Sunrise Promotions

New Website and Blog Coming Soon

2008-07-18T09:10:00.002-05:00

I have so much I want to blog about, but I'm holding off until we transfer the blog and website over to Wordpress. I've used Wordpress a lot in the past and the newer versions are even better, so we're finally making the switch.

Be looking for a blog soon, from me, about music in video gaming.

In the meantime, as Mike Myers once said: "Discuss amongst yourselves."

Music fans looking online for guidance

2008-07-12T08:34:00.008-05:00

Nearly eight out of 10 consumers are turning away from professional music reviews and looking online for guidance when buying CDs or downloads.

Read More

Fans are NOT Assets

2008-07-09T11:08:00.006-05:00

I was reading a blog today that had quotes from a company that works with establishing relationships with fans and artists. It was a very business-like quote, which sounded like it came from some marketing person. But what really irked me the most about this quote was that it termed fans "assets."

Your fans are not assets. They are real, living, breathing people. They have jobs or they go to school, they live lives that could very well be extremely busy, but they make time for you, the artist. To establish a good relationship with your fans, you have to see them that way. I feel that treating them as an "asset" belittles that relationship.

This is something that Sunrise strives not to do. Sure, I may have minored in marketing in college, but fans are what they are - fans. They are people who take time out of their busy lives to tell others about your music. They don't HAVE to do that... they could be doing a million other things. I think that sometimes some artists tend to forget that. As well as companies who make a living working with fans.

For us, we ARE fans, so we feel that makes us different. And although I don't want to make this a sales pitch to doing business with Sunrise Promotions, I do encourage artists to work with others who understand that fans aren't just statistics.

I'm sure we all can get caught up in the "business" side of things sometimes. But your fans don't want to be involved in your "business," they just want to share you with the rest of the world. Know that and appreciate that every chance you can get.

And in other news, I've been published! At least online. Be sure to check out "The Value of Street Teams" on the Associated Content website:

The Value of Street Teams

Robin

Starbucks Dumping CD's

2008-06-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

Starbucks foray into the music industry has apparently been called off:

Starbucks (SBUX) Dumping CDs

What We're Listening To

2008-06-13T16:55:00.004-05:00

We thought it might be cool to share with you some of the music that we're currently digging. So here goes:

Eva Castillo - She's been told she sounds like a cross between Joss Stone and Tracey Chapman, but we think we can also hear some India Arie in her music as well. Very soulful stuff. Check her out at http://www.myspace.com/evacastillo.

Ernie Halter - We've been listening to Ernie for awhile, but still can't get enough. If you're into soulful singing and songwriting, you should check him out: http://www.myspace.com/erniehalter or http://www.erniehalter.com.

Amos Lee - This is blues straight out of Philly. With a new album out this month, Amos is definitely worth checking out: http://www.myspace.com/amoslee or http://www.amoslee.com.

Will Dailey - We love acoustic singer/songwriter types and Will Dailey fits the bill. Signed to the new CBS Records, we hope to hear more from him in the future. Find him at http://www.myspace.com/willdailey or http://www.willdailey.com.

Pat McGee Band - Our boy, Josh Kelley, toured with them last year, and we decided we liked them, too! This is pure rock and roll with no additives. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/patmcgeeband or http://www.patmcgeeband.com. There's more where that came from - we'll share more later! Robin, Frankie and Jayme

WMG Pulls Music from Last.FM

2008-06-09T14:57:00.003-05:00

From the New York Times:

The Warner Music Ends at Last.FM

Donate Life Concert

2008-05-12T09:47:00.004-05:00

Check out this concert announcement from Donate Life!!

From: Donate Life America
Date: May 12, 2008 7:59 AM

Alex Band's Donate Life Rocks Concert Announcement - Message from Alex!

I'm happy to announce the 2008 Alex Band's Donate Life Rocks! The date of the show will be August 21st and you can find more details at www.mix1037.com .

Listen to 103.7 for ticket giveaways! My friends Eve 6 are already on board to play the show with me again and there will be more great bands to come! This year we're doing the event in Donate Life's home turf, Richmond Virginia, at an awesome club called Toad's Place.

Check it out here: http://www. toadsplacerva. com

Tickets go on sale May 16th.

The pricing of the tickets are as follows:
$20 in Advance
$25 at the door
$50 VIP tickets - which gets you into sound check, meet and greet with the bands, first entry, goodie bag with things from "Donate Life, MIX 103.7, a surprise and a drink ticket from Toad's.

These are limited to 100 tickets so don't delay!

Doors open at 7:30
Show starts at 8:30
Join the poster contest.........contact Denise for details dtripp@donatelife.net

Hope to see you all there! Come and support a great cause! All the love...

New Josh Kelley Music Video for "Unfair"

2008-02-19T22:50:00.001-05:00

Check out the new music video for Josh Kelley's new single "Unfair"!

"Unfair" is the first single from Josh's newest CD, Special Company. You can find Special Company on itunes and in stores everywhere.

Billboard Presents Dave Yaden

2008-02-14T11:36:00.001-05:00

Check out this awesome feature that Billboard did on Dave Yaden!

Josh on The Daily Ten

2008-01-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

Josh Kelley on E's Daily 10:

Josh Kelley on the Daily 10 (1.29.08)
Uploaded by worthyofpimpage

Josh Kelley's Special Company at #11

2008-01-16T17:53:00.001-05:00

We are proud to say that Josh Kelley's new album "Special Company" is now #11 on the iTunes charts. It is also #2 (right under one of my faves... Radiohead) under the alternative charts.

