A few weeks ago, I threw a book launch party for my friends, Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan to celebrate the launch of their new fabulous book, “The Indie Band Survival Guide,” published by St. Martin’s Griffin here in New York, and I was honored to be interviewed and prominently featured in the PR chapter. Weighing in at 329 pages, it is jam-packed full of incredible information.

“The Indie Band Survival Guide” is a book that all artists, independent or not, need to own.

Randy & Jason are founding members of the Chicago based independent band Beatnik Turtle, and this book started out as their blog where they chronicled their personal experience releasing a whopping 18 albums, touring, building a formidable following, and writing music for film and TV. This book was not motivated by money or a desire for fame. It came from the 12 years of experience as independent artists that they achieved directly by releasing albums, and as they learned along the way, they wrote it all down. As their lessons and experiences grew, so did their blog, and because of their blog a literary agent approached them, and they got a publishing deal.

It was very hard not to write a hundred page review of this book… Randy & Jason share exactly the same philosophies and opinions about the realities of the ‘new’ music business and their insights are striking and very important to understand to stay ahead during this wild west time of the music business.

When I started Ariel Publicity in 1996 there was ONE conversation that took place at all music festivals like SXSW and in my office and anywhere you went where there were musicians present. That conversation was: “How am I going to get signed?”

The first key point this book makes is: Back in the day when getting signed was the principal goal of all artists, the entire game was all about winning over just a few key record executives in the business. Today, the rules have completely changed and this is no longer true at all. It’s now the sole responsibility of the artist to take on what an entire staff used to do, and there is a lot to take on.

This book begins by reminding artists that you don’t have to do it all alone, and that technology is wonderful and helps empower artists, “but it’s not the technology that will get your music listened to, booked, distributed, played, seen, and publicized.” It’s people. People make things happen for musicians…

Here are some highlights that struck me:

- Randy & Jason take you through the myths and realities of old-school music business versus the new music business, including how commercial radio works and why independent artists will have to spend between $20,000 and $100,000 to get commercial radio airplay

- Why signing to a major label makes no sense in this day and age

- Why networking is key and how it doesn’t have to feel icky

- How to use your fans to help you network and get the word out about you

- People who have met you or seen you play live are likely to be in the minority of people who will listen to your music now that the Internet is the number one medium for music delivery

- The importance of a good website and why just having a MySpace page is a big mistake and how to plan it soup to nuts and how to make people return to your website over and over

- A complete guide to blogging and micro-blogging and the benefits

- The ins and outs of social networking

- How to create a CD, home studio versus pro studios, everything about CD manufacturing and merchandising with a complete bulleted list, which they provide so you don’t even have to think. You just have to follow the list and get your CD released

- Copyright laws and trademark your rights to the songs and recording in a handy flow chart that breaks down every aspect, from sampling to who pays you to trademark

- Why multi-tasking is totally necessary for artists in this day and age and why having multiple income streams is what will make you money in the long run.

- The death of the big splash - The new approach for releasing albums is slow and steady wins the race

- How to get booked at clubs and house concerts, charity events, festivals, college gigs and weddings

- How to get your fans to help you get the word out

This book is an indispensable goldmine and a must-have for every independent musician’s library. No matter what level you are at in your career, you need to own this fabulous book, The Indie Band Survival Guide.

Here is a free preview on their website: http://indiebandsurvivalguide.com

Don’t miss out on a chance to change your music career for $14.95 - buy this book today!

Amazon Link:
http://tinyurl.com/indieband

Check out photos from the release party on Flickr!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arielpublicitypr/

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http://www.bounceradio.net

http://www.digivegas.com

Q: How long have you been broadcasting?

