Here in the Product department, we’re always busy building cool stuff to make life (and business) easier for our clients. This time, we’re very pleased to announce the launch of a brand new Accounting section. Please, everyone, calm down. Excuse me, sir, can you put your shirt back on? This …
Videos are by far the most engaging form of social content. This isn’t exactly a new discovery, but there’s a lot of missed potential by bands that claim to have a YouTube presence. The common misconception is that your music videos go up on YouTube and you’re done. Although MTV …
Plugging — it’s a word we often hear in relation to promoting something, recommending it, giving it your stamp of approval. iPluggers does just that for your music, and it does it all around the world. With a 100% airplay guarantee (or your money back), iPluggers provides the platform for …
Meet our latest partner: Conduit Mobile. The mobile app creator is getting all kinds of press these days, and it’s not without good reason. Their sexy app offers every function you could dream of with the ease of use you’ve always wanted. What’s more, they’re compatible with all major mobile …
Between Amanda Palmer and Veronica Mars, crowdfunding has proven its worth beyond the shadow of a doubt. In one year alone, global crowdfunding initiatives grew 81% to generate a reported $2.7 BILLION. Of that, music-related projects represented a very respectable $202.5 million, i.e. 7.5% of all raised funds and 4th most important category after social causes, business and entrepreneurship, and films and performing arts.
So, how do you get in on this? It couldn’t be more simple: install RocketHub via The Orchard Marketplace. For step-by-step instructions and a video demo on how to create a campaign, check out this blog post. The design has since changed but for the most part everything is still the same.
To add to the appeal crowdfunding has on its own, RocketHub has just announced an exclusive partnership with A&E’s Project Startup. Through this new deal, projects launched via RocketHub will have the opportunity to be featured on air, online and in print through A&E’s channels. In addition, if a project is really unique and attention-grabbing, A&E just may add itself to your list of funders.
“But I’m not a startup, I’m a musician!,” you say.
Don’t worry, we asked that question, too. While the first wave of projects is startup-related, RocketHub is planning several other engagements with A&E, Project Startup just being one of them. With music representing such a significant portion of the crowdfunding sphere, related projects will naturally ascend to higher visibility, and as such raise awareness in line with RocketHub and A&E’s goals: amplifying crowdfunding projects to do more than just raise funds, but also gain significant and strong awareness.
So get your thinking caps on and start an original campaign with RocketHub. The more stellar the idea, the higher the chance your project will not only get you money, but also create that oh-so-precious buzz and engagement you can’t get enough of.
RocketHub is accessible via The Orchard Marketplace. Read more about them on their One Sheet.
Historically, a successful band will undergo several iterations of band members throughout its lifetime. The sounds change and mature, but sometimes that original flavor is missed. Fortunately for Country band Lonestar, Richie McDonald, the band’s revered original vocalist, decided to return to the band in 2011 after three years of being away. With McDonald back in the lineup, Lonestar plans to release Life As We Know It, its first full-length release in over three years, on June 4 via the band’s own 4 Star Records, in partnership with The Orchard.
The album’s second single, “Maybe Someday,” is a mournful breakup song written by Lonestar’s own McDonald and Dean Sams with help from songwriters Frank Myers and Billy Montana. It is currently being spun nationwide on Country radio, so turn that dial up, folks! For some visuals, catch the music video on CMT.com, and a video of the band speaking about the writing process for the song on YouTube. Recently shot in Nashville, the music video features Sunny Mabrey (Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, CSI: Miami), who also starred in the video for their hit song, “Amazed.”
Though Lonestar‘s future looks bright with the forthcoming release of Life As We Know It, success is not something that’s new to this multi-genre Country band. According to the RIAA, the band has sold over 10 million records since they began making music in 1995. Lonestar also boasts an impressive 18 Top 10 songs, including three Top 5 peaks, and nine No. 1s. With all of this previous success, these guys have no one with whom to compete besides themselves.
On the touring front, Lonestar debuted the reunited group at Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival just yesterday, sharing the stage with artists such as Zac Brown Band, Darius Rucker, Thompson Square, and many more. A nationwide tour is on its way now too… Check out the full tour schedule after the jump.
With this new album set to be released in a little over a month as well as the handful of tour dates on deck, Lonestar is on track to make a triumphant comeback.
The weekend is upon us once again, and you know what that means… tons of free tunes from us to you. That’s right, Freeloader Friday is back to provide all you weekend warriors with loads of new music that is sure to make you start saying TGIFF — Thank Goodness It’s Freeloader Friday!
If you’re in the mood for exclusive content, then you’re in luck, as Javelin dropped a previously unreleased song this past week that oozes maracas (pair some guacamole with this track and you’ll have yourself quite the fiesta). But that’s not all, both Hey Sholay and Andrew Cedermark have new tunes for your listening pleasure as well. Yes, this weekend is going to be one awesome aural experience.
