Music Promotion, Marketing and Distribution Newsletter

February 2014

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. Sites 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

most-def.net
Leoforos Aleksandras 100, Athens, 152 35, Greece
www.most-def.net
My name is Ilias G and I write reviews for music and stuff I like in a proper context. I love independent music. Send yours in! Get in touch by using the contact form on my website. I review many styles of music from Jazz to Metal, but if my life depended on it, I would have to say Old School Hip Hop and British Blues Boom stuff are my favourites.

Gypsy Death And You
Olivia olivia_cellamare@hotmail.co.uk
jukebox86.wordpress.com
Ramblings about music that may or may not make sense. I refuse to ever slag an artist off and write badly about them. Their job is to create music for others to enjoy, I'm not going to knock that at all. If you're kind enough to send me your music, I'll ALWAYS repay you by writing kind words about your music.

Heat For The Streets Magazine
info@heatforthestreets.com
www.heatforthestreets.com
Created to provide an outlet dedicated to featuring the work and talents of unsigned and independent Hip Hop artists, Photographers, Videographers, Producers and Models. The magazine also serves as a resource of information for up and coming artist who may not have financing but aspire to move their careers forward in the entertainment industry. E-mail your high quality MP3, photos and bio to our address for review consideration. You can also submit using our ONLINE form.

Music Connecton
www.musicconnection.com/get-reviewed
Get Your Recording Reviewed In A National Publication. Unsigned and DIY recording artists are invited to request a review in Music Connection magazine, found nationally each month in all Guitar Center stores and at select outlets. Each month, MC picks 12 recording artists at random to be reviewed by the magazine's review committee. There is no charge for a review. These reviews appear both in print and on the magazine's highly trafficked website. Each artist has a shot to be honored in MC's year-end Top 25 New Music Critiques of 2014. Simply go to our website to fill out the appropriate form. **Note: We recently updated the way we accept music for review. We no longer accept physical copies or AMP submissions--you must supply LINKS to stream your music (multiple links are okay). We WILL NOT download your music. Here's to a great list of 2017 artists!

SECTION TWO: RADIO STATIONS, SHOWS AND PROMOTERS

2.1 RADIO - STATIONS AND SHOWS

Electric Soul Show
Dj Mistri djmistri40@gmail.com
www.electricsoulshow.com
A show devoted to Urban music ranging from Soul to Hip Hop, Disco to Funk, Rare Groove to Modern Day R&B and House Music to Uk Garage Music. We like to help artists or groups that are new or just beginning - with new materia that they would like to put out to the general public. or artists that are established with new material.

Stench Radio
Stig Stench stig@stenchradio.com
www.stenchradio.com
Bringing Punk Rock back from the dead! Send your MP3s to our e-mail address.

Clays Country Radio
Clay Pierce clayscountry@yahoo.com
www.clayscountry.com
There is nothing like hearing your hard work aired on the radio for folks to enjoy. You now have the opportunity to submit your music every week for our review board. Airplay is completely free and the only thing we ask is that you Keep It Country. Once your song has been approved and showcased your song then goes into rotation with out other 239 artists only then can you enter your music into our charts. We are here to help you to get your music out there all over the world. Submissions are made through our ONLINE form.

Big Noise Radio
squad@bignoiseradio.com
www.bignoiseradio.com
Brings you the very essence of Hip Hop music and culture. Free hip-hop radio delivering unlimited listening of your favorite Hip Hop tunes. We present to you the next generation of online Hip Hop radio streaming Hip Hop content 24/7 365. Big Noise Radio provides some of the best independent Hip Hop music on the planet!

Native Trailblazers BlogTalkRadio
PH: 757-333-6868
Vincent Schilling NativeTrailblazers@gmail.com
www.NativeTrailblazers.com
Specializing in Native American and First Nations artists - submit a bio, photo, website and MP3s to be considered as a guest on this award-winning Aboriginal People's Choice Award nominated show.

IndieMusicWorks
www.indiemusicworks.com
Come listen to our radio shows and check out some of the artist profiles and their music and consider adding yourself and your music to the list of talented artists from all over the World.

XS Radio Show
Romain Garden romaingarden@live.fr
www.facebook.com/XclusiveSession
Introducing the brand new concept of a bilingual Dance Radio Show in French and in English. The playlist is composed of the best Dance Club tracks selected by the host and it is not limited to mainstream artists, anything that has the "catchy" factor can end up in the show. The mix is made by one of its resident DJs and they make sure that the overall progression of the session and its cohesion are respected.

