Download - Promoting Your Band Online
www.kilkennymusic.com
KilkennyMusic.com
Ken McGuire
Ross Costigan
Alan Dawson
www.kilkennymusic.com
Background Information
• Started September 2005
• Launched Monthly Gigs October 2005
• Beg, Borrow, Hire
• Staff Expansion 2005 - 2006
• Funded locally 2006, 2007
www.kilkennymusic.com
Who Is Ken McGuire?
• Graduate Waterford IT– BSc (H) Information Technology– Dip. Multimedia Applications Development
• Event Ireland, July 2005
• KilkennyMusic.com, September 2005
• Devious Theatre Co., May 2006
www.kilkennymusic.com
What Does “KKM” Do?
• Daily news & video updates
• Band profiles, music, chat
• Monthly weekend gigs
• Tri-weekly recorded acoustic nights
• Weekly podcast show
• Live gig photography, press releases
• Live engineering, studio engineering
www.kilkennymusic.com
KKM On The Internet
• All started online
• Main website
• MySpace x 3
• Bebo
• OneTakeSessions.com
• SoundSystemPodcast.com
• Staff Blogs
www.kilkennymusic.com
Why Online?
• No physical barriers
• Inexpensive– Free profiles, cheap hosting options
• Instant global market– Thinking local, acting global
• Why not?
www.kilkennymusic.com
Getting Your Profile Online
• MySpace
• Bebo
• Number One Music
• Sonicbids
• Start A Free Blog
• Start A Hosted Blog / Own Website
www.kilkennymusic.com
MySpace / Bebo Music
• Free to register*
• Upload your music– Music can be streamed / downloaded
• Connect with “friends”
• Connect with other bands
• Link to your iTunes account**
www.kilkennymusic.com
Sonicbids For Bands
• Free month trial, $5.95 p/m• EPK - Electronic Press Kit
– Photos– Music– Press Reviews– Stage Plan– Set List
• HWCH Submissions
www.kilkennymusic.com
Number One Music
• Must upload at least 1 MP3
• Fans join ‘mailing list’
• MySpace E-Team
• Free / Subscriber Options
• Targeted Exposure
www.kilkennymusic.com
What You Will Need
• Biography
• Photograph
• Music
• Time
• Patience
www.kilkennymusic.com
What You Will Need
• Properly written biography– Aim minimum 100 words.
• High quality photograph– Aim minimum 2.
• High quality audio– Aim minimum MP3 @ 160k.– Make sure is actually audible.
www.kilkennymusic.com
Where To Begin
• Start with a pen and paper– Brainstorm for an internet strategy
• Make a list of goals– CD on iTunes, video on YouTube
• Make a list of deliverables– Music, video footage
• Make a list of your costs– Subscriptions, one-off costs etc.
www.kilkennymusic.com
Develop Your Internet Strategy
• Select your sites
• Get your content organised
• Set yourself dates and deadlines
• Plan for the future– New content, new video, new audio
• Brainstorm, refine
www.kilkennymusic.com
Start Your Own Website
• Free / Commercial
• Away from distractions
• Fully customisable
• Full control of your brand
• Host your own fan forum
www.kilkennymusic.com
My Tip: Start A Blog
• Easy to run
• “Blog” is the new web site
• Search engine rankings– Can appear in full Google index within
minutes
www.kilkennymusic.com
Blogging For Bands
• “Online Diary”– A series of posts in chronological order
• Free Options– Wordpress.com– Blogger (Google)– MySpace Blog– Bebo Blog
www.kilkennymusic.com
Blogging For Bands
• Self Hosted– Your own domain name
• Portray a professional image
– Cost Effective, €40 pa– Use of free plugins e.g. audio player, store,
gig calendar, forum.– Full control of your brand
www.kilkennymusic.com
What Can You Do On A Blog?
• News - keep people informed
• Photos - open your own gallery
• Email - start and run a mailing list
• Music - upload as much as you want
• Store - sell as much as you want
• Syndicate via RSS
www.kilkennymusic.com
Selling Your Music Online
www.kilkennymusic.com
Selling Your Music Online
• CDBaby.com (and .net)
• iTunes
• Self Hosted
• Free download, encourage sales
www.kilkennymusic.com
CDBaby
• Selling since 1998– 150,000 artists, over $40m in sales
• US$35 setup fee• 9% CDBaby, 91% Artist ($4 per CD)
• Mail Them 5 CDs to start with
www.kilkennymusic.com
iTunes
• Sell via TuneCore– €0.71 per song on iTunes– Albums get €7.10 per song– Also reach eMusic, Rhapsody etc.
www.kilkennymusic.com
Don’t Expect To Be Found
www.kilkennymusic.com
• Get people to your site (s)– Mailing list– Forum posts– MySpace Friends– Press releases– Search engine advertising
Develop Your Marketing Strategy
www.kilkennymusic.com
Cut Costs - Use Free Tools
• Social Networking
• Forums– Boards.ie most visited discussion / chat
site by Irish users in September 2007.
• Blogs– Wordpress, Blogger etc.
• Above all - be seen
www.kilkennymusic.com
Promote Yourself Online
• Band Newsletter
• Banner / Link Exchange
• Join A Webring
• Music Forums– E.g. KKM– E.g. boards.ie
• Google Adwords– PPC
www.kilkennymusic.com
Get Heard: Go Podsafe
• Decide On A Podsafe Track
• Submit Your Music For Podcasting– http://music.podshow.com
• Be sociable– Know your podcasters– Email / contact the podcast on play
www.kilkennymusic.com
ComScore September 2007
• Over 2 million web users in Ireland
• Bebo 4th overall
• YouTube.com top multimedia site– iTunes second
• 66% under 35
• 43% Irish users visited a MM site
www.kilkennymusic.com
Finding Us Online
www.kilkennymusic.com
www.onetakesessions.com
www.soundsystempodcast.com