Going on reality TV shows such as Pop Idol and X Factor has been a big things recently. There is no shortage of people lining up to audition for these shows, with ques often going around the corner.

But how useful would one of these shows be for you, a serious musician? Well, that depends really.

The thing is, these shows can make or break you. Each one of these shows generates millions of viewers, all waiting to see the biggest talent rise to the top. As well as that however, they’re also ready to see the biggest joke acts the world has to offer!

This can be a potential downfall for some people. Unless you know you 100% know you have a talent that will stand up to the judge’s criticism, then I suggest you don’t go on one of these shows. If you come on and your singing is less then great, they’ll let you know about it. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it was just you and the judges (It’s always handy to know what level you’re currently at), but with thousands or millions of other people watching? You could become the joke of your town.

Should You Aim To Win The X Factor Or American Idol?

Another thing you need to think of is what your aim is for going on one of these programs. Do you plan on winning this show and taking the record deal they give you? Or do you plan on using the show for exposure then go off and have your own career? While winning one of these reality pop star shows sounds like a good idea, some times becoming the runner up could be better for you. A lot of these winners have a Christmas hit and a couple of singles after, then fade away. They’re then replaced next time the next version of the show is on.

In the book How To Win The X Factor, they actually say you don’t have to win the show in order to benefit. It’s often all about the exposure, and even getting in the top 5 could mean a lucrative music career for you. It’s all about how you use your time in the spotlight, and capitalising on that exposure to build up your fan base.

Will These Reality Shows Decrease Your Music’s Credibility?

So, will being on one of these shows reduce the credibility of the music you make? Well, that depends on the type of music you make. If it’s always been your aim to make pop music and you do it at a good level, then this type of show is perfect for you. You are in fact doing the best thing you can: Gaining a large targeted audience fast.

If however you make a more niche type of music that isn’t so mainstream, you could in fact be shooting yourself in the foot. Because you don’t make mainstream pop music, you may not be what the show’s judges are looking for as a singer. In other words you won’t go through. If people in your niche and your fans see that you tried and failed to do well on the X Factor, they could lose a lot of respect for you and questions how dedicated you are to their scene.

Conclusion, Should You Go On Music Reality Shows Such As American Idol Or X Factor?

Well, it really is down to you. If you feel that it fits into your overall music career aims, then go for it! You should only apply if you truly believe you are capable of being one of the top 20 singers, and people have given you honest feedback and also say the same. If you’re still brushing up your skills or don’t do pop music, then maybe this isn’t right for you.

These shows can generate you thousands of fans overnight, but they can also make you look less then credible. Choose wisely before you decide to go on one of these reality TV music shows, but if you do good luck.

In this article we look at how to get on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify And Napster. You can get music on iTunes and other top mp3 websites using Songcast, a music distributor that is free to sign up to. Once you have uploaded your songs and added the details, they do all the leg work for you. They make it an effortless process, and once your music is approved it will become live on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, Napster, and any other digital download shop you selected.

Why Would You Want To Get On iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify And Napster?

There are a few reasons you would want to get on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and the others using Songcast:

• Instant Credibility.
  A lot of people still view getting your music on iTunes as a big achievement, and something only musicians of a certain level do. If you then get your music on not only iTunes, but also Amazon MP3, Spotify and Napster among others, there will be people that will be impressed with that. This will mean you’re perceived as a bigger musician, and a lot of people will be more likely to take notice.
• Reach A Wider Audience.
  As you will be leveraging Apple’s website traffic, you will be getting exposure to an audience you wouldn’t have had before. The more eyes you get in front of, the better.
• Make It Easy For People.
  As a lot of people already use iTunes with their iPod, iPad or iPhone, many people are familiar with how to use iTunes. If you give people access to your music in a way they are comfortable using, the likelihood that they will download it increases.

While you should still sell your music on your own websites, also selling them on the other big websites can only do good for your music career. Just make sure you promote your release enough to raise awareness of where to buy your songs.

