Music Promotion, Marketing and Distribution Newsletter

October 2018

The contacts listed are sorted into FIVE sections:

1. Publications, Review Websites and Music Blogs that will REVIEW your music
2. Radio Stations, Shows and Podcasts that will PLAY your songs
3. Labels, Vendors, Distributors and Promotional Services that will help you to SELL your CD
4. Websites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3s or videos
5. Helpful Resources for recording artists

SECTION ONE: SITES/PUBLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED

Planetmosh
1st Fl. 16 Howard Rd. Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 2SX UK
mailshot@planetmosh.com
www.planetmosh.com
An online Metal community providing regular Metal news, competitions, online radio, free music downloads, interviews, reviews, videos, live reviews and live festival reviews, live gig photos, CD and album reviews and giveaways. Submit your news item, review or your band's MP3 to our e-mail address. We play music from and interview signed and unsigned bands, so ... if you are a band trying to be heard or a record label that wants your artists to be heard, send us your CDs, we will be happy to give them airtime and even review or interview them. facebook.com/planetmosh @Planetmosh

YES/NO
Russell yesnomusicuk@gmail.com
www.yesnomusic.co.uk
Friendly Electronic and Ambient music entity now comes with added vitamins: food and travel. Do you want us to write about you? If we like it, we write about it. Don't hesitate to get in touch: singles, albums, videos, whatever. Don't be shy - we want to hear from you. @yesnomusic

Midwest Action
Alyssa Welch hello@midwestaxn.com
www.midwestaxn.com
We are a Chicago-based online music and art publication, dedicated to exploring and elevating the best of Midwest culture. Covering Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Have an album, song, or show you'd like to tell us about? Great! Simply fill out our ONLINE FORM and your music will be on its way to the MWA writers. facebook.com/midwestaxn @midwestAXN

Toronto Reggae
torontoreggae@gmail.com
www.torontoreggae.ca
Latest on Toronto and international Reggae runnings! Reviews, news, interviews and events. facebook.com/torontoreggae @torontoreggae

XS Rock
Bobby Caughron management@xsrock.com
www.xsrock.com
Visit us for Rock, Hard Rock and Metal news, interviews, reviews and more! We want to hear from you! Submit your material for review to our e-mail address. facebook.com/xsrocksite @XSROCKnews

SECTION TWO: RADIO STATIONS, SHOWS AND PROMOTERS

2.1 RADIO - STATIONS AND SHOWS

Triple J
PO Box 9994, Canberra, ACT Australia
PH: 1300-0555-36
www.abc.net.au/triplej
If you're an unsigned act, we encourage you to upload your best songs onto triplejunearthed.com. We're all searching through the site daily looking for fresh new acts, so that's the best place to be. facebook.com/triplej @triplej

Goldies Garage - Little Stevens Underground Garage
Genya "Goldie" Ravan genya@genyaravan.com
www.goldiesgarageshow.com
Here is the future of music. The unsigned / unheard bands that need AND should be heard. Yes, only in Little Stevens Underground Garage! This is where we actually give a fuck. Send only MP3s. Up to 3 tracks accepted. facebook.com/genya.ravan facebook.com/goldiesgarage

WHUP
117 W. King St., Hillsborough, NC 27278
PH: 919-296-1169
info@whupfm.org
www.whupfm.org
Hey musicians and music people - we want to spin your discs on-air and/or have you play live in-studio. Get in touch! facebook.com/whupfm @WHUPfm

Maximum Rock 'n Roll Radio
PO Box 460760, San Francisco, CA 94146-0760
PH: 415-923-9814
radio@maximumrocknroll.com
radio.maximumrocknroll.com
A weekly radio show featuring the best DIY Punk, Garage Rock and Hardcore from the astounding, ever-growing Maximum Rocknroll record collection. Send 2 copies of vinyl, CD-only releases, or demos to the MRR address above. If it gets reviewed in MRR magazine, we might play it on the radio show. There are too many releases to play everything, so we play what we can. facebook.com/maximumrocknroll @maxrnr

