Jun112011
So I’ve just received a spam tweet enticing me to click on a link. Just for shits and giggles I decide to see what pointelss crap people are trying to sell me and I click a link that takes me through to a website.
First impressions of the site tell me it is for music publicity and promotion. You chuck them a few dollars and in return they will promote and publicise you as an artist.
However after looking a little deeper I begin reading some of their “offers”. For $39 you can buy 500 plays of a mix or demo, or if you want 500 downloads you too can buy this for $69.
The idea is that when people check out your Soundcloud page, Mixcloud page, Reverbnation page (or whatever site hosts your mix demo) you appear to be a lot more popular than what you are as you now have over 500+ plays and over 500+ downloads of your mix.
WHAT. THE. F!?!?!?
Im angry. Im angry for two reasons. Firstly im angered that there is a market for where people want to actually buy this service and Im also angry that there are people out there who supply it.
I understand that there is a lot of pressure on upcoming DJs and artists to get noticed in the noisy crowd of this ever-changing fast-paced industry but when it comes to the point where you feel you must pay for a service like this you really have to question if you are in it for the right reasons. Surely you also need to question if you are actually any good at what you do if you have to fake your popularity.
The point is you don’t know how good you are because no one real is giving you feedback.
Im intrigued as to what kind of people pay for a service like this? Its not unlike the Japanese trend of renting friends. Services like this are preying on the vulnerable and the naive and selling to people who beleive that a large number of plays/downloads means you are really good.
This website I looked at even does a “Youtube Promotion Service” where you can buy 10,000 views for $199. Right, heres the thing… Youtube is a web site. Its owned by Google. Google is not stupid. Google is a multi-billion dollar company who has made their money through ranking the popularity of website content on the net. They arent stupid and they know their shit. If your video on Youtube suddenly gets 10,000 views overnight then Youtube is going to know something dodgy is going on. You could see your video being removed, your account could be shut down and I wouldn’t be suprised if you get banned for trying to cheat the system in this way. The website couldn’t care less if this happens and you could find yourself with no Youtube account at all on top of being $199 out of pocket.
Whatever happened to hard work, self-publicity and promotion? Have things really changed that much in this industry?
I shouldn’t really be singling out this one example from this one website - there are loads of services available from many different companies out there that all fall under the same shame bracket; buying Myspace friends, buying Twitter followers, buying Facebook ‘Likes’, buying Soundcloud plays, the list goes on. I see this kind of stuff on a daily basis and today has been the tipping point for me. It’s all so very, very wrong.
Not only are you cheating your way through your ‘career’ but you are falsifying your own popularity. For who? To make yourself feel good? To impress booking agents? Let me ask you whats going to happen when you do get your booking and no-one turns up? Are you going to find yet another service to buy people to attend your gigs? Get a grip.
In the long run you can’t beat a bit of good self promotion and publicity. On my own Facebook Like Page I’ve currently only got around 125 ‘Like’s. Sure I’d love to have more but I would never dream of buying them. Whats the point? Surely it’s the online equivelant of buying a load of life-size cardboard cutouts of people, sticking them all in your bedroom and pretending you are playing to a packed venue. Ego-stroking pointlessness.
I think its the uneducated, misinformed people that are being preyed upon by services like this. When part of a sales pitch is along the lines of “Pageviews and downloads are one of the first things promoters look at online” then how are artists supposed to think otherwise? I’m not having a go directly at people that use this kind of service because not everyone is aware of how or where to promote themselves online and I guess on the face of it, to those that are just starting out it must seem like a good deal. But if you truly want to publicise your self and get people liking you, you should really roll your sleeves up and put in a bit of hard work. If you truly have a passion for what you do then this will not be a problem at all and it will never feel like a chore.
Listed below are some of the places that I have signed up to in order to help publicise myself as a DJ:
You know what, at the end of the day I’m not the most popular DJ in the world. In fact on most of these sites I pale in comparison to a lot of the other users. But I’m happy with that because I know where I am and I can always work harder to increase my popuarity and exposure to the world. On my own personal site, immediately after my Biography I list a shed load of genuine testimonials from real people who actually love what I do. Here’s just one example:
“My first experience of your music is the May Mix 07. I used to be part of Innervision at Turnmills and have been a big clubber for 10-12 years and you have a sublime and unique talent. The 20 or so people that I have passed this mix on to have been blown away. Great tunes, perfect mixing and an emotional journey perfectly orchastrated.”
