Musician’s Arsenal: Killer Apps, Tools & Sites – Onesheet
Welcome back to Musician’s Arsenal! In this edition, I’m very excited to be presenting Onesheet to you. Onesheet is a very easy and effective web presence solution for musician’s struggling to create an attractive website. For those of us who can’t build a nice WordPress site to save our lives, Onesheet is here to save the day (while I don’t want to give the impression that creating a Onesheet excludes you from needing a website, this is a fantastic option that can take care of your web presence needs while you build a website the right way).
Creating a Onesheet is incredibly fast and almost too simple. First, you’ll need to enter your email address and create a password. Next, you have the option of verifying your Onesheet through Facebook or Twitter, or by choosing a desired Onesheet URL. Once you complete one of these two options, you choose the social media platforms you want to populate your Onesheet.
Onesheet can pull information from just about anywhere you have set up a social media profile online. Obviously, it can pull from the big sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but Onesheet is much more expansive than that, click here to see the full list, it’s impressive, and it’s growing.
What makes this so powerful is that Onesheet is a one-stop destination for fans. On Onesheet, fans can view photos, see show dates and times, sign up for your mailing list, listen to songs, watch videos, read blog posts, see Facebook wall feed, read your tweet stream…and more!
I could go on, but I won’t, you get the idea. Your whole web presence consolidated in to one sleek looking page. The background of the page is a user-uploaded photo. The media player can be moved anywhere on the page and has several customizable options, including the very handy opacity feature. The font of the band name can be changed to be consistent with your branding. The customization isn’t overly robust, but it’s sufficient. Anything more and Onesheet would lose it’s ease of use, so I believe they’ve found the perfect balance.
The best part about Onesheet is, once you set it up, you don’t need to update it. Because it’s being fed by your other social media sites, and updating them keeps Onesheet up to date.
The only thing I wanted to see on Onesheet that isn’t there now is a way to incentivize fans who want to sign up for your mailing list. Here at Ariel Publicity, we advocate trading songs for email addresses, which most email capture widgets allow you to do. At the moment, when Onesheet imports your email capture system, (from Reverbnation, Fanbridge and many more) it does not import the capability to deliver a free MP3. But fear not, founder and creator, Brenden Mulligan is well aware of this and has informed me this is on his radar for a future addition.
There’s even more to be had from Onesheet than what I’ve just outlined here. Instead reading my endless ramblings, you should really just give it a go. It’s completely self-explanatory and you’ll have your very own Onesheet set up in 5 minutes or less. So get it set up and post a link here in the comments so we can all see!
Also let me know: What do you think of Onesheet?
Is really as easy as I make it out to be?
Is Onesheet the type of platform that can really knock out MySpace once and for all?
Jason Loomis is the director of New Media Relations at Ariel Publicity
Follow him on Twitter at @Jloom718
I Wish That It Was Not Called Social “Media”
Have you ever been to a music conference or to a networking event and observed that artist or producer who treats everyone they meet like a “mark?”
That’s the same person who is blasting self-promotion on Facebook, I guarantee you.
They gun up to you and are immediately shoving a CD in your face or talking about themselves before you even know their name.
Have you ever been to a networking event and met the guy who is shoving a card in your face before you even find out whet he does?
Have you ever been to a party and met the guy who starts endlessly talking about something you are not interested in at all?
Q&A with Paul of Indie Music Sampler Podcast
http://indiemusicsampler.com/
This site is run by a former DJ and musician from near Portland, Oregon presenting samples of independent music hoping listeners will encourage artists and buy their stuff. Musically, the program is centered on the Pop genre, wandering into folk, blues and rock territories as well.
1. What was the inspiration behind starting the Indie Music Sampler?
I knew in the fifth grade that I wanted to be a DJ. I got to live that dream, but needed to face the fact I wasn’t any good at it. But, I was very good on the technical side of things. With the advent of computers, the Internet and digital music, I am able to live the dream again on a world-wide scale in my spare time. I have Europe in the morning, USA and Canada during the day, and Asia at night. That’s pretty exciting stuff. Almost 10 years ago, I was shopping at a local bookstore and heard a woman playing her guitar and singing in the cafe. I had never appreciated singer/songwriter music like that before. It was so real and from the heart. She sold her CDs for $5 because she thought music should be accessible. The whole thing felt like a gift to me. I remembered that when I got the notion that I could give back by being a podcaster.
