Follow an Indie Band Wednesday

If you haven't yet heard about "Follow an Indie Band Wednesday," you've still got some time to show your support for an indie artist, or you can just wait until next week. The hashtag is #faibw. Here's mine.

Insight into Retaining your Fans

Brian Mansfield of USATODAY wrote a great piece in Friday's edition about different ways artists are retaining their fans through interaction. Here's a snippet: "As CD sales decline, advances from record labels dwindle and audience demographics break up into smaller niches, more and more artists from all levels of popularity are seeking to retain fans by including them in the creative process."

The article may give you some ideas, and the comment thread is interesting as well.

Interview with Creator of the Artists on Twitter Spreadsheet

I'm sure most of the IMT community is familiar with the crowdsourced spreadsheet that Gabriel Nijmeh created listing artists on Twitter. But, it's evolved a great deal since I first read about it. He now includes music bloggers, radio stations, music promoters, and much more. So, I thought I'd interview Gabriel via email and see what his plans are for this free and useful music industry list.

1) Why did you start the spreadsheet?

GN: I love music and the deeper I got into Twitter the more I realized there were many other passionate music fans.  People would post tweets saying so and so bands were on Twitter and so I thought I should quickly whip something up that helps keep track of bands using Twitter. This was at the end of January 2009 and within the last couple of months, there has been explosive growth on Twitter which has translated into a lot of new bands using Twitter.

2) What has surprised you about the spreadsheet?

GN:  Maybe it was naive of me but I never expected that people would embrace it and find it extremely valuable. I did Tweet about it a few times and not having that many followers at the time, I didn't think I had that much reach. Really it was only meant for a handful of my closet followers to use.

But if you have something that people believe is valuable and you are willing to open up and share, Twitter is an amazing communication and relationship building platform. So when various high profile blogs (Pitchfork, Stereogum, Guardian music UK) and high profile Twitterers (Mashable) picked up on it, the list took off, and it was obvious at that point that I was onto something.

3) You should turn the spreadsheet into a free web based directory where people can search, view, add, edit, etc. - thoughts?

GN: Absolutely! It's painfully obvious a spreadsheet will just not cut it! I'm working with a small team and are turning the spreadsheet into a web based directory. We have a few great ideas that once developed will make using the Artists on Twitter directory very easy to use and interactive. The plan is to keep it a crowdsourced/wiki-style directory. I have found that quite a few people have become protective of the directory.  I get many emails telling me about fake/questionable accounts or just general information that helps ensure that the list stays clean, timely and accurate.

4) What's the official name of the spreadsheet?

GN: Well, I started off calling it the Artists on Twitter list and that is what so many people know it by. So we will most probably keep referring to it that way.

5) Can you track how many times it's been viewed, if so, what are the numbers?

GN:  Yes, we have had close to 8,000 visits.

6) I see you've added several new tabs to capture other music properties, like music blogs, labels, music services and more. Those are all great additions, why did you decide to do that? What other sections are you going to add? I'd like to see venues added to the list.

GN: Well, we first started with the most obvious, artists and as people started submitting new entries, I started creating new sections like music bloggers, music labels. I've had people contacting me asking if we could add new sections and we are always open to new ideas and suggestions.  For example, I just got an email yesterday (Friday, April 3rd) from a guitar amp maker (@gabstero) and he asked if I could add a section for musical instrument manufacturers.   I also was recently asked to add a section for sheet music/guitar tabs. Both ideas I thought were brilliant. I know there are a lot of Twitter people who play instruments.

For the average music fan, the artists section will be more important than say the music promoters section.  But if you are a band and you are seeking specific band services (for example a band manager), you would focus on the music services section. A really good example is when an indie band out of Chicago posted a tweet saying they were looking for a new band manager. After seeing the tweet, I was able to help them get in touch with a couple of contacts that added themselves to the Artists on Twitter list.

7) It seems to have it's own life from an organic community effort. How are you trying to grow input?

GN: People just love music! From the casual to the most passionate music fan, music elicits a certain passion and response. You can't go anywhere without hearing music and just like food, music brings people together and is a great way to celebrate life! In the online world, Twitter is perfectly suited to bring together a lot of people from around the world together to discuss just about any topic or subject. We are seeing that with Stocktwits.com, which has become its own Twitter powered community for people interested in stocks, finance, business and economics.

