Why You Should Go Pro

The biggest frustration that can happen for an up and coming artist is to not be able to afford or get access to all the necessities they need to branch out. How do I make sure my song is quality music? Where do I get the equipment to make my music video? What if I can’t afford the equipment?

These are just some of the questions running through the head of an independent artist. It’s like college all over again. You go through this process with a goal to be successful and you end up defeating the purpose by paying your way through it and finishing with nothing. You win some, you lose some.

Well good thing, Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media is here to help. From music production to promotions and marketing, you can start your brand from scratch and receive the publicity it deserves. At Pro Music Records, we provide the assistance to market your brand. Our dedicated team of professionals can customize your promotional package and create you a music video representing your style. Check out our YouTube page for some of our work and video inspiration at https://www.youtube.com/user/proentertainmenttv.

Also make sure to drop by at our marketing page to educate yourself on the steps on how to promote your brand! Start your transition as an up and coming artist here: http://www.promusicrecords.com/marketing.html.

Your Band as Your Business: Promotion Tools

Independent musicians often tend to think they can do it all, but the reality is that everyone needs help. Running a band like a business requires tools and outsourcing. Not only is it necessary to be a great musician who plays great music, but you’ll also need to promote yourself. This can be done in a number of ways, but an important one is building and nurturing relationships with fans. 

                   

Turning strangers into fans is your main goal. You can also achieve this through your social media profiles by interacting with followers. Those fans are the ones that are going to spread your music like wildfire and attend your shows with their friends. Commenting on their content is going to keep them interested in your work. You can also use these platforms to build excitement and momentum before releasing your singles and videos.

But, in order to be successful, you have to be in it for the long haul. Daily work of promoting, booking, designing posters and mercy, selling, and touring is all part of the game. To keep progressing, you need to leave time to write your music, of course. Setting up a promotions and marketing plan is going to allow you to focus on what you do: music. Pro Music Records can set you up with a Project Manager to keep your social media up and running by posting new content and attracting more fans. A website, blog and merchandise shop can also be set up so people have even more ways to find your music. Allotting some of your budget now to maintaining these crucial aspects of running your business will guarantee you success for years to come.

How a Music Video Can Make Your Career

If you haven't seen this music video for "Big Booty" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Iggy Azalea, you need to press play asap. This video is at 33 million plus hits and counting, and it only came out 5 days ago. Now not all the feedback is positive, but people are watching regardless. There's a lot artists can learn from a video release like this one.

First of all, the ad at the beginning of the video is making J. Lo and her record label tons of money, but ads only come once you're bringing in enough traffic. In other words, popularity can go a long way even if not all the responses to your content are positive (let the haters hate). That being said, however, you should absolutely strive to create relevant, engaging and high-quality videos. 

Though music videos aren't necessarily played on network television like MTV anymore, that doesn't mean you can't leverage them to help boost your career. They can definitely make money on sites like YouTube and anywhere else they're promoted, but more importantly they keep your fans interested in your work. Releasing content, from a full performance or narrative video to behind the scenes recording your new album, is just another way for you to reach out to fans. These videos can then be promoted on your social media sites, which gives them the possibility of going viral and you the possibility of becoming the next #1 artist. 

New Rules for Making Music in the Digital Age

1. Put it in perspective. The number of YouTube hits you have on any one video can communicate more than the number of sales that were made. For example, a video that has 50 million views may only have sold 50,000 units. Though this number may seem low, today’s industry actually deems it a success.

2. It’s what you can do for others. If you can prove that you will bring ticket sales and a line out the door, promoters, agents and club owners are far more likely to book you. Record labels will want to sign you if you already have an audience they can sell to. 

3. Money will most likely come later. Real success doesn’t happen overnight and you’ll need to grow your audience little by little. The longer it takes for you build your fan base, the more likely you’ll have a long-lasting career instead of being a one-hit wonder.

