From TikTok to Patreon +++ HERE'S +++ how musicians can use the internet to cut through the noise.

One would need the patience of Job to pursue those protocols. Of course as a retiree with an income that's easy to say.

I would note that one relatively minor placement via the many music libraries is worth waaaaaay more than several thousand streams. We've never promoted our music beyond placing our catalog on Songtradr. Although we don't create music in popular genres we've still had 26 songs licensed. And that's just ST as I'm too lazy or just lack the interest to submit to other libraries. Again, no doubt that those who live off their music must pursue all the avenues time allows.

Bud

Everything is easier for the person who isn't doing it.

"Is there a certain way to make a million bucks in music?"

"Start with $50 Million"

I do pretty well but it's a ton of work, know-how and connections that I've made over the last 55 years. I can't say that I do Any of the things in that article — don't have the time.



Make that a hundred thousand streams and I'll agree.

Bud,

When you say you 'place your catalog' do you mean that you have an artist account with Song Tradr and you upload songs for distribution?

I'm considering Repost by SoundCloud, but I don't think Repost does what Song Tradr does.

Thanks.

Yes. I uploaded to Songtradr most of the songs we’ve created during our BiaB years and have uploaded all new productions subsequently. I review the music wanted and submit when we see something that might be a good match. We also make all our songs available for the monetization opps. Other than uploading I spend less than 15 minutes a week with ST. We have five songs that are on ST genre specific featured (12-15 songs) playlists. They are for customers searching for those genres and ST selected the tunes. I mentioned the 26 song licenses and while we’ve not had the “big one” for film or tv Mood Media has licensed several and they are the largest “overhead” music provider with operations in 140 countries … so we do get heard here and there

It’s all just for fun and is not at all time consuming. The income is very modest but it pays for the ST pro subscription and more. All of the other sync libraries have to approve your submissions before listing them and they accept a very, very small percentage. We have a few songs with a couple of them but haven’t submitted in years. We have way more fun things to do than spend time with libraries other than ST.

Bud

Very nice!

For those unfamiliar with the name, Mood Media owns MUZAK and handles the commercial/industrial distribution of Sirius/XM to restaurants, gyms, background music suppliers, CATV etc.

For those who know anything about streaming.. it's possibly good for publicity, but definitely not good for income.

I make tons more selling CDs online than share/pirate online free-for-all streaming services.

Thanks Mike. Apologies for missing your comments. BTW, the songs MM licensed were blues and Americana so I guess somewhere out in the hinterlands there are folks listening to something other than modern pop and EDM.

Bud

Suggestions for the minimum online presence.?

Focused primarily on getting gigs, not streaming or library revenue.

Most bar/club/restaurant owners want some kind of link to check you out. More than a business card.

Is a web site sufficient?
Some info, calendar, a few songs and or videos.
Don’t care to facebook,instagram, Tik Tok, etc
I just enjoy playing out and would like a fuller calendar.

I know you said you had no interest but a simple fb musician page is free, easy to manage and IMO easier to establish than a web site. No doubt many will disagree.

Bud

Bud,
Thanks for the advice. I see the wisdom of a simple approach.

I do own a domain that's been hibernating for some time now.
I've also been doing some wordpress stuff for some other things (non-music) i do.
That's most of my reason for going the website way.

Some of my musician friends also use wix.

Evidently, if you want to get wildly popular and really promote your music online, just follow ChatGPT"s model. It only costs $100,000 a day.

Billy

Things that worked for us -

Start an email list.
At a show, simply leave a small piece of paper on each table with a spot for name/email.
Clearly state 'this is in case you enjoy the band, we can let you know where we are playing next & we will not use your email for any other purpose. Guaranteed'
During an intermission (preferably one where you thought the audience enjoyed the set) the band can wander around and collect the papers, triggering some people to fill it out on the spot for various reasons (you took the time to stop and say Hi may be enough for some).

Use social media if comfortable, can't hurt. The more people feel attached the more they become bonded to you and actually read your emails and posts. BUT if they post something regarding you it is imperative you respond. You can't post and not reciprocate especially when mentioned. social media - socialize.

Have 'somewhere' they can check in and share with friends (website for us but FB could probably work), preferably with a performance or three to show friends or go back and enjoy.

