Creative Uses with Your Music Money - Part 2

As I mentioned in my prior blog, be creative with your money. Invest in the right things to build your music business and those right investments will reward you!

In addition to the first 6 tips I gave you, here are 7 more tips on being creative with your music money:

7. Take advantage of FREE advertising. Network on all the free social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, ReverbNation, Ilike, TheSingersRoom, etc. Google social networking sites to find new ones, which are popping up every day.


8. Get your own website! Though you can advertise on the various social networking sites for free, I would highly recommend that you get your own websites. Getting your own website means you can design it however you like. You won't be restricted as you are on other sites. You can advertise your music to your heart's content. Fans of your music will know where to go to find you. You can post pictures, do blogs, put up videos, get email addresses, get detailed information about your sites' traffic so you can see who your music is appealing to, etc. Besides, you can always post links on your MySpace page and Facebook page, for example on your website. Plus, websites are only $7 a year!


9. Ways to get your music out: In my last blog, I mentioned burning CDs or using jump drives as 2 means to get your music out. You can also email your music. It is free and practical. Say an A & R person wants a sample of your music, you can simply send that person a email with your songs on it without waiting to send it through the mail. Plus you have proof you sent it. Most DJs will tell you that they prefer that you email them your music.



10. Buy business cards. Be smart with your money and buy them in bulk. But make sure that your business cards are quality! I can't tell you the number of business cards that I've seen that are in such poor quality. And whether you believe it or not, your business card is a representation of you. If your business card looks cheap, then people won't take you OR your music seriously! Plus you want your business card to be sturdy enough to withstand being in someone else's pocket or purse. Does it mean you have to spend a lot of money on cards? No, you can go to vistaprint.com to get some free business cards online.

11. Build a relationship with a graphic artist, refer business to that graphic artist, and negotiate your price to get a unique brand, logo, etc.

12. Invest in attending and/or participating in music conferences, seminars and showcases. But be smart with your money, first purchase the Truth Book about Record Pools & Music Conferences, Talent Shows, and Open Mics from JaWar and read JaWar's blogs at http://atlantashowcase.blogspot.com/ and http://mymusicconnection.blogspot.com/ on how to effectively attend a music conference so that you won't waste your money and time at one of those events. To get the book, click here to view more details

13. Invest in video equipment, which serves to visually promote your music. You can now buy a 30G hard drive camcorder for under $400! And in most cases that camera also comes with other functions such as an Mp3 player, a camera, a voice recorder, etc. Google camcorders to see which ones best fit your budget.

14. Invest in a team - an attorney, manager, and/or consultant who will all assist in you in not making costly mistakes related to trademarks, copyrights, establishing your business, negotiating your publishing contracts, signing contracts and deals (especially with the new "360 deal" being offered to artists). While hiring a family member or friend as a manager may be cheaper, make sure that person has the skills to go with you to EVERY level of your success. Monica, Usher, and some other famous people made the right decision in hiring a family member but that family member has shown demonstrated success in making that celebrity successful.