Indie Music Publicity - 4 Vital Tips to Getting Your Own Effective Music PR

Ever wonder why it's so difficult to advance your career to the next level? Why some artists are getting media coverage, radio play, digital plays, and gaining Facebook fans, drastically increasing their fan base day by day, and selling records and digital downloads like they're going out of style with the ultimate result being... serious expansion of your fan base, creating awareness for your project, selling CDs and digital downloads, and gaining the attention of the record labels and professional artist management companies?

So What's the Answer? Well it's really a no-brainer...

The Answer Is -- "MUSIC PUBLICITY"!!

Pretty much nothing happens without it - no matter what level of the music business you have obtained. Every artist must have it.

Understanding the "guidelines to publicity in the music business" can be a difficult task for the independent artist. A well connected music publicist or indie music publicist creating a buzz, a story, a history... getting your record reviewed, writing and distributing press releases, and feature articles and interviews will increase your chances of getting noticed. Simplified; a good media relations expert generating the music publicity awareness you need to get noticed among the massive sea of artists all striving for the same end goal. It can be very difficult to do your own independent music PR as a relatively unknown indie artist. This is how the help of an effective music publicist can help. A good indie music publicist, that has built all the relationships for you can greatly expedite the process and increase results if you have the budget and can afford the fees of a music PR professional. If you can't, there are ways to do your own music publicity.

1. Do Your Due Diligence -

Do the necessary online research to uncover the media portals that may be appropriate for you to submit to on your own.

2. Follow The Media Outlets Submission Guidelines -

Make sure to follow their submission guidelines closely. Nothing aggravates a music journalist more than being bombarded with inappropriate submissions.

3. Do Not Follow Up -

Once you have submitted your CD for review, feature, or interview - Be Patient. These portals receive 100's of submissions weekly. It may take months before you are considered. (This is where a veteran music publicist can help - their relationship can supersede the process.) Don't follow up - If the music journalist wants to do the review he or she will let you know.

4. Simplify and Expedite the Process for Faster Results -

Cut down on all that research and media outlet documentation - It can take you months to put together and continually update your music media database. Purchase a comprehensive indie music publicity resource guide (very inexpensive) that has the database already laid out for you and formatted for immediate use. There are a few out there but hands down the most effective DIY Music Publicity resource is the Indie Bible. It is updated monthly and contains the most comprehensive lists of music media outlets that will review your CD and provide radio play.

All and all - getting effective media coverage for your project is not an easy task to do on your own. I recommend if you have any budget at all for music promotion and music marketing that you consider hiring a good indie music publicity company. If they are a reliable PR firm, they will get the job done faster and far more effectively - and ultimately get the results you are looking for.

©2011 Ken Cavalier All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Ken Cavalier is an Indie Music Publicist, Music Marketing Consultant, and founder of Allure Media Entertainment Group, Inc. (New York - Philadelphia) a fast growing music publicity and indie music marketing company. As a former artist, his passion for helping indie musicians realize their career goals has enabled him to launch and manage extremely successful indie music publicity campaigns for hundreds of independent artists over the years. He is a voting member of many distinguished music industry organizations including The National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (™The Grammy Association).

For more details and information on his company and his services visit:
http://www.indiemusicconsultant.com/musicpublicity.html

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Effective Music Videos for Any Budget

Music video Production

Music video production companies have had to lower their prices to be able to compete with the lower profit margins the music industry is now facing. But is that a bad thing?

Well, people still need and want music videos, TV channels still play them and since the exponential growth in video streaming there is an even bigger audience for them.

We all understand by now the problems the music industry are facing with illegal downloads and the loss of physical sales, which has caused a price cut across the entire industry. Companies are now looking to reduce costs wherever possible and music videos are just one of those areas. The issue from this is that the companies still require the same production standard and level of quality that they are used to seeing. What this means is that the production company needs to get creative. Here are a few tips on how to do this:

1. Pre Production; It is vital to spend time on the pre production, creating the treatment, storyboarding the shots, designing the lighting set up etc. If you can't afford a storyboard artist, then try using some storyboard software, most of them have trials so that you can decide which is the best for you. If you can't afford that then a notepad always works. One important area of the pre production is location scouting. Make sure that you spend time finding the perfect location, on a limited budget this could take a lot longer but will make all the difference to the final edit.

2. Production; Choose your equipment wisely. Music videos are interesting as they don't conform to any particular set model or format, they can literally be whatever you can dream up. first look at your equipment, what camera are you going to use? I realise that a lot of people still go on about it must be shot on the RED camera. It really doesn't have to be. The camera is just a tool and it depends on how you use it. A great HD alternative nowadays is to shoot on a DSLR, which are very reasonably priced and allows you to hire a range of lenses without having to spend a fortune. Look at your lighting, what can you afford, if you only have a couple of red heads for example work out in pre production the most effective way of using them to achieve the lighting design that you want.

3. Post Production; This is key to getting that big budget look. I would suggest you take a couple of shots from different scenes and play around with different digital grading techniques that will enhance the image of your music video.

Once you have done this put your offline edit together, and once you are happy that the shots and the pace match your track create your online edit and your away.

By utilising reasonably priced equipment, post production software and spending time on the treatment that is feasible for your budget, there is no reason why you can't compete with the top priced music videos, and create something which is creatively unique at a high quality standard.

Dynomite productions are a video and animation production company, creating work for public sector, private sector and broadcast clients.

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