Wow, It has been a whirl wind since my last post. We are through the slow times of December and early January and fully getting into quarter one of the new year. It always amazes me how the industry pretty much shuts down for a six week period right before Christmas and then like Spring time starts to rapidly grow again around the end of January!

Every year about this time my phone starts to blow up with eager artists wanting to join the ranks with their favorite artists and dip their foot into the music industry waters – in the deep end – instead of the shallows near the baby pool of their home town. This is exciting for me every year. Why? Because this is when I get to hear all the new ideas, concepts, strategies, plans, or as i like to call it…. the “crazies!” of this big ol’ music marketing misconception machine. Oh – don’t get me wrong – I hear some really good stuff too. The craziest ideas are what has sparked some greatest creative music marketing efforts in the music industry… once they have been ripped apart, molded to real world information, and turned into a well thought out plan of course.

That brings me to today’s post topic…. Single -vs- CD. It’s like the soda wars of the 90’s – Coke -vs- pepsi. On one side of the “taste bud” you had the young, hip, in the moment types – following the super stars like Beyonce’ to the Pepsi machine – and then you had the older, more sophisticated taste snobs going after the smooth talking Surgeons, Teachers, and Fuzzy Polar Bears promoting sophistication in drink…. but really, which was better? Neither! They both have their places in the market. They both continuously grow their brands beyond the original developers wildest dreams…. they both co-exist and what’s more important, they both need each other in order to continue to grow and reach further.

Yes, we are in the new world of music marketing, super fast internet downloads, fans that want instant access to music, and the ability for artists, musicians, producers, and record labels to save a ton of money by utilizing the internet to deliver their music to the masses….. but it is not an end-all-be-all tool. The internet does not mean the CD is dead. It just means we have another marketing tool to get the music in to the hands of waiting fans!

Radio stations still like to give the “10th caller” a free CD during contests. Press reporters still like to get an entire CD to add to their massive “free” collection. And fans still like to buy the actual CD at shows. There is no “single -vs- CD” war being waged in the trenches of the music industry. It is made up.

I am working with one artist right now that has gained a massive amount of fans. He has something like a million views on youtube, has fan submitted videos being uploaded to youtube, and is actually selling about $1000 worth of singles a month to all these fans…. but he has reached out to me because he is stalled right there. This artist is hungry. He studies online every day trying to reach further, he has taken all the steps he knows how, and he still seems to be stalled. After talking to him for about a half hour it hit me….

He believes that an artist today does not need to get CDs pressed up. While talking to him I found out he has about three CDs worth of songs but no CD of any of them. For the record, he is great, very very great in fact. His music hits the commercial main stream of his genre, he looks the part, has a great video, knows how to use social networking to the extreme, and seems to have the complete package…. but he really only has half of the package to take it to the next level…

THE POINT….

Budget, plan, and get ready for the need to press up actual physical product for the music industry and your music marketing efforts… i.e. CDs. It is the next step in marketing your music to the masses once you dominate the online world. It is almost impossible to do a Radio Promotional Tour without having physical CDs, Selling singles at a live show pretty much does not work and you are missing sooooo much money by not having CDs at your live shows, and realize… real fans, the one’s that follow and support you for your entire career really do want physical CDs of your music… not just singles.

Singles are great to get you started, to create buzz, gain attention, and get the industry to take notice….. but don’t get left behind thinking that just because you gained all these things with your first few singles it’s all you need. It’s not, it does not get you to your ultimate goals, and you will be stuck at a million views on youtube without really making the money those million views could have if you only had a CD!

THE MORAL….

As you are making your money on single sales from iTunes make sure you are putting at least a portion of that money aside to get CDs pressed up. The cool thing…. you can CDs for as low as $650 per 1000 now. This is full retail ready CDs, shrink wrapped, full graphics packs and all. Here is my favorite spot for CD replication, check em out!