The Mad Music Asylum
PH: 347-687-4279
Uncle Duke themadmusicasylum@gmail.com
www.themadmusicasylum.com
If you are an artist looking for exposure, we would love to hear your stuff. I don't want to come across as a snob but my musical tastes run from the Baroque Classical period to the music of today. I cannot guarantee you a slot on the program but am always, always looking for new tunes to listen to and love. I cannot give you any direction as to what to submit because depending on the mood I am in, I have the potential to like anything and everything. I would say please no head banging really Hard Rock, but at times I like Black Sabbath and Ted Nugent as much as the next guy so....anything goes. The best way to get our attention is to fill out our ONLINE FORM and send us a LINK to your music. If that seems too complicated, you can just send the LINK to our e-mail address. Also, it helps to interact with us on any of our various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Pinterest). If we like what we hear, we will contact you to obtain the MP3 file so we can mix it in to the program. facebook.com/MadMusicAsylum @MadMusicAsylum

Halshack Indie Rockcast
Hal Jester jesterman9000@gmail.com
www.halshack.com
I began my company HALSHACK as an independent A&R, public relations manager and now a radio personality to source bands and artists that I feel are in viable contention of possible notoriety or even stardom in the mainstream music industry. I look for quality emerging artists an aspire to working with only the best indie and unsigned acts. I produce my own radio show in order to gain attention for these artists by giving full promotion on my website, radio show and various social media outlets and platforms as well as possibly having an article or review written about certain acts that garner the attention. We also provide blogs and music reviews for certain artists that we deem worthy of the extra exposure by my highly trained staff of ex record label scouts and musicians. I cater mainly to Rock/Alt/Pop with a smattering of Reggae, Ska, Americana and Funk occasionally mixed in. facebook.com/halshack @halshack

2.2 RADIO PROMOTERS

Howard Rosen Promotion
521 W. Channel Islands Blvd. #15, Port Hueneme, CA 93041
PH: 805-382-2200 FX: 805-201-7816
info@howiewood.com
www.howiewood.com
Since 1985 We have been helping artists reach their goals of obtaining radio airplay, expanding their fan base, and creating awareness throughout the industry. @Howiewoodpromo

National Record Promotion
137 N. Larchmont #500, Los Angeles, CA 90004
PH: 323-658-7449
Larry Weir larry_weir@sbcglobal.net
www.larryweir.com
We promote artists and groups at radio with an emphasis on independent labels and recording artists. Over the last five years NRP has worked with many major acts. NRP will assist you in weekly tracking reports...national chart activity & radio interviews. facebook.com/National.Record.Promotion

CIMG, LLC
119 Bowling Ave. Nashville, TN 37205-2357
Tony Bates contact@cimgllc.com
www.cimgllc.com
Our Radio Promotion work focuses on relevant radio stations (terrestrial and online), especially college radio stations, in the U.S., Canada and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Our staff works daily to build relationships with radio stations, regional promoters, music/entertainment publications and websites, and media outlets throughout North America as well as in eastern and central Europe. We work mostly with Rock, Pop-Rock, Americana and Alt-Country artists. facebook.com/cimgllc

Twin Vision
261 5th Ave. #1F, Brooklyn, NY 11215
PH: 718-369-1370
Peter Hay peterhay@twinvision.net
www.twinvision.net
Offers radio promotion services to artists and labels with proven strategies that create exposure and awareness with national audiences. We are specialists in working with independently created projects, from artists putting out their own recordings to major independent labels, as well as foreign labels looking for a niche in the American market. For the last seventeen years, Twin Vision has provided promotion services to artists, managers, publishers and labels whose projects required special attention at radio formats that embrace new and emerging artists.

