The process of creating, promoting and making profit from musical

works.

Collective work of :
Nderitu Kiragu
Florence Wanjau
Caleb Wachira

Compiled by Nderitu Kiragu

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
I. The creating Process ......................................................................................................................... 3
i) Writing the Song. ............................................................................................................................... 4
ii). Recording a demo. ........................................................................................................................... 6
iii). Rehearsals and band rehearsals for a studio recording. ................................................................. 7
iv). Recording basic tracks ..................................................................................................................... 7
v). Overdubbing .................................................................................................................................... 8
vi). Editing the music ............................................................................................................................. 8
vii). Music mixing ................................................................................................................................ 10
viii). Mastering .................................................................................................................................... 11
II. MUSIC PROMOTION............................................................................................................................ 14
Branding .................................................................................................................................................. 14
a) Maintain consistency across all your social media profiles ........................................................ 16
b) Use of Imagery to further develop brand ................................................................................... 16
c) Consistent messaging.................................................................................................................. 16
d) Monitoring engagement ............................................................................................................. 16
Tools for Branding ................................................................................................................................... 16
 An Artist profile ........................................................................................................................... 16
 A press kit .................................................................................................................................... 17
Music Marketing ..................................................................................................................................... 18
a) Find your fans.............................................................................................................................. 18
b) Develop 2 strategies ................................................................................................................... 19
c) Make online promotion part of your daily routine. .................................................................... 19
d) Make use of Music social networking sites. ............................................................................... 19
Tools for Music Marketting ..................................................................................................................... 20
 Press Release............................................................................................................................... 20
 EPs. .............................................................................................................................................. 20
III. MAKING MONEY FROM MUSIC ...................................................................................................... 21
References .................................................................................................................................................. 24

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Introduction
This works seek to explain the journey a musical product takes from the creation to production
stage through the promotion stage and into the commercial process of it. Through delving into
the details, the work revealed some imperative steps that are unforeseen hence ignored in the
process by musicians. These steps are important in defining the musician’s space in the music
industry. This work will give practical working examples of artists who have done it right and
made a mark in our local as well as our international scene. It will be divided into three main
stages:

a) The creating process

b) The promoting process
c) The commercialization process.

I. The creating Process

This is the initial stage of making of the musical product. In an industrial sense, this is stage is
referred to as the music production stage. This stage involves the following steps:

i) Writing the Song

ii) Recording a Demo
iii) Rehearsals
iv) Basic Tracks.
v) Overdubbing.
vi) Editing Music.
vii) Music Mixing.
viii) Mastering.

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i) Writing the Song.

This process is unique to the musician. However, typically, the song starts with an idea or an
inspiration. It may begin with a lyric and a melody, a chord progression, a catchy/unique sound
or loop or an improvisation that takes on a life of its own. It is important to note that a music
production must always support in every way possible the message and the prevailing emotion of
the song written.
In the past and for some current songwriters, song writing is done with a single instrument, a
lyric and a melody. This explains why many songs start out as a piano and vocal or acoustic and
vocal work.
When carefully written, a song will hold the interest of the listener. A song tells a story that
convers ideas and emotions.
Currently the need for a band or an extra instrumentalist in the process of song writing has been
met by the power of technology. You can create a template production that allows you to work
on your ideas. The use of music loops and samples I an exceptional way of getting the song
flowing and setting the stage for an inspiring song.
Among the key elements guiding the songwriting process include: The subject matter of the
song. This entails what the song is about in terms of emotional context i.e. love jealousy, anger,
fun; topical theme e.g. world peace, environment, corruption, etc. These lay out the ground work
for every other decision that is made from what instruments and sounds to be used, to the tempo
of the song to even how the song will be mixed and mastered.
Telling the story is the second in the list of elements to consider in this process. The musical
decisions in relation to the prevailing emotion and message of the song are very key. For
instance, a sad song could be given a minor key tonality or a major key when he message turns
more positive. The blend of the melody and the lyrics must be complementary in every way. If
the story of the music is presented well, then the song writer opens a doorway to the listener’s
consciousness. From this point, it is up to the song writer to keep the door open by continuing to
hold the interest of the listener.
Points to consider when you want to hold the listener’s attention include: song presentation,
dynamic energy and song flow, intro and outro techniques (start small end big, start big drop
down and explode in the end). The basic structure of a song starts with a verse which presents
the story/ situation. It tells you what happened, how you got into the situation. The chorus

