Help: What goes into a promo package?

Subject: What goes into a promo package?
From: Knappo
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 12:49 PM

Hi folks, What is recommended to go into a promo package? And how should it be packaged? My group (a trio) is looking at the local level not nationwide gigs. You might call us serious amatures, we all have full time jobs, yet we still want to promote ourselves as best we can. What do you do? Thank you in advance, Tom

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Cappuccino
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 01:00 PM

Might I ask - promoting to whom, to what kind of market, and geographically where?

Not meaning to be picky - serious question.

All the best - Ian B

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Knappo
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 02:21 PM

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: swirlygirl
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 02:22 PM

Chocolate cake...always works...

:)

xxx

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Knappo
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 02:26 PM

Ian B; Yes, right...This would be to small clubs or resturant/bar venues in the local area; mid-size town in Connecticut. Tom

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Bardford
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 02:34 PM

Knappo- Try this:

Building a Press kit for Your Band

Also, check

Alan Rowoth's Tutorial Page for music business-related info.

Cheers, Bardford

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Knappo
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 03:30 PM

Thanks very much Bardford. Lots of great information! Cheers, Tom

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 04:16 PM

Several years ago my then girlfriend asked me to help her and a friend stuff envelopes. The friend, Abbe Anderson, had a new CD out and needed help assembling the promo packages. We were stuffing envelopes for every radio station in the area as well as a few folk festivals and other media producers. We included the CD, her bio and CD list, a few enthusiastic endorsements, and a little chocolate candy (turtles). I don't think it did her any good. Have any of YOU ever heard her? She is well worth the listen but a chocolate in a promo package doesn't guarantee air play.

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 17 Jan 02 - 10:54 PM

The best promo package I ever got at the radio station was from a fiddler who included a 'wee dram' in his promo. How could the engineer and I drink his booze and NOT give him some airplay? Folk Payola!

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: SeanM
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 12:49 AM

Weird... those links don't work for me now, but considering I had to use a cached copy of the 'cat to get in, I think it's an ISP problem.

Keeping in mind that whatever I'm about to say is likely duplicated...

Things I would include in a publicity/promo packet:

Photo of the band. It makes you seem more 'real', and sometimes a venue will book on appearance in hopes that you match what they think you should sound like.

Any reviews from previous shows. Hopefully complementary ones. People are happier booking a known performer than a completely new act.

Bios of the band. This can help both with gigs and with coverage. Some venues want to book local talent. Plus, area newspapers will be MUCH more inclined to cover a 'local phenom' than some group of unknown out of towners.

Cover letter. This can be the most important, or the least. Depends on your band and on the atmosphere you're promoting in. Think of it as the first interview - your chance to state why you're doing what you're doing and why the reader should give a damn. It can set the tone - if you're very much into the tradition and the history you can make that quite clear. If you're a bar/party band, you can also make that clear.

Depending on what you're sending, who you're sending it to, your previous history in the area etc., there are other things: demos, references, history of the band what have you.

My other advice would be to NOT wed yourself to one packet. Think of ANY possible uses you would have for your promo kit and plan for them. Usually it's quite honestly just the difference between one version of a letter or another, but you're MUCH better off not assuming that 'one size fits all'. What one venue looks for in a perfomer is quite likely not what the local entertainment performer is looking for in a write up, so plan accordingly.

And a small gimmicky gift isn't bad. Not required, but helpful. Just do NOT overdo it, and try to research your prospective recipient before you send it. You can do more damage with an inappropriate gift (chocolate to a diabetic, booze to an alcoholic) than if you'd never sent the package at all.

My two cents plus worth.

M

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Muskrat
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 02:29 AM

Keep it simple: nobody (and I've been a "somebody" at various points for many years) wants to wade through a lot of stuff.

You'll be wasting their time and your money if you include much more than this:

1} A CD or tape or whatever to demonstrate what your act sounds like

2) A relatively hype-free bio, telling who you are, what you've done. Keep it down to a single-spaced page, if at all possible. Spare the adjectives ("Devilishly handsome Joe Smith is the greatest ukulele player to emerge from the Alabama Hawaiian music scene in years..."). If you've played prestigeous gigs, have drawn big audiences, note that. And be honest: someone will be checking up on you. A good photo or two would be nice. Nothing too arty; they want to see what you look like.

