JPG.jpg)
I always say this is a great time in music, because everything's wrong. It's forcing truly creative people and artists to get their weight up and use more than a corner of their brains to make things happen.
My man X-ro has executed this concept beautifully with his video-journalistic mixtape series "X-RoVisions", which chronicles not only the independent movement in Los Angeles (I even make a few appearances in there), but it's all soundtracked by his music. Here, we can not only vibe out to his hypnotic music, but also get informed along the way, and maybe pick up on some other artists we may have not known about before. That's a Good Look. Speaking of which, I'm a little jealous that he kind of beat me to the punch with the video journalism thing, because that's EXACTLY where the Good Look Monthly Newsletter is going next (nudge, hint). Great minds think alike...
For those who don't know, X-Ro, (or "Ro" as we call him), is the founder of The VJC, my music fraternity...and he is also a member of The Milky Way, The VJC's new band.
So pull up a chair and take your time with this one, it's about 20 minutes long..take it in chunks if you need to, but take it all in. There are some dope jewels in there, including some videos from one of my favorite artists, Two B.
X-RoVision MixTape DvD from Jesse Pinkney on Vimeo.
Clips I have produced or edited in the past with the help of the following artists. Ras G, Two B, Freddie Harris, Pac Div, SumKid, X-Ro, Chula Vista Skate Park, and Mind Frame. Enjoy some underground in X-RoVision. Produced and edited by: Jesse "X-RoVision" Pinkney. For more info contact: JPINK3@GMAIL.COM
10 Sites Every Serious Indie Musician Should Have Bookmarked, and Why - Pt. 2
6. The Sixty One
The URL:
www.thesixtyone.com
One of my personal favorite music communities, and probably the one that has shown me the most love as an artist, The Sixty One (or T61) somehow managed to marry music fandom with gaming. I've made a few personal friends and valuable allies over there. Basically, the more love you can show for the music you love by "bumping" it, the more points and status you can gain, which ultimately give you a reputation among other people in T61. And of course, the more points you get as an artist, the more music you can upload.
Why Bookmark It:
The notoriety you get is real and long-lasting. The people of T61 very rarely "bump" something they aren't feeling. Even if they do, they have to sit there and really listen to your music before they can even think about giving you a thoughtless "bump" (if that makes any sense). Usually though, once the folks dig your music, they expose you to other users and word can spread very quickly about who you are and what you're doing.
How to Maximize It:
Listen to the stuff people are bumping, make comments and connect. You'd be surprised how much talent is on that site.
7. MOG
The URL:
www.mog.com
Why Bookmark It:
Well, this is like a super-blogger training ground. Budding music fans, veteran music fans, bloggers, writers, publishers, all kind of collide here on this big ass site that combines the scrobbling powers of Last.FM with the intimacy of Facebook. Many people move on from MOG to become top-notch bloggers, so it's good to meet them before they spread their wings. Not to mention it's a great way to discover new music (indie or not).
How to Maximize It:
You know the drill...go out and talk. Make friends.
8. Tube Mogul
The URL:
tubemogul.com
Why Bookmark It:
Well, if you're looking to promote your video, this one's a no-brainer. With one upload and one click, you simultaneously hit all the major video outlets on the internet (Youtube, Vimeo, Yahoo Video, etc.), and maybe even a few you haven't heard of. They also give you several options for how to actually promote it once they put it up for you.
9.TheHypeMachine (Top List)
The URL:
http://hypem.com/#/list
Why Bookmark It:
The Hypelist is cool...kinda. It can be a good resource for finding new music and blogs that are getting props for writing about new music. It is also a hipster haven, so beware. You will run into a ton of crappy electronic remixes and pictures of bearded men in tight pants with keyboards under their arms. I'm not judgin'...I'm just sayin.
How to Maximize It:
The secret jewel is the toplist, which lists for you which blogs are actually on their business, so you don't have to waste your time wading through tons of sites that are dead. You can go straight to the ones that are actively looking for new music and posting about it everyday (or in some cases, several times a day).