You can’t buy feedback like that for all the money in the world.
Feb222011
Its been a while since I’ve had a good old rant but something has got to me lately that has really pissed me off. In fact it was over a year ago I decided to write 5 Alarm Bell Phrases Every DJ Should Avoid and it’s one of the points I wrote about back then that I want to expand on today. I’m not going to name names here, those responsible will know who they are, also there is more than just one type of person involved in this.
The thing that has really got me annoyed is the constant requests from promoters for me to come and DJ for them in exchange for selling tickets to their event. If you are a DJ that has been playing for at least a few years then I’m sure you will have been approached at some point in your career by a promoter of a big name club who wants to offer you a dream spot at their club. It all sounds great at first until it comes to the business of getting paid.
You get told that you will earn your money from DJing by making around £2 on each ticket that you sell and often promoters will require a minimum number of tickets to be sold. Now I don’t know about you, but when I price up a DJ gig I am representing my ability to perform and perform well. Undercutting the competition or offering to play cheaply just is not for me. If you quote a cheap price to play then you are compromising your integrity as a DJ and telling the promoter that you are not very good at what you do. Chances are you are actually a very capable DJ and you are much better than a lot of bedroom jocks out there - so your performance should be priced accordingly to reflect your talents.
I makes me so angry that clubs and promoters will pitch to vulnerable, inexperienced DJs that they can come and DJ at these big brand events as long as they sell X number of tickets for them. I’m sorry but surely that’s the job of the promoter?!?! The clue is in the name. If a promoter is struggling so much with an event that they have to rely on the DJ’s mates to come along then in my eyes it is an event to be avoided.
Not only is this kind of attitude towards DJs completely wrong, but it is saying to the DJ ‘Look, we don’t care what you play or how you play it, we don’t care how well you structure your set or seamlessly blend your tunes, we don’t even care if you or the crowd enjoy the night or not, we just want numbers through the door’. This kind of attitude is wrong as it shows that the promoter is lazy and incredibly stupid. They only care about the money in their back pocket and they really don’t give a shit about you, or your reputation but worst of all they don’t give a shit about the crowd and if they are having a good time or not.
By recruiting DJs in this way it is severely damaging club culture as we know it and turning it from an industry of fun and enjoyment where DJing used to be and should be a pleasure, into a cold corporate world of preying on desperate DJs to rape them of their talent and line the promoters pockets with gold. If you are a DJ then you should just be a DJ. You shouldn’t have to spend any time on promotion - that is what the promoters should do. If the night is not a success then it should be the lazy, clueless promoter that financially loses out and not you.
If this kind of thing continues to spread it will not always be the hard working talented DJs that get all the breaks and opportunities, instead it will be the arrogant unprofessional bedroom jocks that happen to have the most friends that get the chances in this industry. The DJing world already has it’s fair share of self-important arrogant pricks and I really don’t think it should be fuelled this way with any more.
I was approached to DJ for a big brand last week - one which also approached me a couple of years ago in fact - and the first question I asked before anything else was “Do you want me to sell tickets”? They said no, but the deal was that I would be given a concessions guest list and for every person that came through the door on my discounted list I would be paid a couple of quid. There was a bonus payment if I hit a certain number of punters through the door. I don’t know about you but that sounds suspiciously like selling tickets to me. The promoter was stupid for thinking they could fool me and they were lazy for trying to get me to do their work for them.
Hey, by all means if you are just starting out and this really is your only way to get into what is, let’s face it, a very tough industry then by all means dive in and bring all your mates down, just make sure you do it with your eyes wide open and make sure you use their name and their brand to the same extent as they use you.
Have you ever been approached by a big name brand in this way before? How did you react? Maybe you are still trying to decide about a recent offer. Are you one of these shady “promoters”? Would you like to try and defend yourself? Please add your thoughts in the comments below.
Rant over.
Oct212009
RiffSpot is the music industry’s newest concept in dance music promotion. They offer an innovative and effective service for record labels, independent artists and music industry professionals worldwide. RiffSpot facilitates distribution of digital music releases from top record labels to 1000’s of carefully selected club DJs, radio producers, A&R professionals and media outlets.
RiffSpot focuses on two main audiences; Record labels/Independent artists and top music industry professionals. Both get a fantastic and unique service whatever their needs. Record labels and independent artists can rely on RiffSpot to distribute their forthcoming releases to music industry professionals that have an influence within their music genre. Each professional on the books is vetted to ensure they’re able to provide significant exposure for each release. Also you can supply your own list of music industry contacts to RiffSpot and these contacts will also receive the promo allowing you to track your efforts from one single place. Once professionals have received your promo, they will preview and rate your music prior to downloading it. This means that you gain access to insightful
feedback in real time, allowing you to visualise the reception of each track.
