The importance of your artist promotion package!

In this article I will discuss the importance of your artist promotion package. What you need to include and what you don't.

For many years , I have been reading many articles about music pro's who are receiving loads of packages from artist and songwriters.

What struck me by the comment of the publishers , the A&R guy's,was how little songwriters and artist pay attention to their artist promotion package.

Sometimes too less info and sometimes too much info but useless. A publisher don't care about how much time you have spent writing your song, or that you didn't had the right instruments to let your song sounding brilliant. Or that you got inspiration by Lake Michigan in Spring time.

That's very beautiful but useless information for these guys. A&R people receive hundreds or some thousands packages a week. So, don't think your artist promotion package is one of the few tey will get.

It's more one of a thousand. Speaking in light terms..

They don't have enough time to read long bio letters from songwriter X or artist Z. Give them the most important info about you or about your band and let all the rest just rest.

They are curious about is the reviews that your band have got. What you have already established in your songwriting career. What you want to achieve and include this info into your promotion letter. I think that this Will satisfy them enough(or maybe not).

If they like you songs, then.. OK next.

The music pro's reason that when they see a artist promotion package that looks poor, they think the rest is also poor.

So, why bothering to listen to that piece of... They make a selection and the first impression makes it or not.

The good, the bad and the ugly. Guess what?

I'm sorry to tell you this but, it will been crushed without even a listening.

That's only the hard facts. How bigger the firm, how bigger the piles are. No chance to ask your demo back. If you would make a request with a self addressed envelop, sufficiently stamped on or add a banknote (I don't know how legal this is)you have a chance with an independent label but not with the mayor ones.

Anyway, don't count too much on receiving your demo back. Also important is to try to inform what kind of music or style they are looking for. Don't pitch your artist promotion package out blind. A waste of time and money on both sides. Their time is money.

What to include in your promotion package?

For pure songwriters.

#Name and contact info.

#Your bio(very short)

#What instruments do you play?

#Where you come from and what style(s) of music do you write?

#Website URL.

#Are you a singer-songwriter?

#Have you got any press quotes?

#Contest or awards?

#Do you have your own studio?

#Names of the musician's playing on the demo.

#Name of the vocalist?

#Have you co-writing the song?

#Of course , the lyric sheets not to forget.

And for bands:

#Contact address and other contact info.

#You contact info must be included on every

#piece of paper, the lyric sheets, in case they have lost your stuff in their office., then it's easier to track it.

#The names of every band member and the instruments they are playing?

#Track listing of course, but no more then 3 or 4 songs.

#Your website URL never to forget. (if you don't have a website, it's time to start one ASAP.)

#Have you done some on-line CD sales?

#How many fans are in your database?

#Did your band have won any awards/contest?

#If you have got some radio airplay. On what radio? And how many times they did play your songs?

#About the gigs, how many tickets have you sold?

#Any future gigs.Where will they happen?

#The name of the songwriter? (could be a band-member)

#The bands bio - short no longer then 200 words.

#Any good reviews in magazine's or newspapers?

#Do you have a video tape of your performing?

Put all this i relevant info into your artist promotion package, so they have an idea of what you and your band are and with

who they are dealing. With (almost) professionals.

Look pro, be pro.

The right information!

Nothing more nothing less.

Thanks for dropping in...and hope to see you again some time.

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