THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF STOMP AND CRUSH

CDs, Radio Still Reign Supreme in Music: Who Are These People?

Some surveys come out and my first response is the people asking the questions obviously weren't talking to me or my friends. A perfect example of this is the latest survey by mobile entertainment company Myxer, which tells us that the CD still reigns supreme, the radio is the top source for music discovery and Pandora - the website designed to play music customized to your expressed taste - ranks second to last in how we find new tunes to add to our collections.

While the survey tries to tell us that things haven't changed as much as we'd like to think, we believe that the scales have tipped and the end of days are near for the old guard.


How to REALLY Get Your Music on Blogs: Defining Your Music, Your Lifestyle, and Your Fans

Music blogs have become an extremely effective medium for artists to garner positive, and sometimes career-changing exposure for musicians. Getting featured on a blog can cause significant boosts in music and ticket sales for an artist, and there are tens of thousands of new music blogs springing up each day. The potential reach for your music in the blogosphere is HUGE!

However, getting featured on blogs is a very meticulous and time-consuming process. Blog promotion can be frustrating at first, but if you are persistent and work hard at it, the benefits for your music career can be astronomical. As with anything, it’s important to have a plan before taking the leap.

When deciding to start a blog promotion campaign for your music, it is important to FIRST take a few minutes to really think hard about yourself, your music, and your fans. What makes your music so special, and different than everybody else’s? Bloggers will usually only feature music that is high quality, and that stands out from the rest of the pack.


15 Critical Marketing Mistakes
That All Musicians Need To Avoid
By Jonathan Ostrow
Musicians are entrepreneurs whether they want to believe it or not. By writing music under a band name, pen name or even just theirown name, they have effectively created a brand that must be properly marketed if it is to thrive and flourish. But there in-lies a major problem: not all musicians know anything about marketing and they will eventually make some critical mistakes that lead to the demise of their short-lived venture.


You Can't Sell a Ton of Music Online Unless..."
Working on a new book for musicians and asked people on my mailing list to email me with questions about how to make money in the music business, just to be sure that I don't miss anything. Got this...

"I really would love to learn how to sell music online and actually make money. How can I do this?"


Eminem: Drugs almost killed me

Eminem has admitted drugs almost killed him.

The rapper, who is releasing a new album, Recovery, told CNN's Marquee Blog he "feels better than ever" after going into rehab.

The star, 37, said: "It took me a while to actually admit that I had a problem. In the hip-hop world that I live in, it can be mistaken for weakness and the last thing you want to do in hip-hop is admit that you're weak."


Fat Joe: 'There Is No Age Limit In Hip-Hop'
Bronx native rapper Fat Joe was recently sat down to discuss Hip-Hop today and even commented on his relationship with Jay-Z. In an interview with VladTV.com, Fat Joe stated that he and Jay-Z have no beef, and although he has an immense respect for someone like Jay, Fat Joe doesn't see a collaboration happening.

In addition to talking about his relationship with Jay, Fat Joe goes to discuss age in the rap game and why there can't be an age limit in Hip-Hop. Fat Joe, who turns 40 this year, says it's impossible to do that. He notes that rappers like himself, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J and Jay-Z have all remarkable careers, and to limit them at 40 would be ridiculous, since its still these rappers that are making good music. Check out the full interview below:









Well, what is a good digital music strategy ?
Part 1 - Introduction and Website
Have you ever wondered how to succeed online as a music band? Hints and tips for a perfect digital musical strategy, from social networks to SEO and viral marketing. By Virginie Berger (@virberg, www.digitalmusic.tumblr.com), former head of marketing at Mypace France and now music marketer.


What does it take to earn a living with digital music?
The challenge for artists today is not simply how to earn enough money to pay the bills. Any new artist has the formidable task of rising above the noise of an intensely crowded market. Services like Last.fm and Spotify may not pay well, but can be a great way to expose new listeners to your music.

Using Lady Gaga once more as an example: Lady Gaga had her track streamed over one million times in 5 months. During that same period she also sold over 20 million paid downloads. Do you think maybe all that streaming had something to do with it?

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