These days, one key way for indie artists to get exposure is to generate Internet buzz–to get your name and music in multiple places here on the Interwebs. And one way to do that is for music bloggers and other reviewers to review your record and write about it on the web. The trick, of course, is to get the bloggers’ attention so he/she will review your work. As many of you already know, I write a music blog myself (besides this one) called The Oomph Music Blog, and it wasn’t long after I started writing it before my email started getting flooded with submissions and press releases. Obviously, I do not write about everything I receive. If you’re trying to get your music out to the blogosphere, I thought it would be helpful to lend a blogger’s perspective, and give a little advice as to how to go about it.
One of the cold, hard facts about the music biz is that no matter how good a musical artist you are, having a successful public career is not just about your music, but also about your public image–your brand. In other words–how you are perceived by the public.
I’m not talking about getting all phobic about what people think of you (most of us do that pretty naturally on our own, thankyouverymuch). What I mean is that a public performer has a public image, a persona associated with his/her music. That, in essence, is part of your brand as an artist–and getting your music “out there” also involves getting your brand “out there.” So let’s talk about some basics to get an understanding of image and branding.
Okay, musician friends, time to make your brains hurt a little. If you were to describe yourself as a musician, who you are, what you’re about, what your particular niche is…what would you say? Who are you, really?
As I’ve been covering the music scene as a blogger, I hear a lot of independent acts, both live and on record. A lot of them are fairly good, actually. Lots of talented people out there, and I respect and admire good talent when I see it.
One of my favorite parts of the Underground Music Showcase this past weekend was a series of panel discussions held in the basement of a local church. One of these discussions was a panel of music bloggers talking about their contribution to the music buzz. One of the panelists, Erin Barnes of The Donnybrook Writing Academy, made a point I thought was pretty huge. She said that it is actually possible for a huge buzz created on the Internet to be the undoing of a band if it happens prematurely, because the band is not prepared to live up to all the hype. This is a classic example of the folly of style without substance.
