From what we have learned so far, you would think the demo is ready to go into the hall of fame as an out of date tool. But the demo tape still has some real value to you. The best demo is one that showcases not only your musical skill but the personality and the performance skill of you or your band. If you can have someone put a demo together from one of your performances, that gives an agent or scout a bit of a feel for what to expect from you when he comes to see you.

So treat the demo as part of your bag of tricks but it isnt the thing that is going to seal the deal. If a scout likes what he hears or at least his curiosity is peaked, he will then seek out ways to see you live. Then we are back to the club atmosphere, your relationship with your crowd and your performance. Those are the things that will get you noticed in a way that will lead to bigger breaks.

Radio used to be the primary medium for distributing information about new acts and for getting your music played and noticed. But changes in ownership of radio stations and in how they are programmed have changed that too. The radio station is no longer a significant communication channel for you to use to get on the music industry radar screen.

A lot of factors have dropped radio off the radar screen for getting noticed. Airplay is not as much of a factor as it used to be when there was a lot of diversity in radio. Radio is nearly a monopoly with all of the play list decisions made by one central national firm. So if you think that any one individual at your area radio stations makes airplay decisions, you should revise that opinion because they do not. This little insider tip alone can save you huge amounts of wasted energy and frustration when trying to get noticed.

But dont worry, scouts and music industry agents know they will not find the new, the innovative and the creative music on radio. They have turned from it to use local networking and club performances as their radar screen for new talent.

You do the same. Do not concern yourself a great deal with local radio coverage. Even college radio is virtually a dead venue for getting noticed in this new market. Focus on where the real contacts are being made today, through local contacts, word of mouth and above all club and local festival performances.com which list contact information to over 20,000 important people in the music industry.

Its all in your network and what is happening on the street that will make the difference between you getting noticed or not. In a way, thats the way it always should have been, having the focus placed on your band talent, performance skill and live shows. That is where your strength is anyway. Be a savvy marketer and use this knowledge to raise the awareness of your band, your talent, your songs and your performances.

As you or your band performs, be it from club to club around town or nationally, there is usually one thing lingering in the back of your mind.

Having a great demo or being interviewed on the local radio shows at once seemed like a good dea. But times have changed in the music industry. In this article, we will discuss some up to date information and inside tips on how to get noticed in this tough business.

You have had the thought run through your mind as you perform for an enthusiastic crowd in a club or bar. Are there music industry scouts in this crowd. Maybe you just laugh it off but you have heard that they are out there watching bands like yours and signing the talented ones to develop into stars.

What you have heard is true. Industry insiders tell us that now more than ever, scouts are everywhere. You may worry that you are not living in one of the big music industry towns like New York, Chicago, L.A. and Nashville but that isnt important. Remember, Seattle was not on the map before grunge hit and they found Sir Mix A Lot and for you Rock Heads, Kurt and Eddie.

So how do you get in front of the scouts? Perform! These days the local club scene is the most important way to get noticed. Dont wear yourself out chasing agents or scouts. If your performances are strong, that will create a buzz and the word of mouth will get you noticed. Then the scouts will come to see you rather than you having to go and chase them.

Build your relationship with your audience. Insiders tell us that scouts will come to a show for a musical venue they dont even understand. If you are doing something bold and new that they are not able to evaluate musically, they will go by the crowd. If your audience responds with excitement and enthusiasm, that is what gets the eyes and ears of music executives. So pour yourself into the people for whom you are performing. Thats what you love to do anyway so its an easy way to get noticed and the right way too.

Build your local network. Industry agents know club owners and booking agents for local events very well. If you have a strong reputation with them, they will pass that information along to the scouts who are looking for new talent.

Independent labels are also a rich source of information for the larger recording houses to find out about up and coming bands. You may have indie labels near by so get to know them and get them to your shows so when they have a chance to connect you to a scout, your band is on their list of hot new acts.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

Have you been a long time fan of the kings and want to prove to other reluctant fans that they haven’t “sold out?”

Talking to Tennessean, drummer Nathan Followill said “It’s our fourth record, and with every record you put out, the label and management say, ‘This is the one. This is the one that’s going to crack America,’ so each time we had one that didn’t, it wasn’t a letdown, you get used to it. But it was a little tough playing huge arena shows in the U.K. and Europe, and coming home and having to play smaller places. But man, this record [2008's Only the Night] kinda snuck up on us. You always hope for the best and expect the worst, so we’re pretty stoked. But now we’re realizing how much work you have to do if your record is actually popular.”

What type of promotion did they have?

