Marketing Your Band Or Solo Act
First off, let’s be clear. Marketing is not evil. It’s not selling your soul to “the man.” It’s
not manipulating your fans. Well ... okay. It sort of is, but in a good way. When you strip
away all the baloney and jargon, marketing is simply finding out what people want and
then finding a way to give it to them. That’s not so bad, now is it? In your case, it’s learn-
ing what your fans want from music and how that aligns with what you love to do. Then,
it’s a matter of finding the best ways to tell them about it. Marketing and promotion are
necessary if you ever hope to make it out of the garage, get known and build a loyal fans
base. Plus, with the right attitude, it can actually be a lot of fun along the way.
Marketing, when done right, is all about being authentic. It’s being true to yourself,
your music and your fans. People can smell a load of bull a mile away. Aside from being
on one side of the stage as a performer, you’re just like your fans, or should be. They can
relate to your music, message, attitude, etc. It’s why they’re a fan. You’re a fan of this
band or that, right? What motivates you to see a show or buy a song? Why are you a fan?
Marketing your music is often a matter of putting yourself in your fans’ shoes. What mo-
tivates you to take action will often be the same for your audience.
When it comes to marketing, NYC-based drummer, Brian Doherty, said, “As a sole
proprietor and freelance musician, marketing and promotion happen almost everywhere
and practically all the time. It’s important to connect the links in the chain and to view
every situation and every person as a potential source of business. For instance, my me-
chanic once set up a meeting with me and another customer—a fellow musician—think-
ing that we could do business together. Who would’ve thought that an auto mechanic