4. Create music regularly. With so much music available on the internet, fans have a shorter attention span than ever. Keep them excited about your music by putting out songs, even if they’re just acoustic covers or lyric videos, to stay at the forefront of their minds. 

5. Cultivate an organic audience. Friends and family are great for spreading the word about your career, but they don’t count as real fans. Finding an audience that loves your music without even knowing how great you are as a person will result in a loyal fan base.

Money Solutions to Streaming: Licensing & Publishing Deals

It’s pretty clear that sites like Spotify and Pandora aren’t paying out big bucks for all artists, so small to mid-level musicians need to start being craftier. Though streaming can be beneficial for growing a fan base, there has to be a better way to make money than half a penny per play. Fans streaming your music can hopefully lead to purchases and increased sales, but these sales are harder and harder to come by in an age of digital music. Then again, artists have always had to look to other sources of revenue such as merchandise and tours...

However frustrating it may be, streaming and piracy aren’t going anywhere. It’s time to start embracing alternatives to generating income by looking to diversifying streams of income. Licensing companies and publishing deals are becoming more and more popular. These resources help artists get their music placed on TV shows, in movies and commercials. 

The solution? Adopt new ways of spreading your music and becoming successful. The technologies that are available to us today to build relationships with fans on social media and other sites are a great place to start. And, with the option of submitting music to a licensing or publishing company, monetary success can become a very tangible option.

Pro Music Records can set you up with either an exclusive publishing deal or simply submit your music to as many music libraries as your budget allows. The greater the number of submissions, the better your chances at landing a placement and making thousands of dollars through entertainment media. Please visit us online at www.promusicrecords.com to find out more about our licensing opportunities and take your music career to a new level! 

Millenials & Music: Building a Loyal Fan Base

We’ve all heard the term “millennial,” which basically refers to the generation of young adults in our world. This demographic, which makes up 2/3 of any music artist’s fan base, has different expectations, spending and consumption behaviors than others. Recognizing how building brand loyalty among this sector can greatly contribute to making you a successful working artist. 

Millennials love music and are interacting with artists in different ways than previous generations. When reaching this group with music, it can be simple and easy with the many available avenues on the internet. Social media efficiently reaches the widest audiences, sharing your music on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. 

Listening and online interaction data can help marketing teams decide who to target with your music. Identifying who is watching your videos based on comments or likes or can help you accumulate even more fans. Given the wealth of information accessible to us through social data, understanding the audience you are trying to reach with your music is key to a profitable campaign. 

It can be tricky to know how to use the numbers available, so hiring a marketing manager can be an efficient way to carry out your campaign. Here at Pro Music Records we use the data to hone your primary audience, which may very well be millennials, and promote your music specifically to them. This can help your fan base grow exponentially, the crucial aspect to generating revenue and popularity in the industry.

Music Artists as Entrepreneurs: Building Your Empire

Until recently, the only way to "make it" was to be picked by an A&R rep at a major record label, and even that didn’t guarantee success if the label dropped your record or cut your marketing budget. Today, your success is primarily up to you. You are your own CEO and your product is your music. Identifying multiple sources of revenue and having a team is the first step in thinking like an entrepreneur and forming your thriving business 

Develop Your Product & Identify an Audience

Think about exactly what it is you are making and how it is different from existing music. What genre do you mow identify with? Your personality and image are significant aspects of your business, too. Understanding how to develop your brand in the market is invaluable.

Next, find out who your customers or fans are. Use internet tools like Google Analytics, Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels to see who is listening, watching and commenting. Talking to fans after shows will allow you to figure out who your key demographic is. 

Get Your Music Out There

You'll need to get your product to the market as quickly as possible, so release small and often on easily accessible digital platforms. If you don’t have the money to release a full length album, start with distributing singles every few months or EP’s. Cover Songs for your YouTube channel can keep fans interested without forcing you to spend thousands of dollars. Another good method is releasing a song to social media and telling fans you’ll release the next once you get a certain number of comments or likes. Promotions are key to building your fan base. Most importantly, get feedback as soon as you can and adjust your business accordingly. 