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section then conveys the emotional result of the story that has just been told. It tells the listener
the outcome of the events told in the verse. Usually there is an interplay of between the verse and
chorus that may sometime lead into a bridge section. Also known as the breakdown, the bridge
will take you to another perspective of the story. It may be the truth of what has transpired, it
may represent a reprieve from the story so that the story is more dynamically felt when the next
chapter is told.
The main reason why the above format for writing songs works is because the above template is
more likely to hold the interest of the listener if presented well. Every story has a setup (verse), a
problem or dilemma (chorus), a realization or solution ( bridge or breakdown), and an ending.
In the linking of the song with sounds, the merge can help to support or create the
images/feelings presented in the song. A song then can create images in a person mind. The
listener may recall past events in their life that relate to the story of the song being told in the
song. The music production process helps to support that imagery. When done properly, it may
bring a person back to their own personal experiences that they can remember and relive through
your song.
The final important aspect in the song writing process is the emotional considerations. It is
important to maintain the intended feel of the song. Here, you ‘feel’ through the song after the
above process. Pay close attention to any section of the song where you lose interest of feel your
attention is being taken somewhere else. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the song
hold your full attention from the beginning to the end? Does it drag on too long? Do you feel
cheated or shortchanged by the song because it is too short? Do you feel SATISFIED after
listening to it?
Feeling will always outweigh thinking. If you find that you are trying to convince yourself or
someone else that the song is good, then know that something is wrong. If you lose perspective
of the song, shelve the idea until you can listen to it with fresh ears.
In conclusion to this initial process, only seek a professional artist producer’s opinion. The best
way to judge a song is to play it in the background and just watch for reactions without soliciting
one. Then check out for this: Are they moving their head or body to the beat? Do they leave the
room singing the lyric or melody? Do they as about whose song this is? This would be clear
signs that something is right because they are feeling it, not listening to it.

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ii). Recording a demo.

This step comes after song writing, when both the artist and the producer are satisfied with the
final written product or idea. It can be as simple as a single instrument with voice, or it can be a
pre-production that attempts to demonstrate what the full production will sound like once
recorded. Whichever the case, it must represent the main message of the song serving as a
reference point to all other people who will be working on the project. Recording a demo is
critical to the development of the song and its music production elements. A demo will allow
you to audition ideas without the need of perfection. When recording a demo, a harmony part
added in the chorus section does not need to be perfectly in tune or in time. It just needs to
convey the intention so that a critical determination of the part can be made.
There are various ways to go about this critical process. The best way for you depends on what
skills you have, how well you collaborate with others, and what kind of guidance and perspective
you may need to achieve the best results. Here are some approaches that may help when making
decisions for recording a demo;

1. GETTING THE BAND TOGETHER

This method is that it allows one to get the input of other musicians who have a similar line of
thought especially in a case of a band. This enables each member to be creative in their different
spaces, whether one may be playing the role of the lead singer or as an instrumentalist. They will
add ideas and will adjust their performances accordingly to the ideas of others.The Three Basic
Artist Types:

a) Strong Personalities: An artist with a strong personality is best suited to pay musicians to
work for them when recording a demo.

b) Collaborators: Collaborators work well with other people and are open to feedback and
input from other musicians.

c) Pure Artist: The pure artist is one that seemingly lives in their own little world but
somehow has great insights into the way the "real" world works. They offer a fresh perspective
of life through the creation of their art.

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 2. Recording a demo of yourself
This enables one to work on their own terms, writing or working on one’s music whenever the
creative juices are flowing. Whether you are an impulsive writer or very disciplined one, this
method often achieves the best results for those that have a clear vision of what they want and
the ability to perform or program it.

3. Getting Production Help

There is no harm asking for any assistance if you are not clear about how to produce your song,
one can either consult or team up with someone you trust to help give you a fresh perspective. It
may be a fellow musician; songwriter or producer with a fresh set of ears may hear immediately
what the issue is and add inspiration for a new direction when recording a demo. Always keep an
open mind and work with them if you can. If their ideas don't pan out, at least you'll know what
doesn't work.

iii). Rehearsals and band rehearsals for a studio recording.