RiffSpot’s second target audience of music industry professionals includes individuals such as club and radio DJs, A&R, bloggers, journalists and reviewers. Tastemakers can register with RiffSpot for FREE. With the added advantage, unlike other services, that promos are offered in both 320Kbps MP3 format and CD Quality WAV format, professionals can be assured they are getting the highest quality downloads. All downloads are supplied with information sheets, cover artwork and are correctly tagged ready to be used straight away.
The best thing about RiffSpot is that for record labels and independent artists, it eliminates the enormous cost of conventional promo distribution. Whilst you would normally have to spend money on CD manufacturing, mailing and the staff to organise it; the entire process is shifted to the internet for a fraction of the cost! Also, for all of your releases, RiffSpot will use digital watermarking technology to encode every single download with a unique tracking code. This is done to protect your content and allows you to be safe in the knowledge that if your track gets shared illegally, you will be able to gather the evidence necessary to make a legal prosecution.
As a special launch offer, RiffSpot are offering record labels and independent artists who register their interest at http://www.riffspot.co.uk before the 1st November, 1 month’s free trial of the service! They also still have space on their books for more tastemakers so remember all club and radio DJs, A&R, bloggers, journalists and reviewers, you can sign up for free at http://mip.riffspot.co.uk
For more information on any or the services offered by RiffSpot contact info@riffSpot.co.uk
Aug262009
Getting to the top in this industry is all about getting yourself heard and by using the technology of the internet this is now even easier than ever before. I thought I would share with you below some of my favourite and most effective free ways of getting yourself heard on the ‘net in a shameless self-promotion roundup of some of the better sites out there. All of these web sites are free to join.
Facebook
Get yourself a Facebook account if you havent already done so. This will open up two worlds to you. You can create yourself your own self promotion Facebook Group and invite people to join, plus you can also set up your own Fan Page to allow members to become your fan. Both these options you can use to send out updates, mixes and information about forthcoming gigs.
facebook.com
The DJ List
If you sign up to be a member at the DJ list, you can get yourself listed into the worlds largest DJ directory for free. It is a place that will host your DJ biography and some pictures, but the real beauty of this site is it allows you to get your fan base voting for you to allow you to climb up the DJ rankings.
thedjlist.com
iTunes
Getting your mixes listed in iTunes is not as difficult as you might think. All you need is your mix hosted on a website somewhere and an iTunes account. iTunes is installed on millions of computers and mobile devices around the world and therefore having your mixes listed will help you to reach a global audience. For help and advice on how to do this, check out my post on getting listed in the iTunes directory.
itunes.com
MySpace
I am not a massive fan of MySpace but I do feel it has its place in this list. After all, it does have millions of members plus it launched the careers of artists such as Lilly Allen and Calvin Harris. MySpace gives you the freedom to create your own personal space on the internet, connect with friends and famous people and do pretty much anything you want. It’s a well recognised platform in the industry and one that should not be ignored.
myspace.com
Orkut
If you have yourself a Google email address or Google account then you can sign in and use the services of Orkut. Its a bit like Facebook but without the faff. You can find people with simmilar inerests on there, join communities and use the site like an open networking tool to spread the word of yourself and your talents.
orkut.com
Upcoming
Upcoming is a service run by Yahoo that can best be described as a social calendar. When you have a number of DJ bookings that you want to promote and spread the word, you can list up your DJ dates on Upcoming. This will give you an RSS feed of events that your fans can subscribe to and keep up to date with where you are playing and when. You can also find other like minded individuals and “friend & follow” them much you would with other social web sites. A good way to promote your DJ gigs.
upcoming.yahoo.com
LinkedIn
This social network is a little bit like a business version of Facebook. You get to keep in touch with loads of business contacts and is really good for networking. If you come across a promoter or a fellow DJ that you think you would like to work with in future you can’t go wrong by adding them to your LinkedIn network profile.
linkedin.com
Podomatic
Producing a regular podcast that is available for download is a great way to promote yourself as a DJ. It gives people an example of what they can expect when they come to book you for an event plus you can attract a large following of fans if you podcast on a regular basis. Podomatic takes the headache out of all the technical stuff and gives you a space on the web where you can publish your podcast for free. The paid for version gives you a bit more space but the free version is definitely worth a look.