How To Sell Music On iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify And Napster

The things with iTunes and Spotify, is they don’t allow you to contact them directly to sell your music on these music websites. Think of how many people there are in the music business, they would be busy sorting out more requests then they could handle. Because of this, iTunes and Napster only deal with established companies such as Songcast who submit songs for inclusion on your behalf. This helps weed out the non serious musicians, and allows the people who are willing to invest in their music career a form of exposure.

In order to get music on Amazon MP3 and Spotify, you first need to sign up for a free Songcast account. From there, you will be able to upload your music, select which websites you want to sell your music on, and submit it to those websites. The approval process can take a few weeks for some shops, so make sure your upload your music quite a while before you’re due to release your songs.

Once your music has been approved, you will be notified and your music will be sold on Napster, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3, and any of the other music stores you selected. That is how you get on iTunes.

Can You Get Your Music On iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify And Napster For Free?

So, is it possible for you to get your music on iTunes for free? Well, no. It is not possible to sell your music on iTunes for free. If you want to get your music the exposure it deserves, you’ll have to invest in your music career. It doesn’t cost much to get your music on these big digital download shops, but it can give you a good amount of exposure and credibility.

It is free to sign up to a Songcast account. By doing this you can have a look around, and see how you’ll be getting your music on iTunes and Amazon MP3. But once you’re ready to get your music online to sell, you will have to spend money to get your music distributed. It’s just part of the music business.

In business, you need to invest money to make money. If you don’t feel you’ll be able to sell enough units to cover costs, then there’s no point trying to sell your music on iTunes in the first place. Even if you don’t recoup the money back via direct sales, if you use the fact that you’re music’s available to buy on iTunes in your promotions, you could gain additional fans that will end up spending money on your in other ways.

It’s not possible to get your music on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster or Spotify for free, but it is cheap. You can go to the Songcast website to see the price.

How To Get On iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify And Napster Conclusion

If you want to get added exposure and increase your credibility, you will need to get your music on the established music websites. In the music business, the way people perceive you is all important. If you have your music on iTunes and Amazon, a lot of people will automatically see you as a credible musicians.

Songcast is the best way to get on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify, Napster and the rest, so give it a try.

When it comes to adding content on your music or band website, a lot of musicians get it wrong. They either don’t update their website for long periods at a time, or they update it daily with non relevant information. Neither of these strategies work very well, as they don’t give the fan enough of what they really want: You!

So what should you include on your music blog or website? Well, below are some ideas…

Breaking News Related To Your Music

As fans and visitors to your website, people will generally want to know what the latest news is with you. Even small (Music related) facts can go down well, so be sure to let people know. This may be something small like you’ve changed the order of the songs on your next CD, or something bigger like you’ve got interest from a well known record label. Whatever the news is, let it be told. This will make your website appear more busy, and will encourage repeat visits.

Discussion Bait

As a musician, you ideally want fans to be interactive with your blog. While some people will naturally get involved and comment on your posts, sometimes it takes more of a push before people start getting active on your site.

A good idea is to ask people questions directly, or give them a reason to reply to your posts. For example, you may want to ask them which outfit you should wear to your next gig. In this case, you will of course need to also add pictures up with the costume choices. Another thing you could ask is which song you should release as your next single, or what they would like to hear you sing / rap about.

Competitions are also a good way of getting people to be interactive, but we’ll talk more about that later.

Studio Sessions

If you have just been to the studio, why not let people know that? You can tell them what you were recording for, and maybe even put up a clip of the song. Alternatively, if you have a video recording of the studio session, you may want to put that up instead.

If you decide to put up audio or video of the song you just recorded, be sure to make sure the clip isn’t too long. You want it long enough to excite people about it’s release, but not so long that people don’t feel the need to get it when it comes out. Around 30 – 40 seconds is usually enough, although this will depend on the length of your tune.