After all, they have to enjoy your performance or all other efforts are moot.

If you have 'some' fans, you can grow them, but you have to have something to start with ..
just a thought from my experience

Bud,
I see you use SoundCloud to post your original music.
I play mostly covers.

Apparently SoundCloud is not a place for covers.

Do you know of any spots online where Icould post my covers for prospective clients to audition?

Many covers can be posted on youtube. I have never understood the legality of doing that. Some get taken down, and others stay up.

If you want to get in a more professional mode, you can stream your music direct to a client's DAW directly with Audiomovers.

As far as I understand, there is no 100% legal way to produce covers without permission.

In the U.S., there are three ways to obtain a mechanical license for a cover song: (1) through the compulsory licensing procedure established by law; (2) from the Harry Fox Agency if they administer the musical composition for the song; or (3) directly from the publisher of the song.

Just because something is allowed/disregarded on some website does not make it legal. The legal ramifications of violation of copyright law have to date, produced results ranging from nothing to severe and very costly lawsuits.


I am not a music business attorney. What I just posted is not legal advice. It is just my opinion.

Billy

What's legal and what you can get away with are not necessarily the same thing.

A lot of artists are content with putting a copyright claim on your cover song and taking the ad revenue so they can at least get a little something for compensation because going after some kid in his room with a lawsuit is generally counterproductive. Not only does it make no financial sense, it would be monumentally bad PR.

Janie Hendrix and Don Henley, on the other hand, would rather see Jimi's and the Eagles' legacies fade into obscurity and die so they takedown everything.

That's easy. All YouTube covers of songs first published in the USA after 1/1/1928 require a Synchronization (Sync) license from the publishers (or whoever administers those rights for the publishers) unless you can prove that the work is otherwise in the Public Domain. Period. CD Baby, for example will not let you upload a cover that doesn't have it.

ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR cannot grant Sync licenses until Congress passes legislation allowing this. All four want to. Many foreign PROs include this service for their members.

Unfortunately, there are many bots, Russian (TuneCore is the biggest), Brazilian (too many to count) and others that flag everything giving you 30 days to challenge. To respond, you must be able to prove a Sync license exists or that the work is in the PD. Failure to do so can cause your video to be pulled and your account to be sanctioned. With TuneCore, I submit to YouTube and the TuneCore website, sometimes with a C&D letter from my attorney sent Certified to their NY mailling address.

If a song is by an entity known for never granting licenses (Hendrix, Led Zep etc.) the takedown is immediate and your YouTube account might be sanctioned if this happens too many times. Although not all courts agree, there is no Fair Use exemption unless you are reporting the news–good luck fighting that.

Money does indeed make people predictable.

I understand people want to get paid for their work.
I compiled a CD (remember CD's) of covers a few years back.
I paid more in royalties than the rest of the CD production costs.
Happy to send them the $$$.

Only wish I had realized just how valuable CD's were not.
Such is life.

Anyway, I'm happy to remit any $$ due the creator of the song whenever I can.
My aspirations for financial reward as a musician have been somewhat tempered by 5 decades of often not getting much $$$ to play.

maybe a stoopid question, cos ive never promoed my crazy songs...but yonks ago in england rockers n' other genres
would take their newly minted demos/songs to their local commercial radio stations n' see if they could get a break and a wider audience that way.

thats how some groups went from unkmowns to being big names.
isnt this a option today ? or maybe i'm being naive cos the worlds v different today.

happiness.

om

Soundcloud and Bandcamp are good as long as you do not make the files accessible to the public. The listener must have a direct link to the file in order to hear it. Technically, this is a Private Performance and not subject to licensing.

Unfortunately, this no longer works on YouTube — the bots will find you even though they are only supposed to look for Public performances.

I'd say a "must have," especially for up and coming and/or established bands with killer stage performances, would be one or more music videos suitable for You Tube or preferably, a dedicated web site. It is amazing how few want to go there. So they leave it to the Grateful Dead, George Strait, Miley Cyrus, Elvis, and the few who are fortunate enough to have professional management. Just go to You Tube and see for yourselves. Those stars who use videos well know the power of motion pictures.
Along with acting as the teaser, the sites also contain booking and tour information, fan club contact, bios and photos, and a few other things that develop a personal touch that can build a fan base.
It's not just the individual effort. Groups have found that if they "affiliate," they can use that power to deliver shows to popular venues by rotating locations.
Just to throw one out, I'd say the genre was singer/songwriter and the appropriate venues might be hipster coffee shops. There's a ton of them.