SECTION THREE: SERVICES/VENDORS/LABELS THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC

3.1 SERVICES - PROMOTION/PUBLICITY

E-Grapes Promotion
Via Acciaierie, 78 - Sesto S.G. (Milano) 20099, Italy
PH: (+39) 393-83-56-555
Erika Grapes Conti press@e-grapes.com
www.e-grapes.com
A strongly eclectic and creative public relations and communication agency based in Milan, Italy. Grapes pours in it over 15 years of press office, marketing and promotion expertise & experience developed both in the music industry and other fields in Italy, London and Los Angeles. E-Grapes Promotion Services stand in the ideal meeting point between a traditional press & promotion office and its modern development in the Web 3.0 era, including digital and offline PR activity both on the Italian territory and abroad. Both for Italian and international musicians on tour. E-Grapes Promotion's vast experience in all aspects of PR and promotion and its net of over 3.000 active media and radio contacts, can help artists, labels, brands and tour managers expand within the music field's industry and beyond. Teaming up with selected media connections, street teams and fan clubs, we also organize successful events such as press days, meet & greets, walk in store or radio acoustic live sets, electric live shows and show cases, release parties, video premieres and much more. E-Grapes Promotion's philosophy is that of working on custom projects, tailored on a combination of research on the client's music release & message + a cost effective marketing investment plan of the promotional budget set, in order to achieve the best results in terms of quality media exposure and consolidation of the moniker's image. Whatever your budget may be, there is something that we can do to increase media and people awareness about your name, public image and music. We offer also translation services English to Italian, Italian to English for lyrics, contracts, web pages, newsletters and posts. We prefer to work with artists and bands of the following genres: Rock, Pop, Indie, Hard & Heavy, Metal, Folk, Punk Rock, New Wave, Pop Italiano. facebook.com/EGrapesPromotion @ErikaGrapes

D4 Music Marketing
PH: 916-572-4044
David D-4 Nguyen david@d4nguyen.com
www.d4musicmarketing.com
An online marketing resource for DIY Hip Hop and Punk musicians who want to maximize their ability to make a living off music and change the lives of people along the way. The aim of this blog is to help you stay on top of the best practices, insights and strategies to increase music exposure and attract life-long fans. By emphasizing the importance a strong foundation, you will be better equipped to navigate the ever-changing online landscape with a clearer focus and direction towards independent success. facebook.com/d4musicmarketing @d4_nguyen

RAPIDFIRE PR
PH: 360-509-1779
Cyrus Rhodes rhodesm@wavecable.com
www.rapidfirepr.com
RAPIDFIRE PR is the only PR firm in the world that can deliver 10 music reviews, written by 10 separate music critics, posted on 10 separate websites in as little as 10 working days. No matter if it's an EP, LP, single or video/press release RAPIDFIRE PR has got you covered with over 50+ writers on staff and top web affiliates all working on your behalf. From the indie artist to the pro publicist - RAPIDFIRE PR delivers music marketing for all. @cyrusrhodes

CIMG, LLC
119 Bowling Ave. Nashville, TN 37205-2357
Tony Bates contact@cimgllc.com
www.cimgllc.com
We provide Social Media Marketing and Social Commerce Solutions for our clients, in addition to Artist Management and Record Label Services. We work with artists, record labels, agencies, events, and brands of all kinds that want to effectively engage their supporters and fans via social media. Considering the global marketplace and international appeal, we offer our services in several languages as well, when appropriate to meet your goals. We work mostly with Rock, Pop-Rock, Americana and Alt-Country artists. facebook.com/cimgllc

3.2 SERVICES - LABELS, DISTRIBUTORS AND ONLINE VENDORS

Tunecore
63 Pearl St. Box #256, Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.tunecore.com
It's never been easier to get your music on stores and streaming services, and start making money from your music. Upload your tracks, artwork, and release information quickly and easily. In addition to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play and iTunes, choose from 150+ additional digital store and streaming services. TuneCore will send your release to all of the selected stores and streaming services worldwide. Start selling your music online faster than any other service. The sooner your music is live in stores, the sooner you can get playlisted and streamed. facebook.com/TuneCore @TuneCore

