 Aye, Announcing The #Idareyouchallenge This is OADB's first ever rap contest featuring a East Coast Style Hip-Hop Cypher beat that actually speeds up. This is a perfect opportunity to show off your skillz. Lets make this go viral! Everyone is welcome to enter. It's free and easy to sign up. Follow these 3 easy steps to enter below: 1. Follow the link and Download the "I dare you" track for free below http://myfla.sh/4pvpr 2.As an individual artist, All that is required is a hot 16. However, If you completely Rhyme through the first 1:06, you're probably going to win. Everyone's goal should be to last as long as possible. Show the world what you're made of! Don't worry I'm not looking for finished songs. . But Don't limit yourself, do more if you feel. 3. When you upload your verses, they can either be audio or video. Make sure you Tag yourself. Tag me as well, my handles are below. Also use the hashtag #idareyouchallenge so we can make this go viral! Let the games begin -John Rodgers IG:johnrodgerstheproducers @onceadaybeats
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A crash course on how to set up a website, promote , grow your fan base and start selling music.
Promotion, promotion, promotion. That is the name of the game in today’s music industry. It has to be a grassroots campaign. It needs to grow organically. It needs to represent you as an artist. It also needs to grow your fan base exponentially! Don’t worry though, it’s actually not as hard as it sounds. But, there are definitely lots of steps that need to be done correctly. Trust me though, once you are done, you will own all the rights to your music and, control your own fan base. Through this process you will have effectively started your own indie music label. So, continue reading and let me show you how! First, head over to www.godaddy.com and buy your unique domain name. I chose www.once-a-day-beats.com. Why? Well, I believe if you focus on your passion, artform, or Hobby once a day the possibilities are endless. This is my “mission statement” or “Tagline”. You should also think of a concept for yourself when thinking of a domain name. It will represent you and your company. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. It is also a play on One-a-day vitamins (I think it's kinda cool). So, now after a few hours of racking your brain over a cool domain name and dealing with www.godaddy.com Head over to Weebly (link) http://www.weebly.com/link/5EqgzT . Weebly is a awesome drag and drop website editor. You don’t need to be a computer expert or programmer to set this up. They have preset templates that you can use as starting points to create your own unique website. It’s soooooo easy to use! I believe everyone should have their own website in this day and age. Next, Send your domain name that you just purchased at Godaddy.com to your Weebly account. They have very straight forward step by step instructions. Like I said, it’s easy. And boom! Now you own your own website. Weebly even has a step by step checklist of things that you need to do to get your website up and running. So don’t worry. I am definitely not a graphic designer myself but the tools provided to build your website are very straight forward. If you sign up to weebly using this link we both get $10 (http://www.weebly.com/link/5EqgzT). Sounds Like a deal to me! There is only one thing I would highly recommend doing if you want to really have a professional look. Higher a professional graphic designer to create your logo! Your logo will represent your brand just as much as your domain name. Don’t worry if you don’t have any friends that can create one for you. You won’t have to spend an arm and a leg either. Head over to www.fiverr.com. It’s a cool freelance website and the base price for everything is only $5. Once you really dive into online marketing and promotion, there is actually a lot of stuff you can get done really quickly for very cheap. But anyways, lots of freelancers are on www.fiverr.com that will create a decent logo for you for very cheap so don’t worry. But what about my music? How does this help me on my path to music superstardom? Your website will become the platform that you base everything off of. Why? Because you own it! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and all social media websites are all extremely important(we will get to this later). But!!! They will press the delete button on your account real quick if they don’t like you. That can never happen with what you actually own (your website). So, you have your website up and running, now what? Write a artist biography. Have a lengthy version and a short version. Get a good head shot or some professional photography. Show that you are a real person. Create a bio page on your website. Use the lengthy version for your bio page and use shorter version for all of your social media accounts. Create a nice welcoming flow for your website and include whatever information you would like. It’s yours, take ownership in it! To load your music onto your website, there are a few different methods of doing this. Soundcloud is great buttttttttttttttttttt, it’s also free. You want to get paid right? Well Soundcloud isn’t the way. It’s a great promo tool but, that is it! A lot of people disagree but hey that’s not how top artist’s become top artist’s. If everything is free, you will become the homeless musician on the corner real