Benefits To Social Media In Music

A lot of people see this as an age of technology. The problem with this for musicians, is that many of the artists that are out there in the world right now do not understand the numerous ways that this technology can benefit them considerably. The more you are able to appreciate this, potentially more successful you could become. To be more specific, something as simple as social media in music can be profitable and effective.

But the question is, how is something like this really going to work for you? Well, first you have to understand how these social networking sites work on an individual level. Never before the last few years have you been able to simply sit down and find some regular person who you used to know who now lives half a world away. Consequently, the internet has made the world very small.

So what does this mean for the musician? Well, it means that people are much better able to hear your digital music packages and become fans of your music. Many of these social media tools are even taking the process a bit farther, offering specific marketing packages for bands and musicians looking to use these networks to promote their music online.

Even farther than this, many web masters have taken the principles that have made social media and networking sites and created similar websites geared specifically for the musician. This will allow the artist to upload tracks, albums, artwork, photographs, upcoming tour dates or gigs, and much more. In addition, it allows artists to find each other and share knowledge, shows, and opportunities with one another.

These sites also provide services for musicians, such as creating DIY press kits for submission to festivals, concerts, and competitions. These digital press kits tend to be ideal for submissions to record labels accepting them at the time, as they do not have a chance to get lost in the mail and cost nothing to replicate again and again.

So this is an age of social media in music, but many musicians are not taking full advantages of what exists out there to help them succeed. A little bit of research and time spent in front of your computer, and you could be well on your way to making more fans and getting serious label backing to your projects. Of course, the choice to utilize all of this is up to you.

How To Make Your Own Ringtones

Mobile phones come with standard ringtones that you can use. If you do not prefer to use any available ringtones for your phone, another option is to make your own. To do this you will need to use a desktop or a laptop computer. A typical mobile phone can use an MP3 file as a ringtone. Many methods can are available to create the ringtone for your phone.

One way for you to create a tone for your mobile phone is to download it directly. If you have an Apple or an Android phone, a tone can be downloaded from their app market. When this type of mobile phone is not available you can still download using the download option provided by the service provider.

Another way for you to create a ringtone is to create one of your own. The first thing that you will need is an audio recording program for your computer. This type of program is used to record audio that you can save as an MP3 audio file. Audacity is one popular program that can be used to record an audio file on your system. With this system you can create or download all the Adele ringtones you want.

A ringtone is typically limited to 30 seconds of audio. This means that you will need determine the part of a specific song or audio that you want to record. You can record audio by playing an audio CD in the CD/DVD player for your computer. An audio file can be played from the computer directly or an audio player such as a iPod can be connected to the computer.

Start the audio recording program that is installed on your computer. Click the “Record”: button for the program and then play the audio. Select a 30 second section of the audio that you want to have for your ringtone. Save the file as an MP3 file onto your system. When the data burning is done save it and it will need to be transferred to your mobile phone.

Connect your mobile phone to your computer and transfer the file. You can also use the email program on your computer to send the file to your phone. When the MP3 file has bee transferred to the phone it will then need to be selected as the ringtone that you want to use. The option to save an MP3 to use for a ringtone may vary depending on the type of mobile phone that you are using.

How to Get Deals on Music Related Items

I love my tunes and could easily spend a fortune on downloads and music accessories but I have had good luck getting some deals once I learned where to look.

First of all, 1saleaday.com offers a myriad of music related items for some real bargain prices. I purchased a pair of quality earbuds for 99 cents with free shipping. For that price, I could even pick up extras and have some lying around just in case the dog eats my other set.

Our area Facebook Swap Page is a great venue for nabbing some Mp3 players, iPods, etc. for rock bottom prices. Others who are ready to upgrade are often in the mood to negotiate in order to get some of the money they need to buy the latest music player. If they have been nice to their old one, you get a great deal on a great product and it falls in the category of “try it before you really buy it” category. For the right prices, you can try out different styles and brands for a few months at a time and then zero in on the best fit for your needs all before committing to a pricey new one that you find you are not bonding with all that much.

Craigslist can be a bargain hunters dream if you are looking for all kinds of music accessories. Old record players, console stereos, home theatre modules with music playing abilities. Everything old is new again and if you are looking for some vintage music-playing options, Craigslist can be a wonderful forum.

For actual tunes and downloads, I followAmazon.com and their daily deals and other promotions that might net me a free download or credit to use in the download store. The most recent promotion I utilized was linking my Twitter account to Amazon for a one-dollar credit to the download store. I also follow thefrugalgirls.com and moneysavingmom.com to get the latest free downloads that are out there in cyberspace waiting to be snatched up. These can include iTunes, songs from artists promoting their music, seasonal songs, and other Mp3 related downloads. During the holiday season, I was able to download approximately 25 songs for free.

Shopping for music bargains might take just a bit more time but the effort is clearly worth it especially for a diehard music lover on a budget.

Making Your Own Music Website

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your music career. Getting your name and music out to the public is a huge factor in how successful you are. If no one knows who you are, then it will be very hard to sell your music! Creating a music website is a great marketing tool. Websites are fast and easily accessible to the general public. Websites also make it easy to get a lot of information out without spending a ton of money. Many artists are starting to create their own websites instead of spending extra money on a website designer.

The first step to creating your own website is purchase a domain name. You also need hosting. A domain name will be the name of your website and hosting will give you the space to upload content about yourself. If you are a beginner, it is recommended that you get a program that will let you design your website without using coding. If you are knowledgeable with coding, then you create your website from scratch using notepad.

Your website should have plug ins that viewers can interact with. Some common plug ins for music websites are guest books, comment boxes, contact forms, and emailing lists sign ups. Music websites should also include a biography of the artist(s), information about upcoming concerts, information about where to purchase music, and pictures of the artist(s). A lot of artists will also include a free music sample so that prospective music buyers can get a taste of what they sound like. Because so much music is being purchased digitally, artists are starting to sell their music directly from their website. It is easy for fans to find and the artist can control their funds.

