The ManageMental Podcast with Blasko and Mike Mowery show

The ManageMental Podcast with Blasko and Mike Mowery

Summary: Two experienced artist managers and music industry professionals bring you their take on the modern day music business and how they mentally approach the profession of management. Join Blasko and Mike Mowery as they cover hot topics in the industry, answer fan questions, provide insight on sales numbers and showcase new music with a slant toward developing artists.

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 How To Make a Killer Press Kit | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 3033

Original Article: https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-8-things-that-should-be-in-every-band-s-digital-press-kit Today on ManageMental, Blasko and Mike answer a question from Chris, a loyal listener, and discuss an article written by their buddy Dave Cool of Bandzoogle to talk about press kits and EPK’s. You might remember Dave from Episode 55, check it out if you haven’t already. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! I have an idea for a topic to be covered on the podcast, as I haven't heard much about it and I think it would be really beneficial for anyone in the underground scene to learn more about: Press Kits Now this is another two part question, as the platforms for press kits are delivered in both physical and online forms. So the first question to you and Mike, What are you guys looking for in online press kits? Is there a model you use with the bands on your roster to fit certain criteria? The second question: I imagine you and Mike are constantly bombarded with press kits from bands looking for management. My band is currently creating physical press kits to send to both labels and management companies. Are physically shipping press kits to labels and management effective in this day and age? Do you guys even dive into packages from unknown bands anymore? If so what are things you'd like to see in physical press packs? Always a loyal listener and fan, Chris Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCJABBERJAW for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including:Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a weekBandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has you covered. www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How to Just Get Started | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1850

Here we are at Episode 60 over a year after episode 1. On that episode 1 we had no listeners, no comments on iTunes, no one writing us asking questions or sending messages of support. We had no sponsors and no guests. No one knew what this podcast was gonna be all about, nor did any of our listeners know that they should be listening to us. Over the course of the last 60 episodes we have delivered concise information, input, strategies and opinions about the music business for 30 minutes one day a week - consistently. I feel like what we have done with this show is a good example of how you should treat your band business. Just dive in. Just get started. Seth Godin is a master marketer and successful author. I won’t dig too into it, but we will post a link to his website in the show notes. In reference to a previous episode about mentors, Seth would definitely be one of mine. In a passive way of course, because I don’t know him, but I absorb his books, his blog and now his podcast. Today’s episode is inspired by one of his new episodes and directly relates to what we are talking about to all of you every week. Internally there is constant pressure to not begin. Not to take risks. There is a false narrative that if it’s not a grand slam then it’s a failure. A topic that I believe we have referenced but not specifically dived into is Kevin Kelly’s hypothesis of “1000 True Fans”. The theory here is that careers can be built and sustained with 1000 truly engaged and committed fans. When you think of the amount of people in the world, 1000 of them does not seem that daunting. A new theory to me that he touches on is called “The First 10”. The idea is that everyone knows 10 people. Share your song, album, band photo, t-shirt art, or whatever to 10 people. If they share it with more people then it will spread. If it doesn’t try a new set of 10 people. If it continues to not spread, then you are not ready. You need to go back to the drawing board. Rethink what you are trying to do and who you are trying to appeal to. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCJABBERJAW for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including:Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a weekBandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has you covered. www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Questions About Starting a Promotion and Management Company | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2135