MusicDiffusion
www.musicdiffusion.com
An online music distribution, publishing and licensing service for independent artists and music labels. We offering a wide range of online services such as music and video distribution, promotion, marketing, online branding and digital strategy consulting. Create a free MusicDiffusion account to distribute your music all over the world - from 150+ digital music partners. You'll get your music heard, reach new fans and keep 90% of your revenue. facebook.com/musicdiffusion.official

SECTION FOUR: SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3s OR VIDEOS

hearthis.at
Annaberger Strasse 282, 09125 Chemnitz, Germany
PH: +49 371-4445130
contact@hearthis.at
www.hearthis.at
Upload up to 1.000 MB of music each week for free. Detailed real time stats for streams, downloads and podcast. Cover, background and image slideshows for tracks, sets and your profile. Best Soundcloud alternative on the internet. Sign up as official artist, label or producer and sell your music directly to your listeners and get paid instantly to your PayPal account. facebook.com/hearthis.at @HearThisAt

SECTION FIVE: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Frettie
www.frettie.com
Hundreds of songwriters use Frettie every day to share their music and connect with other songwriters from around the globe. Frettie is a valuable songwriting community made up of students, professionals and hit songwriters who are all eager to learn, discover, give feedback and connect with each other! Are you working on a new song? Get feedback from other songwriters from across the world. It's easy to upload and post your music to Frettie. You can even add your lyrics and tell us the type of feedback you're looking for. All genres are welcome here. facebook.com/iamfrettie @iamfrettie

SECTION SIX: HELPFUL TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR YOUR BAND

6.1 RESOURCES - GENERAL

Song Surgeon 5
4620 Derby Ln. Doylestown, PA 18902
PH: 866-423-0413
PERSON info@songsurgeon.com
www.songsurgeon.com
Our newly released Version 5 of Song Surgeon takes the program to a whole new level with the addition of key detection, automatic beat detection and chord detection. What that means is that when you open a song, Song Surgeon will automatically detect the tempo of a song in BPMs, in will determine the key signature, it will detect the chords - and it will display all of this information on the main user interface so you can see and use it. We know of no other audio slowdowner software that provides these three features in one program. And of course, that's just the beginning. facebook.com/songsurgeon @songsurgeon3

The South Florida (and beyond) Jazz List
Jeannette Pina heyjcp@gmail.com
www.southfloridajazzlist.com
Your guide to Jazz events, Jazz musicians, Jazz festivals and all things JAZZ going on in South Florida (and beyond). facebook.com/southfloridajazzlist

DigitalRadioTracker.com (DRT)
PH: 646-494-3783
support@digitalradiotracker.com
www.digitalradiotracker.com
Your premier radio airplay broadcast monitoring service that tracks radio airplay of songs in the US and worldwide on more than 5000+ radio stations. These radio stations include Major FM Terrestrial, College, Commercial and Non-Commercial as well as thousands of streaming Internet radio stations. Some of the radio broadcasting networks Although there are many genres of music, DigitalRadioTracker.com specializes in monitoring radio broadcasters in the following formats: CHR/Pop (Top 40), Rhythmic, Urban/Hip Hop/R&B, Country/Americana, Rock/Alternative, Gospel/Christian/Inspirational, Adult Contemporary and Jazz/Fusion. DigitalRadioTracker.com gathers millions of songs being played each day and compiles DRT Reports for our clients. A DRT Report breaks down exactly who is playing a song, when it's played and how often it's played. DigitalRadioTracker.com also offers Historical 8 Week Reports which list the history of airplay detections on all of our monitored stations during the last 8 week period. In addition, we provide Comprehensive Reports which shows the exact time of day/night a song is played on each of our monitored radio stations. If you have a song receiving airplay on radio and want to know when and where it's being played, get your DRT Report today!