Learn how to take your music marketing efforts further!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

I am always harping on the importance of making a personal connection while trying to market your music. It’s true – it really works. I wanted to share an email I received from Beth Schafer – if you remember, or have not read yet, Beth contacted me about some music marketing consultations about a week and a half ago and we had a good hour long chat on the phone about how she could really make the difference and get her fan base activated. If you have not read the original blog post go here and check it out – you will see what was discussed and what was suggested…..

Beth’s email from last night:

Hey Jai,

Thanks and be well,
Beth

Folks, this is the real deal. This is what injecting your personality into your fans does for your music marketing efforts. In just a week Beth was able to increase her email list, sell some CDs, and most importantly – get her fans to take the requested action. You have heard me say it before but it is worth repeating: action breeds action! If you can get your fans to take a small step of action -  you can get them to take a large step of action. Meaning; once you get them to take the action of signing up for your newsletter or downloading your free music single – you can get them to take the larger action of buying your music and your merchandise.

There is no real secret to making a connection with your fans. It is about reaching out and interacting with them, talking to them, and taking an interest in their lives. You want them to do it for you…. but why should they take the time if you don’t? They won’t. You have to participate in your fans daily lives to become friends with them and get them to take action when you want or need it.

Think about this: when is the last time you moved? Last month? Last year? Last week? How did you move? I would be willing to be that you are like most artists, producers, and musicians and really don’t have the cash to hire a moving company… right? I am further willing to bet that you grabbed a couple of your favorite pizzas, some beer, and called up your friends to give you a hand lifting that dresser into the uhaul. Right? Ok, now ask yourself this: why did those friends come to help you? It’s because you take an active part in their daily lives. I bet you didn’t call up friends that you have not talked to in the last three years to help… did you? It is the same thing with music marketing! You don’t ask supposed “fans” that you do not communicate with to help you with your career!

Take action -  a lot of action towards getting to know your fans. When you do, you will see the exact same results as Beth!

Learn how to connect with your fans and create massive music marketing buzz!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

On your road to market your music you have got to plan for the unexpected!

I manage Jeremy Ledgewood (www.JeremyLedgewood.com), an up and coming Christian artist with a great vibe! This weekend we set up a photo shoot for his upcoming album cover in the White Sands Desert in New Mexico. After a week of planning, packing, and going over the list of needed more than a few times – to ensure everything went smoothly – Jeremy and crew set out on the road yesterday at about 7pm.

The plan was to drive all night (from Dallas, TX) and reach the desert around 5am this morning. The photo shoot pretty much had to be today as it is supposed to be around 70 degrees all day and sunny.  The rest of the week and into next week is forecasted to be cold as hell and cloudy! So, Jeremy got on the road with crew and things were going pretty good. Then at about 2am last night I get a call – awaking me – and It was Jeremy on the phone asking me to get online and find out where the jack is located on his new GMC Envoy! LOL. So, I stumble out of bed, head to the computer, and start my very sleepy search while the light from the monitor almost seems to blind me!

In case you ever need to know – there is nothing online telling you where you can find the jack on an Envoy! To make things worse… with the crew, props, clothes, etc. loaded in the vehicle – searching for a Jack, in the middle of a desert road with no street lights and just the coyotes reminding you that you are on their property…. in 13 degree desert night temp… finding a secret, only the designers could figure out, hiding place for the jack seems almost impossible!

As I am searching for the jack online…. about 30 min. later, I get a call say “We found it!” Relieved I went to bed.

The moral of the story: It does not matter how much you plan, what you consider to be important, or what you think could go wrong…. when you are trying to market your music, the unexpected will always present it self. The only way to prepare is to prepare mentally, carry a little extra cash, and by all means… if you are headed into the desert make sure you have the owners manual to your new vehicle!

Jeremy and crew are now safely at the White Sands Desert in New Mexico…. a bit more tired than expected, and still trying to warm up. The little flat tire turned out to be a two hour delay and one cold night with no light changing the tire. All is good, all is well, and the photo shoot will go on!

