Listening to Stephen Sondheim appraise his long career & dissect his own lyrics from West Side Story to Sweeney Todd on BBCRadio4

Week 7: Music Success in 9 Weeks - How to Build Your Mailing List

Music Success in 9 weeks week 7 How to build your mailing list has a sub heading -  "The most critical aspect of your career in this rapidly changing business" - Ariel Hyatt.

Amen Sister!

This past 9 weeks of the course I have been thinking about all these principles and working with and applying them to my client's music. This morning I was auditing a new client to look at how I could help them generate more income from their music. All their social media channels were superb, well executed with great graphics, video, pictures and space for a two way conversation with fans. However when I asked them if they had a mailing list set up, they said they hadn't really thought about it and had not created any ways in which fans could sign up to their site. So they really had no way to contact fans directly and measure to see the rate at which the emails were opened. Simply put, they just needed to convert their social media fan base into an email list to create direct contact.

Let me introduce you to a simple equation:

The Size of your Email List = The size of your income.

I know many of you will be thinking how is this so? Are you sure? Surely it's not that easy? In many ways it is that easy and also not that easy - one of life's little dichotomy's! It is important to create rapport, let your fans know what you are doing, how they can access your music, where you are playing live and what merchandise they can buy from you. In week 6 we looked at the benefits of newsletters and creating relationship so this week, it's all about building that mailing list.

Here are my top  ten tips:

1. Start with the people who love you already: Friends, family & neighbours. The people who will turn up to your gigs when it's snowing and stand at the back and smile at you. Go through your email list and ask each one of them if it's ok to be put on your mailing list? If they say yes ADD THEM! Please don't spam them though - it's so annoying to receive unwanted email.

2. Give each person a give away - most fans appreciate a free MP3 or exclusive video in exchange for their email address. Engage them and show them some love.

3. More Give Aways - Create special merchandise competitions. Next month one of my clients - Marc JB will be giving away special Bimbo Jones T-Shirts that he has just had printed up - check out his website: Marc JB. He gave them away at Glastonbury this year much to everyone's appreciation so the exclusive T- Shirt will be available again!

4. Fan Mobile Numbers. This is such a great service. Many Fans these days feel comfortable giving their mobile phone numbers in exchange for messages and band information that come straight to their phones. With all the different social media channels connected to our phones from Twitter to Facebook, this is an acceptable way to build the fan base and growing in popularity. This is becoming a MUST for musicians. Try BroadTexter for example. They claim their service makes fans feel special and I would agree. 

5. Work hard on your list. Schedule in one or two hours a week (or more if you can) to build this list. Rome definitely wasn't built in a day. This year I had a goal of getting 500 Linked in relationships all of which have become part of my mailing list. I have slowly built this list and just this week achieved that goal. These are people who I work with and value and have met through networking, reading their blogs and creating relationship with. I am very grateful for each and everyone of them. 

While I was in New York in November I realised the power of being consistent and doing a little every day. Over coffee one day, music consultant Rick Goetz kept stressing this and how imporatant it was for musicians to be consistent. Studies prove that people buy from people they like and trust, you cannot just expect people to engage with you so talk to them, let them see what you are doing, create conversation, include them in your process, tell your story and build your email list.

6. MySpace - Currently there is some doubt about the future of Myspace (word on the street) my top tip today is email everyone of your fans personally on MySpace and ask them if they would like to join your mailing list and Facebook pages.

7. Use a service to help you like bandletter.com or FanBridge.com.   These services power up your newsletter and fan bases. I use Fan Bridge and am really happy with the service that I receive.

8. Make sure your Widget is Working on your website/blog and if you haven't got one - get one now for instant building of your fan base. Please feel free to sign up to mine - see the right hand side of my blog.

9. CD Baby Email List. For those artists that sell their music through CD Baby, go through the lists of fans that have already bought from you and ask their permission to sign them up to your list too. These people are very special as THEY HAVE BOUGHT PRODUCT FROM YOU BEFORE! They are VIP's! These are some of the Fans that are most likely to buy from you again.

