SONG CONTEST BLOG

Music marketing is hard. Really hard.

I have made all the rookie mistakes and then some.

From building websites to building an email list, I have spent a small fortune creating my business. Had I known then what I know today, I could have saved thousands of dollars, spared myself countless sleepless nights, and achieved the success I enjoy today much sooner.

If you’re already enjoying the success you deserve, read no further.

But if you’re feeling disgruntled with the music industry, frustrated with the promise of a multitude of internet services, and darn right pissed off that all the work you’re doing isn’t paying off, please read on. I’ll make it short.

Secret #1: Email Is The Holy Grail
Whether you’re tricking out your MySpace page or performing at your local venue, always think about what you can do to collect more email addresses. Believe me, there is nothing of greater importance than your email list. If you’re not using a professional email service, start now.

Secret #2: Passive Radio Is Passé
Massive online radio sites get your music in front of targeted music fans. They are not your average passive radio listeners, they are music fanatics feverishly searching for music just like yours. Yeah, you have to pay for the privilege, but the exposure you get in return is guaranteed and trackable. In the music biz, it’s hard to find that kind of bang-for-your-buck value. Jango Airplay is the largest online radio promotion service I know of. Are you on it?

Secret #3: Get Professional Help
Whether it’s your songwriting or your marketing (or anything else), never underestimate the value of expert advice. We Are Listening provides professional assessments for songs and lyrics. It’s what we know and what we’re good at. But you can find a service, coach or consultant for any project you wish to fast track to success. The humility required to ask for help and receive critical feedback is the mark of an independent artist and entrepreneur that people want to listen to and associate with. Personally, I can use all the help I can get!

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A citizen of the United Kingdom, Don immigrated to the United States from Australia, where he jump-started his career by doing record promotion for several labels, including Chess and Capitol Records. During that time, he was involved in the promotion of The Beatles, and was singularly recognized with the only Golden Apple Award ever presented by them for “outstanding promotion in launching Apple Records in the United States”. At Capitol, Don was also Manager of International A&R/Promotion, where he signed Little River Band, and Director of Merchandising and Advertising. When Capitol created a second label, EMI America Records, in 1978, Don became its Vice President of A&R. His credits at EMI America include Michael Johnson, Kim Carnes, Sheena Easton, Kate Bush, Sir Cliff Richard, J. Geils Band, and Kenny Rogers. In 1982, Don moved back to Capitol where he signed and helped guide a number of hit-making acts, including Heart, Joe Cocker, Freddy Jackson, Melba Moore, Steve Vai, Megadeth, WASP, and George Clinton. He was personally involved with the recording careers of Tina Turner, Bob Seger, Anne Murray, The Motels, Duran Duran, Power Station, Thomas Dolby, Ashford & Simpson, Billy Squier, and assisted in the emergence of Crowded House, Poison, The Smithereens, and Great White. In 1987, Don resigned from Capitol to join CBS/Sony as Senior Vice President of A&R, Epic Records, where he personally signed and worked with such acts as Celine Dion (via Sony Canada), Bad English (finding their #1 hit “When I See You Smile”), Iron Maiden, Basia, as well as bringing his expertise to bear on the careers of Cheap Trick (finding their #1 single “The Flame”), Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, REO Speedwagon, The Jacksons, and Europe. Under his direction, the Epic A&R staff also signed successful acts, including Living Colour, Indigo Girls, Allman Brothers Band, Alice Cooper, Social Distortion, Firehouse, Suicidal Tendencies, Front 2423, Ottmar Liebert and Joe Satriani. In 1993, Don created Drive Entertainment, a company with emphasis on classic artist and niche market catalog exploitation, where he compiled and packaged over 140 albums. Five years later, Don chose to reenter the broader-based music market and, to date, operates his own independent consultancy and music supervision company. We Are Listening is delighted to have Don on board!

Hello Operator, recent winners of Breaking the Band, were called a “newsmaker” in Macleans magazine, and listed as “one of 12 bands to watch out for” by Canoe.ca.  Their video for Chasing Satellites has been in regular rotation on Much Music and Much Loud since November 2007 and the band has been on “Much On Demand”, “Going Coastal” and “Much News”.  Hello Operator have appeared and performed on MTV Live, were showcased on E-Talk Daily and have toured with Faber Drive, Hilary Duff, Ill Scarlet, Switchfoot, Simple Plan, Hedley, Thornley, Loverboy, and many more.  The London Free Press called Hello Operator a “guaranteed breakthrough rock act” and now, after headlining club dates across Canada, more stadium shows with Duff, and several U.S. tours behind them, the band has just released a new 6-song EP, called The Breaks.  The new material offers escapist pop jangle tempered by a moody new-wave pulse. Not only is it a progression from the quirky Cars/ Costello vibe of the first Hello Operator EP (produced by Arnold Lanni), but is also the result of many hours spent in the studio, where Mike Condo and Evan Huson experimented with taking a new approach to their songs. The Breaks (co-produced by Mike Condo and
Dom Condo) shows the evolution of Hello Operator from Mike’s original work to collaboration between Mike, Evan and a full live band.  VIEW Magazine calls it “a mature, expansive set of fun, playful songs.”