The visuals are on lock for you this weekend too, as Young Galaxy appreciate senior citizens and dance it out with their new video, while Thee Oh Sees get lethal. (We’re not joking, viewer discretion is advised for the San Fran rockers’ new vid!)
Oh, you want more? Well, we have four, count ‘em, FOUR full album streams for you this weekend. To start off, The Melvins premiere a cover record of classic artists ranging from Venom to Queen. Make sure to head over to Spin to read frontman Buzz Osborne’s commentary on each track. In addition, Beacon usher in the ambient pop vibes and Coultrain bring the funky, soul train sounds with their respective album streams.
Finally, The Casket Girls are streaming their eponymous record over on FILTER. If you’re unfamiliar with this group, they consist of Elsa and Phaedra Greene and Ryan Graveface of Black Moth Super Rainbow, who recently released their new record Cobra Juicy a few months ago. If you missed it, they also promoted the album with one pretty cool Kickstarter campaign. Let’s just say, masks were involved.
Whew, that’s a lot of tunes. Happy listening!
The Melvins: Full album stream via Spin
Everybody Loves Sausages out April 30 on Ipecac Recordings
Beacon: Full album stream via Pitchfork Advance
The Ways We Separate out April 30 on Ghostly International
Hey Sholay: “WDYRWMTB” via Middle Boop Mag
Clouds, Castle, _______ out June 3 on Fierce Panda Records
Javelin: “The Marimba Song” via Noisey
Hi Beams out now on Luaka Bop
Andrew Cedermark: “Canis Major” via Pitchfork
Home Life out July 16 on Underwater Peoples
The Casket Girls: Full album stream via FILTER
The Casket Girls out now on Graveface Records
Coultrain: Full album stream via OkayPlayer
Jungle Mumbo Jumbo out now on Plug Research Records
Young Galaxy: “Pretty Boy” music video premiere via Pitchfork.tv
Ultramarine out now on Paper Bag Records
Thee Oh Sees: “Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster” music video premiere via Pitchfork.tv
Floating Coffin out now on Castle Face Records
The name Caroline Bottomley may sound familiar to you on The Daily Rind. As Managing Director of our Marketplace partner Radar Music Videos, Caroline has already guest written for us to share the merits and best practices of her amazing platform, which connects artists and labels with talented music video directors around the world. Today, she gives us a timeline for promoting an independent single release, beginning 14 weeks from release date, and on an imaginary budget of £5,000.
A lot of promo people we talk to say artists and managers often don’t know what professionals do to promote single releases. So we asked for help from some real professionals. Then we made up an indie band with an established following and a few previous releases. We made up £5,000 to spend. And we wrote this rough guide.
14 WEEKS FROM RELEASE
TIP: “Commission nice/weird/cool COLOUR band photos, the brighter the better.” –David Laurie, SiC Records
NOTE: Social media work continues from here up to and after release date.
12 WEEKS FROM RELEASE
TIP: “There are very few print outlets for singles, a couple of dozen really. It’s ALL about online for singles.” –David Laurie, SiC Records
NOTE: Press work continues from this point up to and after release date.
TIP: “The press release needs to be straightforward and attention-grabbing. ‘Artist releases great new song/album’ just isn’t enough. What’s your story? What’s special about you/the song/album and why?” –Gillian, Million PR and Naked Press.
After more than a decade without an official release, Big Country is back with the new record, The Journey (via Cherry Red Records), which landed at #68 on the UK charts its first week out. The aptly titled album comes on the heels of a veracious two-year tour during which the legendary Scottish rockers performed at many of the UK and Europe’s most prestigious festivals, including Isle of Wight, V, T In The Park and Oxegen. But even amongst all the successes and accolades, the release of this ninth studio album is their first since the sad and untimely death of lead singer and songwriter Stuart Adamson in December 2001.
Now, the group is at the start of new era. Guitarist and founding member Bruce Watson officially invited Mike Peters — of The Alarm – to join them as lead vocalist, and in addition, the group added Simple Minds‘ Derek Forbes — who was recently voted Best Scottish Bass Player of all time – on bass. This new crew, flanked by Mark Brzezicki on drums and Jamie Watson on guitar, is currently touring across the UK and Ireland. Make sure to mark you calendars accordingly.
If you’re unfamiliar with the infectious sounds of Big Country, here’s a little backstory for you. The group formed in 1981, has released seven Top 30 albums during their historic career, sold millions of records, and toured the globe with their captivating live show. But for the new album, the band did something quite unconventional, recording in an old Cold War nuclear bunker in the Welsh border town of Wrexham. The studio had 8-feet thick walls and no phone or internet signal — talk about a truly isolating and productive experience.
Feel free to nab a copy of the band’s bunker-recorded album, The Journey, over on iTunes. In the meantime, you can listen to and watch the music video for the first single “Hurt” on the band’s YouTube channel, and below. It’s a powerful track accompanied by emotional visuals. Catch the remaining April tour dates for the group after the jump!