Just remember when marketing your music, always allow much more time than you think it will take, always have extra cash on hand, and never let the small stuff get to you! The music industry is known for throwing bricks at your head. The only way to prepare is learn how to duck, bob, and weave!

Kick your 2010 Music Marketing Campaign into OVERDRIVE: The Ultimate Online Awareness Campaign!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

Ok, we are a few days into 2010 and as I sat down at my computer with my cup of coffee and favorite artist playing on the little tiny 2″ laptop speaker thinking about what “gem” of information I could share with you today about how to marketing your music better I realized…. maybe I don’t know! Maybe what I need is not what you need. Maybe where I think you should be in your journey is not at all where you are at! Maybe, just maybe…. I need to actually take the time and ask you….

What do you need in 2010 to help you successfully market your music to the masses?

I’m serious here. I want to know what you need to be successful in the music industry. What is your burning questions, what do you need to understand more, what resources do you find yourself trying to find, or what will make the biggest difference in your career? I am listening, I want your input, and I will do my best to answer all the questions I get over the next year.

I want to make this YOUR BLOG about music marketing, promotion, business… or, well, anything you need for your career in the music industry!

I love to share my knowledge about music marketing… but this morning I really realized something great… I love helping artists, producers, musicians, record labels, managers, agents, and anyone else interested in the music industry SUCCEED better than just sharing my knowledge. In order for me to actually do what I love I realized I needed to know more about what you want… not what I think you want!

So, what are you waiting for…go ahead…. click on the comment button below and let er rip – tell me your needs for marketing your music in 2010. Ask questions, tell me what confuses you the most, ask for resources, and tell me your issues.

If you take the time to ask…. I promise I will take the time to find a solution, answer a question, or guide you to the answer you need to succeed in the music industry in 2010!

I look forward to hearing from you…. and giving you what you need in 2010!
Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”
www.jaihutcherson.com
www.IamMusicNetwork.com

Hey Folks,

I just finished up a one hour music marketing consulting cal with Beth Schafer (http://bethschafer.com) and wanted to share one of our topics with you that I feel every indie artist, musician, label, or producer needs to understand a bit better while trying to marketing their music to fans….

First, Beth is an extremely talented artist that has been on the grind for quite a while. She has a solid fan base, great website, and a good start on social networking. Beth called to discuss specifics about how to transform her fan base into an active machine that helps gain new fans, buys more music, and takes the action needed to further her career – like radio requests, live show requests, and beyond. After talking to her for a bit I found that she has been doing all the right things – but just needed a little help in communicating with fans….

Here are the specifics on one topic out of about 12 or 13 we cover in our hour conversation that I felt could help a lot of you on your quest for the “silver bullet” of music marketing strategies…

Jango Radio
As I have discussed here in this blog, as well as in my music marketing books and on I am MUSIC network, I am a huge fan of Jango Radio and all they offer to artists, musicians, labels, and producers. But like anything, you have to take action and then follow through with that action to really see the benefit of the service. Beth told me that she was getting fans and a few comments, but really didn’t feel that she was getting all she could from the service… After looking at her page and discussing what steps she took in the process of aquiring fans on jango it hit me that she was making the same mistakes I find so often from other independents while marketing their music.

Jango tells you on your profile how many fans you have and how many people hit the button to say I like this artist. What you need to realize is that a “like” is a single action taken by someone who hears your song on Jango. When your song is played they have to do one of three things…

1. Hit the little “x” to close the window
2. Hit “I like”
3. Hit “I don’t like”

No matter what, they only have to take a single action, picking which button to hit to get rid of the pop up anytime an independent artist’s music is played.

On the other hand, a “fan” on Jango means that a person had to actually take several action steps to become your fan. They had to first select “I Like” on the pop up, and then they had to take another action of hitting the button to view the artist’s profile, and finally they had to hit the button “Become a fan.” That is three additional steps a listener went through to actually get to your music. In marketing independent music this is huge! Getting people to take action is sometimes the hardest thing you can accomplish. But what next….