Performance on Saturday Night Live, a cover on Spin Magazine and a documented New York visit thanks to Rolling Stone, the boys of Kings of Leon have finally found “the one” with Only the Night. The album, which appeared in September, debuted at the fourth spot on The Billboard 200 chart thanks to singles like “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody.” “This kind of feels like our honeymoon with American now,” Followill said. “Pop culture does play a big part in it. We’ve caught flack from fans saying we’ve sold out, we did this or that, but for such a long time, I think we were like their best kept secret.” And the cat has just been let out of the bag, so to say, as the Tennessee rockers, who tend to mix indie with classic Southern rock and blues, has since embraced their title as the Southern version of the Strokes to more audiences around the world.

For many bands, having an international audience is something to brag about, but after four albums and almost a decade together the brothers (made up of three Followill brothers and a Followill cousin) were ready to see headlines in their own country. When Caleb (guitar), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) and cousin Matthew (guitar) relocated to Nashville, they enjoyed their newfound freedom and took in years of musical genres they had previously been denied. RCA signed them in 2001 and since then the guys have released four full length albums, loads of EPs and toured North America and the UK with their inventive sound.

What’s your take on the Kings of Leon?

What is an independent band? One definition would be once they release music without the backing of one of the major record labels. This humbler approach allows musicians the freedom to release music that is more experimental for a more targeted niche audience.

Without the backing of a label, the artist has a freedom to be more experimental with arrangements of songs. Often times, these artists are also recording in small studios, or even their own home studio, so they are not pressured by time or budget to rush through the recording and writing process. This is a boon to creativity and locks out the naysayers and the executives who want their artists to fit a certain type of mold.

Since instant mass appeal isn’t the primary concern of many indie bands, you’ll often find extended instrumental pieces, songs with odd lyrics (simply for the sake of being odd), and you can almost always bet on many friends and acquaintances of the artists contributing creatively to the recordings.

Most fans love when their favorite indie bands put out special releases. Albums such as live recordings, acoustic versions, and remixes are very popular. It also helps the artist to build a community of loyal and hardcore followers who will continue to pour money and support into what the band is doing. Once the hardcore fans are behind you, they will promote you to as many people as they possibly can.

Fans of indie bands love that their favorite artists are still accessible, preferring small concert venues to large arenas. Indie music is rarely featured on the radio, and listeners often discover new bands through word of mouth or demos available on their favorite label’s website.

Have you ever noticed that so many artists out there with no talent are constantly being promoted and releasing new material? As a dedicated artist looking to break into the music world, doesn’t that annoy you? The fact is that connections and marketing often trump talent. That’s why you need to be digitally distributed everywhere.

I have a friend who is an excellent drummer, we’ll call him John. John has been playing drums practically his entire life. His parents bought him a drum set when he was a kid and he has been banging on them ever since. During high school John was in and out of bands. I remember listening to one of his bands play, I think they were called The Vomit Kids. I know, awful name. As John grew up he knew music was where he wanted to be.

The Internet has become a lifeline for such independent musicians as John. Now John can harness the power of the internet and push his music onto millions of computers.

Much greater in number than the indie-fanatics are the people who swear that no good music is being made in their day. These people would be highly receptive to independent record labels, if only they knew that such things existed. These are the people who are most likely to be influenced enormously by the online music industry.

Stores such as iTunes and Amazonmp3 have put the big names right on the same level as the indie label. While super-hit tracks are priced higher than obscure ones on these stores, all average songs stay at the same price tag. This gives rise to an interesting situation – listeners can access the big hits for free on the radio or the television, or they can pay a nominal sum to purchase something that sounds promising. Additionally, the pressure to make a large investment and splurge on an album goes away, as single-track purchase is the norm on online stores. As if this were not enough motivation, people can access 30-second previews of tracks before making a purchase – something that allows them to judge whether or not something is of value worth buying.

For the independent musician, then, making money off music is easier than ever before. No need to spend on fuel and equipment to sell your music from your car a la Ani DiFranco. Just make the requisite clicks, and wait for the revenue to start coming in!

John now has music on ITunes, Amazon, Countless blogs raving about him, and an upcoming release on Rock Band Network.

Independent Artists should be promoting to these outlets: Radio, Social Sites, Blogs, Communities, Web Directories, Digital Distribution and more. 95% are free to use and you can create solid leads.

We always tell bands we work with to find Internet & College Radio Stations that will play your songs on the Radio. For the Indie Artists Internet Radio is definitely a great place to be! Remember, radio is only one portion of many other outlets for you to use, especially if their plans are to have a successful Promotions Campaign that gets Major results.

Placing yourself and your music on every site possible may sound like a tad bit too much, and for many it is. But if you really want to see Major results with only having low budget money, then you need to write articles, upload your music to social sites, to communities, submit to web directories, blogs…find digital distribution that will place your music in Major Online Retail Stores etc… There is no excuse! Even Twitter is a great way to reach out and meet fans.

