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- September 2004 -
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Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Sites Where You Can Get Your Music Reviewed 3. Radio Shows that will Play Your Music 4. Online Services that will Help to Sell Your Music 5. Sites Where You Can Upload Your Band's MP3s or Videos 6. Helpful Music Resources 7. ""Internet Radio: The Affordable Alternative" by Nathan Fisher, live365.com 8. "Inside the Head of a Music Reviewer" - PART III by Suzanne Glass, Indie-Music.com ------------------------------------------------------------------- THE TROUBLE WITH RELYING ON SALES OF CDs If you own or control quality-sounding material, you should be pursuing licensing opportunities for your music - one of our artists just landed an $85,000 licensing deal for a single song; That’s a lot of CD’s to sell! Indie911 doesn’t compete with or replace how you currently sell music– we support it, while exposing your music to profitable licensing opportunities and a larger audience. If you make music, we’ll help you take if further. How? Through the lost art of presenting great new music, and by paying artists for online radio “airplay,” licensing fees, and sales Thousands of listeners are discovering great new music every day with a FREE and LEGAL system that doesn’t involve file sharing or illegal downloading. Join us or just listen for free at http://indie911.com Tel: 310-943-7164 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- SELL THOUSANDS OF CDs ON THE INTERNET! "How to Build a Music Web Site That Sells" is a step-by-step guide to the best-kept secrets of selling more CDs on the Internet you ever thought was possible. "This is the most on-the-money best laid-out easy and entertaining incredibly informative absolutely accurate and insightful book I have ever seen on the subject of promoting your music online." - Derek Sivers, CDBaby and Hostbaby Beat major labels on the Web: http://www.musicpromotiontips.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS MONTH'S PRIZE WINNERS This month's winner of the Sennheiser E835 microphone (visit http://www.sennheiserusa.com ) - Tom Connelly, Oakland, CA This month's winner of a pair of Sennheiser HD280Pro headphones (visit http://www.sennheiserusa.com ) - Chris Miller, Clayton, GA This month's winners of the A&R Directory (for more information visit http://www.musicregistry.com ) are: - Marco Bonte, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands - Aaron LaFalce, Asheville, NC - Jane, Essex, England This month's winner of the Publisher's Directory (for more information visit http://www.musicregistry.com ) is: - Jordan Munoz, San Pedro, CA This month's winners of the Musician's ToolKit CD (for more information visit http://www.indie-music.com/cgi/affiliates/click.cgi?icn ) are: - Patrick Pfeiffer, New York, NY - Terri Leman, Ninilchik, AK This month's winner of the musicSUBMIT music promotion and publicity service (for more information visit http://www.musicsubmit.com ) is: - Steve Jelliman, Toronto, ON This month's winner of "How To Successfully Promote Your Music on the Internet" e-book by David Nevue (for more information on this book, visit http://www.promoteyourmusic.com ) is: - Pete Bradley, Isle of Wight, UK This month's winner of "The Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" e-book by Bob Baker (for more info visit http://www.thebuzzfactor.com) is: - Hal Camplin, Bristol, UK This month's winner of the CD Trophy Clock (for more information visit http://www.cdstands.com/index.shtml?icn ) is: - Denis Gauthier, Ajax ON The winner of the Sumadek (for more information visit http://www.sumadek.com/indiebible.html ) is: - Leandra Hill, Los Angeles, CA The winner of a shirt/jersey from Enjoy Music (for more information visit http://www.enjoymusic.com ) is: - Chase Gregory, Gibsonia, PA The winner of a free entry into The Rock Solid Pressure Radio Show competition (for more info visit http://RockSolidPressure.com ) is: - Randy Sanville, Craftsbury, VT This month's winner of "The Ultimate Survival Guide to the New Music Industry: Handbook for Hell" by Indie 911 is: - Jarome Matthew, Vancouver BC This month's winner of the 1-2-3 Music Store (for more information visit http://easybe.com ) is: - FM Smith, Park Ridge, IL This month's winner of the an Artist Press Kit (ArtistPK) (for more information visit http://TOURdatabase.com ) is: - David van Rensburg, Cape Town, South Africa ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HAS YOUR MUSIC BEEN FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES? Beat Wire will deliver your press release directly to the desk tops of over 5000 music editors at daily newspapers, magazines, news agencies, top Web sites, radio stations--every place you need to be promoted. Whether it's a new CD, upcoming tour, charity concert, or any other music-associated event you want to announce, there is hardly anything more potentially rewarding than a positive response to a well-written press release. Our clients have had their music featured in major media outlets like New York Times, CNN, Entertainment Weekly and USA Today to name just a few. In addition to press release distribution, Beat Wire can also write a press release for you. For more information, please got to http://www.beatwire.