2. What is the goal of your Podcast?
To support independent music and the people who make it. They work so hard and pour their hearts into it, they deserve some exposure. Beyond that, the world would be a better
place with a wider variety of artists to hear.
3. What are your favorite Podcasts to listen to?
I listen to technology podcasts mostly, since I’m a card-carrying geek. And, (while they aren’t podcasts actually) for entertainment I also listen to Old Time Radio. My favorite show is the Lux Radio Theatre.
4. Do you think Podcasts have to potential to replace terrestrial radio? If so, what do think the timeline would be for that?
When I started podcasting 5 years ago, I thought so. iPods were everywhere, everyone seemed to be wearing earbuds, and RSS made it so easy. Much to my surprise, it doesn’t seemed to have worked out that way. It is rare that I hear or see the word “podcast” outside of my computer room. That said, I *do* believe that Internet radio *will* make a significant difference. That is why I started streaming 2-1/2 years ago. As the Internet gets more an more portable, Internet radio should become what Satellite radio was supposed to be. I give it five years to be a significant source of entertainment.
5. If your podcast could cover just one Artist, who would it be?
Another easy one – The Beatles.
6. Between blogs, podcasts and internet radio stations, do you believe one source of media is more influential than the others? Why?
Internet radio is the medium of the future. Can you imagine when it’s available in every car? It’s not that far away. The potential is staggering.
New Media Maker Panel – Marketing Strategies, Tips & Advice: Powered By You
Some of the best tools to promote your music can come (free!) straight from the Internet, however sometimes diving into the world wide web can be scary. What blog site should I use? What do I write about? Is anyone even reading what I’m writing?? No need to fear anymore as Cyber PR teamed up with MicControl’s very own Jonathan Ostrow to create a bi-weekly panel of bloggers that are kind enough to share some valuable insight on the blogosphere, the music industry and more.
Every other week we will address different topics that artists might have in regards to blogging. Picking the brains this week of Jen D. Rafanan from A Million Watts of Sound, Gary Hill from Music Street Journal and Kevin Allen from Song Revelation, they’re here to ease you into the world of blogging as this week’s topic is:
Ways For Musicians To Blog Effectively Without Being Self-Promotional
We encourage any feedback you may have and feel free to ask any questions of your own! What topics do you want see covered in this series? This is all about YOU, the artist, so tell us what you want to know and we’ll find a panel to answer your questions!
Jen Gary Kevin
1. What should musicians write about on their blog?
Jen from A Million Watts of Sound: I am a total behind-the-scenes kinda gal and love stories. Not just the stories told within the songs, but stories about the artists’ life. How they got to where they are. What inspires them. What doesn’t. A funny anecdote from a tour. A cool experience with a fan. Stories connect people. Musicians that write little stories like this on their blog, make me more interested and invested in both them and their music. These are the artists I find myself more drawn to. Whether it’s a story I can relate to or not. As long as it’s from their perspective, the insight into the artist and music is fascinating. Once that connection is made, it’s a pretty solid commitment from me. I make more of an effort to promote that artist however, whenever I can. 2 of the only 3 artists I have supported on www.kickstarter.com for help with an album or tour were CyberPR artists. In a difficult economy, part of what did it for me is the connection I have with them. Though I am fortunate to have gotten to know them through CyberPR, they are artists who definitely share stories and their experiences with their fans. So, yeah…promote your album or latest single, but definitely include STORIES! 
Gary from Music Street Journal: The key to writing an effective blog is to make it interesting. For a musician that means, don’t rehash old stuff, but try to throw new angles on old information or put completely new stuff out there. While it’s never a good idea to be intentionally untruthful in a blog (or any promotion) it’s always good to highlight the positive and ignore or at least downplay the negatives. Choose news to publicize carefully. It’s not a good idea to talk about a musician leaving the band until a replacement has been found. Then, focus on showcasing the new person and mention the other person leaving only as means of explanation. And, NEVER trash a former band mate, manager or other person in a public forum.
2. How can artists use a blog to build their mailing list?
Kevin from Song Revelation: Maybe use an autoresponder with a signup form. (Perhaps use this to link to some free music or access to members area after they enter your email). If you’re just starting out & don’t have much buzz I think a better way is to be proactive than expect people to want to sign up to something they know nothing about.