Network

Take tips from outgoing and energetic entrepreneurs and don’t be afraid to talk about your music, your band, and what you are trying to achieve. When you play gigs, Introduce yourself to the other bands playing or the guys behind the scenes running lights or sound. You never know who you can meet and you may find a way to collaborate! In the music industry, your success will come from your connections.

Build a Team

Think about who you know who would be willing and able to work with you to develop your career. Hiring professionals, like those at Pro Music Records, to carry out your website, marketing, promotions, and submissions to labels or radio stations can ease your stress and keep you organized. Delegating tasks to your team can also give you more time to hone your craft and create more music. There’s a reason most successful businesses are more than one person! 

7 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your YouTube Channel

#1. First Impressions are Everything.

Make sure you have a great thumbnail photo for each video. It’s the first thing people will see when they search for you, so make sure it appealing. 

#2. Use Titles & Descriptions to Your Advantage

Your title is of course important for intriguing viewers, but it can also improve your search results. Good marketing can allow your video to reach the most viewers with keywords and tags.

#3. Remember that YouTube is Interactive

According to recent stats, YouTube is more popular than Facebook for certain age groups. Artists should be engaging with fans after posting a video to keep them interested and excited.

#4. Make Use of Call-To-Action Videos

A few quick videos can encourage your fans to take action. Ask people to buy your single on release day, go support another artist, or ask fans to come see you on tour. Videos can create opportunities!

#5. Advertise

Add websites, comments & purchase links to use your channel as a billboard for promotions. Direct fans to subscribe to your channel so you can keep them coming back for more and link to your other social media profiles.

#6. Hook Fans with Playlists

Instead of having a series of isolated videos, use a playlist to get your fans hooked. Start with your most recent and popular videos and then let them cycle through older material. Just make sure that all of your content represents your best self and brand.

#7. Timing is Key

If you’re busy promoting your music, you’re being featured on music blogs, your album just came out, or you have a song on a TV show, make sure you have relevant content on YouTube as well. Make sure you are uploading high-quality videos whether they’re music videos, lyric videos, or vlogs.

Ready to take your YouTube channel to the next level? Try out the tips above with Pro Music Records and Entertainment Media. We can create your high-caliber videos and then handle your promotions and marketing to ensure you reach the right audiences.

Brand Representation: Professional Photos & Headshots

Whether you're a musician, actor, dancer or model, image plays a key role in how people decide what to listen to and what to pass on to their friends. Your headshot is often the first impression fans and the press can get of you. That being said, your headshots, album covers, and social media photos are another way to help you communicate with the world. They need to support your music, website, tweets, emails, and songs to complete who you are as an artist and brand. A true, engaging snapshot can help portray your message and go a long way in attracting new fans and entertaining current ones. 

The first step? Hiring a professional. While more money doesn’t always translate into higher quality, investing something in your photos is crucial to generating revenue. You’ll make all your money back if you have the right image to captivate an audience!

Getting the right light to eliminate shadows and under-eye circles can be a lifesaver. Cloudy days make for more forgiving conditions and facing the light will place you in the spotlight. Artistic, vast landscapes as backdrops can also be great, but the focus ultimately needs to be on you as the star. 

Make sure the background of your photo matches your brand. For example, if your music is more folksy, look for something outdoors and vintage. If you’re a rocker, edgy streets and darker lighting can set the mood. Variety in both background and wardrobe can also be beneficial for having photos for different purposes while maintaining consistency in your brand.

Being comfortable (and happy) during a shoot is essential, so play around and don’t be afraid to try new things! Changing your focus or how you’re positioned (sitting, standing, etc.) can lead to awesome shots. And, once you pick your favorites, if something is off like the lighting or a stray hair, editing can fix all kinds of small details.

Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media has highly skilled photographers and all price levels to get you the photos you need. We work with your image and budget to find the right photographer, location and wardrobe for the perfect shot. Call 818.971.9301 for a custom quote or e-mail info@promusicrecords.com to set up a photoshoot today!