This week Blasko and Mike take some questions about starting a promotion and management company from Tim, one of our loyal listeners that is also an aspiring manager. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! I just wanted to start off by saying thank you guys for doing the podcast shows on management mental. I really do appreciate it a lot and listen to your shows more than I even listen to music. It is a really amazing show. I am planning doing a promotion and a management company.  I just wanted to pick both of your brains. If you both don't mind doing so. I understand if you both don't have time to do it, because I know you both are busy people. I would greatly appreciate it. 1.) What is the best ways to promote a shows to get the most people to show up? 2.) How do you get on the radio to help promote shows and how do you own a radio station to help promote local shows and the bands? I figured iHeartradio and sirius xm radio. Doing podcast shows could maybe help out I'm guessing so, but I'm talking about local radio stations. What is both of your thoughts on that? 3.) How do you find a good team to help the bands improve themselves? 4.) What are the best ways to manage bands and help them grow? 5.) Once you have your bands grown in to a decide size. How do you get them on bigger shows or tours? Thank you guys very much for listening to me. I am very grateful for all the help you both are doing with the podcasts. I hope to hear you more in the future. Keep it metal and thanks again. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCJABBERJAW for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including:Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a weekBandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How To Hack the New Instagram Algorithm | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2474

This is How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2018: https://later.com/blog/how-instagram-algorithm-works/ Tip #1: Spend More Time Posting To Instagram Stories. A great “hack” to get around the algorithm is to take advantage of Instagram Stories engagement opportunities, including the polling feature or “Swipe Up” option (if you have over 10k followers). Tip #2: Keep Tabs On Your Instagram Comments. This year it will be more important than ever to stay on top of your incoming comments, especially within the first hour of posting, otherwise your posts visibility may drastically decrease. Treat Instagram comments like a conversation. Tip #3: Stop Them In Their Tracks with the Perfect Instagram Caption. If you want to beat the Instagram algorithm, crafting great Instagram captions might just be the key. If you have an engaging caption, people are more likely to actually read it or click the “more” button, which increases the time spent on your post. Tip #4: Keep Your Instagram Followers engaged. Know that videos perform well in the Instagram algorithm, since a video takes longer to consume than an image. This is also true for Instagram carousel posts with a call-to-action to “swipe” — they can keep users on your post longer. Tip #5: Build a Consistent Instagram Brand and Aesthetic. Followers are much more likely to convert into fans when they know exactly what they can expect from your feed, and continue to see the same consistent, quality content from your account. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCJABBERJAW for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including:Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a weekBandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has you covered. www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 5 Music Biz Tips from Randy Blythe | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1802

This week Blasko and Mike check out a guest post on Revolver by Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe on his top 5 tips for up-and-coming artists. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! Original Article: https://www.revolvermag.com/music/lamb-god-singer-randy-blythes-top-5-tips-aspiring-rock-stars Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe is the anti-rock-star rock star, a salt-of-the-earth punk at heart who happens to front a world-famous metal band. And yet, in that capacity he excels — hence his reputation as one of the most captivating and ferocious frontman in heavy music. Considering his status within the scene, and the dues he has put in to get to that place, we asked Blythe to give us his top five pieces of advice for those about to rock. Get a college degree. Be nice to everyone.Treat your crew with respect.Don't trash the fucking dressing room at the venue.Don't blow your money on a bunch of stupid shit like drugs and alcohol if you can help it Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCJABBERJAW for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including:Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a weekBandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How To Find A Music Career Mentor | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2780

This week Blasko and Mike talk about how to find a music career mentor. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! Hypebot Guest post by Angela Mastrogiacomo: How To Find A Music Career Mentor http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2018/02/how-to-find-a-music-career-mentor.html In the music industry, it can sometimes feel like you’re going it alone. There’s so many tasks to be done, decisions to be made, and moves to make, and oftentimes it falls on you to make it all happen. Sometimes this is due to lack of budget, but oftentimes it’s due to our need to feel in control, to handle everything in our own way. The simple truth is that you can’t be successful on your own. No one has ever reached the top without the help, influence, and guidance of others. In fact, if you ask most successful people how they got where they are, they’ll attribute a good chunk of it to a mentor who took them under their wing in the early days. Someone who helped them understand how the business worked, guided them in how to make their decisions, introduced them to others in the field, and just generally taught them what they know, so that they could focus on building, growing, and sustaining their business rather than wasting years struggling to figure it out on their own. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including:Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a weekBandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Band Marketing Basics Featuring Bandzoogle | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2420