3. Where should artists be promoting their blog?
Kevin: Personalise your approach and get to know people with a similar interest & aspirations to yours. Therefore I suggest maybe actively targeting people that you like and see if you can work together for promotion. I think that if you have great content people will come back for more so in a way viral promotion, by word of mouth (and this is free). Personally, I’m not a huge fan of using paid for site SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tactics, such as link building & directory submissions when starting out due to the costs involved. Also, you can’t quantify realistically what you’re getting for your money. If you’re interested in adopting a holistic approach to search engine optimization perhaps buy a book on the subject to learn what its about.
4. What makes a great blog post?
Gary: The key to a great blog post is revealing information that’s not available elsewhere. In particular, if there are questions that fans keep asking over and over again, writing about them at length in a blog posting is a great idea.
5. How can you make your blog post more searchable?
Jen: Get it auto fed through numerous venues. I like using www.posterous.com (as mentioned in question 2) Use a feature like, addthis to make sharing your posts easy once they are read. The more it is shared, the more your blog will be easy to discover.
Kevin: Don’t use flash on your site. Use simple HTML then everything can be indexed easily by search engines. Also this helps for iPad and iPhone users since they can’t see flash anyway.
6. How often should you update your blog?
Gary: While it might seem like the best idea would be to update a blog frequently, it really doesn’t make sense to post a blog when there’s nothing interesting to write about. If you put out blogs every day, or once or twice a week and many of those blogs contain nothing that people find interesting, they’ll stop reading. The rule of thumb is, only blog when you have something important and interesting (and that means important and interesting to your target audience, not just to you) to say. Don’t waste your time and risk turning readers away by posting trivial stuff that no one wants to read.
7. What are some key rules for blog writing etiquette?
Jen: Be honest. Be genuine. Be original. Above all, just be yourself. Write about things you would maybe like to read about. Spell check is always a good thing. Make sure your links work too.
If your link is really long, use a site like www.bit.ly, shorturl.com or tinyurl.com to customize and shorten it. Much easier on the eyes!
8. How do you get fans to interact with you via your blog?
Jen: While some post comments, most fans of my blog email/message me directly. Whether it’s artists, pr/marketing, fellow bloggers and music lovers, etc. I’ve made some pretty cool friends from the direct contact. I love when I hear from someone who discovered and now follows my blog. I love reading about how they came across it and that they have shared it with others.
Speaking of sharing, there is a feature at the bottom of each blog post that allows the reader to share what they just read, to all the social media venues (fb, twitter, digg, etc.) That comes in handy. I use it a lot when I visit artists’ sites, because it is so convenient in sharings posts in other venues. (http://www.addthis.com/ I briefly mentioned this in question 7.)
Kevin: Comments on your blog posts are always an option but spammers are a problem too. I’d say from personal experience 95%-99% of blog comments are people trying to link build (SEO) as opposed to people genuinely interested in your article. The most important thing is to have a ‘contact me’ page so people can send you a personal message quickly and easily. To engage fans, friends, companies, etc. I like to just email, text and call people directly. Since you’re more often than not discussing an interest you both share, you have a great starting point! 
Here are some examples of artists who follow these tips!:
Top 10 Cyber PR® Artists for Summer 2011
It’s always hard to compile these lists, especially considering the number of great artists currently in the Cyber PR® roster. Nonetheless, we have painstakingly gone through our line up and found the Top 10 Cyber PR® Artists for Summer 2011. These are the artists who received the most attention from bloggers, podcasters and internet radio DJ’s so far this summer. Enjoy!
- Ariel and Team Cyber PR®
Top 10 Summer Cyber PR® Artists for Summer 2011
Talib Kweli, KRS-One, K’NAAN & Les Nubians, Beat The World Original Soundtrack
“More than just another film soundtrack, Beat the World is the coming together of some of the world’s most prominent conscious Hip Hop artists as part of a vision to build new social paradigms through music and film. Beat the World is the first international Hip Hop soundtrack featuring cross-cultural collaborations between highly prominent and socially conscious artists. Notable collaborations include the multi-lingual world-beat dance track “Must Be the Music”, performed by Les Nubians (France), Lina (US) and MV Bill (Brazil). In “Express Yourself”, reggae Icon Ziggy Marley and Nigerian-born powerhouse Nneka join forces to unveil another simple but crucial theme: our need for self-expression, whether through music, dance, art, film or freedom of speech.”
