Fly High DIY

DIY Artist Branding. Public Relations. Social Media. Music and Artist News. Help Yourself! (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-48375656-1', 'tumblr.com'); ga('send', 'pageview');

[flyhighdiy]

A full music video is not the only route to take when looking to make visuals for your music. Promos are a great way to give a quick snapshot about you, your music and your vision. They are cheaper and they do not need to be unbelievably professional. You can use them for a song, shows, a new album, a new project or a tour!  

The above video is from Spec Kay, a New Jersey rap and hip-hop artist. His album "XXIII" came out this past September and this is a promo video he made for it. Part of his song "Dreams" is used in this video. 

You can check out his Soundcloud here:

soundcloud.com/spec-kay

[flyhighdiy]

Happy "Happy Day" Everyone!

Today is not only the first day of spring but it is also the United Nation Foundation's International Happy Day! So be happy, happy, happy!

And if you pay any attention to popular music the word happy is not just an emotion but an enthusiastic and fun song by Pharrell. It has become one of the most popular songs in the country and now it is being used to help promote today's celebration.

All music artists need to whip out a pen and some paper and take some notes from Pharrell. This song was written and produced by himself, it was used for the Despicable Me 2 movie soundtrack (nominated for a Grammy), it is his lead single from his new album G I R L and now it is being used to promote International Happy Day by iHeartRadio starting to play "Happy" for 13 days on loop! 

http://mashable.com/2014/03/18/iheartradio-pharrell-happy/ 

Pharrell knows how to brand himself and his music. When you work in this industry you must look at every aspect of how you can promote and utilize your work. Pharrell is big on turning to Instagram for promoting "Happy" and his new album and it works too! Never forget to use your social media outlets! Be creative and don't ever forget to engage! 

  And of course if you haven't seen the "Happy" music video check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM

[flyhighdiy]

SXSW Networking

In light of the awesome festival SXSW, I wanted to remind all music artists that it is not just about the ones playing the shows, but it can also be about you! SXSW is a great place to network yourself and your music. It is a festival that attracts all different aspects of the music industry to attend. This includes bloggers, music streaming services, music technology businesses, and etc. There are some many people to reach out to and network with. SXSW is such a fun event and it can also be helpful to you too! 

Here is an article by indie rapper Kosha Dillz who gives his advice on spending your time at SXSW wisely:

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2014/03/10-reminders-for-sxsw-before-you-enter-the-abyss.html

[flyhighdiy]

Hey Everyone! My university's Pop Music Program students are having an awesome showcase! This is a great opportunity for the students to perform and show off their musical talents! I have already personally seen some of them perform and they are fantastic! If you are a William Paterson University student please attend and show your support!

Also, always remember to take part in activities like this when you are a musician just starting out. Not only can you impress people with your music skills but it presents a networking opportunity! You never know who is watching!   

[flyhighdiy]

Help Yourself by Using Kickstarter!

Kickstarter is a website in which you can try to raise money for a project or campaign. Many artists use this site to raise money for studio time, making an album or even going on tour. You can use it to help with all different projects. The reason it is so helpful is because the people that go to the site are really interested in investing or donating to you. As long as you are passionate, organized and have a goal to achieve then others will help! 

Read this article on great steps to take for kick starting your Kickstarter!

http://mashable.com/2012/05/13/kickstarter-tips/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link 

[flyhighdiy]

Help Yourself to Some Tips!

Follow this cool guy on Twitter:

Also, check out these ten great tips for twitter: 

http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2014/03/10/ten-tips-for-getting-the-message-out-on-twitter/#_

And read this awesome tip from yours truly:

Make your Twitter easily accessible. If you have a website, business cards or you post promotional flyers always make sure you include your Twitter information on it. Make sure people can connect to it through other social sites you are own. The easier fans can connect, the easier you gain followers and the ability to engage!

[flyhighdiy]

The Irish rockers, the RB superstar and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman play their Oscar-nominated songs at the Academy Awards

Amazing Oscar performances! Hope you all watched! Music is such a huge aspect in making a movie. It helps bring emotion and truly makes the movie come to life. As musicians it is so important to realize that the film industry is another area for you to work in. Not only can you write songs for a movie and earn money but if you have already written a song and it is going to be used in a movie you can earn money from Synch Rights. So learn about all your options in the film industry because it can really pay off! 

Maybe one day you will be winning an Oscar for your song!

[flyhighdiy]

Isn't it Obvious?

Don’t be stubborn! I know a lot of us don’t want to be on the social media bandwagon but I promise it is great for you as an artist. A dose of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is just what you need for your artist complexion! All music artists need to be on these social sites because of the unlimited engagement and interaction. This communication outlet provides the perfect way for a music artist to create fan engagement. It is also an essential way to get the word out about any new music, projects, shows, etc. that you are working on. 

Hey, it can be fun too! The best way to get attention and receive feed back is by being creative and expressing yourself! 

So hop on the bandwagon! Start making your social media profiles now! 

Tips for starting out:

1. Have a fun and intriguing photo. Grab their interest with your profile picture. Love at first sight!

2.  Who you follow on sites like Twitter and Instagram does matter. Make sure when you start to follow people, follow those who interest you and can potentially communicate and create content with.

3. When you start posting BE CREATIVE! Don’t just push information! Start engaging with your fans and followers. It’ll make them feel important! Ask them things like what they think about a new song or post about news and events going on music and pop culture.  

The most important thing to remember is: ENGAGE! ENGAGE! ENGAGE! (Oh, and have fun with it!)

[flyhighdiy]

Welcome All Music Artists!

I am so glad you dropped by!

I am also so excited to provide a DIY artist branding blog for all you aspiring musicians! As we all know the music industry is tough to break into so it’s up to you to work hard and create your own path to success. Luckily, there are so many opportunities and outlets for artists to take and utilize. Social media is a huge part of DIY artist branding and it can be a ton of fun to use too. There are so many cool and interesting things for us to cover!

So let me tell you a bit about myself. I am currently a college senior majoring in Media Studies, minoring in Public Relations and I also take music business courses. I am pretty involved with both communication and music programs at my university. I love working with people in these programs to create new ideas and learn more about how we can all succeed and do what we love. 

I have also done an internship for Life or Death PR & Management where I did many things from artist research to blogging. It was an amazing experience where I got to work on different aspects of PR, press, and social media for artists ranging from Frank Ocean to King Krule. My schooling and my internship experience has encouraged my passion for music and helping musicians chase their dreams. 

I hope this blog is insightful and helpful. I want to be able to provide as much information on artist branding as I can. So please stay tuned and help me help you!