Your journey to gaining a loyal fan must not stop with that listener taking three steps. You can not be satisfied with it, no matter how it makes you feel in the moment. These “fans” are golden. You already know they are motivated to take action for the sake of learning more about you and your music. If you simply walk away now you are leaving money on the table… literally! Your first step has got to be to send each person that becomes a fan of your music a thank you note through Jango. Do not use a copy and pasted message. Make each message unique, personal, and address your fan by name. In your note you want to get that listener to take another action. You want to draw them closer in to your circle of loyal fans. With all the myspace.com pages on the internet now a days it is most likely that your new fan has his or her own myspace page…. so, in your note ask them if they have a myspace page. If they do, they will more than happy to give you the address – remember, everyone in the world likes to think they are important and craves attention… it is why there are so many myspace.com profiles!

What you are doing is telling that fan that you are interested in getting to know them better, learning about who they are, and connecting with them outside of Jango and your music. This is making a personal connection. Again… GOLDEN while marketing your music.

Once you get the fan’s myspace.com profile name go to it, actually take the time to learn about your fan, and then send them a friend request… but do not send a generic request. First you want to remind them you have already connected on Jango. Then you want to let them know you checked out there page… how you do this is by mentioning something that you connected with while on their profile. Here is an example….

“Hey Loves Rabbits… This is (Artist Name), we connected on Jango and I just went to your profile here and saw that sunburn you got last week… you look miserable! Let’s connect here on myspace.

Peace,
Your Name”

Realize, There is nothing in this friend request that talks about you, your music, or why that fan HAS to check you out because you are the next big thing… rather, the entire message is about them, where they met you, there profile, and something in their life you found on their profile. Selling your music has nothing to do with you! LOL…. Maybe you missed that…

SELLING YOUR MUSIC HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR YOU!

If you want to gain fans, create demand, and sell your music – you have to realize fans buy music because of what they want or need, not because you tell them anything or talk about you. Again, people crave attention – if you only talk about you – you are stealing all the attention!

When you connect with your Jango fan outside of Jango you are establishing an action oriented relationship. That fan first had to take several steps in Jango, then they had to take the action of accepting your friend request, then… since you took the time to go to their profile and learn about them, they will take another action of actually going to your profile and learning more about your music and possibly you. That is a lot of steps – and steps equal action – action equals buzz, buzz equals demand, demand equals sales of your music and the path to you making your living off your music! Marketing music is a chain reaction.

If you take these steps, with each new fan, you will fast see the huge benefit of taking the time to get to know your fans on a personal level.

This is only one subject Beth and I discussed to further her career in the music industry. If you want to learn more about what I can do to help you kick start your career in 2010 off with a bang drop me an email or give me a call… 972-510-5244.

Music Marketing Consultation packages starting as low as $50 per week!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

Ok Folks…..

It’s 1st quarter 2010 and it’s time to dig into the back of your filing cabinet, pull out those business and marketing plans that have been sitting there collecting dust, and start updating them so you can have a successful 2010! But wait, don’t do anything if you are going to do the same thing you did last year; take the time to write a new plan – to just throw it in the filing cabinet… and watch it get pushed further and further back each time you put something new in your filing cabinet. Don’t waste your time, effort, or intention on something this year that you are not going to follow through with…

Ahhhhh, there it is… If you write a business or marketing plan for 2010 you have to make the decision to follow through with it…. NOT write it and think you will, or know it well enough that you don’t need to place it in the top drawer of your desk for daily, weekly, or monthly reference… But really commit to following your plan down to the last detail! What good is a plan if it is not followed? How can you reach your goals set in a prepared plan if you are not using it to run your business? How can you stay on budget from week to week – month to month – if you are not following the budget you set out in the plan? You can not do any of these things including take the easy road to your planned success without referring to your music marketing or business marketing plan!