Rehearsals are a very important part of the whole creation process prior to a recording session
but are commonly associated with live performances. They ensure that everybody involved
knows what they are doing and how they are doing it. Rehearsals can also be a very effective
way of preparing a vocalist who is singing on a programmed or produced recording. In the
rehearsal process, a vocalist should be taken to task on the technical aspects of a performance
such as pitch, timing, phrasing, annunciation, etc. If there are difficult parts that are tongue
twisters or stretch the range of the artist, they can be worked on and strengthened before going
into the studio to record the actual or final product. One thing is to be noted that over rehearsing
should not be done.

iv). Recording basic tracks

Laying down the basic tracks in a way restarts the music production process, but this time more
critically. Here, issues of timing, dynamic, pitch, tone and performance are all under keen eyes
and ears. Basic tracking sessions are designed to lay the foundation of a song. Focusing primarily
on the rhythm section, especially the drums and bass. The process outlined here is most typically

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associated with band recordings, but many of the techniques can be applied to all recording
situations that involve one or more musicians. One can choose to record themselves if they are
conversant with the recording process or one may need to hire a professional engineer to help
find a suitable recording space. An engineer with recording experience will quickly notice
problems in a recording space and give you advice that will save you hours of your time, loads of
money and a lot of headaches. The greatest asset an artist or producer can have in a recording
situation is to consult a professional. A professional engineer will guide you with information
about what to look for when booking a studio for the tracking session.

v). Overdubbing

This is a process that allows performances to be recorded simultaneously with pre-recorded

material allowing each individual part to be focused on and perfected to the artist and producer's
taste. In a professional space, overdubbing must be directed giving room for experimentation.
Being prepared is key in any recording situation since it allows one to adapt faster to unexpected
events in case things go wrong. Vocal recording is one of the most sensitive of all the
overdubbing processes you will undertake. Some artists will rise to the pressure, some will
collapse under it. How you manage these situations can and will make or break the project.

vi). Editing the music

The process of editing involves critical decisions. Over-editing can lead to cold, ‘dead’
performances. Under-editing can leave one’s song sounding unfocussed, sloppy and not ready.
Computer technology and software development has blown the doors open for what is possible
when it comes to editing music. Today, we are doing things with audio that were merely possible
in the early years before the 50’s.From 1908 until the mid-50's, all recordings were literally cut
directly to lacquer, a softer version of the vinyl disc that was used to record a performance and
later to create the stampers that physically pressed vinyl discs for commercial release. A lacquer
disc was only good for one recording. At this point all recordings were mono, and musicians
performed in the same recording space together.
Analog tape ushered in the world of editing music. If the first half of one take was great and the
second half of another take was great, the two performances could be spliced together with a
razor blade and some splicing tape. These simple rough edits changed the recording process,
because difficult to perform sections of a song could be recorded over and over until a suitable

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take was achieved. That take could then be edited into the rest of the song. The Beatles were
famous for this type of editing work in the studio under the brilliant guidance of Sir George
Martin.
In the 80's, sampling started to take over as the preferred method for editing music. If a
performance in the first chorus of a song was better than the subsequent choruses, the part could
easily be sampled, or recorded to another tape machine, and "flown in" to the other choruses.
This greatly simplified the recording process for background vocals that were difficult to
perform and require many tracks to capture. Rather than having the vocalists record every
section of the song with the same part, it was much easier to record it well, once, and then "fly" it
to the other sections of the song where it was needed.
In the late 80's and early 90's digital recording technology forever changed the quality and detail
of editing music. Once a sample was loaded, it could also be adapted in terms of pitch and
timing. Although many of the tools used were crude by today's standards and had very little input
in terms of visual editing, they were quite effective if the editor had good ears. Digital processing
eliminated many of the physical and technical issues associated with analog processing
technology. Once professional audio recording with personal computers, entered the recording
studio for real in the mid 90's, the world of editing music nondestructively was born. The biggest
issue of all tape based recording was that it was all destructive. Once you hit record, there was no
undo button to get you back where you were.
Throughout most of the history of professional recording, pitch and timing were always subject
to the ability of the performer. If you listen closely to many of the great artists of the 50's and
60's and 70's, you may be horrified to find how "off” pitch many of the vocal performances were
by comparison to today's standards. In 1997, a processor created by Antares, called Auto-Tune,
forever changed the way people recorded vocals. The difficulties of recording in the studio and
having perfect pitch while monitoring through headphones was alleviated. The producer could
focus more on the performance and attitude rather than the pitch being perfect. Once the best
performance was achieved, the pitch could be corrected to taste with a minimum of effort.
Recording and editing music works differently with every artist and every situation. Thus the
amount of editing will be based on many factors that have more to do with the ability of the artist
to perform well in a recording studio situation than it does the level of their talent.