YouTube Fame: Still Very Real (And Very Relevant)

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Social Media is invaluable when launching your music career. The proof? A capella singer Peter Hollens has just been offered record deal after unleashing a series of other innovative covers via the internet. His YouTube channel has over 63 million views and features collaborations with other YouTube musicians. Now, Sony Music’s classical and crossover label called Sony Music Masterworks has signed Hollens, whose album will be released on October 28th. 

What we can learn from Hollens’s success is the importance of being visible, accessible and prominent on the internet. Your launching point? High quality videos. Using a good camera and editing can go a long way.

Additionally, the buzz that is created around your music can take you from unknown to #1 in just a matter of time (Vine star Shawn Mendes just hit #1 on iTunes in 37 minutes). Not only do you need to consistently be uploading new content to keep your fans engaged, but also communicating with them to build and maintain relationships. By being genuine and friendly, you can attract more and more people. That being said, you’ll want to watch and support other musicians or music blogs too. Spreading the love is an easy way to double your fan base.

Finally, tagging your videos with descriptive and specific key words will help you get found! Use words that are relevant to your content so viewers won’t be misled.

Having the tools to carry out these crucial steps can be the most challenging part of the process. Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media offers services for Video Production, Promotions and Marketing to produce and keep up with your social media presence. By taking advantage of Pro Music Records experts, you can rest assured that your fan base and video views will increase exponentially. We can even submit your music to record labels, radio stations, and other entertainment resources to further promote your music. Save time and money today by calling Pro Music Records at 818.971.9301 or e-mailing info@promusicrecords! 

The Importance of Understanding Web Analytics [For Musicians]

In today's world, any musician striving for success needs to have a basic understanding of technology. While your music should be mastered first, knowing the basics of website statistics can take your career to another level. Understanding who is visiting your website and listening to your music as well as how often, for how long, and from where, is key to honing your target market and accessing a potential fan base. 

Several sites offer web stats that show you what's happening. They can tell you how many unique visits there were to your site in addition to how many visits were made total. This then translates to your page views so you can see which pages are most or least popular. The average time spent on your site can represent how engaging your content is. The longer a visitor spends on your music page, the more they like what they hear. Or, if your videos page is lacking views, however, perhaps your videos need to be more interesting or of higher quality. 

Referrers explain where visitors came from, whether it was a link you posted on Facebook or a search result on Google. The better you recognize the origins of your site traffic, the better you can find more fans. Finally, search terms that fans use to search and then find your site are displayed so that you can optimize what keywords are included your content. 

Of course, the most important step in this entire process is creating a visually appealing, high-quality website to showcase your talent and work. Then, you'll need to make sure to market your music to a targeted fan base using web analytics. You'll want as much time as possible to perfect your music, so getting help from marketing experts and web design professionals will allow you to gain the online presence you need without compromising your time. 

Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media can design custom search-engine friendly websites the are complete with industry specific photos and functionality. Pro Music Records clients are also guaranteed to dominate the 1st page of all the major search engines given reasonable time, driving traffic to your site. Please visit us online at www.promusicrecords.com or call 818.971.9301 for a free quote today!

6 Steps to Releasing a Record with PMR

Navigating the music world can be challenging, but Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media can guide you through the process to releasing your next (or first!) album.

Step 1: Create a website! You'll want to showcase your best self through high-quality photos and videos so that people can know you're a legitimate artist.  

Step 2: Save Up! You'll have to spend money to make money. Setting aside a budget for marketing, promotions, merchandise and studio space can ensure you'll have a product that fully exemplifies your talent.

Step 3: Network Network Network. And wisely. People need to know you exist, but without being bombarded with information. That being said, not all people need to know. You'll want to connect with other artists or music professionals using social media (creating profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) and create relationships. People want to know you care about their work too, instead of feeling like they're just a means to an end in your career.