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- International Songwriting Competition (ISC) - Less Than 1 Month For Deadline! Enter your songs now for your chance to share in over $100,000 in cash and merchandise, and have your songs heard by some of the most influential people in the music industry! Judges for this year's competition include Monte Lipman (President Universal Records), Sean "P. Diddy" Combs , Macy Gray, Darryl McDaniels (Founding Member/Rapper Run D.M.C.), Tara Griggs-Magee (Executive VP Gospel/Urban Music Sony Records), Aaron Lewis (Lead Singer/Songwriter Staind), Clint Black and many more. For a complete list of judges categories and an entry form go to: http://www.songwritingcompetition.com Deadline is October 15 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. INTRODUCTION Welcome to the September Indie Contact Newsletter. This month's first article is by Nathan Fisher of live365.com. Nathan gives an overview of the current status of Internet Radio, its value, and how it is growing in leaps and bounds. Article two is Part III of an article by Suzanne Glass and the staff of Indie-Music.com. In this last installment of her article, Suzanne lists the 10 keys to consider when sending in your music for review. This is invaluable advice for anyone sending their CDs to various publications with the hope of getting a review. As is the case every month, there is a large group of new contacts listed that can help you to gain more exposure for your music. So dig in, and enjoy the September issue of The Indie Contact Newsletter! David Wimble Editor The Indie Contact Newsletter newsletter@indiebible.com ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Below are the contacts that were submitted to me in August. The contacts listed are sorted into FIVE sections. 1. Publications that will review your music 2. Radio stations/shows that will play your music 3. Services that will help you to sell your music 4. Sites where you can upload your band's MP3s or videos 5. Helpful resources and promotional sites for recording artists -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE INDIE BIBLE is the All-In-One resource for Recording Artists. It lists 4000 publications that will review your music and 3200 radio stations that will play your songs. Over 10,000 contacts in all. ALL genres of music are covered! It was only yesterday that I purchased the Indie Bible, yet it’s already proved most useful. Congratulations on a fine publication, and heartfelt thanks from a struggling up-and-comer! - Kevin Bracken, Recording Artist Get your copy today at http://www.indiebible2004.com or visit your local Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Borders or Barnes & Noble (in Canada at Long & McQuade). -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Do your records rock? Do they sound huge like the big names? Punchy, warm, loud? Better than the competition? If not, Rare Form Mastering is the answer. Our experienced engineers, mastering grade processing and reference monitoring can bring that major label sound to your music. From your original mixes to the final delivery master, from our engineer's hands to your fans' stereo or surround system. Whether CD, DVD or vinyl, we have the experience to make your music sound the way your audience wants it to sound. Put our 2,500+ albums of mastering experience to work for you. http://www.RareFormMastering.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 2. SITES/PUBLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ cdreviews.com 2622 U St. Sacramento, CA, 95818 PH: 877-576-0706 Eddie Meehan eddie@cdreviews.com http://www.cdreviews.com Are you in a band? Do you have a CD out? If so, let us know. Pipedreams Newsletter 3604 Calumet Street, Philadelphia PA 19129 Jim Calder jccalder2000@yahoo.com New print newsletter doing music reviews of all types of music. Distributed in Philadelphia. Send CDs for review. Beyond The Grave Music 766 St. Michaels Cir. Pleasanton CA 94566 Jeremiah Chogull@yahoo.com http://www.beyondthegravemusic.com Honest reviews for all genres. Spunout Central 4174 N. Newhall St, Shorewood, WI 53211 PH: 414-962-8269 FX: 414-393-6860 Adam Mico admin@spunoutcentral.com http://www.spunoutcentral.com If your act is full-on brilliant, intriguing and / or God awful, send your CD (at least five tracks) for feature consideration to a fully exposed, popular music review site. Russell's Reviews