10.ping.fm
The URL:
www.ping.fm
Why Bookmark It:
This is the one-stop solution for status updates. Unlike Tweetdeck, which is Twitter-centric, you can use Ping.fm to update ALL of your sites at once. No toggling between tabs and pages and browsers to tell your Myspace fans what you just told your fellow Tweeters and Facebookers. Just go to Ping.fm, type it in once and save yourself a few minutes and some needless distractions.
How to Maximize It:
Coupled with the Flock browser and a cool lil application I found called Self-Control, Ping.fm becomes an effective way to manage the way you spend your time online, and how you promote your business.
The URL:
www.thesixtyone.com
One of my personal favorite music communities, and probably the one that has shown me the most love as an artist, The Sixty One (or T61) somehow managed to marry music fandom with gaming. I've made a few personal friends and valuable allies over there. Basically, the more love you can show for the music you love by "bumping" it, the more points and status you can gain, which ultimately give you a reputation among other people in T61. And of course, the more points you get as an artist, the more music you can upload.
Why Bookmark It:
The notoriety you get is real and long-lasting. The people of T61 very rarely "bump" something they aren't feeling. Even if they do, they have to sit there and really listen to your music before they can even think about giving you a thoughtless "bump" (if that makes any sense). Usually though, once the folks dig your music, they expose you to other users and word can spread very quickly about who you are and what you're doing.
How to Maximize It:
Listen to the stuff people are bumping, make comments and connect. You'd be surprised how much talent is on that site.
7. MOG
The URL:
www.mog.com
Why Bookmark It:
Well, this is like a super-blogger training ground. Budding music fans, veteran music fans, bloggers, writers, publishers, all kind of collide here on this big ass site that combines the scrobbling powers of Last.FM with the intimacy of Facebook. Many people move on from MOG to become top-notch bloggers, so it's good to meet them before they spread their wings. Not to mention it's a great way to discover new music (indie or not).
How to Maximize It:
You know the drill...go out and talk. Make friends.
8. Tube Mogul
The URL:
tubemogul.com
Why Bookmark It:
Well, if you're looking to promote your video, this one's a no-brainer. With one upload and one click, you simultaneously hit all the major video outlets on the internet (Youtube, Vimeo, Yahoo Video, etc.), and maybe even a few you haven't heard of. They also give you several options for how to actually promote it once they put it up for you.
9.TheHypeMachine (Top List)
The URL:
http://hypem.com/#/list
Why Bookmark It:
The Hypelist is cool...kinda. It can be a good resource for finding new music and blogs that are getting props for writing about new music. It is also a hipster haven, so beware. You will run into a ton of crappy electronic remixes and pictures of bearded men in tight pants with keyboards under their arms. I'm not judgin'...I'm just sayin.
How to Maximize It:
The secret jewel is the toplist, which lists for you which blogs are actually on their business, so you don't have to waste your time wading through tons of sites that are dead. You can go straight to the ones that are actively looking for new music and posting about it everyday (or in some cases, several times a day).
10.ping.fm
The URL:
www.ping.fm
Why Bookmark It:
This is the one-stop solution for status updates. Unlike Tweetdeck, which is Twitter-centric, you can use Ping.fm to update ALL of your sites at once. No toggling between tabs and pages and browsers to tell your Myspace fans what you just told your fellow Tweeters and Facebookers. Just go to Ping.fm, type it in once and save yourself a few minutes and some needless distractions.
How to Maximize It:
Coupled with the Flock browser and a cool lil application I found called Self-Control, Ping.fm becomes an effective way to manage the way you spend your time online, and how you promote your business.
DIY Touring -- Get on the Bus!
Indie Musicians hold on to your laptops: Gas is Cheap again! You’ve just lost your job and the government has taken you under its ample wing! You still have 964 CDs from that first pressing of your album under your bed collecting dust. You’ve always wanted to tour… It’s time to hit the road! But how to start?
These days everyone and their uncle make music. We play shows in our towns to our friends and modest crowds of earnest fans, but we yearn for that next step. The road beckons us with a promise of smoky bars (some places it’s still legal!), cozy hotel rooms, and late nights trading stories with friendly strangers. It’s the new American Dream, and it’s really not that hard to realize.