Our City Radio
ourcityradio.com/music-submit
Sign up to our community and have your music played!

New Driven Radio
Sherry Sabine NewDriven@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/NewDrivenRadio
The NEW DRIVEN shows bring the hottest professional level independent rock to syndicated radio. Our weekly shows feature the best in emerging Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Alt Rock, Pop, Acoustic, Folk Rock, Punk & Melodic Metal. NEW DRIVEN also produces a weekly talk show that focuses on professional independent artists and a live show with call-in interviews and guest co-hosts. Artists on our shows are full-time musicians, (or nearing that step) with a rigorous touring schedule We spin newer release original music. @NewDriven

2.2 RADIO PROMOTERS

Dyme Squad Magazine LLC International
Diamond Waters ceo@dymesquadmagazine.com
www.dymesquadinternational.com
We provide Hip Hop and R&B artists with Digital and FM Radio play packages at affordable prices, All packages are BDS/ MediaBased and pay royalties via, BMI and Sound Exchange.

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

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

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

3.1 SERVICES - PROMOTION/PUBLICITY

TCA Artist Representation
118 Graceland Blvd. #145, Columbus OH 43214
PH: 614-259-6644
Tim Coulter timcoulter@tcaartists.com
www.tcaartists.com
We offer marketing services for independent artists.

Thompson Entertainment Group
924 Deervale Dr. Nashville, TN 37217
PH: 615-742-8004
Chuck Thompson cthompson@thompsonentertainmentgroup.com
www.thompsonentertainmentgroup.com
We offer artist development, consulting, marketing and public relations for Country Music artists. Great music and great ideas are what drives us! Got some you think that we should hear? Then mail it to us or call us to talk about our services or to discuss your project.

Miles High Productions
PO Box 93157, Hollywood, CA 90093
PH: 323-806-0400 FX: 323-462-0829
mhpmanagement@mileshighproductions.com
www.mileshighproductions.com
Created to bridge the gap of companies working directly with music artists and entertainment based projects who are in need of additional marketing support. MHP also focuses on non-music ventures such as corporate brand building, cosmetics, gaming, sports and other industries. MHP's goal is to elevate your product or artist to a higher ground in an expedient timeframe by exposing them to new and existing online audiences. MHP also focuses on taking our campaigns one step further by cross-promoting all traditional methods of marketing with online opportunities for further outreach. @MilesHigh

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

Serge Media Group
PO Box 5147, Canton, GA 30114
PH: 678-880-8207
Sandy Serge sergeent@aol.com
www.sergemediagroup.com
Social media, networking and publicity solutions for musicians backed by a trustworthy and diligent work ethic.

3.2 SERVICES - LABELS, DISTRIBUTORS AND ONLINE VENDORS

Independent Distribution Collective
2001 Van Ness Ave. #411, San Francisco, CA, 94109
PH: 415-292-7007
indiedistro@gmail.com
www.independentdistro.com
Helping the next generation of musicians get their music to market. Never before has a distributor opened its doors to the thousands of talented artists who work so hard to score a record deal. The idea is that many of these people could bring a CD to market, without the overhead of a middle man. IDC will actively promote its services to the thousands of bands and solo artists who have spent years trying to secure that ever-elusive distribution deal. "Independent Music Moving Forward!"

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

Arena
2375 E. Camelback Rd. 6th Fl. Phoenix, AZ 85016
info@arena.com
www.arena.com
An entertainment platform that pays musicians and film-makers the highest rate in the world when their work is streamed or sold. Arena is free for fans to stream music, watch music videos & movie trailers, or access the latest entertainment news.

Reason For Rhyme TV
Joe rfrtv1@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/RFRTV
We are a company helping independent artists around the world. We will help you to gain exposure with an exclusive interview. We feature yhot music videos, live performances, the newest fashion trends, models, creative artists etc. We totally support the independent movement. If you're Hip Hop this is where you need to be.

Set.FM
www.set.fm
Hundreds of artists are already getting their music out to fans all over the world using Set.FM. Your band performs at a show. You record your performance. People can download your performance as soon as the show is over.

