Bob Baker's THE BUZZ FACTORDelivering music marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and more since 1996 - www.TheBuzzFactor.comNovember 5, 2002 - Vol. 7, Issue 29
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Do you have questions about getting radio airplay? Radio is not my area of expertise, but I still get plenty of musicians asking me for advice. Instead of shrugging my shoulders, I turned to Bryan Farrish for some answers. I just added two articles written by Bryan to the new Buzz Factor Premium Content section:
Read these and other subscribers-only goodies at While you're there, you'll also find an archive of every Buzz Factor issue published this year. Whether you missed them the first time around or just want to go back and refresh, you'll find 2002 back issues here. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME??? I need your help. I have a list of several potential music resource titles I could work on next, but I can't decide which ones to write first. Tell me what you want. Go to this page right now and vote for the title you'd most like me to offer: www.bob-baker.com/buzz/poll.html Thanks for your feedback. It means a lot. Have a great week! -Bob
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"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret
of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming
tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on
the first one."
"Good people are good because they've come to wisdom
through failure. We get very little wisdom from success."
SUCCESS LESSONS FROM JOHN MAYER John Mayer is not your typical rock star. He's clean-cut looking and a little goofy with an attitude-free, nice-guy demeanor. But that hasn't stopped him from selling well over a million copies of his debut album, "Room for Squares." You've probably heard his songs, "No Such Thing" and "Your Body Is a Wonderland," in regular rotation on adult alternative stations. I uncovered a couple of online interviews with Mayer that reveal some of the attributes that led to his good fortune in the music biz. "The best advice I can give is to be self reliant on your own musical world," Mayer told a writer from StarPolish.com. "Don't rely on anyone else to tell you where you are or what you do. Be a musician before anyone pays you for it. Be smart about it, be your own guide, and just create your own world before you let anyone else do it for you." Lesson: Discover and define who you are as a musician on your own. Don't expect someone else to come along and "develop" you. Creating your own style and image -- and being comfortable with them -- is the main thing that will lead to widespread recognition. "Realize that you can do anything you want to do," Mayer continued. "Nothing binds you to anything except yourself. I see a lot of people with talent sit, because they are scared. As long as you are alive you can screw up 150 times and still pick yourself up, if you are smart about it. "Also, you have to be kind of insane ... because there is a certain kind of insanity with a line of people standing outside a door saying, 'Don't go in there, it's really not gonna work,' and then being able to do it. You have to be ready to jump. You have to be ready to go broke for a while; you can't be scared of the bottom. If you're broke, figure out what you can do. Realize that you are as self-sufficient as you want to be." Lesson: Total dedication to and belief in your music is essential. Not everything you do will be perfect; don't let the fear of imperfection stop you from taking important steps forward with your career. Don't expect the worst, but also don't get rattled by disappointment when it happens.
Read the entire StarPolish.com interview at More lessons from John Mayer after this ...
ATTRACT THOUSANDS OF FANS ONLINE As I explained during my recent workshop in Nashville, to attract more fans you have to be incredibly clear about who you are as an artist and spell out the benefit you offer fans. That's the kind of advice I give in great detail in my book, "Branding Yourself Online." Through a special arrangement with the publisher, for a limited time I'm able to offer "Branding Yourself Online" at a deep discount. This thick, 350-page paperback book will show you how to create a rock-solid identity and attract thousands of fans on the Internet.
Find out more about the book and the discount at
SUCCESS LESSONS FROM JOHN MAYER (continued) According to a news story at MTV.com, after leaving Berklee School of Music, John Mayer moved to Atlanta and started writing songs. Since he couldn't find a band, he started performing as a solo act. "I didn't want to spend two years looking for a band, making excuses," he said. "'Cause when you work for yourself, all you have to do is make an excuse and you can go to sleep for a week. I wanted to get started playing acoustic clubs." And he did just that. Lesson: Too many talented musicians wait for all of their ducks to be in a row before they begin to perform, record and promote. While preparation is good, over planning to the point of stagnation can lead nowhere. Find a way to start ... and start soon. "I am really lucky," admitted Mayer. "By the time I came to a record company, I had already built my own little world. So I went up to them and said, 'Here's what I am. This is what I do. Would you like to help me?' I think that's the only position you should be in. If you are a young artist, you should never wait for someone to say, 'Go.'" Lesson: You don't need permission or approval to create your own style and scene. Record labels will be most interested in you when you know who you are musically and can prove that your sound and identity can attract a healthy number of fans -- without a label.
Read the entire MTV.com interview at
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REPRINT PERMISSION "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." (c) 2002 by Bob Baker - All Rights Reserved
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