I’ve hustled my way through 4 national DIY tours. The first one was a small investment, we broke even the following two, and now we’re just starting to make some money. I’m not promising you the same results, but this article will hopefully help you learn from the mistakes I’ve made, and get you started on some of the best experiences an independent musician can have.
One of my fondest memories from my third tour was waking up at the crack of dawn in Johnson City, TN to the sound of a concrete drill directly outside our host’s apartment. Lifting my face from the drool spot I had unwittingly contributed to the menagerie of other stains and burns on the carpet, I looked around the dim living room.
Domer’s head was buried in the couch (it was his turn), but he definitely was not sleeping. The Metermaids were tossing around in their sleeping bags like alien eggs about to burst. Only DJ Halo, sprawled out in an armchair, seemed to sleep peacefully despite the 500dB screech shaking the windows in their frames. I lifted the curtain and an overweight workman looked up at me sullenly, “Sorry. ‘Be done in a few minutes.” It was 9am on a Sunday; we had gone to sleep at 6am.
The goal is to have a show booked for every night of the tour. If you aim for that, then you’ll have a night or two off when a few of them inevitably cancel at the last minute. And they always do. Also, try to book a big show somewhere first. Even if it’s on the other coast, you’ll feel better playing a bunch of smaller shows if you know you’ve got a guaranteed banger opening for Busta Rhymes in Missoula. Once you have a big show or two locked-in, then you need to start filling in the gaps.
I know Myspace has gotten shady lately, but it should not be completely abandoned as a resource. Their music search pages allow you to enter a town or zip code and a genre, and then see who in that town has the most fans, hits, etc. Start searching for profiles that fit your type of music, who have decent fan bases, and, most importantly, shows lined up.
Aim for acts that seem to be roughly on your level. If a group has three shows on their page, chances are that they can get you on one in the future. This doesn’t mean that if a group has no shows, you should disregard them. If you like their music and the vibe of their page, then you should hit them up anyway. Sometimes a well-planned house party jumps off better than playing the local bar and grill.
Build a database of these connections. Save them to your favorites list. Then send them emails offering a show trade. Tell them you’re booking a tour, you’ll be in town around certain dates, and if they hook up a show, you will do the same for them should they ever want to play your town.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep—you should only do this if you can actually throw a decent show in your town. It’s not hard to rent a PA and invite all your friends out, so that’s the bare minimum. However, if you’re planning on hitting the road with your box of cds, t-shirts, and stickers, but don’t even have a rep in your own town, you’re probably going to waste a lot of time and money.
When you finally hit the road, stick your ego in your pocket. I’ve found that most of the cats on the DIY circuit are humble people. They open their homes to us, feed us, and sometimes even come out of pocket to hook up some gas money if a show goes particularly wretchedly. As a rule, I will give a touring group at least $50 for show, even if I brought out the whole crowd. It’s a professional courtesy.
Please keep in mind, though, that if you’re touring for your first time, and you reach out to someone for a show, this does not entitle you to any money. Chances are this person isn’t making any money, and it’s not like he or she called you. If you’re calling a person for a show, then you need to be ready to walk with only the money you make from your merch sales.
(As a side note, I suggest to never write off a small crowd. Sometimes the smallest crowds at the lousiest bars will buy one of everything at the merch table. If you’re really dope, you have the chance to let the people there feel like they’ve been lucky to catch a rare performance of an artist on the rise. Be humble. Be grateful. Look them in the eyes and listen to their stories. If you’re lucky enough to really take off one day, you’ll miss these past days of awkward intimacy.)
As you crisscross the road atlas, be sure to keep all your gas, toll, and motel receipts. Have everyone write their name on what they pay for, and keep them all in an envelope. At the end of the trip, add up all the receipts (x). Divide (x) by how many people were on the tour. This will be everyone’s equal share of expenses (z). Add up everyone’s individual contributions (y). The difference between (y) and (z) will be what each person either owes or has overpaid and is owed. I’ve found this to be the best way to make sure no one gets shafted with paying for too much gas.
