Big C said:
Quick Tips:
Do your own 1-sheets: (No one knows the Overview and Marketing aspects better than you. And it saves you money and your distributor time. I heard some distributors charge $150 for the construction of the 1-sheet)
Prep your market: Snipe, hand out POP. Drop off POP/1-sheets w/retail in your key markets. Don't forget your back yard!
Give your distributor at lease 6 weeks lead time. Preferrably 8 weeks to solicit your CD.
Have product ready 4 weeks before street date.
Have a REALISTIC street date! Pick a street date you feel comfortable with. Study the majors street dates. If there are some heavy hitters dropping that day maybe you should pick one that's not so crowded. It's not punking out. It's being a smart businessman. Buyers only have so much to spend. And they spent the majority of their budget on big acts than that's less for us.
Communiate w/your distributor what you're doing. i.e./shows, interviews, ads, whatever. Don't just call and tell them. Most of the time the distributor is busy and can't jot all the info down. E-mail it, snail mail it AND fax it. ALL 3. Any distributor that gets upset w/ you for doing that, isn't taking the time to realize that you matter too.
Work your project hard and true. I know alot of you have day jobs and don't have the time to properly promote. So maybe you should hire a street team or wait until you have the time to do it right.
When your disrtibutor tells you where your orders are, call the buyer and say thanks. Send a Thank you card. Sound cheezy? Well it is. But this is a business and impressions matter. The buyer will remember who you are. I've gotten cards and calls thanking me for thing that I thought were minute, but in when I recieved the card I realized how much it meant to the label and that made me remeber them and take them more seriously.
Go to all the stores and get to know the key people. Find out who the hip hop head is who takes care of the hip hop section. Introduce yourself. Give him a free CD or t-shirt or whatever you have. Invite them to a show you're doing. If your not doing a show find out who is and either get them on the list or give them tickets to a show. Watch how you get positionig for free.
cuda
Do your own 1-sheets: (No one knows the Overview and Marketing aspects better than you. And it saves you money and your distributor time. I heard some distributors charge $150 for the construction of the 1-sheet)
Prep your market: Snipe, hand out POP. Drop off POP/1-sheets w/retail in your key markets. Don't forget your back yard!
Give your distributor at lease 6 weeks lead time. Preferrably 8 weeks to solicit your CD.
Have product ready 4 weeks before street date.
Have a REALISTIC street date! Pick a street date you feel comfortable with. Study the majors street dates. If there are some heavy hitters dropping that day maybe you should pick one that's not so crowded. It's not punking out. It's being a smart businessman. Buyers only have so much to spend. And they spent the majority of their budget on big acts than that's less for us.
Communiate w/your distributor what you're doing. i.e./shows, interviews, ads, whatever. Don't just call and tell them. Most of the time the distributor is busy and can't jot all the info down. E-mail it, snail mail it AND fax it. ALL 3. Any distributor that gets upset w/ you for doing that, isn't taking the time to realize that you matter too.
Work your project hard and true. I know alot of you have day jobs and don't have the time to properly promote. So maybe you should hire a street team or wait until you have the time to do it right.
When your disrtibutor tells you where your orders are, call the buyer and say thanks. Send a Thank you card. Sound cheezy? Well it is. But this is a business and impressions matter. The buyer will remember who you are. I've gotten cards and calls thanking me for thing that I thought were minute, but in when I recieved the card I realized how much it meant to the label and that made me remeber them and take them more seriously.
Go to all the stores and get to know the key people. Find out who the hip hop head is who takes care of the hip hop section. Introduce yourself. Give him a free CD or t-shirt or whatever you have. Invite them to a show you're doing. If your not doing a show find out who is and either get them on the list or give them tickets to a show. Watch how you get positionig for free.
cuda