Part Of My Music Selling Strategy

Hey man,

Great that you are taking things in to your own hands. I predict many more people will be able to make a living out of music in the future because of how IM levels the playing field. (One of the biggest reasons I'm getting into IM is so that I can live a more flexible lifestyle and dedicate more time to my music).

I had a look at your sales page and to be honest I think your applying IM methods in the wrong way.

I don't think the classic 'sales page / squeeze page' method applies to the music scene.

Think more along the lines of creating a website where people can find out more about you, a place to discuss your music and connect with each-other.

Also you need to realise how important your look / image is in music. Your sales page doesn't convey anything about who you are or what your music is about.

Approach the whole endeavour as an integrated art project.

That's great syntheticrhyme. I am also interested in how IM methods might be used in the music genre to generate income.

Good luck with this venture! It's a very TOUGH industry to be in after experiencing this myself for the past six years! Keep plugging away though my friend and only good things can come of it! If the stuff is good, people will buy it! Simples!

So, these are kind of satirical, meant to be goofy funny songs, right?

I agree, though, the bonuses are completely unrelated to the music. Makes little sense. It would make more sense to give away something more pertinent to the music.

Just to let you know how I'm approaching things

When I start getting back into music again in a couple of months I'll be combining the old and new methods.

1. Play as many gigs as possible
2. Get e-mail addresses from people that like my music and want to be kept up to date
3. All the music I record will be free
4. Cool website that includes forum
5. Upsell the fans t-shirts, posters etc.

But then again my immediate goal won't be to make a million but rather to have 1000 core fans.

I run a music site with 30,000+ members on it, many of whom are trying to sell their music through not only my site but every other resource out there (cdbaby, itunes etc). The bottom line is that you should forget about making money from your music online. This is a harsh reality but it's the way the industry is now. If major signed acts are now giving away their studio produced albums for free plus you can actually buy any track you can imagine for around $0.09 on sites like legalsounds.com then you need to look at things differently. Take it from me, I'm working on a deal for $250K venture capital at the moment and have done a LOT of research into this area - there is no money in selling your own music online.
Give your music away for free, clock up significant numbers of downloads and comments/feedback etc - put it on every free site available to protect your identity. Make as many music videos as you can - even if it just means you sitting on front of a camera singing and playing a guitar. Your music should be your marketing tool, make it viral, make it free. Have everything leading back to a Facebook Fan page and ask everyone who downloads a track to Fan your page instead of asking for money. Make it clear that you are looking for commercial interest (including radio play, soundtracks - games/tv/jingles/apps/movie etc). Include links to your blog on every channel and outlet you have. Write a couple of pieces about each track - think about who might be interested: track dissects for other musicians, production values and mix, story/lyrics, any reviews you receive (you should be constantly pimping tracks across all platforms) - then feed all of these blog posts and updates (eg chart position & featured artist spot on given networks) back to your Facebook Fan Page.
Get the picture? You need to prove that there is a buzz about your music if you want a label to take note. You will find booking gigs easier if you can be found easily on Google and if your music is readily available to listen to. The more of a buzz you create the easier you will find it to get small radio interviews (work this angle and you will find it easier to get a big radio interview which can help you make break).
Offering ebooks etc with music is like offering hairbrushes to bald people - it's totally unrelated and takes the focus off the music. If you want to sell ebook to make money then fair enough, sell ebooks. If you want to get noticed as a musician and work toward making a living off it then focus 100% on it and don't dilute your product. Last thing, you are trying to create a brand out of yourself - don't let anything dilute that brand.

As mentioned by others, the bonuses make no sense. It should be music related.

You know what I'd do? If my goal was to sell a million albums, I'd sell it for a buck. My bonus would be my next album for free to anyone who buys this one and tells three friends. You'd make one million dollars. I'd tell everyone you're selling it for only a dollar because you want to sell one million copies. It would have a better chance to go viral. You make a name for yourself. You could do some effective press releases with such a unique campaign.

And you'd have a million bucks. Think about it. If someone offered you one million dollars right now to come out with two albums, wouldn't you jump at the chance? I sure would.

I don't mean to be discouraging, but I doubt if you'll make your goal at $5.00 an album. There isn't a unique story to it. It's not even a real album anyway, it's a download. You need to give people something to latch on to if you want it to catch on. There's my two cents.

Edit: On second thought, I'd make the "free album" contingent on reaching your target. I update the page every day to show how many albums have been sold. If you can sell a bunch to get the ball rolling, the number constantly updating will be a form of social proof that you've got a hot idea. I wouldn't offer any other bonus. A buck for an album doesn't need a bonus. Neither does an album for $5.00 for that matter. People buying music aren't used to getting bonuses with their music purchase are they? Except maybe a bonus song.

I watched your video and think that this goal "could" be achievable. I agree it has to go viral. The secret is not going to be your music though (even though it sounds good). The make or break will be the "story". And the story if of course you taking on such an ambitious goal!

So I was thinking about getting the mainstream media involved somehow. "Can this guy really do this?" kind or thing. "Sell a million a million CD's online?". I agree with Dennis to make 'em a $1.

If you could get the right kind of exposure people might "buy" in - not so much for the music (though again it sounds good!)- but to part of the story - this guy selling a million CD's online etc But it has to go viral for his to happen

good luck

@SyntheticRhyme - instead of unrelated ebooks, did you consider things that music fans would like? Some examples:

- downloadable album insert booklet (those lyric books that used to come with CDs and albums)

- cool graphical posters (could be downloadable version too, with a link to an online on-demand printing service)

- bonus songs/tracks

- secret video (like "the making of", like all the director's commentary on premium DVDs)

- mp3s from some related artists (you could do a JV of sorts - it introduces people to other similar artists, and those artists could promote you the same way)

- extended versions of your top songs, if appropriate, or remixes, dance versions, etc

You are an artist - use your imagination. What do music lovers want? Certainly not an unrelated ebook. If you had an ebook on the history of your type of music, or the evolution of it, at least that would appeal to the intellectuals. If your music is "funny" or "novelty" then how about funny and novelty ebooks?

Also, music sites should be "cool" and artistic. I expect that from my musicians. Even nerdy musicians (like Weird Al Yankovic) have cool websites.

Georgetta

Don't forget to reach out to music blogs that cover your kind of music (I guarantee there will be one.)

This has been huge over the last 5 years for small bands getting buzz and eyeballs from their potential fanbase.

People are looking for new music if you can get it in front of them on the merits of the music itself!