Finally, make sure you’re friends with the people who you tour with. The last thing you want is a fight breaking out when you’re 800 miles from home and heads being salty for the rest of the treck. Your first couple tours are going to be rough. You’re going to play to near-empty venues of completely ambivalent locals. You’re going to eat a lot of crap fast food. You’re going to sleep on a lot of floors. And you’re not going to be making fistfuls of dough. If you’re with the right people, the worst case scenario is a musical vacation / road trip. If you’ve chosen to tour with some people you barely know, you may end up stranded in Iowa rapping about glocks with MC Rusty Bushes.
Good luck booking your tour. If you’ve toured the DIY circuit, please leave some comments with your favorite tour stories. I’d love to hear them!
These days everyone and their uncle make music. We play shows in our towns to our friends and modest crowds of earnest fans, but we yearn for that next step. The road beckons us with a promise of smoky bars (some places it’s still legal!), cozy hotel rooms, and late nights trading stories with friendly strangers. It’s the new American Dream, and it’s really not that hard to realize.
I’ve hustled my way through 4 national DIY tours. The first one was a small investment, we broke even the following two, and now we’re just starting to make some money. I’m not promising you the same results, but this article will hopefully help you learn from the mistakes I’ve made, and get you started on some of the best experiences an independent musician can have.
One of my fondest memories from my third tour was waking up at the crack of dawn in Johnson City, TN to the sound of a concrete drill directly outside our host’s apartment. Lifting my face from the drool spot I had unwittingly contributed to the menagerie of other stains and burns on the carpet, I looked around the dim living room.
Domer’s head was buried in the couch (it was his turn), but he definitely was not sleeping. The Metermaids were tossing around in their sleeping bags like alien eggs about to burst. Only DJ Halo, sprawled out in an armchair, seemed to sleep peacefully despite the 500dB screech shaking the windows in their frames. I lifted the curtain and an overweight workman looked up at me sullenly, “Sorry. ‘Be done in a few minutes.” It was 9am on a Sunday; we had gone to sleep at 6am.
The goal is to have a show booked for every night of the tour. If you aim for that, then you’ll have a night or two off when a few of them inevitably cancel at the last minute. And they always do. Also, try to book a big show somewhere first. Even if it’s on the other coast, you’ll feel better playing a bunch of smaller shows if you know you’ve got a guaranteed banger opening for Busta Rhymes in Missoula. Once you have a big show or two locked-in, then you need to start filling in the gaps.
I know Myspace has gotten shady lately, but it should not be completely abandoned as a resource. Their music search pages allow you to enter a town or zip code and a genre, and then see who in that town has the most fans, hits, etc. Start searching for profiles that fit your type of music, who have decent fan bases, and, most importantly, shows lined up.
Aim for acts that seem to be roughly on your level. If a group has three shows on their page, chances are that they can get you on one in the future. This doesn’t mean that if a group has no shows, you should disregard them. If you like their music and the vibe of their page, then you should hit them up anyway. Sometimes a well-planned house party jumps off better than playing the local bar and grill.
Build a database of these connections. Save them to your favorites list. Then send them emails offering a show trade. Tell them you’re booking a tour, you’ll be in town around certain dates, and if they hook up a show, you will do the same for them should they ever want to play your town.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep—you should only do this if you can actually throw a decent show in your town. It’s not hard to rent a PA and invite all your friends out, so that’s the bare minimum. However, if you’re planning on hitting the road with your box of cds, t-shirts, and stickers, but don’t even have a rep in your own town, you’re probably going to waste a lot of time and money.
When you finally hit the road, stick your ego in your pocket. I’ve found that most of the cats on the DIY circuit are humble people. They open their homes to us, feed us, and sometimes even come out of pocket to hook up some gas money if a show goes particularly wretchedly. As a rule, I will give a touring group at least $50 for show, even if I brought out the whole crowd. It’s a professional courtesy.
Please keep in mind, though, that if you’re touring for your first time, and you reach out to someone for a show, this does not entitle you to any money. Chances are this person isn’t making any money, and it’s not like he or she called you. If you’re calling a person for a show, then you need to be ready to walk with only the money you make from your merch sales.
