Indie Music Labels: the ins & outs

Plagiarism is a very common practice used for the lack of original ideas. it is indeed very prevalent.

The linK BELOW provides many of the resources used by artist in honing their skills as a precursor to entering into the atmosphere of a formal ' studio '. In some cases the quality of the recording made there is on par with a professional studio.

Part of the Blueprint has been written by an authority on the subject. Someone who is signed to a Major Music Label. A writer and fellow musician and who is best at describing his trials and mistakes. Someone who is willing to document his successful journey for others to follow his recipe to success if you may. Enough about one of my sources, You can peruse his bio later. Today I want to add the ever important topic of Marketing as it relates to Music, your success and that of owning an Indie Music Label.

Have you Noticed I use the word 'success' over and over again? That is paramount to your existence. So much relies on your ability to market your Label properly and cost effective. Today, in a digital environment where the Internet plays an important role in getting your message across, any reliably good advice is important.

'Finding you' is very important as it is important to hear your artist as well. You are found by search engines and unless you are ahead of the class by virtue of your prowess or your money, you are just like any ordinary student in a very big class.

You do not stand out and to the contrary you do not sit at the head of the class. This article is an attempt to get you closer to the teacher and the 'chalk board'. Today it is not fashionable to be at the back of the class neither is it profitable.

Proper usage of the right key words and phrases in your marketing narrative and music will get you there.(using proper SEO tactic will get you there as well) This is addressed in the below mentioned ebook (on http://monopolymediamarketing.com/other-links/ ) that form what I refer to as part of 'the Blueprint series'. (it is rather cheap or should I say, inexpensive).

Now that we are 'there' and hopefully we have a captive audience, we will need to use it wisely. Time to market our product.

Getting the word out is not marketing. Don't confuse Marketing with Advertising. You get the word out when people 'want' the word. It is your job to create the demand. The old saying of 'give the people what they want' comes to mind. We are creatures of habit. Most of us follow the crowd so its up to you to identify the leaders and influence them, the rest will follow.

It is increasingly difficult to 'break' a new artist as it is to introduce a new art form. It is like trying to swim against the tide. It can be difficult but quite rewarding (ask the trout fish)

There is a Grey area that deals with celebrity endorsement & product placement (alignment). It works very well in product marketing (clothes, drink, etc). Top Musicians are regarded as trend setters. A good example concerning alignment is encouraging your artist's song to be in a feature film, an upcoming movie or be a popular jingle.

Visual marketing is very important as well. For instance, if you manage an artist or group it is advisable to hire or at least retain a good publicist. Have your music artist at as many public events as possible and constantly seen with celebs. Seek a good clothing endorsement or invest in the appropriate dress. Constantly being seen (your artist) will raise a public awareness and demand will rise if not out of curiosity alone. The marketing process has begun and is well on its way. This is commonly referred to as positive Branding.

After successfully (there goes that word again) marketing the image, all that's left is for the artist to back up these efforts in the studio. At this point, artist morale is so high that the product coming out the studio should be way above par. The artist will be so 'pumped up' to match his ego which has gotten a boost from your efforts (stroking the artist's ego is good but brown nosing is not). Proper Marketing truly has its benefits. Not only in financial gains but from a moral perspective as well.

Knowing that you can formulate a plan and successfully implement it using your ideas coupled with those of others is an achievement in itself.

Having owned an Indie label has done several things but the most important thing it has taught me is how to be humble.

Taking and listening to advice from others is important. Giving credibility to others is paramount to your growth. Anybody can give advice, its up to you to choose to follow it. Good advice comes with a premium. Mine is free.

Throughout this narrative the word SUCCESS is constantly used and that is not by mistake. The pinnacle of any project brought to fruition is not failure, It is success.

Nobody enter a race to lose or seldom to say i compete or was the runner up. The Marathon is different as they can be only one winner but participants enjoy saying 'I competed'. In Marketing however, we strive to be all winners. The race is not for the swift but for he that endureth. (once said by a wise man)

So there you have it. ENOUGH FODDER to ponder what you are doing right (or wrong). 
Enough to 'tweak' your approach a bit with the knowledge that there is no fixed way of achieving marketing success.

There is no right way or wrong way, there are however 'proven' ways and that evolves everyday with the constantly changing market.
http://monopolymediamarketing.com/other-links/ 

Much Success
Paul Doyle