How did you first hear about Facebook? It seems like a silly question, but if you think about it, Facebook and the social wild-fire it spawned has given musicians more opportunities than anything that came before it. However, all of these opportunities have also brought with them management nightmares.
Organization is no musician’s strong suit. I think of myself as more Type A than most, and even I spend way too much time looking for stuff. ReverbNation was designed to solve that problem. By creating a profile, you have the ability to update all of your social platforms with new information from one central hub. Add statistic tracking and you’re starting to comprehend how powerful this tool can be.
ReverbNation also acts as a distributor which means they’ll ensure your music is available in dozens of online retail outlets, I.e. iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon MP3, Spotify, etc. They social part is free whereas distribution is available for a nominal fee.
How Does ReverbNation Work?:
These guys have a plethora of promotional tools. It’s up to you as to which are best for your marketing strategy. Again, think of ReverbNation as a rail station hub that connects multiple smaller towns and cities. Use Facebook? Have the ability to post and track user stats from your user profile. What about Twitter? Same thing! Collecting e-mails? Yes, ReverbNation even has a subscriber service, much like MailChimp. And lest I forget this key factor – post your music, allowing fans to listen and share. All of this is from one location and for free!
Premium Services:
There are a number of important primo options. Here are 3 of my favorites:
• Crowd Review – the music business is all about exposure and Crowd Review guarantees that you receive honest feedback. Score high enough and you’ll be featured on the home page! Only $9.95/mos.
• Website – I used to think Bandzoogle was the premier website host for musicians until I examined some artists using ReverbNation. The features I was most impressed with:
• Website is connected to your profile. Any changes made to the profile will be updated on the website.
• High-quality design. You won’t find any cheap-looking screens (unlike WIX).
• After setting the price for your songs, visitors are automatically given the option to purchase your music.
Stats Tracking:
You live and die by marketing your music. ReverbNation exists to assist you. Discover:
• Where are your visitors coming from?
• How many drop-ins do other artists in similar genres receive?
• What do visitors check out while on your profile page?
• This is crazy: receive data about how many fans are engaging with widgets and banners you put on other profiles (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Because ReverbNation provides so much value for free, there’s definitely no reason why you shouldn’t have a presence with them. If you want to learn more about their distribution service in addition to other primo services, I recommend this article I wrote – ReverbNation Review. And please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions. See ya at the next jam.