(As a side note, I suggest to never write off a small crowd. Sometimes the smallest crowds at the lousiest bars will buy one of everything at the merch table. If you’re really dope, you have the chance to let the people there feel like they’ve been lucky to catch a rare performance of an artist on the rise. Be humble. Be grateful. Look them in the eyes and listen to their stories. If you’re lucky enough to really take off one day, you’ll miss these past days of awkward intimacy.)
As you crisscross the road atlas, be sure to keep all your gas, toll, and motel receipts. Have everyone write their name on what they pay for, and keep them all in an envelope. At the end of the trip, add up all the receipts (x). Divide (x) by how many people were on the tour. This will be everyone’s equal share of expenses (z). Add up everyone’s individual contributions (y). The difference between (y) and (z) will be what each person either owes or has overpaid and is owed. I’ve found this to be the best way to make sure no one gets shafted with paying for too much gas.
Finally, make sure you’re friends with the people who you tour with. The last thing you want is a fight breaking out when you’re 800 miles from home and heads being salty for the rest of the treck. Your first couple tours are going to be rough. You’re going to play to near-empty venues of completely ambivalent locals. You’re going to eat a lot of crap fast food. You’re going to sleep on a lot of floors. And you’re not going to be making fistfuls of dough. If you’re with the right people, the worst case scenario is a musical vacation / road trip. If you’ve chosen to tour with some people you barely know, you may end up stranded in Iowa rapping about glocks with MC Rusty Bushes.
Good luck booking your tour. If you’ve toured the DIY circuit, please leave some comments with your favorite tour stories. I’d love to hear them!
10 Sites Every Serious Indie Musician Should Have Bookmarked and Why, Pt. 1
Musicians and artists, there's a lot of crap on the internet.
Yeh, I know, big wake-up call. But if you're anything like a lot of friends of TheGoodLook.Net, you might be a bit disenchanted with trying to sift through all the bull to find something that works for you and your career. It can be a bit overwhelming, especially when Tom, Dick and Jane are constantly telling you that you have to endlessly market yourself online and there are 58 million options out there.
I've been bumping around on the internet for years now trying to make a living for myself as a musician and entrepreneur, and I think out of all the crap I've thrown at the wall, there are 10 that seem to stick, or really be worth checking out (according to my old wizened spidey-senses). Most of these work whether you're a musician or not.
So here are the first five of 10 sites that really matter, and that all of you should have bookmarked. I highly advise setting up accounts and signing up for the feeds. Make it to the bottom of this post and there are some OUTSTANDING musical Good Look goodies for ya....chomp, chomp, enjoy, Lookies.
1. Reverbnation
The URL:
www.reverbnation.com
Why Bookmark It:
Reverbnation is the ultimate free online press kit. It gives you all the advantages of free exposure that MySpace gives you with TEN times the functionality. You can manage your email lists (as well as import and export them), filter your email list by demographic (age, sex, location, etc), check out real data on how often your site is getting hit and by whom, and tons of other stuff. There is no pretense here of "friends" and "friending" like a lot of other social networking sites. At Reverbnation, it's all about the music and ONLY about the music, so you know the fans and musicians are genuine and genuinely interested in your music. You can match your "band equity" up against other acts to see who's really moving and shaking, and you can also deploy an army of friendly music widgets across the web to serve your bidding. And those widget hits add up to site hits. Which actually adds up to money.
That's right, they split their ad revenues with you, so at the very least, you'll get paid for bringing traffic to the site, which is more than I can say for most music sites out there claiming to empower artists.
How to Maximize It:
-Make sure you use the email list function and take the time to organize it. It'll come in handy when you have to only send an email to women in Toronto over 23 for your two-day Canadian tour.
-Put your widgets up on your various sites (Myspace, Facebook, your blog). Look, I even have some over on the sidebar.
-Input your press clips in the press clip function. It makes your HTML emails look that much more juicy and turns your page from just another music site into an official and respectable press kit.