USA Songwriting Competition
2881 E. Oakland Park Blvd. #414, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306
info@songwriting.net
www.songwriting.net
The world's leading international songwriting competition. Winners will be chosen by a Blue Ribbon Judging Committee comprised of music industry professionals including A&R managers from record labels, publishers and producers. Songs are judged equally on originality, lyrics, melody and composition. Songs may be in any language. Quality of performance and production will not be considered. Many USA Songwriting Competition winners in the past have received recording and publishing contracts, have their songs placed on the charts as well as having their songs placed on film and television. facebook.com/usasongcomp @usasong

Festival Network Online
PO Box 18839, Asheville, NC 28814
PH: 828-658-2779 FX: 828-645-3374
Julie Cochrane julie@festivalnet.com
www.festivalnet.com
Lists more than 10,000 events throughout the U.S. and Canada seeking performers, from local & regional to national & international. @_festivalnet

6.2 RESOURCES - EDUCATIONAL

The Big Picture
Bobby Owsinski polymedia@bobbyowsinski.com
www.music3point0.com
Production-oriented blog where I discuss everything you ever wanted to know about recording and music production. A popular feature is the breakdown and analysis of isolated tracks of popular songs.

School of Rock
2101 E. El Segundo Blvd. #102, El Segundo, CA 90245
PH: 877-701-0537
franchise.schoolofrock.com/indie-bible
The most revolutionary music education school in the world! Be a part of a unique music education franchise opportunity. The largest employer of musicians in the world. We want business partners who love what they do. School of Rock is a music school for all skill levels, ages and musical aspirations. With students ranging from toddlers to adults, School of Rock is where music students grow into real musicians. Although nationwide in scale, School of Rock is ultimately a community-based music education business. We seek partners who are leaders in their community, those who are active in their neighborhoods, and those who are able to foster a sense of learning and community for children within their schools. facebook.com/SchoolofRockUSA @SchoolofRockUSA

DIY Musician Podcast
13909 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97230
Kevin Breuner podcast@cdbabypodcast.com
www.cdbabypodcast.com
Join CD Baby's Kevin and Chris as they discuss current music news, interview artists and industry professionals, offer tips and tricks to help today's independent musician move their career forward and much more! Interviews about how to be a successful musician without compromising your art. It's a perfect time to take advantage of the many opportunities for Do-It-Yourself artists that are springing up everywhere. @cdbaby @kbreuner

6.3 RESOURCES - TOOLS AND APPS

instahu
www.instahu.com
A platform to view and explore Instagram content and edit Instagram photos. On instahu you can find your Instagram profile with all your posts and much more. instahu has a lot of additional information and options that no other Instagram viewer has.

FUGA
Prinsengracht 583 IV, 1016 HT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
PH: +31 (0)20-620-47-85
sales@fuga.com
www.fuga.com
We build technology and provide services for content owners, record labels and distributors, enabling them to optimize their business processes and successfully execute their strategy. Our products & services provide a complete ecosystem for the digital product cycle. Manage, distribute and promote your music - and collect on your revenue.

Producer Planet
www.producerplanet.com
An online store for high-quality content that will help you bring your creative ideas to life! You'll find premium audio samples like ACID loops, Soundpools, virtual instruments, songs and plug-ins for your audio projects as well as professional video content such as titles, animations, transitions, effects and video plug-ins. Whether you're producing music or editing videos, you'll find everything you need right here. facebook.com/MAGIX @MAGIX_INT

VideoBlocks.com
PH: 866-282-5360
support@videoblocks.com
www.videoblocks.com
A members-only site offering a one-stop shop for stock video. Our members enjoy access to our unlimited library and our global marketplace. facebook.com/VideoBlocks @VideoBlocks

MyNewsletterBuilder
comments@mynewsletterbuilder.com
www.mynewsletterbuilder.com
A user-friendly, feature-rich, online newsletter management program for novices and professionals alike. facebook.com/MyNewsletterBuilder1

