Madalyn's Music Biz Blog

What to do and not do at a music conference

2008-05-15T16:38:00.003-05:00

Reposted from Madalyn's Blog on 5-21-07

My thoughts after attending Hyperfest in Albuquerque, NM
by Madalyn Sklar

I just returned from the second annual Hyperfest Music Conference & Festival. It was a lot of fun but makes me think of plenty of do's and not to do's.

Hanging out with Jodelle

Here is my list.

TO DO:

Have plenty of CDs (with the wrapper removed) and business cards on you. I'm amazed how many people don't do this!

Smile and be approachable. This is a network event so make the most of it!

Meet and mingle with music industry professionals as well as other musicians. You never know who can help you.

Attend workshops & panels. You can never know it all. Take the time to learn something new.

Be professional. Always, always be professional.

Follow up! What is the point of meeting all these new people if you don't take the time when you get home to send a follow-up email, phone call or hand written note.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

Think you're better than everyone else. No one likes a diva.

Arrive late for your showcase. It's a great way to not get invited back!

Not be prepared to showcase. Be rehearsed. Be well groomed. Always look your best. Don't look like you just rolled out of bed.

Please feel free to send me your comments. I welcome your feedback!

Copyright © 2007 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

FREE Teleseminar tonight!

2008-05-14T10:42:00.004-05:00

GoGirlsMusic.com & IndieMusicCoach presents...

“Yoga for the Voice”

Madalyn Sklar

gfire

Join us tonight, May 14, for this free 60-minute "teleseminar" and listen to Madalyn Sklar, founder of GoGirlsMusic.com and IndieMusicCoach interview musician and vocal coach gfire.

Madalyn will begin the call with info on her latest quest to help indie musicians: Social Networks for Musicians. If you are confused by Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Blogger you'll want to hear about this.

Wednesday, May 14
8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific

Sign up at http://www.indiemusicseminars.com/

Madalyn's Myspace Tip

2008-05-13T18:39:00.013-05:00

A few days ago I blogged about bad Myspace advice that was circulating on several Yahoo groups in my post, Crossing the Line to Make a Buck in the Music Business. It made me think about how much we believe what we read from so-called music industry professionals. How many of these people really know their stuff?

When it comes to Myspace promotion, I know my shit. I have years of experience to prove it! See http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com/. With that said I would like to share some information that you might find helpful.

Madalyn's Myspace Tip:

When it comes to adding friends, have a strategic plan. Don't just randomly add friends. Look for like artists and bands. If they enjoy the music of someone with a similar style, chances are they will like you. Be sure when you are adding friends to put in a note such as, I hope you enjoy my music! And once you get new friends take the time to get to know them. Respond to their messages and comments. You want to turn your new friends into fans and buyers.

I do like using and recommend Friend Blaster Pro. It allows me to be efficient which is the key. But don't think you can now do 400 friend requests per day because this program is going to zip right through it. Well it won't. Thanks for our friend CAPTCHA it's much slower but still better than doing it manually. And you want to stay under the Myspace radar so you don't get your account deleted. It's best to do no more than 275 per day. I typically do between 200-250 requests. Also I recommend not using the comments, messaging and bulletins features. Really just stick to friend adds. Using these other features can make you look like a spammer which is a sure way to get your account deleted. I recommend commenting, messaging and posting bulletins manually.

Please feel free to comment. I welcome your feedback!

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Managing Your Time More Efficiently

2008-05-12T11:00:00.012-05:00

I'm always talking about my motto, working smarter not harder. You may have heard me talk about it at a music conference or teleseminar call or really just about anywhere I can throw it into a conversation. Why? Because we kill ourselves working so hard and not always doing it in the most efficient manner.

What can we do as DIY (do-it-yourself) indie musicians to better manage our time? Lots of things! Here are 4 that i think will help you manage your time more efficiently.

1. Daily To-Do List
I'm a big fan of daily to-do lists. It's so easy to have all the things you want to do up in your head but once you write it down on paper it can really help you focus. So take a moment at the start of your day and think about what you need to accomplish and write it down. Some people need to write it all out on an entire sheet of paper. If your list is too long, start with what Jim Meisenheimer, author of 57 Ways to Take Control of Your Time and Your Life, calls the six-pack. Basically prioritize the six most important items on your list. What works for me is a 3x3 post it note that sits next to my laptop all day. It has my six-pack listed and it helps so much. Do this however it works best for you. But the key is to have it near you so you will see it throughout the day.

2. Turning Off Your Email
I know this is not an easy one! If you are like me and use Outlook it's too easy to get distracted every time an email jumps into your inbox. You get the little pop-up notification and so you drop what you are doing to read it. This is a huge way to get unproductive! Last year I read a really great book called The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. He also put out an awesome report, The Low-Information Diet: How to Eliminate E-Mail Overload & Triple Productivity in 24 Hours. I highly recommend reading both for great ideas on managing your time AND dealing with the challenges of email overload.

3. Go On A TV Diet
This one is brilliant and it comes from Derek Gehl at The Internet Marketing Center. Like Timothy Ferriss, he employs a lot of the same ideals when it comes to managing time. And we all know how much time we can waste in front of the TV!

According to Derek:
... Well, as you probably know, TV is one of the biggest time wasters there is -- so even if you think that an evening of TV is helping you relax, all it's really doing is stealing valuable time from you -- time that would be better spent working on your website!

So true! This comes from his article, Six Ways to Find More Hours in Your Day. It's a great read.

4. Wake Up An Hour Earlier
I know for some there are just not enough hours in the day. If this is you, you may consider getting up earlier in the morning so you can get a handle on your projects. Many say, especially those with children, that it's great because the house is quiet and they can accomplish a lot. In Derek's above article (just click on the link) he mentions cutting your lunch time in half. That too can allow you to be more productive. Again it goes back to doing what you find works for you.

So there you have it. Four ways to better manage your time. Please feel free to comment and let me know what works for you.

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

Madalyn Sklar + GoGirlsMusic.com recommends Crystal Clear

2008-05-09T14:21:00.006-05:00

CDs – DVDs – T-SHIRTS - PROMO
Go Girls Music recommends our friends at Crystal Clear Disc, Promo, and Apparel for your CD/DVD replication, T-shirt/apparel, and other music promotional needs. Serving the regional and national independent and major label music industry for over 35 years, Crystal Clear has grown to become one of the largest, most experienced and respected replication and music promotional products companies anywhere in the country. Visit them on the web at http://www.crystalclearcds.com/, or contact the head of Crystal Clear, Jim Cocke directly at 800-880-0073, ext 114 or jim@crystalclearcds.com. Be sure to let Jim know you were referred by Go Girls Music for great discounts and special offers!