We are so proud of Josh and his fans and really excited to see so many people taking an interest in his music.

If you'd like to purchase the album and hear it for yourself, it's available here:

Josh Kelley's "Special Company" on iTunes

How Not to Treat Your Customers...

2008-01-15T13:35:00.001-05:00

Dreamhost has had a billing glitch and has billed hundreds of customers for as much as 2 years in advance, with debits/charges up to $400 in some cases. Mistakes do happen, but check out the only communication Dreamhost has had with its customers: http://status.dreamhost.com - a picture of a guy without a shirt and some snarky comments.

Lesson to be learned: Always treat your customers, clients, fans with the utmost of respect. Never treat them as if their problems are unimportant or worthy of joking about.

read more | digg story

Radiohead at No.1 in U.S.

2008-01-10T10:35:00.000-05:00

Radiohead's "Rainbows" yields pot of gold

The Generational Divide in Copyright Morality

2007-12-24T11:25:00.000-05:00

Great article from David Pogue at the New York Times:

The Generational Divide in Copyright Morality

The State of the Industry (An Overdue Blog)

2007-12-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

It's been a month or so since I've blogged, but so much is going on with the music industry, it's almost hard to keep up with. Things are rapidly changing: musicians are giving away their music for free or letting artists name their own price, major players in the industry are going indie and speaking out against major labels, the major labels are suffering massive lay-offs and firings and WMG's stock is down to about $6 a share.

Not that we're surprised - we've seen this revolution coming for awhile now. And it's wonderful and terrifying and scary.

Now the important thing is to figure out where the artist stands in this world, especially the independent artist. Now, I'm not talking about guys like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. But guys and girls more like who we work with.

Where is the future? How will a musician make a living in 2008? Are things better or worse?

Looking forward to hearing your comments.

I'm now off to go celebrate this Christmas thing and wait patiently for the new Doctor Who Christmas special to appear on one of my Torrent programs (it airs on the 25th in the UK, so hopefully that means I'll have it by the 26th). Hey, don't judge me - we don't get the Christmas specials here in the U.S. That's not MY fault!

I'll also admit to downloading music for free, too. But that's usually to check it out first. If I like it, I generally end up buying it. I think that might be indicative of most music listeners these days. Maybe this is why I think streaming music is so important (speaking of which, what do you all think of Universal cutting their music streaming on MySpace to only 90 second clips? I think it's ridiculous....)

On a final note, a big congratulations to Josh Kelley (one of our clients) on his upcoming nuptials to Katherine Heigl. We'll also be promoting the new album soon, but if you want to get a copy of it early on, you can always find it here for pre-ordering. You'll get an extra track if you pre-purchase, too - what's better than that?

Clear Channel Refuses to Play Bruce Springsteen

2007-10-31T13:55:00.001-05:00

(From FoxNews.com)

Bruce Springsteen should be very happy. He has the No. 1 album, a possible Grammy for Best Album of the Year for "Magic," an album full of singles and a sold-out concert tour.

Alas, there’s a hitch: Radio will not play "Magic." In fact, sources tell me that Clear Channel has sent an edict to its classic rock stations not to play tracks from "Magic." But it’s OK to play old Springsteen tracks such as "Dancing in the Dark," "Born to Run" and "Born in the USA."

Just no new songs by Springsteen, even though it’s likely many radio listeners already own the album and would like to hear it mixed in with the junk offered on radio.

Why? One theory, says a longtime rock insider, "is that the audience knows those songs. Of course, they’ll never know these songs if no one plays them."

"Magic," by the way, has sold more than 500,000 copies since its release on Oct. 2 and likely will hit the million mark. That’s not a small achievement these days, and one that should be embraced by Clear Channel.

But what a situation: The No. 1 album is not being played on any radio stations, according to Radio & Records, which monitors such things. Nothing. The rock songs aren’t on rock radio, and the two standout "mellow" tracks — "Magic" and "Devil’s Arcade" — aren’t even on "lite" stations.

The singles-kinda hits, "Radio Nowhere" and "Living in the Future" — which would have been hits no questions asked in the '70s, '80s and maybe even the '90s, also are absent from Top 40.

What to do? Columbia Records is said to be readying a remixed version of "The Girls in their Summer Clothes," a poppy Beach Boys-type track that has such a catchy hook fans were singing along to it at live shows before they had the album. Bruce insiders are hopeful that with a push from Sony, "Girls" will triumph.

I’m not so sure.

Clear Channel seems to have sent a clear message to other radio outlets that at age 58, Springsteen simply is too old to be played on rock stations. This completely absurd notion is one of many ways Clear Channel has done more to destroy the music business than downloading over the last 10 years. It’s certainly what’s helped create satellite radio, where Springsteen is a staple and even has his own channel on Sirius.

It’s not just Springsteen. There is no sign at major radio stations of new albums by John Fogerty or Annie Lennox, either. The same stations that should be playing Santana’s new singles with Chad Kroeger or Tina Turner are avoiding them, too.

Like Springsteen, these "older" artists have been relegated to something called Triple A format stations — i.e. either college radio or small artsy stations such as WFUV in the Bronx, N.Y., which are immune from the Clear Channel virus of pre-programming and where the number of plays per song is a fraction of what it is on commercial radio.

(I think the aforementioned artists should sue Clear Channel for age-ism. What sort of industry is this when the #1 album can't get radio airplay? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?)