So for us, we engage other music fans by sharing informative links and new music, and by having a vibrant discussion about anything related music. Anyone interested in music will naturally gravitate to the discussion and to the Artists on Twitter list. The key point is that we are an open community, and we take a bottom-up approach to building the list.

8) How many artists do you think you're missing from your list?

GN: I am continually amazed at how deep the list is. Whenever I come across a band and check the list to see if they are on it, I see that someone has already added it. So I would say we have pretty much all the big names covered because these were the first entries that people contributed. Now, I'm starting to see a lot of indie/emerging artists being added.

9) What are the present numbers (e.g. total number of bands, labels, etc.)?

GN: As of April 4th, we have 1557.  Arists make up 1200 of them. Record labels, music bloggers, music services, etc. make up the rest.

Good stuff Gabriel! I look forward to watching the list grow.

SoundCloud on Indie Music Tech

For several months now I've been meaning to add a SoundCloud DropBox for artists to share their music with the IMT community. Well, tonight I had some time, so if you'd like to have the opportunity to have your music highlighted on IMT, all you have to do is send one track to my DropBox in the right sidebar. About once a month, I'll pick a track and highlight it here on IMT. It won't be reviewed; rather, I'll just share it with the IMT community.

I'll start with a track called Damn Love by the Dirt Drifters, a song I mentioned on Twitter a few months ago. This band is doing a great job sharing their demos on SoundCloud. Check it out, you may get some ideas.

BTW, I think SoundCloud is one of the top music tech companies out there; not to mention Alex is a great guy!

Submit Your News

For your convenience, you can now submit your news directly onto IMT. Just fill out the form and I'll review. To increase your chances of getting it posted, please make sure it's music tech related and newsworthy.

ArtistDish Releases Podcast #5

The ArtistDish released its 5th podcast today about some of the shifts and trends in print and digital media, gatekeepers, fandom, the gaming industry and more. It's our longest episode to date (1 full hour), and we are joined by music industry veteran, Barney Kilpatrick of Rattlesby Records, and one of our advisors, who provides a great deal of insight and sage advice, so if you’re an artist, you definitely want to listen to this episode.

Special thanks to Montana Skies for providing the intro music with their song, Gringo Flamenco.

Guest Bloggers Welcome

If you'd like to be a guest writer on IMT like Greg did yesterday, just send me an email with your proposal. It's a great way for you to promote your music, company, blog, etc., while sharing your thoughts with a larger community as well.

Guest Post: Do Bands and Musicians Understand What is Happening Online Right Now?

The guest post below was written by my friend, Greg Rollett of Endagon Innovations. Greg writes regularly on Gen-Y Rock Stars, a Social Music Marketing Blog and Resource for indie musicians. To get a free copy of his Social Media Sites for Musicians and the Rock Star Tool Kit, go here. If you'd like to reach Greg directly, please send him an email (rollettmarketing [at] gmail [dot] com).

(confused music photo by Adam Schilling)

Do Bands and Musicians Understand What is Happening Online Right Now?
I ask myself this question everyday when I see all of the small companies, corporations, brands and innovators taking advantage of tools, resources and conversations that are happening every second of every day online. I get scared when I see musicians still parking their homepage on Myspace, blasting out self promotions with no regards to getting real fans to have conversations with and not accepting feedback from that promotion.

We can start with Twitter, since everyone from the president to late night newbie Jimmy Fallon to, even, Facebook is taking notice of what is happening on this platform. Every second, there are thousands of links being shared, videos being passed, questions being asked and answered and music being streamed directly because of Twitter. In the music world there has been uproar of music related services and platforms devoted to heighten the music experience of Twitter. Roll call please:

Twisten
TinySong
Blip.fm
Tweettj
Song.ly
playTwitter
Twiturm
TwittyTunes (FireFox Plugin)

Then there are the Music Marketing people providing resources for how musicians can leverage twitter:

• Bob Baker’s Music Twitter Resources
• Ariel’s Publicity Twitter Roadmap

And don’t forget the ridiculously long crowd-sourced list of musicians on Twitter

• Musicians On Twitter – (Google spreadsheet)

But did you know that? Do bands see what is going on here?
Technology shrank physical sales and transformed us into a digital world. If you are willing to accept that fact, and embrace the tools, tactics and hard work that it takes to make these things work, there is a great chance that your music can be in more iPods, more YouTube channels, more blogs, more playlists, more countries, more options that ever before.