Hip Hop Encounter
Spndoctr@hiphopencounter.com
www.hiphopencounter.com
Created to be a medium for artist to their audience. All fees for artist and DJ video and audio content have been waived until further notice. Contact the site, send your content and we will post it!

909 Music
#1901, Boulevard Plaza Tower 1, Downtown Dubai, PO Box 27363, Dubai, UAE
PH: +971-50-680-3793
Arnav Srivastav production@909music.com
www.909music.com
Download royalty free music for videos, films, advertising, media, games, apps and more from our vast library of stock music. There are so many talented composers and we're always interested in finding new people who are passionate about making Dance, Electronic, Hip Hop and Ambient music. The best way to send us a demo is to send us an e-mail with a download LINK for your music.

Beats Music
hi@beatsmusic.com
www.beatsmusic.com
A new music service that combines the power of human curation with technology to always deliver the right music to you at the right time. We personalize our recommendations for each individual user to include human-curated playlists, album recommendations, and more. You are also able to enjoy the other features that you've come to expect from a premium, subscription-based music service, including unlimited on-demand streaming (search and play), high quality audio, unlimited downloads, and more. Our service is built upon a HUGE music library ??? almost every song that exists in the world, with a few exceptions. But what makes us so special, so powerful, goes back to the idea that the right song at the right time is incredibly valuable. Beats Music has powerful ways of figuring out each listener's taste and then suggesting music based on what it learns. And these tools will only get more powerful as we develop the app. Beats Music works with many independent digital music distributors and aggregators, including CDBaby, as well as major and indie labels and their distribution partners. We receive this content through our service provider, MediaNet. All our tracks are fully licensed. We report and pay all royalties through the distributor that works with you or your label directly. If you don't currently have a digital distributor, CDBaby is a cool and affordable service that help independent artists get your music on Beats.

Instabuck
Nick Papanotas nikolas@webdigity.com
www.instabuck.com/music
Upload your music, get paid instantly without commissions. Fans no longer pay to have your music. They just want to support you. We believe that this is extremely important and that's why you will never charged commissions based on your earnings. In addition to that, you can actually have our service for free until you make some money from it.

The Free Music Archive
c/o WFMU, PO Box 2011, Jersey City, NJ 07303
PH: 201-521-1416 x243
musicsubmissions@freemusicarchive.org
www.freemusicarchive.org
An interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads directed by WFMU, the most renowned freeform radio station in America. Radio has always offered the public free access to new music. The Free Music Archive is a continuation of that purpose, designed for the age of the internet. Every MP3 you discover on The Free Music Archive is pre-cleared for certain types of uses that would otherwise be prohibited by copyright laws that were not designed for the digital era. These uses vary and are determined by the rights-holders themselves who feel that allowing a degree of free cultural access is beneficial not only to their own pursuits, but to our society as a whole.

Mx3
info@mx3.ch
www.mx3.ch
The Swiss music portal.

JukeBoxAlive
311 Montford Ave. Asheville, NC 28801
PH: 828-232-0016
Will Cumberland cumberland@jukeboxalive.com
jukeboxalive.com
Our Advanced Jukebox Player protects your music from being digitally downloaded, yet allows fans to hear your music online. This creates exciting possibilities for you to present yourself to new audiences without being ripped off.

SECTION FIVE: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES

GCBands
www.gcbands.com
Australian website about the discovery and promotion of new music and art from the Gold Coast. We wanted to bring forward a new stage for local independent artists to show off their talents and inspire us. Each profile allows the bands and venues to add photos, videos, event details and streaming music. Fans can also create profiles to interact with the artists the venues and each other, as well as blog and share music recommendations.

SECTION SIX: HELPFUL TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR YOUR BAND

6.1 RESOURCES - GENERAL

Hot 107.3 FM "Texoma Idol"
900 E. Pecan Grove Rd. Sherman, TX 75090
Carlos Jarmon carlos@hot1073fm.com
www.hot1073fm.com
TWO MONTHS of this competition will take place online giving fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite song and every week during this period there will be a live call-voting period for fans to take part in to help their favorite qualifying musical artists gain more points in the competition. The live call-voting will take place Friday Mornings. The last month of the competition will consist of call-votes and and live performance points at the venue of sponsorship. All contestants will pay a registration fee of $25, complete the contest entry form, and return it back to enter the Hot 107.3 Fm Idol. The winner of Texoma Idol will receive an unprecedented TWO MONTHS of radio airplay on Hot 107.3 Fm. We welcome Top 100 CHR format. Rock. Hip Hop. Pop. Country. Christian Contemporary. These are the genres that can enter the contest.