For example, Independent Record Label “Bell Time Records” released Rnb Artist “Tamalaneh”, and took her new Cd “I Know You’re Gonna Like This” and promoted it on just about every music related website, blog, social site, community site web directory on the internet. Anybody can do it if you’re willing to do the time consuming work it takes to get the job done.

We will be posting a comprehensive list of free promotional outlets for you in an upcoming post.

• We reserve the right to alter these terms and conditions from time to time. The amendments will take effect immediately upon publication on the Site. Your continued use of the Site after the publication of such amendments will constitute an agreement by you to be bound by the amended terms and conditions.
• You may download material displayed on the site for non-commercial, home personal use only, provided you keep intact all copyright, trademarks, and other proprietary notices. You may not, however, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute in any way the contents of this site including text, images, audio, and video for public or commercial purposes without written permission from Authors of Rock.
• By using this site, you are assuming that everything you see or read is protected by copyright unless otherwise stated and may only be used according to these Terms & Conditions. Authors of Rock does not warrant or represent that you use materials displayed on the Site will not infringe the rights of third parties not owned by or affiliated with Authors of Rock. Images are either the property of, or used with permission by, Authors of Rock. The use of these images by you, or anyone else authorized by you, is prohibited unless specifically permitted by the Terms & Conditions. Any unauthorized use of images may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, and communications regulations and statutes.
• Authors of Rock uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information on the Site. However, Authors of Rock makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of the information. Authors of Rock assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the Site.
• Your use of the Site is at your risk. Neither Authors of Rock, nor any other party involved in creating, producing, or delivering the site is liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of your access to, or use of, the Site.
• The trademarks and logos displayed on the Site are trademarks of Authors of Rock.
• Authors of Rock has not reviewed all of the sites linked to the Site and is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages or any other sites linked to the Site. Your linking to any other off-site pages or other sites is at your own risk.
• This Site may contain links to other websites operated by third parties other than Authors of Rock. Such links are provided for your convenience only. Authors of Rock does not control these websites and is not responsible for their content. Authors of Rock disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, legality, reliability, or validity of any content on any other side and disclaims for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage of any kind resulting from any third party websites or content therein directly or indirectly accessed through links in this Site.
• Authors of Rock may at any time revise these Terms & Conditions. You are bound by any such revisions and should periodically visit this page to review the current Terms & Conditions to which you are bound.

Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Authors of Rock website. This privacy policy details how we use personal information collected on this site. Please read this privacy policy before using the site or submitting any personal information. By using the site, you are accepting the practices described in this policy. These practices may be changed, but any changes will be posted and changes will only apply to activities and information going forward, not retroactively. We encourage you to review the privacy policy whenever you visit the site to ensure that you understand how any personal information you provide will be used.

Information Gathering

We collect personally identifiable information like names, email addresses, etc. when voluntarily submitted by visitors. This information is only used to fulfill your specific requests, unless you give us permission to use it in another manner, for example, to add you to our mailing list.

Cookie/Tracking Technology

The Authors of Rock site may use cookie and tracking technology depending on the features offered. Cookie and tracking technology is helpful for gathering data such as browser type and operating system, tracking the number of visitors to our site, and understanding how our visitors use the site. Cookies also help us customize our site for visitors. Personal information cannot be collected via cookies and other tracking technology. However, if you previously provided personally identifiable information, cookies may be tied to such information. Aggregate cookie and tracking information may be shared with third parties.

Distribution of Information

We may share information with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in fraud prevention or investigation. We may do so when permitted or required by law, when trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions, or when investigating fraud which has already taken place. This information is not used for marketing purposes.

Commitment to Security

Your personally identifiable information is kept secure and only authorized to be viewed by employees of Authors of Rock, agents and contractors (who have agreed to keep information secure and confidential) have access to such information.

Privacy Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or comments about Authors of Rock privacy policy, please contact us.

Rock Band Network is the future of digital content. What better way is there to promote your music than to fans who will internalize what it is like to actually play your songs.

We are in this for the long haul and we are looking forward to launching your music into the game.

Please let us know how we can help you spread your music to the MILLIONS of Rock Band players.

As we are ramping up our production, we are searching for promoters for Authors of Rock.

If you are friends with artists or bands or have connections, you could pocket some extra cash for each track they purchase and gets approved in the Rock Band Network.

What is Rock Band Network?

The Rock Band Network beta program is now open to the public, giving emerging and established artists the tools needed to start authoring and submitting their music into Rock Band. RBN gives musicians, publishers and record labels the ability to author their original recordings into gameplay files to promote and sell their music as playable Rock Band tracks.

Contact us @ info@authorsofrock.com for more information.

Here’s a vid:

So now when you upload our music to Rock Band you can play it with a real guitar and your real drum set.

For more information on having your songs uploaded to the Rock Band Network, contact us at info@authorsofrock.com