quick. So what do you do? First of all, set up a paypal.com account. If you set up a business account, Paypal will give you an option to create a “buy now” button and accept payments. You can use this method to sell your album and set your own price. You can make a whole landing page on your website based around promoting your album with a video ect. Ect.. Set the price of your album to whatever you think you deserve and watch the sales roll in. At this point everything you do will be promotion for your album online . This method definitely takes a bit of "know how" but it is well worth it. But, we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit. You want your online presence to have that “Official” look right? What am I talking about? I am talking about Distrokid (link) https://distrokid.com/vip/seven/568397 Distrokid is a distribution company that I love! It is so easy to use. Unlike other companies such as CDbaby who charge to distribute music per song or album (this can turn into hundreds of dollars). Distrokid has unlimited uploads with a small yearly fee(starter package is $19.99. That’s less than a Pizza Pie)! Put your music on all major digital distribution sites and also receive an ISRC code for each song. (ISRC codes are like tracking codes for your music, I have no clue how they work, so let’s pretend it’s magic). They also offer Youtube licensing so you can get paid for your music video’s or if someone uses your song in their own video (now that is cool). It’s great for producers like me because I can upload music as I make it. Once your music is loaded, Distrokid will have it distributed to iTunes usually within a day. They will also have you on Spotify, Amazon, Beats, Tidal, and the countless other paid streaming services within weeks (they are all different companies and some take longer than others). This is the easiest and the most efficient way to distribute your music in my opinion and it also gives you that professional look you need. (Get 7% off if you follow the link https://distrokid.com/vip/seven/568397) Once your music is all on the “interwebs” it’s time to start working! Set up every social media account you can possibly think of! Start with the heavy hitters. Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram. Then, Pinterest, Tumblr, Digg, Stubleupon, Reddit, blogger, Livejournal and LinkedIn. I will be honest, it is a lot of working setting up all these social media accounts. So, maybe set aside a day and have a friend help you or hire someone on Fiverr.com. These website are really important. Besides google search, the digital distribution websites (iTunes ect. ect.) and shows where you perform. These website are how people with discover and find out about who you are. The biggest tip I can give you about social media sites: Make them all look uniform and familiar with your website. Also, the main purpose of social media is to raise awareness of you! So make sure that you are sending them back to your website in various different ways. On your website, make sure you have links to your album everywhere. Grab the embedded code of your music from all the major distribution website to make sure fans can listen to your music how they want and on your website. Accept soundcloud! Use Soundcloud to post rough drafts, snippets, and music you are interested in. If you use social media correctly you can send thousands of people to your music website daily. Also, encourage sharing. Put social media sharing links everywhere. Have a signup form to track who your fans are. Getting their info is how you establish dedicated fans! These are the people who go to your shows and buy your albums. This is the most official DIY way to own your own music. Become a indie sensation and run your own small record label. Through your website, you can create publicity, promotional content and help other artists on there way as well. It definitely won’t happen overnight and may take a while to get the hang of but once you get the ball rolling you will have a solid foundation and grow your fan base at an exponential rate. John Rodgers www.once-a-day-beats.com instagram.com/johnrodgerstheproducer Follow me on www.twitter.com/onceadaybeats for a free beat. Peace!
 Getting to the top in the music world has changed, artists no longer depend on old-school strategies to try and have a record deal. Technology has disrupted the music business using social media as a vital platform to building a fan base. There are numerous social media platforms that you as a rapper or any artist can utilize to promote yourself. It is because of these platforms that almost all artists can reach their fans more easily via a fan base. Daily use of social media is what most music artists battle with. A feeling of ruin comes up with all the, Facebooking, tweeting, hash tagging, and pinning that has to be done. Social media can turn in to a responsibility that needs to be taking care of rather than an effective marketing tool that can help you grow your fan base. What’s more important, most artists are not seeing results from their hard work. Even if you post regularly and put some effort into making sure your posts are appealing, you are frequently rewarded with zero interaction from your fans and generally, your subscriptions and likes have been on the same number for months or growing at a creeping rate. So the large question is this: How do you succeed in social media?