This week Blasko and Mike sit down with Dave Cool from Bandzoogle and why websites are important to your bands marketing strategy. Today’s episode of ManageMental is powered by Rockabilia.com. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! Band Marketing Basics Original Article: https://bandzoogle.com/blog/marketing-your-band-13-essential-strategies Author: Lisa Occhino is the founder of SongwriterLink and the Director of Marketing & Communications at Soundfly. She’s also a pianist, award-winning songwriter, and graduate of Berklee College of Music. Use your email newsletter: Your email list is an incredibly valuable direct line to your most dedicated fans. You have no control over Facebook’s ever-changing News Feed algorithm, but you can always use your newsletter to reach the people who want to hear from you the most. Have a website: Investing in a great band website is one of the most important things you can do to maximize your marketing efforts. No matter how many newsletters you send out or how many Facebook ads you run, a poorly designed, outdated website — or no website at all — will hurt your credibility and give off the impression that you’re not serious about your music. When done right, your band website acts as the central hub for everything. You have full control over the user experience and the data, and you can sell your music and merch direct-to-fan. Engage your fans: As you’ve read through these strategies, you’ve probably gathered by this point that it all really boils down to this: build genuine relationships that turn your casual fans into devoted superfans, and they’ll supplement all of your efforts with the most powerful marketing of all — word of mouth. It obviously requires consistent hard work to engage and nurture your fans, but those superfans are the key to building a legitimate, long-lasting music career. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Bandzoogle.com makes it easy to build a stunning website for your music in minutes. Choose from hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, then customize your design and content in a few clicks with Bandzoogle’s easy visual editor. All the features you need for a professional website are already built-in, including: Tools to sell your music & merch commission-free, right on your websiteMailing list tools to grow your fan list and send newslettersIntegrations to pull in content from all of your online services like Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloudAnd live support from their musician-friendly team 7 days a week Bandzoogle plans start at just $8.29/month and includes your own free custom domain name.Use the promo code “mental” to get 15% off the first year of your subscription. Bandzoogle: websites built for musicians, by musicians. Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 When Is The Right Time to Begin Touring? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1636

When Is The Right Time to Begin Touring? Original Article: https://www.joinmyband.co.uk/classifieds/american-solo-artist-seeking-band-for-uk-tour-t1049842.html?sid=055fb84ca9da25fa2da3e9ac0c8ebe0c Amanda Palmer Kickstarter (referenced in episode): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amandapalmer/amanda-palmer-the-new-record-art-book-and-tour/description This week on ManageMental, Blasko and Mike talk about when it is the right time for a band to begin touring, inspired by a question from one of our loyal listeners, Javier: Hey Blasko, Loving the podcast. Been a listener for a while now, keep it rocking! Lately you've done a few episodes on helping bands, like tour etiquette, advice on a band's image, etc. So I would love to hear both yours and Mike's thoughts on the following... ~ It's an ad from a dude in the states who wants to come to the UK to do a headlining tour, and he is looking for musicians from the UK to be part of his backing band, as he does not have the resources to bring his own. He says doesn't have any money to pay the people who'll join him on his endeavour, but that he'll gladly split the door money. A quick look up of his "band" reveals that he only has 300 facebook likes, so no following = no one at the shows = no money = bust.  ~ The thing is that I see this all the time, bands from other countries come here to headline tours, as well as locals bands who go on regional or even national headlining tours, spending a small fortune, for nothing, because they end up playing empty venues. ~ I'm not an expert but it seems to me like even giving a shot at headlining out of town shows and beyond before building some sort of following locally/online is putting the horse before the cart and a sure path to burning out. ~ Am I wrong? When is the right time for a band to start touring?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and I'm sure your advice would help out many misguided people who think this is the way to go. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! --- We would like to give a big thanks to GEO 43 CORE for our first 5 star rating and positive review of 2018! Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com and http://outerloopcoaching.bigcartel.com/product/2018-coaching-intensive to sign up for the 2018 Outerloop Coaching Intensive! We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How To Avoid Common Music Biz Myths | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1850