10. Swap Details. As always, have your business card or postcard ready to exchange with new fans (if they ask for your details) and set up your electronic business card that you can send mobile to mobile at the ready. You never know who you will meet or who is interested in your Art and Music. Always ask for their details and when you swap cards remember to add their details to your list. Set yourself simple targets and obtainable targets. As our aim is 1,000 true fans start with 100 and build from there with dates in which to be achieved. On tour or sharing live music dates with other artists? Maybe swap mailing lists? Again don't spam but people love new music and they might appreciate similar genres to yours.

One of our company strap lines is "All things are Possible". I truly believe that you can indeed build a large fan base of true fans who will support you and monetise your music with lots of hard work and care. I would be interested to hear any new ways in which you have built your mailing list and how it has brought you success. This list is just to fire your imagination and give you a vision t indeed build that Mailing list.

To quote Kevin Costner in the film "Field of Dreams" - "If you build it they will come". Build that website, place those widgets, collect those emails, build that fan base and creating a living!


Good luck and let me know how you get on. All things are possible!

Sally J Freeman

sally@lovelivemusic.co.uk

twitter.com/lovelivemusicuk

Last decade Social - next decade a Game Framework? Thoughts by Seth Priebatschc

Found this this morning on Cemanthe's New Media Angels website - so what's going to happen in the next ten Years?

The Game Layer on Top of the World

Fantastically interesting talk from Seth Priebatsch, from SCVNGR. By now, we’re used to letting Facebook and Twitter capture our social lives on the web — building a “social layer” on top of the real world. At TEDxBoston, Seth Priebatsch looks at the next layer in progress: the “game layer,” a pervasive net of behavior-steering game dynamics that will reshape education and commerce.

"This next decade is all about the the game layer which is about "influence" and not about social influence that was about connecting you, it's about using forces about influencing behaviour and what you will do there, it will become more powerful than the social layer. It is still under construction and it's important that we think consciously about this". Seth Priebatsch


Thank you Cemanthe for this - my mind is stretched! 
http://newmediaangels.com/


Sally J Freeman

December 7th - Happy Birthday Dave Brubeck of Take Five Fame, 90 this week, thank you for the wonderful Jazz davebrubeck jazz takefive

Here's the link : http://ow.ly/3kSAK Wild Fruit Red Ball Brighton 2010 maxellis

Wonderful pictures of Fat Boy Slim, Katherine Ells and Dolly Rockets at the Wild Fruit Red Ball Brighton last night. Images Max Ellis http://ow.ly/3kSy1

December 6th - John & Yoko - Happy Christmas War is over johnlennon yokoono http://ow.ly/3kuiJ

Week 6: Connecting with your Fans Via Newsletter and Finding 1000 True Fans

Guest Blog Post, Rob Lorenzo, Wave 3 Challenger - Agenda Red

Band Website: http://www.roblorenzo.bandzoogle.com/fr_home.cfm

Let me introduce the wonderful Rob Lorenzo to you, fellow "Music success in nine weeks" wave 3 blog buddy and musician with his band Agent Red. Rob is the guest blogger on the Music success in 9 weeks Blog this week. He has summed up nicely the 1,000 true fan concept that Ariel Hyatt and the Cyber team introduced me to this year. Have a read and I would encourage you to go look at Rob's blog and band website - 

Music Success in Nine Weeks – Week 6

Artists - You are a commodity and your fans are your customers.

This is the first lesson I learnt in Week 6 of Ariel Hyatt’s Music Success in Nine Weeks blog challenge.

All You Need is 1000 True Fans

This week we are introduced to this article on the power of acquiring 1000 true fans suggesting that:

“A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author – in other words, anyone producing works of art – needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.”