If you are still unsure about how to add content to your website, you may want to find sites that specialize in web design. There are many websites that are especially designed to assist artists in making a music website. These websites will assist you in the uploading of your content. They will also give you pre-made templates to spice up the look of your page. These sites also make it easy to upload your music and will assist you in setting up the transaction and shipping aspects of the music purchases.

Lastly, you will want to decide whether or not you want to make the website mobile compatible. If you choose to make it compatible on the smartphone platform you’ll want to invest heavily into a developer that is knowledgeable with things like HTML5 and jquery. If you do not have the budget for a developer like that, you can always go onto 3rd party services that allow you to convert websites to mobile capabilities.

Remember, a music website is one of the best ways to get your name into the world. Have fun while creating your website and look at it as an opportunity to further your career.

Famous Hotels For Famous People

Celebrities and musicians alike are always on the road. Either going to a new film location or touring with their band the hotels that celebrities stay at become their temporary homes. Because they are constantly surrounded by people, the majority don’t want to be bothered when they come back from a long day. Privacy and convenience becomes a priority.

With the majority of celebrity musicians living in Los Angeles, it is no wonder that one of the most secluded and highly sought after spots is the Chateau Marmont located in Hollywood California. This lush private hotel has been a getaway retreat for many celebrities. The Chateau Marmont has been around for over 70 years now. Originally an apartment complex, it was converted into a hotel and only a few years ago, risked closing down.

Another hotel that has seen many musicians come and go is the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City. Because Atlantic City is a fantastic venue for touring artists, the Borgata Hotel offers the luxury that musicians are looking for even if it is for one night.

Coming back to the west coast we find another highly sought after hotel known as the Beverly Wilshire Hotel located in Beverly Hills California. The Wilshire has been in business just as long as the Chateau Marmont and offers many of the same luxuries. What sets the Wilshire apart from other luxury hotels is the location. Sitting right on the corner of Rodeo Dr. it stands to have an excellent location for those looking to do some high end shopping at one of the elite stretches of shopping boutiques.

These are the hot spots for many celebrities and musicians. They are all high end hotels that come with a hefty price tag that is worth every penny to those who stay.

Gift Ideas for Every Musician

Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas, or another special occasion, selecting a gift for a musician should be fun. However, many givers find it intimidating, especially if they aren’t musicians themselves. This list gives many ideas for all price ranges, budget friendly or extravagant.

Accessories
Earrings, bracelets, and other accessories are great gifts for the musician who likes to dress the part. Jewelry is available for almost any instrument, from common instruments like guitars, pianos, and drums, as well as those that are rarer, like oboes and banjos. Singers may enjoy a microphone necklace, while anyone could wear musical notes on a tie, scarf, or hat.

Recordings
Unless the recipient already has a copy, a new CD or DVD of a favorite artist would be a wonderful gift for any musician. Similarly, a virtuoso on the recipient’s instrument, such as Yo Yo Ma for a celloist or Dizzie Gillespie for a jazz trumpeter, could be very enjoyable. For those with a bigger budget, concert tickets are always a huge hit with musicians, as long as you check for any scheduling conflicts first.

Equipment
If you are giving a gift to a more serious musician, you may want to consider equipment for his or her instrument. For a guitarist, you could purchase a box of personalized picks, while a drummer might enjoy a new drum stick bag. A small gift for a singer could be a box of tea and a music themed travel mug. If the recipient is trying to break into the music industry, time in a recording studio or a book on how to publicize his music might be greatly appreciated.

Novelty Items
When you find a framed record cover of a favorite artist, you just found a novelty gift. Framed pictures of famous musicians or the recipient himself on stage are also great. Other ideas include music themed clothing like customized t-shirts, mugs, and figurines. A great novelty gift fits the recipient’s style. A tie with a keyboard that actually plays might be great for one musician and never worn by a second.

With a little bit of knowledge, shopping for a musician shouldn’t be a hassle. Gifts can be individualized by instrument, music style, and, of course, personality. Whether you end up giving a treble clef necklace or tickets to the biggest concert in town, these ideas should help you please any musician.

Reaching Offices of Music Label Executives

There comes a point for many musicians in which they consider the possibility of the future in the business. This usually is relative to find a company that is willing to produce future albums and promote the music to the nation, or even the world. However, many do not understand the intricate process that encompasses reaching offices of music label executives.

There is a very detailed process that this usually entails. The thing is, many musicians aren’t just discovered by some music executive that just so happened to be drinking in the bar you were playing a gig at. It seems a little far fetched, and that’s because its something that rarely happens.

What does happen, is that you have to work hard and really push to get your name out there. This starts with getting a product that people want to hear, and places that will allow you an opportunity to showcase that product regularly. Then you are going to want to get a good recording of your best tracks. Labels are not going to leap at a chance to purchase a product they cannot make money on.

One of the best things that you can do for yourself is to get some money coming in from playing local gigs, and invest in a manager. This is someone of repute that can act as a go between regarding you and the labels you are trying to reach. Labels will not accept unsolicited material sent to them from some random place, and you will likely not get heard this way.

However, working with a management agency, you should be able to get a foot in the door with specific labels. You have to find out which labels you want to seek out the most, and do a little research to determine which booking and management agencies work primarily for and with these labels. This research can be invaluable in the long run.

It is hard for one person to reach the offices of labels and music executives. You either have to make a big impact in the music world and start really reeling in the fans nationally, or, you have to go through these avenues of being discovered and appreciated. Either way, the result is the same. It might not be as simple as it used to be, but finding yourself on a label is not something unattainable.