Selling music by solving a specific need

Right. Sell the benefits, not the features.

Feature = Wax

Benefit = Improved Quality of Prayer


Another great thing about something like "music for yoga" is that the people are easy to target. Yoga Journal, Hugger Mugger, mailing lists, etc. Not many lists, sites, or magazines for instrumental music...

One of the reasons, in my opinion, musicians (and other marketing people) don't narrow their niches is because they don't want to leave people out. But you can't please everybody. It's much better to have a few people who really love you (or hate you) than everybody who feels "ok" about you. "Ok" doesn't sell.

A great example of this is the "demo derby" section on my radio show, where we review demos people send in. Check out http://www.musicbusinessradio.com to listen to it. The ones that are memorable are either good or bad. Those in the middle are a dime a dozen.

This concept is one you should bring to your marketing.

Good stuff, Derek!!

We give each of our instrumental cds a title that lets you know what to expect. The album "Zen Blues" is a minimalistic, quiet meeting of zen & blues,

"Feels So Good" is about abundance and well being.

From the comments of our fans I know that they listen to our music in everyday life - like someone wrote: "music to live by"

But I don't know how to tie our music into a purpose like yoga music. Maybe it is like David said in his comment, being afraid to leave someone out by narrowing the niche.

Have to think about it. An album like Zen Blues has a meditative quality. But I didn't want to call it meditation music because there is so much terrible stuff in that genre. I would like to hear how others would categorize / label our music or how other instrumental artists deal with that issue.

http://www.cdbaby.com/all/bluestar

Hi all,

I agree with Derek and the comments here as well. I've made instrumental music for years, and started releasing my own work "officially" 10 years ago. I'd sell a CD every now and then, and maybe a couple downloads a month. But it wasn't until the Christmas before last that I found out how much people just love Christmas music, when I released my first holiday disc. It doesn't matter that someone may have 10 different versions of "Jingle Bells" already...if you put your heart into your work and make something you enjoy - and it fills a need as Derek notes - people will respond. Sure, I'm not exactly selling millions like Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller, but I'm happy to say that first holiday disc of mine made a profit pretty quickly (on a much smaller scale than Mannheim, but hey - a profit is a profit!).

Regards,

KevOz

http://www.KevOz.com

Hi Derek,

Just wanted to drop a note and thank you for the articles and advice here. I actually tried to just read one or two a day and still have another email that you sent me.

You're great! It really helps me a focus a little more and gives me some good ideas. I appreciate all you've done and wish you continued success.

Many Blessings,


Robert Anton

This is most certainly true but the best wrapped gift will not be appreciated if it is under a rock. The biggest problem is the one of getting people to be aware that the product exists, and minus a strong budget for it, that will be the key lynch pin of the whole deal. The person who solves the problem of directing traffic their direction (ie: you have made a CD for meditating and now how do the people world wide that practice this know how that your product exists?) I have certain theories that I am trying but they have a 2 year or so window for their execution. I think problems like this are very challenging and fun. To over come such a thing would be very pleasing and the accomplishment might even be neater than the result. Kind of like a poor mans relativity theory.

Not everyone has a strong secure income flow. Music production, living and eating require that. Marketing of music does not degrade the quality of music. The more artistic and cutting edge a music is, the less likely it will find large numbers of adherents. Thus the best music, frequently of the 20th century tendencies will need promotion even more so as to find the tiny batch of paying customers to help keep the music being made.

Boring wallpaper music is a little more prevalent then we would like, so lets market and make popular the good quality stuff.

i would love to do a christmas CD but don't i have to pay for the copyright use of those songs (ex. Oh, Holy Night)? or can i do a christmas CD and sell it online and make money from it? Or maybe ask for donations?thanks amanda

My CD "El Silencio Del Agua" "The Silence of Water" is ideal for this type of marketing. It was designed to relax those who listen to it. It's great for Yoga and Massages. That was the purpose with witch it was conceived.

Could you guys help me market my CD to these clients?

I did a Christmas CD and used songs in Public Domaign so I didn't have to pay. Well, I did for one song. The H Fox agency can tell you who owns copyright

paul adams

oops. forot to mention you can also pay them and they'll pay the Copyr.pwner. I think I paid 100.00 for the one tune (For a pressing of 1000cd's)

Derek:

Couldn't agree more. I've been doing the most to maximize the exposure of my "jazzy, non-commercial new age" music to yoga practitioners and massage therapists and it's definitely working!

Derrick,

Plzzzz!!! Show tell me what catagory stle my music is or, I should aim for I need boost okay!!

Aleee

Thanks for your specific and direct marketing insight. You get me thinking positive thoughts.

Dave

I totally get what you're saying. Like someone else said...if I could figure out what exactly my music is doing to help people...hmmmmmmmmm...I have an idea, let's help eachother...please go to our myspace page and give me your feedback and I will do the same for you! DEAL?

xoxo

JVB

I love your style and business sense Derek.

xoxo

JVB

Derek,

Thanks for the insight- I'll try this on the next Dan Becker and the Tourists CD. It will be great driving music!!

Hey Derek,

After years of work to understand my experiences as both a musician and pastoral minister I woke up - just this morning - with a new plan which fuses my experiences into a model for music exploration workshops that provide opportunities for healing and expressing. I will elaborate at a future time - but suffice it to say that when I read this suggestion for marketing the music it connected the dots in an amazing manner. Thanks!!! The next product will be a winner. Jan

I made a christmas album which i'm proud of and is of really good quality,….but I haven't sold many,…I've still got 2,000 copies in my studio cupboard. I've gigged it, cd babied it, websited it,….I feel like maybe I'm just no good at selling stuff,…but I need to be so I can pull my weight with the income for my family. I'm really not happy doing anything else and fortunately I can just survive with some teaching part-time. How do I sell this beautiful cd to people that they may enjoy my spirited music and be able to continue writing and recording as is my passion and expertise?

I like how your, thinking l not to good, in my english, l musicion i play instrumental music i made ,many song ,soft rock ,music with melody,harnony,i have difrent style,i like to sell,i don't now, people,l'm close in my self.

Nice post.

I see where a couple people mentioned not selling Christmas music, with #31 saying he has lots of "spirited music" Christmas albums unsold.

If the spirited music is "spiritual" thenI suggest marketing the CD as such.

I say this because I once wasted days listening to a local radio station that advertised "Christmas only" music for the holiday season... only to realize, at long last, that all the music was secular. Good music for atheists, to be sure, but I wanted the carols we sang in my baby boomer elementary school.

I’m enjoying reading these posts via Derek’s book and then coming here to read the comments.

Reminds me of an abandoned project I came up with a while back to write educational songs about the planets for kids. Might revisit that idea after reading this blog entry.