This week Blasko and Mike dissect the Hypebot article ‘5 Myths of Making it in the Music Industry’ and chat about some music business myths that could be detrimental to your career. Tune in to hear what the dynamic duo has to say. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! In this industry it can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the information being blasted at us 24/7. Do this, don’t do that. This works, that doesn’t. It can be tough to know which advice to follow, and which to stay far away from. There are a few myths that I see bands still living by, despite any proof they actually work. Here they are: If your music is good enough, the labels/managers/festivals will find you. Labels want to see strong proof that you’re actually marketable (IE: you’ll make them money) before “taking a chance” on you, which means before they’re even remotely interested you need to have proven yourself through engaging social media pages, successful tours, fans that are willing to support you, etc. Once you’ve done all of that, then people start paying attention. I don’t need social media. Just saying that you know you’re not good at social media doesn’t make it ok. If you’re not good at it, either figure it out or hire someone to help you. I know this is tough to hear, but great music simply isn’t enough. Complaining about how it should be and neglecting the business side out of confusion or defiance won’t change that—it will only hurt your career. You can be totally DIY forever. At some point you have to stop saying “we don’t have any money” and start thinking “how do we come up with this money?” Because while you can DIY a lot of things for a long time with enough dedication, it’s eventually going to become unsustainable—especially if you don’t actually know how to do the thing that you’re trying to DIY. Your hustle should be 24/7. There is a LOT of value in having a strong work ethic, discipline, and the desire to hustle for your art, or anything else for that matter. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the most important pieces of becoming successful, is the ability to work through the tough times and have enough grit and passion that you can see past the sucky stage and to the light at the end of the tunnel. But there’s a myth in this industry that you must work 24/7 to reach your dreams, and what this so often does is not create success stories, but instead, create burnout. Suffice to say there’s a balance between hustling and working smart, and just running yourself into the ground. You can do it alone. Just knowing you’re surrounded by others who are there to help, and likewise, being someone who can help others in their time of need is what makes this industry so special. It can be so cutthroat out there, that having these little pockets of support can really make a huge difference, especially when you’re feeling lost or unclear on next steps. Having a support team, people who have your back, who want to see you succeed—it’s the most affirming feeling. People want to help you—so let them. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com. We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How To Develop Your Brand Image | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2080

This week Blasko and Mike check out an article by Bobby Owsinski and talk about developing the image of your brand. http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/12/8-steps-to-brand-development-as-an-artist.html Make sure your brand image accurately portrays your music and personality. If you’re a biker band, you probably don’t want a website that’s all pink and flowery. On the other hand, the pink works great for Katy Perry. Likewise, if you’re an EDM artist you wouldn’t want your site to show the woods and trees, although that could work well for an alt rock band from Minnesota or someone doing music for meditation. Keep it honest and simple. Don’t try to be who you’re not, it’s too hard to pull off. You are who you are and people will either love you for it or they won’t. Best to keep things simple and be honest about who and what you are and where you came from. Differentiate yourself. While it might seem tempting to proclaim that you’re just like Coldplay, that doesn’t immediately make you their equal in the eyes of the public. The fact of the matter is, there already is a Coldplay, why does the world need another one? It’s their brand, not yours. The only way that a brand can be successful is to differentiate itself from the competition. A great example is the seminal punk band The Ramones, who decided that all their songs would be as short as possible and played without solos. There must be something that makes you unique in even a small way. If you can’t find it, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. Keep the look consistent. Consistency of product and image are the key to branding. That’s why you need to use the same logo and fonts and have the same general look and feel across all your promo for it to be effective. That includes your website, press kit, blog, newsletter and all social media. Create a remarkable logo. This is a requirement if you’re planning to promote your brand. You need this for your website, social sites, merchandise, press kit, promo and on your stage during gigs.. Great photos are a necessity. You need first class photos for posters, merch, website, social networks, press kits, and a lot more if you want to build your brand. Give away samples. Learn this phrase well as you will hear it repeated frequently.Your music is your marketing.That means that you can’t look at your music as your product. It may bring in some money eventually but not all that much in the grand scheme of things. Remember that 90 to 95% of the money that a major artist earns is not from recorded music. Cool is never declared. You cannot proclaim how new and unique you are. If such a statement is in fact true, people will find out soon enough and tell the world. You can use quotes from other people, but telling the world that you think you’re cool does not make it so. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Proper Etiquette for Opening Bands | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1908