What your music marketing or business plan does for you:

1. Sets goals
If you do not know what you are aiming for how are you ever going to get to your target? Before you create your 2010 music marketing or business plan you need to sit down and determine what it is you want to accomplish this year. Be realistic, if you are new to the music industry don’t set yourself up for failure by creating goals too far advanced to where you are currently at. This is not to say you shouldn’t set high goals… just be realistic in your goals and what you have the capabilities or budget to reach.

2. Do your research
Research is key to any music marketing or business plan. You need to know what is hot right now, what the trends say will be hot in six months, and what has stopped working. The riaa is a great resource site for statistics, sales information, and last years trends. Billboard.com is another great site – it allows you to see what the majors are doing for their marketing efforts, and of course… www.IamMusicNetwork.com will keep you up-to-date on what is working in music industry!

3. Plan for your future
Once you have your goals and research completed you should have a better idea for what you will need to do to reach your goals. Now it’s time to plan for your future. What will you need over the next year? Include team members, money, resources, songs, videos, equipment, office space, studio, and anything else you can think of that will be needed to help you reach your goals.

4. Make a plan
Writing a music marketing or business plan does not have to be fancy and perfect. It all comes down to effort. The more effort you put into your plan the clearer the road map you will have to follow. Take your time, plan everything down to the last detail, and include your goals, research, and planning for the future to develop a stated plan of action to get you where you want to go. Think about today, tomorrow, next week, next month, and beyond until you reach next year. What steps will you take every moment and day of your journey? This is what planning is about. If you run into trouble or need help send me an email: jai@jaihutcherson.com. I am here and I do like to help indies reach their goals!

5. Stick with your plan
Writing a music marketing or business plan and then not following it is simply a waste of time, effort, and resources. You will find, if you take the time to write your plan, that you get excited, energized, and motivated to work harder, longer, and be more dedicated. But this newness will fade… if you don’t look at your plan often. It is so easy to get off track, side tracked, or simply forget about the plan you created all together if you don’t make your plan a part of your everyday music business life. Keep your plan in a top drawer of your desk, share your plan with your team, refer to your plan in team meetings, and by all means…. follow your plan.

6. Be prepared for the unexpected
Once your plan is written you must remember it is not written in stone. The music industry may change, your team dynamics might change, your budget may change, or you may learn something new that you didn’t know about when writing your plan. You have to constantly evaluate where your business is at, how it is doing, how much closer or further you are from reaching your goals, and if in fact your plan is working. Be prepared to update your plan as needed, but don’t make changes easily. Meaning, just because you here one thing or another may be working for someone else…. does not mean it will work for you. As you evaluate your plan and progress you will know if you are on track, do not change much of anything is what you planned is working. If you hear of new concepts take the time to research them for sure, but don’t be too ready to adopt them into your plan until you see how it will affect your entire plan…. not just how it will affect today or tomorrow! Another words…. don’t get caught up with “keeping up with the Jones.”

A music marketing or business plan is your road map to your success. It is the most valuable asset you own. Protect it, baby it, keep it in arm’s reach, and by all means follow it! If you take the time, effort, and energy to create a solid plan you will be better off this time next year!

If you need help with writing a music marketing or business plan reach out – I am here to help!!!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

As you know from one of my posts yesterday, I am a speaker at the 14th Annual Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA. Since I am a speaker I am listed on the site with links to my sites and contact info and I wanted to share one of the best music marketing efforts I have seen in a while from a band showcasing at the conference….

Here is the email I received from them (I added the picture from their myspace…)

——————————————————————————————

Greetings,
This message is intended for Jai Hutcherson.

I noticed you on the list of Speakers / Mentors @ MMC14 in Feb 2010 and wanted to take this time to extend a personal invite to see our band MADRONE perform.

We’re a progressive rock band out or Roanoke Va, often compared to the band TOOL. We recently have been privileged to share the stage with Halestorm, Hoobastank, Theory of a Deadman and many more.