Tips for Booking a Tour for Your Band

2008-05-08T14:31:00.009-05:00

by Vilma Jarvinen

Madalyn's Note: I came across this informative article on the net today. It was written by Vilma Jarvinen who is in one of our GoGirls Elite member bands, Sweet City Action out of FL. I wanted to share this with you because she offers great insight on booking their own tour and how it worked in their favor.

This article is reposted from the Grooveshark Blog.

I’m not an expert on booking tours, but I did book one and my band miraculously broke pretty much even on our revenues and expenses. From one musician to another, here are some helpful ideas to consider:

1. How to start booking.

Select the start and end date for your tour and figure out a window of time you’ll be in each city you want to play. Contact the promoter or venue at least 2 months in advance and give them a few choices of dates, so they can go straight to them on their calendar.

Also, include what you sound like in the text of your email because it will probably give them more reason to click on your band’s Web site link if you’re the right type of music for them. Lastly, try to include press reviews and pictures in your press kit–I’d recommend saving money on postage and just emailing a Sonic Bids’ electronic press kit.

If they decline booking you, don’t give up yet—ask them to recommend you to someone else in the area who could help book your band’s genre. Almost every promoter, venue owner and band I contacted gave me more people to contact.

2. Clinching those dates

Follow up with a phone call over email, if the promoter or venue’s Web site doesn’t state a contact preference. I called a venue in Tampa while the owner was carrying a Thanksgiving turkey and I cracked a joke about it to break the ice. It was way more personal than emailing with him.

Sometimes, venues will ask you to look for bands in their city to play with you and then contact them back after you have a line-up. Another strategy is to offer show trades on your favorite social networks. Out of all the types of people I’ve asked, promotion companies were the most responsive, local bands were the second most responsive and venue owners were the third. Music foundation Web sites like The Austin Music Foundation were great resources to find people to contact.

3. Additional booking tips

Base your dates on one major gig if possible, like ours was based around playing the GoGirls Invasion at SXSW that we had won through Sonic Bids. And don’t forget to book dates for the way back—or else you’ll have a long way to drive with no free place to stay.

4. Securing housing and money

Email the other bands on your bill or even the venue owner for some floor space to put your sleeping bag on. Out of three other bands of people and a venue owner, someone will probably let you crash on their floor for a night.

Ask for a guarantee when appropriate. I say when appropriate because you don’t want to lose a gig by asking for too much. Do your research on what is the usual payout at the venue you’re playing at. For example, I asked Breakin’ Bones Entertainment what the usual payout was at the venue that she booked us. It was pretty high, so we asked them for a guarantee and got one.
5. Getting a van

If you already own an insured van, you’ve lucked out of this expense. Otherwise, you’ll have to reserve a rental van early. Don’t forget the window chalk to write your band’s Web site on the windows along with fun drawings. Also, we wrote “Austin or Bust” on our back window. We got quite a few friends on all our social network sites this way!

6. Ice for the cooler, gas, food

Don’t forget to bring a cooler. Make sure that it doesn’t leak though. Ours did and one of us left his smelly socks in the area that turned into Lake Smelly Van. We bought new ice nearly every time we stopped for gas. We saved a whole lot on food expenses since we ate out of our cooler most of the time. And that money was definitely needed considering the price of gas these days.

7. Promotion and social networking

I saw so many hilarious and resonating promotional techniques, but I’ll save those for another post. On the note of promotional techniques however, I’d like to end with a quote from a blog post called “The Story of a Rock Star” by Mark Nissley that I read a while back. He’s referring to a rising star in the ‘90s who’s so obviously Jewel:

“…While all the very talented musicians around her spent their time between and after sets, hanging out back stage and drinking (among other things), the teenage girl did something different. She met her fans and really talked to them. She told her story at every show. She positioned herself at the exit and shook every patron’s hand. She asked people if they liked her music. She asked people to come back and see her. One of those hands she shook was an executive from Atlantic Records. They came back to see her, and brought a contract.”

Crossing the Line to Make a Buck in the Music Business

2008-05-07T12:21:00.010-05:00

by Madalyn Sklar

We all know there are sharks out there waiting to take your hard earned money. They promise things but don't deliver. We always keep a watchful eye out for them. And I must say it's just as upsetting when they disguise themselves as do-gooders with loads of free information to gain your trust only to lead you astray or give out bad or inaccurate information. It's crossing the line to make a buck.

So with that said, I'm always on the lookout...

I get really irritated when so called fellow music industry professionals use inappropriate marketing tactics to get you to buy something so they will earn a hefty commission. This happened yesterday on several Yahoo discussion groups that I'm a member of. I felt compelled to respond and call this guy out on what he was doing.

The subject of his email read:

Get 10,000 MySpace Music Fans/Buyers Every Month!

Okay wait a minute... that was an immediate red flag to me. You cannot get 10,000 fans/buyers (um "friends" would be the appropriate term here - another red flag, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about!) every month. In his post he talked about how it's important to have a Myspace page and that you should check out his FriendBlasterPro "informational link" (love that one) on his Myspace page for details.

So I go to his (not impressive) Myspace page and there are several paragraphs of inflated numbers that would make just about any naive indie musician salivate.

Here is a condensed version of what it said:

Add a whopping 350 fans/buyers daily! Balloon your network to 2,450 fans/buyers weekly! And, gather an incredibly humongous 9,800 fans/buyers monthly!

And, your number of friends added will easily go to over 10,000 each month due to other people visiting YOUR friends that you have added and seeing your link on THEIR MySpace sites. At the end of one year of having used this automated software on a daily basis, your MySpace Friend Network will have grown to over 120,000 people!

There were links to take you to Friend Blaster Pro, which by the way I think is a great program to use when it comes to adding friends quickly and efficiently on Myspace. But what people don't realize is that this guy is getting you all worked up so you'll buy this program which will in turn give him a nice commission per sale. Now I have NO problem with him saying, "hey I love this program and recommend it" so that you go to the link, buy it and he gets a kickback. What irks me is the WAY he's doing it!

So I responded to this man's post on two Yahoo lists to let him know how I feel and to educate him as well as the readers.

Here's my response (I removed his name and took out those Myspace stats quoted above):

That is not very responsible advice you are giving out about Myspace and Friend Blaster Pro. I’m not against using adder programs but what you are telling people on your Myspace page is not smart. If you use an adder program and do 350 friend requests a day you will red flag your account and possibly get deleted. I have been working bands Myspace pages for years and my advice is to stay under 300. Ideally do between 200-275 daily.

