Ariel Publicity

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I just returned from the San Fran Music Tech Conference where I presented on a panel about music marketing and promotion in the new music business. It was a wonderful day filled with the kind of geeks I really love hanging out with – the type that love music and can’t help but try to figure out where it is all going and how we can all make a difference, and make some money in the future while protecting artists rights at the same time. I met some new friends and reconnected with some old friends and had a wonderful time in the Bay Area. I even managed to sneak up to Tahoe with my dear friend Rachel Masters from Ning.com for a day of Snowboarding in Tahoe in wonderful powder – It had been 6 years since I stood on a snowboard which is shameful and it won’t ever be that long again!

Huge props to Brian Zisk for organizing this wonderful day which was a smashing success – I intend to come back next year. As you all know I am a twittergirl so that is where most of my observations are archived but here are some bullet highlights from 2 panels I enjoyed most:

FUTURE OF RADIO PANEL

Speakers:
Tom Conrad – Pandora
Rusty Hodge – SomaFM
Dave Benson – KFOG Program Director
Kurt Hanson – RAIN
Ted – Bagel Radio

• Thursday is the most listened to day of the week for Internet Radio.
• If you have a windows media phone you can have Internet radio in your car
• It appears that the music subscription service model has a ceiling of 2 million customers.
• Q: Do u think that the URL branding vs the call letter branding will be a challenge?
• DB: Yes – our advantage is we have a great tool (major radio station) to send people to the radio. We have to catch up to Internet radio programmers in this room but we do need to learn how to market online and we and most terrestrial radio has not moved fast enough.
• DB: Anytime there is a transition, the larger stations have a great pulpit to reach from and Dave at KFOG is looking forward to getting on that learning curve. I am impressed with him just like I was when we were both in Colorado 10 years ago! Human contact, Internet supplies that magic. Traditional radio sadly has forgotten this over time. Hence the rise of social networks and sites like Pandora.
• Ted from Bagel points out that people still don’t know that Internet Radio exists and new people are discovering it everyday. We forget this is tech geek world.
• TC: Pandora is not international b/c they could not afford to pay royalties abroad where laws are different (I always wondered about that).
• KFOG uses new sources of media streaming and MySpace to add records and they feature a day a week where local artists can stop in and visit the station – This is both a miracle and a blessing to local artists in SF in my opinion.
• People love the UI (User Interface) of Pandora – true dat.
• Dave Benson says that radio stations love websites because now they have to figure out how to blow up their business model.

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND MUSIC PANEL

Speakers:
Mike Doernberg – ReverbNation
Glenn Otis Brown – YouTube
Ali Partovi – iLike
Jeremy Riney – Project Playlist
Andy Gadiel – Jambase

• Mike Doernberg from ReverbNation is right on abt the different models – everyone has their own favorite social network – so true.
• We often forget about the fact that the fan is the most impt role in the music picture – pfans have not figured out how to sneak into live shows the way they have figured out how to steal music.
• ilike – abt music discovery and not abt music consumption. They are referes of traffic to ticketmaster, itunes and ringtones and they collect a fee from those referrals
• Ali keeps shilling and he is a bit to self promotional for my taste Ali we all love ilike stop bragging! Oy.
• MySpace terms of use states: you are not allowed to use MySpace to make money really? I hope they don’t find out abt this: http://tinyurl.com/2f9vgu
• Mike from reverb thinks that the advertising models (which a LOT of people are hyping these days wont work in the long run) Andy Gadiel from Jambase and Glenn Otis Brown from YouTube disagree
• Andy makes a poignant remark that the purpose of Jambase has always been and will always be about connecting fans to music they love and as a 10 year vet on the Online music community scene he is dead on.
• All artists depend a lot more on touring than on selling albums – I am really worried about the consumption of music that is value-less – not all music should be free!
• If anyone knew we would not be here we would all be on a beach somewhere
• It is a niche business – that is what it all boils down to (ahhh The Long Tail brought up again – seems we can’t get through one panel without bringing it up and who in the hell am I to argue – Cyber PR is built n The Long Tail theory).
• Soon there will be a new economic balance – social networking sites are going to figure out a way for artists to make money
• everyone is looking for the magic bullet on how to get musicians paid and YouTube feels ads are a great way but you should have a full COMBO of things (like a pizza) The six new models for music business – finally someone mentioned the BRILLIANT Wired article. http://tinyurl.com/yq7y64 This article moved me so deeply that I could not sleep after reading it.