Complete Bio: www.sonicbids.com/madrone
Other Link: www.myspace.com/madrone

We’ll be releasing new high quality recordings early 2010. Our featured single on the upcoming EP is called Daybreak and currently in the hands of Freddie Fabbri (Cage Rattle & Breaking Benjamin) and Dave Brenner from Theory of a Deadman for review. If possible we would love to hand you a copy at MMC14 for perhaps your feedback in the future.

Showcase info:
Saturday February 20th 2010
Set Time (12:30am)
Pints (Formally Tara Station)
25 South 4th St. Harrisonburg Pa. 17101

Since it’s a late set we wanted to give you plenty of notice but understand if your unable to attend. However if you do find you can, we would very much enjoy your company.

Thanks for your time and Happy New Year!

Regards,
Greg Escoe
703.489.9317
Madrone Manager
—————————————————————

Why am I sharing this with you…..

Just look at it. This is what it is all about. This is a great first contact communication; it has all the details needed for me to find out more about the band, it teases with a description of the bands sound compared to a major, it offers… not pushes their new cd to me for review, it gives me contact information, it drops some name acts they have been able to perform with and network with letting me know that they are out there working for themselves as well as reaching out to industry professionals trying to make a name, and it is not just another “Hey, we are the next big thing… go to our myspace page and wee why you want to sign us ….” as I get too, too often!

Look at the letter, study the letter, and realize – this letter got my attention, made me want to learn more about them, made me click on the links to visit their profiles, and made me want to go see them when I am at the conference! THIS EMAIL GOT MY ATTENTION! Not because it said a certain thing…. but because it said what it needed to without being full of crap, hype, or smoke and mirrors. It was professional, gave details, and sparked interest. This is a great template for any artist, musician, band, producer, r record label trying to reach out to industry professionals and get noticed – trust me, I don’t see letters composed this well very often and when I, and my industry friends, receive a letter this good we sit up and take notice…. FYI – this is part of that “IT” factor that is needed to succeed in the music industry!

OK, now, as most of you know that read my blog – myspace  has that little widget called “demand it” that artists place on their profile to get people from all over the world to “demand” they do a show in hometown’s…. Madrone, as they should to keep the buzz moving, has placed one on their profile page. Here is what I need form everyone reading this blog…. and you know, I do not ask for much, very often, from my readers…. I want you to click on the “Demand It” banner below and “Demand” Madrone to play a show in your city…. and then when they do, GO TO THE SHOW. I don’t care if you are into hip hop, rock, country, christian, R&B, or whatever…. if you listen to this band you will feel the music, like the vibe, and appreciate the music of another genre…. so get off the “genre specific high road” and listen to them to appreciate what they offer to their genre and then demand them…. if you do, karma  will do the same for you when you need it in your journey to the top…

View all Dallas events on Eventful

I hope to see a lot of emails like this from all my readers in the future!

For more ways to create awareness like this example check out “The Ultimate Online Awareness Campaign”

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”
www.JaiHutcherson.com

Hey People….

If you live on the East Coast – Or anywhere and feel like a really cool vacation… Don’t miss the 14th Annual Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA – Feb. 18th – 21st, 2010. This is a really cool conference that has been happening long enough that they got it going on. These folks know how to put together a City wide event that spans four days, 25 hot clubs, 250 original artists, music industry pros sharing their knowledge, tips, tricks, and techniques for succeeding in the music industry , and a whole lot more.

This is not just another conference…. this is an event not to be missed. I have been asked to be a speaker and am very excited to be a part of this legendary music conference! I would love to as many of my readers/followers at the event so we can network face to face, swap ideas and experiences, and help each other grow our network of contacts.

Go to my website www.JaiHutcherson.com and click on the link for the Millennium Music Conference to get more information!!!!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

Hey Folks….