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vii). Music mixing

The art of music mixing is by far the most complex part of the music production process. It is
also the most difficult to master but by far the highest paying job in the professional audio
engineering world. The more present you are when you mix, the more quickly you will work and
the less you will fall prey to the outcomes of over processing. Doing what is necessary, not more,
not less. Here are some fundamentals of the music mixing process (creatively named to clearly
explain the process flow);

Moving In (Levels and Panning)

This is the Level and Panning phase of the music mixing process allowing one to carefully place
sounds in a way that is complimentary to the song.

Take Out the Garbage (Subtractive EQ and Editing)

This enables one to strip away what is not necessary from the audio tracks. This includes, but is
not limited to, filtering off low frequency rumble or hiss, eliminating or muting performances
that don't work or cloud the production, applying subtractive EQ to recordings that are muddy of
indistinct and editing out areas of regions where no music is present.

Packing It In (Compression)
Compression directly affects the perceived size and density of a sound. They make things
smaller and denser. It is by far the most misunderstood form of processing for the novice or
inexperienced professional in the music mixing process. Owing to the fact that it is difficult to
hear for most has to do with the fact that most don't really know what to listen for. The track one
applies compression on to will also become smaller and denser enabling sound coming from the
speaker to be projected much more forcefully.

Size Matters (Effects Processing)

The size of your mix is defined by reverbs and effects processing in the music mixing process. It
is a function of the perceived 3 dimensional space, EQ is primarily a 2 dimensional tool.

Shaping the Mix (Additive EQ)

EQ is best used to set the tone, depth and balances of your mix, cleaning up what could not be
accomplished by those other tools of mixing.

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 Grouping Instruments
There are many forms of grouping in music mixing. Mix Grouping is most commonly used
enabling one to change the level or mute state of all members of the group by changing the level
or mute state of any one member. Audio Grouping is another form of grouping where all the
members of the group are bussed (combining amplifier where signals are combined into what is
called a mix stem or submix before being sent to the master stereo mix) into a single stereo track
so that they can be processed together in their stereo mix form. This concept serves many
valuable purposes in the music mixing process.
Mix Automation
It involves adjusting levels after every level of processing is a necessary step in the music mixing
process. It can also help enhance the dynamics of the song by pushing and pulling levels as
needed.

Printing the Final Mix

This is the last step in the music mixing process. Once one decides to print, ensure that you print
individual mix stems. These stems can come in very handy for many reasons. They can be sent
out to remixers such as deejays, who will want the groupings of instruments to be isolated for
sampling purposes.

viii). Mastering

It is the actual process of creating the stampers that are used to press the vinyl discs. The art of
mastering audio has immensely evolved over the years following the changes in commercially
released technology from the original 78 rpm discs. These changes include 33 1/3 and 45 rpm
discs, audio cassettes, 8 track tapes, CD's, mini discs and mp3s. Each emerging technology
presented new options to the consumer and new challenges to the mastering engineer. In the
professional recording studios, the emergence of the analog tape machine in the 1950s changed
the way records were made forever. The process of recording to analog tape removed many
technical limitations of recording directly to a lacquer and added an important new job, the
transfer engineer. The transfer engineer's job is what we commonly call today, the mastering
engineer. The process of mastering audio involves a series of steps that have not changed very

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much over the decades. What has changed is the tools used, the medium worked with and the
end product that is released to the public. While the mediums have evolved and the number of
ways we can master audio have increased, the basic steps remain. Here are the steps;
Prepare The Master Mixes
The final mixes are brought into the mastering studio in some format. Since the start of
multitrack recording in the 1960s, this format was always analog tape. In the late 80s, many final
mixes were recorded onto digital tape in RDAT or Reel to Reel format. As computer technology
developed through the 90s, a data disc or hard drive became a suitable medium to bring to the
mastering engineer. With the development of the internet, FTP would also become an acceptable
method for supplying the final masters.
The Transfer Process
The transfer process, for mastering audio, has been greatly simplified over recent years as a
majority of final mixes are presented as digital audio files on a hard drive. This has largely
negated the need for analog to digital conversion. Since the 1980s the conversion from analog to
digital was seen as the weakest link in the mastering process. Because this technology has
received an enormous amount of attention over the decades, it is not uncommon for digital files
to be converted to analog for processing before being transferred back into the mastering
program for processing.