A: I’ve been broadcasting off and on for the past 20 years. I started at my college radio station in the late 80’s, then earning a BA in Radio, Television and Film. Since then I have worked in various capacities at radio stations, TV stations, recording studios, running live sound for musical theatre, corporate events and live music (my favorite of the three). I started podcasting in early 1996 with my show DigiVegas. (That’s where I got the name “Paulie Podcaster”) I started at bounce Radio in May of this year as a DJ, became Indie Music Director in July, and Program Director in late August.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A: First, the instruments have to be in tune, and vocals have to be on key. I can’t tell you how many tracks I’ve rejected because the vocals are off key. It amazes me that people can’t, or refuse to, hear it, whether they are the vocalist, or involved in the musical project in some other way. You’re not doing the band any favors by telling the vocalist that he/she is on key when they are not. You’re wasting everyone’s valuable time and money.

Secondly, the song has to sound like it’s coming from the heart of the performer, not the head. I want to hear emotion, I want to hear the artist reaching out to me on that level. I don’t really want to hear calculated logic. If you simply must put your political or religious beliefs, or whatever, into song, give it to me on an emotional level. Tell me a little story about how it affects you emotionally.

Thirdly, no gratuitous language, sexism, violence, misogyny, etc. That’s my own personal opinion that does find it’s way into how I produce my show and program the station. I have a feeling I may not bee the only producer/programmer who feels this way.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: I’ve always been a big fan of indie music, regardless of style or genre. I’ve always been a big fan of the underdog, the unsung hero. I get a kick out of finding some really cool band or song that no one else has heard of yet. I like to be the one to give it to people first, and even gloat a little bit when everyone else jumps on the bandwagon (”I was listening to these guys way back when…”. Either that, or I just don’t like being spoon-fed the music, being told by some corporation what I’m supposed to like simply because they say so.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have effected you most?

A: The biggest thing to affect me is reading in the news about how certain private citizens have been prosecuted for having a few “illegal” mp3’s on their hard drives. Remember that one where the mother was facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines and maybe even a prison sentence because her kids downloaded some “illegal” mp3’s? “It was her computer, she should have known and controlled what was going on with it” was the prosecutor’s argument. That’s complete B.S. IMHO. Lighten up people. Yes, piracy is wrong, and every artist should get paid for every copy of their work that’s made, but come on. Go after the right people.

I make sure I cover my behind… legally, that is. Bounce Radio is a fully licensed station and essentially, we can play anything we want. As far as the podcast is concerned, I have to be very careful to attain the artists’ permission before I play anything. I rely on services like Ariel, Podsafe Music Network, and even the direct, written permission of the artist before I play anything on my podcast. It’s one of the reasons I do an interview show. I highly doubt someone will turn on me and say they never consented to have their music on my show when they consented to an interview and sent me their tracks to play.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts have the same power?

A: No. I might say that if this were 2005 or 2006. I feel as if podcasts run the risk of going the way of 8 track and cassette tapes if we’re not careful. I quickly discovered, after producing my own podcast for only a few months, that unless you were one of the fortunate ones who got in on it on the ground floor, like Adam Curry, Fr. Roderick, or C. C. Chapman, you were facing an uphill climb to get your podcast noticed. All too quickly, everybody and their brother was producing a podcast. There are now thousands and thousands of podcasts starting up, and fading, every day, offering a huge variety of content. It’s extremely difficult being a podcaster trying to stand out as a gem in a giant bin full of junk. It’s extremely difficult for the consumer these days to sort through all these podcasts to figure out what suits them. All too often they swing and miss, and get something of low quality, or content that doesn’t measure up to their tastes or standards.

Think about it, it takes time and effort to download a podcast. How likely is someone to take a chance on one they have never heard of before? After a few sessions of fruitless searches they give up on podcasting all together. That, I think, is causing podcasting to be passed over as a legitimate, viable, first tier medium. Sure, they will always be here, and they do serve their purpose, but I think they have quickly taken a back seat to more timely and immediate mediums such as streaming media, blogs, social networking sites, etc.

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I am delighted to re-post Charlie’s post on me at Well Rounded Radio!  He is featuring an interview we did together back in February at my office and his podcast has been one of my favorites to listen to for years now so I was very flattered…  Take a listen and please sign up for Charlie’s wonderful podcast.  He will be including many more music industry profiles in the future for artists who are interesed in hearing about the state of the “new” music Business - Thanks Charlie!