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It’s been an insane summer / early fall – since our last newsletter I’ve lost my home in a fire – it was a freak accident I was at work when an old extension cord caused a spark and my apt is now a charred ruin.

So I now know the answer to “What would you grab if your house was on fire?”

(answer: my Snoopy I got when I was two, & my laptop)

Then I almost lost my mother who almost died in an accident – making the “losing my house” part of the summer seem like a picnic.

I am beyond thankful that no one got hurt except for my cat Mookie (pictured above), who was rescued by the awesome NYFD – after a week in the kitty hospital he came back home. And my mom is back home recovering and very very happy to be alive!

So the theme of this here newsletter is: INSURANCE – I can’t stress enough how important this is.

But – what do you do as a musician working in your own band / studio and how do you qualify?

Here’s what I learned and I have listed the services I found from easiest to the more complicated to navigate.

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7 Steps To Maximize Your Experience
Make More Music Business Contacts
And Advance Your Music Career
 

Artists are beginning to call and bitch to me that Southwest didn’t select them for a showcase this year. Having a showcase is not the only reason to attend and I invite you to think differently about this.
 

Over my 13 years of attending SXSW I’ve seen plenty of bands who did get a coveted showcase and not only did they not get signed, but also they did not meet anyone or benefit in any way by showcasing.
 

Reasons for this included: They received awful showcase venues and times, they were busy loading & unloading gear, babysitting band members, or getting tanked at parties to make the journey worthwhile, or they opted for their measly $100 stipend instead of for the gold – the festival pass.
 

Here’s my musician’s South by Southwest survival guide to get your through one of the most massive and overwhelming conferences of the year.
 

This guide is packed with tips to help maximize your experience, make more contacts and leave Austin feeling like you have made strides in your music career.
 

I believe all musicians should attend at least one music conference per year. They are expensive to get to, (but music lessons were at one time expensive, and so was your equipment) and those things are also vital for your career.
 

For those of you who do not have connections in the music industry, going to a music conference is your chance. This is an annual business trip you should never miss!
 

Austin, Texas, a wonderful city, and its distractions are many. But, keep in mind that this is not a vacation. It’s a work related learning experience, and with a little planning and foresight you can have a million dollar conference.
 

STEP ONE: BEFORE YOU GO – Get Connected!
Get involved with some online communities that are SXSW related
 

Facebook Group:
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2008
1,499 members
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2307340129
 

MySpace Group:
21,000+ members
http://www.myspace.com/sxsw
 

Ning Group:
350 members
http://sxsw.ning.com/
 

Twitter:
When you get there: TWEET!
http://twitter.com/sxsw
 

SXSW Site: Use the SXSW REGISTRANT DIRECTORY
https://regdir.sxsw.com/registrants/login
 

Get registered to the South by Southwest directory and go through and determine who you may want to meet before you arrive in Austin, a producer?, A publicist? A manager? An agent? Drop them a personal e-mail using the amazing South by Southwest interactive tools website and introduce yourself. If you are playing, invite people to come to your showcase. Also post messages on the blog (and if you do blog, blog about it before you go!)
 

STEP TWO – Bring Business Cards, Fizzkicks Cards & Postcards
Go armed with business cards. If you over the age of 18, you should have a business card, especially at events like this. Your business card should not just have your name and number, but should have good information about what your band sounds like, your Myspace page, your Facebook, and links to any other places people might be able to find you on mind. A photo of you or a band logo would also be highly recommended.
 