Going into 2010, as you think about your goals, create your plans for reaching those goals, and start acting on those plans – who is your biggest competition while marketing your music in 2010? Is it the local band, artist, producer, or record label down the street, the regional independent touring around your market, or maybe the international major labels that are buying up all the air time on video broadcast stations, radio, and ad spaces in magazines? It’s none of these!!!

Wait for it….. It’s Coming….. Hold on…..

IT’S YOU!!!

Yup, you are your biggest competition in 2010 while trying to push your music to the masses. There is not one person or organization in the entire world that can hurt or help you more than you can. You have the power to make or break your career with every decision you make…. Notice, I didn’t say action you take, move you make, or marketing strategy you try… I said; “with every decision you make!”

Being in the music industry takes total and complete commitment, guts, and willpower. Everything that you can do to get ahead starts with a decision. Here is the definition of decision: “a determination arrived at after consideration, a report of a conclusion, promptness and firmness in deciding.”

You are your biggest music marketing competition in 2010 because only you can give yourself or take away from yourself the power to make firm decisions about what you are going to do to get your music in the hands of potential fans. It does not matter what other artists, bands, producers, or record labels are doing. It doesn’t matter how much buzz others are getting for their music. But most of all, it does not matter if you are keeping up with others actions or not.

There are more than enough potential music fans in the world that you can have as large a fan base as you want. THE WORLD – Yes, I said world… The internet is upon us…strongly! You have the power to gain fans from anywhere in the world if you make the decision to do so. You have the power to book as many live gigs as you want, get your music reviewed by as many magazines as you decide, and get your music on as many radio stations as you take action to do so.

Notice again, I am not saying you are ready to be on the radio, doing live shows, or getting your music reviewed by magazines. No, I am saying you have the power within you to get to the point that these organizations will want your music. You have to make the decision that you will do what it takes, no matter what that may be, to get your music in the places it needs to be to sell more units allowing you to make your living in the music industry. You may in fact be creating music that sucks! I hate to say it, because I know as a creative type myself that you may not like to hear it. But it is important to realize that you have to make a decision that you either want to make music that you and your mom likes or you have to create music that will help you reach your goals. I am in no way saying change who you are…. there is absolutely no need for that…. but I am saying you have to make the decision to listen to what your potential fans are saying…. or not saying… and take the action needed to reach your decision.

You are your competition! That is very worthy of being repeated many, many times. Only you have the power to make the decision to act upon your dreams of being the next superstar. Only you have the decision to get up every day and market your music to the world to reach your goals. Only you have the ability to follow through with what you start and have solid commitment. Only you have the power to make decisions and then use guts to see them through. Only you can do none of these things, make no decisions, and watch your career fade away…. then look back and say, “well, I WANTED to be in the music industry.” as you sit at your 9 to 5 job behind your desk answering phones….

There is a huge difference between wanting to do something and making the decision to act. Refer back tot he definition. If you decide to do something you have determination to follow through no matter how hard, how boring, or how much work it takes… you are committed. Wanting something means it would be nice if you received it – freely, without work, determination, or commitment. Another word for decision in my mind is NEED. A decision is a need. Meaning is you decide to do something, then you need to do it, not want to do it, or maybe will do it – YOU NEED TO DO IT!

OK, this has been your music marketing motivational minute….by Jai. Take it for what you will… or decide to join the music industry; committed, decided, firm, activated, and with guts. You will need all these things if you are going to reach your goals!

Learn how to create an action plan to reach your music marketing goals!

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”

Well, 2009 is almost over. How was the year for you and your music career? Did you reach your goals? Did you even start the year with goals? Did you learn new tips, tricks, and music marketing techniques that took you further than the year before… or did you continue to do the same ol’ same ol’ with the same results as before? Are you looking to 2010 to be a better year where you can reach further, gain more attention, create bigger buzz, and drive more fans to buy your music…. or will you do the same things you did in 2009?

