#1626933 - 06/26/03 02:51 AM
Promo Kits?
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Throatsinger
Senior Member
Registered: 12/22/00
Posts: 442
Loc: Minneapolis,MN,UNITED STATES
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First, kudos to MP and the new moderators for creating this forum!
I'm curious what others are using for promo kits. I'm responsible (reprehensible?) for such matters for my band, Big Sky. We used to go the usual route of putting together a package containing various stuff, such as a cd, 1-sheet, other printed stuff... when adding in the packaging and postage, an expensive little endeavor.
Lately, I've been pondering and assembling a different approach: putting everything on a cross-platform cd. 1-sheet (PDF), pics, video, music samples, all done up like a website. Simple HTML for the most part, a link to QT if they need it for the videos, etc. Songs are in 2 formats: WAVE and MP3 so that folks can listen on just about anything, cd player, computer, mp3 player...
There's a "start here" text file that explains how to begin. Of course I'll include "real" biz cards, a letter, etc.
What do you think of this? What approach do you take?
If you wanna hear any of our tunage, visit http://1sound.com/bigsky where I just put up a new tune. It's a solo version of a song called "I Had a Dream" and is the first song we're doing with the vocals and rhythm gtr first, then adding the rest of the instruments. Should be a real timesaver!
Steve Sklar/Big Sky
http://www.bigskyrocks.com
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#1626934 - 06/26/03 02:59 AM
Re: Promo Kits?
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Tedster
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 5933
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I really haven't done much with a promo kit myself, other than having a demo.
Hmmm...maybe that's why no one will hire us..(shrug)...
_________________________
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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#1626935 - 06/26/03 03:08 AM
Re: Promo Kits?
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Lee Flier
10k Club
Registered: 09/13/00
Posts: 15398
Loc: Atlanta,GA,UNITED STATES
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Steve,
In my experience, most people (press, club booking people, etc.) prefer hard copy stuff to digitized. If they prefer 1's and 0's, they can go to your web site. I don't think there are a lot of benefits to having a press kit on CD. A lot of people won't bother to put the CD in their computer and figure out what to do with it. They just want to see something quick and dirty in printed hard copy, and have a regular audio CD and/or video if you have one (DVD or VHS).
A promo kit is worth nothing if it doesn't grab someone's attention RIGHT away. A CD promo doesn't fall into that category.
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#1626936 - 06/26/03 03:17 AM
Re: Promo Kits?
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Throatsinger
Senior Member
Registered: 12/22/00
Posts: 442
Loc: Minneapolis,MN,UNITED STATES
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Hi Lee,
That's certainly been the case in the past. And I intend to make 3-D versions available if that's their preference. I'm just wondering if that's changing... A photog I know says that many clients are foregoing prints, and that most publications now prefer digital images that they can directly manipulate however it suits them. And I do know that even if folks receive extensive kits, from folks they are interested in, they tend to keep the cd, 1-sheet, and maybe a pic. The rest usually ends up in the trash, so I'm told.
Sometimes it's hard to predict what people want, or just how fast the times-they-are-a-changing... so I figger it's best to ask/offer, and give 'em what the want.
Steve
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#1626937 - 06/26/03 03:46 AM
Re: Promo Kits?
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Lee Flier
10k Club
Registered: 09/13/00
Posts: 15398
Loc: Atlanta,GA,UNITED STATES
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Hi Steve,
Well I am speaking from very recent experience as we are sending out a lot of press kits now to promote our CD, and working with a kind of bigtime publicist on it. It doesn't seem like things have changed much in terms of what people want - and yes, all they seem to care about is the CD, 1 sheet and photo. Most of them still bitch about having to look at web sites or load a CD, although they want you to have a web site and they might look at it for supplementary info.
And yeah, lots of publications like digital photos, so we just email them one if they are actually going to run something.
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#1626938 - 06/26/03 01:36 PM
Re: Promo Kits?
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CMDN
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 11/13/01
Posts: 6095
Loc: Philadelphia,PA,UNITED STATES
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Yo...
As a music media person (I write for music mags all the time) and a musician, I can tell you definitively that people still prefer hard copies of everything.
A few tips:
The one-sheet bio is good. Keep it to one page with a short bio and a few bullet-pointed quotes from previous positive reviews.
Make sure all of your contact info is available on EVERYTHING in your press kit. This means is should be on your CD and every page in your press kit. You would not believe how many artists screw this up.
People still like photos. Try putting three or four different pics on an 8x10 photo page. This way, if they don't like one pic, they can use another. They can also use your band in several different issues without repeating the same image.
If you have digital images, just make a note of this on your cover page and e-mail it along if they want it.
_________________________
\m/
Erik
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
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#1626939 - 06/26/03 03:40 PM
Re: Promo Kits?
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Rick K.
Platinum Member
Registered: 07/05/01
Posts: 1659
Loc: phoenix,AZ,UNITED STATES
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Our promo pack consists of a trifold color brocure I designed on Publisher, an 8x10 photo, our business card, and a cd with snippits of us performing live.
One note about our business cards. On the reverse, we either have a small band picture, OR we have a map or directions to the club and our show dates and times AND our web address.
The trifold brocure has our bios, some photos, recent clubs played at, and a link to our website.
Once distributed, the follow up begins...
Rick
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