3) If you have reviews, recommendations from bookers, etc., enclose them. That's where the adjectives come in.

4) Make sure there's a contact name and phone number on EVERYTHING. And package the kit neatly, but extravagant boxes and the like don't impress anybody. A color file folder would stand out without getting in the way.

Follow up in a couple of days: "Hi, this is Joe Smith. I just wanted to make sure you received my promo package, and see if there's any other information you need."

Wait a week or so before trying again; be pleasant and eager to please, but not pushy. After a couple of "strikes," take the hint, and re-apply when you have something new to say about yourself.

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Knappo
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 08:49 AM

Again, Thanks to all. Some of these suggestions we have, some we don't, like a good clear recording, just some live recorded stuff, not great quality. Currently trying locate a studio to record a few tunes. BTW, any tips on what to look for in a recording studio, questions for them? Peace, Tom

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: M.Ted
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 01:33 PM

I would suggest that you contact a few people who book acts and ask them to show you what they have seen that they liked--(next, ask them what sort of bands they are looking for, and,if you fit, ask for a gig!)

I made a career in the Advertising,PR, and Marketing, and I can tell you that all the promotional stuff is part of a process--that means that you keep revising, adding, deleting, based on what works and what doesn't--the important thing is not whether you get it right the first time, but that you go back a second time, a third, and on and on--

I once worked for a Marketing VP who was also a drummer--he got sick of auditioning for bands that played a couple gigs and then fell apart because there were no more gigs--he decided to start his own band, and use the marketing strategies that we used in the business--his band worked more than any other band I have ever seen--all year round, the were bringing in about 20-30K a year apiece from music, and working day jobs at the same time--

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 04:49 PM

Hi Tom. Our bluegrass band ShoreGrass did our CD at Phil Rosenthal's studio in Guilford, CT called American Melody Studio. He's pretty easy to work with and knows his stuff. Ask about price per hour for setup, recording, mixing, mastering. Ask about the process and time frames. We went and talked to him first, taking notes, and then went back with the band to record.

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 08:14 PM

You ask, what goes into a promo kit? Only one thing. YOUR EGO.

Art

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: 53
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 08:22 PM

hey knappo there, uh, what type of music do you pick, or maybe i should say blow? BOB

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 08:32 PM

Please, what is a "blow bob??

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 08:34 PM

Something else you could consider as an alternative to renting studio time to do a proper demo. Rent a digital portastudio and a few condensor microphones and do the demo yourself, and then mix down directly to your hard drive and master to CD from there. It will be cheaper, and you'll have total control over the sound, and you won't have to watch the clock or the meter running, and can take your time to get it exactly the way you want it. Most large music stores that handle p.a. rentals etc...rent porta-studios. Look into either a Yamaha 8 track mini disc system, or Roland or Tascam. When you submit the demo, put about 5 or 6 tunes on the CD, and edit them all down to no more than a minute and half each - showing different styles, versatility, etc. Leave the listener wanting to hear more. Don't overload them. Most people will listen for 20 seconds and if what they hear doesn't grab them within that time frame they'll skip to the next track, and so on and so on. Best of luck.

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: 53
Date: 18 Jan 02 - 09:11 PM

some bands pick music, other bands blow music, and my name is bob, guess they sorta ran together, sorry. BOB AND BOB

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: GUEST,Roger in Baltimore
Date: 19 Jan 02 - 02:06 PM

A book I have found helpful is "How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording" by Diane Rapaport. She covers all the important areas of promotion, business planning, and constructing a marketable recording. You can obtain it though Amazon Books (Support the Mudcat and click on the fish to get there).

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Help: What goes into a promo package?
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 19 Jan 02 - 02:17 PM

These are all good suggestions. I agree with keeping biographical material to a page or less. I was on a concert committee for 18 years and we pretty much ignored the glowing reviews and just read the description of what music was played (sometimes reading it aloud, dramatically, if warranted). A good recording helps. Send demos if possible because no committee will listen to an entire commerically produced CD anyway. Also, get used to hearing "no" a lot. Goes with the territory.