From Well Rounded Radio Post:

http://www.wellroundedradio.net/episodes/2008/09/arielpublicity.html#more

Thanks again to everyone who took our recent online survey. I learned some great information about who is listening to the show, what you like and what you’d like to hear more of. I was especially surprised to learn from the group that responded that 57% of you identified yourselves as musicians.

I have had fun doing interviews with music industry thought leaders in recent years as it’s obvious that the music business is in a great deal of flux for both musicians and music fans. Truthfully, though, I haven’t heard or read many good interviews about these changes. If you go to music conferences or subscribe to things like the Pho list you get to be on the inside of all these changes, but otherwise, it’s a classic case of being shut out of ideas that are advancing around you.

I hadn’t realized that musicians are tuning in to Well-Rounded Radio as an educational outlet, but that does seem to be the case and this episode, with an interview with Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity, it’s a perfect case of providing some additional insight that I think can be very helpful to musicians.

As Hyatt explains in the interview, she started out doing traditional publicity in the music business, but realized that the world of music marketing was changing and so her own agency changed with it.

Ariel Publicity helps artists and labels get their music in front of the growing legion of citizen journalists or prosumers, as folks like me have started to be called, who are creating text, audio, and video for others to access via the Web.

Hyatt and her team also help to educate musicians through various online and in-person boot camp sessions and seminars and they’re helping to connect independent musicians with independent media outlets like Well-Rounded Radio.

At the same time, music fans are discovering music in a wide range of new ways, from podcasts and audio blogs to recommendation engines, streaming stations, and mobile devices to simply speeding up the word of mouth process that have always happened, but now is happening faster and globally with new technologies.

As print publications cease production, terrestrial and satellite radio tries to evolve, and more people around the world start using these technologies as a matter of course, how will we each discover our next favorite band? I have heard the story again and again how music fans who used to simply listen to what was in the charts or featured on the cover of music magazines now are finding they listen to very little mainstream music and are finding all kinds of niches online that take their curiosity in new directions. The idea behind the Long Tail is very much changing what we consume.

This episode features a number of artists that Ariel Publicity has worked with over the last year or two. You can find links to their web sites below.

I met with Hyatt at her office in mid-town Manhattan back in February to discuss:

* how the agency came to be born and her own experience leading up to it
* some myths about the old music guard that need to be shattered
* how musicians can be smarter and strategic about using social media to advance their careers

If you enjoy this interview, be sure to listen to other interviews I have done with music industry thought leaders. Tell me who else you’d like me to interview and I’ll do my best to get them on the show.

Music featured in the show includes:

1) Le Rug: Gloss (Bleenex) (in preview)
2) Fiskum: The Crossing (Darkness/Fire/Dancing)
3) Kaliopi: Naked (Around the World)
4) Kito Peters: CEO (Stories)
5) Booze Monkey: Solitaire (The Old Way)
6) N Side: Bad Manners (Just a Broke Brotha’ Trying to to Come Up!)
7) Howard Britz: Scatterbug
Dudley Saunders: Take Me Back Home Again
9) Sarah VonDerhaar: It’s Not the First Time
10) Animate Objects: Clive (Riding in Fast Cars with Your Momma)
11) Black Fortress of Opium: Dulcet TV (Black Fortress of Opium)
12) Blood Red Sun: Pray for Rain (A Nation of Saviors)
13) Inga Swearingen: Black Crow
14) The Callen Sisters: Wake Up
15) I/O/I: Compass (I/O/I)
16) Michael Wolff: Solar
17) Yahweh’s People: Oh My Lord (Yahweh’s People)

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I just completed the 5-day World’s Greatest Marketing Seminar in California and it was an amazing amount of information condensed into 5 jam-packed days of fantastic information. While I was on my way back to New York I had an hour long conversation with Derek Sivers about marketing for Independent Musicians…

Mobile post sent by ArielCyberPR using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

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The #1 Technique to Swiftly Increase Your Fanbase
 

The number one problem I encounter time and time again with musicians is: Creating music comes naturally. Marketing, self-promotion and business do not. Bands want to focus solely on creating music and I speak to many artists who flat out refuse to do more than the bare minimum amount of marketing. The problem is they are not having the same amount of success as my artists who spend time focusing on growing their fanbase and communicating with them regularly.
 

