Electronic press kits and services.

[imagineaudio]

What are people doing? Myspace-ing it, using services like Sonicbids.com, or just relying on a well designed website?

Anyone want to share some thoughts?

[bunnerabb]

I am doing my damndest to get my songs sold.

If I have to go as the artist, let's just say this aint my first rodeo and I am doing my damndest to circumvent that whole myspace thing and bombard enough e-commerce sites, radio and brick and mortar retialers with enough promo to choke a horse if I am the man on the cover.

I am open to useful suggestions.

[volthause]

My band is Myspacing and Sonicbids'ing it. I think we're going to drop the SB though.

I think Myspace is becoming over saturated with bands now though, and people are getting sick of the spamming, and I've seen several accounts get deleted for spamming on Myspace.

[bunnerabb]

myspace makes my skin crawl.

I can't tell you why, but something makes me steer clear of it like I would an AIDS victim at a whorehouse and I have learned that my instincts rule.

[studjo]

I feel the same around here about myspace - but I need some ideas regarding studio-marketing

Jo

[bunnerabb]

Cards.

Flyers.

Bulletin boards.

If you PM me I have an idea for a one off, limited studio money maker that can keep the lights on if you have your whore suit on.

[CaptainHook]

I think myspace is the death of music personally.
Kids spend their time trying to find the 'next thing' before
their friends do. Not in itself a bad thing, but i've noticed
it's killed loyalty.

Their new "favourite" band lasts a few weeks before everyone
else likes them so they're not cool anymore and it's off
profile hunting again.

And top it off, it's worse than high school.
Your "friends" dictate how cool you are.

Death.

[bunnerabb]

And top it off, it's worse than high school.
Your "friends" dictate how cool you are.


that WAS high school.

[CaptainHook]

Yeah, except now there's millions of 'kids' to tell you you're not cool. :P

[bunnerabb]

the trick isn't to be defined by your high school, the trick is to have your class defined by you.

work, y'all.

Make music.

[ajcamlet]

while i agree with you guys at myspace, i think its a necessary evil for a while. There are certain labels who are very interested in (unbelievably!) how many friends you have and how many plays you have. i would not beleive it myself, had i not heard it directly.

[Swafford]

I don't really have a problem with myspace. It has an icky feel to it, but so does most of the music business. The friends thing is a joke, so I guess I'm not surpised that label types would invest energy in using it as a way to gauge talent and marketability. But what the fuck do I know, I'm middle aged, overweight and not particularly good looking.

Sonic Bids. There's an interesting business model. Take money from musicians. Give them the opportunity to nickle and dime more money to clubs, festivals, etc with the inflated expectation that these enities care about your music as much as they do your fee. It really panders to a misplaced sense of vanity and ego, but a fool and his money and all that.

I'm going to stick to a well thought out website page and tryng to write good songs.

[Bob Olhsson]

I frankly suspect EPKs are mostly a waste of time and energy.

A press kit ought to knock a reviewer's socks off. It's one place where real creativity counts and counts big-time. I suppose that can be done electronically but I really don't think it's competitive with an actual physical package.

[Meriphew]

Myspace is cool in my book. It's free, and links you to tons of potential fans.

[Swafford]

I frankly suspect EPKs are mostly a waste of time and energy.

A press kit ought to knock a reviewer's socks off. It's one place where real creativity counts and counts big-time. I suppose that can be done electronically but I really don't think it's competitive with an actual physical package.


Most of what I use EPK's for is booking.

For reviews, it's always a fine line beween sending something succinct but compelling and fluff that wastes time. My own approach in addition to trying to craft something compelling is to make sure the reveiwer knows there is more information online should they desire extra background.