Chasing Satellites

The Singer/Songwriter Awards from We Are Listening is a prestigious international songwriting contest that takes place six times a year and attracts songwriters and performing artists from across the globe.  The songwriting contest boasts a music industry panel  of the highest caliber and offers a range of songwriting, recording and marketing related prizes for unsigned and professional artists.  For lyricists, We Are Listening has developed a lyrics-only songwriting contest called the Lyric Writer Awards, the first independent songwriting contest to offer a co-writing and publishing deal, and takes place four times a year.  Songwriters that write in any language other than English have also been catered to with a world music song contest called the World of Music Awards, a songwriting contest for foreign-language and instrumental composers that reflects the rich variety of music and culture from every corner of the world.

Founded in 2004, We Are Listening provides aspiring and established artists with relevant music industry opportunities and artist development services.  In addition to its songwriting contest initiatives, We Are Listening caters to fledgling songwriters with a unique approach to music education through professional feedback and on-going evaluations.  Armed with a 37-strong panel of the music industry elite, We Are Listening is quickly becoming one of the leading independent music companies in the new music economy.

Songlines Magazine
Songlines Magazine covers the world’s most exciting music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion, featuring artists from all around the globe, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, from Miriam Makeba to Mariza, from Gilberto Gil to Gogol Bordello.
http://www.songlines.co.uk

Monolith Festival
For today only, Monolith Festival is giving you $5 off your submission. By submitting, you will have the opportunity to share the stage with this year’s amazing line up at the incredible natural amphitheatre, Red Rocks. Monolith alumni include The Flaming Lips, Justice, Cake, Band of Horses and many more.
http://tinyurl.com/6ks6el

Songwriters Circle
The New York Songwriters Circle Loft Series is a monthly gathering designed to support a thriving community of musicians at all levels and abilities through education, information, and peer-to-peer interaction.
http://www.songwriters-circle.com

We Are Listening & MTV
Two months after We Are Listening panelists selected Tim Mahoney as winner of The Singer/Songwriter Awards, We Are Listening, together with Tinderbox Music, secured Tim’s music on MTV’s hit television series, “The Hills”. In addition, Tim closed an attractive digital distribution deal with IODA and is looking forward to additional licensing opportunities currently in the works. “Companies like We Are Listening are the reason why independent artists make it”, Tim wrote to We Are Listening, adding, “Talking with the founder, Lior, and shaping a custom television placement campaign was the best prize I could have ever hoped for. I was impressed.”
http://www.wearelistening.org/about_contest.php?type=ssa

Band Camp
Bandcamp, a free publishing platform for bands, provides artists with the most relevant content management and social marketing tools, with a super clean interface and friendly user management system.  Bandcamp update.
http://www.bandcamp.mu

With only 15 days to go…

The Singer/Songwriter Awards from We Are Listening is about the hottest international songwriting contest in the world. It’s no surprise that participating artists have gone on to sign with top management, license their music for film and television, as well as collaborate with renowned producers and enjoy substantial uplifts in independent record sales.

Data Syndication for Artists
ArtistData.com allows you to publish and manage your gig schedule across many different networks including MySpace, Last.fm, and Indie911, saving you time by seamlessly updating and distributing your data from a single hub.
http://www.artistdata.com

Breaking the Band
16 days and counting… the independent music event that puts artists on the stages at major festivals, provides network tv licensing opportunities, radio promotion, press coverage, tour support and much more, is open for submissions!
http://www.sonicbids.com/BreakingtheBand

Moving Large Music Files
Earlier this month, German startup, SoundCloud.com, launched a music-centric solution for moving large digital files online, a process artists and music industry professionals often go through to collaborate and distribute their work.
http://www.soundcloud.com

World of Music Awards
Ghalia Benali, a native of Tunisia, was selected by We Are Listening’s judges as the winner of the World of Music Awards, the first World music contest of its kind. Ghalia will be attending WOMEX, the acclaimed annual World music festival in Seville, Spain, next month for a weekend of networking, music promotion and career development. World of Music Awards is sponsored by Songlines Magazine.
http://www.wearelistening.org/winner_woma_1.php

Derek’s Entourage
Not enough time to do-it-yourself? CDbaby’s founder, Derek Sivers, is rolling up his sleeves so that you can focus on your music while MuckWork takes care of the rest.
http://sivers.org/muckwork

We Are Listening is delighted to announce the successful completion of its first-ever World Music contest, the World of Music Awards. The winning entry was submitted by Ghalia Benali, a native of Tunisia currently residing in Brussels. Growing up in Tunisia, Ghalia was raised with a strong background in Arabic music and poetry, as well as external influences including French chansons Egyptian and Indian musicals, melodies from Syria and Iraq and the ‘tartil’, the sung lectures from the Koran.

Throughout her carer, Ghalia has performed with a variety of talented World Music artists including Shahnez (Arabo-Flamenco), Yoda (Ethnic), Alpalna (Arabo-Indian), Maak’s Spirit (Jazz), Hh Kaly (Electro, Arabo, Indian), Timnaa (Arabo, Spanish, Folk), and many more. Ghalia is currently touring with her most recent project “Romeo en Leila”, a musical spectacle where Arab music meets traditional western music and jazz. Besides a successful careet as a singer, Ghalia also performs as an actress and played the role of Meriem in “La Saison des hommes” in 1999, under the direction of Tunisian producer Mouffida Tiatli and danced in the film “Swing” from Tony Gatliff in 2001.

As the winner of the World of Music Awards, Ghalia will join World music expert, Dubi Lenz, and a host of other WOMEX delegates in Sevilla, Spain, for a weekend of networking, music promotion and career development. She and the nine other finalists will also receive a free one year subscription to Songlines, the leading World music publication. We Are Listening is proud to welcome Ghalia Benali to the team and looks forward to helping her achieve all of her musical dreams and aspirations.