Content may be King. But, Marketing is Queen
 

There is no one coming to rescue you from the downward spiral that the industry is facing at this very moment.  It is up to you to empower yourself to succeed. In this issue of Sound Advice I will give away the #1 secret I have seen that really works for meaningfully building a fanbase.
 

This issue is a long one because I wanted to tell the story that prompted it - to skip to the meat of this article and learn my #1 technique for building your fanbase, scroll down to the section that says: 1% OF EVERY LIST BUYS
 

THE BACKSTORY: THE BAND WHO CAME TO MY OFFICE LAST WEEK
 

Last week, a client (whose band name will remain unnamed) who I have been working with for more than 4 months wanted to take a meeting to go over the progress of their CYBER PR campaign. Four months ago they came in and I explained my theory of how to combine social networking with fan building and Internet marketing to make more fans - and in the long run, more money. They sat through the meeting and they took notes and went away with a laundry list of things to do in conjunction with their campaign.
 

Fast forward to now, and we were having almost the exact same conversation.  Again, I explained the ways they can improve their online reach. I showed them all the sites and techniques. I swivel my chair around and there they are they staring at me blank-faced and cross-eyed from the amount of information I’ve just bombarded them with.
 

Musician: “So now that we have a new album coming out, how can we get some real traction for it?”
Me: “So, you just spent hard earned money on four months worth of a campaign with me and you did not implement any of the key points and advice?”
 

I wanted to grab them by the shoulders and shake them: Why did you hire me?  Why did you sign up and spend money on a campaign that you did not put any work into? Instead, I took a deep breath.
 

They sheepishly admit that they’ve checked out all of the advice that I’ve given them, but they have not actually followed any of it.
 

Musician: “We spend our time thinking about song structure and lyric writing.”
Me (exasperated): “I know you do, but now you need to focus on expanding your fanbase. So, How many people are on your mailing list?”
Musician: “300.”
 

I have just discovered this bands #1 problem, and  I am pretty sure that their website is at the root.
 

Me: “Let’s go look at your website”
 

THE BAD NEWS ABOUT MAKING AN IMPACT AS A MUSICIAN IN 2008: MEANINGFUL FANBASE BUILDING TAKES TIME
 

Building a community of fans to rally around you and support you and interacting with them in a meaningful and connected way is both labor intensive and time consuming.
 

In fan building and social media (much like in the music business) you cannot jump to the front of the line. To make it today as a musician (I don’t care if you are independent and totally DIY or signed to a major label) you must focus on building your fan base.
 

This band is in a great position and has received more attention than many independent artists.  Their song has recently been featured as the theme song for a popular TV series and they are prominently featured in the credits. As a result, they are getting a good amount of traffic to their website, approx. 100 people a day.
 

I log onto their website and here is what I see: the top one third of the screen (which is the most important real estate on any website) is the name of the band and their logo in very large letters. Below that was a quote from Jimi Hendrix.
 

I scroll down to the next 1/3 of the page and below the Hendrix quote it finally says that their song is featured on the TV series.
 

Me: “Where can I sign up for your mailing list and how can I get this song?”
Band: ” Keep scrolling down.”
 

I scroll down and finally see a link to their MySpace page where the hit song is available for streaming. I keep scrolling and I can finally see the tiny box that says: Sign Up For Our Mailing List.
 

Me: “Why is there a quote from Jimi Hendrix?”
Band: “Because we love Hendrix and we think it looks cool.”
 

Here is how this band was totally ripping themselves off and the way they can totally turn this around to swiftly build a larger newsletter list - and subsequently a larger fanbase).
 