Hi Bud,
something I didn't find on their page: is Songtradr's use non-exclusive, means you're free to sell your songs also somewhere else?

Completely non-exclusive. Do with it as you see fit even if it has been licensed via ST.

Bud

If that ever did work back in the day, it was a fluke even then. These days you are not getting on commercial radio without the backing of a major labels. No how. No way. Ain't gonna happen without Divine intervention.

Yep, it’s all focus groups and major payola (spelled a d v e r t i z i n g) from the big labels these days.

BTW, as Dick Clark often pointed it, payola has never been illegal. The only crime was income tax evasion. The Payola Scandal was the perception that the system wasn’t fair. That perception=reality wasn’t the issue.

FWIW, in the UK at present the BBC have an "Introducing" shown on some(?) of their local radio stations, where they play music from local newcomers. Whether it works to increase the presence of the musicians, I couldn't say, but at least it's something.

Whether any/many of our commercial stations do similar, I couldn't say.

Byron/All.

re your response to my post.

i dont know if one can be definitive. if that's true how did a young unknown canadian lad bieber do it ? All I can say re Mikes comments is what a sad state of affairs for young unknowns. but maybe there IS hope ie re gordons comments.

Frankly, I like a happy little life with my wife. ok so we aint rich with mansions n' rollers but at least our life isnt crazy. We are just normal overtaxed middle class people.
anyway having had the benefit of input from some v nice music biz insiders, in my travels working and living all over the world..I have no desire for that life. ive been told the negatives.

However it does make me sad when i hear the great diversity of talent on the pg showcase which prolly the wider public aint aware of and then listen to the top 20 on the commercial charts and just shake my head. i only hear the occasional chart song that cranks me up. Maybe I'm too biased towards the classics like frampton comes alive or cheap trick at budokan or acdc at castle donningtan or george benson live etc etc. as the old yorkshire saying goes 'cream n' junk often float to the top'.


happiness

om

Well, I can say that we haven't done it in years, but it wasn't *that long ago we went to the 'local' commercial radio station with donuts, coffee, bought two weeks of small commercial time in a limited area ( for a benefit show we were doing), and simply asked if they had a way to squeeze a song or two of ours in once in a while, .. they said sure! .. and for about two months we were hearing ourselves on that station in the playlist, and the two weeks of commercials. Plus the show sold out. It was worth it for everyone.
We made money, the charity made more money and the venue had a full bar worth of profit plus got the location advertisement for free from our commercial (negotiate; we'll run commercials that mention you and fill the place with 500+ people, you give us a break on the rental, you keep the bar. Once they heard it was for a charity they gave us the place for free .. though we may have made more on a share of the bar <grin>).

I'd suspect it may still work in a smaller 'local' station, they do exist .. the important part is having a plan to sell yourself.
.. oh, and having a product to sell, probably should include that little tidbit

This can be looked up. It did not involve sending demos to radio stations.

Great article! I completely agree that music videos are a must-have for any band or artist looking to promote their music online.

Great article! I completely agree that music videos are a must-have for any band or artist looking to promote their music online. They provide a visual element that can really capture people's attention and help them connect with the music on a deeper level. Plus, as you mentioned, they're perfect for platforms like YouTube and can really help to build a fan base.
You can try services like https://streamingfamous.com/buy-spotify-plays/to promote your music. I also think that having a dedicated website is important. It gives fans a central place to go to find out more about the band, including tour dates, merchandise, and other information.

This WIRED article is not readable, it asks you to pay the subscription before you can read it.

Didn't read, don't care. Thanks for saving me the time from reading the crap on your website.

I would rather spend my time reading the posts written by the users of this forum.

I guess promoting music is the same thing. Make good music, create intriguing MVs, upload to YouTube, let people watch for free.

It's just a matter of time before you can gain your first 1,000 subcribers and 4,000 watched hours and begin to fly.

Any new song requires promotion. Music marketing has become an integral part of a successful music career.

You're attracting the spambot posters now...