My favorite features:
Blog/Buzz- With the click of a button you can see who's chatting you up ANYWHERE online
The "My Band" Facebook application - This basically builds a Reverb outpost on your Facebook page that is inobtrusive, but still super functional.
Stats - Pie graphs and line graphs lay out to you how your buzz is building over time, and give you suggestions on how to bring your numbers up.
The URL:
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/
Why Bookmark It:
Guy Kawasaki is basically my hero right now. He is the CEO/Co-Founder of Alltop.com, and has been the brains behind many a successful startup (including a little operation called Apple Mac). The dude makes millions and travels around the world doing what he's good at, and HELPING people with good ideas learn how to make it too. Dude is the truth, he's a forward thinker, and a successful entrepreneur on the cutting edge. Because he's so cool with everybody, Guy gets the scoop on ALL the new trends and technologies in the Web 2.0 marketing world, so if you're an artist trying to make noise online, he knows all the tricks and what's coming down the pipe. And if you're an artist running your own business or looking to start one, you have double the reason to follow The Guy. He's got the wisdom you need.
Some things I learned from Guy:
-The purpose of Twitter and how to use it effectively
-The existence of Animoto
-The Art of Generating Buzz
stay tuned for Pt. 2 of this blog, coming next week...
Thanks for makin it this far....here's a Good Look snack...
Doom - "Gazillion Ear"
And also, here's an extra added Good Look goodie from my buddy DT of Clan Destined/The VJC. This one is called "Auto2ne Master" and is a mellow, hypnotic intellecrunk jewel I just couldn't wait to post. You won't find this anywhere else, I promise. Please snag it:
DT - "Auto2ne Master"
Yeh, I know, big wake-up call. But if you're anything like a lot of friends of TheGoodLook.Net, you might be a bit disenchanted with trying to sift through all the bull to find something that works for you and your career. It can be a bit overwhelming, especially when Tom, Dick and Jane are constantly telling you that you have to endlessly market yourself online and there are 58 million options out there.
I've been bumping around on the internet for years now trying to make a living for myself as a musician and entrepreneur, and I think out of all the crap I've thrown at the wall, there are 10 that seem to stick, or really be worth checking out (according to my old wizened spidey-senses). Most of these work whether you're a musician or not.
So here are the first five of 10 sites that really matter, and that all of you should have bookmarked. I highly advise setting up accounts and signing up for the feeds. Make it to the bottom of this post and there are some OUTSTANDING musical Good Look goodies for ya....chomp, chomp, enjoy, Lookies.
1. Reverbnation
The URL:
www.reverbnation.com
Why Bookmark It:
Reverbnation is the ultimate free online press kit. It gives you all the advantages of free exposure that MySpace gives you with TEN times the functionality. You can manage your email lists (as well as import and export them), filter your email list by demographic (age, sex, location, etc), check out real data on how often your site is getting hit and by whom, and tons of other stuff. There is no pretense here of "friends" and "friending" like a lot of other social networking sites. At Reverbnation, it's all about the music and ONLY about the music, so you know the fans and musicians are genuine and genuinely interested in your music. You can match your "band equity" up against other acts to see who's really moving and shaking, and you can also deploy an army of friendly music widgets across the web to serve your bidding. And those widget hits add up to site hits. Which actually adds up to money.
That's right, they split their ad revenues with you, so at the very least, you'll get paid for bringing traffic to the site, which is more than I can say for most music sites out there claiming to empower artists.
How to Maximize It:
-Make sure you use the email list function and take the time to organize it. It'll come in handy when you have to only send an email to women in Toronto over 23 for your two-day Canadian tour.
-Put your widgets up on your various sites (Myspace, Facebook, your blog). Look, I even have some over on the sidebar.
-Input your press clips in the press clip function. It makes your HTML emails look that much more juicy and turns your page from just another music site into an official and respectable press kit.
My favorite features:
Blog/Buzz- With the click of a button you can see who's chatting you up ANYWHERE online
The "My Band" Facebook application - This basically builds a Reverb outpost on your Facebook page that is inobtrusive, but still super functional.