Russell Barker russ@russellsreviews.co.uk http://www.russellsreviews.co.uk CD, demo and gig reviews from reviewer based in Oxford, UK. The Soundclash Music Webzine 3900 Oxford St. Napa, CA 94558 PH: 818-251-0846 Matt Armstrong shutterbox@gmail.com http://www.soundclashmusic.tk A website focusing on reviews and interviews of small label and unsigned bands. NewBeats David newbeats@newbeats.com http://www.newbeats.com A music magazine that covers all types of music...the more eclectic the better. --------------------------------------------------------------------- DISC MAKERS Announces NEW LOWER PRICES - 1,000 CDs in jewel boxes as low as $1,390! Package includes: - a free UPC barcode - worldwide distribution through CD Baby - free digital audio distribution with Disc Makers' DAD program - a free review of your music by TAXI - 300 11"x17" posters for only $99 Learn more at http://www.discmakers.com/hl Also visit this site to get a FREE "Musician's Guide to the Web" http://www.discmakers.com/imbible @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 3. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ WCFS 3540 Holland Rd. Ste. 113 PMB 103, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 PH: 757-651-5063 FX: 757-468-6988 WCF indiebible@wcfsradio.us http://www.wcfsradio.us A streaming internet broadcast providing all original, non- stop, commercial free, broadcasting of local bands to Hampton Roads (and beyond). Radio Crystal Blue 3655 Shore Pkwy. #1F, Brooklyn, NY 11235 PH: 718-646-0158 Dan Herman cblue456@optonline.net http://www.radiocrystalblue.com On the Internet since 2000, this Internet-only program is heard each Sunday 7pm till 1am ET, featuring an outstanding mix of talent (Folk, Songwriters, Rock, more) plus old classics and spotlight on new music. Interviews, charts and much more are also on the website. Archived programs and playlists at cblue.lunarpages.com Local Noize Radio PH: 217-428-5093 Dennis DuBay d.dubay@insightbb.com http://www.lnradio.net Showcasing unsigned/indie rockers from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin. Danko Radio 240 Clayton St. E., Listowel, ON N4W 2G1 Paul Cardiff citizenk@danko-radio.com http://danko-radio.com Home of the best underground Punk, Metal, Rock and whatever else we feel like playing. The RoadRash Bash RoadRash roadrash@newartistradio.net http://www.newartistradio.net/The%20Roadrash%20Bash.htm Your host Roadrash takes you on a cold, hard ride with some of the best the indie scene has to offer ... spotlighting all forms of Rock and Metal from around the world. Hear the bands the way they were meant to be heard ... complete with commentary, news and interviews. The Roadrash Bash brings the heaviest music to you loud and uncensored! New Artist Radio Theda Messic tmc@newartistradio.net http://www.newartistradio.net A FREE service offered to bands & new artists that would like to get their music heard worldwide on a Top 40 show & 8 other radio shows. Sign Up Today!! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Get started selling your CDs at IndieGate.com for only $30.00 Have you wanted to get involved with the online indie pioneers at the InterMixx IndieGate, but those pesky $$$ were holding you back? Well, not any more! Sell your indie CD through the InterMixx IndieGate and get started right now for a low set-up fee of only $30.00. It's never been this affordable to get involved with InterMixx, so let the company that's been helping the indie market grow for almost 20 years help YOUR market to grow as well! Please visit http://www.IndieGate.com and become a Merchant Member right now! --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the new InterMixx DIScPLAY! Now indies can sell more CDs at live events with this durable mobile listening station! Comes complete with integrated CD player. Easily portable, it closes to contain and protect all items neatly. Simple, quick and easy to use... just open it and set it on your merch table. Purchase price includes one set-up fee for IndieGate.com. http://www.DIScPLAY.net --------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 4. ONLINE SERVICES/LABELS THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Creativity In Music PO Box 3481, Bridgeport, CT 06605 Gi Dussault npsfunk@optonline.net http://www.creativityinmusic.com Founded to assist the independent musician and singer in spreading the word about their music. Radio Promotion on all genres and locations, concert promotion, submission of press releases to local, national and international media plus business advice/consultation. Clear Da Corner Entertainment Robin cdce225@yahoo.com http://cdce.topcities.com We are currently reaching out across the entire Orlando, Florida area to embrace our talented youth, remove them from the street corners, and help them to take that next step into the spotlight where they belong. West Coast Rockers