Sunrise Promotions Artist Josh Kelley to Rock For Darfur

2007-10-26T17:21:00.000-05:00

Sunrise Promotions is proud to announce that Josh Kelley will be part of the Rock For Darfur series of concerts to be held worldwide on November 10th. Josh will be performing with The Pat McGee Band at The Exit/In in Nashville, TN.

For information on these shows, please visit the Rock For Darfur website.

On November 10th, go to a concert and fight for human rights.

Word of Mouth Rules

2007-10-25T11:54:00.001-05:00

This is why we do street teams. The best form of advertising is word of mouth:

According to a recent Nielson survey:

...while traditional media still makes its mark on consumers, the most powerful determinant behind purchasing decisions for a whopping 78% of respondents is word of mouth.

78%... that is a LOT. And that's why street teams can be such a valuable tool to musicians and bands. Street teams put word of mouth in the hands of your fans and those fans take it to their friends and family and make other fans who take the word and put it in the ears of their friends and family and so on and so on and so on...

More about the Nielson findings can be found here:

Advertising? Forget It. Word of Mouth Reigns!

FanRising Welcomes Rhen Pals to their Street Team Line-Up

2007-10-21T18:52:00.001-05:00

Sunrise Promotions artist Rhen is now supported by FanRising, a software street team package for bands and artists developed by Nathan Bolender for Sunrise Promotions.

Online street teams promote a type of online grass-roots marketing for bands and artists. Each team depends on its fan base to reach out to other potential fans, spreading the good news by word of mouth, online promotions through such networking websites as Myspace and Virb, and in-person promotion of upcoming shows and appearances.

Rhen’s street team, named Rhen Pals, has been supported by Sunrise Promotions for the past year. This move to FanRising software marks the beginning of a new era for Sunrise Promotions and its artists. New and existing artists to Sunrise now have the ability to take advantage of the exciting personalized features that the software has to offer. The features include an online chat area for artists to communicate with their team, the ability to send out mass email from artists to their street team, exclusive forums for members to communicate with one another, an online media gallery, promotion tools (banners, buddy icons, etc.), as well as other one-stop shop features for online street teams.

FanRising software is owned and managed by Sunrise Promotions, who set themselves apart from the competition by being personally and actively involved with each of their artist’s street teams. The management conducts regular chats with the teams, make themselves constantly available for questions and to assist in promotional activities, and are among the most active participants on the forums run for each of their artists. They believe the key feature they offer their artists is the personal, consistent connection to their fan base. Sunrise Promotions has a passion for music!

Rhen formed in Brooklyn, NY, in early 2003, when vocalist/guitarist Adrian Rhen decided to prepare a live show for songs he had written. Instead of a one man show, he opted to enlist some instrumental help as a backing band.
Influenced by musicans such as Dave Matthews Band, James Blunt, Maroon 5, Mana, Sting, The Police, Coldplay & Edwin McCain, Rhen’s goal is to bring a complete experience to the audience member. In essence, to present a continuous story throughout an entire show rather than a string of unrelated songs. Taking cues from such artists like Peter Gabriel, Rhen expects to expand their live show to include stage decor that would enhance the telling of their story. The goal: a full theatre experience with live music. Since their inception, Rhen has been performing all over New York.

For more information, contact Robin Bunch at Sunrise Promotions, robin@sunrise-promotions.com.

Giving Music Away...

2007-10-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

Two links about the new "trend" of artists giving their music away and why it just might work:

Indie Labels on Sharing, Streaming and Giving It Away

Radiohead

To Miss South Carolina and all U.S. Americans who can't find the U.S. on a map

2007-09-01T13:22:00.001-05:00

The following is a little parody written by one of the artists we work with: Rhen. After hearing Miss South Carolina's answer on why most Americans can't find the US on a map, he was inspired to write this little song. Enjoy:

Please vote for us!

2007-08-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

Interview with Josh Kelley

2007-08-19T20:35:00.001-05:00

Here's a great interview with one of our clients: Josh Kelley:

Josh discusses making music in the modern age.

Get Your Own Radio Station

2007-08-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

On October 12-19, the FCC will open a rare window for issuing full-power, noncommercial radio licenses. Now may be your only chance to secure a license.

The window itself will only last seven days.

You can only file your application during this seven-day window, so everything needs to be prepared in advance.

These licenses will only be available to qualified community groups and nonprofits in certain geographical areas. Click here to learn if there's likely to be a full-power radio station available near you.

Prince and the Free CD

2007-07-13T07:47:00.000-05:00

As many of us are well aware now, Prince is giving away his CD free to the UK via a newspaper there. He was paid $1 million, I believe, for this deal.

But CD retailers are angry. And maybe they should be. But maybe they should also realize that their businesses have become antiquated. As much as we want to deny it, the CD is going the way of the 8-track, vinyl and the cassette tape.

Digital music is the future, just as the CD once was the future. Unfortunately, the record retailers don't have many options for making money off of digital distribution. Or do they? I always thought it might be cool to go into Best Buy with my iPod, hit a listening station and listen to some music while I was there and if I like what I hear, plug my iPod into a buying station and buy the music right there. I'm not sure how viable that is when people can just do that from their homes, but it's a thought. I also once predicted that CD's would go away and people could just buy memory sticks of MP3's for albums in the future. But so far, I only know of one band that's offered their music like that.

I personally want to say that what Prince is doing is embracing the new market. He understands the reality of the situation - people are listening to music now, more than ever, but they're rarely paying for it. And as an artist, he's still getting paid! For Prince, it's a win-win situation. Smart move, I say.

