Image via CrunchBase

I just wanted to run something by my fellow artists out there. I am not sure where but I found this site called Headliner.fm and it seems like it could be worth a shot.

Now I know what your thinking, new services promising to help bands and artist “reach the top” and explode their fanbase  are a dime a dozen these days, but, this one kind of jumped out at me as one to try out. See what you think.

The Skinny

It is an interesting concept. Basically they allow bands and artists the opportunity to leverage the fans of other bands and artists – on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc – by swapping promotions with them. In other words, you can have your music shared with fans of other bands/artists if you agree to share there music with your fans, on your social networks.

You can run promotions with artists in your genre each with a varying degree of popularity. they can be anywhere from your small local acts all the way up to artist like Diddy and Rob Thomas (not sure exactly how that works but those artists are on Headliners.fm’s homepage).

It is definitely an intriguing concept and could be a nice way to get your music in front of a very targeted audience for a very low investment. Plus I like the idea of hard-working bands and artist working together and helping each other out. After all, we are in this together.

Coming Clean

Now, just so you know, I haven’t done anything other than sign up, connect to my Facebook fanpage and Twitter account and watch as other bands approach me with promotion ideas. Sign up was simple and I was able to get a little over 20,000 plus of what they call band bucks for my 500+ fan base.

As far as promoting the other bands that have approached me, no band or artist has really been anything I wanted to promote to my fans – at least not until I am more familiar with how it works and/or the band/artist is someone I like myself.

I haven’t done a promotion myself – to see if I can parlay any of this into an increased fan base and/or sales – but I am currently in the process of revamping my mailing list and am waiting for that to get done before going full throttle.

Anyway, I figured I would tell you about it in case you thought it would come in handy and to hear your thoughts. Also, I get some more band bucks when other artists sign up using my link (hows that for full disclosure?). I figured I would stock pile some of those band bucks until I have my mailing list revamped.

So go take a look and if you think it is worth a shot, try it out. And if you would, please use my Headliners.fm link to do so. Thanks in advance!

Oh, and if you are already using it, please share your thoughts below so we can all learn.

Like This Shit? So do 700 plus Musicgoat diehards. Stop by and introduce yourself now. And if you’d like to check out my music and get a couple free downloads ta boot, visit my site PlanetCorey.com.

Over the past week I’ve come across three music industry pundits discussing the importance – or lack there of – of the album in today’s wide open arena of music marketing. I thought I would share them with you below and then offer up a few of the reasons why, as an aspiring artist, an album isn’t in my immediate plans.

So, if you are an artist these are great reads. They will give you some perspective into how you might want to formulate your marketing strategy from this point forward.

And, if you are a fan who likes to geek out on anything and everything music, you’ll like it too. After all, you are the most important piece of this entire puzzle. Check it out and let us know what you think. Read the rest of this entry

If you are an artist or band looking for a place to send your music demo, not only do I have a great suggestion for you but I have a few ideas on how you promote your music while your at it. Check it.

A few months back I started looking around for places to send my songs so that – if ever get around to finishing and recording them – I would have a solid strategy for giving them the best chance to be heard by reliable poeple.

I know, it is a pretty “horse before the cart” approach but never mind me, I wrote this to help you. Here goes. Read the rest of this entry

Imagine going to a show, watching your favorite band and then, if you like what you heard, getting a recording of the show you just heard on the way out of the club? Sound cool? I thought so too.

According to an article on Last100.com it is now feasible for artists to store live recordings on a USB memory stick and sell them after the show..

This is great for the fan and great for the artist. The fan gets to relive a part of the experience over and over (or hear the part of the show they missed due to overindulgence). The band gets another way to generate some cash. A win win situation if you ask me.

Yep you read that right. Prince is really going to give his new album away for free in a newspaper. I guess he wants to get the music to the massess.

The thing that stands out the most in this article from The Guardian is how pissed off some of the retailers are about this. I suppose I can understand their anger since it takes money out of their pocket but is it justified?

Hell no!

Music retailers are a dying breed. Instead of whining about how one artist is going to market his own material, perhaps they would make better use their time by thinking about another business venture.

How Prince, or any other artist, wants to market their own music is none of their business. If the guy wants to give his stuff away for free, thats his decision. Besides, giving stuff away for free isn’t such a bad strategy.

It is always cool to see an artist with his stature mix things up a little.

Here is some good news for all you music fans and artists out there. About a month ago I register the Musicgoat with a site called The Indie Bible.

In a nutshell what The Indie Bible does is provide a resource for bands and artists looking to get the word out about their music. They can use this resource to find places to get their music reviewed and played.

They just released their latest edition a day or two ago and I have been swamped with requests to do reviews. These requests come from a wide range of artists with an even wider range of musical style. I have everything from country to rock to jazz to a sultry female vocalist. Very cool!

What does this mean for you?

If you are a music fan you are in for a treat. The Musicgoat is going to be able to expose you to a steady stream of diverse music to keep your music collections and play lists as fresh as possible.

If you are an artist you are going to be exposed to fans with an open mind and a love for music. Also, you are definitely going to want to check out The Indie Bible because, as I have witnessed first hand, they will help you get the word out.

Anyway, I just thought I would let you in on this exciting development. I am really jacked up about this and I can’t get my upcoming podcast up soon enough. In the days and weeks to come I will be feverishly reviewing the music and getting the as much info to you as I can. Stay tuned or just subscribe, if you haven’t already, it’s free.

P.S. If you are on MySpace stop by and check out the new Musicgoat profile. Send me an invitation to be your contact.