Setting the Song Order

Some if not all mastering engineers will import songs in the order in which they would appear on
the CD. Sometimes there is a specific reason to import them in a different order due to the media
they are being transferred from or specific analog processing that works well only for selected
tracks. Once imported into the mastering program, changes of song order can easily be made
without affecting any other level of processing or editing.

Editing
The files will need to be edited so that the start and end of each song is clean, once the masters
are transferred. There is usually a short breath of space left in at the beginning of a song, with a
fade-in, to smooth in the transition from silence. End edits involve getting rid of extra noises and
chasing the ending with a fade-out to conclude the song naturally.

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 Setting the Space Between Songs
Space between songs will define the flow of the record from beginning to end. When mastering
audio, the producer and artist will help to define when the entry of the next song sounds natural.
You may need a bigger space after a hard hitting track if the next song is lighter in feel while
coming out of a softer song you may want the space to be short if you want the next song to have
more impact.
Processing
Mastering audio can also involve a bit of processing when called for. Processing generally comes
in only two forms even though those two forms can serve a large variety of purposes. The two
forms of processing are compressors and equalizers. A compressor when used lightly can add
overall level and power to a mix. In the form of a peak limiter can be used to control peak levels
that allow the overall gain of the song to be increased. In the form of a multi-band compressor it
can be used to strengthen a frequency area that is deficient in the mix. An EQ can be used to
subtly shape a frequency area of a mix to add clarity and depth. It can also be used to filter out
low frequencies that keep a mix sounding muddy or lacking in punch. A notch filter may be
employed to remove a troublesome frequency in a mix.

Levels
Balancing the song, making sure the levels are even. The frequency content, density of
frequencies and amount of compression can lead to uneven balances that require a good ear to
get right. Additionally, a fade in or fade out on one song can skew the perceived level of the
next. The difference between perceived level and actual level can easily lead to bad decisions if
only looking at the meters for reference.

PQ Coding and ID Tags

The PQ coding and ID tagging process allows CD Text, ISRC codes, UPC/EAN and Copy
Protection data to be entered into the instructional data of a CD or downloadable file. ID tagging
allows downloaded digital audio files to be identified in terms of song name, artist, songwriter,
date recorded, musical style, etc… The tagging can also allow for ISRC and UPC/EAN coding
so that sales and radio play can be tracked by the owner of the recordings.

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 Dithering
A great way to preserve the quality of higher resolution masters is to apply a process called
dithering. Dithering is a process that involves adding low level random noise to the audio when
lowering the bit depth from 24 bit to 16 bit as required for CD mastering. The added randomness
helps preserve the sense of depth in a mix that is normally found with higher bit depth masters. It
is always the very last step of the mastering audio process before printing the final production
master.
Creating the Final Production Master
The final stage of the mastering audio process is to burn the final production master. The final
product of the mastering session can be a burned PMCD or a DDP file. PMCD stands for Pre
Mastered CD which is formatted specifically for the manufacturing plant and used to create what
is called a glass master. A high quality disc burner, and CD media is an absolute necessity to
keep the error count low.

II. MUSIC PROMOTION

This process involves sits in the middle of the two processes i.e Music production and Music
commercialization. If this stage is not properly handled, the music might unfortunately never
reach the consumer as imagined by the music writer and producer thus bringing the beautiful life
of a musical product to a sudden end. We’d like to divide this music into two main sections:-

 Branding.
 Music marketing.

Branding

Brand development is the key element of any marketing strategy. The business dictionary.com
describes branding as the process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in
the consumers’ mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. It aims to
establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal
customers.
A brand includes:

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  Artist/band name
 Artist logo
 Image (dress code, graphic art style)
 Musical sound.
 Color palette
 Community outreach and interaction
 Live performance

A good artist brand accurately reflects the genuine approach you take to your art, your
community interaction, your live show and your message. Throughout history, music artists have
created an artist brand that has resonated with their audience. From Johanne Sebastian Bach who
inscribed the initials S.D.G (Soli Deo Gloria meaning to God be the glory) and sometimes
inscribed his name letters B-A-C-H in his music compositions ( H is part of German music
nomenclature), to the Beatles, Madonna, Micheal Jackson, Sauti sol, Muthoni Drummer Queen
(MDQ) etc. The brand helps deepen the artist/fan relationship through consumer brand loyalty if
your style, message, and reputation are consistent with your fan base’s tastes.
It is similar to the business concept of brand loyalty, where a consumer becomes so absorbed
with the overall band that he/she becomes a loyal, long-term customer who is likely to spend
money on your brand and will consider attending every show and buying everything you put into
the music marketplace.
This business principle cuts across industries. A loyal customer (your superfan) is more valuable
to your business ( i.e. your brand) than a one-time buyer. Once you have converted a casual fan
into a brand advocate, it’s easier to sell him on your next show, album, CD, T – shirt, hoodie, etc.