What you are doing here, and I’m going to call you out on this, is that you are getting people excited about these inflated numbers so they will check out Friend Blaster Pro from the link you posted on your Myspace page. If they buy it you get a commission on the sale. I’m not against you sending people to a site you think is worthy where you get a commission but the way you are going about it is not very appropriate. It’s no wonder so many indie musicians have a hard time trusting us music industry professionals when a sneaky tactic is used to get them to buy a product so you make a few bucks.

It’s not right! Maybe it explains why I’m a successful music business coach/consultant for well over 12 years because I don’t believe in these tactic to make $. Yes, I will refer people to a product or service I believe in where I get a referral commission. But I DO NOT use a tactic like this to do it!

I felt I did the right thing calling him out on this. I do not like seeing indie artists getting taken advantage of. Maybe that was not his intention. I don't know. I'm patiently awaiting his response to this.

I would LOVE to hear your comments on this subject. Please feel free to respond.

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

GoGirls is giving away FREE ReverbNation tank tops!

2008-05-06T16:55:00.002-05:00

About ReverbNation
ReverbNation provides innovative marketing solutions that musicians need to compete, cooperate, and differentiate in an increasingly noisy online environment. Unlike typical "closed" communities, artists use ReverbNation as their home base for approaching marketing and promotion across the Internet as a whole — be it via social networks, blogs, or the artist's homepage. Tools like TunePaks, FanReach, and Widgets give the artist the power to spread their music and information virtually anywhere. Real-time stats then provide a 360-degree view of how the music is spreading, who is listening, and which fans are actually passing it on to their friends and posting it on their pages.

Social Networks for Musicians

2008-05-05T17:58:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, I've been doing Myspace Promo for bands and businesses for quite some time. I have decided to expand on this to include other social networks like Facebook, Twitter Flickr, Blogger, etc.

Social Network Confusion?

Don't worry, we can help! Madalyn Sklar and her team at GoGirlsMusic.com & IndieMusicCoach work with indie artists and bands as well as music business professionals. With over 12 years internet marketing and promotion experience, they know their way around social networks like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, Wordpress and more!

Trends show that these social networks help indie and mainstream musicians reach far beyond their backyard to attract more fans and buyers worldwide. By using these networks you will increase your internet presence, sell more music, find better opportunities and keep your fans and friends coming back for more. These tools allow you to stay in touch (even in real-time) with your fans by offering music, photos, videos, blogs and more!

Take a tour and learn more about our services. We're here to help you!
You do what you do best... create music. We do what we do best... make you look great on the Internet!

Get more info at http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com.

GoGirls Elite Interview with The Locals

2008-05-01T15:12:00.023-05:00

by Annette Warner

Editor's Note:

Occasionally, if you are as lucky as I am, you get to get up and use the bathroom thrice to keep from wetting your pants while interviewing talented and hilarious folks like the band members of the Chicago based rock band, The Locals. This I did. Aside from being incredibly easy to listen to musicians with strong hook tunes, awesome vocals, loaded melody’s and radio ready talent, they are likely one of the most creatively driven promoters of themselves I’ve ever appreciated. And I gotta say…musicians struggle harder than ever in a much easier to be heard industry to be recognized these days, – and most of us, knowing we’ll barely, if ever, break even, rely on plastic to eat, and make it from gig to gig. But there’s a certain danger, boy let me tell ya, , when we start sharing our plastic with fans..,and sleep with our plastic in cheap hotels, start buying our plastic drinks instead of the other way around, and, when you get to the point you never know where your plastic is going to turn up next…you are a member of The Locals…

I hope you enjoy reading this interview with three of the most amusing, engaging and authentically crafty musicians I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, and their side-sorta-kickette, Danger Boy – (Who, not much of a team player, chose to be separate from the group for his own interview.) –

Hey! Enjoy! – Annette Warner – Editor

GG - Let's start off with getting a description of how The Locals began – time frame, motivation, and a bit about the members, and what they each bring to the party as a unique talent.

Yvonne: The Locals were formed in 1997 by me and Christy (the bass player). I was performing solo/acoustic at the time and was just about to release my first full length disc "Bliss". I recorded with several local Chicago musicians as a backing band and loved having the full band so much, we formed The Locals. The band started as a 4 piece acoustic/rock thing and here we are 11 years later (wow has it been that long???) totally transformed into an alt-pop indie rock band. And we're having a freaking' blast! So far as the unique talent each one of us brings to the party:
Christy writes these juicy bass riffs that really drive the songs. Bass players don't get "noticed" a lot of the time, you know? They tend to be a sit in the pocket and quietly kick ass kind of group, but Christy is different, people always notice and a lot of times the thing they end up walking away humming it the bass line. Her stage presence is pretty insane to…she's got this head swinging thing.

Kirk: The Locals began in 1865, just as the Civil War was coming to an end. Yvonne Doll and Christy Nunes ran a halfway house for Union soldiers in Mount Melarry, Delaware. On April 23, Kirk Snedeker wandered into the parlor with severe lacerations to his shirt. Yvonne and Christy took him in and provided him with room and board for they anticipated would be a long convalescence. During their nights by the fireside, the three would sing together to help pass the time. Soon after, they decided to fill out their sound by taking up instruments. Oddly, all of them wanted to play the jugs,but they settled on guitar, string bass and drum. Years later, they still all want to play jugs.

Yvonne: Leave it to Kirk to somehow work in jugs.

GG – Any body parts you guys want to brag about?

Yvonne: Kirk has seriously long toes. We call them "tingers" as they are almost as long as fingers. I'm not sure how they factor into his playing style but I'm positive they do. We've played with a couple of great drummers, none of them had tingers. Kirk, aside from his circus-like digits, is also a seriously amazing drummer. He puts a lot of thought into every fill, every placement. He's also adds some pretty sweet backing vocals. These in-particular are due, in large part to his tingers.

(GG is rolling – seriously – "Tingers?" )

Christy: Kirk really does have freakishly long toes. It's unique, but I'm not sure he's fully harnessed it into a talent. Kirk, you should really work on that.

GG - Danger Boy seems to be the most popular member among The Locals, and if you don't mind my saying so - rather cocky for being a caped runt. I mean, I see more of him, than you guys in the headlines. Any inside trouble, jealousy or hanky panky going on with any band members you want to tell us about? Describe his birth, life and current ideal woman …or …man?

Kirk: Caped runt? Wow. I heard something totally different. Truth is, DB knows no bounds, and I'm getting tired of hearing "it's not molded plastic for nothing."

