Music - Being a DJ for Beginners

Being a DJ may seem like an easy career path for many people. The fact of the matter is there is an endless stream of would be DJ’s who are just as into the music scene as you and me. The only way to get ahead in this game is to be hard working, self-promoting and flexibility is an essential!

Any music is good!

Under no circumstances must you turn down any opportunity to play any music to a crowd. This is very important for a couple of reasons. Lots of beginners will refuse point blank to play a different genre to the type of music they are used to. This is a big mistake. Playing any type of music to any crowd is a huge confidence builder. You may mess up now and again but, hey, everyone makes mistakes. At least you will be gaining experience and learning, even if it is to a pub full of drunks on a Friday night. The point being, every little bit of experience is good experience, the more confidence you can build, the less likely you are to make mistakes.

Flexibility

Remember my comments in the first paragraph? “…flexibility is a must!”…This isn’t a reference to your aerobic skills. I am of course talking about your musical abilities. Sticking to one type of genre is all very well for the Tiestos of this world but in the early days of your DJ career you may not be able to pick and choose. Play whatever you think will pay the bills until you become established; everybody has to earn a living.

Learn to use different equipment. There is new music technology becoming available all the time, learn to use it, hire it in if you can’t afford to buy it as long as you can have a go. It’s extremely important that you stay up to date with the latest technology or you will get left behind.

Promoting your music

It will take hard work and lots of determination. Self-promotion is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for most ‘bedroom DJs’. This is just as important, if not more so, than the music itself. It doesn’t matter how well you play your music, if you cant promote yourself, you may as well smash your decks up now! Self-promotion is easier than ever. There is a whole host of web sites offering free uploads, free downloads, free this and free that. Submit to them all, and get your own site up and running. You would be surprised how easy it is. If you’ve read this far I’m guessing you don’t mind reading to learn, so get reading. Contrary to popular belief, building a web site isn’t hard. It doesn’t have to be flashy, just a few pictures of you, maybe gig pictures. You could have information about your preferred music genre. Getting people to visit the site is the hard part. But if you have submitted all your mixes/music to the free sites then you should have links referring visitors to your site. This might sound like a method likely to fail. Earlier this year (2005) The Arctic Monkeys had a number 1 single in the UK using this method of promotion….As well as offline gigs of course!

Money matters

DJs are surprisingly well paid. Because you are working for yourself, the fact of the matter is you wont always be busy. The trick is to be sensible. Save a little money to cover the times when there is no work on, this way it wont seem so bad when there is nothing coming in. Treat it as a normal career; you want to develop yourself as well as your prospects. Eventually you could own an agency or something. Set yourself goals to keep yourself motivated. And always keep things legal.

As a DJ you are classed as being self-employed. As with anybody who is self employed your tax is your responsibility. You will get stung if you don’t sort it out. Again, a little reading maybe needed if you are going to sort your own tax out. A quick search in any search engine will reveal lots and lots and lots of sites regarding tax issues so I’m not going to go into it here. An easier approach is to hire an accountant if you can afford it. They are surprisingly cheap and if you shop around a bargain can usually be found.

Reality of the modern DJ

The harsh reality is that 90% will never make it to the level they dream of. Weather you are a producer or DJ it takes a lot of hard work and determination to succeed in this industry and many people just aren’t up to it.

You have to be able to take the knock backs and accept that you are going to get rejected now and again and hopefully with a lot of hard work and a little luck you will be able to live your dream of working within the music industry.

YouTube: How To Utilize It As An Effective Marketing Tool by Sue ...

YouTube is one of the most visited internet websites today and is a huge warehouse of videos. Used by regular people, businesses, organisations, governments and regular media, YouTube has become the video-sharing website of choice everywhere, letting users from almost anywhere both watch and upload videos to share with the world.

These videos include movie clips, series’ fragments, music videos and live shows on the part of professional content providers. The film and TV corporations realised the potential and reach of this video platform and started to make their content available through it (via special partnerships) for anyone to watch.

But the true appeal of YouTube is that it also allows any web amateur to upload any kind of short, original video.

In order to do so, the only thing required on the side of the user is to create an account (or use your existing Google account if you have one) and you can start uploading videos to YouTube immediately. Once you create your account, you will have a profile page known as "Channel". YouTube channels are very used and promoted around the web, especially among media enthusiasts and video-bloggers.

In your YouTube channel, people have access to all the videos you have uploaded. There they can also rate them, comment on them and even respond to your videos with other videos (this is called "Video Response").