Stats - Pie graphs and line graphs lay out to you how your buzz is building over time, and give you suggestions on how to bring your numbers up.
2. Facebook
The URL:
if you don't know, I aint got sh!t for you.com
Why Bookmark it:
Plain and simple, there's no more personal way to interact with your fan base than Facebook. You can't even SEE people's profiles if you don't know their name or have their email address, so the MySpace Promotion Cesspool Factor is nipped in the proverbial bud. Which means the people in your friends at least KINDA know you. This is a good thing because it means there's maybe a little seedling of genuine interest in who you are and what you're doing. That's a great start and means this is probably your core network of supporters above any other site...."randoms" number very low in your Facebook friends, relatively speaking.
How to Maximize it:
-You should spend at least as much time if not more on your Facebook as you do on your MySpace page. These are the people that will actually buy your next release.
-Update your status frequently and get the people who know you best interested in your life as an artist, not just somebody promoting your next show at Jack Cotton's Cock Bar.
-Comment on other people's postings, pics and notes. Participate in some of the little stupid games that go on on that site....it might seem dumb, but that kind of stuff gives your (potential) supporters insight into who you are, which goes a long way.
My favorite features:
Linking to Wall Posts-Attaching a video (from YouTube, Vimeo or any video host) to a wall post comes with all the description and meta-data included, so it saves you a hell of a lot of explaining if you just want to make a quick video post.
My Band - (read the Reverbnation entry)
The URL:
if you don't know, I aint got sh!t for you.com
Why Bookmark it:
Plain and simple, there's no more personal way to interact with your fan base than Facebook. You can't even SEE people's profiles if you don't know their name or have their email address, so the MySpace Promotion Cesspool Factor is nipped in the proverbial bud. Which means the people in your friends at least KINDA know you. This is a good thing because it means there's maybe a little seedling of genuine interest in who you are and what you're doing. That's a great start and means this is probably your core network of supporters above any other site...."randoms" number very low in your Facebook friends, relatively speaking.
How to Maximize it:
-You should spend at least as much time if not more on your Facebook as you do on your MySpace page. These are the people that will actually buy your next release.
-Update your status frequently and get the people who know you best interested in your life as an artist, not just somebody promoting your next show at Jack Cotton's Cock Bar.
-Comment on other people's postings, pics and notes. Participate in some of the little stupid games that go on on that site....it might seem dumb, but that kind of stuff gives your (potential) supporters insight into who you are, which goes a long way.
My favorite features:
Linking to Wall Posts-Attaching a video (from YouTube, Vimeo or any video host) to a wall post comes with all the description and meta-data included, so it saves you a hell of a lot of explaining if you just want to make a quick video post.
My Band - (read the Reverbnation entry)
3. Bandcamp
The URL:
http://bandcamp.com/
Why Bookmark It:
You can pretty much host your site here and handle alot of your business from it. Without seeing a bunch of random ads that have nothing to do with you. The Bandcamp guys help you convert all of your music into different formats and input all the data for you. You can then hook your own site and URL up, then you can name your price for your music. The only way they make their money is if you sell a certain amount of music, and they have yet to determine what that amount is because they're waiting on our feedback. How dope is that??
How to Maximize it:
I don't know, haven't used it long enough.
Favorite features:
Not sure yet, the site is brand spankin' new, but I know it's gonna be big.
A quick INFORMATIVE video intro to Bandcamp:
Bandcamp Screencast from Ethan Diamond on Vimeo.
The URL:
http://bandcamp.com/
Why Bookmark It:
You can pretty much host your site here and handle alot of your business from it. Without seeing a bunch of random ads that have nothing to do with you. The Bandcamp guys help you convert all of your music into different formats and input all the data for you. You can then hook your own site and URL up, then you can name your price for your music. The only way they make their money is if you sell a certain amount of music, and they have yet to determine what that amount is because they're waiting on our feedback. How dope is that??
How to Maximize it:
I don't know, haven't used it long enough.
Favorite features:
Not sure yet, the site is brand spankin' new, but I know it's gonna be big.