Inspired to research further, I was drawn to an interview with Andy Karp who was a manager and marketing executive in A&R with Atlantic Records signing bands such as Kid Rock and, one of my personal favourites, Porcupine Tree.

In the interview I was excited to learn that Andy prefers to think of fans as investors, rather than customers,

“..because people are really passionate about the bands and the artists they love. When the music really represents times in your life and is a soundtrack to you, you have a very emotional investment in the creative output of that artist.”

So what do we have to do?

“What you simply have to do is, always be true to yourself, because people react to authenticity. In doing that, you also have to be really smart and understand how the relationship between artist and fan works.”

which is what the essence of Music Success in Nine Weeks is about.

Who do you think your fans are?

In Week 6 of Music Success in Nine Weeks we are tasked with exercises similar to the aforementioned workbook which help us to focus on where we might find our potential fans, audience and investors.

* Who are they?
* What do they like to do?
* Where do they hang out?
* What websites do they hang out on?
* What do they like?

Once we have established that our fans might like eating sushi whilst listening to Nikki Loy and looking at Sandra’s photos, we then need to find enticing ways to attract and maintain a dialogue with our investors.

Have I Got News For You

One way is build a mailing list and offer them exciting newsletters.

In Week 6 we are given a structure, using the 3 ‘G’s, with which we can construct a solid newsletter template:

1. The Greeting
2. The Guts
3. The Getting your investors into action (whatever that action may be)

It makes me feel incredibly grateful and lucky knowing that the people who have already signed up to my mailing list are:

* creative
* forward-thinking
* fun-loving
* dedicated
* ambitious
* adventurous
* a bit technical

They also ooze self-respect and personal success.

It’s clear we also share similar interests:

* A love for art or a fascination with creativity
* Playing, listening to or creating music
* Self and cultural development
* Getting outdoors
* Enjoying films

The fact that they want to invest their precious time and energy in what I have to offer motivates me to be the very best version of me that I can be. These people inspire me and it is my life’s wish to inspire them and others too. They are my people.

Newsletters are about creating a connection

A newsletter is a two-way conversation. When you join a newsletter, any newsletter, you are joining a gang of people who share an interest. You are choosing to be part of a community.

The word newsletter has always reminded me of the word community ever since I was grasshopper high; newsletters from schools, newsletters from youth and arts associations, newsletters from the local grocery store and outdoor adventure shop.

Newsletters keep us informed giving us a spark to ignite a conversation with someone we know with something of interest. They give us the invitation to contact the proprietor directly and if we have something to contribute too.

Your 1,000+ true fans

My goal and responsibility as a newsletter owner and publisher is to connect like-minded people. I find it both inspirational and exciting that, between us, by connecting our tribes we can create the 1,000+ true fans critical for the videomaker, musician or photographer to make a living from their creativity.

For my newsletter and a free MP3, you can join me here.

Rob Lorenzo on Facebook
Rob Lorenzo on Twitter

Good Luck Rob with your move to France, I wish you success in all you do,

Sally

For all you Christmas Glam Rockers out there; The Darkness with Don't let the Bells End! http://ow.ly/3k8RD thedarkness

Week 5: Playing Catch Up...Blogging

Was it John Lennon who said "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans?"...
Have had a hugely busy November and wrote this back in the first week of November but found myself working in NYC and then the family being struck down with the winter lurgy so all of this comes a bit late but hope it's informative and helpful.

OK so the confession: before embarking on Music Success in 9 Weeks I had never blogged and really didn't know much about it at all. I thought it was for geeks and techies. I didn't understand the protocol of reading, listening, thinking, engaging and commentating. Ariel and the CyberPR team gave some great links to get us started, blogs to read, web pages to engage with and now I feel like I have been given a huge sweetie jar and am finding out all sorts of new things about the industry and current thought about what's happening in the music world.


