nickel for every dead link I've tried to connect too, I'd be in the Forbes Top 100. If you are going to have a links page - be responsible. Treat it as a service you are providing for your visitors and make sure that it is one that is running smoothly. You don't have to check the links every three hours, but at least once every two or three months.

3. "LAST UPDATED"

"Last updated" is something that I pay close attention to. I want to make sure that all the sites in The Indie Bible are those that are being maintained and updated frequently. The problem is that many sites that ARE being updated often, do not mention this on the MAIN page. The "This site was last updated..." message is often only applied to the page that was updated - the reviews page, an interviews page etc.

Site owners should make sure that ALL pages have the same "Updated" date on them, so that visitors know that the ENTIRE site is still under a watchful eye.

4. © Copyright date

The date of copyright is another indicator of whether a site is being maintained or not. Make sure that ALL of your pages reflect the current year. A lot of web owners think that the © should be the year their website opened - therefore you see some sites with © 1998, even though the site is updated frequently.

5. SPELING MISTAIKES

There's nothing that says "unprofessional" like a site full of spelling mistakes. If spelling isn't your thing, then get a friend to proof your text, or just simply use the spell-checker that is built into your HTML editor.