WEBSITES

Having a website is critical. And it should be a .com. Ideally, your domain name would be like this: yourbandname.com and nothing else, because the first thing a person will do who has heard the name of your band will be to go to "thatname" and type in ".com". If your band name is Speck 5, then get Speck5.com... Not Speck5music.com or Speck5rocks.com because those will not be what people look for.

What you should do is do a quick domain search with GoDaddy.com and if your artist name is taken consider changing the name. It's that important.

Have a professional group set up your website. You can do it yourself, or even go to some web group that charges a monthly fee to host your site and all you do is upload a logo and your tunes. But remember, groups like that will not optimize your site for search engines or customize the site beyond superficial changes. The end result is that you look like you have a 'cookie cutter' site that wasn't really invested in.

Social Sites

Once you have your own website built and up and running, you need to take advantage of some social websites. Sites like MySpace or Facebook allow you to network and spread the word about your project & they provide you with the ability to upload and feature videos and music. Some now offer advanced features that allow you to sell your music on these sites, but beware of ridiculous fees.

Beware of Sites that Charge a Fee

Any reputable operation will not charge an up front fee to sell your music. They are a rip off and will most likely have low customer traffic flow. Look into things like wemusicstore.com, they allow you to upload your music and store it for free, taking a 20% cut from every sale you make. That may seem high, but if you're making sells you wouldn't have normally made, it's a good deal. I will say, though, that the interface looks cheap and boring at that particular site.

Digital Outlets Like iTunes

A Must! If you sign up with groups like TuneCore.com or CDBaby.com, your music will automatically be distributed through iTunes and other large distributors of digital product.

Advertising

Using typical SEO (search engine optimization) you should target a niche market using Google Adwords, Bing, Yahoo and/or MSN ads. Take the time to learn the programs and bid low on specific keywords that are sure to draw traffic that is appropriate to your music product.

It is crucial that your site is designed to SELL whatever you are selling. This is another good reason to use a professional website design and development company. They will know how to lay out the site and prompt actions of your visitors.

Using Video

Take advantage of video. Try to start something viral by being creative with your videos. A simple phone camera can be good enough to start a marketing fire if you are creative enough with the content.

Have a youtube.com channel and treat it just like your myspace or facebook (or other social site) presences. Update it often and communicate with your visitors through the site.

Cross Promotion

Every website or social site or fan page or youtube channel or anything else, should advertise and promote all of your other sites. Link everything you have to everything else you have! Cross promotion helps to create your fan base. The more information and media you offer your fans, the more interesting you are. Plus, people like to tell their friends about cool stuff, so if you offer lots of professional and cool stuff on the web you stand a better chance of being talked up.