Rocket to the Stars
Wade Sutton wadesutton@rockettothestars.com
www.rockettothestars.com
A very unique company in that we offer a lot of artist development services (web designing, writing web content and bios, create press kits and write press releases, marketing consultations, and live performance training). We work with people from all genres of commercial music. Country, Rock, Pop, Hip Hop etc.

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

AirTurn: How Do You Write the Perfect Song?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L_aC7afqJ0
How do you write the perfect song? In this video, Singer/Songwriter Dave Tamkin explores the creative process and reveals that it's not so much an issue of "how" as much as "why" you want to write the perfect song. From first heartbreak to self-awareness, Dave shares how music can be the bridge connecting peoples' lives.

The Daredevil Production Podcast
1204 17th Ave. S., Nashville TN 37212
PH: 818-383-4207
Johnny Dwinell johnny@daredevilproduction.com
www.daredevilmusicproduction.com
Helping singers and songwriters to find success in the music business with host Johnny Dwinell.

Songwriting Scene
songwritingscene@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/songwritingscene
A blog written by singer/songwriter Sharon Goldman (with the help and inspiration of many others) for songwriters about songwriting -- the creative process, the passion of it, the work of it, the art of it.

Daylle Deanna Schwartz

Music Marketing Manifesto Blog
John Oszajca john@musicmarketingmanifesto.com
www.MusicMarketingManifesto.com
Advanced strategies, secrets, tactics and tips on selling your music online. @JohnOszajca

6.3 RESOURCES - TOOLS

StereoGrid
contact@stereogrid.com
www.stereogrid.com
Makes it easy for artists to send music directly to influential music websites and press. Get started now by sending a new release to our network and your press list.

Hulkshare
kamal@hulkshare.com
www.hulkshare.com
A FREE, unlimited music service that provides MP3 storage for Dance Music, Hip Hop, R&B and Pop artists, producers, DJs, bloggers & fans to share music files, create playlists & embed music players.

Switchcam
www.switchcam.com
Switchcam automatically identifies the highlight moments of events and filters out the best content, saving you (or your social media team) a ton of time. After all, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos from shows. Switchcam finds the content worth sharing. From talking with our customers, we've found that Facebook fans are a pretty reliable way to understand how successful an artist is and how much revenue they are generating. If you're just starting out, we want to help you grow by giving you our tools for free. As you become more popular, Switchcam needs to process more data from more people and locations, and so our prices increase slightly.

ToneDen
Tim, Ali, & Nick team@toneden.io
www.toneden.io
We want to make it easy for artists to connect to the music industry and for the music industry to invest in the musician's talent. ToneDen is a service for musicians to easily create beautiful personal profiles that integrates content from multiple social media services. Apart from intuitive design and smart content aggregation, ToneDen provides powerful analytical tools to measure fan traction and growth across multiple streams all in one place. Artists also have access to a One Sheet generator which they can easily use to pitch to blogs, record labels, booking agents, and managers. The ToneDen platform is the one consolidated destination for musicians to manage and develop their personal brand.

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

6.4 RESOURCES - AUDIO

Peerless Mastering
1085 Commonwealth Ave. #322, Boston, MA 02215
PH: 617-527-2200
info@peerlessmastering.com
www.peerlessmastering.com
Dedicated to providing the highest quality restoration. We offer the highest quality stereo and 5.1 pre-mastering, CD, CD Enhanced, and DVD-A authoring and full audio restoration. Our staff is exceptional at giving our clients the best quality and service, guiding them through the final phase of their sonic process with ease and expertise. We are uniquely equipped to provide the highest quality mastering available anywhere. We have the expertise, equipment, and skills to achieve the full sound potential of your album. As more and more artists are choosing to record in project and home studios, high-quality professional mastering in an acoustically accurate room has never been more important. Working at Peerless' state-of-the-art studios with our highly trained engineers, you can realize your sonic vision and make your recording sound as full, warm, punchy, and clear as possible. We will guide you through every step of this final phase of your project, and you will be truly amazed when you hear how incredible your music can sound. @PeerlessMaster

6.5 RESOURCES - ORGANIZATIONS

The Music Business Network
themusicbusinessnetwork.wordpress.com
An organization dedicated to connecting entertainment industry professionals, students, and musicians with the services that they need in order to succeed professionally. The Network facilitates the connection between individuals who are in need of services to Network members who supply the services they need. The goals of The Network are: to provide networking opportunities (through its networking events and panels), to build upon and compliment individuals' existing networks, to assist in advancing individuals' career goals, to provide real time industry news updates, and to create an extensive community of like-minded individuals.

