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Vinyl sales in the US are set to reach a new recent high, according to figures.The Recording Industry Association of America has posted sales of nine million vinyl albums in the first half of 2015, compared with 14 million in the whole of 2014. The vinyl revival has been attributed to younger consumers, what the […]

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Google Hangouts are an invaluably useful tool.
We’ve made mention of this before.
And if you’ve been listening to the New Rainmaker podcast, then you recently heard Brian and Robert discuss the concept of repurposing content — using the same content in multiple ways.
In this episode of The Lede, Demian and I put the usefulness and versatility of Google Hangouts on display and demonstrate how Hangouts can be used as part of a repurposing strategy.
Here’s how …
The incredible, embeddable Hangout
In less than an hour’s time, we created a piece of content that:
Could have been broadcast live to our audience
Can now be embedded anywhere, in perpetuity
Was fairly easy to convert into a podcast
Was turned into text content as a transcript
And all of that is on display right here in this post.
Oh, and the custom nameplates you see and the sound effects you hear? All built right into Hangouts.
See what I mean? Invaluably useful.
So what’s so interesting about this Hangout?
We are calling this Hangout showcase the “Hangout Hot Seat” … and the first* episode features none other than the Frank Underwood of Copyblogger.
Yes, Brian Clark.
In this episode, Brian answers the following questions:
What does “Media, not marketing” mean?
Is Google-Plus still an essential tool for …read more

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There’s no denying it. You cannot consider yourself a great ad person unless you know your numbers. At SME Digital (the agency arm of Social Media Explorer), we’re all about garnering results that are measurable. After all, you aren’t an effective marketer if you aren’t tracking the numbers. Even more, you aren’t a top-notch marketer if you’re not tracking the one metric that matters above all others: Cost per Acquisition (CPA).
Now don’t get me wrong, all those other metrics are important too. Metrics like:
Click-Thru-Rate
Cost per Click
Cost per Conversion
Just to name a few.
But, while these metrics are important to any well run campaign. They don’t hold a candle to the Holy Grail of marketing metrics: Cost per Acquisition. In other words, how much do I have to spend in marketing dollars to get a paying customer?
So why is Cost per Acquisition so important? Simple, it’s the quintessential metric for determining true return on investment. It doesn’t matter how many clicks or eyeballs a campaign receives, if it’s not generating revenue, it’s not successful.
Case in point, I was working for an agency charged with managing a company’s PPC account. My team’s ads were performing well above average (on paper). Through …read more

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In this episode of the Music Marketing Manifesto Podcast Tyler Palmer joins us to discuss Patreon; crowd funding platform with a twist. We also have a frank discussion about haters and trolls, what’s normal, and whether or not it’s worth taking any of it on board. We also share some of the more outlandish hate […] …read more

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In an exhaustive study done by Beevolve on profiles of 36 million global Twitter users, they found that nearly 74% of those who use Twitter are between the ages of 15 and 25. This is also happens to be one the key demographic groups of those who purchase music. 53% of Twitter users are female […]

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Marketing generates traffic. Great music closes the deal. If either element is missing a new release campaign will virtually always underachieve. Concentrate on creating great, compelling content in order to close the deal with those who’ve never heard your music.

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[ad_1] Maximizing the amount of money musicians bring in from patronage and crowdfunding campaigns is all about setting up enticing rewards and smart support levels. Follow these tips to boost the revenue you bring in. When it comes to funding your music career or next project, two approaches allow you to raise money in advance, […]

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[ad_1] While technology and social media have opened up an incredible variety of opportunities for marketing, none remains as effective as that old school classic, word-of-mouth. Here we look at three key tips for how to harness this tried and true marketing technique. In a world filled with limitless opportunities for promotion, word-of-mouth remains the […]

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When choosing an electric guitar, stick to the basics first. It will make the task of finding your next axe that much easier.