The process of brand creation starts with an outstanding product (music production). It begins
with an exceptional song or a great live show that music lovers would want to see and hear. It
involves an understanding of what makes you attractive within your genre as well as u start nique
edge from other artists and bands in the same place.
Some tips of developing and maintaining a music brand include:

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 a) Maintain consistency across all your social media profiles

Your brand website being should have a similar look and feel to all your social networking sites.
They should all reflect the look and feel of your most recent work or release.

b) Use of Imagery to further develop brand

A good example includes Micheal Jackson’s sparkly glove or Steve Job’s and his black
turtleneck. Develop a look that would make you instantly recognizable to the market. Local
example is King Kaka (Rabit) and his full suit.

c) Consistent messaging.

It is important that an artist maintains a consistency in messaging across newsletter, blog, tweets
and even his/her artist bio. Any copy you publish should maintain the style and substance that
makes you unique.

d) Monitoring engagement

This involves searching for key terms that either directly reflect your brand (your brand name on
Twitter, and general Internet searches) as well as keywords that relate to your location, musical
genre or favorite artists. You will be able to identify existing convesations by new or existing
fans and taste makes.

Tools for Branding

 An Artist profile

An artist profile is a summarized overall description of what the artist would want to come to the
consumer as. It contains: An artist Bio, Artist photo, a list concerts and merchandise.
An artist bio is an advertisement of you or the band. They are used as a component of the
electronic press kit (EPK discussed below) on a website and on social media. It contains
information on your background information, life story as well as information on what you do. A
good artist bio is limited to not more than 1500 words.

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An artist photo mostly consists of an Avatar (small photo), Background image, Gallery for
promotions and concert photos.

 A press kit

They are divided into two categories:

a. Traditional Physical press kit,

b. Electronic Press kit (EPK).

Loosely defined, a press kit is ‘the artist in a package’. They are used as a sales pitch to booking
agents and Record labels representatives. Just like the artist profile, the press kit needs to contain
enough factual information about the artist/band/group to be able to base an article or review on.
This information includes:-

 Biography – discussed in artist profile above

 CD demo – This should include a bands’ or artist most recent music or music that may
be most recognizable or has become fan favorite. It is important that it is of a high quality
recording.
 High Resolution Photo of the band: - It also must be a high quality image as it is to be
reproduced in magazines, newspaters, blogs etc. It is also a good way of showcasing the
look and feel of the musician or band.
 Tour Dates (where applicable):- This serves to show that you are marketable and
people are willing to book you. The more date you have, the better it looks. You become
appealing to agents and Record label representatives.
 Past Shows (when applicable):- Best to show off previous shows of importance,
whether it was venues with a large capacity or sold out gigs.
 Press Reviews/ Interviews (when applicable):- The more high-profile reviews you can
include for your press kit, the better you will be. (more of this discussed in music
marketing.)
 Contact Information: This is imperative. Make sure you have multiple ways to be
reached by those who are looking to get in touch with you. Make sure to leave the phone
no., address and email address. To appear more appealing create an email that is
professional.

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  “RIYL” or “Recommended If You Like” list: - this is a listing of similar styles, artists
or genres of your music.

 An artist Website

An artist website acts as a hub for all your electronic promotion tools i.e. press kit, artist
profile, social media, music platforms, list of signed labels, market for your mechandize,
information on new releases in singles, EPs, Music Videos, Album formats etc. There are
plenty of internet domains that allow for free websites. An example includes wix.com which
gives the artist very professional templates on which to put up their profiles, bios, contact
information, merchandize etc easily and for free.

Music Marketing

Your music should be the main point of focus. This process is very connected to branding as
music is the product being sold. Once the artist has built a good brand and established a good
online presence through the above tools as well as a physical presence through live
performances, and then the music marketing becomes the next process.
According to the business dictionary, marketing refers to the management process through which
goods and services move from concept (idea, campaign, product development) to the customer.
The following are guidelines to music marketing: -

a) Find your fans

In music promotion just like in many other businesses is to find your consumers. In the music
industry, these will be your fans. One should be selective about the sites used. Your toplist
should be the sites where people like your fans congregate. For example: If you are an indie
musician, prioritize on websites with indie fans as opposed to rock fans. This also applies to live
events and shows. Prioritize on events which feature the same genre or type of music you
produce.

