Its the network - Verizon wasn't kidding

Week 8 In "Music Success in Nine Weeks" is all about networking which could arguably be the most important part of DIY promotion. This chapter talks all about promotion through business cards, Social Media and face to face interactions in a way to build your fan base and mailing list. These ideas come full circle with the idea of always increasing your list/fan base, but I want to touch on another application which I have seen tremendous results from lately.

Networking with other working musicians is a sure fire way to book better gigs, increase your fan base and supporters and increase your overall exposure. Great marketers and bands with quickly rising success are champions of this philosophy. I think a lot of times we (musicians/bands) are threatened by other musicians for many reasons including intimidation, fear of "sharing" fans/loosing listeners or just jealousy, but the plain and simple fact is bands that work together, promote together.

 I have always worked with other musicians but for some reason I kept that circle of influence to a specific area like recording. Lately I have been more conscious of working with other bands that are "doing things" and building relationships based on mutually beneficial situations. Just like bloggers or fans, you can't go seek out bands with your hand out looking for an realistic result. The best situations come from bands that can benefit from each others exposure. It's a great idea to reach out to other markets and talk to bands about gig swaps for when each other is coming through town. This may seem like common sense but trust me, it gets overlooked.

Speaking of collaboration, check out this video of the song "Da Me Un Poquito" I did with Aleko from Planeta Lem who is based out of Barcelona Spain. This track is another exclusive release to my mailing list members which can be joined through the Reverbnation widget on the left side bar. Sign up and get free exclusive demo tracks every week that will eventually be voted on by the list and the songs that receive the most votes will be further produced for my upcoming album.

Much Love