Up And Coming Gigs

If you have a gig that’s coming up soon, you may want to talk about it on your website in a blog post. Go further then just having up your tour dates in the sidebar, let people know where you’ll be next and why they should come down and see you.

A good idea is to set challenges for your fans. You can tell them that anyone who comes to the gig with one of your T Shirts (Or a white T Shirt with your name written on it) will get a free copy of your new CD. Or the first person who manages to sing your song back to you will get free entry to your next gig. This will give people more of a reason to go, not just because they want the prizes, but also because people like to interact and feel like they’re part of something.

How Gigs Went

Once you have actually finished the gig, why not let people know how it went? This can excite people if you make it sound enjoyable, and make them want to come to any future gigs you’re playing near them.

If you brought your own recording equipment along to the gig, you can put up videos of your live performance. On top of that, you can record back stage footage and maybe even interview other artists. While you can put some of this footage up on your website, why not hold some back and offer it as a bonus for fans that help you in some way (E.G. Facebook like your page, sign up to your mailing list, or even buy your music). You may even want to release your own DVD in future, so some of this footage can be used for that.

Competitions

While they shouldn’t be overused (This will devalue them), competitions are something you should definitely try and include in your music blog. Everyone likes to get something for nothing, so giving them this opportunity will increase participation on your site.

It’s always best to run a competition where both you and the fan benefit. So for example, you can get people to sign up to your mailing list, and three people will be chosen at random to receive a full version of your new song. Alternatively, you can get people to Tweet a message about you or Facebook like your page, and a random person will be chosen to get free tickets to your next gig.

It’s a good idea to run a monthly competition. This will get people into the routine of entering them regularly, and will help you increase you fan base at the same time.

Lyrics

Fans love to be able to sing along to their favourite songs, so why not make it easy for them? If you post up the lyrics of some of your songs, there will be a lot of people who appreciate it. These type of pages get shared around as well, so will build more backlinks to your website. This will increase your rankings in the search engines, and in turn bring in more traffic.

What Topics To Cover On Your Music Website Conclusion

If you want fans of your music to keep visiting your blog, you need to keep it interesting for them. That means adding new content at LEAST once a week, and making that content interesting. You may want to hold surveys with your fans, and ask them what they want to actually see you write about.

Music blogs can be one of your greatest forms of promotion, so make sure you add top quality content.

As a musician, there are a few pages that your music website should have. While there are obvious ones such as a ‘audio’ page and a ‘contact’ page, there are some other less used pages that are essential for a successful music website. In this article we will look at what those pages are, and why they should be used.

About

An about page is pretty standard on any type of website. This is the page that people new to your website will often visit, and where they would go to find out more about who you are. As a musician, this should be where people can read up on your story and what you’re all about.

A good about page for a musician should include a few things:

• Your Story. People will want to know a bit about you and your past. If you can sell them a good story, people are more likely to be able to relate to or admire you. I suggest you keep your story 100% truthful, but mainly focus on the parts that people will be most interested in.
• A Picture. A picture or two on your about page will really help set the tone of things. As the saying goes “A picture speaks a thousand words”. This will help your site visitors get a better feel for your vibe.
• Links To Other Pages. Once people have gone through your about page, they will want to move onto other sections of your website. Make this as easy for them as possible by including links to songs, a link to your shop, or any other areas of your site you want people to focus on.

Shop

This is a page many people tend to leave out. The majority of musicians with websites do include a link to a place people can buy their music, but it is often on third party websites such as iTunes or Amazon MP3. While it is beneficial to have your songs on these third party websites (Which can easily be done by signing up to a free Songcast account), having your own shop page adds to your credibility. It also means you won’t have to share any profits you make.

While there are plugins you can use to sell your music on your own website, my favourite method of doing this is by using E-Junkie. E-Junkie is a website that allow you to add an advanced shopping cart to your site and sell digital downloads through it. This means that if someone goes on your site and chooses to download your music, they are brought to a secure page where they can pay for the song. Once the payment is made, the song is automatically sent to them via an expirable link. You can choose the expiry setting (E.G. How many days or how many downloads till the link expires), so even if someone does share the link around, it will soon stop working once your settings are reached. This ensures that any sharing is minimised.

