I would get in contact with local sites that promote music events, and see what it takes to push shaimus on them. I would take the original shaimus design and turn-it into something more flashy and more weird. On the front page I would put an embeddable mp3 player with samples or full length songs, so that fans would insert it into their sites, blogs, profiles etc. I would also create funny "spread shaimus" buttons, a facebook group and a twitter page for band announcements. The fact is that fans determine your level of success more than the ads, so loyalty would benefit you more in the long term.

Love this song:
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There is no question that the Internet is the way to go for minimum outlay, maximum return.

Reviews are very important, but you will be wasting your time sending review copies blindly, they will be ignored. Spend some time researching sites, and target the sites that seem to specialize in your type of music. Send an email/press release and personalize it. Find the editors name, or the reviewers name, mention the site, and mention something about the site. This will get their attention.

The sites you should target need to have good traffic, one way of gaging the level of monthly traffic is by using a service like www.alexa.com. Sites in their top 100k list are the ones to aim for.

Once you get a review offer, make sure that you tell them that you would be available for an interview. Again this is a great way to generate buzz.

It is vitally important that your band has an online presence, either MySpace, or a real web site, I also recommend that you offer a couple of sample tracks for people to listen to. These should not be downloadable but streamed. The try before you buy is one of the keys to success.

I base this answer on my experience as a Site Editor and also a very active reviewer.

There are also some other options available if you have a small advertising budget. Some sites will levy a small charge to cover admin costs for a review/interview package, but if they have good reach this may well be a great approach.
Source(s):
www.alexa.com
www.bloggernews.com
www.Myspace.com

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I am just going to poke in here with this and than give your question a bit more thought, but what of going to your local mall / stores in the area where your demographic shops visits, hangs out drinks coffee etc, and give them a cd to play.
And ask if they would put the signed copy of the cd case by the checkout? Slip the cashier a cd for her / his time. (?) I wonder with the smaller locations ( even small drive through espresso shops) if this would be enough for a local band to get some local attention aside from the 'gigs'.

I also would contact some sports personnel at the local high school to see if they would be willing to play your your cd during half-time or during the entry of the team ( you know how they do that?) and than offer them a cut of any sales as a promotion- possibly an announcement that after the game the band will be there to sell and sign cd's? Not a big deal with the sales (meaning you won't run to the bank- but getting your name out there with that demographic might start something with word of mouth etc.
That's all for now I really liked listening to it!
Okay, all for now I need to get back to the party!

With 10% going to the basketball team fundraiser?
Source(s):
Just thinking!

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On a shoestring, I would avoid traditional advertising methods. Things like Adsense and Leaflets only really work on the mass scale.

I would look into getting sponser deals with various places and then work out a deal like many podcasts do. For example, you could approach a local well visited website or magazine, you ask them for a small advertising space in whatever their medium is. In return, you take a small 10 second break during shows to mention them. Just a "It's thanks to company-x that this is all possible"

I would consider this win/win. You get some coverage and your sponsor get's a big thumbs up infront of an already captive audience. If people are enjoying your music, enjoying your shows, they are going to look favourably on the people who make it possible.

If you show you can offer good returns to these sponsers, they will handle your advertising. You are essentially moving your advertising, in part, off to people who are 'in the business'
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First off, you need to make sure your music is as top-notch as possible; so that when people find you (and they will) they will become a FAN.

I would NOT waste money on facebook ads or adsense ads. I would create an excellent website so that you can connect with your existing fans (and captivate your new ones).

Radio Ads are a waste. However, you need a catchy single that you can try (it will be hard though) to get some radio airplay (try smaller markets, not just LA, NY, etc).

Also, send your CD to some local and small internet reviewers and offer them interviews.

As for promoting shows, try not just relying on online stuff. Make sure you're doing the gritty work of putting up posters, talking to people etc etc.

Make sure you're not just using myspace, but also youtube. Maybe try doing some covers of some famous songs to gain publicity and recognition for your own music.

