How Musicians Can Use ITunes and the IPod for Exposure
Whether you’re on a college campus, stuck on a transatlantic flight, or watching TV, you’ve seen them. And whether you’re Paris Hilton or someone much less wealthy (aren’t we all), you’ve probably had one.
Together with the iTunes music store, the iPod has revolutionized the way we listen to music, and breathed new life into the once-flailing Apple Computers.
It’s also changing the way people listen to music. Pop bands of yesteryear can no long get away with having only one or two good songs per CD; if an entire disc is going to sell, the whole disc album to be good. iTunes allows for a 30 second sample of each song; bad material just doesn’t sell. For music fans, this is fantastic.
Now, the question is, how can musicians take advantage of the new technology? Like Apple, we’ve got to think different-and not be afraid to embrace a change in the musical marketplace.
The other day, I went to a local show in
St. Louis . Average band, average music-but there was a horde of people around their merchandise booth. I walked over to see what the fuss was about, and, lo and behold, they’d set up and iPod docking station using their singer’s laptop. People would step up and plug in their iPods and they’d download about 3 or 4 of the band’s best songs free of charge-the band put their picture in the mp3’s tag, and for the album info they put their website and a description of their sound. They weren’t memorable, yet I have their songs on my iPod, and I remember their name.
Just by attaching themselves to a successful product that’s associated with hipness and music, they made an impression. Music’s changing yet again, and by recognizing that the iPod is here to stay, any band can easily expand its audience and its buzz.
The iTunes music store is a great tool all musicians should take advantage of. There are several sites out there that can get your music on the store for a small fee-not to plug anyone specific, but my band uses CDBaby.com-and instantly your songs are available to anyone with an internet connection.
Well, not instantly; it takes a few months for iTunes to list you, and you’ve got to pay some requisite bar code fees, etc. Consider what you’re getting, though, easy, cheap exposure on one of the biggest Internet phenomena this side of eBay. Sites like CDBaby also put your CD on dozens of other service like Napster, RealRhapsody, and Yahoo! Music.
To get people to look at your iTunes site, you may want to put up a cover song or two; for smaller bands, cover songs are usually the biggest sellers in the digital marketplace. It can be a pain to have to pay royalties to song publishers every month, but if you pick the right song, you basically piggyback off someone else’s success, and you can sell a lot of digital units and get people interested in your music that would otherwise never know about it. Pick a song that would appeal to your fan base, not an ironic cover(If you’re a death metal band, the type of person searching iTunes for Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” probably wouldn’t buy your rendition).
Get your fans to review your album with some kind words; tell them to be specific and describe your music using colorful terms. Have them paste your iTunes URL onto their websites and myspace accounts; email it around. Make sure that if people want your music, it’s easy for them to find it.
You can also use your band’s iTunes page to your advantage when talking to venues. The technology is new enough that it sounds impressive to say you’re on the site and that they can check you out there-lots of smaller venues won’t know you just had to pay about $35 in processing.
Just saying “iTunes” on stage can get peoples’ attention, and let them know how to get your music easily if they’d rather spend their money on a few more screwdrivers than a CD. Besides, a CD’s a physical product that can be a pain to carry around in a bar. Handing out a card with instructions on how to get the album later can move a lot more units.
Ultimately, there’s absolutely no reason for a band to ignore the commercial and marketing viability of the iTunes music store. Like any other tool, it should be used, and by thinking creatively, we can reach a whole new audience that’s rapidly expanding every day.
