INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO
Last week a friend asked me to be an inspirational speaker for a junior high school in San Francisco. I was so down, but wasn’t sure if I’d be here or in Austin for SxSW.
SxSW came and I wasn’t there. I feel like attending things like SxSW needs to happen organically … and that wasn’t the case for me this year. However … I wasn’t super disappointed, based on having this epic opportunity to speak about design to a bunch of crazy kids.
FIVE FREE eBOOKS
article by: Stefan Aronsen
No more waiting… you can now download all 5 of my Survival eBooks for free… ENJOY!!!
I started writing SF Intercom 3 years ago for two reasons. One, to help musicians survive, and two, as a way to get involved in the indie scene I so dearly loved. SF Intercom started as a design thesis aimed at getting musicians more access to design/marketing/promoting advice. Such advice can be extremely expensive. My goal was to leverage existing advice from other successful bands. I assumed if bands taught other bands/fans and industry professionals shared advice… the indie scene would thrive. I’ve always wanted to be in a band myself… but with many failed attempts at learning instruments I finally realized my calling as a “Groupie with a Purpose.”
BUZZ: PERSONIFY – a survival guide for bands
Buzz helps the community flourish by actively curating a collection of advice from existing bands, spotlighting venues that cater to indie music, and building a network of resources designed with the indie musician in mind.
Hopefully you’ve read BUZZ: PLAN a survival guide designed to help bands get started. Today, I am releasing the second book in my survival guide series, BUZZ: PERSONIFY, which is available for perusing or download. This book covers all the info a band needs to create their brand and should be implemented as soon as your band sounds good. I believe having a solid brand is almost as important as an epic sound. However, bands are afraid of the word brand … So with that in mind I say “You don’t need to brand yourself as long as your create a strong persona.”
Please browse the pages of BUZZ: PERSONIFY above or download your copy below.
BUZZ: PERSONIFY is only available for a limited time.
STEPS 9 & 10 OF PERSONIFY
The 5 P’s of survival are Plan, Personify, Promote, Plug-in and Play. If you’re reading in order you have survival tips 1-6 of Personify. Today I give you #7 and #8.
9 _ GET SPONSORED: Athletes get sponsored so why can’t you? Find sponsorship from company’s you like. Use this as a way to have food when you’re on tour, custom gear when you’re on stage and clothes to look steezy always. Then hook me up!
10 _ CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE ADVERTISING: Where are your fans? Are you advertising there? Are they reading it? Talk to your fans, find out what they respond well to, advertise in ways that work … stop wasting money on advertising that isn’t helping you.
STEP 7 & 8 OF PERSONIFY
The 5 P’s of survival are Plan, Personify, Promote, Plug-in and Play. If you’re reading in order you have survival tips 1-6 of Personify. Today I give you #7 and #8.
7 _ PUT CONTACT INFO ON EVERYTHING: Put your contact info on your cd, on your cd case, on your photos, on your shirts, everywhere. Fans, bands and industry professionals will get in contact with you if you make it easy.
8 _ MAKE MERCHANDISE: Most bands don’t make a lot of money on cd sales. They do however make money selling t-shirts, stickers and other band merch. Make some … then put your contact info on it.
STEPS 5 & 6 OF PERSONIFY
The 5 P’s of survival are Plan, Personify, Promote, Plug-in and Play. If you’re reading in order you have survival tips 1-6 of Personify. Today I give you #7 and #8.
7 _ PUT CONTACT INFO ON EVERYTHING: Put your contact info on your cd, on your cd case, on your photos, on your shirts, everywhere. Fans, bands and industry professionals will get in contact with you if you make it easy.
8 _ MAKE MERCHANDISE: Most bands don’t make a lot of money on cd sales. They do however make money selling t-shirts, stickers and other band merch. Make some … then put your contact info on it.
STEPS 3 & 4 OF PERSONIFY
The 5 P’s of survival are Plan, Personify, Promote, Plug-in and Play. I gave you the first two survival tips of Personify. Today I give you #3 and #4
3 _ BUY YOUR DOMAIN NAME: You aren’t truly you until you own your name. As soon as somebody buys your domain name … they are more you than you. Even if you don’t know how to design a web site you need to own your domain name.
4 _ CREATE A SOLID WEB PRESENCE: This has multiple meanings. First, be searchable on the web, people need to be able to find you. Second, tie all of your web concepts together visually. This will let people recognize you without seeing your name.
STEPS 1 & 2 OF PERSONIFY
The 5 P’s of survival are Plan, Personify, Promote, Plug-in and Play. You have my 10 survival tips for Planning. Today I give you tips #1 and #2 of Personify.
1 _IT IS OK TO BE COMMERCIAL: It is ok to fear the man. However you should not fear some of the words “the man” uses. ultimately you have two options with your music: make it a hobby, or make it commercially viable.
2 _ MAKE SMART DESIGN CHOICES: Poor design choices will reflect poorly on you. You may be a wonderfully talented band, but if your graphics suck, people are going to assume your sound sound sucks. If you’re not good at design, hire a designer.