The hardest part is not to be heard, but to be remembered.
Source(s):
hope this helps :)

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MySpace and YouTube.
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Ok, here's another idea. It's worked for all kinds of things I know.

Does your area have a Fringe festival, or other arts festivals? If you can't actually perform there (scheduling date is past, for example) see if you can set up a booth there. If you can do it somehow, do it as a fundraiser for a favorite charity.

Matter of fact, you can do lots of things as fundraisers for charity that get your name out there, and that can be pretty cool. Do something like, oh, get permission from a mall to do some kind of band-related "-athon", like a sing-a-thon, or a strum-a-thon, for donations for a children's home or a literacy organization...pick something you can get behind. Do it truly to help the charity, but send out press releases. Those press releases also benefit the charity, not just yourselves, so don't feel conflicted about sending them.

Or you can offer to play at a coffeehouse, sell some of your CD's, and put up a prominent sign stating that so much of each sale goes to "x" charity.

Rule of thumb is that it takes getting your name heard 5 times before people will remember it.

Good luck!
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I will answer the question based on my experience:

Before I answer the succeeding questions, you should first have a website or mySpace profile. For you to successfully promote your music through MySpace, here is an article: http://emusician.com/tutorials/emusic_myspace_musicians/

-Reviews? Who should we send CDs to for review?
Actually, this is the most expensive way to advertise yet the least way to promote. But if you have big budget, you can browse several music blogs at http://www.reviewme.com/ and pay them to review your music. You need to give them the link to your mySpace profile and not the CD itself for them to be able to review your music. Ofcourse, you need to pay them for the review.

-Advertisements? Should we invest in Adsense? Facebook ads? Banner ads? Radio ads?
Actually, the service you are talking to is not adsense but adwords. http://www.google.com/adwords Adwords requires you to pay certain amount per thousand impressions or once a visitor clicked on the ad. But Adsense, fyi, has the ability to distribute your advertisement to thousands of website related to music. Unless your banner is good and catchy, visitors will just skip the ad. Once you provide your banner to adwords, you will specify the link or the website where the visitors will land once they click the banner. It should be your MySpace profile.


-How can we get attention online in a sea of faceless bands all trying to be heard?
The best thing to do is to upload your song in youtube. Perhaps, a music video but if you do not have one, you can upload it on http://www.imeem.com To promote your music to the members of youtube or imeem, search for a related music and promote yours by commenting or leaving a video response.

Hope this is helpful. Goodluck!
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I've been doing Marketing for a couple of record labels for a few years now and can tell you from experience the best thing you can do is find your current fans and reach out to them. Consider creating a street team website where your fans can come together and see how other fans are promoting your work. Have these fans pass out flyers... posters... samplers... stickers... anything that helps the masses see your bands name.

Going beyond this you should make a point to have a STRONG name on the web. Join sites like Myspace, Youtube, Eventful, Virb, Vhopnation, Facebook and Twitter... anything that gives you a chance to promote yourself. Then make a point to keep up with your profiles online so new fans can find you and feel like they are noticed.

Finally, get your CD into your local record stores (focus on local first because that is where you can easily stop in and check on things) and make sure to give promo copies to the staff! Your best salespeople are your fans and the staff of these stores can't be your fans if they don't know what the CD sounds like. Once you have successful sales in the local stores send your CD into local radio stations along with any material you can put together about your band. Find that one voice on the radio that will plug your stuff and once you find it keep them happy because they are your foot in the door to National radio play!
Source(s):
Doing Music Promotions for:
http://www.strangemusicinc.com/
and
http://www.swishahouse.biz/

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Definitely create a myspace and facebook profile. I don't know enough about twitter, but I think creating a twitter page will also help.

Posting bulletins on your myspace page really helps.

Send a copy of your cd to a local news source. That might entice local people to buy your music.

