The 2015 Grammy Nominees:

This Friday (December 5, 2015) “CBS this morning” unveiled the 2015 Grammy Nominees! 

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

Sail Out, Jhené Aiko

Beyoncé, Beyoncé

X, Chris Brown

Mali Is…, Mali Music

GIRL, Pharrell Williams

Best Rock Song:

“Ain’t It Fun,” Paramore

“Blue Moon,” Beck

“Fever,” Black Keys

“Gimme Something Good,” Ryan Adams

“Lazaretto,” Jack White

Best Rock Album:

Ryan Adams, Ryan Adams

Morning Phase, Beck

Turn Blue, The Black Keys

Hypnotic Eye, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Songs of Innocence, U2

Best Country Album: 

Dierks Bentley

Eric Church

 Brandy Clark

Miranda Lambert  

Lee Ann Womack.

Best New Artist:

Iggy Azalea

Bastille

Brandy Clark

HAIM

Sam Smith

Song of the Year

“All About That Bass,” Meghan Trainor

“Chandelier,” Sia

“Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift

“Stay With Me” (Darkchild version), Sam Smith

“Take Me To Church,” Hozier

Best Rap Performance

“3005,” Childish Gambino

“0 To 100/ The Catch Up,” Drake

“Rap God,” Eminem

“i,” Kendrick Lamar

“All I Need Is You,” Lecrae

Best Alt Music Album

This Is All Yours, Alt-J

Reflektor, Arcade Fire

Melophobia, Cage The Elephant

St. Vincent, St. Vincent

Lazaretto, Jack White

Best Rap Album

The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Eminem

Because The Internet, Childish Gambino

The New Classic, Iggy Azalea

Blacc Hollywood, Wiz Khalifa

Oxymoron, Schoolboy Q

Nobody’s Smiling, Common

Best Country Solo

“Give Me Back My Hometown,” Eric Church

“Invisible,”Hunter Hayes

“Automatic,” Miranda Lambert

“Something In The Water,” Carrie Underwood

“Cop Car,” Keith Urban

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

“Sky Full Of Stars,” Coldplay

“Say Something,” A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera

“Bang Bang,” Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj

“Dark Horse,” Katy Perry feat. Juicy J

Best Music Video

“We Exist,” Arcade Fire

“Turn Down For What,” DJ Snake featuring Lil Jon

“Chandelier,” Sia

“Happy,” Pharrell

“The Golden Age,” Woodkid feat. Max Richter

Record of the Year:

“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

“Chandelier,” Sia

“Stay With Me (Darkchild Version),” Sam Smith

“Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift

“All About That Bass,” Meghan Trainor

Best Pop Vocal Album: 

Ghost Stories, Coldplay

Bangerz, Miley Cyrus

My Everything, Ariana Grande

Prism, Katy Perry

X, Ed Sheeran

In The Lonely Hour, Sam Smith

The 57th annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 8, 2015. More nominations will roll out throughout the day and we’ll keep you in the loop as they do. But you’ll have to wait until tonight’s one-hour “A Very GRAMMY Christmas” special to find out which releases are up for Album of the Year.

If you’re "Grammy Nominee worthy" but have yet to be discovered, See promusicrecords.com.  We work with artists who aren’t quite ready for the hollywood scene and still need mastering, music videos, bios, etc.  all the way to artists who already have their work ready to go.  We work on placing songs to get your name out there, and help to get you making a living off of what you love doing.  We also work on getting artists signed.  Now, check us out, and lets get you to the next Grammys! 

No Such Thing as a Big Break

Yes, sorry to break it to you, but, there is no such thing as a “big break” in the idea that fame and success happen over night.  

Artists you are just hearing about have actually been around for years. 

Shocking, isn’t it?  Believe it or not, the artists who are on mainstream radio right now didn’t just start making music a week ago.  Most of the artists who create a big name for themselves have been doing their own thing for years-sometimes 5-10 years of performing independently.  No one “makes it” over night. 

A “big break” is actually a slow build

If the average artist truly understood this, they would take their day-to-day pursuits much more seriously.  Every big goal is the sum of a ton of small goals.  Exposure doesn’t just drop out of the sky for you.  It involves countless days of hard work. Even when you feel your small goals are too small, they’re not. Let one build upon the other and you’ll start to see things come together.  Your “big break” is a series of many small successes.  

It is all about who you know. 

Many artists hate the word “networking”.  I get it, it can be consuming and feel like you’re giving up on the idea of getting by with your pure talent.  But, how can you expect your talent to “break out” if the people holding the key to your door aren’t hearing what you’ve got?  You need to show up! These people need you just as much as you need them.  Remember this and believe in yourself.  With dedication and hard work your art will bloom. The right people will see this, and can help you get to the top.      

Could Pro Music Records be the key to your unlocking your door to success?  Check us out today at promusicrecords.com.  

For those of you who haven't heard, as of last Monday, Nominees for the 2014 American Music Awards have been announced.  

Just a side note for all of the dreamers out there,  if you're wishing of having you're name on that list and you have this crazy drive in you that knows you can accomplish such a goal, then take the initiative to help yourself out here.  It's hard work, but there's curtain companies out there that can do the heavy lifting for you, and actually want to help you get your name on that awards list.  

For the rest of everyone, here are the nominees:     

Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea comes in at the top with a total of 6 nominations. John Legend, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams are all up for five nominations each.  Lorde is in the running for four honors.  Beyonce, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic, and One Direction were all nominated for three awards.  Drake, Luke Bryan, Sam Smith, and Bastille each received two nominations for the fan-voted awards show. 

Winners will be announced along with live performances on November 23 through a live broadcast held at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA on ABC starting at 8p.m.  

Artist of the Year
Iggy Azalea
Beyonce
Luke Bryan
Eminem
Imagine Dragons
John Legend
Lorde
One Direction
Katy Perry
Pharrell Williams

New Artist of the Year as Presented by Kohl's
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Sam Smith
Meghan Trainor

Single of the Year
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX "Fancy"
John Legend "All of Me"
MAGIC! "Rude"
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J "Dark Horse"
Pharrell Williams "Happy"

Favorite Male Artist Pop/Rock
John Legend
Sam Smith
Pharrell Williams

Favorite Female Arist Pop/Rock
Iggy Azalea
Lorde
Katy Perry

Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Pop/Rock
Imagine Dragons
One Direction
OneRepublic

If you are ready to take your music career to the next level and be apart of the biggest events in the music industry submit your best songs to submissions@promusicrecords.com. 

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.

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.

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!