Leigh Davis leigh@westcoastrockers.com http://www.westcoastrockers.com We help "indie" artists by posting links, pictures, reviews, interviews, news etc. & finding and promoting gigs. Come join our family! JPM Records 1126 Floyd Road, Columbus, GA 31907 PH: 706-562-1702 Melonie teea@sowega.net http://jpmrecords.topcities.com An independent record label and recording facility specializing in the sounds of the dirty south. Range Records 2730 E. County Line Rd. Ardmore, PA 19003 PH: 610-649-7100 FX: 610-649-7566 Joe Mattis Joem@rangeentertainment.com http://www.rangeentertainment.com Our expertise lies in artist development, recording, booking, management and promotion. Rosewater Agency 111 Edgevalley Green NW, Calgary, AB T3A 4Y9 PH: 403-547-0860 Gareth Lukes gareth@rosewateragency.com http://www.rosewateragency.com We provide booking/management services to artists touring in North America. Elevator Music PO Box 628, Bronxville, NY 10708 PH: 914-509-5870 Viriato fernando@rcn.com http://www.elevatormusic.com Underground fire to light your way. Qopel Records PO Box 97, New York, NY 10156 PH: 631-827-3000 FX: 419-831-3032 Andrew Herzman andy@qopelrecords.com http://www.qopelrecords.com We cover 3 areas: Production, Distribution and Promotion. We don't book gigs, write music or do managing. Crooked Tooth Records Casey Tolliver ctolliver@crookedtoothindustries.com http://www.crookedtoothindustries.com We fulfill all the needs of the unsigned bands. SEVEN02 GROUP 1516 E. Tropicana Ave. #295, Las Vegas, NV 89119 PH: 866-738-3602 FX: 270-596-7511 Robert Walton rwalton@seven02group.com http://www.seven02group.com We are an artist management & image consultant company. Indie Music Forum Kollafjordur, Faroe Islands PH: 298-506565 Rói Højgaard admin@indiemusicforum.com http://www.indiemusicforum.com Band promotion, resource links and musician's forum. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- YOU NEED BETTER SALES AND DISTRIBUTION FOR YOUR CD. If your CD isn't for sale in CD Baby, you're losing sales! CD Baby has been featured in the NY Times, MSNBC, Wired, CNET and more. 10,000 CUSTOMERS A DAY go through cdbaby.com looking for CDs like yours. Such a popular online store, you HAVE to make sure your CD is there. They pay $20,000 a week to musicians like you (over $1 million so far!) ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO START SELLING is go to http://www.cdbaby.net Takes 5 minutes. Send them a box of CDs. They'll sell them and pay you. Real cool people. Total first-class treatment. Great CD distribution. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DAD (Digital Audio Distribution) http://www.discmakers.com/dad Launched by DISC MAKERS the DAD service gives independent bands and artists the opportunity to sell their songs online on sites like Apple's iTunes Music Store, Listen.com's Rhapsody, AOL's MusicNet, Emusic, a nd newcomer BuyMusic.com. The DAD service is FREE with all new CD orders with DISC MAKERS. The service is also available to artists who do not make their CDs with DISC MAKERS for only $75. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 5. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3s OR VIDEOS @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ TrakHeadz.Com PO Box 1304, Teaneck, NJ 07666-1304 PH: 888-632-5602 FX: 888-632-5602 customerservice@trakheadz.Com http://trakheadz.com Promotion and distribution system that allows independent record labels and recording artists to get their songs into the hands of professional club and radio DJs all over the world! TrakHeadz.Com is the first website to provide an effective way for recording artists to promote their music offline. Media Kinesis Media Kinesis postmaster@mediakinesis.com http://mediakinesis.com Free 50mb of space for your MP3's. You can even sell your music privately, create a radio station, post images, video, history, messages. Musicians of all genres are encouraged to join and provide an additional outlet for your material. Reptor Productions 16 Llys Glyndwr, Towyn, Abergele, Conwy, LL22 9PA UK PH: 44-0-1745-343-777 Lynn Jones tinatanktop@reptorproductions.co.uk http://www.reptorproductions.co.uk Promoting unsigned acts/bands in the digital domain using streaming audio radio shows and a promotional 'chartshow' going from strength to strength. BANDTIME.COM Michael Zinn michael@bandtime.com http://www.bandtime.com Artists and bands can post their photo and mp3 tracks. Users can listen, rate and download tracks. Bands can sell their tracks and fans can add themselves to a band's fanbase. --------------------------------------------------------------------- SELL THE INDIE BIBLE FROM YOUR WEBSITE AND MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH!! The Indie Bible is one of the most popular resources for Independent Recording Artists in the world. As an affiliate, you will receive $10 US for each sale of