One hundred people coming to their site each day is a lot of potential new fans.  The problem is each visitor was going straight to the link to the song they were interested in, streaming it from MySpace and going away never to return again.
 

This band was not taking advantage of their situation at all because the moment an interested potential fan landed on their site they were looking at a huge logo and a quote from Hendrix; neither of these two things address what a visitor wants when he comes to a website. People are totally self-motivated. When a visitor comes to any website he is thinking one thing: What’s in it for ME?
 

Problem: The band was wasting prime real estate (the top 1/3 of their home page) and there was nothing in it for the fan who was clearly visiting the site to find the song from the TV series.
 

According to a Google study the average visitor will spend 3.5 seconds on your website before they click away so you MUST capture them quickly and offer them something!
 

If this band had announced at the very top of the website: “Hey! Enter your email address here and get a free MP3 of our new hit song from the TV show!” They would have instantly satisfied the fan by answering the ‘What’s in it for me”‘ question AND they would have been setting themselves up for the #1 most effective way I know for building a fanbase which is the first step towards making more money: Building Your Email List And Sending Effective Newsletters.
 

1% OF EVERY LIST BUYS
 

Statistically speaking, 1-3% of people off of any random mailing list will buy what you have to offer them.  So if you and I created an email list right now and offered a widget for sale to 1,000 people, between 10 and 30 would actually buy it.
 

So, if my band had an average list , out of 300, between  3 and 9 of them would purchase an album or a single or an offering of some sort.  This is not great news for them considering they would like to sell their new album to their fans.
 

The average percentage rate increases when you have rapport with your list and you communicate with them regularly and consistently. The list begins to know and trust you, and then feel more comfortable buying from you.
 

MEASURING RESPONSE IS CRUCIAL
 

Many artists rely on Facebook blasts and MySpace bulletins, which is a fine way to communicate with your fans. The problem with this is you don’t know what your open rates are.  In other words, you don’t know how many people are actually reading your e-mails. I love many Web-based applications, and I strongly recommend that you use them.  However, being in control of your own e-mail list lets you control the message and the money.  If MySpace shuts down and Facebook changes their rules overnight, you won’t lose your precious contacts because you will be in control.
 

EMAIL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE KEY
 

A critical key to newsletters is, you must have an e-mail management system that tracks and measures results.  If you are still using your regular email program by BCC’ing people, I beg you to stop now.
 

I suggest using ReverbNation’s free e-mail management program, which provides tracking. For a more customized experience I recommend bandletter.com. This is a service that I created with my business partner, Kevin. He will hold your hand through the entire process of creating your newsletter. He will also send it out for you, clean up the bad emails that bounce back, and remind you when to send out your communications. BandLetter is $29.97 a month and Kevin will design a beautiful newsletter that matches the look and feel of your website. I also like: Constant Contact and Aweber (these also cost approx $30 a month).
 

HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR NEWSLETTERS
 

Once you have the email management program in place and you have imported your email address into it it’s time to write your newsletter. Here is how to do it so that you will engage your fans:
 

THE SUBJECT LINE
 

Keep your subject line short and sweet.  Studies show that including the reader’s first name in the subject line grabs their attention and increases your open rate.  There are many e-mail management programs like that can very easily insert first names right into the message.
 

THE BODY OF THE NEWSLETTER
 

PART 1: THE GREETING

You want to have something upbeat and a quick sentence or two that is relatable, short and sweet.  Your subject line should be no more than 55 characters so people can read it without clicking. Here are some captivating words that will work:
 

Join me for…
 

Find out how…
 

(First name here), did you know that…
 

Subject lines like this will pique interest.
 

PART 2: TELL THE READER WHAT TO EXPECT

It’s a very good idea to let the reader know what will be included in each newsletter. So, if someone wants to only read the part that is interesting to him he knows where it will appear.
 

I structure my Sound Advice ezine newsletters like this:
 

1. First, I write: In This Issue:
2. I start with a quick summary of what I have been up to or some quick news (a few sentences).
3. The article’s topic with the title, which is the feature of my newsletter.
4. Where is Ariel? - This is where I list my upcoming engagements and invite people to join me for events and conferences.
5. A call to action, such as join me on Twitter, or Facebook buy my Music Success in 9 Weeks book, attend a conference, etc.
 