Would this work for a smaller artist? Probably - but it's doubtful any organization would pay to give something away for an artist no one's heard of yet. I do feel it's necessary to initially give music away to get people on board as fans. And then do what Wilco did recently... simply ask those fans to buy the next round of music in return. It worked for Wilco. Why couldn't it work for others?

Just some thoughts for the day...

Online Radio is Saved... For Now

2007-07-13T07:12:00.000-05:00

At today's Congressional hearing about the new rates for online radio that would essentially destroy it (as readers of this blog already know), SoundExchange, which was scheduled to receive the new royalty payments on Monday morning (since the enforcement date falls on a Sunday), made a startling statement.

Read More Here:

http://blog.wired.com/music/

Rock star says piracy battle is lost

2007-06-18T08:59:00.001-05:00

Great article From The Register.

Major record labels are still fighting the piracy battles of 1997 according to a leading rock musician and digital rights activist.

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree told OUT-LAW that they should have realised in 1997 that their battle was already lost.

"If you turn back the clock when all this stuff was still on the horizon, the key realisation to have made was that we had lost the war already," Rowntree told OUT-LAW Radio, the weekly technology law podcast. "That's what I was going round telling everybody 10 years ago, saying 'the horse has bolted, there's no way of undoing what has been done already, the only thing you can do is to try and turn your business around so that you turn this into a plus rather than a minus'."

Read More here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/15/rowntree_music_piracy/

Taxi Doll News

2007-06-08T14:21:00.000-05:00

UK DJ, Pete Tong played Taxi Doll's "Waiting" June 1st during his BBC 1 Radio Show. To listen to the show and request the song, click here.

How Treating Your Online Fans Well Can Pay Off

2007-05-28T10:38:00.001-05:00

Great blog about Wilco and how they treat their fans:

http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/how-to-relate-to-your-fans-online/

The good news is that this has paid off. A follow-up blog shows us the results of treating your online fans well:

http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/rightly-rewarding-wilco/

Right now, Wilco's album is #4 on the US Charts, #7 in Norway, #9 in Canada and top 40 in Sweden, Germany, Spain, Ireland and the UK. Why? Because they treated their fans with trust, gave them a few freebies, communicated with them and then asked them that in return, they buy the album. And they did.

It seems so simple doesn't it?

From Trent Reznor Himself

2007-05-25T10:46:00.001-05:00

I just read that Nine Inch Nails' album has only sold a little over 300,000 copies so far? Can anyone verify that? Because if that's the case, that seems like a HUGE indicator that something is completely wrong with the industry.

At least Trent Reznor thinks so...

"It's a very odd time to be a musician on a major label, because there's so much resentment towards the record industry that it's hard to position yourself in a place with the fans where you don't look like a greedy asshole....

"That's also why you don't see any label people here, 'cos I said 'F--- you people. Stay out of my f---ing show. If you wanna come, pay the ticket like anyone else. F--- you guys". They're thieves. I don't blame people for stealing music if this is the kind of s--- that they pull off."

Read the full article below:

Trent Reznor Q&A

11 Reasons Not To Sign with the Major Labels

2007-05-23T16:43:00.001-05:00

Discuss....

Reasons Not To Sign With The Major labels

I'm inclined to agree on all points. Major Labels are not what they used to be. And they're still going downhill... fast.

Attract Subscribers, Not Visitors

2007-05-10T18:33:00.001-05:00

Great article about the importance of building up your mailing lists and using them on Bob Baker's Site:

Attract Subscribers, Not Visitors

To Twitter or Not To Twitter

2007-04-28T12:18:00.001-05:00

I've been reading a lot about Twitter lately. It's sorta' like blogging, but it's more like MICRO-blogging. You leave short little posts about what you're doing, etc., and your friends can read it. I've decided to add one to our blog here, just to see what it's like. Maybe it will give some insight into what we do on a daily basis, or maybe it will just be one more unnecessary technological wonder that everyone talks about but that really does nothing.

I guess we'll see. Check it out, though! I added three posts to the Twitter earlier today, but right now, only one is showing. So I guess you don't get to see how wonderfully productive we've been today. Maybe there's a time lapse or something? Strangely enough, if you go to the Twitter profile for us from the Twitter panel, they all show.

Aww... technology... gotta' love it, right?

Robin

We Love These Guys!

2007-04-19T15:21:00.001-05:00

Great interview with one of the bands we're working with: FOLIO. Check it out:

click here for more videos like this

Do you use Photobucket for MySpace?

2007-04-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

According to Hypebot, MySpace will soon begin blocking Photobucket on this site.

Just one of the many great new "features" MySpace is offering.

According to the official Photobucket page, for now, this only applies to video, but rumors state that this could eventually involve anything hosted with Photobucket.

Truly Affordable Custom Websites for Bands and Musicians

2007-04-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

I just saw a bulletin on MySpace of a group that offers custom website design at "affordable" rates for bands and musicians. I looked at their prices and was in shock! A three-page website for $750 is not what I would call "affordable."

For those of you who aren't in the know, Sunrise Promotions will do a custom basic website design with 6 pages (home, shows/tour, bio, music/downloads, gallery, and contact) and it will cost you a lot less: $225 (MUSICIANS AND BAND RATE ONLY). And that comes with free hosting, free custom email addresses, a news updating tool, a shows updating tool, a message board, streaming MP3 player and a Flash media player. For $100 more, you can get a Flash animated header and/or navigation added to the site.

Or even better, if you're looking for that "wow" factor and want a site done completely in Flash, let us know, because we can do that as well (although it will cost a bit extra since building a site in Flash is time consuming).

We can also help you set up a shop on your website to sell your merchandise, CD's and MP3's.