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 b) Develop 2 strategies

This would involve getting reviews and coverage from blogs and internet magazines as well as
print media.

i) Online media: - You’d need your music, press release and a database of contacts.
Your database of contacts includes a list of all sites/blogs you like containing their
contacts. There after you should contact them regularly and pitch. It is important that
if you find a writer willing to write a press review on your music that you keep the
relationship. You’d want to them to write on your release, and then write on your
upcoming event, video release and at some point album release. The relationship will
make pitching easy for you in the future releases. Press reviews are write-ups on
your music on print magazines, websites and blogs. They help spread word to your
potential fans and place your music on most international platforms. Examples of
functional and very effective Kenyan blogs include: Kenyan music.co.ke, Get
mziki.com and Aipate music.
ii) Fan interaction: - While constantly keeping up with your fans as discussed above
(branding), give them something of value. Let them in on the recording process, them
when you’re writing new songs etc.

c) Make online promotion part of your daily routine.

From your database of contacts and mailing, keep making pitches, advertising your merchandize
etc. Develop a routine time for this.

d) Make use of Music social networking sites.

These include:
- Twitter for music promotion
- Reverbnation

- Bandcamp
- Reddit Music
- Spotify,

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 - Mdundo.com
- Soundcloud etc.

Your music should be available within 2 clicks. Have this links readily available especially when
pitching to a music writer or editor.

Tools for Music Marketting

 Press Release

A press release is information on your music release that you want to be made available to
press reviews (discussed above). They are used to pitch your music to editors and writers.
What makes a perfect press release from the subject line is including all information that you
want to present to an editor. Michael Marotta advises that you always thing that the person
you are pitching to has approximately 30 seconds to digest everything you are saying. A
press release includes:

 A Photo
 A quote about the song
 A quote from the director
 Link to the tracks (eg. Soundcloud, spotify etc.)

You should make it easy for the person receiving your music to find it, hear it, digest, download
it and check it out.

 EPs.

EPs stand for “extended play record”/ extended play.

Extended Play record is a compilation of songs often created for promotional use and covers the
middle ground between a single and a full length album. They are usually around 4 to 6 songs in
length and are generally made using original tracks never released by an artist.
EPs are mainly used for: -

 Introducing new musicians and bands

 Keep interest in an artist alive between full length releases
 Help promote a tour

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  Act as giveaways and incentives for joining mailing lists or bought tickets and
merchandise.

Eps are also used for: -

 A solution for artists who want to release a music piece that is more than a single but
cannot afford the studio time to record a full length album.
 EPs can fit enough music to be a more complete project than a single vu tae still short
enough to require less studio time than a 10 – 12 minutes song or full album
 Some musicians use EPs to experiment with new music styles or dabble in less
commercial sounds than their full- length album features.
 EPs are sometimes used to release B sides and unreleased tracks that were originaly cut
from the full length album.

III. MAKING MONEY FROM MUSIC

One of the biggest challenges facing musicians is how to generate income from their skill. Part
of the reality of being a working musician today is the need to diversify your revenue streams.
There are, however, musicians working in music full time and making money out of it. There are
new sources of income available to musicians. All it takes is a good business man to mix the
traditional and more modern income streams to earn a decent living. Here are various ways of
earning from music.

1. CD sales

Even with CD (Compact Disk) sales dropping, they remain a solid generator of income for
musicians in many different genres. CDs are easy to sell especially at live shows. This method is
however become less and less popular as more people prefer to get the music online.

2. Vinyl

A vinyl record, also referred to as a phonograph/gramophone record is an analog sound storage

medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. Vinyl was quite
popular especially in the 40’s and 50’s and has recently become a trendy again.

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Vinyl records make for great bundle items to sell online or at shows as a source of income.
Buying a vinyl record is also quite an experience. They are however, expensive to produce and
ship.

3. Digital sales

This involves selling music online in digital formats such as mp3. Some musicians sell digital
music through their own websites or through online retailers. Digital downloads are experiencing
a similar fate as CDs. Sales are now decreasing with the popularity of streaming music
platforms. Yet just like CDs, digital downloads remain a solid source of revenue for many artists.
Online retailers however, take a percentage of sales for instance; iTunes takes 30% and
Bandcamp takes 15%. Some digital distributors that place your music in stores like iTunes and
Amazon will also take a cut on top of that.