Below are some ways to build/grow your fan base using viral marketing:
Tip: The best thing about youtube is that you can tell people what to do. Tell your audience to share, like, and download, your music. Also, Hire a professional to help set up your youtube campaign. It will be professionally done and work more efficiently.
Tip: to 10-20 messages per day to post on Twitter. Send non-commercial links, news, articles and videos that are relevant to your own music. All 10-20 tweets include a purely promotional message. This does sound like a lot and their are ways to automate your twitter and schedule out your twitter for months in advance. Take advantage of this technique and watch your twitter blow up. (I am currently in the process of setting this up).
So, How do you build an E-mail list? Create a subscription form on your website or landing page. Offer exclusives, current updates, behind the scenes footage. Fans love insider info on their favorite artists. Send e-mails 2-3 times per week featuring important news, free giveaways, free downloads, concert dates and exclusive tickets. Be careful giving away to much value. Think about what will keep the attention on you. Note: Getting fans to subscribe to your e-mail list should be your ultimate goal.
If you wanted to be popular in school, you would find out who the cool kids are and befriend them. If you want to get on a popular social network, look at the top users. Contact them and lead them to your music. Befriend them. Take an interest in them. Create reasons for their music to spread. Use incentives if necessary. Reward the people who are on your side. Bands, labels, venues, and music related things. These connections/associations can be useful for interlinking-promotion with other bands/artist. Also, venues can effortlessly check out your pages when they’re searching for new bands/artist to hire, and labels and music industry professional continually post about the kinds of music they are looking for. Developing these connections will get your music in front of the right audience and also increase your fan base. The same idea works for the blogosphere, the mainstream music press, the podcasting world, college radio, or any other area of the music industry.
 
Like any other aspect of life, following your dreams of becoming a rapper and recording artist requires dedication and hard work. Most of the rappers who have made it big have a rags to riches story to tell. They have kept their motivation levels up throughout the varied ups and downs of their careers. It is one of the reasons for the longevity of numerous artists such as Dr. Dre, Jay Z, and Ice Cube, etc.
Listed below are the stories of some of greatest stars in the hip hop and rap industry.
“Even when I was close to defeat, I rose to my feet.”
“Many obstacles have been placed in my way, I know the only reason that I make it through, Is because I never stop believing in you.”
I know the only reason that I make it through, Is because I never stop believing in you.” 
Mixtapes are the best way to get your music and your message out in front of the people that can help you turn your passion into a hit. Right now, the market has been inundated with mixtape projects that have been freely released, without a direct purpose or mission. This has made it incredibly difficult to get your mixtape to catch the attention that it needs to. So how do you make your mixtape stick out from the mess of free and pointless submissions that have flooded this market? There are a couple ways to catch and hold the attention you need but they will require a lot of work and attention.