I love fizzkicks cards because they double as a business card AND a music download card – http://www.fizzkicks.com
 

TIP: Put one sentence about your music (your PITCH) on your card and the instrument you play. A card with a “name and an address” is TOTALLY USELESS and unmemorable! Put a photo of yourself on the card or your band logo to add even more branding and recognition.
 

TIP: I do not recommend bringing a ton of CDs – people are overwhelmed with free CDS so its better to get people’s business cards and mail them a CD as a follow up after you get home.
 

STEP THREE – Network! Here’s How:
 

When You Go Into Any Networking Situation (a party, a chance meeting on Sixth Street):
 

The biggest goal of networking is: Be memorable.
 

How do you do that?
 

Simple: The more that they talk, the more that you are remembered.
 

When you meet someone, first ask a question about them. “What brought you to SXSW? What do you do? Are you a Musician?” Get them talking.
 

Never walk up to someone and say: “Hi, I’m David.” That makes it all about you. So, what you’re basically saying there is, “Hi, it’s all about me.” Let’s proceed.
 

Instead, you want to say something like: “So, Nancy, what do you do?” Or: “Are you having a good time?” Then, it’s all about them.
 

TIP: For this don’t think about yourself! Think: How can I be helpful to this person that I am talking to? So, let go of your story and your pitch and let them talk all about themselves.
 

After that, follow these Steps:
 

A. Know what to ask for (I suggest an email address as something you can always ask for if you do not have a specific goal).
 

B. Be a gatherer. Get as much information as possible about each person: interesting tidbits about them, what they like, who they know, where they go, etc.
 

C. When It Is Finally Your Turn To Talk: Here’s How To Position Yourself
When they are finally engaged (after they talked about themselves) and you are ready to make your pitch, talk about what other people say about you, instead of pitching yourself.
 

Why? Because people always believe what other people say about you more than they believe you saying it about yourself!
 

So, you could say something like: “People say my music sounds like Bob Dylan crossed with a touch of The Beatles.” OR “My voice gets compared to Annie Lennox.”
 

Be a walking advertisement for your music and what you are up to in the world as a musician. Figure out how to describe yourself in 15 seconds or less.
 

TIP:Use: http://www.15secondpitch.com
 

STEP FOUR – Take Risks
Introduce yourself to a stranger. I “accidentally” met Tommy from Universal Buzz at a bar because I thought he was someone else who I was supposed to meet, and we’ve been colleagues ever since. Don’t be scared to take risks and meet people. SXSW is a friendly place.
 

STEP FIVE – Attend Panels
It’s tempting to blow them off and hit all of the parties but you should make an effort to sit in on at least one or two panels per day, on any topic that interests you, and learn. Take notes.
 

TIP: On Wed Marh 12th they offer basic 101 panels which cover basics of all different areas of the industry. I highly recommend those.
 

STEP SIX – Sign Up For Mentoring Sessions
SXSW has amazing mentoring sessions where you can sign up to have one-on-one face time with the industry people that are paneling (and some of the most important people in the music business will be sitting there ready to meet with you !) I never, ever would have met one of the most important editors at Rolling Stone had I not signed up.
 

TIP: for when you do go to a one-on-one mentoring panel: be prepared when you meet these people, and make sure that you have researched and you have specific questions to ask them.
 

STEP SEVEN – Follow Up!
The moment you get home, make sure to send thank you notes, e-mails and follow up with every single person that you met. If appropriate, add them to your e-mail list.
 

Never send your pitch or talk about business in the first initial e-mail. Get people to respond to your follow up by just being friendly.

 
TIP: If you do not follow up your trip and hard work will have been a waste of your time – DO NOT Rip yourself off here!
 

Here’s to a productive and fun SXSW 2008!
 