6.4 RESOURCES - AUDIO

DISC MAKERS
7905 N. Crescent Blvd. Pennsauken, NJ 08110-1402
PH: 800-468-9353
www.discmakers.com
The nation's leading CD / DVD duplicator, replicator and printer. When you're ready to make CDs, we're ready to make it happen. We're musicians too, so we know what you need to make it in this business: The best-looking product, the hottest-sounding audio and the most valuable (and free) promotional tools, including free distribution, a free UPC bar code and much more! facebook.com/discmakers @discmakers

OASIS CD Manufacturing
7905 N. Route 130, Delair, NJ 08110
PH: 540-987-8810
info@oasisCD.com
www.oasiscd.com
We help you manufacture your CD or DVD project. We also help you package it creatively, promote and distribute it so it doesn't become just more clutter in your apartment. facebook.com/OasisCD @oasisdisc

6.5 RESOURCES - ORGANIZATIONS

The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA)
www.nmpa.org
The largest U.S. music publishing trade association with over 2500 members. Its mission is to protect, promote, and advance the interests of music's creators. The NMPA is the voice of both small and large music publishers, the leading advocate for publishers and their songwriter partners in the nation's capital and in every area where publishers do business. facebook.com/NMPAorg @NMPAorg

SECTION SEVEN: THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE

Becoming a full-time musician: How one artist took the leap
by Chris Robley, DIY Musician Blog
© 2018 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

GOING PRO. QUITTING THE DAY JOB. TAKING THE PLUNGE. LIVING THE DREAM.

A year ago, Laini Marenick (of the band Laini and the Wildfire) quit her day job and became a professional musician. Like the first year of any new business endeavor, there were many ups and downs.

Laini was kind enough to answer questions about the challenges and rewards of her new life as a full-time musician. I think her story will be useful for any artist who's considering taking a similar risk.

AN INTERVIEW WITH LAINI MARENICK

When did you decide to quit your job and pursue music full time?

It was a slow process that involved me testing the waters first before I committed to the idea of being a full-time musician.

In the summer of 2015, I had a catharsis of sorts after spending two weekends in a row at what I guess you can say were "life-changing" concerts. One was the Newport Folk Festival, and the other was Lake Street Dive. I felt so alive and so real and authentic-it was like I rediscovered a part of myself that I had buried for so long-more than 10 years. I came home, and the next day our song "Newport" spilled out of me which described that exact experience.

We were already in the process of writing our debut EP, and now I was really questioning what I wanted my future to look like. Those cathartic moments at the concerts solidified the fact that I needed music to be a bigger part of my life.

That Monday morning, I told my boss I had to step-down to part time, and I was part-time for about a year and a half before I finally left my job completely in August 2017.

What pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place where you felt like it was time to make the leap?

In the year and a half that I was part time, I adjusted to making less money. I consolidated my debt. I started "budgeting." I cancelled a bunch of monthly services. I lowered my car insurance payments and my student loans. It all adds up. You don't realize how much money you're wasting until you don't have any money to waste! I also picked up a few private piano lessons for extra income.

But even with my financials in order, things were still unbalanced with work and music. My work was suffering. I was trying to direct a program for kids with severe emotional problems on a 3 day/week schedule, and it just didn't work. And my music was suffering too. I was completely drained trying to push forward with the upcoming release of my album Wandering. Things were falling out of place rather than falling into place. I guess you can say it came down to one of those cliche "shit or get off the pot" moments.

So like any normal human, I drank some wine and asked my friend to give me an impromptu weeknight tarot card reading, which pointed me in the right direction (and inspired our song "Wandering"). Deep down, I already knew the answer was to quit, but leaving a job that I loved and had devoted 7 years of my life to (plus 6 years of school for my master's degree in social work, a clinical license, and all of the accompanying debt) was terrifying. But at this point, I was already functioning with a lot less income, so I had some confidence that I could figure out how to make ends' meet when I left my job completely.