Try to create a local fan base and expand that.

I don't recommend facebook ads. People don't look at them, and they will not bring you the money you put into them back.

If you want to do radio ads, that would be cool. Just make sure to advertise on similar radio stations, and PLUG YOUR MYSPACE PAGE in there. In the ad, make sure your music is playing so people know what it sounds like.

Also, make a youtube video and put your stuff on youtube. That should help
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I'm just gonna riff and see what comes out....

The Myspace spam method:
Step 1. Myspace account with songs. Step 2. Name 5 bands that you sound a lot like. Step 3. Shamelessly and without shame, try to become friends with all of the friends of those 5 bands.

I have bands, authors, etc. do this all the time. 3 out of 4 times, I hate the group/author. But, that 4th time... I get hooked.

The "barter" method: Play for your local college/independent radio stations for nearly free. Play a few fraternity parties for nearly free. "Suggest" your services at some sort of charity or benefit event. You'll feel good, you'll make fans.

The "make friends with your local college radio/independent radio DJ's" method. Seriously, if you don't drop off 10-15 copies of your CD at every station below 92 on the FM dial, you're screwing yourself. Have friends call in to request the songs. If you're based in LA, then reach out to the kids in no-name towns. (Like MU-S&T's KMNR89.7 - my old station.)

The "I'm better than your label's last album" method: You sound a bit like the last Panic At the Disco album, only better. (Mixed with Cold War Kids, Eric Clapton, and Cake - Love that trumpet.) So, send a few copies to Fueled By Ramen and see if you can get signed... :)

Go to an independent label guy and see if he'll sign you.: This is completely unsolicited. But, back when I used to review records, I got a few from Ghostmeat Records. That guy's taste in music was awesome. I just loved what he did. You should send him a copy.

More videos on youtube. Seriously. Live, produced, whatever. You have a song on rockband, and people putting other videos up... you need YouTube searches to have a live version of you doing that damn song! Even if it's a crappy copy!

Be Sneaky. Okay, I've only seen one band do this (or have it done to them.) But, they piggie backed on P2P sites by zipping their album with some pretty damn popular albums. So, I went (I mean, someone I heard) to download a popular album, and got their album along with it. LOL

Consider becoming a bigger fish in a smaller pond? Right now, you're fighting against the rest of LA's crop to get recognized. (I know, is the classic stepping stone - Boston's B-college, and out to LA.) Dave Matthews Band made it huge by touring incessantly in the south, and just building fans and fans and fans at the colleges.

Figure out some ways to leverage the GarageBand thing. Play shows for kids and have them play the game with you live or something. Or, have some stupid contest for the best video of people playing your song or something.
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I think it is difficult if starting from scratch and more difficult if you don't have money, but if you have already been hitting the clubs hard and can bring in an average number of people, you can start working on this core audience.

MySpace is a wonderful ticket and foundation for further expansion. As someone mentioned above, looking for fans of bands that are similar to you and befriending them is important, but basically you need to treat every fan you get as a member of your family. You need to turn the focus on them. Put their pictures on your MySpace. Encourage them to post about you or even remix your songs. Reward the fans in any way you can. Give them your phone number. Be creative.

You also need to immediately get your music on iTunes via CDBaby or another service. They need to be able to buy digitally.

You also need to be constantly dynamic. You need to offer them something new. A new "Internet Only" song. Limited T-Shirts. Anything. Post blog updates consistently.

Basically, you want to be like the band MSI. They are the number one band on MySpace, and have basically become hugely popular (and, ostensibly, wealthy) by following the above formulas. They work HARD, and constantly have new and interesting merchandise and music.

Focus on the people, not selling them a product, and they will love you in the long run.
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You should write a song named after an Internet celebrity.

For example, this band The Carps wrote a song called Veronica Belmont. I'm sure it hasn't hurt their band name recognition.
Source(s):
http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/The_Carps/download/Veronica_Belmont

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