March 6, 2002

In This Issue:

• Do You Have an Indie Music Mindset?
• Press Release Headline Do's and Don'ts
• $1,000s in Emerging Music Grant Money
• Getting Exposed in South Florida

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WELCOME!

I want your help with a new music resource I'm putting together ...

The working title of the e-book is The Top 100 Online Resources for Acoustic Musicians. I already have more than a hundred possibilities to include, but I want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Are you a solo acoustic performer? A singer-songwriter? The member of an unplugged duo or trio? Do you hit the open mic nights with regularity? If so, let me know where you go online to get advice, find out about show opportunities, promote your gigs and more.

Just send an e-mail to bob@thebuzzfactor.com with your recommendations.

Can You Feel the Love?

Subscriber Karolina Strassmayer sent this wonderful note last week:

"Bob, I've read many of your newsletters and articles and found them inspiring and encouraging. I'm tired of people who are bitter and tell you that there's no money to be made in the music business and we all might as well get real jobs. I'm so glad there are people like you who take charge of their careers and don't wait until they get 'discovered.'"

I hope you take Karolina's underlying thought to heart. It speaks to the core of what this newsletter is all about -- the independent musician's mindset. It's an attitude that doesn't wait for someone to give you permission to feel worthy. It's a plan of attack that doesn't depend on record labels, managers, radio stations or distributors to determine your success.

An independent musician -- or guerrilla music marketer, as I like to call it -- feels responsible for his or her own career. Feels obsessed with spreading their music to as many people as possible, and chooses to take their music directly to fans, instead of working through tradition middlemen.

Are you a guerrilla music marketer? I hope so.

-Bob

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

THE ONLINE MUSIC PR HOT LIST
101 places to submit press releases, get reviewed, uncover PR connections and promote your music on the Internet.

197 PROMOTION TIPS FOR INDIE MUSICIANS
An incredible, new collection of ideas, tricks and resources you can start using right now to promote your music.

SELL MORE CDs & MERCHANDISE ONLINE!
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.

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

"The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out, the conservative adopts them."
-Mark Twain

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

PRESS RELEASE HEADLINE DO'S AND DON'TS

Before a writer or editor will read your press release, he or she must have a reason to look it over. A good headline and subhead combination can make the difference between a press release that gets read and exposed ... and one that gets ignored. Nowhere is this more true than with online press release postings.

Take a look at mi2n.com/news/bands -- where bands and record labels post hundreds of PR notices. All you see is a listing of short headlines and slightly longer subheads. Viewers need to click a headline to read each entire press release. Choosing the right words is crucial.

Here are some examples of headlines from the mi2n.com site, along with my thoughts on what works and what doesn't:

Headline: Tito Puente Jr and His Orchestra
Subhead: Tito Puente Jr Orchestra Ready for the World

Comments: The best headlines succinctly spell out the essence of the news story. Tito Puente Jr's headline says nothing but the name of the act -- which is NOT a news story. A good subhead supplies additional details that elaborate on the headline. Again, Tito's publicist falls short with this empty sentence about being "ready for the world." It leaves too many unanswered questions.

Headline: Marillion 'Anorak in the UK Live'
Subhead: Marillion have delighted in attacking musical conventionality and have succeeded in forging a distinctive identity

Comments: This headline doesn't say much either. I'm guessing it's an album title, but I'm not sure. The subhead is made up of 15 words that communicate nothing. I know that Marillion has a "distinctive identity," but this subhead gives no clue as to what that identity is.

Headline: Zak Daniels and the One-Eyed Snakes Live on Stage Again!
Subhead: Zak Daniels and the One-Eyed Snakes Return to the Stage

Comments: Here's another example of poor headline usage. And the subhead simply repeats the message in the headline -- a wasted opportunity to explain why anyone should care that Zak Daniels is back onstage.

Headline: Jewel Announces First Leg of North American Tour
Subhead: New Single, "Break Me," Shipping to Radio Next Week; "Tonight Show" Appearance Set for March 14

Comments: This major label press release offers a good example of an effective headline. It's about Jewel's upcoming tour. The subhead provides more details on noteworthy things that Jewel is up to. In other words, this headline/subhead combination lets you know what the release is about and why it's newsworthy.

Headline: Lo Fidelity Allstars Return to the States
Subhead: The Lo Fidelity Allstars, the band Stuff magazine called "England's best rock-techno combo ever," return to the U.S.

Comments: This headline is serviceable, and the subhead (while a little repetitive) gives you a reason to find out why Stuff magazine things so highly of this band.

Headline: Diana Krall's "The Look of Love" Goes Platinum
Subhead: Diana Kraal's fifth album, "The Look of Love" (Verve Records), certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America

Comments: Again, what makes this basic combo work is having the news story spelled out in the headline. Had the publicist used the less-specific "Diana Krall's 'The Look of Love' Takes Off," the news angle would have been lost.

Use these tips to make your press releases more eye catching.

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

GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING HANDBOOK
Five-Star Review at Amazon.com:
"This book has a wealth of information for all levels of musicians and performers. I've been in this business for many years and still found great suggestions. In fact, as soon as I started reading it, I was brainstorming ideas which I have since put into practice with great success. The 'Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook' is a must-have for anyone who wants to further their music career."
-Jon Pomplin

======== Music News & Ideas You Can Use ========

TEAM UP WITH OTHER PERFORMERS AND BANDS
dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/Artists
Looking for other artists to work with on gigs, cross promotions, etc.? Head to the giant music artist section of Yahoo's vast directory. Search for other musicians by country, genre, instrument and more. Click the Genre category and you'll find links to more than 26,000 rock/pop; 1,642 rap/hip-hop; 1,511 R&B/soul; 2,041 country; and 1,742 folk acts ... and more.

GETTING SWEPT AWAY IN SOUTH FLORIDA
South Florida's "Swept Away TV" invites artists in the singer-songwriter, punk or rock band categories to submit CDs and music videos for review and airing. The program reaches more than 500,000 households in South Florida. Contact Amanda Rich at (561) 241-9110, amanda@sweptawayonline.com or sweptawayonline.com.

Also in South Florida ... WKPX (88.5 FM) is looking for indie, progressive and art rock artists to expose to its 10,000 daily listeners. WKPX reports to the CMJ charts. Send promotional materials to: Christine, c/o WKPX, 8000 NW 44th St, Sunrise, FL 33351. Phone: (954) 572-1335.

OUR LADY PEACE SEARCHES FOR A GUITARIST
Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace is searching far and wide for a new guitarist. Longtime member Mike Turner left the band in December. If you think you have what it takes to riff with these rockers, head to ourladypeace.com/readme.html.

GRANT PROGRAM HELPS UNSIGNED MUSICIANS
Bourbon maker Jim Beam will award another $100,000 in grant money in 2002 to unsigned artists through the B.E.A.M. (Benefiting Emerging Artists in Music) program. In the past three years, the program has given $225,000 to emerging talent, providing financial assistance, musical resources and exposure to 95 recipients in 39 states. The B.E.A.M. program is open to unsigned artists from all genres. Visit www.jimbeam.com for application instructions.

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

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

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

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

Creating Musical Wealth
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/cmw.html

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

MusicMarketingBooks.com
www.musicmarketingbooks.com

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

Ignite Your Creative Passion
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/ignite.html

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