It is no secret that this industry is beyond tough but it doesn't mean you can't succeed. For many, many years the Major labels and their bands tended to hold a monopoly of sort over the bigger distribution channels, clubs, magazines, and radio stations. But independent music has come a long way, so this is no longer completely so. Luckily for those Indies out there, independent record labels, bands and artists have been gaining more and more attention.
So, how do you connect with those precious contacts? And more importantly, how do you use those contacts? Marketing and networking is going to be your most powerful resource when searching for music contacts. And this is most definitely true for anyone involved with independent music. You will have to work extra hard because no one is going to do it for you.
First, instead of spending all of your energy creating huge marketing campaigns focus on a few people at a time. Get to know the people you come in contact with instead of just pushing your materials.
Finding where to meet these music contacts is your next step. You will need a reference guide full of information such as contact info for radio stations, managers, clubs, bars, recording studios and all others that have anything to do with independent music and the music industry.
Decide whether you want to start locally and go ahead and spread out across your tri-state area or the country. Either way, set your goals ahead of time. Make a list of these places and people. You can even prioritize them to your liking. If you are planning on sending promo packages, then call ahead and make sure the info is correct so it gets to the right people.
Next, you will need to focus on building a relationship with these people. Remember, first impressions are everything. Most people in the music industry are busy people, so keep that in mind. If they ask you to call back or reschedule then be flexible and do it.
Lastly, in any type of relationship, especially professional, it is important to follow up! If you sent out a promo CD, then follow up on it. Don't be annoying. Do not stalk your potential music contacts by any means. These are just simple rules to live by in the music industry. If you can keep all these things in mind then making and keeping contacts in the music industry should be a cinch.
?If Music be the food of love, give me a Mobile.? The Phone that shrank the planet is yet to deliver another mammoth revolution fiercely. The global ringtone market is forecasted to grow around $5.2 billion annually. There is an emerging trend among consumers worldwide to seek digital entertainment from their mobile phones. With the soaring popularity of Mobile Music aside, the Industry's growth is unprecedented due to high end mechanisms and ritzier models coming out every now and then.
Mobile Music, ringtones and downloads are a major fascination amongst the youth. Ring tone industry in particular is reaping fruits of the teenage obsession with ?gizmos of desire?. This group, mostly between 12 to 25 years old, likes to purchase their favourite tune without having to pay a higher price for a CD. According to sources, the Hip Hop fraternity's contribution accounts for more than half of all the downloaded ringtones across the globe. The formerly dominant polyphonic ringtones are now available in many different genres; Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Country, Bollywood and also in a variety of formats in response to the insatiable consumerist demands. Bollywood, India's film industry by itself generates roughly $1 billion in ring tone revenues annually according to trade experts.
Approximately 1million ring tones are downloaded everyday in India.
With the digital revolution kicking in, the mobile phone industry is proving a point by digging deeper into the music industry with help from technologies like the iPods which can hold more ringtones, longer tunes, and play with the clarity of a DVD. Global companies like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung are also striving neck-to-neck to come up with handsets loaded with a variety of appealing features such as FM radios, MP3 players and a good memory capacity as a result of the stiff competition. The Music Industry obviously isn't cheerful about ringtones taking over the CD market sales wise. It expects you to buy an expensive CD before a cheap ringtone!
Even as the trend goes on, inexorable, the mobile music industry is facing dubious times on the legal front. It is estimated that transfer of music files via Bluetooth has reached an enormous volume, almost thrice the legal way. Fortunately or unfortunately these illegal routes have been serving as money making catalysts rather the other way. In India itself, the mobile piracy business is as big as 30 crore or more at this very moment.
Globally, we are witnessing a time where technology is converging majorly into telecommunications. It is highly unlikely for laid back, conventional music distribution mediums to prevail in a fast moving digital world for long now. Statistics prove that where mobile music downloads is growing by over 50 per cent every year; the growth of legal conventional music is diminishing.
It's not too far when music companies would acquire artists and film soundtracks only for mobile downloads. With full songs downloads on mobile becoming a successful service worldwide specifically on 3G networks, it simply brings this reality closer.
At current rate Mobile content industry is all geared up to surpass the music industry.
Both Ty Cohen & Grigoriy Anoshenko are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ty Cohen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Keyboard Synthesizer, Mens Health and Marriage. Owner of Platinum Millennium publishing, former record label owner & national music industry seminar speaker/panelist. Author/creator of best-selling music biz books, courses, audio products & "How to" resources that helped 1000s. Go to. Ty Cohen's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.