Christy: Now that you mention it, that little bastard is a bit cocky. He's always telling us what to do and when to do it. I think I'm getting tired of his attitude. We do all the work and people line up to have their picture taken with him. Who is he? He comes to practice and drinks all the beer, he comes to the shows and steals all the hot ladies, he wont let me wear the cape or mask anymore. I'm questioning his loyalty. I've seen him flirting with Kirk's girlfriend on more than one occasion, I'm just saying...

Yvonne: There is always trouble when someone like Danger Boy is around. He gets a thimble full of Jack Daniels in him and starts saying stuff like "Kirk, l miss your musk, let's get an apartment together". So far as his ideal mate, he's pretty closed mouth about that stuff. Although there are some pretty serious rumors flying around about him and Madalyn Sklar, but then again we was just seen last week involved in some PDA with Ryan Seacrest backstage at American Idol soooo, it's hard to say.

GG - What would you say as a collective of awesome musicians is the ultimate message you want your fans to get? And individually – what are your goals in music?

Kirk: I think it's important to convey honesty in music. Yvonne's lyrics are very honest and open. She is very observant and considerate, and is not afraid to write about things that concern her or things that make her happy; like my extremely long toes for instance. The intensity of her voice is truly amazing and she sings with passion. Also, her hair is very honest it won’t lie to you. Christy is my favorite kind of bass player. The kind with the left boob that jiggles wildly at every show. Her bass lines aren't just supporting roles, they are true parts in and of themselves. They help bring the songs to life, and give all of us listeners something else to hum along with the melody. We all have a great time playing together and I think that is captured on the CD and in the live shows.

Christy: This sounds corny, but I think music is about feeling good. When I've had a long day or I'm suffering from road rage, music is the one thing that can make it all go away in 3 minutes. Whether its blaring from my car stereo or being slapped out of my bass, its a complete escape. I hope that people can throw on our disc and get that escape. I hope people can come to our shows and get that escape.

Yvonne: I get really stoked when people have a connection to the tunes. I have in my mind what the songs mean to me when I write them, but I think once you put them out there in "the world" what other people connect to can be totally different than your original intention-- that's pretty cool. One guy came up to me after a gig and told me that him and his wife you know have a specific mix of tunes that they, well "do it" to and one of our songs is on there. LOL! That was awesome, and of course now I think of that guy and his wife every time I sing that song. Does that make it a three-way? I feel so dirty.

GG – Where is everyone from:

Yvonne- Cincinnati OH, Christy - San Diego, CA, Kirk -Fairfield CT

GG - Tell us about your latest release, and tell us how it differs from previous releases. Describe your growth as a band since your first gig together. What has changed the most? Improved the most? Anything gotten worse?

Kirk: this is my first recording with the girls, and I couldn't be happier. I have never been as proud and excited about something that I've helped create. As far as changes go, during the last year or so, we¹ve been concentrating on tightening up the sound playing with a click track during rehearsals. I think we've matured in a very short time.

Yvonne: Our new disc is a TOTAL departure from the previous Locals sound. We were pretty established as an acoustic-rock band and this disc, the new songs are alt-pop, indie rock. It's a totally different band. I love the electric guitar, I'm totally addicted to it, heavy distortion, loud.. yeaaaaaaaaaaah! Since we no longer (technically) have a lead instrument I think where we most improved is that Christy's bass stuff is taking more center stage. The music is more open and you can really hear what she can do. I've also stepped up a lot on guitar and really opened up my playing. I usually do most of the lead guitar on recordings, but always just did rhythm live - now I do a mix of both.
Kirk's fear of public vomiting has actually gotten worse with the new cd.

Christy: Yvonne and I have been playing music together for 11 years now. I think the thing that has made it work, is that it keeps growing, changing and evolving. When we first started playing together, I was just backing her up on her solo acoustic singer/songwriter stuff. We then evolved it into a band, where everyone contributed and created "the sound". We've been an acoustic band, a jam band, an alt-rock band and it keeps growing. We've been playing with Kirk for almost 2 years now and the 3 of us are building a sound that is much different from anything we've done in the past. It’s guitar-heavy, yet intricate. I also have to say, recording this album with Steve Gillis has pushed us all towards becoming better musicians. He's the first producer who has really challenged us and said "I know you can do that better, lets try this" and pushed us out of our comfort zone. I think the result is the best album we've ever made.

GG - What's your dream gig – Describe? Anyplace you are willing to sell Danger Boy to go?

Kirk: Sell DB? He cannot be sold, nor will he be bought. He transcends all currency, credit and most barters that involve gigs that would enable us to relocate to San Francisco without worrying about finances.

Christy: Hands down, I'd trade that little runt and my left breast to open for PJ Harvey anytime, anywhere. I love PJ.

Yvonne: Dream gig? Opening up for Modest Mouse. I'd love that. Would I sell Danger Boy to get it? Wow that's so... "C-Grade Lifetime Movie starring Heather Locklear" but yeah, I'd sell the little bastard. Just kidding DB, (shit now I'm never going to hear the end of that)

GG - Without a doubt, you mix humor, sincerity, compassion, and philanthropic ideals as a magic potion and your great vibe even energizes your website. Care to discuss any political opinion or stage your band supports with a passion?

Kirk: I firmly support myself whenever I can. The girls get uncomfortable when I don't. No politics here, though I must say that George W. has been a complete inspiration. To think that someone as inarticulate as me can lead this country as a role model was inimaginateable (sic) 8 years ago.

Yvonne: HMM, well I wouldn’t say any of us are terribly political. Although, personally I'd love to hear them announce... "Mrs. President" in 2009. (wink wink). But we're always willing to play benefit concerts for great causes. We do a Leukemia Benefit every year which is one of my favorite gigs.

Christy: I fully support Peanut Butter and Tequila. Not necessarily together, but they are two of the greatest things ever invented. I have a long answer to this question that goes into why I think we need to elect Hillary as our next president and why I think people should pay more attention to the environment, but what it all boils down to is peanut butter and tequila.

GG - Top 3 "must do's" advice for independent musicians?

Kirk:
1. Don't do it for the money. Do it for the girls. You knew that.
2. Always thank the club, the booker and the sound person.
3. Junkscaping. Seriously, no one wants to see it like that.

Yvonne:
1) Never give up
2) Never give up
3) Repeat 1 and 2

Christy:
1. Practice your instrument and never stop learning. The second you think you know it all, is the second you should sell all of your equipment and get off stage.
2. You have to run your band like a business. Having great songs and being an amazing performer is only half the battle, you also have to market yourself, book yourself, promote yourself, sell yourself, etc.
3. Treat the people who come to your shows like royalty. Without them, you are just another guy/gal with a guitar, in a basement, drinking yourself into a stupor, mumbling "I am a golden god".