Article: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/12/etiquette-for-opening-bands.html Author: Rich Nardo. Rich is a freelance writer and editor, and is the Director of Public Relations and Creative at NGAGE. This week we are talking about the proper etiquette for opening bands. Tune in to hear more. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! 1. Headliner is King (or Queen) Whether you’re the local opener for a touring band or actually on the road with someone, the headliner will set the tone. There will be certain things that they require pre-show and you should make sure to adhere to their wishes. The less their pre-show routine is interrupted by your own, the more likely they’ll be to invite you back, especially if your performance is awesome. 2. Stick to The Schedule; You’re Part of the Team The headliner will create a schedule that works best for them. You will work your schedule around theirs. Most importantly, it’s imperative that you are on time for everything. 3. Do Your Own Promoting for the Show The more tickets sold you are responsible for, the more value you will have to the headliner. Make sure you’re looking for your own press ahead of the show, promoting on social media and getting out on the street to flyer if it’s a local show. If you bring enough people, it’ll get you noticed. Not just by the headliner, but by the promoter as well. 4. Support the Headliner Even though they’re probably further along in their career than the bands that are opening for them, a headliner is still out there touring to make new fans and create opportunities for themselves. Don’t forget to bring as much attention to them as possible. Whether it’s tagging them in your social media promotion ahead of the show or thanking them from stage and asking fans to visit their merch table, shoutouts will always be appreciated and often reciprocated. 5. Network! Network! Network! One common thread you will see in every post about optimizing a situation is networking. It doesn’t matter what industry you work in, networking is key. Whether it’s introducing yourself to the headliner, getting to know the promoter for the event or hanging out at your merch table interacting with fans, the relationships you take away from any opportunity is what’s going to be your biggest asset moving forward. We would like to give a big thanks to GEO 43 CORE for our first 5 star rating and positive review of 2018! Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com and http://outerloopcoaching.bigcartel.com/product/2018-coaching-intensive to sign up for the 2018 Outerloop Coaching Intensive! We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Should You Hire Guest Musicians | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1958

This week on ManageMental, Mike and Blasko take inspiration from one of their loyal listeners on the subject of either hiring or collaborating with guest musicians on your songs: The Question: Guest vocals. Is it worth it for underground bands to shell out big money to get reputable and well known artists to feature on tracks. It seems this is a promotional tactic that has increased in popularity over the recent years, and I'd like to hear your and Mike's input. Seeking Advice: Recently my band has contacted a few artists to feature. A few middle tier and a few household names. We got responses from two out of our list. We contacted one of them directly and he proposed 1000 USD to feature on our song. This was a higher budget than we would have liked, but entirely plausible for someone as well known as he is. We contacted the other band through their website, and got a response from their manager. We proposed  $500 and their manager proceeded to cut down our offer very aggressively. In our email chain I politely told him what we were quoted from the other band, and said sorry for wasting his time. I was met with a lengthy email professing his artists skills and more stream documents. He said he could work with his team to "Meet the Quote". Near the bottom he adds "If nothing else please consider Our Management for your future needs". This is where things get interesting, as we are an unsigned and unrepresented band. I fired an email back in my most polite form  declining his offer and asking to open up a dialogue further on representation. He responded with a list of credentials and a possible showcase in the United States for “A Summer Tour" My question to you is: Should I be concerned about this guys overall attitude? We were met with such aggression then a long list of why he's a good choice (without asking). His management company only has one band on their roster. I've asked advice from friends who are in middle tier bands, and have gotten a 50/50 on whether this is good or a pass. Did he check us out and think there is something there to work with? Or is he just flexing in hopes we cough up money to his artist. Will he represent us with the same tone he used on us? Would love to hear your input. Forever a fan and avid listener, -Chris We would like to give a big thanks to GEO 43 CORE for our first 5 star rating and positive review of 2018! Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com and http://outerloopcoaching.bigcartel.com/product/2018-coaching-intensive to sign up for the 2018 Outerloop Coaching Intensive! We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 2018 Predictions | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2460

