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Promote Your Way to Making Music and Money

You've spent years learning how to play, and although your expectations do not include playing for 20,000 fans at the local arena, it would be nice to have a gig somewhere other than your back porch. The difference between sitting home and playing for play is often how you promote your self and your act. You can create an effective local promotional campaign that will enable you to play and get paid. You do have to have a listenable act, whether it's a single, duo or full band; you do have to play music that people want to hear. Once you have this product, however, you still have to promote it. Paying jobs do not just happen; often it's left to you to make them happen.

You first need to create your promotional materials. A good promo kit is crucial; this is often the first impression you will make with the entertainment buyer. Many musicians believe recording a demo CD is an essential first step, I disagree. I have not used an audio demo to book a job in many years; my promo kit consists of nice business cards, an attractive logo I print on the header of all written correspondence, a portfolio of references, quotes and pictures, a list of sample songs, and my secret weapon. This item in my promotional toolbox is so effective; I don't know why everybody isn't using it.

To duplicate my secret weapon, you need to create an full color 11"x17" poster. This can be done on your home computer with any one of a number of graphics programs. You need to include simple but attractive graphics, your act's name, a very brief description of what you do, a photo of the act, and a white rectangle about 4" x 8" located either near the center, or at the top. If you do not have the expertise create this poster, find a friend that does, check out your local high school's art department or pay somebody in your local newspaper's advertising department a few dollars to do it 'on the side.'. Have them save it in PDF format on a CD. Take your CD to your local Officemax, Staples or other office superstore. They can make a digital 11"x17" print very reasonably. Then you should have them make 5 full color copies from your 'master' and laminate them.

Now you have five very glossy, very professional and very effective promotional tools. When you attempt to book a job, take a dry erase marker and write in the empty white space "appearing at Fred's Restaurant (or whatever business you are trying to book) Saturday the 2nd" and explain that giving him several of these to display is just one way you help him promote his event. You can re-use these many times, and they always make a huge impression. I've been told several times "I never thought of having music at my event, but when I saw your poster with my name on it, it just seemed like a wonderful idea."

Getting the word out and booking jobs is your final step. You will probably want to play some free gigs in the beginning. Offer your services for any social occasion you can think of, your town's civic festivals, church bazaars or anyplace a crowd forms. Bring a camera and have somebody take some pictures. One local band in my home town stage rented a hall on a Monday night, asked all


of their friends to dress up and come to the party and hired (for a nominal fee) a local newspaper photographer to shoot for an hour and save every picture on a CD. They ended up designing their poster as a collage; it was one of the most attractive pieces of promotional materials I have ever seen.

You might go to the local radio station that plays music similar to what you do; tell the advertising director you would be willing to play select radio remotes free for the publicity. You might even wind up with a local radio personality saying nice things about you that you can use in your promotional materials, Try to write every complimentary quote down anybody of prominence says about you; when they say it ask them "can I quote you ?"

Once your act has a track record, you are set to book some paying jobs. Find out what other acts are making in your area, approach businesses, make your pitch, and don't get discouraged at first. Do not make the mistake of pricing yourself too cheap, not only will you earn the enmity of other performers in the area, but the buyers will perceive you as cut rate as well. I have a cardinal rule; I'll work for free for a worthy charity event occasionally, but I'll never work cheap.

When you look for paying gigs, be creative, do not limit yourself. I always use the term 'entertainment buyer,' rather than 'club owner.' While bars are still one market for live music, there are many other venues. I have made money performing for malls, car dealerships, gated communities, weddings, retirement parties, boat dealerships, fraternal organizations, radio remotes, fairs, festivals, company parties, restaurants, flea markets, bowling alleys, RV parks as well as bars and lounges. You need to check your area out, not just for who has live music, but who could use live music and might be willing to pay for it.

A good approach in selling your act to businesses is always put yourself in the buyer's position. What is it you can offer the buyer? Keep in mind it is the buyer's needs, not yours that he or she is concerned with. Statements like "I've always wanted to play here" should be avoided. Try something like "We are an exciting act that your clientele would really love and we have a following." If it is a retail business's special event you are trying to book, instead of stating "gee, I'd really like to play for your grand opening, you might say, "I know you are spending quite a bit advertising your grand opening, why don't you ad something special so the people you attract really have a memorable time?"

The sales pitch is definitely not a time for false modesty, you should sound confident, but never promise something you can't deliver. The most important thing about selling your act is, be persistent. Selling yourself will be hard at first, but you'll learn and it will get easier. You might be turned down the first 20 times, but soon, you'll be playing and getting paid.

