Without inspiration, writing a song is a chore – with inspiration, the magic happens! But where do songwriters and musicians get their inspiration from? Let us and the community know what inspires you the most when you are writing a song :-)
Tag: music
6 Guerilla Marketing Tips For Your Band
Especially when you have a small budget, Guerilla Marketing can be the right way for you to promote your band. It is a marketing tactic which is famous for surprises and unconventional interactions. The following tips will show you that you don’t always need wide-spread media campaigns in order to promote your music.
1. Stamping Dollar Bills
Go and get a personalized stamp with the link to your band’s homepage. You can also add a cheeky slogan like “This is all you have to pay for a night full of fun” (for example if your concert tickets cost 20$) and put the stamp on every 20$ bill that falls into your hands. A personalized stamp will cost you about 15$.
2. Temporary Tattoos
There are temporary tattoos that only last up to 1 or 2 days. So why not do something crazy and get a ‘tattoo’ of your band’s name and the link to your website on your arm, your leg …or even your forehead? With your new look, you can go to a concert for example or almost anywhere where you can meet people who are interested in music.
3. Surprise Concert
Why don’t you give a surprise concert in the city-center or at any other place that’s crowded? Distributing flyers and CD’s will help people remembering who you are. Don’t forget to mention where your next gig takes place so people can come and see you again.
4. Business Cards and Flyers
Go to your local library or bookstore and search for books about music or band biographies. Put one of your flyers or business cards in each and every book. This is a very cheap and effective way to reach your potential fans.
5. Disco Time
Do you still have the stamp you used for stamping the 20$ bills? Good, because you will need it again! Many clubs use stamps to mark the people who already paid admission. So why shouldn’t it be your stamp that is used? Go and ask the organizer of the event if he would agree to use your stamp for one night. People will remember the link to your website even on the next day! ( The ink seems pretty permanent even after having a shower, doesn’t it? ;-) )
6. CD-Store
Here is a special offer for your local CD store the owner just can’t dislike: Ask him if you can give a little concert in (or in front of) the store. He could also give away your CD’s for free or for a special price. This is a mutual benefit: Promotion for your band AND for the CD store.
What are your tips for effective Guerilla Marketing?
by Sara Shirazi
5 Things You Should Avoid When Making Music
1. Working on songs you don’t like
If you want your songs to be really good, you should have FUN working on them. You can work on a song for hours but if you don’t put your heart into it, it will never have that certain “Je ne sais quoi” – and people will hear that.
2. Not coming to an end
A typical phenomenon in the music industry is the constant urge to edit a song over and over again. Many people find it hard to come to an end and to finish a project, so they keep rearranging the audio track and rewriting the lyrics. Congratulations, you will be getting nowhere if you are caught up in this loop of indecision! Remember: You can only make progress and improve yourself if you finish something and start with a new project, a new idea!
3. Working together with annoying people
If you are not working on a commercial song, you can pick the people you want to work with by yourself. Nothing will stress you more out than a studio partner who is always late, who has nerve-racking habits or useless ideas. So make a wise decision concerning your co-workers!
4. Wearing blinders
Maybe you are used to a certain way of producing your songs. This way might not be bad but you should prevent yourself from wearing blinders all the time. If you try out new things, like a new technique or a different musical genre, your music will take a big step forward. Not only you, but also your listeners will benefit from this development for sure.
5. Being distracted
If you let yourself distract from other people, the phone, the TV, the radio … you can sure as hell not work on your song in a concentrated way. Being focused is the key to success. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a break while producing. Going for a short walk or for dinner with friends can be fun and refreshing – and you will have the energy to carry on with your work afterwards. Focused and productive!
by Sara Shirazi
The Music2Deal Blog 