What's In Your Press Kit?

Is your Press Kit Ready for Distribution?!

What’s a press kit, you ask?! A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use (Wikipedia.com).

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Record Labels, Promoters, A&R Reps, Radio Stations and DJays receives a daily flood of music that either gets thrown away, overlooked and/or used for a Frisbee. How many times have you submitted music through email or mail and haven’t heard back from the people you sent it to?! Did you handwrite on your CD or have a multipurpose Business Card with 10 different trades on it?!

Below is a list of items to package your music to help it standout above the rest either through web mail or postal mail.

Things that should be in your Press Kit:

- Introduction: An acknowledgement is always appropriate with any type of mail you send out to grasp the attention of the reader. Don’t describe who you are before telling people who you are!

- Biography: Some artist get a biography mixed up with writing a book about your life. A biography should be about your journey to becoming the artist or group you are today. Don’t spend so much time elaborating on your start because what you’re doing with your music career now, will justify if listening to your music is worth it. Get a Journalism/ Professional Writing student at a local college to proof it and make suggestions before using it.

- Professional Photos: Professional Photography can take your press kit importance level from a two to an eight. Your press kit should include no more than 3 photos; if you are postal mailing, (1) Full Color 8x10 and (2) Black & White 5x7. 80% of your physical presentation matters whether people will buy your product or not.

- Sample/ Demo Music: Make sure that your music is mixed & mastered, copyrighted & registered before blasting it out. Remember, what is not legally yours can be easily someone else’s, don’t get caught up. Include the dirty & clean version of the ‘single’ your label is pushing. Any freestyle, professional YouTube videos and/or two other songs you have ready for exposure should be included in the press kit.

- Stats and Features: Music Reviews, Performance Feedbacks, Mixtape/ Album Features Listing, Lyrics to the Main Sample Song and/ or an upcoming performance line-up sheet would be the icing on the cake. Looking at a press kit, knowing that other people have reviewed the music, other artists have worked with you and the fact that I can make an appearance at your upcoming performance makes an artist/group standout.

- Jock Cards (Promo Cards): A Promo Card is the definition of ‘What You See is What You Get’. It should have pictures of the artist/ group, contact information, websites and newest single information. Your Promo Card will speak before your audience hears your music.

Is your music packaged right?! In Today’s world, the internet has overpopulated most types of communicating with e-mail and social networking sites. Promoting music links through

e-mail or social networks can be annoying to industry representatives that use those avenues for other reasoning. Get your Press Kit ready today!

Important Connects to Have

Not What You Know but Who You Know

- Club Promoters/ DJays: Most powerful way of getting the record heard locally is performing or having a song played at clubs/ events. Club promoters mostly have slots for an artist to perform and DJays may have different times or nights that they play upcoming artist music during a huge party. Industry people unknowingly show face to nightclubs/ events sometimes looking for talent. Let the spin and response speak for itself!!!!

- Local Radio Personalities/ DJays: Most powerful way of knowing what kind of record it is by the requests of the record on the local radio stations. Make sure that the record spins count by having the hot new single mix & mastered and/or copyrighted & registered (MediaBase/BDS). Although local radio is becoming overtaken by other music avenues (Sirius Satellite Radio, Mixtapes, Internet Radio, CDs, I-Pods, etc.); people still tune into the radio for news/event updates. Most radio stations have an upcoming artist spotlight… Get the Shine!!!

- Recording Studio Owners: Most powerful way of meeting other bands, music producers, classically trained musicians, session players, audio engineers, other artist, music business executives by working with studio ownders. This helps upcoming artist to make the connections and gain knowledge on what they need to enhance his/her talent.

- Other Artist: Most powerful way of staying relevant in the music business is through the network of other artist. Being humble and open to work with other upcoming artists will not only build a network but gain information on other networking/ advertising avenues. You can’t get outshined if you’re working together towards the same goal.

- College Students: Most powerful way of having a local hot new single reach other cities and states is through college students. Think about how many college students are always onto the newest and hottest artist/ music. Now think about if they were to take the newest upcoming artist single back home and play it for his/her friends. You have now built a buzz outside of your demography.

**Bonus: Knowing me (The F.I.C.) can get an upcoming artist

experience, exposure and education on the music industry.

Get Your Feature Today!!

Contact Me: fic.firmgrip@gmail.com

Next Business & Industry Mixer (Tuesday, March 29th) at Coffee Beanery
Mayor Teresa Tomlinson [Guest Speaker]

Considering to Become An Artist?

Considering to Become An Artist?

Top 5 Independent Artist Must Haves

1. Projected Budget. Before you start your music career, you need to know what you’re trying to accomplish as an artist. Draw up a listing of what is needed to fully produce a song, a mixtape and an album. Include recording, mastering and mixing song(s), owning the beat(s), registering and licensing song(s), promotional materials (flyers, covers, T-shirts, graphic designs, pressing/publishing, etc.), performances, photo shoots, video shoots, time away from work and travel expenses.