And the best part? The site will not only be user-friendly, but it will also look good, too. Take a look at some of our work:

http://sunrise-promotions.com/services/webdesign.shtml

Why do we do the work so cheap for musicians? Because we know that being an independent musician means living on a very tight budget. We also think that a website is probably the most important part of a musician's or band's promotional efforts and want to make sure that you have the opportunity to get a good site without breaking the bank.

Interested? Send us a message here on MySpace or an e-mail to robin@sunrise-promotions.com - we'd love to build a web presence for you!

Another Case of a Band Angering Their Fans

2007-04-08T10:26:00.001-05:00

This seems to be a sorry trend with the acts on the major labels, so I hope that all of you independent acts learn a valuable lesson here. Don't deliberately anger your fans - it's a very stupid thing to do:

From Online Fandom: Scorpions Bite

Sunrise Featured on FanCorps.com

2007-04-05T09:50:00.001-05:00

Be sure to check out the spotlight article over at FanCorps.com about Sunrise!

How Not to Promote A Band

2007-03-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

There's this band that I absolutely love. I have both of their albums and I listen to them regularly. I've been wanting to see them perform live for a very long time. I discovered about a month and a half ago that they had a date in Atlanta coming up. However, there was never any information posted about the show.

After a few weeks of waiting to see if information would be posted about the show (which is at probably one of the best live venues in the country, the Tabernacle), the date appears on MySpace (it had been on their website for some time) and it says something to the effect that it's a free show sponsored by Blender Magazine and that more information will follow.

I'm impatient. I'll admit it. And being that I have to drive 2-1/2 hours to the venue to get there, I wanted more information. Who wouldn't? So I sent a message to the band's MySpace, as well as leave a comment. I also track down some contact information for Blender Magazine and e-mail them as well. And finally, after hearing nothing from "the people in charge," I sent an e-mail to a DJ at an Atlanta radio station. Who did get back to me, but only to tell me that they'd be giving tickets away on-air for the show that week. But I don't live in Atlanta, I don't listen to Atlanta radio stations. I did listen from time to time that week over the internet, but my timing must suck - I never heard any info. about the show.

The show is now in two days and the band's MySpace still says "Info. to come." And there's no information on their website (which is down more than it's up, I might add). I give up. That's one less band I now need to support.

Did I mention they're signed to Atlantic Records (major label)? Did I mention the band's name was Jet?

If the big guys can't get their proverbial sh** together, they're setting a very poor example for the little guys.

All I can say is that if someone contacted me about any of the bands we work with, or even bands or musicians we know, I'd have that information to them asap.

There's a reason the major labels are griping about losing money, and it's not all due to illegal downloading.

Of course, this WAS a free show and I'm sure neither the label, nor the band, nor Blender Magazine really cared much about it in the first place. Another way to expose people to the band completely and utterly wasted. Why even bother?

The MySpace Mistake

2007-03-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

There's been a lot of talk lately about MySpace and it's destiny to be yet another corporate lackey. Case in point:

MySpace is starting to delete third party widgets and software that come from competitors. I figure it's only a matter of time before even YouTube videos will not be allowed to be shown on MySpace, since the rumor mill is stating they're working on their own competitor to YouTube.

This is yet just another reason that ARTISTS NEED TO HAVE THEIR OWN SPACE ON THE WEB.

MySpace is most certainly NOT the best marketing solution for your band or your music. You need to get yourself a website if you don't have one. And you need a website that not only collects information from your fans so that you can contact them when you need to, but you also need a website that has all of your information available, should the following occur:

1. MySpace deletes your profile. And it has happened. Many bands have been called spam and have found their profiles gone, with absolutely no warning. Think about it... all those friends you've carefully acquired gone. And don't think that MySpace is going to give you their info. so that you can contact them to let them know what happened.

2. MySpace is going to prevent you from selling your music on its space, unless you use Snocap and Snocap only. If you have your own website, you can sell your music any way you want. It's yours, after all, shouldn't you be able to do that?

3. MySpace is going to be having one of its MANY technical glitches and you will be unable to post a bulletin (or even worse, as I can tell you often happens, your important bulletin doesn't get posted until later... later might mean the difference in getting people to a show that night and not). Or maybe you can't add last-minute shows to your profile (and as of Thursday, March 22nd at 5:57 p.m. ET - this is DEFINITELY the case). Or maybe you can't even access MySpace. Or worse, those viewing your page can't listen to your music because the music players are down. This happens a lot. If you've been on MySpace for any amount of time, you know this is the truth.

Also, an important thing to remember is that MySpace owns the information that's on MySpace. Those friends you've collected? They don't belong to you - they belong to MySpace. The information you've posted, whether in blogs, bulletins or otherwise... that's not yours either. And control? You have none, because MySpace does not belong to you.

But you can have ownership of your information, as well as full control, by doing one simple thing - putting up a website. No, I don't mean a domain name that points to your MySpace. You need an actual website with all of your show dates, music (heck, even give some away for free and see how people will flock to your page), photos and an online mailing list so that you have permanent access to your fanbase that YOU own.

I'm sure there will still be many of you out there who thinks MySpace is enough. And for those, I suppose, there is no help. Not until you lose your profile or your information or can't contact fans when you need them the most.

So when that happens, contact us. Or contact us now and save yourself from the MySpace mistake.