Now, one of the reasons so many people around the globe have adopted YouTube as their main video-sharing website is because of its simplicity and its compatibility with a wide variety of video formats. Thus, for any YouTube user to upload a video, all that is needed are a couple of clicks.

Utilize YouTube as an Effective Marketing Tool

With this in mind, many large and small business owners have started using YouTube as a marketing tool to promote their products and services. This is definitely a smart move, but one that has to be made with a lot more consideration than you might think. That is, if you really want to make an impact no matter if you are just a regular user or a small business owner.

Concentrate on the Look and Feel

The first thing to consider is a quite obvious one: Look and feel. Since hundreds or even thousands of Internet users will view your YouTube channel, you will want to convey a certain image to them.

This is achieved by personalising your YouTube channel or profile page with background images, a slogan and even your company’s logo (if you or your company have one). This is especially important if you are a business owner, since a professional-looking website and an amateurish-looking YouTube page will send mixed signals to your potential customers.

Promote videos on personal Websites

After your YouTube channel has been taken care of, make sure to promote your personal website or business through your videos. This is accomplished by embedding links in your videos so they will be viewable to anyone who watches them.

Integrate with Social Networking Platforms

Another greatly overlooked aspect of the potential of YouTube as a promoting platform is its seamless integration with other social networking sites. This can turn your social network followers into YouTube subscribers and vice versa. By embedding your videos on your social website profile of choice, you will start a two-way marketing momentum that will definitely bring more exposure to your personal web or business.

Quality of Content Uploaded

If you really want to leverage the vast amount of potential viewers/customers though, you need to deliver quality content in your videos, making them different and appealing. Keep in mind though, that even though almost anything out of the ordinary will do for regular users, only quality tips, timely information and product tutorials and demonstrations will be of use for business owners.

Involve Users in Your Videos

Another unusual, although effective method even big-name companies are using nowadays to generate interest, is to leave aside the professionally made videos and take a more personal approach. They show real people (sometimes in the very company’s locations) showcasing products, and offering tips and advice. This elicits a natural response from viewers, who may feel immediately involved with the company and the brand.

As we have seen above, YouTube can be a lot of things to many people - a simple and enjoyable way to share videos with your friends or with the world, another broadcasting option for known media companies, or a powerful visual tool for entrepreneurs and small business owners. No matter how you see it, YouTube is no doubt one of the most important agents responsible for shaping Internet culture the way we know it nowadays.

And in doing so, it has not only helped people and companies around the world to spread their different content, it has also provided regular users and small business owners a platform where they can compete on equal ground along with the once unreachable brand names, and if anything, very few things symbolise the true nature of the Internet than that.

Press Kit Strategies for Singers

The main goal in creating a press kit is to generate interest in an artist and the music they play. A press kit includes background information, photos, samples of music, a listing of past and future gigs you have scheduled, and any other pertinent information.


A press kit is used as a way of introducing and artist to newspapers, the media, promoters, and music industry leaders. You can create a press kit that is mailed to the appropriate recipients and it is a good idea to have an electronic form of your press kit that can be emailed and posted on web sites.


Things to include in your press kit:
 

Offer a limited a mount of information about yourself, your band, and your style of music. Don't give the reader more information than they want. If your introduction is too lengthy, you will lose the interest of your intended audience.


Talk about your music, the way in which you perform your songs, your sound, and who your influences are. You will want to give a good idea of what you may sound like in these descriptions. Do not be afraid to interject a little humor into your descriptions. You will get someone's attention during the very first minute they open your press kit. If you do not captivate them immediately, they will lose interest.


Describe the things that make you special in comparison to everyone else. What are your skills and experience level? Why would a record promoter or executive gain by giving you a chance to record and market your music? Record companies spend a great deal of money in promoting new artists. You will want to make it clear why you would be a good investment.


Include press clippings and quotes as they become available. A remark made about you by a reputable person will go a long way in making your press kit credible. This will let the reader know that you have been recognized as a talent to be reckoned with and could possibly create extra momentum for you while you are trying to launch your career. Whether you are in need of a singer, musician, or actor press kit, recognition from others is a great tool in promoting yourself.


You really only need one page of your press kit to be devoted to a biography and one page that includes quotes and press clippings. This rule stands even in an online portfolio. By keeping each topic on a simple page, you are much more likely to hold the interest of the person who receives your press kit. Make sure the tone of your band press kit is in line with who you are as a person and the type of music you perform.