Step 4: Present your best work. Your single should be your absolute best song, but every track on your album should be "the best." Make sure each song is mixed and mastered to perfection because the higher the quality, the more likely you are to be looked at by top producers and labels. 

Step 5: Set a Release Date. Typically, if you’re releasing a single off an album, you'll want to share it anywhere between 2-4 weeks before the album comes out. Timing is everything! If it's too far in advance people will forget and if it's too close to the album date, no one will see it coming.

Step 6: Spread the word! Make sure your fans know about your upcoming music through your social media profiles, website, e-mail newsletters and any other music forums. Word-of-mouth marketing can spread like wildfire if you target the right people to start it!

At PMR, we can take care of all these steps for you, creating customized packages to suit all your marketing, promotion and distribution needs. Releasing your music can be scary and overwhelming, but we're here to help and make the process easier. Ultimately, your goal is to become a successful, working artist and we can get you there! Please visit us online at http://www.promusicrecords.com

How a Professional Music Video can Make an Artist: Creation & Promotion

We’ve all heard of it: the YouTube sensation who landed a huge record label because of a viral video. As ridiculous as it sounds, independent musicians putting up their music videos on YouTube and then becoming big time stars is more and more common in today’s world of digital media. And, with the release of MTV’s VMA nominations, it’s clear that interesting, unusual and well-made videos can do a lot for an artists career.

For example, Iggy Azalea, who is nominated for seven awards this year, released her video for “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX long after the song was released this past February. It took a month and half for the song to be recognized and debut on the Hot 100 chart, but this success can be greatly contributed to her music video, which went viral shortly after it was released on March 4th. The video now has 161.5 million views (and counting) and portrays the theme of the iconic movie “Clueless,”  which almost any listener in Iggy’s target audience can relate to. The Australian rapper is now one of the most talked about artists of the year.

A remarkable music video has the power to get an musician’s name out and be seen by the masses in a short period of time. It shows audiences who the artist is, how they perform, and how they want their craft to be portrayed. In addition to making a top-quality video, it is key to have a team that can promote your video to major labels, television networks, music blogs and potential fans. Without the right targeting, even the most professionally made videos can go unnoticed. That’s where we come in! Pro Music Records can not only write, produce and direct your next customized video, but push it to MTV, BET and VH1 amongst hundreds of broadband video companies and shows worldwide. Leave it to our team of experts to help you create a top-quality video that gets you noticed and recognized as a legitimate artist.

The 3 C’s Of Effective Artist Branding

What does branding have to do with you as a music artist? In a word: everything. Your brand extends far beyond the logos on your website or merchandise items. Branding is about awareness, both of yourself and the public’s mental positioning of you. Being aware of what you are subtly and unconsciously conveying to the public is key to controlling the magnetism of your brand. But before you can begin to develop brand awareness, you need to adhere to what are the 3 C’s of branding.

Clarity

Be clear about who you are, and who you are not. You need to understand your unique promise of value, and how this sets you apart from others. This first step is critical because it forces you to see yourself as others do. Once you’ve made it clear about what you are all about, you will soon attract and build a more targeted fan base that will better resonate with you because you've taken a position.

You don't want to be all things to all people, especially when you're just starting out. You do want to be the leader a particular tribe based on what you believe individually, and thus express artistically. A good brand taps into emotions, and emotions drive most, if not all of our decisions.

So ask yourself:
“What makes me distinctive? And how do I communicate that?” Remember to be authentic, and always true to yourself.

Clarity then extends to your logos, your social media topics, and even the diction you use when talking to your fans. Are you more formal and write in proper grammar, or are you more laid back and talk as though you are chatting or texting? Do you care about what’s going on in politics, or do live life more carefree?

Either way, try to choose a position and stick with it. Branding is all about trust, and if you constantly change what you're all about, people can become confused and eventually tune out.

 

Consistency 

Consistency is what gives the public faith in your abilities and your delivery. It creates expectations. Once you’ve taken a position, you need to remain consistent with it.

