How to get permission?
Your questions are valued. Email me at andrae.palmer@gmail.com, to get your questions answered.
Your questions are valued. Email me at andrae.palmer@gmail.com, to get your questions answered.
A cover song is when an artist sings over another artist’s original song. In the early days of music, in particular, reggae music, a number of the artists sang covers. One such person is Sanchez. He transformed popular songs from R&B, Souls, and did those songs on reggae beats, and he made the song his own.
An easy promotional strategy is to sing covers that are from artists whose fan base is similar to yours.
eg: you’re an R&B singer, you have picks from the likes of Chris Brown, Rhinna, etc. As A POP artist, your picks may be from the top 10 Billboard charts. This would normally be done in the early phase of your career, to build your fanbase.
For a deejay or singjay, you can mix it up, for example, using the hooks of popular songs and doing a completely new verse to showcase your lyrical skills
The next phase of the process, You’d have then published your cover on youtube, and so when persons are searching for these originals eg. Steven Marley and Pitbull ” Options” they’ll find your version in the mix.
The spin-off is that persons may check out other singles you have posted as well.
You may choose to do a pristine production of the cover, or simply do a lyric video or a live acoustic performance.
Cover songs can be used to find new fans online. Use this as a means to get your name out to the public. You may release the cover while working on your originals, as this is just a way to ease into the market.
Covers are an effective way of introducing yourself to new audiences. This may be a way to funnel persons to your youtube, and other social media pages, where they can update themselves and get familiar with your work. Existing fans may also better appreciate your music as a result too.
Doing a cover though does not mean that you will do the song back in the original form. instead, transform the song in a way that makes it uniquely yours. eg.Sanchez is known to go all out productions and performances of covers, which, in turn, leaves you thinking it’s his original.
When you find the cover you want to to do, check out the top 10 or 100 Billboard charts. Get the lyrics and chords for the song. You can get someone to play it for you, and you record the video of your live performances or an all-out production.
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How often should you release music |
Can be used to book shows
You have finished the recording and mixing process for your new song now what? Here are four things you can do now to promote your music.
Conclusion
At the end of getting your song recorded, mixed, and mastered by your producer and engineer, you have the final product, and you need to promote the song.
One of the best ways is to get the music to DJs. You will first need to collect info for all DJs you have listed as targets, eg. email address, phone, etc.
The norm for persons is to put all the email addresses together, attach the song as an mp3 with the artwork, and then do a blast, with the title” New Music” by < Title Song>.
When you send promos it is better to take a few things into consideration.
eg: DJs may not want you to attach the song as an mp3. It may clog their email inbox. Sometimes when the inbox is full, and you send an email, it may bounce. At times you don’t get a response from DJs, this may just be one reason.
Another consideration may be to know whether a DJ has received and read the email sent. How would you be able to know this? Probably, you may listen in on every show, where you have mailed the DJ, to hear whether your song is played.
Chances are, you may contact the persons individually to confirm this as well. Quite a timely process, and ineffective.
There’s an easier way to know who has read your email or downloaded your music. One answer is Email Marketing Software. Your email view will look more organized.
The setup offers the option for a Logo display of your label, or of you as the artist. Basic info about your song, a press -release, or A Bio can be done.
You can attach links for the DJs to download or listen to your music before deciding on downloading it. The system will allow you to know who has played your music, and you will then be able to decide, who best to send your work, based on the responses.
One type of Email Marketing Software is Mailchimp. it allows you 2000 emails there about when you sign up for free.
When you sign up, emails sent are tracked, and you are able to tell who did or who didn’t open your email. Also, who downloaded the music.
This system proves far more effective, when you know who directly to send these emails to. So marketing and promoting new songs is easier for you.
If You use your regular email, You will put the name of one DJ in the ‘ To’ section then the other DJs at the ‘BCC’ section.
BCC is Blind Carbon Copy.
Each DJ will get the message without anyone else knowing who else has received it. The drawback is that you won’t know who opened the email, or who downloaded the music. Note too.
Sending an external link is helpful, as sometimes the DJs may want additional info within the package, such as the song instrumental, and the artwork.
eg. A DJ may want to mix the instrumental while transitioning the song, and so on.
The Standard is to send the package as a zip file, not attached to the email. External services may come into play. eg: Dropbox, Mediafire, mega.nz, box.com.
These services will allow you to track the number of persons that have downloaded the files. This is to help you effectively target the process.
The most effective of ways to send promotional emails is using an Email Marketing Service. Additionally, you should include as part of your package, A small press release, the inspiration behind the song, and other related info that are useful to share with the DJs.
Do Covers
After you have recorded your song, have it mixed and mastered the next thing you will need to do is have your music in places for them to buy it. So how do you do that when you live outside the USA or don’t have a distributor? I look to answer that question in today’s post.
Routenote