2. Network/ Net-worth. Networking is the most effective strategy to use in advancing your career. Various social media sites have made networking accessible to people all over the world that you wouldn’t meet on a day to day basis. Use the tools that you have to help accomplish what you’re trying to do. Your presentation, approach and attitude create the network to build your net-worth.

3. Licensed/ Registered Music. Music licensing is intended to ensure that the creators of musical works get paid for their work (Wikipedia.com). If a song is not licensed, any listener can make use of it for his/her gain. Before having the hottest song on the Radio in your city, make sure it is registered through BDS/ MediaBase. BDS is used to make all the Billboard airplay charts. MediaBase is used to make many of the charts in Radio & Records. MediaBase and BDS monitor about 80% of the same stations; therefore you may need to get both in order to get proper coverage.

4. Advertisement. Marketing is the representation of your product. Once your hot new single has been mixed, mastered, licensed and registered it’s time to advertise to find out if people are interested in your music. The demography that should be your main concern is where people know you best. If your market knows you, you know your market. Create a separate listing of things needed to promote your music.

5. The Right Management. The manager is responsible for financial planning, long-term career plans, publicity, marketing, and advising. The more successful you get, the bigger your team gets. A manager wears many hats (cheerleader, psychiatrist, advisor, guide, problem solver, etc). Communication is important; your manager only makes money if you are making money. If you can't trust your manager, it's over.


Big Boi Gives Upcoming Artists Advice: http://www.rapbasement.com/outkast/050710-big-boi-of-outkast-gives-advice-to-upcoming-artists-watch-and-listen-here-click-now.html

Guiding Tomorrow’s Superstars: http://www.getsigned.com/manage.html

Guess Who's Back?!

Its 2011 and there are some artist that was extremely hot in past decade(s) and fell off completely... NOW, they are back with new music and production.

I'm going to let you be the judge...

Making a comeback or
Should they fall back???

O J Juiceman
‘Juice Wea You Been’
Check It Out: http://www.sendspace.com/file/h8l5q4

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Chingy

‘H.A.M.’ Freestyle
Check It Out: http://www.sendspace.com/file/u4iagi

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Bobby Brown
‘Get Out the Way’
Check It Out: http://www.sendspace.com/file/mygf69

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Bowwow

‘Body Bag’

Check It Out: http://www.sendspace.com/file/61hn6i

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
MUSIC RELATED FACTS

Black Swan Records was a United States record label founded in 1921 in Harlem, New York. It was the first widely distributed label to be owned and operated by, and marketed to, African Americans. (Broome Special Phonograph Records was the first to be owned and operated by African Americans) The label name was revived in the 1990s for compact disc reissues of historic jazz and blues recordings.

Motown Records was the first record label owned by an African American to feature African-American artists paving the way into mainstream crossover success.

In 1943, First African American artists to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts: Mills Brothers ("Paper Doll").

In 1947, First African American artist to receive sole credit for a #1 hit on the Billboard charts: Count Basie ("Open the Door, Richard")

In late October 1948, America's first black radio station with an all Black on- air staff that
Programmed Black music all day is WDIA in Memphis, Tennessee.

Oct 3, 1949 - The first black radio station started in Atlanta. The 1000-watt AM station, WERD, was owned and operated by Jesse B. Blayton, Sr. He purchased the station for $50000.

Jack "The Rapper" Gibson - The Father of Black Radio went on the air as "Jockey" Jack in 1949. Jack the Rapper is also credited with developing a new design for radio control rooms where he elevated the equipment forcing disc jockeys to stand.

In 1950, First African American solo singer to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts: Nat King Cole ("Mona Lisa")

In 1953, First African-American woman to be made a member of ASCAP: Jessie Mae Robinson

In 1958, First African American to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Tommy Edwards, "It's All in the Game"

In 1959, First African-American Grammy Award winners, in the award's inaugural year: Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie (two awards each)

In 1959, First African American group to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: The Platters, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"

In 1968, First fine-arts museum devoted to African-American work: Studio Museum in Harlem.

In 1980, First African-American Channel Black Entertainment Television

In 1986, First African-American musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the inaugural class: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and Little Richard

In 1986, The Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, the latter becoming the first rap album to enter No.1 Spot on the Billboard 200.

In 1987, First African-American woman, and first woman, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Aretha Franklin

In 1990, First all African-American band to win the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance: Living Colour for "Cult of Personality"

In 1998, Tom Joyner becames first African American in Radio Hall of Fame.

In 2001, First African-American woman to win the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year award: Beyoncé Knowles


Source Website
Urban Radio Nation: http://urbanradionation.com/history_of_black_radio.html
List of African American First: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_firsts


Other Sites
Celebrate Black History: http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/101-facts-firsts.jsp
Black History in Columbus, Georgia: http://www.columbushomeshow.com/blog/black-history-in-columbus-ga.html