A sample of your music in the form of a high quality CD or clips that can be heard in an electronic press kit are critical. Make certain you label the CD with your name and contact information. If someone loves your music but has misplaced the rest of your press kit, you will want this information to readily available to them.


Be careful not to overdo the self-promotion. You should be positive and state your ambitions, but shameless self-promotion will make you look unprofessional and less than credible. Also avoid including too much personal information. No one cares (yet) about your first pet, your grades in elementary school, or your personal phobias. Keep the focus on your music and your accomplishments. You want to be sure you do not look desperate for work, even if you really are.


Include a personal cover letter to whomever you send your press kit to, and try to avoid sending your musician press kit unsolicited. It is always better to have a referral from a friend or associate of the person you wish to see your material.
Pitbull

Promote Your Music Online -- Leading 5 Methods - ArticleCube

The best ways to promote your music or even land a contract deal nowadays is by using the potency of the net. Actually plenty of flourishing musicians, singers and also artists promote their music online just to get observed, develop a group of followers and of course, land on a list deal which is probably the ultimate objective with singers and also musicians.

If you wish to begin to promote your music online, there are plenty of ways to do it. Still it is important that you prepare yourself. Keep in mind that even if you are beginning on the internet or even in your small methods, it is important that you must believe in yourself. Avoid just thinking about what you are able to provide; instead, think about what document labels are searching for and also think about what will make you get a good group of followers, even on the web.

Listed here are five suggestions that you may want to start with if you wish to promote your music online.

1. Build up your image and make sure that you do have a complete package which is marketable. You may want to check out your style, ensure that it is different from what exactly is already within the music market. Keep in mind that fans and also document labels are generally not searching for somebody who can perform like the already-famous singers but they are frequently looking for somebody which has something distinctive to offer and also somebody who can actually one-up those people who are already within the music market. With this in mind, make sure that you not only have the actual talent, you also have a marketable image.

2. Make a website. One important thing that you can start with is to have your own personal website that will permit you to present yourself to people on the internet. Place everything you need to market in your website -- your music, your gigs, your style with music. Promote your website as well. This is the initial step in getting a great web group of followers.

3. Go to YouTube, Facebook or MySpace as well as other social networking sites and also make use of them in your favor. YouTube as well as other websites which offer movies are very great avenues to post your demo movies. Naturally, even if you are creating a home movie, make certain it is also visible, of good quality and something that may also differentiate itself from all of those other people who are also trying to pitch their songs on the internet.

4. Discover music directories on which to publish your movies or your website. If you wish to promote your music online and finally obtain a recording contract or even make contact with document producers, then go to music directories to become discovered. The nearer you might be to the people within the music market, the greater are the chance for being discovered.

5. Easily sell your Compact disks on the internet. You can find websites on the internet that allows indie musicians and also artists to promote their music online. If you wish to make money also on the internet, then this can be quite a good start. However, it helps a lot to develop a group of followers and also present your self initial for the on the internet populace if you wish to create a great selling and also exposure of the music as well.

Artist Song Demos - How To Break Through And Sell Your Songs! by ...

As writers, it’s often difficult to be objective about writing and any aspect related to writing and creating the demos that are used to shop songs. As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I can tell you that with all of the vast array of talent and gifted writers, only a few make it to the inner circle. There are various reasons for this, but none that come close to what we will spend the remaining time in this article talking about. Many a hopeful writer and artist walked through the doors of William Morris only to find that the magic they thought they had come upon, vanished in a moments notice. Why is that? Why do some get the writers and artist deals with virtually no writing innovation, while others, with up in your face talent, not getting the due recognition and artist album cuts so richly deserved? Let’s spend a few minutes together talking through a few basic concepts to hopefully get you moving in the right direction.

As founder of ReelMusician.com, it is and has always been my goal to see rising talent succeed and make it to the top. We strive to always remain approachable, authoritative with music industry resources and information and provide relevant services such as creating master quality song demos for rising song writers, top notch jingle demos for singers trying to break into singing commercials and effective press kit writing for artists trying to establish their careers. We are already in that mode of how to help singers and writers break through, which is the foundation to why we exist and with all of that in mind, I want to share with you some ideas that will help you get your career jump-started.

Always remember that content is king. You can’t very easily take a story without a decent plot and try to pitch it. Same thing holds true for your writing and career. One of the problems today, is that many would be artists and writers clutter the playing field by utilizing technological advances and use their friends computer, keyboard and mic to record music and think they have a chance. And because music equipment and software has become so affordable, many who would not ordinarily approach the idea of writing or becoming an artist now feel that they have to have their chance at stardom.