GG - How do you feel about the state of the industry now regarding the rise of independent music?

Yvonne: You know I keep hearing that no one will ever buy an actual physical CD anymore. I find it kind of hard to believe. But I guess because I just love having the artwork (I'm a very visual person) and the lyrics and getting the "whole vibe" of the disc. That being said, this is an amazing time period for music. The playing field has really been leveled. You don't really need a label anymore. It's easier than ever to get your music out there and heard by a lot of people. It's really exciting. As always though, indie artists need to take control and get proactive with promotion and the business of running a band because it's also really easy to become a needle in a hay stack!

Kirk: We're in the midst of a huge change. What is true of independent music is true of most things that you usually have to dig a little to find the true gems. While history might remember Kelly Clarkson, it might miss say Arcade Fire. But you always had to go way out of your way to find the goodstuff. Now, it¹s a lot easier to dig. While you'll hear Hinder on the car radio, you'll hear And You Will Know Us streaming on the internet in a few clicks. Sites like last.fm, kgrl.fm, 3wk.com and soma.fm are great examples of stations that really push the indies.

Christy: If you read magazines and look at dollar figures, you would say the music industry is dying. I think it’s great because the music industry as we know it should die. The idea of 20 or 30 powerful AR reps roaming the US trying to find the most marketable performers they can sell you and convince you that you like is old and done. Technology has outdated the old system. Musicians can now develop their own websites, put up a myspace, record their own music, make their own CDs and do it all sitting in their pajamas from the privacy of their own home. You can go online right now and comb thru sites to find 10 great new bands that no one has ever heard of, download their music, find out where they are playing next, order a t-shirt and become their biggest fan. . As a music fan, you now have access to great music from every city and every country that you never would have been able to access before.

GG - Name one thing each of you did right separately, to land together. A pivotal moment in musical time….

Kirk: I moved to Chicago and left two bands behind in CT. I told myself that I would wait to join a band until I found one I loved. I happened to read Yvonne's craigslist "drummer wanted ad" and my tingers started tingling. I got the gig and best friends too.

Christy: I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be in this band if I didn't foolishly decide to jump in my truck and move from San Diego to Chicago in 1996 with my band at that time. I say foolishly because who would trade beautiful, sunny San Diego, 75 degree days 364 days a year (there is that one day a year that is like 65 and rainy) for Chicago snow and bone chilling wind? I think getting here was half the battle. Moving cross country with less than a $1000 to your name, to play music and making it work proves to me I can do anything. Or does it prove I will do anything? I don’t know, it does prove something, I suppose?

Yvonne: Kirk moved to Chicago. That helped!! Christy moved to Chicago. That helped!! I'm willing to move anywhere they want to go next. And I think we all have been playing our asses off for years before meeting. So now we're all seasoned, good live performers who know what's up. And we're ready for whatever else is next.

GG - What's been your biggest lesson in self-promotion? Something hard to experience, but at the end of the day, motivationally prosperous…

Yvonne: You really have to be tireless about it. One of the best piece of advice I got years ago was to do at least one thing every day to promote your band. That really works cause if you sit down to do that you always end up doing more than one thing. Another thing that I think is equally important is to take a genuine interest in the people around you. I've learned more (and gotten so much more great things for the band) from really taking an interest in the fans, artists, and really anyone I meet and cultivating a real relationship with them. People really respond to that collaborative effort. So you're not just all about promoting yourself. Most people don’t like to be talked "at". I like to try and leave every conversation knowing more about the person I met than what they know about me. I mean-- make sure they know what they need to know about you - (who you are, who your band is and what your web url is-- yes for sure). But take an interest in every person you meet. Find out what they are passionate about. It's really fun, interesting, and most of time people really respond to it and want to help if they can.

Kirk: I am really bad at self promotion sometimes I don¹t even tell myself when I'm playing, so I'm learning a lot from the girls.

Yvonne: Kirk, we have a big gig on June 14th, bring your tingers.

Christy: Hooking your wagon to a 6" tall, masked, plastic doll is both prosperous and a lesson in humanity. People will do some of the most private things in public with a plastic doll and let you photograph it for fun and promotion on the internet. It's really quite amazing.

GG - Last but not least – On GoGirlsMusic…

Kirk: Playing the GoGirls festival in Austin this year was a great experience. Madalyn's done a great job at bringing together independent musicians in a new, original format.

Christy: We love GoGirls music. Madalyn Sklar is one of the coolest people we know. She is amazingly supportive and a great advocate of independent artists. She loves music, and she has made a career of supporting and promoting indie musicians.

Yvonne: I tell a lot of people about Gogirlsmusic.com, and when I do I say this: Madalyn Sklar is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She is pure spirit who just truly love music and musicians. She's a force really!. And only good things can come out of that. I can't say enough!

This interview With Danger Boy–Sklar (?) took place in Sunny Mexico per Danger Boys demand…and though he doesn’t know it yet, his treat. He sips Margarita’s made of Melon Liquor and dark beer. ..and wants me to be hurt because Charo is waiting….but I don’t. I’ll keep the questions short…like him.

GG - Is that your real hair color?

Have you seen my hair lately? Its ratty, dirty and smells like beer. I don’t have time to dye my hair, I don’t even wash it. This is all natural, baby.

GG - Do you play an instrument?

I have mastered the kazoo. There our countries that I am not allowed to visit due to my overwhelming popularity as a master kazooist, for fear of rioting and anarchy. My kazoo playing has overthrown many third world governments and was single handedly responsible for the destruction of the Berlin wall. This is why I wear a mask. I now spend my time mentoring The Locals as a way of giving back to the people.

GG - What do you think of The Locals?

They Rock. They are the soundtrack to my life. They are also good in bed, I know as I have slept with all 3. While I won’t say who was the best, I will say Kirk does make the best breakfast afterwards.

GG - Have they done well for your career as a mascot? What's your compensation?

I'm the show, they are the mascots. I'm not sure why people have such a hard time understanding that.

GG - Chick or Metro magnet?

I don’t want to limit my appeal. Everyone is attracted to me. People want to be me or be with me. I'm kind of a big deal.

GG - Cover bands?

Have you seen the movie, Chasing Amy? Cover bands are tracers. I think people go to see cover bands because they want to hear music they know, music they already like, get drunk and sing along. They don’t want to experience anything new. I'm currently forming a cover band, but we are only going to play songs people hate, like "I'm too sexy" by Right Said Fred, "We built this city" by Starship and the entire recording collection of Michael Bolton.

GG - Height/weight? What do you drink?

7", 1.23 lbs and EVERYTHING

GG - If you had room for a tattoo…what would it be?

