When we’re thinking about how to gain attention from a record label, there’s a couple of things we can do other then having great music, that will help shine the light on you as an artist/brand.

Thinking of yourself in terms of a brand is really important, thinking yourself as an artist and having artistic integrity whilst creating music is key. But once you’ve created a piece of art and are happy with it, it’s time to switch gears and think of the best way to sell this PRODUCT you’ve created.



Let’s dive into some simple ideas that can help you increase your attractiveness to labels and as well to all other aspects of the music industry (booking, promotion, advertising).

If you head over to https://bitsubmit.net/ you can post your tracks and have direct access to promotion companies without all the mess of figuring out how to contact and stumbling through email contacts. Follow BitSubmit on social media where we are giving away packages including speaking monitors, and other audio hardware.

High Quality Photos



This is one that I see looked over constantly, the idea that for some reason having a wicked action shot where you’re interacting with the crowd is more important or useful then having a photo shoot with a range of shots. These can include headshots, you playing, you interacting with other musicians, and even just walking around the town you’re from.



Having a range of photos that show different parts of your brand, and present you in the best possible light is crucial. First of all even having a photo shoot with the intention of getting head-shots and usable content shows dedication, determination and an awareness that people who want to invest in music think of this as a minimum. Second, being able to choose between an action shot or a really simple headshot is MASSIVE, some shows will require something really energetic to represent to the audience that you’re a fun act and are going to bring an energetic show, but if you’re doing a coffee shop gig during the day you’re going to want an image that is more representative of that vibe/aesthetic.



TLDR – Hire a Photographer, Wash and Iron Clothes, Take Some Good Photos, Pay Them.



Video



Now right off the top, I don’t think at the start it’s important to have lots of video content, it’s more important that your video content is actually good.



I’m much more impressed with a band/artist/producer whose video content is short and sweet because it leaves you wanting more instead of getting tired of the content or bored. I think the biggest thing you can take away right now with the limited attention spans of people nowadays is to respect people’s time. Think about it like this people could be watching ANYTHING, but they’re choosing to watch you. So respecting that time is CRUCIAL, don’t make a 5 minute video if you can only entertain someone for 2 minutes.

Be honest with yourself here and show your videos to lots of different people and watch their reaction. Try and notice when they seem to be losing interest, try and find out which parts really excited them and which parts you may be able to get rid of next time. Body language is huge here, not to say you shouldn’t listen to your peers opinions but few people will actually give you real critical advice and often times people won’t want to hurt your feelings if it is bad.



TLDR – Short and sweet for videos, Pay Videographers, Listen to your fans/peers



Email/Contracts



This one I’ll try and as I said above keep it short and sweet. Email’s are the foundation of the business world, I’m sure any friend of yours who’s involved in business has said at one time “starting my morning with coffee and emails” (or some version of this). This is because this is the most common way of communicating with people in the business community. Getting to a point where you’re comfortable to respond to an email quickly, effectively, and with purpose is going to separate you from many artists starting out. There’s lots of examples of this on youtube, a great example is Janek Gwizdala who manages an email list very effectively and is able to monetize from it.



Having a template of a good contract or even photoshopping your own is going to show potential record labels that you’re serious, professional, and aware of contractual obligation. Being aware of how contracts work is also a great way of protecting yourself from getting shizted out of money from playing shows, selling merch, and record deals.



TLDR Get comfortable quickly responding to emails, Find Contract Templates, Research Contracts/Contract Law



Social Media



Social Media as simply put “is the portal to your brand for the rest of the world”. Locally you can have a reputation that can lead to people from your town talking about you in different towns, and this is a very organic way of growing a fan-base. But in today’s generation with social media you have access to anyone in the world who may be interested in your product/brand.



A few suggestions, focus on being consistent. Someone who posts once a week for a year is going to be far ahead of someone attempting to post everyday, but it only lasts for 3 months (Trust me i know). Now set a goal that you can accomplish, are you terrible with making content. Well then focus on making one piece a week, or even one piece a month if that’s more comforting. Whatever you do just make sure you stick with it.



Secondly, get comfortable with your social media of choice. If you’re going to be mostly posting photos, focus on instagram, if you’re doing blog content facebook might be a better option, if you’re doing short lil blurbs, twitter is probably your best bet. Know what your strength is and go towards the social media platform that best suits you.



TLDR Focus on being consistent with your content, Get comfortable with your Social Media of choice.

If you head over to https://bitsubmit.net/ you can post your tracks and have direct access to promotion companies without all the mess of figuring out how to contact and stumbling through email contacts.﻿

Automate your entire marketing process so you can spend more time where it matters most – in the studio. No more wasting time searching the internet for promotion. No more sending hundreds of emails to promoters that rarely respond because of their flooded inbox. https://bitsubmit.net/﻿