How do you self-manage your workload as a pro musician? What's an "average" day look like?

I make sure I always set aside time to schedule out my week, and that whatever I'm working on is related directly to my goals-which I create every 3 months or so. It's so easy to become overwhelmed with the all things you have to handle as a DIY musician-social media, booking, writing, rehearsing, making videos, marketing, publicity-I mean the list goes on and on.

I usually start the day with something that makes me happy and excited to get out of bed. It often involves walking my dog and listening to a podcast, or cooking a breakfast I really like. Then I block out my day according to my goals/tasks. If I'm writing, I do that first since that's when I'm the most focused. I spend 15-45 minutes on social media talking to people and posting content, followed by 2-3 hours on music business related tasks, which could be any number of things depending on what my goals are.

Around lunch time, I take care of any personal calls/errands, followed by a short break. In the afternoon, I usually rehearse on my own. By about 4:00, I'm headed off to teach piano for a few hours. I have band rehearsal a few times a week in the evenings. I also try to do as much food prep, cleaning, laundry, and social media at night so that I wake up with less on my to-do list.

What's generating the most revenue for you?

It fluctuates. Generally, live shows are where we make the most money, especially when we're able to get on any festival shows, as opposed to clubs/venues. Merch/CD sales are a close second.

That's regarding the band's income. A lot of my personal income comes from teaching private piano lessons. I know many people might feel like that's a "day job," and teaching may not be for everyone. But for me, the fact that I am doing something related to music every hour of the day-whether it's teaching, writing, booking, etc.-is inspiring. It feels effortless and fun. It doesn't feel like a chore. I don't feel drained. It's a stream of income that feeds me emotionally (and physically!), and it feels good to know that I'm helping these kids discover something that has been such a guiding force in my life.

What do you wish you knew a year ago that you know now?

I let the beliefs of the general population get to me. I questioned myself often. "Am I too old to be doing this? I'm over 30. I should be focused on having a family, not pursuing some crazy dream."

No one was saying these things to me really, but I felt like the world was judging me. And I think a lot of women who are over 30 and not living the typical "have a family and settle down lifestyle" feel the same way. So that pressure I felt fueled some anxiety for me. I had to get the album out as fast I could before it was "too late."

Now, I'm more focused on just writing the best song I can and not rushing anything because my biological clock may or may not be ticking. Our music attorney said something once that stuck with me: "You're not a loaf of bread, you don't expire."

And though I still have my moments, I believe that most of the time now.

What have been your biggest successes in your DIY marketing efforts?

Twitter has been really great for us. It's unusual, I know, since Twitter is typically just a black hole of politics and random people DM'ing you to "check out their latest song."

We developed a method that helps us connect with like-minded people, and we've made friends and fans all over the world, which is really cool. Anyone we follow usually will check out our page, and see our music video (great video content is important) which is pinned right at the top. Usually, they'll start engaging with me right away.

I talk to everyone who talks to me, and I ask our Twitter followers personal questions. I know a lot of them by name, not just their Twitter handle. Lots of people have impressive numbers in terms of Twitter followers. But the fact that a lot of our followers feel connected to us and have become fans of our music is a big win.

The other thing I'm really proud of is all the press coverage the band received for Wandering. Doing my own press campaign was grueling work- 50 different blogs, tons of research, some harsh rejections, and Excel spreadsheets that seem to go on forever-but still, I'm so glad I decided to DIY it. I got a ton of features for the band and ended up on the cover of the entertainment section in a major local newspaper that's sold statewide.

How about your biggest failures?

The Spotify playlisting company we worked with when we released Wandering didn't quite give the impact we hoped for. We got added to a few playlists, and the increased plays were cool to see, but nothing ever materialized. We were hoping for exposure to a larger audience than what our results showed, and that some of those listeners would become fans of the band (not just the song). That didn't seem to happen.