I have plenty of room for a tattoo. Most people don’t know this but my underwear is tattooed on. Underneath my tattooed underwear is the original GoGirls tattoo. I was the first!

GG - Do you have nightmares about hands? What is your worst experience with a Danger Boy fan? Best?

I have nightmares of being kidnapped and dragged to Indiana. For those who don’t know the story of my multiple kidnappings, you can check out the videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/LocalsRock
Crazy Locals fans kidnapped me, took me to Indiana, washed my hair, cleaned my cape and had their way with me. It was strange, yet sanitary?
Look at the pictures of me from The Locals shows and you will see why I keep coming back for more. I've been licked, kissed, eaten, felt up and the only band member lucky enough to be the "meat" in a boob sandwich.

GG- On GoGirlsMusic…

Did you hear that Madalyn Sklar and I are an item? The rumors have been circulating for months and I'm here to confirm those rumors. I've legally changed my name to Danger Boy - Sklar. You heard it here first.

Check out The Locals at http://www.localsrock.com/.

ABOUT ANNETTE WARNER
Annette Warner is the GoGirlsMusic.com Editor and the owner of A. Warner Entertainment, a Live Entertainment Publicity Planning Agency. Annette also runs CoffeeHouseTour.com, along with several other web resource sites for Indie Musicians. She can be reached at annette@gogirlsmusic.com.

The power of community

2008-04-30T15:18:00.009-05:00

When I started GoGirlsMusic.com 12 years ago I had no idea that people would feel so connected to our community that they would go out and tattoo our logo on their body. But they have. We are now up to 25 members (men & women) who have dedicated themselves to our cause... supporting, promoting and empowering "women in music". I know, it's pretty darn cool.

The background goes like this...

For years people have told me I should get the GoGirls logo tattooed. I've thought about it but couldn't figure out where to put it. One day, Feb. 2006, on the way to Austin for Folk Alliance it hit me. I was staring down at my ankle and knew that was the spot. And for those who know me well, once I get an idea in my head it's over and done. ;-)

We had a jam packed weekend during Folk Alliance that year but I made sure we were able to find a tattoo shop down on 6th Street in Austin and turns out there was one literally next door to the venue where we were hosting a showcase featuring Melissa Ferrick. So between introducing acts on the bill I was getting the GoGirls logo tattoo. Then three of our members with me that night decided to do it too. Wow, that was dedication and something so unexpected. I told them all the LEAST I could do is give them a complimentary lifetime membership to GoGirls Elite. So by getting the tattoo they saved $35/year. Not a bad deal all around. I get FREE lifetime promotion on their bodies and they sport a cool tat and pay no membership dues.

So here we are over two years later and we're up to 25 members with a GoGirls tattoo. I'm so completely WOW'd by this. What a gesture that people feel so connected with our community!

So there you have it. A great example of the power of community!

Click here to see more photos of GoGirls tattoos.

I would love to hear your comments on this.

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

"What is Twittering? You're always Twittering. Should I be Twittering?"

2008-04-29T14:41:00.027-05:00

One of my music industry friends sent that message to me today via Facebook. I was going blog about this today and now I have an even better reason to. "What is Twittering. You're always Twittering. Should I be Twittering?"

Let me answer your questions...

Okay many of you are saying, "What the heck is Twitter?" I understand. I was there too once upon a time. Twitter is a super cool way to stay in touch with your friends, fans, family and colleagues. It's being referred to as "microblogging" because you only get 140 characters. You make it short and to the point, letting people know what you are up to.

I have a personal Twitter for my sillier side that includes normal everyday life. Some may find it cool, some may find it boring. You decide. Then I have a business Twitter for GoGirls. I use it to update what we have going on. I also link to cool resources, articles, etc.

One of the coolest things about it is that I can easily Twitter from my iPhone. Earlier while sitting in traffic I wrote this on my personal page:

driving with the top down in sunny 87 degrees Sugar Land, TX!!

Does anyone care? I don't know. But it's fun to let your followers know what you're doing.

Another cool feature is being able to send photos on demand and do "live" blogging. I use Twitpic to email photos from my iPhone and it shows up as a link on my Twitter page. It's really cool because I can be at a show or music conference and send photos in real-time as it's happening. I love that!

"Should I be Twittering?" Well that is up to you. Some people say the don't want another thing to do online. But if people are interested in you and what you do, Twitter is a cool way to keep them in the loop.

Bottom line... I have FUN with this. You can too.

Here is a cute little video that explains it all called "Twitter in Plain English":

So there you have it. Try it out and see what you think. Then tell me what you think. I'll be awaiting your comment!

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

"Yoga For the Voice" giveaway

2008-04-28T12:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Madalyn's Blog readers,

I have been developing and teaching "Yoga For the Voice" lessons for the past 15 years. And now, thanks to the Skype technology, I am able to offer these terrific vocal lessons over the Internet, so I can literally teach anyone with a computer and a Skype set up and a web camera how to sing really well.

I have decided to give away 10 free 30-minute "Yoga For the Voice" lessons (a $55 value!) to the first 10 blog readers who sign up. You must already have Skype already in place on your computer AND you must have a web camera, so that we can chat visually as well as aurally. Skype software is available for free at:

http://www.skype.com/

These free lessons must be completed on or before May 30, 2008.

Please e-mail me immediately if you would like to be considered for one of these five free "Yoga For the Voice" classes. My email address is gfire@earthlink.net. Be sure to mention you saw this ad in Madalyn's Blog.

There is also an article I wrote on "Introduction to 'Yoga For the Voice' " available on the GoGirls Music website.

So send in your name now - you can be one of the first "Yoga For the Voice - Internet Version" students in the world!

all the best,
gfire
gfire@earthlink.net

gulabi records
austin, texas
singer-songwriter/DJ. voice and piano lessons. "yoga for the voice."