This multi award winning band from Sydney Australia, is celebrating their 20th year with a performance at the Sydney Opera House. DIG combines the sounds of old school and soulful with equal measure experimentation and genuine Jazz pedigree. “DIG is the future of Australian music. They know what to do and how to do it”. – Rollingstone Magazine
Often gets compared to Prince and Marcus Miller, the 24 year singer/songwriter From Phoenix, AZ, is sponsored by legendary music company, Fender, who took notice of her standout voice and soulful bass playing and offered her an artist endorsement. She was also one of the first musicians to play Fender’s first 6-string bass. While working on her current album, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics also invited her to join his all-female Rock Fabulous Orchestra. Within days she was performing with him in LA to capacity crowds.
This soulful singer combines elements of country, blues, and funk and can be compared to Sara Bareilles. With her new singles ‘Jealous of the Angles’ a tribute to her father who passed away, is powerfully akin to “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan . Lucky for her, she has her own angel watching over her shoulder and helping along the way.
“Refreshing to the ears, this duo began when multi-instrumentalist songwriter and producer Dave Tough was searching on Myspace and fell in love with the angelic vocal and guitar work of DeAnna Moore. After discovering their share of love for artists like Goldfrapp and Fiona Apple, the two began to work collectively on making their own unique sound. X&O blends electro-pop with acoustic and Bachrach-eqsque melodies that makes their sound perfect for a day cruising in your car with the sunroof open. Their hard work has paid off as now their music is featured in movies, television, and commercials.
This Brooklyn trio is putting a new spin on pop music with catchy lyrics and edgy hooks. East coast man next door meets striking Japanese twin ladies, forever changing each other’s lives.
Creates a blend of musical styles ranging from 1960s to 1990s rock and pop. Growing up in the countryside of Brazil, Van fell in love with Rock N Roll. At the age of 16, Van decided to pursue a career on the stage, eventually moving to New York to work on her debut album “Find Yourself Here”. Her songwriting blends the raw rock aesthetic of the Rolling Stones with the sensual oomph of Chrissie Hynde and the casual grace of Sheryl Crow.
The daughter of an opera singer, and has had a love for music ever since she was a child growing up in New York City. While struggling to make end’s meet as an independent musician playing in bars and hotels, Sherri channeled her grief from a devastating breakup and family issues to release her critically acclaimed album “Mantra.” The album got Sherri named one of Music Connection’s “Hot 100 Unsigned Artists,” played on KCRW and Q104.3 FM, and asked to join a 4-part vocal harmony signed by Sony Music, The Delilahs. Sherri sounds like Sheryl Crow and Fiona Apple, her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics will inspire you and ensure her as a rising star to look out for.
Combine rich melodies, catchy hooks, high energy, and a deeply haunting and powerful voice and you have the Ryan Michaels Band. Their latest music video “Life Is For the Living” took them three years to make and features inspirational stories of real people triumphing over adversity. The video is truly inspiring, sending chills down listener’s spines and at points bringing a tear to even the most hardened heart’s eyes. RMB has an impressive track record having been nominated for two Nashville Independent Music Awards, headlining at the prestigious Roxy Theatre, earning a feature placement on the MLB Network during the 2010 World Series, and playing at SXSW music festival just to name a few.
This tenacious red-head will suck you in and devour you with her music and never spit you back out. Compared to Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morisette, Krissi’s style is a high-energy of rock, pop, reggae, punk and funk. Her catchy and If we were to sum up Krissi in one sentence it would be this: A nymphomaniac Katy Perry writes a love/hate letter to Nine Inch Nails. This beauty is anything but forgettable
Interested in Our Services?
Subscribe
Sign up to our bi-weekly Sound Advice newsletter and receive the free bonus "The Musicians Guide to Social Media Success" PDF!
Free White Paper
The Indie Maximum Exposure List is Ariel Hyatt’s manifesto on how indie musicians can realistically profit from Web 2.0 & social media. Read it, save it, and feel free to pass it around. » Download