Today is the Day: BumRush the Charts

2007-03-22T10:34:00.001-05:00

Today, March 22nd, IS THE BIG DAY! We are going to make history by taking an "indie" podsafe music artist to number one on the iTunes singles chart as a demonstration of our reach to Main Street and our purchasing power to Wall Street. The track we've chosen is "Mine Again" by the band Black Lab. A band that was dropped from not just one, but two major record labels (Geffen and Sony/Epic) and in the process forced them to fight to get their own music back.

Use this link to buy the track right NOW!!!...
http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/bumrush
If you believe in the power of new media, take 99 cents and a minute of your time to join the revolution and make iTunes "Mine Again".

For more info. on Bum Rush the Charts, please go here: http://bumrushthecharts.blogspot.com

Don't have iTunes? Download it here: http://www.iTunes.com

Help Get Rome 2 Paris on the Warped Tour

2007-03-21T12:17:00.001-05:00

CAST YOUR VOTE!!! And help get Sunrise client ROME TO PARIS on this years Warped Tour. Thank you to all who have put them in the top three, but we woun't settle for anything less than #1!!!!!! - IT'S EASY!!!!....just click on the link, cast your vote, & confirm your vote in your e-mail...

Click on link to be directed to voting page:

SXSW Wrap-up at Hypebot

2007-03-20T12:05:00.001-05:00

http://hypebot.typepad.com/hypebot/2007/03/sxsw_wrap_up.html

Now I wish major label acts and major labels would read the following part of this:

""...today is all about monetizing the behavior of the fans instead of selling and focusing on units of any kind. It’s the overall behavior… give them what they want, and do it as direct and easily as possible. This is why labels are dying..the future is superserving the fan base"

MySpace Vs. Websites

2007-03-19T11:20:00.001-05:00

From Online Fandom:

MySpace vs. Websites

Bum Rush The Charts

2007-03-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

I really like this idea...

A group of bloggers and podcasters are urging music fans to join together on March 22nd and make an independent track #1 on the iTunes chart with a campaign called "Bum Rush The Charts."

The beneficiary is "Mine Again" by the band San Francisco band Black Lab, who have been dropped from two different major labels. Yeah, personally, I would've picked a Sunrise band, but it's the message here that's important. By making Black Lab #1, organizers hope to send a message to the major labels about the multitude of great music they fail to support and the power in new independent music.

Not a bad idea. I'll take part. I definitely think it's possible.

For more information:

Save Internet Radio

2007-03-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

Yes, folks, the evil that is the RIAA is at it again...

On March 1, 2007 the US Copyright Office stunned the Internet radio industry by releasing a ruling on performance royalty fees that are based exclusively on the number of people tuned into an Internet radio station, rather than on a portion of the station’s revenue. They discarded all evidence presented by webcasters about the potentially crippling effect on the industry of such a rate structure, and rubber-stamped the rates requested by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Under this royalty structure, an Internet radio station with an average listenership of 1000 people would owe $134,000 in royalties during 2007 - plus $98,000 in back payments for 2006. In 2008 they would owe $171,000, and $220,000 in 2009.

There is no way for a station with 1000 listeners to make that kind of money. That’s over $11 per listener per month in 2007. No Internet radio station currently operating comes even close to that kind of income. Also keep in mind that 1000 listeners is not a large number. Popular stations like Radio Paradise, SOMA, Digitally Imported, radioio, etc have many times that many listeners.

In other words, if they are allowed to stand these rates are a death sentence for independent Internet radio stations. The only stations that would survive would be those who can afford to operate at that kind of loss, such as AOL (who would owe over $20,000,000 in 2006, far in excess of their income from radio).

What You Can Do To Help:

There are several online petitions going on. I'm not sure online petitions really work, but what you can do that will have more impact is to write to Congress. You can send e-mails to Congress members telling them your disappointment in this ruling. SaveOurInternetRadio.com has a standard e-mail you can send out here.

You can also send physical letters to Congress. Look up the names of your Congress men and women here.

Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

Spread the word through blogs and journals.

Why Aren't Fan Clubs Designed with the Fan in Mind?

2007-02-18T18:37:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I think I'm much smarter than the average bear, at least the average bear working in the mainstream music industry.

This does not seem like rocket science to me, but it's something I've apparently thought about on a regular basis that the people working in the mainstream music industry seem not to get.

Today's question:

Why Aren't Fan Clubs Designed with the Fan in Mind?

Where does this come from? I'll tell you.

I want to take my husband to see Tool in April in Duluth (Atlanta), Georgia. I wanted good seats. So I signed up for the fan club (which had no information readily available until after I signed up, I might add) because they do pre-sales.

After I signed up, and after searching the message boards, I discovered that pre-sale tickets are only available for shows for fans an hour away from that show. I live 2-1/2 hours from the Atlanta area.

What???? That's why I signed up.

But wait... it gets better. In order for me to post to the message board that this was an issue for me (other fans had already posted), I realized I couldn't post to the message board that I had just paid for.

Why? Because I have to earn points by being active in the fan club.

WHAT????? I PAID to be active in a fan club that I only joined because I wanted presale tickets.

As a Tool fan, I'm already peeved.

So instead of posting on the message board, I wrote several pointed e-mails to those in charge (who I doubt will even read my e-mails) telling them I wanted my money back because this fan club offers nothing to me, as a fan.

I doubt that will happen. But I will go through my bank and explain that I signed up with a false impression of services that would be offered through the club.

If someone is willing to shell out $40-$100 on a fan club, it should exist with the sole purpose of providing exclusive services to the fan.

I also happen to know several other fan clubs out there who are also in the business of not providing the fans the services they would like from a fan club.

Don't call it a "fan club" because it has nothing to do with the fan. Instead, maybe call it "A way for us to take advantage of fandom so that we can make more money."