So week 5: I have become a reader and commentator in the places listed below and found it very inspirational indeed. There's so much great thinking going on out there and it is very useful in trying to work out my own thoughts with all things musical. We are in such a transitional time in the music industry where the "Physical" product of CD's DVD's and USB's will no longer exist for the consumer in the very near future so it is essential we get a clear digital marketing and PR strategy that will monetise musicians works. Blogs give all the cutting edge thought and even if you don't always agree, conversation is great.
The Music success blogging challenge encouraged us to interact with 50 blogs which currently is a bit optimistic but below are a few of the best that I read and interacted with.

I essentially worked my way through all the pointers on Ariels blog - a great read to help you get started: http://arielpublicity.com/2009/07/09/blog-reading-101-lurk-leap/

I also joined google friend connect, tried to get my head around RSS - still haven't got that fully sorted but on it, joined a few blogs, read, commentated and received feed back.

The ones that have been most useful for me are:

1. HypeBot - great article on making a living from music http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/11/whats-your-criteria-of-makin...

2. Music Think Tank - http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/michael-laskow-of-taxi-marketing... - superb article from Ariel about Michael Laskow of Taxi - very inspiring indeed.

3. Social Media Blog: Elaine Gantz Wright - great banter going there - superb article http://elainegantzwright.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/the-social-media-...


4. Kemal Mermutlu - UK Mover and Shaker BBC Producer Kemal Mermutlu from Radio 1 and Radio 1 Extra - http://kemalmermutlu.tumblr.com/tagged/music


I met the lovely Kemal in the flesh at a music 4.5 conference in November and had great chats and discussions about audiences, fan bases and the evolving nature of social media. Lots of interesting multi media blog thoughts and inspirations. Kemal introduced me to his love for "Gary" - fab video: All about social media - loving Garyhttp://garyvaynerchuk.com/ check out this great bit of video:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/garyvaynerchuk/videos/165/

5. Andrew Dubber: http://www.andrewdubber.com/
Great Music Straegist... check him out and his FREE DOWNLOADABLE book and podcast:
http://www.newmusicstrategies.com.php5-2.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com...
Andrew Dubber is a lecturer at Birmingham University and it's his job to think big thoughts, talk and write about them and educate. I think he does quite a good job!
6. Ariel Hyatt's Sound Advice Blog: I especially like the 1,000 true fans concept which has become a corner stone to my thinking and my work with clients.
http://arielpublicity.com/category/blog/1000-true-fans/page/2/
I have connected up with all of the above and followed them on twitter, their Facebooks or websites. I would highly recommend you having a punt and to start nailing your colours to the mast. If you are reading this let me know and I would love to hear your experiences in blogging. I am just starting out at this game and am open to fresh thought and different ways of helping musicians make a living in this fast moving profession. The Music Success Blog challenge has proved invaluable and if you get a chance, buy the book now at The Cyber PR website: BUY BOOK HERE - will be the best money you have spent!
Sally


Week 6 & 7 to follow shortly....

Are you an Influencer? Saturday morning thoughts

I was reading Kermal MerMutlu's Tumblr Blog this morning and he had placed a great video about who the Influencers are? This video looks at some of the great Influencers in nusic, fashion and art, how they do it and what are the results. I liked the idea that you don't always have to speak, some people use actions which are often stronger than words. Music and Art can cause cultural revolutions, change ideas, change cultures and economic temperatures. The places where people gather because of passion for music or life style is where new ideas, new thought, new music and art are created. I think Glastonbury is definitely one of those places as is Bonnaroo in the states.


INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION from R+I creative on Vimeo.

I like the idea of a Tipping point. One definition of a Tipping point from a sociological point of view is: The event in which a previously rare phenomenon becomes dramatically more common.


The tipping point is the biography of an idea and the idea is very simple. Ideas and products and messages spread just like viruses do.


