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Music Marketing and Promotion Articles & Tips            >>      Valuable Resources for Independent Artists and Musicians          AMEG since 1983                     An Artist Development Company                                                                                                                              Accelerating the Careers of Today's and Tomorrow's Superstars

Home Page AMEG Services Partners & Affiliations Submit Your  Demo to AMEG Contact Us FREE TIP SHEET Music Marketing Career Counseling Work With Top Producers Music Publicity Artist Management Music Publishers Label A&R Contacts Career How-To Articles License Your Songs Booking Agents & Venues A&R & Demo Shopping National Record Distribution Demo  & CD Assessment Independent Artist Resources       ::  Indie A & R Services ::  DIY Artist Coaching :: Booking Agents :: Music Producers :: Music Publishers :: Music Publicity :: Film & TV Licensing :: Label Consulting :: CD Distribution ::  Radio Promotion ::  Music Marketing :: Online Promotion :: Artist Management :: Artist Development :: Tour Consulting :: Demo Shopping :: Music Contracts :: Entertainment Law  :: Music Promotion :: Merch Solutions ..................................................   FREE TIP    SHEET   "WHAT LABELS REALLY WANT" GET IT  >>          >> article    How to Beat the Labels at Their Own Game by Bob Baker ©2008 In an issue of the trade magazine Billboard, columnist Chris Moore once expressed his bewilderment over the avalanche of new releases from independent labels during the months of October, November and December. Obviously, these record companies want to take advantage of the holiday buying frenzy. The only problem, argued Moore, is that the major labels choose these same months to release most of their heavy-hitting new albums. And who do you think is going to get most of the attention at retail stores and on the radio during the fourth quarter every year? You can bet it won't be the indie labels. Moore's suggestion: Independent labels should save their biggest moves for times when the majors are putting forth their smallest efforts. He cited January, a month when major labels are catching their breath after the big holiday push, as being the perfect month for smaller companies to act. And he added this gem: "In guerrilla warfare, the insurgents always stand the best chance of making a successful strike when the other side is asleep." I knew right away that I had read these sentiments expressed before. So I picked up my copy of Marketing Warfare (McGraw-Hill), one of many fine books by Al Ries and Jack Trout. Within its pages I found more ammunition for this viewpoint:  FREE Newsletter ARE YOU an unsigned act, songwriter or producer?? Looking for a Record, Publishing, Management and Licensing deal worldwide, especially in the UK and USA? Each month the BANDIT A&R NEWSLETTER publishes features on Labels, Publishers, Managements etc looking to sign acts, songs or masters. Get yourself a FREE SAMPLE COPY   "Launch your attack on as narrow a front as possible," the authors write. "This is an area where marketing people have a lot to learn from the military. Where superiority is not attainable, you must produce a relative one at a decisive point by making skillful use of what you have. The marketing army that tries to gain as much territory as fast as possible by attacking all at once with a broad line of products will surely lose in the long run." The philosophy here is simple: When you are not the leader in your field, you can't possibly win by playing on the same turf and using the same tactics as the leader. Instead, you use the leader's strength to your advantage by focusing your efforts on areas too insignificant for them to bother with. Plus, you won't succeed by trying to be all things to all people. That broad-appeal, shotgun approach doesn't work for indie bands and labels 99 percent of the time. Your music won't connect with any one group of consumers strongly enough to matter. That's why pinpointing areas where the big players are weak is the best strategy. Now that you're beginning to absorb this their-weakness-is-your-strength attitude, I encourage you to start coming up with ways you can use your small size to your advantage. Where else could you be playing live? Through what alternate routes might you get media exposure? What types of new retail outlets could you approach to sell your CDs? How might you package your next release to make it different? Stop complaining about your lack of resources, and start reframing your current situation into a position of strength! Click here to discover all the resources you need for a successful music career! Get your hands on all the resources and strategies previously only shared by industry insiders. . about the author >> Bob Baker is the author of "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook," "Unleash the Artist Within" and "Branding Yourself Online." He also publishes The Buzz Factor, a web site and e-zine that deliver marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and other empowering messages to music people of all kinds. Get your FREE subscription to Bob's e-zine and a look at his great resources. More Articles Reprint Rights You may reprint this article on your website, blog, or newsletter provided no information is changed and the "about the author" box is left in tact exactly as it appears. 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