NEW!!!! New website:
http://gfiremusic.com/

TEMECULA VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL

2008-04-25T12:25:00.003-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for great opportunities to help indie artists. Here is one worth passing along today! Have a great weekend, Madalyn

From the Music Connection Weekly Bulletin...

http://www.musicconnection.com/

TEMECULA VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Now in its 14th year, the Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival (TVIFF) is ready to roll again on September 17-21 and is now accepting entries for both film and music. The music competition component of TVIFF is designed to showcase the music and artistry of individuals and groups from across America and the world. Emerging, up and coming and unsigned performing artists and bands of all genres of music - from rock, jazz and pop, Hip Hop, R&B, Latin, Country, Folk, and World are accepted. Film and music entries can be submitted on line by logging on to http://www.withoutabox.com/ for film and http://www.sonicbids.com/for music. Deadline for entries, is June 30th. Applications can be downloaded also by logging on to http://www.tviff.com/

ABOUT MUSIC CONNECTION: Published every other Thursday since 1977, Music Connection magazine is a bi-weekly music trade publication catering to the music industry, its loyal fans, and support services. From its unique vantage point, Music Connection magazine has, for more than two decades, set its sights on every aspect of the music business, from decision-making in corporate towers to performing in local clubs. Whether discussing raw survival or the factors contributing to breakthrough success, Music Connection examines and defines the realities of music making. Founded on the principle of bridging the gap between "the street and the elite," Music Connection has garnered a solid foundation of active readers, and is commonly referred to as "the musicians bible." This leading music trade magazine caters to the seasoned veteran as well as the fledgling musician, and to the top executive as well as those trying to break into the business. Its broad appeal encompasses the songwriter, producer, studio manager, agent, attorney, publicist, label executive and, of course, the professional and semi-pro musician. Music Connection magazine is distributed through a network of newsstands, bookstores, 7-Elevens, AM-PMs, record stores, and musical instrument stores, the readership is over 75,000. Seventy percent of the readership is in Southern California, five percent in Northern California, and the remaining twenty percent throughout every major city in the United States and several foreign countries.
http://www.musicconnection.com/

Recommended Resource... Indie Marketing Power

2008-04-24T13:01:00.007-05:00

There are so many great resources and books available to indie artists. I'm always looking for the best ones for you!

Here is one of my favorites...

Indie Marketing Power: The Resource Guide for Maximizing Your Music Marketing
by Peter Spellman

Get the MARKETING power you need to make your mark in the new music economy. Seventeen chapters of resource-rich information and strategies to help you find and nurture your audience for maximum music sales.

Check out other recommended resources in the GoGirls Music Store.

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

"Don't let what if stand in the way of what's next"

2008-04-23T18:44:00.003-05:00

This is one great quote!! I found it today on Wyrdgrl's Myspace page.

So think about this for a minute. We spend so much time worrying about "what if this" and "what if that". Why not tell yourself just do it so you can reap the benefit of "what's next".

If you keep holding yourself back because of fear or of the unknown, you will never reach your full potential. You and I have the power to be so much more than we are. It's is okay to be scared. It is okay to not know what will happen when you take that leap of faith. Wouldn't you rather get to what's next?

Yesterday I listed the 10 Secrets To Success in my blog. I think #1 is the most important - How You Think Is Everything. Stay positive. Stay motivated. Visualize success.

I spend a great deal of time coaching, motivating and consulting with indie musicians as well as music industry professionals. Need help? Need an ear? Want an explanation on why web 2.0 social networks (Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc) are necessary for all of us in the music business - both musicians and businesses? Get in touch. Let's chat!

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

10 Secrets To Success

2008-04-22T09:40:00.006-05:00

You know I love motivational stuff. I got this list last year and I keep in on my desk. I think you will find it useful. Read it and send me your comments. I would love to hear them! --Madalyn

Investor’s Business Daily has spent years analyzing leaders and successful people in all walks of life. Most have 10 traits that, when combined, can turn dreams into reality.

1. HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING: Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.

2. DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3. TAKE ACTION: Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started. Just do it.

4. NEVER STOP LEARNING: Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.

5. BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

6. LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

7. FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY: Don’t let other people or things distract you.

8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE; BE DIFFERENT: Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.

9. DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

10. BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: otherwise, Nos. 1-9 won’t matter.

Flickr rocks!

2008-04-21T17:13:00.009-05:00

I am loving Flickr! It's a cool, great way to post your photos online and allow others to comment on them. You can arrange them by sets and collections and even place tags on the photos. I'm having too much fun with this. And I know there is so much more I can do. I'm just on the tip of the iceberg!

Also what I love about Flickr is that I can take a picture with my iPhone then email it to my Flickr page and if I want I can take one of those pictures and blog about it right here at Madalyn's Blog. All with my iPhone!! It is taking "live" blogging to a new level for me.

Click here to check out the GoGirls Flickr page I set up.

These sets were taken with my iPhone and immediately posted to Flickr within seconds:

Friends Fest
GoGirls/Hep C Aware Benefit - Houston, TX
Fox Houston TV "live" webcast
ASCAP Expo
GoGirls/Hep C Aware Benefit - Los Angeles, CA
Kelly's Lot CD release party

I took this photo with my iPhone Friday night as we were getting ready to start our GoGirls/Hep C benefit. That is Kelly Zirbes of Kelly's Lot playing around with a hula hoop.

You can easily see my photo collection here...

So set yourself up with a FREE Flickr account. You can upload up to 100MB of photos each month. Or be like me and upgrade to the pro account for only $24.95/yr. It's well worth the cost.

I welcome your feedback!!

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

How To Get Band Sponsorships & Endorsements

2008-04-18T11:55:00.002-05:00

Learn how to get sponsorship deals!

Proven methods for getting big name companies to take you and your band seriously as an advertising vehicle for their products

by Tish Meeks

E-book Price: $19.99

"This book covers everything from where to look for endorsements to creating an image to writing a proposal. If you are serious and want to get to the next level this e-book will help!"
-- Madalyn Sklar, GoGirlsMusic.com & IndieMusicCoach

Tish Meeks is well-known in the independent music community as the feisty front person of Texas Party Punk band, 3 Kisses. In addition to live music performance, Tish has worked with numerous bands across the US providing motivation, education and support to help them further their music careers.

Get your copy at http://www.gogirlsmusicstore.com/

ReverbNation is rockin' with new features!

2008-04-17T16:14:00.015-05:00

I'm so impressed with ReverbNation. If you are not familiar with them, they are a cool music company that according to their web site, "is responding to the changing music business paradigm." That right there is the missing link in the music biz and the reason for ReverbNation's success. They know what they are doing and they're doing it right! And the best part, it's free.

If you are an indie artist, they provide really great marketing solutions that sets them apart from the dime-a-dozen companies out there trying to compete. You have probably seen their cool widgets on Myspace, Facebook and other social networks. I have and they rock!

Co-Founder and VP of Artist Development Lou Plaia sends out periodic emails detailing what is going on with this fast rising company. The latest update came out today and I want to share some of this information with you.

Combined, Artists at ReverbNation reach over 24,000,000 uniques per month via our website, widgets, and applications. Content deployed from ReverbNation (widgets and apps) is now present on approx. 1,100,000 unique urls, and is being displayed a total of 180,000,000 times per month.

Wow, this is impressive stuff!