It is hard to identify how that tipping point happens, it might start in a club, in a city or with a bit of art or a new piece of music but I guess we can all create tipping points to change and influence. Let's celebrate the influencers, the creators of new music and art and give them what they need to develop new thought, great music and new trends. Here at Love Live Music we love influencers, musicians creating new product, images, art and lifestyles. Our job is to help facilitate that process and bring success to the musician. We would love to hear what you think and how we can help you in that process.


Sally
info@lovelivemusic.co.uk
@LoveLiveMusicUK


Thank you @kemalmermutlu for the video - inspiring stuff.

New in Music Think Tank - Open:Endorsements, Internet Radio, Relationships, Money and Virtual Tours

A Great New Blog from Think Tank - written by Intern Natalie Cheng - Many congratulations

New in MTT Open: Endorsements, Internet Radio, Relationships, Money, and Virtual Tours

BY: NATALIE CHENG | PRINT ARTICLE | POST A COMMENT |

How to Get Endorsements or Sponsors for your band, tour, record, etc.

Simon Tam explains the approach that artists should take to get endorsements and sponsors. Artists need to create opportunities by initiating contact in a unique way. Artists need to focus on how they can provide value to the company instead of the other way around. To start, artists can contact companies with less competition such as local businesses that may be more likely to become a sponsor. 

“It’s about creating a lasting relationship where you can build an audiencetogether with that company.” (Read On)

Internet Radio Is the Future…Duh

Charles Hill writes about his rant on recent articles that he finds obvious. 

“I run across articles with titles like “Internet Radio is the Future”. This cracks me up. Its like writing a book on the fact that the sky is blue.” (Read On)

Relationships Are The New Distribution

Greg Bates discusses one aspect of the 4 P’s of Marketing: Place. Most artists think that their distribution is taken care of by putting their music on iTunes or Bandcamp, but distribution is made up of the quality of your relationships. Artists need to build relationships with fans and reach out to other bands, businesses, etc. to collaborate on projects.

“Every fan, blogger, DJ, promoter, or any other variety of human that you come into contact with is a potential distribution point for your music. The more they like you and your music, the likelier they are to talk about and spread it on a regular basis.”(Read On)

There is no money in the music industry: Are we all in it for the money though!?

Shea Warnes writes about the lack of money in the music industry. His opinion is that the industry lacks entrepreneurial intelligence. He thinks that this is an exciting time in music and the possibilities are endless.

“I am excited for music. This is a new era with more possibilities and opportunities than ever!” (Read On)

The Virtual Tour, Parts II and III

Apryl Peredo gives advice on how to promote your music by going on a virtual tour. A virtual tour is a collection of different types of blogs and web posts on different websites and blogs that promote your music. By using this method, artists can expand their reach to potential fans that are not aware of the artists’ music. When choosing a website or blog to host a tour, artists should find a strong online community and readership interested in their music. The websites do not have to be music-related and can be focused on other topics such as gaming blogs. This method may be a good way to promote your music without spending much (if any) money.

“A new and potentially effective method of increasing the recognition of your music, influencing new listeners and spreading the awareness of you, as a band or musician, is to set up a virtual tour.” (Read On)

—

Natalie Cheng is the intern at Music Think Tank.

Week 5: New York Air makes the Heart beat faster

Well I find myself back in the wonderful heart of London, I love my city and as the plane wheels hit the tarmac at Heathrow, my heart fluttered. However I have a confession..... I think I fell in love last week with another. That significant other was NYC, yes New York, New York! I did indeed wake up in a city that never sleeps, well I didn't sleep  that much, but instead had the most wonderful caffeine fuelled enlightened days. I saw this quote by Simone de Beauvoir on a wall near the Ellis Ferry terminal...Indeed the air in NYC does make sleep useless!

