Contents:

1)Going Indie
2)Simple,affordable promotional tools...
3)Online promotion (special web site)
4)Moderator/Author's message

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1) Going Indie

The independent scene is growing to a much larger
scale these days. Rightly so, especially when the
artist can gain more for their efforts. With corporate
greed out there, some artists are dropping their major
labels to go back to their independent labels. I think
thats great, I believe artists should have that
control and compensation for their work. Though, I
know it is challenging to do business and be an artist
at the same time. It can be a mistake to mix the two,
taking away the time to focus on the art. Once
established, I recommend delegating the work by hiring
a good manager to handle the marketing, touring, and
other responsibilities. So you [the artist] should not
have to waste creative energy. Going independent is a
challenging decision, but with greater
advantages/opportunities abound. Anyone who starts a
business are known to have greater satisfaction in
life; provided it's planned and managed smartly.
However you do it, keep strong and love what you do.
To find out more about independent music try visiting:
http://www.afim.org
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Buy and Sell

Buy and sell music equipment online through E bay or
pay anyone with an email address; visit for info:
http://www.paypal.com/refer/pal=VWN7ABLN4KQPU

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2) Simple, affordable promotional tools for the new
independent artist.

The new independent artist has to start somewhere,
that is, getting noticed. There are an abundance of
tools for promoting and this article is intended to
describe the least expensive sources. You have a small
business now and it's going to need exposure in order
for it to grow.
The number one form of promotion is networking,
talking to anyone and everyone you think could have an
interest in your style of music. Make an effort to
talk to at least a dozen of people a day (to start)
increase as you become more comfortable. This is the
cheapest tool you have to your advantage; the only
obstacle you have would be to make sure they remember
you. The obvious answer to this would be to go to the
nearest stationary/print shop that offers a discount
printing service. For about $30 you should be able to
get a box of one thousand black and white business
cards with all of your business info including your
web site information legibly printed. As one of the
most indispensable tools make it a goal to empty a box
once a month.
The Internet is a powerful tool that can be
incorporated into your marketing plan to get your
sound out there. (as you will find in the following
article about a recommended web site) Building your
own web site can be done for free if your on a tight
budget. For example at Yahoo.com's Geocities you have
free web site building tools. Here you can build a
temporary , presentable web site that can link people
to MP3/WAVE samples of your music. On your web page
you can include images, tour dates, and contact
information; an instant store front! This is an
excellent option until you can afford to build a more
professional site using your more memorable
(www.yourbandname.com) web address.
[ Warning: If you want sole ownership of a
(www.yourbandname.com) URL address I strongly
recommend registering it as soon as possible! ]
Now if you have a capable computer another online tool
for marketing your music is email. This will have a
personalized effect to bring people to your sound
which can be very effective. You have your web site
completed, with links to your sound, now you can send
the message to millions of people in one click! I
don't mean to go and spam a million unsolicited
people. There are specialized mailing lists you can
buy from; where each and every person has opted-in to
accept info for specific subjects. You will need to
start by downloading or buying an email mailing
program. This program will sort all of the addresses
you buy and send one or more messages in one click!
Regular, personal email systems are limited,
ultimately unable to handle mass e-mailing. Shop
around for the email opt-in lists, some are certainly
better than others, and pick a category that best
suits your product. When typing your email message, be
very thoughtful about it. This message can make you or
break you, so get a second and third opinion on your
draft before you email it to a million people. These
are all very powerful tools to market your art and the
least expensive. Look out for future articles on
marketing your independent label.
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CD's & Books
Find music books and CD's for great prices at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/theaudiobox-20

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3) Online promotion

So you are an artist, you know you have talent, your
friends, family and co-workers are fans. You even have
a few demos recorded. Now how do you get your sound
out there? Surfing the web I found a site that is
definitely worth the mention; designed to promote your
independent music. http://www.sonicawareness.com
This web site was easy to join, and navigate with
plenty of information. The site is for artists and
listeners only, no promotion of agents or management
companies allowed. The artist(s) post their work; the
public is free to listen, vote, and make comments. Any
genre can join, and a great place to get started if
you are an artist. As an audience you will have plenty
to listen to, I hope you have lots of time!
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4) Moderators/Author's message

Welcome to The Audiobox, issue #1.! I thank you for
taking the time to read this issue, with hope these
opening articles have been useful and informative. I
realize the growth of this e zine will only be had
through continued readership interest. Therefore, I
welcome your comments and suggestions towards making
this a more useful and informative read; just send me
an email "Re: e zine". I believe music is a voice for
the soul ; and when the soul wants to speak, it can
speak through music it's love, truths, experiences,
and confusions. With this appreciation my intention
for this e zine and its associated group is to
promote, inspire, and educate new and seasoned artists
(any genre) including the listening public.
Furthermore, a place for everyone to interact and make
contacts. Once again thank you and welcome.

John Edwards
audiobox2003@...





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