SOCIAL TV SUMMIT
Social TV is the new buzz word that industry people are prepping for, even though most users have no clue what it means.
Social television is a general term for technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television, or related to TV content. It also includes the study of television-related social behavior, devices and networks. – wikipedia.org
article by: Stefan Aronsen
BUZZ: PLAN – a survival guide for bands
Buzz – A survival guide for emerging indie musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Building and maintaining an audience is as important to a successful music career as it is to a venue, restaurant, theater, and even a retail store.
Buzz helps the community flourish by actively curating a collection of advice from existing bands, spotlighting venues that cater to indie music, and building a network of resources designed with the indie musician in mind. Buzz provides unique guidance and best practices across every style of music, based on years of research. The backbone of Buzz’s message of Persona, Planning, Promoting, Plugging-in, and Playing, relates to any person or group attempting to build an audience.
Touring Advice Journal
What I’ve learned while on tour.
1. It is impossible to avoid Fast-food, be smart.
2. You’re going to eat a lot of Fast-food, practice variety. (I like Ian’s advice… STAY AWAY FROM FAST-FOOD… Try and eat Subway or something) (Isn’t that fast food?)
3. Find popular hangout before your show… invite those people to come!!!
(It will increase the cool kid count)
IL GATO
Author: Olivia Parriott
Genera: Folk, Pop, String, Visual, Cinematic, Acoustic
Videographer: Olivia Parriott
Published: Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Band: IL GATO
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Sound:Indie-Baroque-Folk-Rock
DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD: LA
While the Digital Hollywood site is nothing to brag about… in fact the site is crap… the event was very impressive. It was a great venue to meet and greet amazing minds from music, movies and technology.
SF MUSICTECH SUMMIT IX: Media
The SF MusicTech Summit brings together visionaries in the music/technology space, along with the best and brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, journalists, musicians and organizations who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce.
SF MUSICTECH: Using Social Networks
Illustrated Notes by: Stefan – SF Intercom
USING SOCIAL NETWORKS
Moderator: J Sider – RootMusic
Jack Conte – Pomplamoose
Zoe Keating – Cellist & Composer
Lincoln Parish – Cage the Elephant
SF MUSICTECH: Building a Music Community
Illustrated Notes by: Stefan – SF Intercom BUILDING A MUSIC COMMUNITY Moderator: KC Turner – KC Turner Presents
SF MUSICTECH: New Products & Technologies
Illustrated Notes by: Stefan – SF Intercom NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGIES Moderator: Eliot Van Buskirk – Evolver.fm Jaclyn Ranere – The Orchard Harold Lee – Rock Prodigy Mike Vann – GET IT Mobile Mark Willsher – MusicAllyPro
SF MUSICTECH: Google Summer of Code
Illustrated Notes by: Stefan – SF Intercom GOOGLE SUMMER OF CODE Moderator: Carol Smith – Google, Open Source Programs Rob Kaye – MusicBrainz
SF MUSICTECH: When Should I Get Permission
Illustrated Notes by: Stefan – SF Intercom WHEN SHOULD I GET PERMISSION Moderator: Anu Kirk – MOG Michael Robertson – MP3tunes Darryl Ballantyne – LyricFind Dave Porter – 8tracks
SOCIAL TOURING by RootMusic
article by: Stefan – SF Intercom
“We are excited to partner with three of the industry’s top touring companies to strengthen the connections between a band’s fans and help touring artists get the word out,” said J Sider, CEO of RootMusic.
MUSI2K at Parisoma
Illustrated Notes by: Stefan – SF Intercom
INTERVIEW WITH J SIDER
(RootMusic)
Moderator: Anu Kirk – Mog
J Sider – RootMusic, BandPage
Last night I attended Musi2k at Parisoma.
I really had no idea what to expect! I had never heard of Musi2k or Parisoma… and nobody I knew was talking about the event… I just saw it and decided I was in the mood to schmooze. (you know… brush shoulders with some creatives!)
BATTLEHOOCH’S ADVICE FOR BANDS
Battlehooch is larger than life, they pack more punch than Mike Tyson and are better for you than Tyson Chicken. SO CHECK THEM OUT!
OR, THE WHALE’S ADVICE FOR BANDS
Video and Interview by: Stefan – SF Intercom There are some people you just don’t run into enough. Lindsay from Or, The Whale is one of them. What are 5 survival tips you’d give a new band? 1. Don’t sweat the small stuff, especially when it comes to publishing. 2. Enjoy the ride, because you never [...]
MUSIC FOR ANIMALS’ ADVICE FOR BANDS
Video and Interview by: Stefan – SF Intercom
Everybody keeps saying MFA this, MFA that, MFA, MFA… so now MFA here and now.
What are 5 survival tips you’d give a new band?
1. Write good songs.
2. Make sure you tour.
3. Make sure you sweat.
4. Moderate your drug and alcohol intake.
5. Get your merch in order.
5b. Collect emails.
5c. Maintain connections/relationships
5d. Your merch is your brand. (persona)