I'll still go see Tool, don't get me wrong. And I wish I had some pull in the industry to actually meet the band and see how THEY feel about the fans and how they're treated with this "a way for us to take advantage of fandom" club.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

Can the Major Labels Save Themselves?

2007-02-18T11:28:00.001-05:00

Good question and good blog here:

Can the Major Labels Save Themselves?

Indie Music Takes On The Majors

2007-02-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

Great article from Wired:

Indie Music Takes On The Majors

Make Your Songs Downloadable!

2007-01-27T16:24:00.000-05:00

I checked out a new band today and absolutely fell in love with them and I decided that I wanted to get their music for my iPod and I decided to get it NOW. I noticed that their CD was available to buy through PayPal, but there was no downloadable option.

I think this is a huge mistake for a band. You need to make your music as accessible as possible to your fans. Sure, I might actually go to the trouble of ordering the CD, but I wanted to hear it NOW. Actually, I wanted to hear the music tomorrow on a road trip that I'm taking. But now I won't get to hear it and as a consumer, that makes me a little disappointed. And I'm not going to buy a CD and have it delivered when I'm probably not going to be at home to receive it.

I KNOW I can rip the CD and burn it into iTunes. I'm no dummy.... but that doesn't solve my dilemma of wanting the music for my trip.

I think a lot of music fans are like me and want to be able to get music when they want it - we all tend to be very spontaneous in our decisions about things like that and having to order a CD pretty much kills any and all spontaneity. What's spontaneous about waiting a week or so for a CD to be delivered? In a week, I would've forgotten that I'd ordered it! As a music consumer, I think it's absolutely necessary to get your music out their in any and all formats that you can offer. Don't make your fans wait for music - give it to them now. And they're bound to become even bigger fans and they're bound to get their friends to download the music as well. And that = sales. And that's what it's all about. In this case, the band in question has missed out on the sale that I would've been and they probably missed out on the sales that would have resulted in me telling my friends about them. And as a result, I went and found some other new music and downloaded a CD that was available for download.

This IS the digital age, and in my opinion, there is no excuse for a CD not to be available for download. Indie bands have the option of getting their CD on CDBaby.com, which will in turn, get the music listed on iTunes, as well as other pay-for-download sites. Or offer your own pay-for-download site - it's not really that difficult and you could probably even set it up pretty easily through PayPal.

I don't understand why all bands aren't doing this. It's actually cheaper to give out digital files than it is to press CD's. And I feel like bands that don't offer digital files to buy are missing the boat.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear some feedback from both musicians and music fans... I could just be ranting here after all...

Music Sales Fall Again - Guess What The Industry Blames?

2007-01-18T23:56:00.000-05:00

Great blog post from The Viral Garden:

Music sales fall again, industry blames file sharers, again

Online Consumers are Re-Energizing The Music Industry

2007-01-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

New Survey Links Online Music Experience to Increases in Music Listening, Exploration, Discussion and Concert-Going Habits

(Washington, D.C.) Digital music consumers listen to more music, enjoy more new music, talk more about music and attend more concerts, according to a survey released today by the Digital Media Association (DiMA).

Nearly 60 percent of consumers report that they are listening to more music since they started using an online service. The 1008 consumers surveyed enjoy Internet radio, subscription music services, and pay-per-download music services, including AOL Radio, Yahoo! Music, iTunes, Rhapsody, Zune, Urge, Napster, Pandora, Live365 and others.

The vast majority of online music service users report that enjoying music over the Internet has expanded their musical tastes, allowing them to discover new artists and explore new music genres. About 25 percent reported having discovered a lot of new artists, while more than 60 percent of consumers surveyed say they have discovered some new artists. Nearly 7 in 10 online music consumers are enjoying new genres of music since listening to online music services.

According to the survey, online music listening has increased music fans' overall music discussion with friends and co-workers, with more than 35 percent now talking about music more. And, more than 75 percent of online music consumers report they have recommended a particular service to a friend or co-worker.

T
he survey also found that listening to and purchasing music over the Internet increases concert attendance. A full 15 percent of online music fans say they now attend more concerts.

"These findings demonstrate that real music fans – and today's music tastemakers – are online," said DiMA Executive Director Jonathan Potter. "This makes the 2006 holiday sales jump in music devices and sound recordings exponentially more important to artists, songwriters, producers and music publishers, as online music's impact extends way beyond immediate revenues. Consumers of innovative online music services are reviving the music economy as they enjoy more music and more new music in every way possible, and most importantly, as they introduce their friends to the music and online services they enjoy."

The survey reports that about half of digital music fans are spending more than $200 per year on music, and nearly 30 percent are spending more than $300. "Prior to the digital age, someone who purchased six CDs per year – valued at just over $100 – was considered a significant music consumer," said Potter. "Online music consumers' spending habits, combined with what they are doing to promote and expand music enjoyment, is great for the entire music industry – artists, songwriters and producers."

To view survey details visit www.digmedia.org

About the Survey

The survey was conducted online by InsightExpress. 1008 survey participants were randomly recruited over a 5 day period and according to targeted sampling guidelines. The confidence level is 95%.