SECTION SEVEN: THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE

20 Worst Indie Artist Mistakes
by Johnny Dwinell, Daredevil Production
© 2017 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

In my job, I get to speak with many indie artists who are at different points in their journey. They consistently make these common major mistakes. Changing your approach will change your career. I made this personal to drive the message home.

Here are the 20 worst indie artist mistakes!

Your Songs Suck
Consumers will instantly click past a crappy song on thousands of online radio stations until they find a good song that really moves them in the first 10-20 seconds. You better have GREAT songs. It's a CRAFT; it always has been. Treat it as such. You need to seek out a few mentors to teach you what they know about their CRAFT and apply your unique vision and perspective to that knowledge. Easy to do with all the online writing societies.

You're Producing Yourself
Have you ever wondered why a record label would NEVER let you or your Indie Artist Mistakesfriends produce your own record? Have you ever wondered why most of the iconic superstars STILL use producers? Why aren't they saving money by producing themselves? Surely a producer at that level is pretty damn expensive! Get it? Just because you can work Pro-Tools or Logic doesn't mean you can or should make a record. The label would put you with someone who is not only experienced at the entire process of making records, but a way better musician than you. The smart artist always thrives being around true pros who are better than them to soak in the education and grow to a new artistic level and be fearless of the journey. Most artists will tell people why they can't or won't afford a producer and then turn around and spend their money on their 25th guitar and new plug-ins for the home studio thereby avoiding the journey. Do you want to make great records or collect gear?

You're Not Marketing...At ALL
Putting your music on iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby, ReverbNation, etc.Indie Artist Mistakes is digital distribution NOT marketing. Marketing is the art of influencing buying decisions. Having your CD available for purchase "wherever it's sold" isn't influencing buying decisions. Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Live Shows, Music Blogs, Indie Radio, Internet Radio, and PR are the marketing tools you need to master. These tools create awareness and drive traffic to your squeeze page where you get the consumer's email address. It's through their email address (and the communication that you send there) that you will influence their buying decisions.

You're Operating With An Out-Of-Date Business Model
You are still trying to cut cheap demos to shop to a record label to try to get a deal. You still think radio is the key to marketing your music. You still think that radio will be a powerful marketing tool when you do get your deal. You still think the labels make money selling records. You still think that if you get a deal that's when you've made it. Wake up. That ship sailed a decade ago; you have to develop yourself, today.

You're Not Thinking Like A Record Label
If you got signed today, the label would surround you with people who make a living writing songs, engineering, producing, doing public relations, marketing, promotion, booking bands, image consulting, photographing, etc. All these people would be highly professional and much more dialed in to the market and process than you and your friends. If you're thinking like a label, you are looking for a team of people to help you with at least some of these important items.

You're Not Selling Your Music On Your Website
If you were truly DRIVING traffic anywhere to purchase your music, you would drive them to YOUR site and take all the money. Everyone needs a presence on iTunes, CD Baby, ReverbNation, etc., but why on earth would you pay someone 30% of your record sales to do what you can do with a free plug-in on your WordPress site? If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense.

You're Not Posting Regular Videos To YouTube
YouTube is your new radio with an amazing potential for reaching millions, no wait...now BILLIONS, of people and you don't need to spend one million dollars to bribe a freaking Program Director for a CHANCE at getting a few spins. The "shelf space" is unlimited (unlike radio) and they pay royalties and advertising revenue. "I don't get it because I just want to make music" is a cop-out. Why aren't you learning everything you need to learn about this amazing opportunity?