I’ll be there, so please hook up with me. I can be reached at twitter/cyberpr
or at contact@arielpublicity.com
 

PS: SXSW Is Not The Only One
TIP: If you can’t make it to Austin, there are plenty of other great conferences that recommend Nemo, CMJ, Atlantis, and Folk Alliance are all wonderful as well and a LOT more manageable in size and cost. Yahoo has a nice list of them online:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/Events/Conferences/
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Ariel Hyatt, Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR
Ariel Hyatt founded Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR 12 years ago this month. Ariel has placed tens of thousands of artists in countless outlets. Her company is now a 100% digital PR and she connects artists to online outlets such as blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations and social networking sites.
 

Ariel writes Sound Advice, a free bi-monthly e-zine for musicians & entrepreneurs who want marketing, promotion and PR tips for navigating the new music business.
 

Sign up to receive Sound Advice and get Ariel’s LUCKY 13 – a list of 13 sites to instantly increase your online exposure.

http://www.arielpublicity.com

Event Details

• Speaker: Ariel Hyatt
• Date: Monday, March 15, 2010 - Saturday, March 20, 2010
• Time: 12:00pm
• City: Ariel Hyatt in Austin, TX
• Venue: SXSW
• Country: US
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

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An inside look at UC Radio Podshow with Michael Yusi

UC Radio Podshow wasn’t Michael Yusi’s first attempt at web broadcasting. With a USB headset, Quicktime, and a Chicago-based website in the late 90′s called “Mike’s Midwestern Updates”, he began broadcasting stories about the Midwest that were hard to believe, things like people freezing to death in their bathtubs because they opened a window to let the steam out, then fell asleep in the tub. While the show was a success, Michael wasn’t fully passionate about the content. As so many others did, he turned to Adam Curry after being a long time listener of The Daily Source Code. Curry’s advice was simple, “talk about the things that you and your closest friends talk about when there is nothing else to say.” Following that, the choice became simple. Yusi grew up in a musical family and had plenty exposure to the greats, receiving his first three rock albums at age 11 (Led Zeppelin 3, Jimi Hendrix Are you Experienced and Jim Croce’s Greatest Hits). He adds, “Music is what I know, it’s what I’m passionate about and it is easy for me to talk about it. So, I ditched the stories and went with the music. That was in October of 2005.”
 

T: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a podcaster?
 

M: Growing the audience. I find myself at least a couple of nights a week staring at the ceiling at 3am trying to figure out new ways to drive more listeners to The UC Radio Podshow, as well as Pacific Coast Hellway which I co produce with Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff.
 

Honestly, I’m incredibly fortunate to have a listener base that hasn’t left me, which is fairly uncommon in podcasting. And not only have they stuck around, but they’ve spread the word and been incredibly supportive of the bands that I’ve played by going to shows, buying albums and visiting their sites. I’ve also been lucky in that I’ve formed some excellent relationships with bands. I like to think it’s because I know what they go through daily trying to make it so we speak the same language. That’s led to some exclusive tracks andpre-release album give aways from some amazing bands worldwide. I’ve got a couple of bands that wear my t shirts when they play and promote the show for me from the stage by handing out stickers and the now world famous UC Radio promotional guitar picks. That’s huge and I can’t thank them enough.
 

T: How has the programming and format of UC Podcast evolved over the course of the shows history?
 

M: The show started out with me playing about 30 minutes of music and pretty much doing the DJ thing, simply introducing the music and playing songs back to back, as many times a week as I could squeeze in. I got a lot of feedback from early listeners asking that I give more info about the bands, upcoming shows, but more importantly, listeners started asking me why I liked the songs and who I thought the bands sounded like. The end of the first year is really when the show changed. After listening to a number of my shows back to back, I realized that it wasn’t quantity, but quality and production that made certain shows really stand out. I cut back to two shows a week, started only playing bands that I actually want on my iPod, and started to ditch the DJ act and just be myself. The difference in the shows was immediate and the numbers started going up.
 

I started talking more about the influences I was hearing in the music, comparing bands to mainstream acts that people would recognize. I began answering listener emails on the show, which led to people asking about my political stance (don’t even remember how that started), my opinion on social topics etc. so the show became about half music, and half me just talking about whatever came to mind or was in the news that seemed to interest the listeners. I’ve also done over 75 classic album referrals in the last year and a half. That has been a big hit and I wish I’d thought of it earlier. As far as I know, I’m still the only podcaster out there doing album referrals on a weekly basis.
 