About DiMA

The Digital Media Association (DiMA) is a national trade organization devoted primarily to the online audio and video industries, and more generally to commercially innovative digital media opportunities. At the forefront of business and policy debates affecting the growth and development of these enterprises, DiMA is recognized by public and private sector leaders as the national association that best understands the complex policies and issues surrounding digital media, including copyright, competition and consumer rights. For more information visit www.digmedia.org

James Brown, May He RIP

2006-12-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

I know this is three days late and I also know that most people in this area really didn't respect James Brown as they should. I know he had his legal issues and the Augusta, Georgia, folks probably saw more than any of those who didn't live in the area where he lived. He didn't get a lot of the respect here that he deserved, in my opinion. Sure he got a street named after him and a statue and an arena, but people still griped that he didn't deserve them. Those people are idiots, in my humble opinion.

The man was and is a legend. He took music to an entirely different level and has influenced decades of musicians and that has to be respected.

So on the behalf of Augusta (James Brown's hometown), I'm saying that I hope that James Brown has finally taken that long deserved rest he has earned as the hardest working man in show business.

Stay funky with your bad self, Mr. Brown and your music will always keep us Feelin' Good.

I had the opportunity to see and meet James Brown on several occasions living here and those are stories I will always treasure.

Form and Function in Web Design?

2006-12-20T00:54:00.000-05:00

When you visit a band's website, does the design play into how you perceive the band?

My opinion is that design is as equally important as content because a band should use their website to brand themselves online. You can't easily do that with your MySpace account so the website should not only tell in words who you are, but also through images and visuals. And this is where I differ in opinion from many of the marketing experts I read. But my difference is that my background isn't just in marketing, but also in commercial web development.

I tell the artists I work with that my goal is to let people know WHO THEY ARE the minute they view their website. Because most of us net surfers are ADD and aren't going to read and click through the whole thing. The marketers do stress putting things on your site like an e-mail list, which is important, but they don't get that the way the information is organized and presented is equally as important. If a band has an e-mail list, that should go on the home page, no questions asked. You do not put a link to the list and expect people to click on it. Because there's no guarantee getting anyone past your home page.

And forums? Where are the forums? Have they not heard of all of this Web 2.0 talk? I mean, we're in Time magazine, for goodness' sake!!! Establishing a community gives bands an excellent way not only to connect with fans, but give fans a way to connect with each other and to keep coming back to the site and to keep interacting with the band and its fans.

Maybe I'll have the opportunity to address this on the call because I feel that these are the kind of people who tell bands they don't need to hire designers to make their websites look nice, to make their websites look like them. They just need to pay a cheap $50-$100 and get a crappy looking site that may be functional, but at the same time, that's all it is. I know when I see sites like that, I usually don't look any further because they don't grab my interest. But are all internet users now that savvy? I'm thinking the answer is yes...

I'd love to hear what others have to say on this subject.

Reaching The Powers That Be

2006-11-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

Reprinted from Bob Baker's Indie Music Promotion Blog

The other day I received a message on MySpace from an enthusiastic but sadly misguided independent artist. He was genuinely excited about taking action to promote his band's music. In his email he asked ...

How do we get our music in the hands of "the powers that be" or in front of someone who will just help us get to where we want to be?

Here's the brief response I sent him:

Why do you need to get your music to "the powers that be"? In my opinion, you are the power that IS. What you need to focus on is getting your music to FANS -- and getting it to them yourself.

The most important person to get you where you want to be is YOU. Stop looking outside yourself for answers and miracles.

These days there are a seemingly infinite number of no-cost and low-cost tools available that you can use to find your ideal fans and make them aware of who you are and what you do. Start using them. Yourself. Now!

That was my best advice. Do you agree?

Reprinted from Bob Baker's Indie Music Promotion Blog

Bob Baker is the author of "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook," "Unleash the Artist Within" and "Branding Yourself Online." He also publishes TheBuzzFactor.com, a web site, blog and e-zine that deliver free music marketing tips and self-promotion ideas to musicians of all kinds. Visit TheBuzzFactor.com for more details.

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I feel that Sunrise Promotions is one of those low-cost tools available to musicians to help them find their ideal fan base and make them aware of what you do. We take that a step further, though. We put the promotions in the hands of the fans, because who better to tell others about you? Word of mouth advertising has always been the most effective form of advertising and we use this to help you gain and maintain your fanbase.

Before the Music Dies Trailer

2006-11-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

Is original music drowning in the wake of mass marketing? Will radio ever again be the influential force it once was? Does the "next big thing" in music even have a chance to be heard? Filmmakers Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen traveled the country to uncover how American music arrived at this moment of truth. The answers they found are included in their movie, Before the Music Dies.

Revealing interviews with musicians, industry insiders, music writers, and fans shed intense light on the issues. Featured performances from artists spanning genres and generations prove that great music is always out there - as long as you know where to look. But are people looking?

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Why Your Band Needs Its Own Domain Name

2006-11-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

From Spin Me:

When the Fox television network wanted to promote the TV series Bones online, it turned to its corporate sibling, MySpace, for help. Obligingly, they offered up the screen name ..Bones,.. which would be pretty easy to remember. Except, that screen name already belonged to a band in Louisiana that had put together a list of 2,100 friends.

Fortunately, some kind folks at MySpace reunited the band with its original screen name.

However, it..s another reminder that promoting someone else..s domain name on your printed material and press kit is an invitation to disaster. (Remember, $8 a year is all it costs to have your own domain name, even if you just redirect it to your MySpace page.) MySpace..s terms of service indicate that they can .. and will .. take back your screen name if they want to. It..s really nice to hear that they stuck up for a member this time, but you can..t guarantee that they..ll do it again.

And, for all the folks that think MySpace is never going anywhere, ask the senior members of your favorite music business bulletin boards what it was like when MP3.com vanished after it was purchased by an international media conglomerate. (Some folks are still stinging from that one.)