the Indie Bible generated through your site! Visit http://www.indiebible2004.com/whole.shtml for details. -------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 6. HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR BAND @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ BandAttack fan basealfi Drive, Clay, NY 13041 PH: 315-727-9918 Tom Rock@Bandattack.com http://www.bandattack.com Features hundreds of the best resources available to independent bands and artists from all over the web. Industry news, contests, featured bands, massive directory, articles and more! Stage Right Talent 2141 Pamela St. Oxnard, CA 93036 PH: 805-604-0030 FX: 805-485-5109 Carlton Batts stagerightalent@yahoo.com http://www.freewebs.com/stageright A music consultant firm and referral service. Absolute Indie TV PO Box 97, New York, NY 10156 PH: 631-827-3000 FX: 419-831-3032 Andrew Herzman andy@qopelrecords.com http://www.absoluteindie.com A TV show that plays Independent music videos from all over the world. Quanta Webdesign PO Box 972, Mukilteo, WA 98275 PH: 877-570-6448 FX: 877-570-6448 Denise Enck se@quantawebdesign.com http://www.quantawebdesign.com Hip, affordable webdesign, hosting, graphic design and promotion for musicians. Sweden Songs PO Box 15210, SE-10465 Stockholm, Sweden PH: +4686485762 Keith Almgren info@swedensongs.se http://www.swedensongs.se Music publishing service. WCFStudios 3540 Holland Rd. Ste. 113 PMB 103, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 PH: 757-651-5063 FX: 757-468-6988 WCF indiebible@wcfstudios.us local-scene.wcfstudios.com Supports the Hampton Roads and beyond music scene: recording studio, promotions, event listings, web design, promo packs and more! Indie Culture 1217 Leyson St., Talamban, Cebu City, Philippines PH: 6332-4160333 FX: 6332-4160409 Ian Zafra ian@indiecultureonline.com http://www.indiecultureonline.com Support and nurtures indie musicians, as they are the authors of music that is timeless and transcends pop trends and cultures. Rock in Action Free Music Forum rockinaction@kristallradio.it http://www.kristallradio.it Please visit and sign up to join and submit a post! Post CD reviews, articles, news, information about your band, music organization, music association, fans club, pub concert, live tour etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOST TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE WITH THE INDIE LINK EXCHANGE! The Indie Link Exchange is a list of music sites that wish to exchange links with other music related sites. With over 1200 current listings, it's a great way to get some FREE exposure for your site. It's a simple one-to-one exchange of text links or banners. ALL styles of music sites are welcome! http://www.indielinkexchange.com/ile -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- SONICBIDS is an online service that connects musicians and music promoters. Instead of mailing out traditional, bulky press kits, Sonicbids' members email Sonicbids Electronic Press Kits (EPKs). Soncbids EPKs - which contain the MP3 files, pictures, press reviews and contact information - can be easily emailed to anyone, anywhere! In addition, members can directly submit their EPKs to some of the world's biggest festivals, clubs, and conferences for free. Members are also eligible for exclusive Sonicbids spots at some of the hottest conferences around the world. Promote your band in a powerful new way, for only $49.95 a year. Go to http://www.sonicbids.com/default.asp?pID=1435 today! ------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 7. INTERNET RADIO: THE AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE by Nathan Fisher, live365.com © 2004 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Many people don't yet think that Internet radio is or could be a viable medium. This is simply not borne out by facts. Internet radio already has millions of listeners per month and is growing stronger by the day. Independent artists who recognize this opportunity have a decided advantage over those who would wait for years to make it on corporate FM radio, often unsuccessfully. What is Internet Radio? In appearance and feel, Internet radio is similar to regular radio. Instead of turning a dial, you enter a URL. Anyone with a broadband Internet connection can hear CD-quality audio, better sound quality, in fact, than with traditional FM radio. Even dial-up users can get sound quality roughly analogous to AM radio. Another key difference is that under federal law, Internet radio stations are responsible for paying per-performance royalties for each track they play that they do not own the rights to. Regular radio stations are not responsible for per- performance royalties. Internet radio operates on a different, radically decentralized model: individual DJs decide what music they like and what music to play. And music fans listen; they even pay