How to Sell Your Music on the Internet: An Introduction

By Jake Sibley, Musicians' Exchange (more articles from this author) 2001-01-17

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This is the first installment in a series of articles from DoItYourselfRockStar.com that is devoted to teaching you how to make money doing what you love. What could be more wonderful? The information revolution is changing our lives every day in many ways, but to me the most exciting is this: If you have some talent, an internet connection, and some time, you can make money doing what you love - making music. If you have real talent, and work hard enough, you can make a living doing it.

Don't believe me? Take a look at how much these artists are making. That's right. Over $5,000 each month. At this writing, the top-ranked artist on that list was making $21,000 a month. And that's just on one internet music site - MP3.com. There are literally dozens of such sites out there, all of which allow you to post your music for free, many of which will pay you cash every time someone listens to your music. Many of them will also help you sell CDs and band merchandise. All of them will give you access to a world-wide community of fans. And none of them will charge you a dime.

What About Getting Signed?
I know that what you really want is a record deal. Here's the secret to getting one: Labels help artists who help themselves. So while you're waiting for RCA to call you up with a three-album contract, why not start making money off your music today? You'd be surprised how interested labels get when you tell them you've already sold a few thousand albums yourself. And trust me, as soon as you start seeing checks roll in from your own marketing work, suddenly the idea of a contract will lose a bit of its luster. Wouldn't you rather keep all the profits from your music, rather than shell out an obscene percentage to a crowd of music industry goons?

And while we're on the subject of money, let me share another key concept. There are two components to making a business out of your music. You need a product and you need to be able to sell it. You've already got the product, and you and I both know that your stuff is better than some of that garbage they play on the radio. So why are those bands on the radio and you're not? It's because they got out and proved their marketability to the people that pick the bands that get played on the radio. (Don't worry. It's easy. It all comes down to being organized.) And if your music isn't "radio-friendly," so much the better. I'll show you how to use the internet to reach an even bigger audience.

I've done the work for you. I've spent days, weeks, months clawing through the dense jungle of the internet to pluck out the fastest, most effective ways to promote your music. And I make every article interactive so all you have to do is click through and learn. You don't have to search for anything. I'll take you there.

Some Method, But Mostly Madness
Do keep in mind that there is a logical progression to my material. The first articles get your feet wet with a discussion of some important fundamental principles, while the later articles address more advanced topics like designing your own website. You will most likely derive the most benefit by moving through my articles in their intended order. On the other hand, you are an artist, and the best artists don't always follow the rules, right? I've put hyperlinks in to help you quickly locate information you're specifically interested in, so if you see something tasty, jump for it. (You may come across some links that are underlined but inactive. They will connect to future articles that are not yet available.)

I do recommend that you consume the entire body of knowledge I have to offer. Although I've tried to design this series so that each article can stand alone as a valuable resource, if you really want to succeed, you should to read them all. Success in this business is numbers game. If you skip articles, you're only cheating yourself out of potentially valuable tips. To ensure you have all possible weapons in your arsenal, frequently check the Table of Contents to find new tips and tricks that I've unearthed in my undying quest to make you a rock star. This field is changing fast enough that everyone has to keep learning, and I'm no exception.

I can't make any guarantees of success, but I will assure you this: If you read closely and do everything I say, your success may even exceed your musical artistry. That may sound insulting, but the truth is that proper marketing can quickly overshadow talent in the equation of success. So even if you're a only a fairly good musician, you might still end up being a great marketer.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to the engineer in San Diego that produced the first album for one of the highest grossing pop acts in the country right now. For legal reasons, I'm not able to spill any names, but suffice it to say these guys are all over the radio in every city all the time. They are huge. And you know what that engineer told me? He said, "Those kids can't play their instruments worth #&^%$." It's all about marketing. Let me take you there.

Related MusicDish e-Journal Articles:
» How to Prepare Yourself for Stardom: Getting Organized (2001-01-17)

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