About the author:

Reese Thomas is a 35 year veteran of the live music industry. You can check him out at http://www.musicbyreese.com

 
 

 
Promote Your Way to Making Music and Money

You've spent years learning how to play, and although your expectations do not include playing for 20,000 fans at the local arena, it would be nice to have a gig somewhere other than your back porch. The difference between sitting home and playing for play is often how you promote your self and your act. You can create an effective local promotional campaign that will enable you to play and get paid. You do have to have a listenable act, whether it's a single, duo or full band; you do have to play music that people want to hear. Once you have this product, however, you still have to promote it. Paying jobs do not just happen; often it's left to you to make them happen.

You first need to create your promotional materials. A good promo kit is crucial; this is often the first impression you will make with the entertainment buyer. Many musicians believe recording a demo CD is an essential first step, I disagree. I have not used an audio demo to book a job in many years; my promo kit consists of nice business cards, an attractive logo I print on the header of all written correspondence, a portfolio of references, quotes and pictures, a list of sample songs, and my secret weapon. This item in my promotional toolbox is so effective; I don't know why everybody isn't using it.

To duplicate my secret weapon, you need to create an full color 11"x17" poster. This can be done on your home computer with any one of a number of graphics programs. You need to include simple but attractive graphics, your act's name, a very brief description of what you do, a photo of the act, and a white rectangle about 4" x 8" located either near the center, or at the top. If you do not have the expertise create this poster, find a friend that does, check out your local high school's art department or pay somebody in your local newspaper's advertising department a few dollars to do it 'on the side.'. Have them save it in PDF format on a CD. Take your CD to your local Officemax, Staples or other office superstore. They can make a digital 11"x17" print very reasonably. Then you should have them make 5 full color copies from your 'master' and laminate them.

Now you have five very glossy, very professional and very effective promotional tools. When you attempt to book a job, take a dry erase marker and write in the empty white space "appearing at Fred's Restaurant (or whatever business you are trying to book) Saturday the 2nd" and explain that giving him several of these to display is just one way you help him promote his event. You can re-use these many times, and they always make a huge impression. I've been told several times "I never thought of having music at my event, but when I saw your poster with my name on it, it just seemed like a wonderful idea."

Getting the word out and booking jobs is your final step. You will probably want to play some free gigs in the beginning. Offer your services for any social occasion you can think of, your town's civic festivals, church bazaars or anyplace a crowd forms. Bring a camera and have somebody take some pictures. One local band in my home town stage rented a hall on a Monday night, asked all


of their friends to dress up and come to the party and hired (for a nominal fee) a local newspaper photographer to shoot for an hour and save every picture on a CD. They ended up designing their poster as a collage; it was one of the most attractive pieces of promotional materials I have ever seen.

You might go to the local radio station that plays music similar to what you do; tell the advertising director you would be willing to play select radio remotes free for the publicity. You might even wind up with a local radio personality saying nice things about you that you can use in your promotional materials, Try to write every complimentary quote down anybody of prominence says about you; when they say it ask them "can I quote you ?"

Once your act has a track record, you are set to book some paying jobs. Find out what other acts are making in your area, approach businesses, make your pitch, and don't get discouraged at first. Do not make the mistake of pricing yourself too cheap, not only will you earn the enmity of other performers in the area, but the buyers will perceive you as cut rate as well. I have a cardinal rule; I'll work for free for a worthy charity event occasionally, but I'll never work cheap.

When you look for paying gigs, be creative, do not limit yourself. I always use the term 'entertainment buyer,' rather than 'club owner.' While bars are still one market for live music, there are many other venues. I have made money performing for malls, car dealerships, gated communities, weddings, retirement parties, boat dealerships, fraternal organizations, radio remotes, fairs, festivals, company parties, restaurants, flea markets, bowling alleys, RV parks as well as bars and lounges. You need to check your area out, not just for who has live music, but who could use live music and might be willing to pay for it.

A good approach in selling your act to businesses is always put yourself in the buyer's position. What is it you can offer the buyer? Keep in mind it is the buyer's needs, not yours that he or she is concerned with. Statements like "I've always wanted to play here" should be avoided. Try something like "We are an exciting act that your clientele would really love and we have a following." If it is a retail business's special event you are trying to book, instead of stating "gee, I'd really like to play for your grand opening, you might say, "I know you are spending quite a bit advertising your grand opening, why don't you ad something special so the people you attract really have a memorable time?"

The sales pitch is definitely not a time for false modesty, you should sound confident, but never promise something you can't deliver. The most important thing about selling your act is, be persistent. Selling yourself will be hard at first, but you'll learn and it will get easier. You might be turned down the first 20 times, but soon, you'll be playing and getting paid.

About the author:

Reese Thomas is a 35 year veteran of the live music industry. You can check him out at http://www.musicbyreese.com