a premium to listen to ad-free content. Traditional Radio is Limited Traditional radio suffers from play list homogeneity and an astonishing unwillingness to take risks on new artists. FCC regulations, licensing fees and scarce spectrum bandwidth make it virtually impossible for independent stations to exist unless they are run by colleges or are pirated. This is compounded by the deregulation of radio station ownership following the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, which made it easier than ever for big industry players like Clear Channel and Infinity to own a nationwide empire that can offer a limited range of programming formats. Indeed, in 1996 Clear Channel was a small media company that owned thirty stations. With the benefits of deregulation, Clear Channel now owns over 1,200 stations. Together, Clear Channel and Infinity control forty-five percent of the American radio audience. What the Future Holds Though Internet radio currently gets fewer listener-hours than traditional radio, the number is steadily increasing and has the potential to experience exponential growth in the next few years as broadband connections become increasingly available in portable devices and automobiles. Plus, it's a good bet that the average Internet radio listener is more of a music fan than the average traditional radio listener. Moreover, Internet radio makes it simple to track listening behavior, accurately gauge total listener-hours and gather demographic data on listeners. You can easily use Live365's Web site to see which stations are playing your music and how many listening-hours they have had over the past month. This is completely unlike traditional radio, whose ratings system is stuck in the proverbial dark ages. The Live 365 Lowdown Live365 makes it easy for independent artists to get their tracks into broadcasters' hands and listeners' ears. The ever-expanding library http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/library.cgi is a virtual record pool, (a secure service that lets all Live365 DJs preview and add your tracks directly into their stations' playlists.) You can also allow broadcasters and listeners to download your entire track, if you prefer. Live365 is licensed and pays royalties to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Each week, Live365 reports its DJs' playlists to Radio and Records, College Music Journal, Billboard Online, New Age Reporter, and other web properties. With the help of Radiowave.com, Live365 also compiles and reports a run-of-site weekly airplay chart. As the largest Internet radio network, with thousands of active broadcasters and over 2 million unique listeners a month, Live365 provides independent artists with an unprecedented opportunity for large-scale radio exposure. You can also submit your album or track to Live365's editorial department for consideration to be listed, free of charge (www.live365.com/labelservices.) ============================================= Nathan Fisher is the Editor and Music Library Coordinator for Live365. He grew up in idyllic South Minneapolis, where he learned to implicitly mistrust the status quo. After graduating from Pomona College with a degree in Politics, he relocated to Oakland, CA, where he lives a vaguely bohemian lifestyle with several other roommates in their early twenties. For more information about what Live365 has to offer please visit them @ www.live365.com. ============================================ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Indie-Music.com - Where Serious Musicians Surf One of the original musician resource websites, Indie-Music.com offers thousands of contacts - venues, studios, media, radio, labels, and more. Plus, an extensive archive of how-to's for the music business, and up-to-date commentary on the industry. The Indie News newsletter provides a free tip sheet with listings for radio airplay, record label submissions, gig opportunities, and more. http://www.indie-music.com/cgi/affiliates/click.cgi?icn ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- WE HAVE THE A&R CONTACTS YOU NEED! The A&R Registry, Publisher Registry, Music Attorney, Legal & Business Affairs Registry and the Film & Television Music Guide are the four directories no Professional or Musician should be without if you are serious about your career. Each directory covers the US, Canada and UK markets and comes complete with direct dial phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, assistant names and company websites. For more information, sample listings or to place an order, go to our website at http://www.musicregistry.com or call us at 800-377-7411 or 818-995-7458. --------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 7. INSIDE THE HEAD OF A MUSIC REVIEWER - PART III by Suzanne Glass, Indie-Music.com © 2004 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Review Check List: 1. Communicate professionally - Use standard grammar and punctuation, proofread, and use a spell checker. You don't have to write a business letter like you learned in 8th Grade Grammar class, the letter could be creative, but make sure it is identifiable as a business communication and not junk mail. Make sure to directly state you are looking for a review. Don't send mass mailings, it's obvious to the recipient. On the phone, leave useful messages designed to make it easy to call you back (spell your name, and repeat your phone number twice to make copying easy for the listener). 