How To Create Value For other Bands,Promote Them And Get A Cut Of The Profits

By Mark Grove

Really smart bands out there are going the DIY way. Meaning Do It Yourself. With the advent of the Internet it’s been even easier to get your “stuff” online. But most can’t drive the traffic they need to generate any sales or interest. Going the major label route or even using an independent label is more risky than doing it yourself.

You’re probably thinking, that’s bullshit Mark! Why should I take all the risk when someone else can do it for me. Yeah, that may well be. But they usually end up taking half the profits and ask that you give their producers points on projects. Does that make logical sense guys and gals?

Any band with a lot of drive and determination will do it the DIY way. That’s the only way your band should be going. I talk about doing it yourself and you should be. You can set up a Myspace or Word press blog for free and start plugging your band’s Mp3’s for free at first with questions for fans to answer.

Have band interviews done by other band members. Have a lot of how to stuff for other musicians and even get some rabid fans with a lot of drive to interview your band. Even set up a press conference at your gigs. Forget mainstream media. Remember what I said about mainstream media. Basically, Fuck them!

Look at college Radio and college papers and magazines. Part of that can be creating value for other bands by doing interviews with them and putting them on your blog. Now, Going back to College Media. They can create the kind of stir and the real fans of music that really understand your music, and chances are they'll be rabid fans who buy your CDS and go to your gigs. That is better than main street media.
But the concentration should be helping your band and helping other bands as well. In two other articles that can really help your band help others is starting an A&R consultancy service for bands, and your own online label.  If you don’t know what A&R is, it's bands send you their CD’s for a critique and what they need to do to tighten up the work or edit certain areas of their recordings. These bands are hoping to get a deal as well. Interview the bands who are good enough and put their MP3’s on your blog.

This can lead to producing and selling that band’s CD’s at their gigs. Interview these bands there by creating even more value for other bands. Besides selling CD’s at gigs, offer free MP3’s on your site and theirs. The majority of sales should be off-stage at gigs. Don't try to make sales on line. Doesn't work for the most part. If your band and other bands sell enough CD’s, start online affiliate programs where you get a cut of their sales. This helps both bands. Forget trying to sell CDs online. That doesn't work in a lot of cases. Focus on playing gigs, joint ventures with other bands and selling CDs at gigs as well.

Forget selling rock band merch as well. Keep your money in your pocket. But if you want to still get in on the independent label deals, offer to work with them selling their CD's. Offer to write articles for their musicians and do promotions for their bands. But ask for a cut of the profits of the bands you work with. At least 5 to 10 percent. This way your hand is in their cookie jar without having to do a deal with them that has your band lose 50% of their income. They might have a modern studio with Pro tools or top of the line recording equipment.

By offering them free services like writing, and promo of their bands can get you more than you think, and eventually a cut of their band’s profits, not your band. Like I said do it your way. This is the only way a band should go. This takes time and can be done by you and your band guys.


Email me with your questions on this subject, or want your band interviewed in a DIY way.

mdgrove@rock.com





















email me for more info at: mdgrove@rock.com