MUSIC INDUSTRY BLOG

In 2007, Detroit-based rock act, Schaeffer, were selected as the winners of Breaking the Band 1, our international band competition.  As part of their prize package, they embraced the opportunity to work with We Are Listening’s TV and radio guru, Jon Delange.

Jon, who continues to mentor the band to this day, helped them achieve national awareness, first at radio and then with television networks by scoring placements in their original programming.  Annually, they have preformed during Austin’s SXSW event.

Eventually, the group emerged as America’s favorite in the FreeCreditScore.com band search which began with a shortlist of more than 100 hopefuls showcasing nationwide.

Now, The Victorious Secrets, the band’s new alias, are engaged in a $30 million advertising campaign.

As the new face of FreeCreditScore.com, they will be featured in a series of television commercials slated to debut during the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards next month.  They will also receive a $10,000 check, a Gibson Guitar prize package and Pearl drum kits, and a studio session with the music industry’s best of breed.  They will also walk the red carpet at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and have the opportunity to perform on the 2010 VMA Tour.

Here are The Victorious Secrets, in all their glory:

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“Quit your day job.  Start a label.” has to be the stupidest blog post I ever published.  And yet, it’s the second most visited post on this blog.

(For your information, “Katy Perry” is the most popular post on this blog but that’s just because Google picked up on the image tag so when Katy Perry fans (of which there are many) search for Kary Perry images, my blog shows up.  There’s no value in it for me whatsoever.  I’m confident that zero Katy Perry fans care about this blog.)

But with “Quit your day job.  Start a label.“, there’s no fabricated traffic.  It’s all real visitors searching for authoritative content which, to my disgrace, leads them to the worst post on this site.

How do you explain it?

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Don’t see the video?

I received this email this morning:

Hi.  My name is XXXXXXX.  I was wondering if we could maybe strike a deal.  You see, I have no money because I am not famous yet.  If you can help me become famous, then instead of giving you 30 dollars, I will give you 500 dollars!

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::1:: How To Increase Your Fan Base

Jango’s Basic Geo-Targeting feature allows you to hone in on those regions where Jango listeners love your music most.  If you’ve already run a Jango Airplay campaign, simply check your Geographic Reports in your dashboard for this data.  Then, select the cities and states where you have the strongest following before you run your next campaign.  Not only will you turn passive listeners into loyal fans, you will also establish a local presence, leading to more requests for regional showcases and festival appearances.  And the best part… Basic Geo-Targeting is FREE!

::2:: How To Get Free Jango Airplay Credit

Every Jango Airplay artist has a PopScore.  Each week, artists with the highest PopScores receive free credit.  The PopScore reveals how well your music is resonating with Jango listeners based on your campaign targeting. The more precise your targeting, the higher your PopScore.  Obviously, if you are a Scandinavian Black Metal band targeting Dolly Parton fans, your PopScore will be gasping for air, so make sure you target the artists whose fans are most likely to identify with your music.  Remember, free credit means more plays.  And more plays equals more fans.

::3:: How To Get A Live Showcase

Top Jango PopScore artists get booked at the Wakarusa Festival, The Moondance Jam, The Viper Room in LA and more.  If you climb the PopScore charts, you might find yourself juggling phone calls and trying to decide which event is best for your band.

::4:: How To Make A Lasting Impression

Want to get listener attention, lightning fast?  Make an audio intro and attach it to the front of your song before uploading the MP3 to Jango Airplay.  A quick message, five seconds or less, telling the listener who you are and what they’re about to hear.  This is a simple way for you and your music to get cemented in the listener’s memory.

::5:: How To Rise Above The Noise

For artists looking for additional promotion, Jango Airplay offers robust packages though ‘Airplay PRO’.  These promotions include banner ads on Jango.com as well as customized overlay ad units that appear every time your song plays.  Give away an MP3, promote an album or tour; even run a contest, bouncing the listener directly to your own website.  Here’s a 60 second video demo of how the overlay ad units are served:

In addition, you can get a banner placed in Jango’s listener newsletter, sent to over 3 Million registered users each week.  For more info on these packages email: airplay-premium@jango.com

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“With 300 million people in America, you can fail to impress 299 million of them and still go platinum.”

Seth Godin, best selling author and popular blogger, writes:

If you have a book to write, write it.  If you want to record an album, record it.  No need to wait for someone in a cubicle halfway across the country to decide if you’re worthy.

I think Seth is suggesting that, if you’re waiting for a so-called music biz whiz to tell you that your band rocks, you’re giving too much power to someone who doesn’t care about your music nearly as much as you do.

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from: Mark Towne
to: Lior Shamir
date: Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 5:50 AM
subject: We Are Listening / Tinderbox Updates

Lior,

I just wanted to drop you a quick line to let you know how much the Breaking the Band contest has helped us out.

Tinderbox has been very very helpful and has exposed our music to a much larger audience than we could have hoped for.  Our disc has been getting airplay at CMJ charted stations across the country since April.  We even charted in the top 10 slots at several stations! Our web traffic and album sales have definitely increased since we started working with Tinderbox and we’ve connected with many people we wouldn’t have reached if not for Breaking the Band and Tinderbox Music.

Jon has found 8 shows on networks like MTV, E! and even Oxygen that are interested in using our work in their series.  That’s still a work in progress but chances are pretty good we’ll land some television placements, reach more potential fans and maybe even make some dough for our next album.

I’ve been very impressed with the staff at Tinderbox and their results.  I can’t thank We Are Listening enough for providing us the opportunity!

I hope all is well and you are enjoying the summer thus far!

Best wishes,

Mark Towne
Booking / Drums
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