Happy New Year! In this week’s episode, Mike and Blasko go over their Top 10 music industry predictions for 2018. Here is a brief overview of what was discussed: 1. Traditional record sales will continue to decrease. 2. Apple we begin to shut down the iTunes music store with an estimated final closure date of Jan 2019. 3. Spotify will go public. 4. VR technology will not replace the live experience. 5. Cryptocurrency will not become an overly accepted form of payment for anything music related. 6. Print on demand services will become more of a necessity. 7. More independent artists will cross over to the mainstream. 8. Streaming only record labels will begin to sign and break bands.   9. Festival attendance will level off or decrease.   10. If we are looking for different results we will need to implement different strategies.   Tune in to ManageMental to hear more!   --- Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands at www.rockabilia.com - Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com and http://outerloopcoaching.bigcartel.com/product/2018-coaching-intensive to sign up for the 2018 Outerloop Coaching Intensive! - We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com   Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop   ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How To Avoid Music Biz Scams Part 2 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2682

In last week’s episode Blasko and Mike walked you through examples of industry scams and how to avoid them, referencing the Digital Music News article How I Got 10,000 Spotify Plays For a Totally Fake Song. This week they take on a listener’s questions and concerns based on a specific scam that was mentioned last week: So I was listening to ManageMental, Episode 47, and I believe I was almost suckered into one of the scams you and Mike were talking about. So I flew out to Denver on my own dime, and met with this dude. He and his company are interested in managing us, and have told us that they can get us tours and a deal, and endorsements, and all that good stuff. They also have an in house publicist and social media manager that would be included in their offer. They want us to pay them $10K upfront as a retainer + an $800 monthly fee. They also want us to cover any expenses they incur as a result of representing us (travel, etc.). I’m skeptical as hell on one hand, but on the other, they do have a band & artist on their roster that I know of. - My questions are is this a standard practice? - Does this sound normal to you? - What do you think? Because red flags are definitely flying on my end. I’ve even attached his contract. Tune in for Blasko and Mike’s insightful comments as they pick apart the contract.  Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 How To Avoid Music Biz Scams | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2235

In this episode Blasko and Mike walk you through examples of industry scams and how to avoid them, referencing the Digital Music News article How I Got 10,000 Spotify Plays For a Totally Fake Song. Several months ago, a playlist plugging service offered popular independent musician Ari Herstand $500 for 50,000 to 100,000 plays on Spotify. Another offered him a four-month plugging campaign for $5,000. A third offered him 50,000 streams for just $150. Herstand chose that one. Herstand’s songs were quickly added to a popular user-generated playlist on Spotify. It had around 50,000 followers. It didn’t take long for Spotify to notice. The company quickly took down Herstand’s 2014 album, Brave Enough. Through his distributor, he found out that the playlist plugging service, Streamify, had likely used click farms to generate plays. While a lot of labels, promoters and such are genuinely enthusiastic and out there to help acts reach a higher level, sadly there are also a fair amount out there who exploit aspiring and even experienced musicians. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has you covered. www.outerloopcoaching.com We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to askblasko@gmail.com Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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