Staying at the Brooklyn Marriott I had the total pleasure of working with Ariel Hyatt and the super talented @CyberPR team. I helped edit a new book that @CarlaLynneHall has written with Ariel, did a voice over for a promotional video for the new Digital PR platform that Ariel has created and watched, listened and learnt from what I think is one of the best Musical PR companies in the world. Here is the link to the new Cyber PR digital platform - CYBER PR
A cyber PR campaign is a digital publicity campaign that gets you prominently featured on blogs, podcasts & internet radio world wide. It also supercharges your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media profiles.

Cyber PR is based in Brooklyn and one early morning I put my walking boots on and walked the length of the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, such a highlight, thank you to Peter from @suffolkandcool who came up with the idea.



Each day I went into @CyperPR HQ to learn about what they do and how they do it. I regularly talk to many musicians from around the world wondering how to get their music in front of people who can generate enough buzz to attract a huge audience of loyal fans, increase their bottom line with the desire to do what they love most… making music.


Cyber PR really does get your music heard and reviewed by today’s new media trendsetters.
It gets your music consistently played and promoted on internet radio stations and podcasts as well as written about on influential blogs. Cyber PR helps build supportive relationships with new media trendsetters and gets your music exposed to thousands of passionate music fans.
They also help amp up your music sales by applying the secrets held by multi-millionaire Internet marketers to all your online promotions and sales. 

I also met the wonderful Rick Goetz whose company Musician Coaching helps coaches musicians to really make it big in the music industry. Rick has seen it, done it - check out his CV. He now runs his own company consulting, creating marketing plans and coaching musicians. A top Bloke and he loves sushi too! Have a look at his website - truly a knowledgeable man who can guide, inspire and give you a marketing plan to realise your dreams.


If this sparks your interest, let me direct you to Cyber PR Music Campaigns by Ariel Publicity.
Maybe it’s time to stop guessing at what it’s going to take to succeed in this mad music business and start a Campaign that can do just that. Cyber PR has three different Campaign packages to choose from, so have a look at them and get your music career in gear.


Genuinely I think this is the best that is out there, I even went the whole way across the pond to check them out and I was pleasantly surprised. Ariel and the team really know what they are talking about - click on the link below to look at what Cyber PR do. The lovely people in the office will talk to you for free, Chris, Phil and Jason will help you out with all your questions.
Just mention that you read my blog and that a mad English Lady recommended having a chat  to see if Cyber PR really is for you. 


Cyber PR - HQ

Central Park - November 2010


Thank you team @CyberPR for a wonderful week chatting, laughing and thinking big thoughts in Brooklyn. Good luck with all - I truly think you are the best.
Feel free to finish up the English tea bags I left in the office and when they run out, come and visit me in London town - London will make your heart beat faster too.


Sally

Address:

Ariel Publicity
389 12th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
USA

Phone:

(212) 239-8384

Social Networks:

• Follow Ariel on Twitter: @CyberPR
• Fan Ariel Publicity on Facebook

Pictures from NYC trip 2010 http://bit.ly/c2S7Mo

Conducting Your Social Media Symphony - involving everyone in making social media music!

Article by Elaine Gantz Wright 

A client  told me last week that he hired us to “do” social media so that he would not have to be involved.  What!? Really? Would he ever consider having a storefront without a sales staff? This is the essential conundrum we have been wrestling with in recent weeks.  Businesses, particularly small businesses and nonprofits, are running lean and over-tasked—especially in this rocky economy. Therefore, it’s difficult for many of them to even conceive of adding a litany of new online tasks to their already maxed-out agendas.

And yet, a thriving, organic social media presence is critical to practically every business’ success in our new-media marketing universe.  From texting to tweeting, we recognize the value of involving customers and empowering word of mouth online, but the question is — What is the best way to get it done? How do we manage it all?

It seems to me it comes down to two options — coaching or doing. Should you hire a coach or consultant to train you and/or your employee(s) to blog and work the key social media platforms? Ideally, strategy and daily activity must work in concert to achieve best results.  A post here and there does not a social media campaign make.  The other option is to hire someone outside of your organization to “handle it” –posting, responding, blogging, monitoring, driving, and analyzing.  What is most productive?  How will you optimize ROI? How will this outside person or team integrate with yours and the unique needs of your operation?