From a digital standpoint, all your web properties should be aligned with one another, and you want to make it perfectly clear that someone has arrived at your official web property. The branding elements from your website should fickle down to all your other web assets (such as your Facebook and Twitter) so that they are all consistent in look and feel. Think of your website as the mother ship, and all the other web and social assets as smaller ships conveying the bigger message.

Constancy 

Once you’ve defined who you are and what you’re all about on a consistent level, you want to ensure that you remain active in conveying this. This doesn't mean constantly bombarding fans with promotional messaging. What it does mean is being there on a constant basis to engage and interact with your audience, but only to the degree where you're not overwhelming them and also not leaving them out in the cold.

Fans want to interact with you, but they don't want to be spammed with how great you are or why they should spend money on you. Think of your web engagements as your own reality TV show or soap opera: if the story continues with regularly scheduled programming, people will tune in. They don’t, however, want to see commercials running the entire time.

Once you’ve employed these 3 C’s to your brand, you can begin positioning it. Once you've defined it, seek out all opportunities to better position your brand. Find those who will be most receptive to what it is that you have to offer and focus on them.

Building a brand takes a lot of time and effort but once you put in the work to build a good, consistent reputation, it will continue to pay dividends into the future.

Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media 5th Year Anniversary (2007-2012)

We are proud to announce the month of March marks the 5th year anniversary of Pro Music Records, Inc. On March 8th, 2007, Pro Music Records. Inc was officially incorporated. When we launched www.promusicrecords.com on our initial launch date December 1st, 2007, we never imagined the difficulties we would face, or the amount of time it would require. Like many others, we simply thought that when we launched, it would be an instant success. We aimed our focus at social media websites and asked participants to visit us. However, many who noted that our site didn’t even appear in a Google search quickly dismissed us.

Since then, our development efforts during the past five years were aimed at learning to utilize and incorporate (SEM) search engine marketing techniques and applying Google Analytics to our websites. We advertised a bit and remained focused on building a comprehensive set of analytical tools, proprietary software systems, and a vast directory database to help service the general music and entertainment population.

Now, five years later, we can proudly claim of ranking in the Top 20 Music-Records Sites published on top20sites.com. Top20Sites.com is the leading directory of the web's most popular sites. By visiting this website you can find the top websites, as ranked by our vast community, in over 85,000 pristine directories.

Pro Music Records and Entertainment Media Recent Google Rankings:

• Ranks #3 of about 445,000,000 results for entertainment media los angeles
• Ranks #2 of about 58,700,000 results for music promotion los angeles
• Ranks #2 of about 4,250,000 results for r&b indie artist los angeles
• Ranks #3 of about 4,410,000 results for music distribution los angeles
• Ranks #15 of about 13,000,000 results for dvd distribution los angeles
• Ranks #15 of about 15,300,000 results for independent record label los angeles

The US ISRC Agency appointed Pro Music Records & Entertainment Media as an "IRSC Manager" in January 2012. Pro Music Records Inc. is approved to assign ISRCs on behalf of the owner of a music or video recording. Pro Music Records and Entertainment Media Services now include submissions to radio stations that welcome independent music, music reviewers, music blogs, podcasts, Internet Radio, Distributors (physical and digital), Radio Promoters, Promotional Services, PR Services, Publicists, Project Management Services, Digital Download websites, Film/TV Music Supervisors and more!

Right now our affiliated partner database contains over 3,000 companies and 8,000 contacts, nearly every A&R rep, CEO, film and TV contact, publisher, music attorney, artist manager, and almost every other music industry position. We are proud to service independent artists, labels, and entertainment company's music and entertainment products to over 850 record labels who are accepting demos, 500 music and video distributors, 1000 Music Reviewers, and 5500 radio stations that welcome independent music and entertainment media.

We wish to thank all of you who have written to us during the past 5 years and have: informed us of problems, and requested customer service.

And most importantly, we wish to thank all of you for being loyal followers of our site and referencing our information daily. We will continue to improve our content for our visitors and strive to bring our clients more success in their music and entertainment careers!