So - day four, no word from MadeLoud.com. Starting to wonder if the guy that contacted me is 'off' for the holidays (not checking / responding to email?), or if it was all just a clever plot to get as many reciprocal back links as possible.
Anyone else have this experience with MadeLoud.com?
Anyway, back to business. With a SoundCloud free membership, you can only post each of your super-fresh-and-ready-for-public-consumption tracks in one group at a time. New listeners may find you via tag or keyword searches, but the way to really get your music heard is in SoundCloud's groups.
So - forget the free membership. Go with the 'lite' version, use a promo code for 25% off, and for less than $30 US, you can post your tracks in as many groups as you want.
Plus, SoundCloud gives you a 14 day trial period for a full refund, AND will even send you an email reminding you before the 4 days is up. Go SoundCloud customer service.
So I'm starting with 7 tracks and 9 groups that had the most members and were a good fit for my type of music (indie rock, alternative, experimental, electronic, industrial, hard to categorize!).
I'll be putting all the data into a spreadsheet to share my insights after a week or so.
However, I have a feeling the most important way to gain new listeners regardless of the platform is to talk to people. Find other musicians with similar music, friend them, give feedback, start a conversation. Do onto others as you would have them do to you.
If I take time out of my busy day to listen to a random person's music, it's someone who commented on one of my tracks. My curiosity is piqued. What type of person likes my music? I have to know. I will listen to their songs!
- jM
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Spread the love... on SoundCloud
Hey all, it's been 2 days, no response from MadeLoud.com -> will keep you updated on that front.
Uploaded the latest demos of all songs onto SoundCloud just about three weeks ago. I've had a decent amount of plays mostly coming from Facebook posts, but have not received any comments or followers on SC. I'm about to start posting tracks in SC 'groups' to see if that will generate any traffic to my tracks from SC users. Hopefully some of this traffic will wander on over to my Facebook page (or other social media).
I'll let you know how well this works out (if the cost benefit analysis leans towards waste of time, or time well spent) - update in a few days, so stay tuned.
- james
Uploaded the latest demos of all songs onto SoundCloud just about three weeks ago. I've had a decent amount of plays mostly coming from Facebook posts, but have not received any comments or followers on SC. I'm about to start posting tracks in SC 'groups' to see if that will generate any traffic to my tracks from SC users. Hopefully some of this traffic will wander on over to my Facebook page (or other social media).
I'll let you know how well this works out (if the cost benefit analysis leans towards waste of time, or time well spent) - update in a few days, so stay tuned.
- james
Sunday, December 25, 2011
MadeLoud.com
I just threw together a profile on MadeLoud.com (see it here).
I came across the site in a google search for "independent music forums".
They offer mp3 sales directly through the site, paying out every 15th of the month through PayPal (no minimum balance & only one transaction a month so you don't get killed on PayPal fees like you do on Bandcamp). They also claim to pass along 80% of sales to artists.
Furthermore, they offer a very reasonable option to feature your music in its respective genre. I was contacted and asked to link to my MadeLoud profile from my website in exchange for being featured for a week.
My plan is to not push this on my contacts / networks, and see what kind of traffic this actually generates on its own.
Stay tuned for the results.
-james
I came across the site in a google search for "independent music forums".
They offer mp3 sales directly through the site, paying out every 15th of the month through PayPal (no minimum balance & only one transaction a month so you don't get killed on PayPal fees like you do on Bandcamp). They also claim to pass along 80% of sales to artists.
Furthermore, they offer a very reasonable option to feature your music in its respective genre. I was contacted and asked to link to my MadeLoud profile from my website in exchange for being featured for a week.
My plan is to not push this on my contacts / networks, and see what kind of traffic this actually generates on its own.
Stay tuned for the results.
-james
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
By Bread Alone
Working on posting some demos on SoundCloud, mainly to get some feedback, see if people like the music, etc.
Here's one work-in-progress that's close to completion:
Constructive criticism encouraged! Also, I'll let you know how well SoundCloud works for spreading the musical word, i.e., getting feedback, gaining followers/fans, simply increasing the number of people who have heard jamesisaMonster, pre-album-release.
Best,
j
bella gerant alii
Hey all, first post from james @jamesisaMonster.
I wish I had started this much earlier; I would have loved to have a personal journal of the recording process behind my first full length album. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
Instead, this will probably begin as a record of the trials and tribulations of an independent musician trying to navigate the curious waters of the digital music publishing, distribution, and marketing world. Where it ends up, who knows? Whatever direction it takes, this blog will journal the thoughts and experiences of the musical project jamesisaMonster.
Stay tuned!!!
- james
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