Here’s an example from a past Sound Advice:
 

In This Issue:
 

1. Update from New York City - Finally getting warm!
2. Where’s Ariel? Come Celebrate My Birthday with me in St. Louis!
3. Now Is Gone - A book every self-promoting musician should read!
4. Join me on Flickr!
 

PART 3: THE BODY OF THE NEWSLETTER  = THE MEAT

TELL A STORY & HOOK THEM IN
 

The body of your newsletter is where you have a chance to shine and an opportunity to be totally different from the pack.  Most bands make the mistake of just pimping themselves out on their newsletters - HEY FAN BUY MY STUFF!  This is NOT the way to make people feel closer to you.
 

Some ideas are:
 

1. Notes from the road
 

2. Stories from the studio
 

3. Writing your next record - The process of writing new songs
 

4. Your vacation, your kids, your pets
 

5. Your day job. What you do when you are not making music
 

6. Reviews of bands you like
 

7. Topical: the election, the environment, etc.
 

The key here is to create something that will help your fans connect to you in a deeper way. People love stories so make it story-focused.
 

TIP: Keep gig lists short.  If you have a long list of upcoming gigs, you don’t want it to take up the whole newsletter.  Have a list of cities and dates and link to a full show list on your website or your MySpace. Use the ReverbNation show widget that lists all the show details that your fans can click to.
 

TIP: If you have a long article or thought stream, include just part of it in the newsletter and link to a website or blog where you include the remainder of the piece.
 

CALL TO ACTION:

At the bottom of your e-mail is a call to action. This is something that engages your reader to take action. For example:
 

1. Join me on MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, Utterz, or other social networking sites
 

2. Sign a friend up to my e-mail list and receive a special bonus
 

3. Vote for me on a website for a contest
 

4. Leave a comment on a site, via e-mail, on a blog etc.
 

TIP: Another great call to action is to use your newsletter to create an excuse to personally connect with your fans.  Invite them to a bar, to another artist’s show, or for a game of pick-up football in the park.  Something your fans will like, and in an environment where you can connect with them.
 

By closing your newsletter with a call to action, you are actually encouraging your fans to be closer to you. This allows them to become involved very easily and doesn’t leave your reader cold with the e-mail abruptly ending.
 

I hope these newsletter tips have helped. I would love to see yours - feel free to sign me up to your list at: Ariel@ArielPublicity.com and to get in touch with Kevin from BandLetter contact him at Kevin@BandLetter.com
 

BONUS: For my 5 top techniques for building your newsletter list please read this article http://arielpublicity.com/blog/archives/85

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http://www.mevio.com
 

As the premier social media community, Mevio is the only network providing single-click access to the best in new media in audio, video, podcasts, and music to be delivered to your computer, iPod, mobile device, or television.
 

Q: What is the background story of how Mevio came along?
 

A: Mevio was originally Podshow. The company was founded by former MTV VJ Adam Curry and his business partner Ron Bloom.
 

In 2004 Adam had been messing around with audio blogging, before the term podcasting existed. He and Dave Winer were experimenting with adding enclosures to rss feeds and podcasting was born. Soon, podcasters were starting shows and shortly after, Podshow was started. They signed some of the early producers including my show (The Rock and Roll Geek Show), Dawn and Drew, Yeast Radio and some others.
 

Back then, people were playing whatever music they wanted on their shows. Then people started getting worried that the RIAA may not like that so Adam and some other creative minds started a place for bands who actually wanted to be heard on podcasts to post their music and The Podsafe Music Network was born. Shortly after, Adam and Ron asked me to quit my job as a house painter and work with artists on the network. 4 years later, it is THE place for bands, record labels and content creators to connect.
 

Q: What do you see the future of Mevio being?
 

