Artist Management help with your Press Kit

Have professional black and white photos taken. Two 8" x 10" glossy photos, one head shot and one with instrument if applicable.

A one to two page Bio that includes the following:

- Articulate your music goals and aspirations

- Define your genre and know your influences

- Be able to state how you are different from other musicians in your genre and how you might stand out. What is different about your style? If you are not different, what is your plan to become unique?

- Ideally list the names of musicians that you want to tour/collaborate with

- Background information, e.g. where you've lived, universities you've attended, specialized music training, etc.

- What your key music accomplishments have been. Include newspaper articles, reviews, trade press, any positive press, radio performances, songwriting contest placement, awards earned, famous talent that you have met or have relationships with, written personal endorsements.

- Do you have a complete three-song demo, EP or FP CD. Any CD release parties?

- List any key positions in the music industry, e.g. music associations you are affiliated with, any board member positions you may hold, on any song judging panels, etc.

- Detail your recording experiences, i.e. where you recorded, your role, and what you accomplished.

- How many CDs or songs you have sold to the public or publishing companies

- Do you own the publishing rights to your songs, how many songs have you written, how many songs you've recorded, do you record your own material, how big is your song catalog, can you perform for four hours without repeating material?

- Are you part of any open mic organizations and what is your role?

Notes

Join SonicBids so that you can create an electronic press kit.

Have you joined any performing rights organizations, e.g. BMI, ASCAP, SESAC?

Have you joined The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (Grammys), The Nashville Songwriters Association International, The Baltimore Songwriters Association, Washington Area Music Association, Songwriters Association of Washington, Just Plain Folks, Folk Alliance, TAXI?

Have you created a website presence? Do you have streamable songs on your site? Do

Do you have an email newsletter and a mass distribution list set up for announcements?

List show cases, house concerts, venues, and bands that you've performed with including when and how often. List upcoming performances and keep this information current. Join Musi-Cal to update your gig information.

Be able to identify and quantify the number of loyal fans

If you have a barcode (UPC) number on your CD, have you contacted SoundScan Corporation (914.684.5500) to transfer the barcode number from the organization you got the UPC number from, to your name? This is a way to get credit for sales if/when a record label wants to know how many CDs you've sold.

Submit your songs to international/national songwriting contests to build opportunities with A&R Executives and it also looks great in your press kit and on your website if you place in these contests

Enter well known showcases often

Complete a three demo CD with label and nice graphics if incomplete

Complete a short video biography to pitch to TV stations, magazines and showcases (seven minutes)

Do you have playbill posters printed and distributed for your performances?

Ask for written personal endorsements and post them to your website and add your Bio too

Develop a career plan first, then develop a strategy to obtain goals. Create a doable day-to-day task list or tactics that will be used to realize goals. You will need a lot of self-discipline. Review often for results. Your initial goals must be realistic and workable so focus is achievable. Build a foundation of small successes in order to build confidence and contacts for bigger goals. Use timelines for visual affect.

Remember, the music industry is looking for talented, intelligent, persistent, and creative people that are willing to give their all plus more. You have to work extremely hard and that still may not be enough. A&R Executives and record labels want music that appeals to the mass record buying public, that has a unique voice or a distinct sound: something that isn't on the market. Material must be commercial - record labels are in the business only to make money. Record companies want assurance that they'll be dealing with an artist who is articulate, poised, presentable, and capable of being before the public in a variety of contexts. This includes press interviews, TV, radio appearances, and music videos. You have to figure out how to demonstrate these qualities in your press kit, to separate yourself from the competition - and there's a lot of competition!

Relationships, networking, preparation, follow through, persistence, determination, realism, flexibility, and lots of LUCK are key in the music business.

Are you doing business as a sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or joint venture?

Have you signed any contracts with anyone regarding your music career?

Do you own a registered "service mark" for your name? The Commissioner of Patents website will have a downloadable form for you.

Is your music copyrighted and registered. Do this today!

Are you approaching local newspapers, trade publications, music associations and asking for interviews?

Know the difference between "great exposure" as opposed to charity when playing for free

We all have strengths and areas that need improvement. Know each of these areas and develop a plan to improve on both your strengths and areas of needed improvement.

Understand what type of personality you are. Do personality mapping, e.g. Amiable, Expressive, Driver, Analytical.. also determine if you are predominantly left or right brained. Learn how to identify people so that interaction is more fluent.

Understand that show business is the "no" business. Expect to hear a "no" and work toward a "yes"

Subscribe to Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines to follow industry trends and to obtain professional management contact information.

Your personal goal should be to attract the attention of a great manager. S/he will have the record label contacts that you need to succeed. They are the gate keepers to your career!

There is usually more money in songwriting and selling those rights to music publishers

Start making contacts with regional record labels

Enter contests - The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, The Nashville Songwriters Association International Contest, The International Songwriting Competition, The Great American Song Contest, The USA Songwriting Contest, I Write The Songs Contest, The Songwriters Association of Washington Contest, Just Plain Folks Contest, The Washington Area Music Association Contest

Thank you for the opportunity to provide our services!

Peace and best wishes,

Michael Zampi
Owner / Engineer of The Note Factory