The key to getting the word out to musicians is to prove that this stuff we are preaching actually works. The reason Myspace friend adders/blasters/spammers were extremely popular and ultimately helped to ruin the site was because they worked. It was a numbers game, reach enough people and a few become fans.

The reality is that numbers were inflated, play counts skyrocketed and bands felt like the king of the mountain. Then you booked a show off your Myspace stats, invited the local music industry players who were also impressed, and you played an unrehearsed live show to the bartenders, wait staff and your frat buddies.

The reality is that developing fan relationships is the key to all the tools and websites out there today. The name of the game has become, how many people can I connect with, on a personal level?

• Can you broadcast your show via UStream and connect with fans that may never get to see you live?
• Can you throw a Meebo widget on your blog and talk to fans every Monday night for an hour about life, music, hobbies and pet peeves?
• Can you take photos at your shows with real fans, post them on Flickr, Facebook and Myspace, tag them and get the fans excited to tell their friends about the night? Can you do it the next morning and not wait 3 weeks to get around to it?
• Can you write a blog post so inspiring that 20 of your fans retweet it, their friends see it and pass it on and all of a sudden you get new traffic from new fans?
• Can you remember to send your monthly newsletter out every month? Can you use Champion Sound or FanBridge to collect emails on your websites and at your shows to grow your fan base?
• Can you look at your band's analytics to see how popular your music is, with whom, in what social networks, gauge where your fans are coming from, etc.?
• Can you create products on demand? Special shirts for special shows? Audiolife can do this for you, instantly. What about a lyrics book or a tour journal? Can you publish that as an eBook or physical book that someone can print on demand (think Lulu)?

The idea that musicians can now create content, have their fans talk about it directly to the band, and then have the band comment back while measuring the process and results is something that is so inspiring, it’s hard to find a reason to argue against it. Yes, it takes time, it might take some money, but this is your life, your business and your future.

Do you understand what is happening? Bands, do you get it?

Your Band's Marketing and Promotional Tactics that Work

I'm curious about the online marketing and promotional tactics bands/musicians are using (e.g. communicating with fans via social media, or giving away free tickets to shows) which have been successful in growing their fan base. If you'd like to share it would be great to hear from you, so just add your comments to this post for all to benefit.

Rock Stars Tool Kit

Greg Rollett has published a follow-up to the 100 Social Media Resources for Musicians called Gen-Y Rock Stars Tool Kit. Essentially, it's a scaled down one page check-list of the most important things you should be doing to market and promote your music, garnered from his previous report. To get your FREE copy, just go here, and provide your email address and Greg will send you a link to the file.

The Atlanta Braves are Looking for Bands

Have you wanted to play at Turner Field in front of thousands of music fans like a few bands did in last year's competition, but you didn't know how to apply, or you missed the application process? Then go to www.braves.com/bravesbands and submit your information, as The Atlanta Braves are looking for a few bands to energize and entertain fans at Turner Field before some home games in 2009.  All genres are welcome to apply, but they seem to be focused on country, rock, pop, cover, and/or original indie bands. If selected, it's a great opportunity for exposure to a large audience, and who knows, maybe you'll get some airtime when they cut to/from a commercial break - good luck!

Musebin: 140 Character Micro Music Reviews

Musebin may become the equivalent of Twitter for music reviews. Like Twitter, Musebin has a minimalistic interface that only allows for 140 character postings, but Musebin is focused solely on music reviews and news. I'm enthusiastic about this site as it opens up a band's ability to tap into the wisdom of crowds and find out what their fans think about their music. Not to mention, it's fun to use! I just posted a review myself.

Additionally, each review can be commented on and voted "yea" or "nay." The idea is that what the community believes is the best music, and/or most accurate reviewers will rise to the top of Musebin. This in-turn may create a new group of influencers.

This is a web app that I think all bands and musicians should use, and encourage their fans to use too. Not only will it provide them with feedback about their music, but it will also help them connect with other artists, and spread the word about their music as well. Musebin is also integrated with Twitter, so micro reviews about your music can be tweeted from Musebin at the same time, further contributing to the development of your tribe.

It's no revelation that the music industry has shifted to a singles market, and that fans are engaging artists like never before. These are perfect ingredients for a company like Musebin, as fans will embrace the speed and ease-of-use of posting micro reviews about their favorite new tunes, and artists can benefit by understanding their fan's sentiments about their music.

