Music Marketing 201

This course provides more advanced marketing techniques that can be immediately implanted into any band, independent label, or manager’s promotional strategy.

This is the second course in Berkleemusic's music marketing series. Building on the core material and limited budget activities presented in Music Marketing101, this course looks at more advanced marketing opportunities available to accomplished musicians with a more robust budget. You can't get radio play until you have press. The writers won't cover your record unless you have a sales story. Retail doesn't want anything to do with you until there's a buzz at radio, and you can't get a good gig until you can draw folks through all three of these outlets. Sounds like a Catch 22, right? But there is a way to navigate through the complicated world of music marketing if you understand the synergies between these fundamental marketing outlets, and create an integrated marketing plan firmly based on your budget and your creative and promotional strengths. This course provides a more advanced and active view of the major areas of marketing that all independent labels, artists, and managers have to understand to create an effective worldwide marketing strategy: Publicity, Radio Promotion, Retail & Distribution, Merchandising, Internet, Advertising and Touring. Students will learn what players are involved at the highest levels of music marketing, how to communicate with them, and the ways to leverage the changes and new opportunities that the digital music community offers to marketers. The information in this course can be immediately implemented into your existing marketing and promotion campaigns. By the end of the course you will have an active marketing plan and timeline tailored to your own unique strengths and budget. By the end of this course, you will:

• Develop an integrated approach to music marketing in the focus areas of Press, Retail, Distribution (online and traditional), Radio, Advertising, Internet, Merchandising, and Touring.
• Understand how radio promotion works, and learn when you should consider an independent promotion company.
• Understand the world of online music distribution: the terms, formats, online distributors, the existing digital distributors, and physical distribution outlets, and learn the typical terms and deals offered.
• Learn about the current digital content types, mobile distribution, and the essentials to an effective online marketing campaign.
• Know the PR outlets that matter – national, regional, local, specialized and trade press – how and when to communicate to them, and when to hire outside help.
• Learn how to get your CD on the shelves of brick and mortar independent retailers, what kind of POP you should make to support your release, and the inner workings of the online retail and distribution outlets.
• Know what to make for merchandise, when to make it, and how much to spend.
• Create a timeline and a working marketing plan tailored to your individual strengths.

For more course information visit Berklee Music