February 19, 2002

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Read the previous issue here:
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/021002.html

=========== Recommended Resources ===========

197 PROMOTION TIPS FOR INDIE MUSICIANS
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/197.html
An incredible, new collection of ideas, tricks and resources you can start using right now to promote your music.

GET 7 MUSIC BIZ SPECIAL REPORTS FREE ...
when you purchase the Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook, featuring hundreds of ways to thrive and prosper with your original music. Details at ...
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music_marketing.htm

SELL MORE CDs & MERCHANDISE ONLINE!
www.bob-baker.com/cdstreet.html
Accept credit cards. No setup fee. It's fast, easy and reliable. The Buzz Factor has been using this very service for years. You should too.

In This Issue:

• Six Ways to Find Radio Stations to Play Your Music
• Creating Powerful Music Ads
• Where Do You Find Songwriting Inspiration?
• Upcoming Music Industry Events

WELCOME!

First, the bad news ...

Has Garageband.com gone the way of so many other failed Internet companies? Here is part of the message that appears on the site's home page:

"We're going through a rough period right now at Garageband ... Earlier this week, a deal which is critical to the distribution of our records, and which we've been negotiating for some time, fell apart ... To conserve cash as we endeavor to close another distribution agreement, we have pulled the garageband.com website off line. This means that you will not be able to access any of the site's music or information."

Too bad. Garageband was part indie music portal, part record label. Artists were heard and rated via fan reviews. Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads was a founder. Read more about the site's struggle to survive here:

Garageband Unplugs Site
news.com.com/2100-1023-839312.html?legacy=cnet

Now, the good news ...

I was happy to see that GetSigned.com, a site that was a part of Garageband.com (and where I write a regular column), will apparently not be affected by Garageband's troubles. So you should still be able to access the wealth of articles at GetSigned for some time to come.

More warm and fuzzy news ...

Jeff Sanders, of the band Mountain Mirrors, sent this lovely note:

"Your newsletters and Online Music PR Hot List have been valuable tools for me in getting the word out about Mountain Mirrors. I want you to know that your hard work is greatly appreciated."

You say you don't have your copy of the "Music PR Hot List," featuring 101 places to submit press releases, get reviewed, uncover PR connections and promote your music on the Internet? Run, don't walk, to www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music_pr.htm to find out more.

May you create music of Olympic proportions this week!

-Bob

============= Quote of the Week =============

"The trouble with music appreciation in general is that people are taught to have too much respect for music; they should be taught to love it instead."
-Igor Stravinsky

========= Bob's Buzz Tips of the Week =========

FINDING RADIO STATIONS TO PLAY YOUR MUSIC

Want to hunt down more radio stations for potential airplay? Here are the six best online resources to help you find them.

Radio-Locator
radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/home
A comprehensive radio station search engine with links to over 10,000 radio station web pages and 2,500 audio streams from stations around the world.

TopRadio.com
www.topradio.com
Radio stations listed by state, city, country, format and more.

Google Directory - Radio > Formats > Programs
directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Radio/Formats/Programs/
Links to dozens of radio programs, many of which play unsigned artists.

Radio Tower
www.radiotower.com
Links to more than 1,300 webcasts, online radio stations and streaming live audio from around the world.

RadioLinks.net
www.radiolinks.net
A directory of links for people who work in the radio industry (including stations).

Microradio Stations
radio.about.com/cs/stationsfmus
A directory of web pages for low-power FM ('microradio') stations in the United States, organized by region.

CREATING POWERFUL MUSIC ADS
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/6adtips.html
Remain consistent with your theme and design. Choose a look and attitude that will stay the same for weeks, months, maybe even years to come. Having a consistent design and feel to your ads burns an impression of your music into the minds of consumers. And that's exactly what you want to do!

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/julie_bailey.html
"I think of every life situation in terms of words and music. I see a song in everything," says singer-songwriter Julie Ann Bailey. "I'm sure photographers and artists look at their environment in relation to their medium, too. Comedians do the same thing. I just see my surroundings, my circumstances or someone else's as a potential song."

============= Promote Your Music =============

THE ONLINE MUSIC PR HOT LIST
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music_pr.htm
101 places to submit press releases, get reviewed, uncover PR connections and promote your music on the Internet.

============ Resources You Can Use ============

FOLK MUSIC MADE EZ
Check out ezFolk at www.ezfolk.com -- Richard Hefner's instructional site for banjo, folk guitar and ukulele. The site contains hundreds of pages of tablature and tutorials as well as the ezFolk Link Directory, with links to over 2,000 music sites.

UPCOMING MUSIC INDUSTRY EVENTS

February 27 - March 3
Canadian Music Week, Toronto, Ontario
www.cmw.net

March 1 - 4
International Sound Symposium, San Jose, CA
www.healingmusic.org/ISS

March 2 - 3
Global Entertainment & Media Summit, New York City
www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com

March 8 - 17
SXSW, Austin, TX
www.sxsw.com

March 9 - 12
NARM, San Francisco, CA
www.narm.com

March 20 - 24
Caribbean Music Expo, Coho Rios, Jamaica
www.cme.com.jm

April 5 - 6
Music Row 2002 Songwriters Symposium, Nashville, TN
www.nashvillesongwriters.com

============= More Cool Resources =============

How to Promote Your Music on the Internet
www.rainmusic.com/htpma/buzz.htm

Branding Yourself Online
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/byo.html

How to Make $100,000 a Year in the Music Business
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/100.html

Indie Music Contact Bible
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/icb.html

MusicMarketingBooks.com
www.musicmarketingbooks.com

FREE MP3 Audio Excerpts from Bob's Books
www.mp3.com/Bob-Baker

Internet Marketing Secrets Revealed
www.bizweb2000.com/new/d8513

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Would you like to run some of the content from this issue on your web site or in your e-zine or print publication? You may do so for free as long as the following credit is added:

"Reprinted from Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor, featuring free marketing and self-promotion ideas for songwriters, musicians and bands on a budget. Visit www.TheBuzzFactor.com for free details."

(Note: This offer doesn't apply to my GetSigned.com columns. Those are exclusive articles.)