 How
to Promote CDs
at Gigs You
Never Play
by Kenny Love
. Added
December 2005.
Copyright
© 2005 Kenny Love. All Rights
Reserved
Back to The
Academy
Here
are Several Questions to Ponder...
- How much would it be worth to you to learn how to promote
your CD at gigs you never even play, but create a large number
of sales from these gigs just the same?
- While these particular gigs are promoting your CD, at the
same time, what if you could play a completely different gig and
get paid for it while also selling CDs at it and, in fact, possibly
*doubling* and *tripling* your CD sales profits *each* night?
- Even better, what if you could not only do this in your own
local area, but also do it regionally, nationally, and even
internationally?
What I'm speaking of, is major cross promotion and incredible
joint venture partnering with other bands that you know that
are equally as serious about and strongly committed to their
careers.
Naturally, you should do some background research on each
prospective band prior to getting into such a venture with it.
You should also sign an agreement to ensure that each band
is aware of its commitment and responsibilities.
So, with each successful qualifying band that "passes," in
terms of a background research, approach the band with a
cross promotion and joint venture offer to promote each
other's CD at each other's gigs.
Here are some guidelines:
1. Make sure the band is within your genre, and has a similar
music-styled CD that is current (no more than a year old).
2. Each band in the network needs to create a CD of song
samples or snippets (brief samples of each song from its
full-length CD, much like the 2-minute samples on such sites as
CD Baby, Amazon.com, etc.).
3. While each band will sell its own full CD at its gigs, each
band will also hand out CD samples from its partner bands as
freebies to each person who buys the performing band's
full-length CD.
4. During gigs, in addition to announcing that its own CD is
available for sale to the audience, each band should also inform
its respective audience that each person who purchases its
CD also gets a FREE bonus sample from (three, five, whatever
number in your network) of its fellow bands.
There is nothing like free giveaways to produce bonafide sales
on the spot, so to speak, and this will actually "force" and
increase sales at gigs that may otherwise have not occurred.
And, the more band sample giveaways you have, the better
chances for even more sales and, possibly, complete sell-outs
of your nightly stock.
Note: Don't make the mistake of giving away your fellow bands'
samples to people who don't purchase your own CD.
5. Each band should also have a website that is listed on each
CD sample's label, cover and as a file on the disc itself so that
audience members who purchase the gigging band's CD can
also have immediate access to the fellow bands' websites for
getting more information and the opportunity to also purchase
their full-length CD as well.
6. In addition to creating peripheral sales for all bands in the
network, this promotional system will also greatly help build
each band's audience and sales without the need to actually
perform for these particular sales.
7. Likewise, each band is eliminating the need to spend
additional time and money promoting and publicizing its CD for
these particular future sales.
Now, again, imagine doing this with the bands that you know
just in your local area. Then, consider the potentially incredible
results in exposure and financially that can occur should you
decide to branch out regionally, nationally or internationally.
-----
Kenny Love is president of MuBiz.com, a multi-service firm
providing promotion, publicity and business services to
musicians. Get details at http://www.myspace.com/kenlove
and at http://www.MuBiz.com.
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