Help Them, Help You

Make it simple for others to help you. There are a lot of people out there who want to help you, but often they don’t know how or they don’t have the tools or information they need to do it.

Newcomers: Make It Easy For Them To Get To Know You
In this day and age there will be a lot of people who happen upon your website without having heard your music before. It’s critical that they can find and listen to your music with just one click of their mouse. You’re a musician, after all. Your music should be front and center. Make it easy for them to love your music.

Your Audience: Give Them A Free Mp3
If you’re not on the radio, allow your audience to be your “radio.” Offer a free mp3 and encourage them to give it away, blog about it, post the link on their myspace page (and give them the html to do so). Give them something to talk about.

Industry Folks: Give Them The Information They Need
Carry business cards with all contact information, a description of your music and your web address. Make sure you have a thorough and easy to download press kit on your site. This should include music samples (preferably a free mp3), print ready photos, a brief bio, a more thorough bio, the latest and greatest news about your career, a fact sheet, song lyrics and any radio airplay or chart information.

All this information should be neatly organized and easy to find on your website.

Conclusion
The key here is to anticipate what others might need or want and make those things available to them so that they can easily spread the word about your music.

(HT: The Secret Life Of Kat)