 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside [Official Music Video]

The Best Workout Songs

music is essential to working out: anything that distracts you from the burn in your legs or that cramp in your side surely benefits your inner gym rat. Only music – without having to concentrate like you do watching television or reading a book - has the rare ability to make working out seem a little less like work. However , some music is better to take to the gym than others.

Take the story of my sister, for instance. When she got her Ipod she was determined to fill it up with fist pumping, leg running workout music. Instead, she made an error and realized, once she arrived at 24 hour fitness, that the only song she had programmed was by Bette Midler. For some reason, she just didn’t seem to really strain and sweat to the powerhouse song that is “The Rose. ”

This brings me to my point, some songs belong in the gym and some songs, such as “The Rose” belong as far away from anything physical as possible (Dear Bette Mrs. Midler, please don’t kick my butt for saying so , even though I know you could).

The following is our list of the best work out songs, songs that are sure to help you get up and run, get up and bike, get up and go, or get up and row.

Eye of the Tiger: Yes, you all saw this coming. “Eye of the Tiger” is the epitome of a good workout song, one that can make you try just a bit harder without even realizing it. Released in 1982, this song has become the anthem of sports teams and organizations everywhere. It is also routinely played in gyms and athletic training areas. Putting it on your Ipod will make Rocky proud.

St . Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion): A song that is perhaps best known as being the theme of the similarly titled 1985 film “St. Elmo’s Fire” was originally written for Rick Hansen, a wheelchair bound Canadian athlete touring around the world to raise spinal cord injury awareness. Performed by John Parr and adapted for film, “St. Elmo’s Fire” became an instant hit, earning a Grammy nomination along the way.

Under Pressure: Who knew David Bowie and Queen would make such a nice combo? “Under Pressure, ” released in 1981, climbed the charts in several countries. Remembered for its baseline (no you youngsters, that wasn’t written by Vanilla Ice), “Under Pressure” is the epitome of a great pop song. It’s also one you can identify with as you work out, feeling that you are under pressure to run one more mile or lift one more weight.

Almost Anything by Van Halen: One of the Patriarchs of Hard Rock, Van Halen routinely releases songs that are sure to help you bust a move. A band with a sound like no other, each Van Halen song is uniquely livening. Try listening to “Jump” as you workout with a speed rope. You might be surprised the difference it makes.

You Shook Me All Night Long: Arguably AC/DC’s greatest hit, “You Shook me All Night Long” is regarded as one of the best songs of its decade. Released in 1980 and still great today, “You Shook Me All Night Long” is impossible to listen to without feeling a little more pumped…and ready to shake a little something yourself.

Jason Mraz - I Won\'t Give Up [Official Music Video]

The Best MP3 Tag Editor - Tuneup Your Music Collection

The TuneUp

There are programs out there that help with fixing your tags so they feature the correct information. One of the more complete programs is TuneUp due to its interface with iTunes as well as the extras that come with it, which allows users to have an experience similar to the one they would have if they had all of the album artwork and liner notes. It is one of those rare add-ons that truly enhances the iTunes experience.

For starters, TuneUp will automatically fill your iTunes ID3 tags by actively "listening" to the music through the individual acoustics of each song. From there, TuneUp matches its database of over 90 million songs to distinguish the exact artist and album. Of course , the exact artist and album may not be in the database. TuneUp gives users the option of declining what the database finds if the match is incorrect.

Cover art tends to be an issue, even with iTunes. Often times, such prolific artists like Bob Dylan have mislabeled album covers on iTunes due to there being special sets on iTunes that do not match up with the original artwork. TuneUp looks through its database of album covers and gives the user various options to match up with the respective album.

TuneUp goes further than just the basic tagging by providing links to extra content by the artist. Whether it be an artist bio or links to music videos, TuneUp brings an experience similar to what enhanced CD's would bring in the late 90's. Often , purchasing MP3's is a cold business, leaving some of the warmth and artistry that music was known for behind. This make an attempt to bridge that gap and it succeeds in allowing the user to learn a bit more about the people behind the music. There is also an option to find similar or related artists for those who wish to branch out in their listening habits.

Perhaps the best feature on the TuneUp program is the concert option, which brings live, personalized updates on local concerts featuring your favorite artists. All concerts feature links to StubHub and give a better picture of when bands are playing, something that often gets lost in the shuffle before too late.

Whether it be manually or through a program like TuneUp, fixing your tags on iTunes can be frustrating, yet ultimately can lead to a better iTunes experience.

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters [Official Music Video]