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While not having the backing of a major label has its downsides, many artists wear their indie status as a badge of honor, and music distributor Record Union wants to take things a step further by getting streaming services to tag songs and playlists as ‘independent’ in much the same way as certain songs or […]

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While 91% of people check their email every single day, you’re not the only hitting their inbox, and it can be incredibly easy for your message to be lost or condemned amid the digital clutter. Here we look at three key strategies artist must use to ensure that their email marketing is successful. Guest post […]

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Cameron from The Singer’s Corner has put together a list of The 6 Best Social Media Platforms for Learning Guitar. If you’re new to guitar, holding the instrument while listening to your favorite musician is often intimidating. Trying to replicate their performance right out of the gate is next to impossible. While some are naturally gifted […]

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FORBES reports, “VEVO, the YOUTUBE-style video platform owned by most of the major record labels in the music industry, announced today [5/25] that it is planning on shuttering its consumer-facing website and its consumer-facing apps. It isn’t clear exactly when these items will be gone, but they are not long for this world… though that’s not […]

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Picking up a guitar is a great feeling. Whether you’re just learning to play or have been an expert player for many years, you will need to have some practice exercises. These 8 Essential Practice Exercises for Acoustic Guitar can help you improve your guitar playing if you’re just starting out. Make sure that you […]

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It’s Official: Spotify Files For An IPO Earlier today, SPOTIFY filed for an IPO listing on the NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, the NEW YORK TIMES reports. SPOTIFY shares will be traded under the ticker symbol SPOT. According to its filing, SPOTIFY generated had nearly $5 billion in revenue last year, a 39% increase from 2016. […]

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In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in LOS ANGELES, WIXEN MUSIC PUBLISHING is accusing streaming service SPOTIFY USA of streaming millions of unlicensed songs in what it calls “massive, systemic copyright infringement.” NBC reports, “the suit includes a 265-page list of thousands of its songs that WIXEN says SPOTIFY is streaming without proper licensing […]

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UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP has inked a global deal with FACEBOOK to license its recorded music and publishing catalogs to the social media giant for use in video across its Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Oculus platforms.  Users will be permitted to upload videos with licensed music from UMG under the agreement, and the companies plan to […]

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[ad_1] Guest post by Lisa Occhino You’ve probably tried boosting your posts on Facebook, and maybe you’ve even run a few ads on Instagram. But have you ever considered how powerful Google’s search network can be for advertising your music? Optimizing your online presence for Google is super important, and there’s a lot you can do […]

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[ad_1] This guest post by Ariel Hyatt originally appeared on the Cyber PR Blog You will never achieve the success you want if you try to do it all alone and try to take on things that stop you dead in your tracks or waste your precious time. I cannot stress this enough: You must learn […]

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[ad_1] Recording an album is quite the adventure. You go through the process of deciding the time is right to record. You open up your writer’s toolbox and craft some great songs for release. Your team is assembled, you crowdfunded your venture, and you’ve finished up the most exciting part of the journey, recording in […]

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[ad_1] Looking for top quality studio monitors but not sure which are the best to buy? Well you’re in luck, as today we show you seven monitors that will suit any setup type. Professional studios will spend (easily) over $10,000 on a pair of monitors, and usually have at least two pairs. You don’t need […]

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[ad_1] Having trouble writing something new? Does songwriting feel like a chore rather than a joy? Well we’re going to look at how to get rid of writers block. If you’re finding it hard to write, there probably isn’t anything wrong with you. However, it is entirely possible that your motivation has changed. It could […]

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[ad_1] Most piano players – especially purists – prefer the sound and feel of a grand piano if not a concert grand piano. Of course, most of the time, such a piano is out of reach due to the exorbitant cost of ownership. For many students, teachers, and performers, the opportunity to play a grand […]

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[ad_1] Making more time for music is something that every musician is trying to do. For me, it seems that everything I do, I do in order to make more time for something else. When I do all the dishes at 11 PM, even though I’m exhausted, I’m doing it so I have more free […]

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