Rumblefish Agreement with YouTube is Most Significant Music Tech Deal of 2008

This afternoon I reflected a little bit on the last 12 months of news from the music tech industry, and I would submit that the Rumblefish Agreement with YouTube is the most significant music tech deal of 2008. A bold claim? Maybe, but hundreds of millions of people are watching billions of videos each month when you consider the entire global Internet population. That's a ton of potential revenue for artists and labels working with Rumblefish, and the deal will surely bring thousands of new artists to Rumblefish.

Another way to look at this deal is to conduct a simple search for videos on YouTube. It seems there are are currently about 360 million videos on YouTube. Even if you cut that number in half to account for duplicates, vlogs, channels, removed videos, erroneous search results etc., you're still talking about 120 million plus videos, and growing every minute, a trajectory that seems to be in line with Kansas State University's YouTube statistics from January through March of 2008.

It's easy to see that these numbers represent substantial revenue opportunities for the music industry, and I'm excited for artists, as this agreement will become an easy way for individuals to incorporate legal music into their videos.

So hats off to Rumblefish!

Live Music Archive Revisited

Over the weekend, I re-explored archive.org and their Live Music Archive for the first time in over a year. I was impressed with some of the changes they've incorporated through their integration with etree.org (a lossless live show repository I've been using since 2000). For example, you can now stream most live concerts that have been uploaded, or even embed them on your site. That's a great free widget for bands trying to build a following, as you can introduce potential new fans to your live music directly on your blog with ease. Here's an example of a show from Gomez:



Your fans can also sign-up to receive RSS alerts for newly added recordings of your live shows by other fans. Here's an example for Ween (located under their photo). It's also a great way to see what your fans think about your live shows, like Jack Johnson's recent performance at Bonnaroo (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

There has certainly been a great deal of discussion about free music and the potential benefits it has on generating new listeners and larger audience attendance. For some bands, it does seem to have a positive impact, for others, little to none. So my only suggestion to Archive is that they allow an option for bands to sell their downloads if they like. But until that happens, Maybe the Live Music Archive is where you allow your fans to freely exchange your live shows, but not your studio work or commercial recordings - there are scores of bands on Archive doing just that. Not to mention, most recordings are in high-quality lossless formats like SHN or FLAC, even 24-bit FLAC, and most bands have MP3 files as well, so this should suit everyone from the general music enthusiast to the audiophile. However, with any music repository, there are some potential licensing issues to consider, so you may want to seek guidance from an attorney first.

To get started allowing your fans to record and upload your live shows, just send archive.org an email. To learn how to upload music, go here, or if you have additional questions check out their FAQ.

Separately, from a consumer's perspective, there are literally thousands of live shows from hundreds of bands you can download. Chances are, one of your favorite artists has a show there for you to download.

The Advance Guard's take on DIY, Social Media, Marketing, Podcasts and more

Recently, The Advance Guard worked with scores of key music bloggers to promote the New American Music Union, a music festival sponsored by  American Eagle Outfitters (our ticket give away was here). I thought this was a clever way of promoting an event, so I reached out to C.C. Chapman, Co-Founder of The Advance Guard and founder of Accident Hash, a Boston based music podshow to get his thoughts on DIY marketing for indie musicians and bands.

Here's what C.C. had to say:

Question: 1) With all of the free DIY marketing/promotional content, and music being generated by indie artists, what are some examples of online tactics an artist and/or band can deploy to rise above the noise?

While the phrase "word of mouth" gets thrown around constantly these days, when it comes to music I still think it is the #1 way people discover new music. The key thing is to leverage your fan base whenever possible. Give them tools to help spread the word. Constantly contact them and talk WITH them and never AT them. Encourage them to share and reward the really passionate ones.

Podcasts and other online media are other great ways as well. Work with content producers so that they know they can use your music. If your song gets played in a video that becomes popular that can help you out in amazing ways. Always ask for links and attribution so that people can find you and get more.

And insure you have a solid website with contact information and lots of links on it. You want it to be as easy as possible for people to learn more about you and instantly listen to the music. Don't make it hard or required to purchase a track in order for someone to check out your music.

Question: 2) Are paid music promotions via Facebook or Izea for example, an effective way at marketing music? If so, why? If not, why? What are the pros and cons? What are the challenges?