A quick INFORMATIVE video intro to Bandcamp:
Bandcamp Screencast from Ethan Diamond on Vimeo.
4. Vimeo
The URL:
www.vimeo.com
Why Bookmark It:
Vimeo was around before YouTube, but YouTube got all the shine because they allowed people to upload copyrighted material. And it is for this very reason that Vimeo is a jewel. You cannot upload copyrighted material, which is a huge plus. People on Vimeo are there for business. You can have your own little portfolio of videos that are ONLY you....and the quality is ten times better than YouTubes because they allow up to 500MB at a time for your upload, and even let you upload and view videos in HD. Sure, on YouTube, you can create your own channel that people can subscribe to, but Vimeo to Youtube is Facebook to Myspace. It's crisper, more personalized, much easier to use and navigate, and there is 0% trash. I repeat, 0%, unless you just don't like somebody's work.
Vimeo's a much classier way to present your music videos, video press kits, or whatever...trust me. It's also a good way to see other artists that are serious about their music videos or live performance footage, so you can compare notes and get some inspiration.
How to Maximize It:
Search for channels of people that are into what you're into and connect with them. When I was working on The Nobody Hole, I looked for animators and found a virtual goldmine of talented artists that I didn't find ANYWHERE else online.
This is a good place to find hungry video directors if you're looking for one, so network it.
My Favorite Features:
The "Explore" Tab - Sniff around the different channels and staff picks and you'll find alot of cool things...most of it is dope.
5. Guy Kawasaki's Blog Site
The URL:
www.vimeo.com
Why Bookmark It:
Vimeo was around before YouTube, but YouTube got all the shine because they allowed people to upload copyrighted material. And it is for this very reason that Vimeo is a jewel. You cannot upload copyrighted material, which is a huge plus. People on Vimeo are there for business. You can have your own little portfolio of videos that are ONLY you....and the quality is ten times better than YouTubes because they allow up to 500MB at a time for your upload, and even let you upload and view videos in HD. Sure, on YouTube, you can create your own channel that people can subscribe to, but Vimeo to Youtube is Facebook to Myspace. It's crisper, more personalized, much easier to use and navigate, and there is 0% trash. I repeat, 0%, unless you just don't like somebody's work.
Vimeo's a much classier way to present your music videos, video press kits, or whatever...trust me. It's also a good way to see other artists that are serious about their music videos or live performance footage, so you can compare notes and get some inspiration.
How to Maximize It:
Search for channels of people that are into what you're into and connect with them. When I was working on The Nobody Hole, I looked for animators and found a virtual goldmine of talented artists that I didn't find ANYWHERE else online.
This is a good place to find hungry video directors if you're looking for one, so network it.
My Favorite Features:
The "Explore" Tab - Sniff around the different channels and staff picks and you'll find alot of cool things...most of it is dope.
The URL:
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/
Why Bookmark It:
Guy Kawasaki is basically my hero right now. He is the CEO/Co-Founder of Alltop.com, and has been the brains behind many a successful startup (including a little operation called Apple Mac). The dude makes millions and travels around the world doing what he's good at, and HELPING people with good ideas learn how to make it too. Dude is the truth, he's a forward thinker, and a successful entrepreneur on the cutting edge. Because he's so cool with everybody, Guy gets the scoop on ALL the new trends and technologies in the Web 2.0 marketing world, so if you're an artist trying to make noise online, he knows all the tricks and what's coming down the pipe. And if you're an artist running your own business or looking to start one, you have double the reason to follow The Guy. He's got the wisdom you need.
Some things I learned from Guy:
-The purpose of Twitter and how to use it effectively
-The existence of Animoto
-The Art of Generating Buzz
stay tuned for Pt. 2 of this blog, coming next week...
Thanks for makin it this far....here's a Good Look snack...
Doom - "Gazillion Ear"
And also, here's an extra added Good Look goodie from my buddy DT of Clan Destined/The VJC. This one is called "Auto2ne Master" and is a mellow, hypnotic intellecrunk jewel I just couldn't wait to post. You won't find this anywhere else, I promise. Please snag it:
DT - "Auto2ne Master"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