I will say that the team we worked with was GREAT, and we may try it again in the future. But for this particular release, it was disappointing, especially since this was where almost all of our album marketing money went. It felt like a huge failure since we kind of banked on this to help "take us to the next level." It didn't.

Besides streaming promotion, there some piece of the puzzle that's still missing, that you think could take things to the next level ... next time?

I think we have yet to create that undeniable song that becomes the trademark for the band. I love all of the music we've created so far and I'm extremely proud of it. But, we've been a band for less than 3 years, and the songs that we've put out are literally the first songs I've ever written.

Our EP and album were definitely experimental in terms of us figuring out our sound and who we are as a band. I think now we're a lot clearer on that, we play better together, and we're better able to blend the guys' hard rock roots with my love for 60s soul and powerhouse female vocalists.

So, the focus as of right now, is to write the best songs we can write. We're also working with a producer this time around, who produced some gold and platinum records. Up until now, all our songs have been self-produced, and I think having that extra set of ears is going to be huge for us in taking our music to the next level.

Your "Live from the Lake" video series is really cool. How did it come together?

One thing we've learned is that video is king when it comes to engaging people on social media. We thought doing a cover series would be a fun way to engage our fans and maybe get some new fans, but we wanted to make it a little more exciting than your average cover video.

We are lucky enough that our drummer, Rob, has a boat and we usually all hang out on the boat in Lake Zoar anyway, so it felt like a natural fit. Our bass player, Mark, brings a small recording device for the audio that he later runs through ProTools, and we film using an iPhone on a tripod.

People loved the first one so we rolled with it! They are SO much fun to film, but never without challenges. The wakes, the camera falling over, bugs, the shaker falling IN the lake (shakers float by the way)-we have more outtakes and blooper reels than you can possibly imagine!

What's next?

We are currently in a writing phase and hope to have some new songs out by Spring 2019. Other than that, I'm diving deep into social media marketing so we can expand our following and hopefully by the time our new songs come out, we'll have some really excited fans.

What would you tell someone who's ready to take the plunge and tackle music full time?

The stories you hear where someone just impulsively "quit their job" one day so they could pursue their dreams are misleading and make all of us feel like being a full time musician is impossible. Maybe that technique works for a small portion of the population. But for the majority of people, including myself, becoming a full time musician means months and maybe even years of planning.

Take one small step at a time, until you're financially and emotionally ready. You'll be surprised at how your motivation increases and opportunities open up as you gradually start spending less time on work, and more time on music.

And when you do take the plunge, have a routine in place and specific goals/tasks that you work on everyday-some related to the actual music making part and some related to the business side of things.

What are your go-to resources for your career?

The DIY Musician Podcast is my favorite, and one of the early sources that I credit to giving me the courage and knowledge I needed to figure out how to pull off being a full time musician. I also really like the Break the Business podcast and I find the Song Exploder podcast very inspiring for writing.

I also own some of Tom Jackson's Live Music Method DVDs. Totally worth the investment for any live band who wants to up their live performance game. And if there's something you're really confused by, but know you need to do it to move your career forward (like licensing, or social media marketing) take an online course. I've taken courses with Dave Kusek's New Artist Model and Bree Noble (Female Musician Academy) and have had positive experiences with both.

Thanks to Laini for all the info. You can hear more of her music HERE.

Laini and the Wildfire is a piano-fronted pop rock trio from New Haven, CT. The band has refined their eclectic sound with the upcoming release of their latest album, Wandering, which features elements of modern pop and rock, mixed with a touch of 60s soul, all set behind Laini Marenick's powerful vocals. www.lainiandthewildfire.com

Chris Robley is the Editor of CD Baby's DIY Musician Blog. I write Beatlesque indie-pop songs that've been praised by No Depression, KCRW, The LA Times, & others. My poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Review, & more. I live in Maine and like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, a little too much.

This article originally appeared in the September 18, 2018 edition of the DIY Musician Blog.

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