A: I can’t speak for the entire company, since I only work on the music network but my goal is to have every record label, band and aritst on the network. I want independent content creators to have as much power in the music business as radio stations had in the good old days. It is my dream to have back catalog available to podcasters. I can’t speak for everyone but as a content creator, I want to play not only up and coming independent artists but also bands that were a part of the soundtrack of my life.
 

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?
 

A: I am partial to 70’s rock and punk because that is what I grew up listening to. My favorite bands are still Cheap Trick, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Ramones and Joan Jett.
 

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have affected you most?

A: When I reach out to some of the major labels to try to get their artists on the Podsafe Music Network, some of them still think that posting an mp3 on a website is piracy. The indies have been posting mp3s on their own websites for a few years not but the majors are a little harder to convince. That being said, the majors are now starting new media departments so there may still be hope for the dinosaurs.
 

The Podsafe Music Network now deals with some of the largest digital music distributors and independent labels in the world and I am really proud of that.
 

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts has the same power?
 

A: I think the labels are slowly realizing that by releasing a song from their artists to blogs and podcasts does more good than harm and can actually help break a band. For example, last year, there was a band from Australia called Airbourne. No one in the US or Europe had ever heard of them. I started playing them on The Rock and Roll Geek Show and listeners seemed to really like them. They emailed the band and let them know they discovered them from my show. Soon after that, got a CD from the band’s management and offered an interview with the band. I interviewed the band and continued to sing their praises. Now that band has taken the country by storm and has released one of the best selling independent hard rock records this year.

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Podcamp Philly ‘08 was a blast this year. For those who are unaware of Podcamp, it is a BarCamp-style UnConference dedicated to podcasting, blogging, video blogging and all things New Media. This year Podcamp Philly was held on the wonderful campus of Temple University. I attended on behalf of Cyber PR. The day was quite dreary due to Hurrican Hanna, but nonetheless there were some excellent panels in store throughout the two-day conference. This year’s sessions focused a lot on emerging social networking sites such as Twitter & Plurk, and how they can be used as a business tool for companies. There was also an emphasis on building social communities, and podcasters were able to learn the basics and necessary tools they would need to begin their podcasts.

I was able to meet tons of awesome new podcasters. As well as those that we already work with everyday; we finally had the chance to meet face to face! This year we also held our Music & Podcasting Panel. It was a hit! We brought along two of our artists as well - KaiserCartel and Jim Boggia - who held musical performances at Podcamp. We would like to thank Jersey Todd, Jeff Hinz, Walt Ribiero, Mathew Ebel, Rob Blatt, KaiserCartel, and Jim Boggia for participating in the panel with us this year!

All photos from Podcamp Philly 08 can be found on our Flickr site at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arielpublicitypr

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From the Las Vegas airport - a quick wrap up of my first NME - I met a lot of great people who I feel like I already knew from being a podcast junkie…  

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http://www.accidenthash.com
http://www.myspace.com/accidenthash
 

Boston based Accident Hash is the premiere independent music podcast to find the best mix in podsafe music. If you’ve never listened to a podcast it’s simple an MP3 file that you can listen to anytime you want. Accident Hash is usually a half hour of talk and music.
 

Q: Boston music listeners have been known to be a little finicky when it comes to their music – backtrack to the Run DMC remix of “Walk This Way” scandal which was originally by Aerosmith. What do you think Boston listeners want to hear and why?
 

A: I don’t see this as just a Boston thing. Music fans are passionate about what they listen to and love and are not afraid to tell anyone about it. Most music fans want to hear the latest track by the favorite band and to discover new tunes that fit into that which they love. A fan in one area of the country is not that different then another in my mind. It is all about the love of music.
 

Q: Why do you podcast? And do you think it’s a good idea for artists to invest energy in promoting their music via podcasting networks?
 

A: I always liked being the guy who found a new song and had to tell everyone about it. Podcasting gave me an outlet where I could do that on a global scale and that excited me. From the first one up to today, every time an artist or fan drops me an e-mail excited over a track I played I get a renewed energy to keep doing what I’ve been doing for almost 4 years.
 