Now here is what excites me the most. They have a new program called Fan Exclusive Songs. It allows you to give access to full-length streams or downloads to those who become registered fans.

So check this out:

Initial data suggests that Artists that have designated at least one song as 'Fan Exclusive' have been growing their list of registered fans at a rate that is 600% faster than Artists that are not.

That is awesome! If you are not taking advantage of something like this, you are missing out. I was just talking in my blog recently about The Indie Music Box and how you need to set yourself apart from what everyone else is doing. Well here you go! This is a great way to increase your fanbase.

Embrace technology! Take advantage of web 2.0!

In addition to my 12+ years in the music business I also ran my own web development firm. Yes, I'm a techie in the music biz! If you would like to learn more about how you can take advantage of new technologies, get in touch with me to schedule a phone chat.

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Believe in yourself

2008-04-16T18:51:00.002-05:00

This blog post is being reposted from 3-7-06. Yeah, it's THAT good!

Many indie artists have a hard time believing in themselves. When it comes to their music, they don't take themselves seriously. It's not surprising since so many don't have the support system around them that is needed to take away self-doubts. They are told "you will never make it" one too many times.

Sound familiar?

The challenge is to overcome all self-doubts. To push forward and make your mark. Work on your craft, be the best you can be. Learn everything you need to know on the business side. No one says this is easy. But it starts with you. You have to believe in you.

Copyright © 2006 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

Why Social Networking Is Important To Indie Musicians

2008-04-15T13:56:00.009-05:00

I'm a computer techie geek. I don't mind saying it, especially now that social networks are exploding like crazy. It makes me seem much cooler, right? LOL. In case you haven't noticed there is more to promoting your music besides a web site (so old school now!), iTunes and Myspace.

Greg Rollett says in a recent blog post...
Social Media attracts more listeners, drives fans to buy your merchandise and keeps them coming back by offering fresh content from songs, pictures, blogs, videos, etc.

How true! I set up my first Blogger Blog in 2000 and started taking it really seriously in 2004. Today, my Madalyn's Music Biz Blog is quite the popular blog with regular postings that provide information and resources to indie musicians. Expanding social networks like Facebook, Flickr and Twitter allow you to post fresh, new content that will keep your fans interested in you and your music.

Here are three social networks you should take advantage of:

Facebook
Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

Flickr
Flickr is a image/video hosting website, web services suite and an online community platform. In addition to being a popular Web site for users to share personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers as a photo repository. Its popularity has been fueled by its organization tools that allow photos to be tagged and browsed.

Twitter
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via short message service (e.g. on a cell phone), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.

Here is an example of how I used some of these tools for "live" blogging this past weekend while attending the ASCAP Expo and several shows in L.A. It was quite cool!

With my iPhone I was easily able to email photos taken from the phone to my Flickr page and my Twitter page. When logged into my Flickr page I was able to then blog one of the photos with text that immediately posted onto this page. Cool huh??

You can check out my pages at:

Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gogirlsmusic/

Twitter
http://twitter.com//gogirlsmusic

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=696545329

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

2 things you need here!

2008-04-12T19:54:00.001-05:00

2 things you need here!
Originally uploaded by GoGirlsMusic.com

There were two things you saw EVERWHERE this weekend at the ASCAP Expo at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood... Starbuck's coffee and the expo guide. This conference was jammed packed with information, demos and resources. It was well worth the price for admission. If you're serious about your music, this conference is for you.

When asked what she got out of the Expo, Kelly Z. of Kelly's Lot said, "It was a class act conference. And how great it was to have it in my back yard of Los Angeles."

So that's the recap for now. Next week I'll blog more about this.

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar

Panel: Promoting Your B(r)and: Online and Alternative Marketing

2008-04-11T18:28:00.001-05:00

photo.jpg
Originally uploaded by GoGirlsMusic.com

This was an extremely informative panel!! I couldn't post live because I was so busy taking 3 pages of notes!!

Here's what I have to pass along...

Roy Elkins - Broadjam

Get your music on every site.
When you get placement, write up a paragraph on your homepage. Have your successes on your homepage.
This will help you on search engines.
When it comes to your music, quality is key.
Putting your music on myspace isn't enough. You need to participate.
The web provides things. Makes it easier to get into film/tv, etc.

Patrick Faucher - Nimbit

Have your own website not just a myspace.
Be consistent when it comes to your branding.
Myspace is NOT your space, it's Rupert's space!!
Realize you're a brand. You have to look at the business like you do the creative.
You're the best marketer you have.
Look for ways to market and monetize.

Justin Goldberg - indie911

Surprised more artists are not using Google ad words and ad sense.
Most artists are not marketers.
It's important to have a team you trust.
Other platforms and sites are huge in other countries. Important to have that outreach.

Lynn Grossman - Secret Road Management

Looks at Yahoo and iTunes for specific lyrics to find artists.
On the show House (she's the music supervisor), she gets script in advanced and does searches, looking for artists as well as those she knows.
Pay attention to the shows. Send them what they're looking for.
Who is your audience?
Consistency is important when branding. Use the same visuals.
Build a foundation. Stay close to fans.

Jill Sobule - songwriter (remember the song, "I Kissed A Girl")

Raised $82,000 in 53 days at jillsnextrecoed.com
Keep up with your fans. Tell them what's going on.
I think it's great to have this connection (the Internet) with your fans.

That's all for now! Hope you enjoy this post. Give me your comments!!

Rock on,
Madalyn

Madalyn taking notes at Jon Bon Jovi interview

2008-04-11T00:55:00.001-05:00

Madalyn taking notes at Jon Bon Jovi interview
Originally uploaded by GoGirlsMusic.com

What a great first day at the ASCAP Expo! Kelly and I spent time walking around, checking out the trade show booths and visiting with many old friends. We ran into a bunch of GoGirls too As usual people recognized me from Myspace. Very cool!

The best part was the interview with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. What a great pair! I thought Bon Jovi was extremely articulate with intelligent answers. He thought "Livin' on a Prayer" wasn't good enough for the record. Interesting! He said, "you just don't know".

Bon Jovi said their music theme was optimism. He said the song "It's My Life" is a timeless classic with an underlying theme of having faith in faith.

He relayed an interesting story about his duet "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with country star Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. When asked who's idea it was he said he wanted a female singer after originally having Keith Urban record it. He said their voices were too similar. Bon Jovi stated he needed a singer that had a voice and songs he liked AND needed to be able to interpret his lyrics. She was a perfect fit.

So to recap: ASCAP Expo good! It's well worth the cost. It's well organized and extremely professional with serious attendees. No wannabees!

Until tomorrow...

Madalyn Sklar
Madalyn's Music Biz Blog