Having your own shop page is essential for any serious musicians. It allows you to keep everything on-site, and minimises the distractions that come from sending your fans to third party sites E.G. Adverts for other people’s music.

Squeeze Page

A squeeze page is a page on your website which you use to collect people’s email addresses. Collecting people’s email addresses is essential as a musician, as this will build up an army of people you can contact whenever you need to. Great for advertising a new release…

Squeeze pages usually have minimum distractions, and is focused on ‘squeezing’ as many email addresses out of as many people as possible. You can then use these email addresses to inform people about your new releases and any big news.

It is recommended that you offer an incentive for people to sign up to your mailing list, as if you don’t give them a strong reason to do so, they usually won’t. Offering a free song for example will help you get a lot more email addresses then if you didn’t offer anything.

You can read more about building a mailing list for musicians here.

Media

Having a page on your website where people can hear your audio and videos is very important. It is pretty common practice to have both audio and your music videos on a page, but if you have a lot to share, you may want to put them on separate pages.

On an audio page, you will of course want your audio. You may choose to have full songs, or you may choose to have samples of some of your songs, it really is up to you. You shouldn’t have too many of your songs downloadable for free on there however, you should instead direct people to your shop page if they like what they hear and want to hear more.

On your video page your will have videos on your live performances, your music videos, and generally any other videos of yours that you feel is relevant and people will want to see. Be sure to stick to only adding videos that have you in them. While at times you may get the urge to put someone else’s cool video on your page, remember that this is your music business website and not a free for all blog. If you want to share other people’s material, do that via your personal Facebook page.

Gallery

Being a musicians is more then having good music, people want the whole experience. Pictures have always gone hand in hand with promoting a music, as people want to be able to put a face to their favourite musicians. Therefore, having a gallery is pretty standard in the music industry.

While you don’t have to have a huge gallery, I’d recommend you put at least a few pictures of yourself or your band up. This can help people more easily grasp what you’re about, and help them feel more involved in your music career. And the more involved they feel, the more likely they are to buy into you.

Contact

The contact page, a standard page for most websites. Some musicians are hesitant to put contact pages up on their website. While it’s not a problem if you’re not very well known, as you get more popular, more people will get in contact with you. If it gets to the point where you’re reaching a lot of random emails every day, this can be very off putting for a lot of people. It takes a lot of time to reply to all these emails, and without trying to sound cold, sometimes it isn’t worth the effort.

So if this is the case, why am I suggesting you include a contact page on your site? There are two main reasons for this:

1. To make you appear reachable, and,
2. To hear from people that can help you in some way.

I know some people do actually like getting a lot of emails and replying to them all personally. While I feel there is often better ways you can use your time (Recording songs, writing lyrics, getting shows, giving songs to DJs etc), if you want to reply to all your messages then do so. If you haven’t got the time, I’d advise you to put a short note above your contact form. Something like:

“While I read all the mail you send me, I do receive a lot of emails every day. Although I try to reply to as many of your messages as possible, it would be impossible for me to reply to them all. This does not mean I don’t appreciate your messages. Thank you for understanding”.

This will not turn people off messaging you if it’s important, but if you don’t reply to a message then you have given them prior warning.

Remember, people could contact you with business opportunities through your contact form. Because of this, it is worth keeping one up.

6 Pages All Band Website Should Have Conclusion

If you’re going to run your own music website, it’s best to do it right. Some of the pages on this list are pages people have come to expect from musicians. Because of this, if you give them any less, you are likely to leave your potential fans with questions. Other pages on this list are pages that not everyone uses, but will add great benefit to your site.

If you have a music website for you or your band, be sure to include these pages for the greatest chance of success.