I personally love New Years Eve! Not because I can party it up into the wee hours of the night, rather because it gives me a chance at a “do-over.” Every year on New Years Eve day, before the festivities, I spend the entire day day dreaming about what I want the future to look like, pondering the past years activities, and then creating an action plan to move me away from the previous years mistakes and closer to the new years goals. This is the most exciting time for me in my business. I really dig day dreaming and thinking about the future. These day dreams become my goals for the year.

A goal is no more than a day dream if no action is taken, no plans are created, or no movement towards them is accomplished throughout the year. This was a huge realization for me many years ago. Before I came to this notion that I had to act upon my dreams to make them a reality I would always wonder from year to year why I was no closer to making my living in the music industry. You see, I was always doing the same thing I did last year, no matter the results, and somehow expecting because I had a day dream of everything being different It would be…. no matter the action I took… which in my case, again, was doing the same ol’ same ol’ and expecting different results.

So again, I ask you…. Are you going to change your mindset or continue with the same ol’ same ol’ hoping for something to miraculously to happen?

I want to challenge you this year. I want you to take a leap of faith and consider that what you are currently doing may not be all you can do for yourself and your career. I don’t care how successful you are right now, there is always more you can do. The most successful people in the world know that learning something new everyday is the only way to stay successful and that there is always something they are doing that could be done better. So, with that said, I want to challenge you to reach deeper within yourself and find that little spark of energy that will allow you to sit on New Years Eve day and ponder your past, plan your future, and take the first action step of creating a written plan of how you will move closer to your future and further from your past mistakes.

Here are some steps to get you thinking…

1. Write down all the actions you took last year towards making your living in the music industry.

2. Go through each action you took and and rate the success using the 1-10 method (1 being poor – 10 being excellent) BE HONEST!!!

3. Now again go through the list and next to each action item list why you feel it deserved the rating you gave it.

4. Put your pen down and seriously consider your actions over the past year. How can you do better?

5. Close your eyes…after reading this step… and day dream about your future. Let your mind go as far as it can towards how you want to live your live and what would make you the most happy in the music industry.

6. Start a new piece of paper and write down your day dreams.

7. Now, look at the day dreams and consider what has to happen to get you closer to them. As an example, if your day dream is to perform live in front of 50,000 people all screaming your name… what must you do to get there? First, you must learn who the concert promoters are that put together concerts large enough to attract 50,000 people. So, in this case, you would need to start networking with concert promoters. – very brief explanation, but you get the point.

8. List each day dream as a goal.

9. Under each goal write down as many action steps as you can think of to get you closer to that goal. Money, time, resources do not matter right now, you can figure out all that later. Right now you just want to create an action plan of how you can reach your goals.

10. Look at all your goals and action items and create a step-by-step plan of action to reach your goals. Once you have a plan you will be able to see what you need to do, obtain, learn, possess, etc. to reach your goals. This is valuable. Now you simply have to get your hands or mind on the needed items and act upon your plan to reach your goals!

Sounds too simple to work doesn’t it? That is because it is human nature to over complicate, over think, and over estimate everything we do in life. People, life can be easy in the music industry if you plan for it to be. This ten step plan is the fundamental basis to every successful person you have ever met or heard about in your entire life. In one way or another each successful person follows this path to their success. The difference between those that are not successful, those who are moderately successful, and those that have unbelievable success is how well they follow this ten step program and personalize it to their individual needs.

2010 can be a huge year for you in the music industry. All you have to do is plan for your success. So, again, I challenge you to reach your potential…. oh sorry, i hated hearing that in school, let’s change that…. I challenge you to reach deep inside your soul and find what it is you want to do as an individual, define your desire into words on paper (very important), create an action plan to reach that desire, and then research and learn what you need to so you can reach those desires and have a unbelievable 2010!!!

Need help setting up your music industry action plan?
Step-By-Step Action Plan to Reach Your Goals & Succeed in the MUSIC Industry

Happy New Year!
Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”