How To Promote CDs At Gigs You Never Play

Here are several questions for you to ponder: * How much would it be worth to you to learn how to promote your CD at gigs you never even play, but create a large number of sales from these gigs just the same? * While these particular gigs are promoting your CD, at the same time, what if you could play a completely different gig and get paid for it while also selling CDs at it and, in fact, possibly *doubling* and *tripling* your CD sales profits *each* night? * Even better, what if you could not only do this in your own local area, but also do it regionally, nationally, and even internationally? What I'm speaking of, is major cross promotion and incredible joint venture partnering with other bands that you know that are equally as serious about and strongly committed to their careers. Naturally, you should do some background research on each prospective band prior to getting into such a venture with it. You should also sign an agreement to ensure that each band is aware of its commitment and responsibilities. So, with each successful qualifying band that "passes," in terms of a background research, approach the band with a cross promotion and joint venture offer to promote each other's CD at each other's gigs.

Here are some guidelines: 1. Make sure the band is within your genre, and has a similar music-styled CD that is current (no more than a year old). 2.

Each band in the network needs to create a CD of song samples or snippets (brief samples of each song from its full-length CD, much like the 2-minute samples on such sites as CD Baby, Amazon.com, etc.).

3. While each band will sell its own full CD at its gigs, each band will also hand out CD samples from its partner bands as freebies to each person who buys the performing band's full-length CD. 4. During gigs, in addition to announcing that its own CD is available for sale to the audience, each band should also inform its respective audience that each person who purchases its CD also gets a FREE bonus sample from (three, five, whatever number in your network) of its fellow bands. There is nothing like free giveaways to produce bonafide sales on the spot, so to speak, and this will actually "force" and increase sales at gigs that may otherwise have not occurred. And, the more band sample giveaways you have, the better chances for even more sales and, possibly, complete sell-outs of your nightly stock.

Note: Don't make the mistake of giving away your fellow bands' samples to people who don't purchase your own CD. 5. Each band should also have a website that is listed on each CD sample's label, cover and as a file on the disc itself so that audience members who purchase the gigging band's CD can also have immediate access to the fellow bands' websites for getting more information and the opportunity to also purchase their full-length CD as well. 6. In addition to creating peripheral sales for all bands in the network, this promotional system will also greatly help build each band's audience and sales without the need to actually perform for these particular sales. 7.

Likewise, each band is eliminating the need to spend additional time and money promoting and publicizing its CD for these particular future sales. Now, again, imagine doing this with the bands that you know just in your local area. Then, consider the potentially incredible results in exposure and financially that can occur should you decide to branch out regionally, nationally or internationally.

Kenny Love is president of MuBiz.com, a promotion and media publicity firm for musicians. Get complete details at MySpace.com and at the MuBiz.com website.