2. Follow submission guidelines - Guidelines exist for a reason, which is to help an organization handle a large flow of music submissions in an efficient manner. Each publication does it differently, but if you choose not to follow the guidelines, expect your submission to be late, lost, or worse. 3. Send a cohesive promo pack - Writers have differing preferences on what they like to receive as part of a promo pack. Most writers, though, like to read a band biography and a few press clips (it helps in writing a review to know more about an artist), and many also like to see a band photo. If you are unsure what a writer requires, err on the side of sending too MUCH rather than not enough. If you choose not to include photos and graphics, make sure they are easily available on your website, in case the reviewer plans to publish your review with pictures. 4. Give contact information - When your review goes up, nothing would be dumber than to make your CD hard to find. Many artists, though, forget to include full contact information including mailing address, phone, email, and website URL. 5. Identify your genre - When people read reviews, they want to know, upfront, whether it's their "style" or not. So even if you simply say "a cross of rock, folk, and punk", that is much better than saying "we cannot be categorized". Better to categorize yourself than let a writer do it for you. Many writers are not musicians, and do not know precisely how to describe your genre just by listening. Help them. 6. Write a meaningful bio - Drop the lines that say you are "incredible", "changing the face of music", or "talented beyond belief etc. 7. Make the writer's job easy - Since writers are, at the basic level, just people doing their job, it only makes sense that if you can make their job easier, they will like you and try to return the favor. That's just human nature. Include everything the writer needs, be sensitive to their schedule, and provide graphics or answers to any questions promptly. 8. Follow up courteously - Writers vary greatly in how they respond to follow-ups. Some people will respond promptly, keeping you up to date at each step of the process. Other writers ignore follow- ups completely. Your best bet is learning each writer personally. As a general rule, follow up about 2-4 weeks after your submission should have arrived with a short note. If you hear nothing, try again in another two weeks. If you again hear nothing, try waiting a month. Don't threaten or chastise the writers, just ask if a decision has been made about your review yet. 9. Don't argue with the reviewer - You can't win. If you don't like the review, you can pass on that reviewer with your next CD. Or you can submit again and see if their opinion has changed. Either way picking a fight about something the reviewer wrote is a waste of your time. If there is a factual error, fine, ask the writer to correct it. But don't argue, "Our choruses are NOT boring! They are complex and emotive". Since the characterization of your choruses as "boring" is only the reviewer's opinion, you are not going to change it. You might, however, piss off the writer for life. 10. Keep the connection - You need to cultivate your relationships with writers. Check in with them periodically between CDs, read their other work, let them know if you have news, and send thank-you notes - even if you did not get reviewed. Your goal is to build a relationship. You never know when that relationship may help you out - but you can be sure it will work in your favor if you present yourself as nice, interested, and understanding. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Suzanne Glass is the founder of Indie-Music.com, All the reviewers featured in this piece write for Indie-music. For more information please contact: http://www.indie-music.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe to the award-winning free ezine/webzine MUSIC MORSELS - the music industry's monthly publication featuring self-help for musicians and songwriters including interviews with national and unsigned recording artists, industry profiles, CD reviews and much more. Just send an email to MusMorsels@aol.com with the word "Subscribe" in the subject field. 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