Here’s the rub — we are trying to force social media into a traditional public relations and advertising paradigm.   Hire an agency; produce some ads; run the ads; hope for good response, and move on to the next campaign. However, social media defies the typical one-way, sequential marketing communications models. It requires ongoing attention, 360 degree tending, focused involvement, authenticity, transparency, systematic monitoring, creative energy, and a real persona. Thus, we need an entirely different delivery system and process. But what will that be? How does that look — parsing together so many pieces:

1. Blogging
2. Promoting your blog
3. Driving and participating in conversation on your blog
4. Commenting on other related blogs
5. Monitoring and responding to Tweets
6. Tweeting and responding with value opportunities
7. Driving Twitter crowdsourcing campaigns
8. Facebook product launches
9. Facebook “like” campaigns
10. Facebook applications and lead capture
11. Driving Facebook conversation
12. Integrating social media in email and website
13. Promoting social media connection in your store.
14. Rewarding Foursquare or Facebook checkins
(Just to name a few.)

Of course, the program will vary in size and scope –whether you are Best Buy or Frank’s Nail Salon, but the realities of execution  may not be that different. For many retailers, it’s all about customer service – an inside team that monitors and responds to customer comments and complaints. For others, it’s about launching new products via Facebook, for example, or running limited-time discounts and deals. Regardless of the content or appeal, the relationship-building objective probably surpasses the importance of the final tallies of coupons redeemed or contests entered. It’s not realistic to think you can have a “social media department.” It should be woven in to the fabric of your operations.

So, maybe we need to think of “doing” social media more like conducting an orchestra in real time, as opposed to, say,  downloading a series of iTunes.  An orchestra needs a conductor to keep time in real time, indicate when to come in and when to stop – or know when to staccato  or to legato. Like an orchestra performance, a social media campaign can be led by a “conductor.” But for maximum effectiveness, the organization’s actual players (the musicians) should be directly involved in making the music. They listen to each other, sense the audience’s reaction, drive the melody, layer the harmonies–and know the score.

What do you think? How are you managing you social media efforts? What has worked and what has not? What are your biggest challenges? Share your stories.

Elaine Gantz Wright is a speaker, writer, and social media strategist withBubbleLife Media.  Thank you Elaine for a great article.

If you would like help kick starting your Social media strategy and putting a campaign in place to monetise your music, please contact the Love Live Music Office today where we can discuss your needs and create a bespoke strategy for you:

Telephone: +44 (0) 1923 284468

Live Music - What makes a great Live Artist?

I go and see live music most weeks, from small bars to huge stadiums. I truly believe it's an art to stand up, play or sing and create something special in the moment for that day, that evening and create a special connection, an emotional bond that often inspires and makes you glad that you are alive.

Last week I went and saw the Fabulous Katherine Ellis - "The First Lady of House" sing live at Dover Street Wine Bar, Mayfair London. Katherine performs most weekends all around the world. This Christmas she is touring in Australia, New Zealand and the far East and is just about to release her next house hit: Love You More by the Oxford Hustlers - see link below.

Here is Katherine singing her huge club track recorded originally with the Freemasons live:

After Katherine finished her performance, we sat down and talked about what makes a great live artist? Katherine has spent a long time developing her stage craft and has some top tips for new artists. Here  are some wonderful words of wisdom from Katherine:

Many thanks to Katherine for giving her time to share this essential information for any performer and to her wonderful husband Max for filming the interview:

Katherine's website's and social media can be found here:
www.katherineellis.co.uk
www.myspace.com/songsiren
www.youtube.com/songsiren21



Katherine has a new tune out TODAY - "Love U More" by the Oxford Hustlers and Katherine Ellis that can be purchased from Amazon or itunes:

Buy from ITunes