Artists should certainly invest energy into promoting their music on any channel that allows them more exposure and podcasting is a great tool for this. By making a track(s) available on sites such as the PodSafe Music Network, IODA or others it opens up the possibility of being heard by people that might not find them in any other way. This doesn’t mean that they can just upload a track and then do nothing. They still have to actively promote themselves either on their own or through a company or individual working on their behalf. Sure, luck plays a little bit into it, but hard work is not replaceable.
 

Q: What, personally, is your favorite genre to play?
 

A: I LOVE it when a hard rocking band strips it down and plays a loud track acousticly. I always loved MTV Unplugged when it was on beause you could instantly tell the real artists from the people who only sounded good in a studio. I’m a sucker for a solid acoustic track. If not that, then anything that I can put the top down and crank as I fly down the high way gets me going.
 

Q: What other social media ventures do you have besides podcasting?
 

A: I co-founded a digital marketing agency called The Advance Guard in 2007 that focuses on building marketing programs using emerging technologies so it is crucial that I at least have a foot in whatever the cool new pool at the moment is so that I can understand it for my clients. I’ve also been blogger for just over 6 years now and I’m an avid photographer and lover of Flickr.
 

Q: Your pretty big on twittering. How do you feel Twitter has helped your podcast?
 

A: Twitter allows me to stay connected to fans, bands and to meet new people that I can introduce my podcasts to. Besides Accident Hash I also do a new media focused one called Managing the Gray and a lot of my target audience for that show uses Twitter as well.

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One of the main reasons I went to L.A. was to see a band that is very near and dear to my heart - The Dave Matthews Band who I began to follow back in 1993 when I was working in my first job in the music business at What Are Records? representing The Samples. Back then The Dave Matthews used to open for The Samples and I watched his meteoric rise up through the ranks of the music scene from the front row of dozens of shows.
 

I have gotten a lot of flack for loving this band and people really have a visceral reaction to them but that is not what I want to talk about in this post. So, for those of you who are judging me for my music taste please stop now.
 

As I was standing in the Staples Center on the first night of shows Dave Matthews came out on the stage and after playing one song seemed overly talkative and the band looked weary and tired on the big screens. Then he announced the sad news that LeRoi Moore - a founding member of the band who played Saxophone, pennywhistle and has passed away that very day.
 

There was a collective gasp from the audience and I stood there with many stunned people, and they and played the most bittersweet set that I have ever seen them play (and I have seen them many many times). Dave played all of Rois favorites.
 

What’s The Lesson?
 

Do what you love with passion - this life we have is short and sweet and you never know what a day will bring.
 

I was in the Fox Theatre in Boulder the night Dave Matthews found out that his sister had passed away and when I see them play I am reminded of my personal experience as a young person who moved to Colorado because I was totally inspired by the music scene there and because the only thing I wanted in my life was to live in that community of talented musicians.
 

Watching one of the most successful bands on the touring scene today move through their own shock and grief was moving and inspiring and sad and incredible and I am so happy I was there to cheer and to cry and to support them. And Dave spoke many times throughout that night and the next about how thankful the band was to have fans and how blessed they were to share a stage with LeRoi and I was again reminded that no musician can succeed without a community no matter how huge they get, how commercial their music is , no matter how much money they make and no matter where life takes them.
 

I’ll leave you with a moving story Dave told about Roi’s pennywhistles:
 

On a trip to South Africa, a South African musician the band was friends with gave Roi 2 of his old penny whistles to play (I imagine they must have played together) and Roi returned the favor by sending this musician a full beautiful set of brand new Pennywhistles to play.
 

That musician passed on last year but Dave received a note from their mutual friend saying that another band was using the penny whistles and the sentiment is the people who make the music may pass on but the music lives on in some form or fashion… So Rest In Peace LeRoi Moore and thank you for being a square on the quilt that makes up my life. You brought me joy at the Fox Theatre, at Red Rocks, at Madison Square Garden and at dozens of places in between. Thank you for making your music.
 

- Ariel Hyatt