2011 Music Marketing Trends You Need to Know About

Are you familiar with QR codes, Google Goggles, NFC technology, or location-based scavenger hunts? These are just some of the technology and marketing trends I cover in the two videos below.

Download or print this 10-page 2011 Marketing Trends PDF file and follow along as you watch and listen to these free videos.

You can also download the video files and transfer them to your computer, smart phone or tablet and watch them offline. Just use these direct links for Part 1 and Part 2 (these MOV files are 13 to 16 megs each).




What do you think of my 2011 technology and marketing trends list? Do you have other examples of these trends in action? Or ideas on other creative ways to use them for marketing? What did I miss? Please leave a comment below ...

-Bob

Q&A: Do Artists Today Really Need Their Own Website?

This is another in a series of short audio questions and answers I will post here on the blog to celebrate the launch of my Music Marketing Mentorship Program in January.

The question:

Do Music Artists and Bands Today Really Need Their Own Website?

There are two ways to access my audio answers:

1) Listen now using this streaming audio player:


2) Download the MP3 using this link

Visit this page for a list of links to all of the audio Q&A posts.

This audio series was inspired by Jon Ostrow and a list of questions he sent me. My shorter text answers are featured on his MicControl.com website.

Here are links to some of the things mentioned in this audio clip:

• The Mind Map entry on Wikipedia

What do you think of my answer? Leave a comment below ...

-Bob

Q&A: 3 Examples of Guerrilla Music Marketing in Action

This is another in a series of short audio questions and answers I will post here on the blog to celebrate the launch of my Music Marketing Mentorship Program in January.

The question:

Can You Give Me 3 Examples of Guerrilla Music Marketing in Action?

There are two ways to access my audio answers:

1) Listen now using this streaming audio player:


2) Download the MP3 using this link

Visit this page for a list of links to all of the audio Q&A posts.

This audio series was inspired by Jon Ostrow and a list of questions he sent me. My shorter text answers are featured on his MicControl.com website.

Here are links to some of the things mentioned in this audio clip:

• Imogen Heap video blog
• Danna Richards YouTube channel
• Emily Hearn's Kickstarter page

Have any other good examples to share? Leave a comment below ...

-Bob

Music Marketing Q&A with Bob Baker

I recently started posting a series of short audio answers to important questions about guerrilla music marketing, Internet music promotion, and more.

This page serves as a directory of links to all of the individual audio Q&A posts. Return to this page as I add more audio answers in the coming weeks and months.

Audio Q&As currently available:

What Is Guerrilla Marketing?

What's the Best Way to Promote a New Album?

Do Artists Today Really Need Their Own Website?

Can You Give Me 3 Examples of Guerrilla Music Marketing in Action?

What Should an Artist's Goals Be for Their Own Website?

This audio Q&A series was inspired by Jon Ostrow and a list of questions he sent me. My shorter text answers are featured on his MicControl.com website here.

-Bob

The image above is by Roy Blumenthal.

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Q&A: Best Ways to Promote a New Album

This is another in a series of short audio questions and answers I will post here on the blog to celebrate the launch of my Music Marketing Mentorship Program in January.
The question:

What are some low-cost ways that musicians can promote an album release using guerrilla marketing?

There are two ways to access my audio answers:

1) Listen now using this streaming audio player:


2) Download the MP3 using this link

Visit this page for a list of links to all of the audio Q&A posts.

This audio series was inspired by Jon Ostrow and a list of questions he sent me. My shorter text answers are featured on his MicControl.com website.

What album promotion strategies have worked for you? Leave a comment below ...

-Bob

Photo above by Pooki Lee.

Q&A: What Is Guerrilla Music Marketing?

This is the first in a series of short audio questions and answers I will post here on the blog to celebrate the upcoming launch of my Music Marketing Mentorship Program.

The first question:

What is Guerrilla Music Marketing? And why should emerging artists embrace a Guerrilla Marketing strategy?

There are two ways to access my audio answers:

1) Listen now using this streaming audio player:


2) Download the MP3 using this link

Visit this page for a list of links to all of the audio Q&A posts.

This audio series was inspired by Jon Ostrow and a list of questions he sent me. My shorter text answers are featured on his MicControl.com website.

Here are links to some of the things mentioned in this audio clip:

• The Guerrilla Music Marketing series of books
• Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
• Guerrilla Marketing on the Front Lines

Do you agree with my definition? Leave a comment below ...

-Bob

Artist Development & the New Indie Music Reality

Read this excerpt on Artist Development from a Bob Lefsetz blog post:

So if you're a new act, stay indie. You've got to, in order to be in control of your own artistic destiny ...
And indie is about forgetting everybody else and focusing on your fans. If your fans are burned out on your music, you must make more ...

Artist development is not about growing your audience. It's about writing, recording and playing, and finding out if someone is interested. Your music is your calling card. People are only attracted when they can feel the passion and the excitement, which doesn't come from hype, but people, testifying one to another and occasionally in media. In other words, there are no shortcuts.

And if you're really good and have success, business people will come to you. Like flies to sherbet. That's when you hire a lawyer and decide who to play with. Please hire a lawyer. A bad deal can kill a career.

And a lawyer can craft a deal that allows someone to run with your music for as long as he or she generates success, otherwise you're free again.

And you don't want to be with the usual suspects. Not unless you make Top Forty music. The usual suspects only know how to do it the old way. They're all about the money, and you're all about the music. It's a bad fit. They're about instant stardom, you're about paying your dues, discovering exactly what it is you do that appeals to people.

In other words, you're in charge of your own artist development. We live in a DIY world. If you're waiting for someone to rescue you, to make you famous, you're delusional ...

There will always be a few superstars, culture demands it. But the new era is about tons of journeymen. Your goal should be to make a living playing music. If this is not enough, give up.

I'm sold. But I've been preaching this message for a couple decades, so I may be biased. What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

Read his entire post here.

-Bob

P.S. Get more tips like these when you subscribe to my free Buzz Factor ezine -- the longest running music career tips email newsletter on the planet. Since 1995. Go grab your free subscription now here.