4. Streaming

This refers to watching videos and listening to music directly online through the various online
platforms. Although per-stream payouts from streaming services tend to be small, they can add
up over time. These services also help new fans discover your music, and shouldn't be seen
solely as an income generator, but also as an advertising platform.

5. Live shows

Money made from live shows can vary greatly, but it’s still one of the best ways to earn income.
Not only can you make money from selling tickets, but it’s also one of the best ways to sell
merchandise such as vinyl records, CDs, articles of clothing and other branded products. There
are also many venues available to you to perform original music. These include traditional music
venues, bars, clubs, coffeehouses, colleges & universities, and music festivals.

6. Publishing Royalties

Musicians should be signed up to a performing rights organization where they can collect
royalties on their music. This includes public performance royalties (radio, TV, live venues),
mechanical royalties (sales through retailers, streaming, etc.), and sync royalties (commercials,
film, TV). In Kenya this body is the Kenya Copyright Board which replaced MCSK.

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 7. Composing/ song writing/ Licensing fees

If you’re a songwriter, you could look to write songs for other musicians, as well as co-write
songs with other artists
If you get your song placed in a film, commercial, or TV show, chances are they’re going to pay
you a licensing fee. These fees vary greatly, depending on the budget for the project, and how
badly they want your particular song.

8. Subscription

One of the newest revenue models for artists is the subscription or patronage model. This is
where fans pay a monthly recurring fee for access to your content. This content could be your
entire discography plus any new music. Or exclusive access to new music and videos and other
behind-the-scenes content.

9. Sponsorship

If you’ve built up a fan base, local businesses, music companies, and even major brands could
sponsor you to reach those fans. You can offer valuable visibility with your live shows, on your
website, social media, and through your mailing list. Sponsorships are sometimes paid in cash,
but it's more likely that it would be in the form of free products, services, and gear. This would
help cut costs, which still has value.

10. Crowd funding

Crowd funding can be a great way to generate revenue. A well-executed crowd funding
campaign can help raise enough money to cover the cost of production and much more. However
it should not be treated just as a way to generate money. With crowd funding, it’s all about
making a connection with the fans. It brings them along the journey from songwriting, through
pre-production and recording, to the release and marketing of your album.

11. Music Lessons

Many musicians teach their instrument to others to help generate revenue towards their own
career. This can be a nice way to supplement your income, and allows you to hone your craft at
the same time. Music lessons in-person, online via Skype or Google Hangouts. You could even
sell video lessons through your website.

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 12. Cover Gigs

This entails; playing cover gigs at bars, restaurants, weddings, private events and corporate
events. The more skilled a musician is, the more gigs they get to play. Gigs are however not a
stable source of income as the frequency of gigs cannot be predicted.

13. Session Work

As a singer or instrumentalist you could do session work in studio for other musical projects. Or
if you have a flexible schedule, you can look to get hired to go on tour with other bands. The
challenge with being a session musician is work is not consistently available.

References
Branding. (2018, June 4th). Retrieved from Business Dictionary:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marketting.html
Hatschek, K. (2018, June 3rd). How to develop and sustain your artist brand. Retrieved from
Merchly: http://www.merch.ly/blog/develop-sustain-your-artist-brand\
Marketting. (2018, June 4th). Retrieved from Business Dictionary:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marketing.html
McDonald, H. (2018, June 4th). The Basics of Press Kits for Musicians. Retrieved from the
balance careers: http://www.thebalancecareers.com/music-press-kit-purpose-2460611
Melanie. (2018, June 4th). How to Write an Effective Musician Bio (with Examples). Retrieved
from The Bandzoogle Blog: http://www.bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-write-an-effective-
musician-bio-with-examples
music production guide.com. (2018, June 11th). Retrieved from The Production process: http://
www.music-production-guide.com
Online, B. (2018, June 3 3rd). Promoting Your Music: An Interview with Micheal Marotta.
Retrieved from Take note: http://online.berklee.edu/takenote/promotiong-music-
interview-vanyalands-micheal-marotta/
Ostrow, J. (2018, June 4th). Music think tank. Retrieved from A & R Tips: The Art of the Press
Kit: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/ar-tips-the-art-of-the-presskit.html

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