Marketing for Musicians: Sell What you Love

Do you love to sing?  Think you could sell a few albums?  Trust me, its not the easiest job in the world, but you know the saying:  “Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life!”

For me, singing and producing albums is the fun part.  Marketing the music takes some effort, but with my plan and supportive people to help me, its also an enjoyable task.

Get on the right path for your music marketing!

Get on the right path for your music marketing!

I’d like to share what has worked for Marcomé music.  As you might know, I write, perform, produce and sell my own albums.  The past ten years have been an amazing journey for me, culminating recently in the exciting release of my new hit music video and single, “Twitter Me Some Love.”

If you are just starting out, or if you want to focus your efforts to sell what you love, consider these tips.  They’ll make marketing for musicians as easy as “do, re, mi!”

1. Create great music.  This has to come first, of course!  No matter how hard you push your songs, they have to be good, or no one will buy them!

2. Live performances.  Music videos can go viral on YouTube, but the way to really get word of mouth going is to perform in front of a live audience.  The excitement that can be generated from a performance at a club or other venue cannot be felt when you watch a video.  It goes both ways, too!  You’ll probably perform better with the energy from the crowd.

3. Be a Name Dropper.  I don’t mean to tell the world who you know, but definitely say who you are!  Hand out stickers and window decals.  Sell T-shirts, bags and mugs with your name and image (perhaps even include a URL for your website too).  Advertise your live performances with banners and don’t be shy!  Don’t forget to bring CDs to your shows so that eager fans can take your music with them!

Of course, you don’t have to be performing to let the world know you are a singer-songwriter.  Tell your friends, co-workers… even the barista at the local coffee bar.  Don’t keep your special secret under wraps.

Expand your horizons and spread your own good news

Expand your horizons and spread your own good news

4.  Develop a mailing list. On my website, I invite people to register and join my fan club so that they can get special offers and advance notice of new videos, songs and concerts.  When you are performing, ask people to sign in at the door if they want to join your fan club.  You could even put out a fish bowl to collect business cards for a drawing for a free CD.  Once you have the email addresses, be sure to send them news periodically too!

5.  Don’t underestimate the value of “free.” I’m not suggesting that you give away the product of your hard work.  However, you may sell more albums by offering a buy 2 MP3 files, get 1 free offer.  Some musicians offer CDs at a discount price, or even for free, to those that pay to attend one of their concerts.  Build loyalty and a strong fan base with rewards.

6. Keep it simple. You might have many talents, but the one that you want people to focus on is your music, right?  So be a musician, and a good one at that!  Keep your message straightforward and simple to encourage people to listen to (and hopefully buy) your songs.  Don’t forget that your message can be conveyed in many media:  website, newsletters, and even social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.  Find a consistent brand and message and stick to it.

27402601

Marketing is all about you!

7. Don’t give up! Some marketing experts claim that a potential customer needs to see or hear about a product an average of nine times before they make a purchase.  Keep up your consistent marketing efforts through newsletters, fliers, a website, and social networking and it will pay off.  My blog on new age music is ony about a year old, but I post at least twice a week, which has increased my readership and fan base.  I’m selling more CDs as a result!

8. Direct people to a single site. When you direct people to a single site, you have a better chance of converting their visits into sales.  I have many online profiles on the Internet (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube), but they all point back to Marcome.com.  That site is the primary place at which you can purchase CDs, MP3 files and gifts.

9. Encourage people to buy your music. Sure, you like to sing and perform, but let’s be honest – this is your career!  You must not be shy in selling your songs.  Make it easy for your fans to purchase your music on your website.  Promote special deals throughout your online profiles and in your newsletters.  Trust me, if they are on your website, they probably want to buy your music!

10. Be a “Numbers Person.” Your statistics can guide you in the right direction.  Keep track of the people on your mailing list, how many visitors you have coming to your website, and how many CDs you sell in a given month.  From there, set quarterly and annual goals to increase those figures.  Think about what you could do differently and constantly have your finger on the pulse of what your competitors are doing.  My friends will agree that I am constantly monitoring the statistics on my music blog and celebrate each time I reach a new benchmark!

Once you implement these marketing tips, you’ll discover that the doors in the music business will more readily open for you.  Best of luck in pursuing your dreams!

If you liked this post, be sure to see Follow Your Favorite Musicians on Twitter and Twitter Magic.

Parada by new age music vocalist Marcomé

Parada by new age music vocalist Marcomé

New age music artist singer Marcomé - song Parada South America, you’re lying in a hammock on the sea shore, yet, it’s strangely silent. You only feel the very light warm breeze caressing your face. It’s getting really warm. The air barely moves in the deep green...

New age music vocal artist Marcomé – Lux Eterna

New age music vocal artist Marcomé – Lux Eterna

New age music artist singer Marcomé new song - Lux Eterna Prepare to be enraptured by Marcomé's angelic voice, as she weaves a tapestry of profound emotions through her evocative voices and enchanting melodies. "Lux Eterna" is an ode to the enduring power of light and...

New age music with female vocals – Marcomé Song To Montanaro

New age music with female vocals – Marcomé Song To Montanaro

Marcomé takes new age music to a new level with catchy rhythms and dreamy melodies and airy vocals. Female vocalist and proficient keyboardist, Marcomé has been touted as being Canada's counterpoint to Enya in 1994, and later 2002. But this most recent song called "To...

New age music female vocals on Spotify: meet Marcomé

New age music female vocals on Spotify: meet Marcomé

Marcomé Voices & Music   Marcomé has carved out a career both as a well-respected sound engineer and a musical artist. A super songstress whose mostly wordless vocals display anew why the human voice is that most incredible and flexible of all instruments. Her...

Zen Voices Meditation Chants by New Age Music Artist Marcomé

Zen Voices Meditation Chants by New Age Music Artist Marcomé

Relaxing Music Artist Marcomé brings us deep in the moment with Zen Voices Meditation Chants. Blissful and profoundly relaxing, Zen Voices is a musical tale that envelops body & Soul. Marcomé's pure and sultry voices mingle graciously into nature's sounds and...

Relaxing music: 1 Hour Meditation Love Prayer Chant by Marcomé

Relaxing music: 1 Hour Meditation Love Prayer Chant by Marcomé

1 Hour Meditation music to relief stress, practice yoga or meditation and give or receive a massage or simply help to go to sleep! Of course you could use it for other purposes, I love calming background music when I cook! Marcomé ♥ “Through my love for you, I...

Peace in my heart by Marcomé

Peace in my heart by Marcomé

Peace in my heart is a love music song about dancing with life, caring for oneself and others. Slowly and gently, life brings us closer toward what we’re meant to become which is… Love! And that love to be fulfilling has to be unconditional. I sincerely wish you to...

Healing with Music Quotes

Healing with Music Quotes

“Music makes people interpret their own emotions with the music and it makes them ponder their own life a lot: Am I happy in my work? Am I happy in my relationships? What am I striving for?” – Enya