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6 Sure-Fire Ideas To Keep Your Album Buzzing Beyond Your Album Release Party



This blog post was inspired by content from Greg Rollett that examines the dreaded album release musician curve. This dreaded album release musician curve or drop off will occur yet we speed up the process by neglecting what we did pre-album launch.

I found the video to be quite interesting and informative (the video is now set to private). As artists we always think about the pre-album launch. Artists rarely think about the post album release strategy. Greg Rollett expounds on this dilemma with this statement:
You see, the thing that always happens is that you focus all of your attention and efforts on generating buzz for the day your album comes out. Then you have a good few days or maybe even a good few weeks, but eventually (and usually suddenly) the sales and the buzz just stops and fans are "on to the next one."
Musicthinktank suggests that your album release show is just the very beginning. With your music, you need to branch out. How often are you going to make videos? Are you creating relationships with music bloggers? What percentage of your CDs are promotional (free in business speak)?

This blog post serves as a solution to a problem that a lot of artists deal with. Below you will find 6 sure-fire ideas to keep your album buzzing beyond your album release date.

1. Live Shows

"I get a lot of inspiration from the audience feedback to our live shows." - Donnie Iris

Live Shows should be the lifeblood of your post album release campaign. Live Shows give you the opportunity to perform in front of fans plus it breeds a sense of intimacy. The issue that a lot of indie artists come across is name recognition (Major artists do not have this issue because it's expected that their name alone will draw people). If the promoter doesn't know you then you are out of luck. An artist without name recognition will not be an effective draw because promoters assume that you have no fans. What is an indie artist to do?

An indie artist could always engage in the promoter driven pay for play situation. Artists should take advantage of technology and get in front of their fans via video streaming sites. uStream, Google Hangouts, YouTube, and more are video streaming sites that can be viewed via the net. There is still an interactive element at work. You can still sell CDs and digital files by using carefully crafted calls to action. All in all nothing beats the live show atmosphere. As an indie artist you have to take advantage of the resources that you have. Be creative and think outside of your limitations.

2. Contact Press for Review or Interviews

"You can avoid the press if you really want to and I don't walk around with five security guards either because I think that just draws attention." - Rod Stewart

Greg Rollett suggests that we should "keep the press happy." Keeping the press happy requires a little time and energy in terms of reaching out and emailing media contacts. You want to seek press that you can continue to plug. Interviews and reviews are great ways to keep your album buzzing because it is reusable content. Meaning, an interview or review will never get old, you can always share this content with your fans.

Interviews and reviews should be spaced out AFTER your post album release to keep your album buzzing. Interviews give you the opportunity to bare your soul. Reviews, whether good or bad, shows that someone likes your material enough to review it. You have already reached out to the blogs for singles and videos during the pre-album stage. Now you have the opportunity to contact them and see if they are interested in interviewing you or reviewing you.

3. Videos

"Anytime I shoot a video, I just think of anything I can do to set myself apart from everybody in the music industry." - Ludacris

Videos are great because they are easy to share. Last year I crafted a blog post that focused on 5 Ways to Utilize Video As A Recording Artist. There are a variety of options, you can record a typical music video a la New York rapper, Ka (who released a video for every song off of Grief Pedigree...talk about sustaining a buzz). You can release a lyric video, a live performance video, track by track information based videos, and even the tired and true album cover method. The key revolves around "spacing out your visual content." Remember to balance your content (it is better to back load your promotional campaign then front load it).

4. Remix Opportunities

"I remixed a remix, it was back to normal." - Mitch Hedberg

Remixes provide another opportunity to sustain the life of your project.

Greg Rollett stated that "the goal is not to be continually launching product, the goal is to have consistent sales over a long period of time." The previous statement focuses on the power of innovating current content to achieve sales or targeted download numbers.

In March 2013, I decided to create a blog post dedicated to the remixes from Professional Hobbyist. Initially, I had no knowledge that I was sustaining the life of the project. Producers took the time to remix the material, then they shared it with their fans (thus exposing them to the original project as well).

You can do the same thing and receive similar success. You could release instrumentals from a project. You could also actually release a brand new song with features over the original beat (think old school remixes).

If you want to take it up a notch you could post 3-5 remixes and have your fans decide which one they like the best. Fan interaction is key because it shows that you value your their opinion and their voice matters.

5. Online Radio Play

"Ain't nobody making music to not be heard and the easiest way to be heard is to be on the radio, but you should never compromise who you are, your values or your morals." - Talib Kweli

You can also keep your album buzzing by submitting your music to online radio stations or podcasts. These resources usually have a built in fanbase which increases your chances at acquiring new fans. I put together a lovely directory of online radio stations that are guaranteed to play your music.

Of course you should remember to submit edited versions of your music due to FCC regulations.

6. Contests

"Been winning so many years and the future is bright Now it's very clear. That we gon' be rich forever and ever and ever...." - John Legend

Holding contests is another brilliant way to sustain album buzz. Contests are awesome because they are usually fan focused and facilitate interaction. Contests also give your fans the opportunity to share the contest with their friends. Fan submitted content is also a great way to prevent a drop off. You could ask your fans to submit artwork for the next single and offer the winner a free copy of the album plus agree to use the artwork for the single.



The goal is to continue to promote your project long after your album release party. If you incorporate these ideas I promise you success. Take pride in your project and post it until the drop off occurs.

Please SHARE this information if you find it valuable. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your comments.

Can you think of some other ideas to keep your album buzzing beyond the album release party?

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