It depends on if the promotion is a good one or not. I recently saw an ad pop up on Facebook for an indie artist. I'm assuming it showed up based on my self identified favorite artists. I clicked on it and ended up listening to a couple of tracks. It wasn't right for me, but I bet it will be for some others.

Music is a tough thing because while everyone loves it, you never know who is going to love what you are promoting. So you have to cast a very wide net and a focused one at the same time. What I mean is that you obviously want to focus on the people or groups that you think would be most interested in what you are promoting. But, then you've also got to cast it out to a more general audience as well because you don't know what might click with someone.

The thing to keep in mind is that you can have the biggest budget in the world and if the program isn't solid and appropriate it will fail. People have to realize that throwing money at something doesn't automatically make it a success. Take the time up front to really plan it out and realistically think about the goals and outcomes.

Every day more people are competing for all of our attention online and you've got to figure out a way to rise above the rest to get noticed.

Question: 3) Most indie artists will connect with anyone on MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, etc. to promote their music, regardless of who is requesting the connection. Is the quantity of connections proving to be a more effective marketing strategy than the quality of connections?

Quality is always better then quantity. But, with that being said I also think that anyone that friends a band on any social network site they should gladly accept. You never know who might be a connection to someone else or how that individual may be able to help them. Connect with them and then get to know them if possible. If they are just a bot or a spammer then get rid of them and move on, but perhaps they have a skill, know someone at a club or can provide the artist with something else. Why in the world would you want to miss that?

Question: 4) In your opinion, what are the top 5 social media and technology tools a band must not only have in its marketing toolkit, but master as well?

1. Ego Searches - Learn how to put yourself into Technorati, Summize (now owned by Twitter) and Google Alerts and how to get those every day so you can stay on top of who is talking about you, what they are saying and how you can connect with them.

2. Video - People love to consume video. Even if it is rough footage of your practice sessions or grainy footage from the crowd at a show. It doesn't matter. Figure out how to get video footage up on the web and on multiple systems so people can find it and consume it.

3. Podcasting - Become familiar with the music podcasting community and how you can get your music out there for people to play. Become friends with podcasters or engage with a digital PR firm that specializes in music and work with them to get your music out there and played on the variety of shows that exist.

4. Marketing - YOU are your biggest fan and thus have to be your marketing department as well. Set up an e-mail newsletter and encourage fans to sign up at shows. Put your URL on everything you do from t-shirts, to posters, to every e-mail you send out. Embrace the web fully and when you are curious if a new service is right for you ask your fans or someone you trust.

5. Communications - Don't let fan letters go unanswered. Take some time every day to engage with your fan base wherever they roam. Reply to e-mails, comment on their walls and answer their questions. This will build a deeper connection with them.

Many thanks C.C. for your time and great feedback! The Advance Guard is focused on smartly and strategically creating radical marketing through branded entertainment, social media and emerging technology. It's led by award-winning Podcaster C.C. Chapman, and digital advertising veteran, Steve Coulson. Clients include Verizon FiOS, Coca-Cola, HBO, mDialog and American Eagle Outfitters. For more information, please visit their web site at: http://theadvanceguard.com/

ArtistDish Looking for Music and Topics

If you're looking to get some exposure for your music, than contact ArtistDish as they're looking for music for the intro and outro of their shows. A new artist will be highlighted each show with a clip of their music (about 40 seconds total). The next ArtistDish broadcast is in about two weeks so you'll need to contact them by July 25. ArtistDish is also looking for suggestions for future shows. If your topic is selected, you'll receive props during the show.

MoFuse: Wicked Powerful Mobilization Tools for Musicians

Yesterday Hypebot announced you can now receive their feed to your mobile device via MoFuse. Curious about this startup which launched last fall, I set-up an account and was immediately impressed with their features and ease-of-use. Not to mention, it's Free!  For indie artists, this means you could use MoFuse as a Free tool to connect with your fans anytime, anywhere by allowing them to receive your blog feed on their iPhone, or via SMS to many types of mobile devices. All you have to do is register for a free account and provide your fans your mobile address (mine is http://m.mofuse.com/indiemusictech). Your fans will then receive links to your band's latest news (e.g. show updates). It will look similar to this on your iPhone:

 

You may also want to notify your fan community that you're now providing a mobile feed, as well as add a badge to your mobile landing page (mine is to the right of this post), which will display either a standard web enabled interface like this one or an iPhone interface. MoFuse has several additional tools like automatic mobile redirect, click 2 call and a tool to test your mobile display. I see lots of artist uses for this app, especially when you start combining it with other services like GrandCentral. What are you ideas for MoFuse as a tool to build your fan community?

