This Sonicbids Lounge article was written by Hits Magazine, a leading trade magazine with a management division.

In this day and age, artists have so many platforms to be able to get their music out there. This is both the good news and the bad news. Good news is that it enables artists to be able to do a lot of the legwork that labels wont do anymore, on their own. The bad news is, with so many platforms, picking and choosing the right ones can be difficult. The most important thing for an artist is to know their audience and the demographic they are trying to reach.  Be realistic. (more…)

This article was written by Clinton Ford Billups Jr., who has 40-years of experience as an entertainment agent, manager and producer. He serves as the live entertainment industry consultant for G2E.

Whether you’re booking headliners or lounge acts or selling lighting, tickets or other event production services, here are five sure bets to increase your odds for success when marketing to casinos!

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Want to know what a promoter is thinking when reviewing EPKs? Interested in industry and submission advice from the horses mouth? Check out our quick chats. (more…)

You’ve put together your EPK and are ready to submit your materials to the many awesome listings on Sonicbids. Now what?

Do your homework

A lot of artists treat submissions like lottery tickets. This might seem like an exciting idea, but remember that the lottery has its downside – like the fact that your odds are generally 1 in several million. However, the odds of getting even the most in-demand gigs are not only significantly better to start with, but by choosing gigs wisely and being sure you present yourself in the best possible way, you can make the odds even better. (more…)

(This info and more in Kenny Kerner’s book, “ Going Pro: Developing a Professional Career in the Music Industry.”

So, you sent your EPK to a promoter. What’s next? Why, I am so glad you asked. Two words will open up a world of opportunity for you: Follow Up.

As you might have guessed, there are some good ways to follow up and there are some bad ways. Kenny Kerner, seasoned artist manager, author, and current Director of the Music Business Program at Musician’s Institute, offers some valuable advice about following up.

Kerner suggests you plan two [2] follow up calls.

The first should be planned five business days after sending your EPK. Kerner explains, “that first call should be to confirm that the promoter received your kit.” Start off the call saying: “Hi, my name is… I’m just calling to make sure you received my information.” If the promoter didn’t receive it, come up with a plan to make sure that s/he receives it. If the promoter did receive your EPK, ask if it would be okay for you to call back in a couple days to talk about it. (more…)

Rarely will artists get selected for every submission of theirs, but there are some things you can to maximize the effectiveness of the ones you make:

• Start by submitting to appropriate gig listings for yourself. Check out this article for tips on selecting the right gigs to submit to. (more…)

Sonicbids helps artists connect with promoters through the many tools in their accounts. Many artists love the “Email my EPK” tool, which sends your EPK within an email (not as an attachment or separate link) to a recipient.

Keep in mind that promoters can get inundated with press kits (online and otherwise) from artists who’ve done little or no research about who they’re sending to or what the gig is. This kind of artist is a huge drain on a promoter’s time and resources, because such artists all have to be reviewed and are often totally inappropriate for the gig. Trust us: You don’t want promoters to be in that group. Make it easy for promoters to tell immediately that you’re professional and genuinely a good choice for them. (more…)