1.Before releasing your mixtape Make sure your music is recorded properly and has the sound that you want. Make sure the songs reflect your best work Even if the mixtape will be released for free and your revenue will come from sponsors and advertising, it is vital that you give 100% on each song on the mixtape. If you don’t put everything you have into a song, the listeners and other potential sponsors will notice and that will damage your future outlooks. Ensure that the content, cover and concept behind your mixtape are unique. This will help your tape stand out from the clutter. The philosophy and mission that you define for yourself and your work needs to be clear. This philosophy will allow listeners and advertisers or labels to connect with you and find a place for your work. If you include a remix of a popular song, be sure that your version is just as good as or better than the original. If you can find a flaw in it, then don’t include it on your mixtape until you can make it perfect. 2.Take it slow There is a lot of hype around releasing multiple mixtapes quickly. It doesn’t help you or your music to release multiple mixtapes without promoting them properly. Release your first tape and give it the attention that it needs to have a chance to get traction. Make sure it has been marketed properly before you move on to release the next project. The best way to succeed is to find a marketing strategy that works for you and your music. Once you have found the method and process that works for you, each tape you release becomes easier to market and makes it easier to expand your fan base. Twitter and Facebook are not the only ways to market These are useful platforms and it is important to have a presence here both from a marketing standpoint and as a tool to help your fans connect with you and find out what music you are releasing soon. 3.Generate hype about your tape before you release it. This can be done with press releases, or by creating contests and giveaways. Get reviews if you can and do radio interviews if possible. That also means making connections in these areas and sending them your tape to demo before-hand. Your marketing strategy needs to include online promotion, publicity, e-mail blasts, video promotions, radio interviews, press releases, and possibly street or club promotions. Marketing Marketing can be the most difficult part of any endeavor, creative or otherwise. Building a marketing plan that works for you and your music is the best way to get your mixtape heard. Along with this, it is crucial to develop your own website and social media accounts. The website can be used to give fans access to your music and let them know what you are working on. Demos can be released here as well as short clips of new songs so that they can have a glimpse of what projects will be out soon. Websites and social media also allow the fans to connect with you as an artist which can help you develop a loyal fan base that can be grown over time. Besides this, a website with a graphic design that is made for you strengthens your brand and your music. You can use the graphic design of your website to reinforce the philosophy of your music and help your visitors understand your music better. Target audience Aside from establishing a website and other social media presences it is also important to identify your target audience. Where is it likely that your music will be played? Which age group is it appropriate for? Are you writing songs that can be danced to or are they more reflective or edgy? When you can identify where your music belongs you can more easily identify the groups you can target with marketing. If your music is appropriate for clubs and DJ cultures, find a few of these, maybe your favorites, and send them a copy of your tape. You can also try to reach out to some of these DJs or clubs online through e-mails or their social media sites. Using Google’s keyword tools such as Adwords can make targeting your audience easier. When you setup an account with Adwords, which is free, you can see which keywords will have the most potential to generate traffic for your website. This can help you promote your mixtape more successfully by isolating the keywords that will work best for you and separate you from the thousands of other bands on the internet. Social media accounts can be used together to create a strong presence across all of these platforms. There are widgets available for many of these that will allow you to upload songs to stream through your site. This allows you to have a song available for fans to listen to on Facebook that you can mention or tweet about on twitter. You can follow this up by posting an image of the cover art to Instagram along with a useful tag that ties it to one of your songs. Working through these social media sites can help you grow your audience organically as people like your material and that allows you to reach the people that they know without directly targeting them. Releasing a single to YouTube and other music hosting sites can also help you gain more exposure. Some of these sites have different requirements for what they accept, so make sure you meet the requirements before submitting a song to them and understand what rights you are releasing. Rap Genius (www.genius.com) can also be a useful resource for rappers trying to get their music out. This site hosts songs as well as forums discussing current trends that have worked to gain an audience and get songs heard. This could be a good place to look for reviews or to just get a song out to an audience that is specifically interested in rap. Business Contacts While it is important to build a fan base and maintain contact with fans through social media and other public sites, it is also important to target radio stations and agents that work in your genre. By sending your mixtapes and other marketing materials to these agencies it is possible to reach a broader audience and potentially gain radio time or interviews. Also remember the power of a single when it comes to marketing to all of these groups. This sample of your work and sound can go a long way to make fans curious and interested in your projects. Overall The more sites you can use to release your mixtape, the more people you will reach. This increases the potential fan base that you may be able to develop. Potential sites that could help: Music platforms: www.indieshuffle.com www.datpiff.com www.coast2coastmixtapes.com www.soundcloud.com www.soundclick.com Website creation: www.weebly.com To maintain your audience, it is important to update the sites that your fans can see frequently. Let them know what you are working on, where you are playing, or what will be being released soon. All of this lets them know that you are still there and working while reminding them how much they love your sound. photopin.com |
AuthorHello, my name is John Rodgers. I am a Hip Hop music producer dedicated to helping rappers and recording artist's build a music career from the ground up. Archives
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