Two other things had an incredible impact on the show. The first was the realization that people were actually listening and that I had more of a responsibility to them to produce a better show which led to some outlay of cash on things like compressors, mixers, mics and software and as the show started to sound better, my confidence grew exponentially. The second was the fact that I started getting email from places like Iraq, Afghanistan and other places where we had soldiers getting shot at for us. These guys somehow had found the show and were thanking me for putting them out there for their entertainment, as a little blast from home. That’s pretty humbling and it made me think of the impact that my show could have in an entirely different light. I mean think about it. Here I am, safe and sound in Hollywood, doing something I love, listening to music and talking about it, while half way around the world some poor kid is huddled in a hole trying not to get shot while listening to my show. Then, when he gets ten minutes off and some computer time, he emails me to thank me. I swear, I get those emails once in awhile and just shake my head in disbelief.
 

T: What was the reason for hosting the show on PodShow rather than its own site?
 

M: Just to be clear, I do have my own site. You can find shownotes, GoDaddy sponsorship details and a lot of other info about me and the bands I play at www.bitemefcc.com
 

As for hosting, I hosted my show off my own server for the first two months, then I went to Libsyn, which is a great company. About 14 months in, I was offered a contract by The Podshow Network and I haven’t looked back. Not only is the distribution reliable, and they’ve helped me get sponsorship from GoDaddy for the show, but the talent that I get to work with daily and have access to, the minds that are defining and shaping New Media and looking well beyond what’s happening with podcasting right now, blow me away on a daily basis. I’m really proud and honored to be associated with The Podshow Network.
 

T: For aspiring podcasters, do you have any tips for growing their listener base?
 

M: Work your shows. Develop content that is interesting, well produced and that will speak to the listeners in one way or another. Don’t just play bands, play bands you like so when you talk about them, that comes through. Don’t do a show about cars just because you think they’re cool and you know how to drive. Don’t talk about politics if you aren’t willing to spend the time to really get under the hood. Figure out what moves you, what you’re passionate about, then do a show about that. I guarantee you there are people out there that will share your feelings.
 

Most importantly, take ownership and be passionate about your shows. Use urban guerrilla tactics to spread the word. Stickers on menus, gas pumps and in record stores. Give away T Shirts to hot girls because you know that guys will look at them and go to the site expecting to see the girls there (make sure your logo is chest high). And don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun with your show and the listeners will have fun listening. Some of my best shows were done when I had nothing planned other than the bands I was going to play, or I was sick as a dog and hopped up on Nyquil and Theraflu. I like to take the David Lee Roth approach to podcasting. When you’re doing the production, promotion and distribution, it’s all work, but when you’ve got the mic in front of you, if you’re not having fun, how can you expect anyone else to?
 

T: Where do you plan to take the show in the coming year?

 
M: Well, I just resurrected my second show, “Sonic Wallpaper” at sonicwallpaper.podshow.com, which is where I play 8 of the most commented on songs from the UC Radio Podshow in the previous month. It’s like a greatest hits show, if you will. I don’t talk much, just intro the bands and give you 35-45 minutes of good solid rock. As for UC Radio itself, I just did my first interview with the band Urbansnake and it was a huge success. Listeners loved it, and the band thought it was great so I’ll be doing more of that. My hope is that I’ll be able to get one interview in a week, on the Monday shows, and do an album referral on Thursdays shows as it is now. I’d also like to start doing more live interviews with bands around Hollywood, so you can look for that as well.
 

Mostly, I’m hoping to start developing more offshoots from the show, maybe a show with just interviews, or just album referrals, but UC Radio is my baby so it will always be the central character in my play. I like to say that it’s my therapy and my addiction which keeps the whole thing spinning in a slightly out of control circle, and I like it that way.
 

So, give it a listen, UCpod.podshow.com

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