Author: Music2Deal

English · Tips

Four Ways To Keep Your Fans

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Do you already have fans? Good! The first step is done! But how do you keep them for a long time? Here are some tips.

  1. Social Media

Your fans want to be connected to you and if they can’t meet you in person, the only way they can get answers to their questions is through social media. Make sure to take their requests seriously and to reply as soon as possible. Your personal website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or MySpace are good possibilities to stay in contact and to build a big fan base.

  1. Offer free music

People like everything in life they get for free. So why don’t you offer a free download of your newest demo song on your website? You can also distribute demo CD’s with a few selected songs. Your fans will be very thankful!

  1. Give a free concert

A free concert is a great way to promote yourself and your band. Dedicate 30 or 60 minutes of your time to make a great show and you will see that people will keep you in mind. This is one of the most effective ways of keeping your fans and winning new ones. It is not very time consuming and you will have a lot of fun at the same time.

  1. Treat your fans like friends

If you meet your fans after the concert take your time and talk to them. “You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak” (George Clooney) Treat your fans like friends, ask them how they feel today or how they liked the show. You can learn a lot from their praise and criticism. And never ever be arrogant, vain or unfriendly. Don’t take your fans for granted and they will thank you with loyalty and love.

So, what are you doing to keep your fans?

by Sara Shirazi

Interviews

Interview with Raylan Cooper

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Music2Deal: Raylan, please tell us something about you.

Raylan Cooper: Sara, I’d first like to tell you what a fine network Music2Deal has created – it is a first-rate community of music professionals. Well, let me see, I guess I’m just a guy who enjoys life to the fullest, optimist, who always strives to excel at whatever I do.

Music2Deal: How would you describe your music to somebody who has not listened to it yet in three words?

Raylan Cooper: powerful, emotional, inspiring

Music2Deal: Do you remember the first song you ever sang? How did it make you feel?

Raylan Cooper: Oh my, the first song I ever sang was the Genesis tune “Abacab” which for a newly minted singer was quite the challenge with its complex melodic line. This tune is still one of my all-time favorites.

Music2Deal: How did you become involved in the type of music you sing now?

Raylan Cooper: Moving predominately from pure progressive type rock with a twinge of pop to Country Pop, Pop, British Pop, and Jazz is more a reflection of my progression towards a more mainstream sound and the realization that my vocal strengths now reside more in pop than the rock genre. Although, I must admit I’m still a big fan of off-the-wall rock. One tune that I’m working up from back then is Aldo Nova’s “Fantasy” – now that’s an adrenaline rush of pure pleasure.

Music2Deal: What can people expect to see at your live performance?

Raylan Cooper: My live performances are never ever boring! There’s a mix of all genres even a little rock and soul but most of all I never want the fans to feel they know what to expect when they hear me perform. I want them to leave the show with a tingling in their spine a feeling that they’ve just been transported to musical heaven but in a way and with tunes they’d never expect to be combined into a 2 hour set-list.

Music2Deal: You used to be the frontman for the rock group Zillias in the late 80’s. What is the wildest story with the group you can tell us?

Raylan Cooper: Wow! Back then things were a bit wild-west in Miami, Florida. There was one night we were to perform at this upscale progressive type club frequented by very wealthy anything goes patrons of varying unusual backgrounds but just prior to going on stage there was a shoot-out – we just decided to exit quickly out the back. Luckily, we hadn’t had our instruments setup on stage just yet.

Music2Deal: If you could perform with anyone in the world, either dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Raylan Cooper: If I could perform with anyone or essentially any group it would be Duran Duran. Simon Le Bon personifies (the band in general) the avant-garde purely free spirited anything goes stage setting and clear connection with the audience that I strive for with every show.

Listen to Raylans music here.

Interviewed by Sara Shirazi

English · Tips

Our Top 7 Songwriting Tips

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This is a list of the most important and interesting songwriting tips we collected from various songwriters on Music2Deal. Hopefully they will help you improving your skills or just recall what you already forgot. Please feel free to comment below and let us know your personal songwriting tips.

  1. Be unpredictable

Don’t bore your audience by using the same rhymes in every single song. Try new rhyming schemes and don’t be predictable. New ideas will exceed your listeners expectations and you will stay in mind much longer by being special.

  1. Let other songs inspire you

Listen to good music and try to analyze what makes this music so special. Why do number 1 hits stay in your mind? You can learn a lot from the songwriting skills of other people. Let music from different genres inspire you and don’t just focus on the well-known sounds.

  1. Practice every single day

Try to practice every day, just to keep your hand in. You don’t have to write a whole song, a few lines or a chorus can sometimes be enough. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” (Frederic Douglass)

  1. Say more with less words

Don’t treat your words like you have an unlimited supply and don’t let them sound too obvious. Try to catch the spirit of a song and limit the number of words. A few meaningful words imply a lot more than a bunch of words you just wrote down, because you needed another line.

  1. Experiment without pressure

Don’t put yourself under pressure. You don’t have to write the perfect song on the first attempt. Just give new and unconventional ideas the chance to develop your creativity. By giving yourself the freedom to experiment you will be surprised of what you are capable of.

  1. Take a break

If you already sat there for hours, writing different kinds of verses – just have a break and leave your work for a couple of days. You will see that when you go through it again, you will be much more objective and maybe you can even put pieces of different ideas together to create the perfect song.

  1. Go with your gut

Don’t underestimate your skills and your gut feelings. Sometimes the first thing you come up with is the most genuine. Don’t try to make your song perfect under constraint. Music is about feel and people normally notice if your song doesn’t come from your heart.

What are your songwriting advices? Comment below and share your tips with us!

by Sara Shirazi