The Undercover Band

If a music PR ever asks you the question “Well… What’s your budget?”, RUN!  This is definitely a red flag and this person or company is trying to take as much money as possible from you, in order to provide you exactly the same service and results regardless of the budget you give them. Must-Read:  My Best Tips on Promoting Music With No Budget With Music PR, the results are determined by several factors: the quality of the music, the artist’s history and previous press and their angles, and the quantity and quality of promotion materials (teaser, promo video, live video, pictures, artwork, music video, etc..) The biggest misconception of a PR campaign is to think that the more you pay the better the results. It doesn't work like that, because PR has already done the hard work getting all their press contacts and developing their network. So, in any way, they'll send emails to the same contacts, whether you pay a lot of money or not. A Music PR should already know the price a...

As musicians, we often believe that our music alone does the talking. It does, of course... but a well-written artist biography can be what gets your music listened to. It's the foundation of your music promotion campaign: giving the reader a glimpse into your career, your background, and accomplishments. At the beginning of a campaign, a music PR will expect you to have your biography ready before they start promoting. You need an updated biography for each release and you'll need it in all promotion and marketing spectrum: music journalists for press coverage, for your website, your social media accounts, your Spotify profile, your Youtube profile, Reverbnation, etc... A good and catchy band biography is not as easy to create as it might seem, so here are some tips on how to make one. Must-Read: My Best Tips on Promoting Music With No Budget Your biography should stand out and be a representation of your band's image and music. Don't forget to add your band's ...

Being an independent artist can feel lonely and overwhelming. You might even be under the impression that without money, you’ll never make it. But it's not true. In our digital world, music promotion is free and effective if you put the time and effort  into it. Must-Read: How to Get the Most Out of Your Radio Airplay? Here are my best tips to promote your music at no cost.  ONLINE PROMOTION The internet has become a very helpful tool for musicians to pitch their music to blogs. Aside from that, it has become a powerful place to let your music be known since this is where most audiences are without costing you anything.  HOW TO PITCH TO BLOGS: 1) WRITE OR UPDATE YOUR BIOGRAPHY 2) WRITE A PRESS RELEASE that contains the name of the artist, release date, the news you'd like them to share, and a link to the song. It can be the make or break as to whether you’re going to get online coverage or not. Writing your press release is pretty similar to writing your band biography ...

You released a new song, ran a promotion campaign and radio stations received your new song.  What now? Are you getting the most out of your radio airplay? Is your music playing on the radio? 1) Track Your Airplays That's easy to know : a website such as  WARM  ( World Airplay Radio Monitor) conducts real-time ra dio-tracking to report on what stations your song is being played. From boutique stations in Japan and college radios in Canada to national radios in 131 countries, you’ll always know when and where your music is being played. Even on specialist and genre-specific radio stations. They claim to track 28024 stations as I'm writing this post! I personally love their service and I highly recommend them. Their website is user friendly, and their service is super affordable and efficient. In addition to knowing how many times you're being played on the radio and where they're located, you'll be able to discover your fan base demographics, which is very useful whe...

Founder of   Radio TFSC and show host, Oli talks about his humble beginnings and his love and passion for music.  DJ Oli of TFSC Radio Coming from Stuttgart, Germany, Oli of Radio TFSC has always been into music. It's as if he was born to live with it.  "I always have had music around me. I remember when I was 6, I got my first vinyl as a birthday gift from my oldest brother. It was Metallica's "Ride The Lightning," and well since then, I just need music all the time around me! " Must-Read: INTERVIEW WITH Rocker Bob : "An actual DJ in a world of playlisters" He loves music. He is surrounded by things that remind him of it. But despite being around music almost his entire life, being a radio DJ wasn't his initial plan. He became one by accident and describes his radio journey as a funny one : "That's actually a funny, weird way. I used to play an Online Game and well to support the game more, as they lost a lot of players,...

With so many songs being released every day, your goal is to stand out and get your music heard. Choose a release date for your next release, on a Friday preferably, a few months or a few weeks prior. There are so many things to think about and to do before a release. There are so many platforms and social media to manage. There are so many people to get in touch with. I noticed that the biggest struggle for artists is to know when is the right time to do each of these things. If you don't have a set schedule, you'll be overwhelmed and unproductive. The secret : plan ahead .  Must-Read: WHAT DOES A PITCH LOOKS LIKE? How will you structure the best promotion calendar for your next release? Here's my suggested calendar to make your next release efficient and successful: Your plan should start 3 months before your music release: Register your new song on ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC , to collect your royalties. Those 3 PRO foci on royalties for your song (performance rights). For liv...

You recorded a new song, and you're thinking of putting it out there. You're not sure if you'll be hiring a PR yet, you haven't made a calendar for your release, and you don't know where to start? Don't worry. First things first.  This article is going to be a step by step guide to thinking and getting all the materials ready for your next music PR campaign, with or without a music PR company. Must-Read: WHEN SHOULD I PROMOTE? HIGH-RESOLUTION PICTURES  You will need at least two high-resolution pictures , one landscape, and one portrait that reflects your music genre, style, and image. These are essential for getting online coverage as it can be what catches a journalist’s eye.  It's also what will be used in any online features, so you want it to represent you as an artist. SINGLE/ALBUM ARTWORK You need artwork for your release, clearly stating the track title and your artist’s name. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but you definitely need it again...