Ariel Publicity

When I read “BILLBOARD’S 2009 MAXIMUM EXPOSURE LIST” a few weeks ago, I thought The Onion had taken control of the venerable music trade magazine with a satirical piece.

“Today the ways artists can promote their music have proliferated so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up with what’s new – what’s actually cutting through the clutter,’  the article began. “It’s in this context that Billboard decided to geek out with 25 promotions and publicity experts across genres and mediums to create the ultimate multimedia metric: Our first Maximum Exposure List.”

Sounds fine until you read on and find a list of filled with old school, unachievable and down right “this might actually hurt your career” advice. A small sample:

#2: PERFORMANCES ON “THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW”
#35: COVER STORY IN ROLLING STONE
#71: TOUR SPONSORSHIP WITH LEADING MOBILE CARRIER
#89: SONG PLAYED ON ABC’S ‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’

Indie music marketing guru and author Ariel Hyatt (twitter: @cyberpr) of Ariel Publicity also read the same Billboard article; and unlike me, who just found the list sad and amusing, she decided to do something about it.  As with all things Ariel, her response, “THE INDIE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE LIST” (A GUIDE FOR THE REST OF US) is filled with realistic and achievable suggestions.

It’s also a collaborative effort, bringing in a team of industry experts who are, like Ariel,  in the trenches with independent artists every day. She also asked several artists who make a living as musicians to contribute. Her dream team includes Derek Sivers (Sivers.org), Jed Carlson & Lou Plaia (both from Reverb Nation), Tom Silverman (New Music Seminar & Tommy Boy ), Emily White (Whitesmith Entertainment) and musician Jonathan Coulton.

The resulting “INDIE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE LIST” is a must read if you’re an artist who wants to move their career forward, someone who works with those artists or even if your a fan who just wants to  understand how this whole Music 2.0 thing works. Download the PDF here: http://www.tinyurl.com/indimax

Click to continue...

I just got back from the New Music Seminar in Chicago, where I participated as a player.

The New Music Seminar is an extraordinary and important event.

Why?

Because Tom Silverman gets it.

Tom gets that right now industry vets have gone from being effective experts who understood how to effectively produce hits and make money in the music business are now scratching their heads asking “what do we do now?”

in the worst case scenario, these vets are nothing more than dinosaurs.
In the best case scenario we are architects and builders of the “new” Music Business

We have just started building a huge cathedral with spires, flying buttress, archivolts, trefoils, gables, porches, transepts, cloisters and chapels… It’s a huge job and we are all approaching this together brick-by-brick.

As someone who has toiled for 16 years trying to make a difference for independent artists, it feels incredibly validating to be heard and understood by a legend in the music business.

What Tom is trying to do is crack the code.

His arsenal is all of us, his players, who work day in and day out with artists trying to move the needle, make an impact and create new blueprints that we will all follow for future cathedrals and skyscrapers and eventually powerful towering cities.

Tom, thanks for inviting me.  I’m delighted to be among your troublemakers, rabble rousers and upstarts, I’m in whole hog and I won’t stop until we all make a difference for artists that we serve.

Related show

• Artist: Ariel Hyatt
• Date: Monday, July 19th 2010 - Wednesday, July 21st 2010
• City: Ariel Hyatt in New York
• Venue: M2 Ultralounge
• Address: 530 W. 28th St.
• Country: United States
• Admission: $200
• Age restrictions: All Ages
• Notes: Ariel will be conducting the first movement of New Music Seminar and hosting the mentoring sessions throughout the days
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

Click to continue...