You Suck At Project Management
If Steve Jobs had approached the first products from Apple the Indie Artist Mistakesway most of you approach managing your musical projects, he would have died homeless. Jobs was a true artist. The first computers he and Wozniak made looked good, worked well, were packaged well, and were made in his garage. Instead of making 500 crappy computers with the limited budget they had, he made 50 AWESOME computers and the market place responded. The opportunities that came from the first run of AWESOME computers provided the momentum they needed to reach the next level. If you want to find someone to cut your songs for $300/song, I PROMISE you will find them. Record your 3 BEST songs for the same price as what you would have to spend on 12 and do it RIGHT with a TALENTED TEAM. It's gonna cost money, so think of it as an education. Then watch the market respond!

You're Waiting For Your "Big Break"
Deep down you wish it was the old music business because, on Indie Artist Mistakesthe outside (from the cheap seats), it seemed easier when the labels took care of everything. Well, they did and you would have paid dearly for that "EZ Button." I got news for you, the superstar artists who are still around today never let the labels take care of everything. They worked smarter and harder than that in a sea of sharks. You have to create your own opportunities, your own momentum. There's no way around it. Nobody gets "discovered" anymore; so get off the couch, put the bong down next to your baggage and get to work!

You Still Think Record Labels Develop Talent
Record labels don't develop talent like Coca-Cola doesn't repair cars. They don't care about your music, they care about your current cash flow, and how many fans with whom you have a measurable connection. They care about what kind of market you created for yourself and if they can make money by adding fuel to the fire you already started. Think YouTube and Google. Google didn't develop YouTube, they purchased them. Those smart guys at YouTube had to PROVE that their idea had value in the market place. So do you.

You Don't Think Of Your Music As Product
Until you do, nobody is going to hear your art.

You're Self-Sabotaging - This is the most common and most destructive mistake of them all. Let me save Indie Artist Mistakesyou the suspense: you're gonna make mistakes. You're gonna hit speed bumps. You're gonna be rejected. You're gonna have to get over it! You have to get out of your own way and just move forward. Stop making excuses. If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you always got. PERIOD. Make a change and watch massive amounts of energy quickly flow your way.

You Are Too Sensitive To Take Constructive Criticism
You would be amazed how many of your favorite superstars were brutally schooled by the label on their first record. They were green just like you! "Go back and write us a single we can promote on the radio or we're gonna drop you." If you're too dumb to know that you don't know a whole lotta stuff, you'll never make it. Be professional and LEARN. It's always better to stay quiet in a room and appear stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

You're Listening To Haters
When you do start to get momentum, people you don't know and, sadly, many that you do will spit poison into every part of your life. Get used to it. You are doing what they can't.

You Haven't Defined Your Lane
You are afraid to pick a genre because you write in many. Consumers need ONE lane to connect with you in. Just because you pick one doesn't mean you are ignoring the others. Get some traction in one lane first. That traction will help expose a project in a different lane to more people. Think John Mayer with his first few pop records and then he did a blues project. That blues project got a TON of exposure because he was now John Mayer, the pop star.

Your Live Performance Sucks
Nothing is more disappointing than seeing a decent band with great songs and listening for harmonies but nobody sings background vocals. Okay, maybe worse would be a crappy band with crappy songs and everyone is singing crappier background vocals.

You're Not Capitalizing On Your Live Performances
Today's music market is about endless Indie Artist Mistakescontent and email addresses. You should have constant video footage to market on social media. You should have boatloads of email addresses after every show. You should be moving product from the stage at every show. You should be gaining Twitter followers at every show...THEN you can get laid.

You're Putting Too Much Stock Into Your ReverbNation Ranking - A #1 ranking for your small town or big city on ReverbNation + $2.54 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. How are you getting paid for your songs?

You Don't Know What You're Doing On Twitter
Twitter is a simply amazing surgical marketing tool that allows you to SERIOUSLY target your specific market. When done correctly, your following will constantly grow. One year from now you could have well over 10k followers. Then you would have the means to drive tons of traffic to a squeeze page, or to a YouTube video, or to....Get my point? Your fans are out there, go find them.

You Think It's All About Music, Not Marketing
The truth is that it sure is nice when they expertly market a killer record, but if it was only about the music, there wouldn't be any crappy songs on the radio. Think about that for a second. Without marketing, nobody cares about your music because they haven't heard it.

Johnny Dwinell is the co-owner of Daredevil Production, a company that helps artists and songwriters to create amazing music. He also hosts The Daredevil Production Show which helps artists to find success in the music business. www.daredevilmusicproduction.com

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