podomatic.com
Twitter
I grow to love Twitter more and more each day. A lot of people (myself included) failed to see the point of Twitter on their first use. But I feel it is an essential networking weapon that you should have in your self promotion toolbox. You get to find out what people are doing right now in real time and you get to share what you are up to as well. It probably doesn’t sound that impressive right now but if you give it a couple of weeks you will start to understand what it is all about. There are currently thoughts that Twitter is looking to rival Google so this is one online bandwagon you don’t want to miss out on.
twitter.com
Wordpress
Getting yourself an online blog is a great online self promotion tool because of its flexibility. If you have a lot to say for yourself you can keep a blog updated with news, comments, forthcoming gigs and interesting things. If you have nothing to say you can just keep it updated with fresh mixes on a regular basis. A blog gives you the ability to receive feedback on what you do by allowing visitors to comment on the things you do and say plus you will find it opens yourself up to the whole blogging comunity where you can find like-minded people out there who also do what you do - it’s a great networking tool. There are many different blogging tools out there but my favourite is Wordpress. You can get a free Wordpress blog by going to wordpress.com or you can build your own custom blog at wordpress.org
Soonnight
Soonnight is a fairly new online dance community and magazine website dedicated to clubbing. They have loads of great information about events and parties happening around the UK. You can add a profile, pitcures, videos and list events you are/have attending/attended.
uk.soonnight.com
Dontstayin
Dontstayin (DSI) is simmilar to Soonnight but it has been around for a lot longer. DSI recently had a much needed re-design and now everything on the site is a lot easier to do. Again, you can add pics and videos, acknowledge your attendence to events but you can also start discussion threads and interact a lot more with other clubbers/punters. DSI is a great platform for getting to know the people who actually go to the events rather than the DJs who play there. From my own experience I feel DSI tends to lean towards the hard house/trance side of music but they do cover a wide range of music styles and tastes overall.
dontstayin.com
Youtube
Who hasn’t heard of Youtube? Ok, so you all know what it does. Get yourself some footage of yourself DJing and upload it to Youtube for the world to see. Make sure you use music that you have permission to use. If you don’t you might find your video gets pulled down. When you upload a Youtube video you have the opportuniy to add “tags”. Do not overlook this as tags are what lets other users find your video. Make sure you add about ten short descriptive words that are relevant to your video. Choosing the right tags will boost your views and in turn boost your exposure. Youtube also provides code for you to embed the video into your MySpace page or even your Wordpress blog. Also don’t forget you can link easily to your page by sending people to www.youtube.com/[username] for example: www.youtube.com/djpaulvelocity
Muzu
This is a bit of a weird one to describe as Muzu is kind of a mixture of a lot of the other websites mentioned before. Primarily it is used for adding videos much the same way as Youtube. You can add a profile, images and events just like Soonnight and DSI, plus you can modify and manage your profile a bit like MySpace. It describes itself as a new Music TV site where you can watch create and share music video playlists along with behind the scene footage, interviews and documentaries. You can favourite videos you like to create a playlist and in effect create your own personal TV channel of all the stuff you like. But upload a couple of videos of yourself in the mix and get spreading your sound to the masses.
muzu.tv
UkFunkyHouse
Ok, so this site might be quite genre-specific, but I really love the way this website is put together. Someone has really thought about it as all the controls and buttons are in the right places and stuff just makes sense. This is a website dedicated to the UK Funky House scene where you can drop in your RSS feeds, latest gig dates, event and profile pictures and so on. It’s just a really nice niche self-promotion web site and I really like it - I think the future of online self promotion lies in this niche genre-specific style of website. I expect other genres not only of house but Trance and Drum & Bass to follow suit very soon.
ukfunkyhouse.com
This is just a brief summary of some of the online self promotion DJ tools that I use. If there are any others out there that you use, please add them to the comments below along with a couple of words about how they have helped you.
Jun172009
This is just a quick post as I do not know how long this speical discount code will be valid for, but I have managed to find a special link that will give you a total of 10% off your final shopping basket when you order your tunes through djdownload.com.
This is great news for me as these guys give a fast friendly service, and their catalogue is stuffed full of the latest freshest tracks. In fact djdownload.com is where I get a good chunk of my records from each week.
So follow the link below and stuff your bag with as many tracks as you can handle to take advantage of the 10% discount offer.
10% Off At DJDownload