TuneCake Set to Launch by Giving Back, Calls for Music Submissions

TuneCake, a new music discovery site set to launch August 1, will spotlight one unsigned artist each day, offering the artist's album for download at a deep discount for that day only. The artist's music will be available for seven days, but will only be showcased and offered at a discounted price on the first day.

Artists will receive 50 percent of the profits from their album sales. Those artists with the most weekly downloads will receive 75 percent of the profits. An additional 10 percent of all profits will be donated to New Orleans disaster relief.

If you're a musician and/or in a band and interested in providing your music to TuneCake, they are currently accepting the following music submission types: alternative, rock, indie, power pop and related genres. Websites focused on unsigned country and rap artists will launch soon. Submissions are accepted only through the mail and can be sent on CD to TuneCake LLC, ATTN: SUBMISSION, PO BOX 7186, Nashua, NH 03060. Artists can learn more about submitting music here.

Second Life, More than a Promotional Tool for Artists: Interview with Grace Buford (A.K.A. Cylindrian)

For several months I've wanted to interview an artist or band successfully using Second Life. A couple of weeks ago, Timothy Moenk sent me a link about a podcast that Rusty Tanton and Amber Rhea recently created on the Georgia Podcast Network with Grace Buford, an Atlanta based singer/songwriter. During this artist interview, Grace, A.K.A. Cylindrian, talks about her experience as a musician using Second Life to market her music. Her insight on how Second Life is helping her connect with new fans and promote her music is helpful, and so, I edited the original podcast and distilled it down to 10 minutes of her comments about Second Life, which you can  listen to here.

Not only is Second Life providing a global, real-time platform for showcasing her music, but Grace is also building a world-wide virtual following. This virtual audience interaction is also convenient and profitable, as Grace can perform on-line as much or as little as she wants, and when she wants, without travel expenses like food, lodging and gas.

Grace is primarily using Second Life as a way to build her brand, get new gigs and for broadcasting, like her IRL live shows and rehearsals. When Grace mentioned this, it occurred to me that Second Life is a great way to publish content to a potential fan community, as well as engage in one-to-one relationships with your existing fans, deepening your fans' loyalty to you. It's also a great way to get feedback on your new songs before you even release them. Who knows, one of your fans may just give you some feedback that's the difference between your song being average, and becoming a hit.

Second Life could also be a good avenue for artists to connect with one another in different parts of the country, helping each other with gigs in geographic areas where they have not yet played. You could also use Second Life to tap into fans that have never heard of your band by visiting the existing virtual communities in Second Life where people gather to listen, see and chat about other artists in your genre.

Towards the end of  this interview, Grace raises a great question... If Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Second Life, etc. are not increasing an artist's fan base or revenue, is it worth it to spend the time managing these promotional tactics? My response is that good music always finds a way to rise to the top, and if one is spending a ton of time marketing their music with little return, than it might be time to pursue another career, because if people don't like your music than marketing it is not going to help you sell it.

If you're an artist and have Second Life successes you would like to share on this blog, please contact me as I would like to post your experiences.

Promote your Music and Expand your Fans with idiomag

A couple of weeks ago I learned about idiomag, a personalized digital music magazine that keeps you in the loop with your favorite musicians/bands by aggregating various types of content about these artists in a centralized and interactive format. The content includes audio, articles, photos, gigs, videos and more. What's compelling about this service is that idiomag deploys an intelligent system which adapts to a reader's interests as he/she rates the appeal of the content they are viewing, helping to refine the viewer's preferences.

An interesting service, I see at least three ways indie artists could benefit from using idiomag:

1) Bands and musicians can submit their MySpace profile for inclusion in the magazine for FREE. Within 24 hours, your MySpace profile and information will be sent to idiomag subscribers and readers that like your genre of music, enabling you to reach new fans.

2) Artists can promote their music on idiomag to relevant viewers for as little as $10. To do so, just send idiomag an email.

3) You can submit your band's feed for inclusion in idiomag, and then create a personalized magazine focused on your band that you could also publish on your Facebook page. Here's an example of what it could look like: