January 29, 2010

Getting Real About Getting Plays - Reyshizz

Here's a great article we came across today on Reyshizz.com
















Everyone talks about going viral. That seems to be the new buzz word now-a-days. “Going viral” means to get a large number of hits, views, or plays on user generated media. For some reason everyone thinks if they post their song or video on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter they will automatically go viral and get millions of hits. More often than not this isn’t the case.

When people happen to go viral it’s usually unintentional. Not to say that your next Youtube video won’t go viral, it’s just unlikely. But don’t mistaken me, continue to post your media where ever you’re allowed to, I’m only saying that you shouldn’t hold your breath.

So else how do I get plays?

...Read more on Reyshizz.com HERE

January 27, 2010

Artist Interview - Angelo

Introducing Angelo who was one of the top 5 PopScore artists for this week and took a couple minutes out to answer a few questions for us...Hi Angelo







Jango: So when did you start in music ?

Angelo: I started to indulge into the Music towards the end of my acting career, which was around 8 years old. I decided to walk away from it for awhile to pursue my main love affair; Music. My grandfather was a famous Italian musician, so music has always been apart of my tender ages as a child.

Jango: And where are you based ?
Angelo: I am currently based in New York. But I also reside in California.

Jango: Tell us your three most important influences ?
Angelo: Three major influences on my music stems from my family, experiences I have encountered & my passion for composing music that has a reflection on society.

Jango: How would you describe your sound ?
Angelo: I am a self contained artist, I compose my own material that has undeniable mass appeal and a unique sound. When listening to my music, it surely show listeners how diverse my musical taste is. I have an R&B image, but I Rap. So I use that to my advantage to represent diversity. In today's society everything has to fit a particular category and that's not how I create my music. I do what I feel and what comes natural. To me, my music does not have any boundaries; it's either accepted or not.

Jango: Any new releases in the works ?
Angelo: I am about to release my 2nd EP entitled "Breakfast of A Champion." This EP, has spawned three successful singles that have been co-signed by Cool & Dre (Grammy Award Winning Producers). The singles are all ova the internet at the moment. I am in talks with few DJ's now to push them to radio because the reviews I have been acquiring are excellent.

Jango: Do you perform live ?
Angelo: I do perform live, I have performed at Madison Square Garden & Radio City Music Hall alongside other venues. At the moment I am putting together a "Breakfast of A Champion Promo Tour" so I shall have more information on show dates coming soon. If you are interested, contact me at www.twitter.com/weloveangelo I post updates about everything that is happening with my career.

Jango: And lastly, any tips for Airplay artists ?
Angelo: The best tip I can give to other Airplay Bands is, finish school and go to college. I am actually attending college now. There’s lots of great bands and musicians out there, and the chance that you will make it are very small, so you need to make sure that you have something to fall back on, and something that complements your love of music.

Nice one Angelo, see you in the charts !


January 26, 2010

Fan Email Addresses

This week we're excited to introduce one of the most requested and hopefully beneficial improvements to Airplay yet: Fan Email Addresses.

We often discuss the development of meaningful fan-artist

relationships because that, more than almost anything else, fuels success. So starting now, in an effort to further that development, your Airplay Dashboard will include an Email Addresses section under the Fans tab.

This a list of people's real, personal email addresses, and they chose to give them to you.

That means these are fans who actively want to hear about shows, new releases, promotions, downloads... whatever you might have to offer.

Connections like these are invaluable as you build your career; manage them with care and your audience will repay you in spades. And for our part, we'll do our best to keep bringing you fresh ways to build and utilize relationships like this. See it now at airplay.jango.com.

Note: Not all of your fans have agreed to share their email. It's an opt-in process and by no means mandatory, but any addresses you do get will be that much more valuable as a result.

And so you know how this works, the listeners opt in on the 'Make 'Em or Break 'Em' overlay









When they click on 'Make 'Em', they get a second view in which they can opt in with their email address...check it here.




Justice Dept. Clears Ticketmaster Deal - NY Times













'Ending a yearlong investigation, the Justice Department on Monday announced its conditions for accepting a proposed merger between Ticketmaster Entertainment and Live Nation, a deal that could significantly remake the live entertainment business by combining touring, management and ticketing into one company' - New York Times...READ MORE HERE

January 25, 2010

Featured Artists - PopScore Top 5

And here they are folks, Jango's PopScore top five for the week. We just keep finding great new music in here all the time. Keep it coming.

Artist: Renee Stahl
A natural singer and penetrating songwriter,
Renee's silky voice communicates an elegance & directness that resonates with its intimacy
& atmosphere.

Click to hear Renee Stahl:
Music 101
Artist: Evans Blue
The past four years have been a challenging journey for the five members of Evans Blue, pushing them to the brink but ultimately pulling them together. The band will release theirthird, self-titled album June 23rd on new imprint Sounds+Sights.

Click to hear Evans Blue:
Who We Are
Artist: Angelo
Angelo Pancrazio Gulotta aka Flow is too cool
for comfort. Mix the lyrical dexterity of Lupe Fiasco, the sex appeal of Chris Brown, and the business acumen of a young Russell Simmons, and you have the dashing eighteen-year-old rapper and entertainer.

Click to hear Angelo:
Carousel
Artist: The Smooth Maria
In 2008, Matt Kanelos formed The Smooth
Maria with Ben Gallina, Conor Meehan, and Kyle Sanna. The band has since attracted a dedicated audience in New York City with their unique balance of refined musicianship and vivid poetry.

Click to hear The Smooth Maria:
Peacock Dance
Artist: Robert Poe
With his self-titled, bluesy, rockin?, country-tinged CD, Robert Poe gives us an Americana album full of energy and sharp licks. Robert?s voice is a delight, smooth and rich as a triple-thick shake.

Click to hear Robert Poe:
I'd Rather Be Blue

January 21, 2010

Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) On Jango

Here at Jango Airplay HQ we always take as much time as we can to check out the different bands and artists that are using airplay. Much to our surprise recently we stumbled across The Red Hot Chili Pepper's drummer Chad Smith and his new outfit Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats using Jango Airplay as a great way to get the word out about their new release 'Meet The Meatbats'.



Check out The Meatbats profile HERE

Drop by, leave a comment, become a fan

Nice to see you here Chad

January 19, 2010

Featured Artists - PopScore Top 5

And here they are...this week's top 5 Pop Score bands...check 'em out

Artist: Social Jet Lag
Breaking into the scene in May 2008,
Social Jet Lag has layered strong pop
melodies over their hardcore/metal
roots without sacrificing or
compromising either style.

Click to hear Social Jet Lag:
The Certainty Of It All
Artist: Prince Flame
Prince Flame is a 15 Year old rapper
from the ATL with a grown man flow
and a smooth delivery. He recently
dropped the mixtape "Hello America"
that showcases his flow and creativity.

Click to hear Prince Flame:
Swagg Like Me
Artist: Show Me The Skyline
Show Me The Skyline is a Pop/Rock
band hailing from New Fairfield,
Connecticut with an edge that can cut
through the ordinary. With time, talent,
and great people on their side, SMTS
intends to stay the course and
concentrate on what really matters.

Click to hear Show Me The Skyline:
Legs Tangled
Artist: Foreigners Crew
The Foreigners Crew emerged from a
fraternity of musicians in the Notting
Hill area called The Grove. Their debut
album, "Rocking The Fort" brings
together veteran artists and up and
coming talent.

Click to hear Foreigners Crew:
Mad, Mad, Mad
Artist: Bryce Roberts
Bryce Roberts is a songwriter from
the southern US, who has played music
from folk to black metal. Although he
began his music career in Arkansas,
Bryce now resides in central Tennessee.

Click to hear Bryce Roberts:
Where Does Silence Go?

January 14, 2010

Artist Interview - Paul Liddell

Check it out, quick interview here with Paul Liddell from the UK who was one of our Top 5 PopScore recipients this week...Nice one Paul.




















Jango: When did you start playing music?


Paul Liddell: I started out as a classical trumpet playing child prodigy. Then I heard Nirvana’s 'Nevermind' and Pearl Jam’s 'Vs' in the same week and promptly ditched the brass and pinched my Mother's acoustic guitar. I couldn't play, so I used open tunings to get around my ineptitude. These tunings later became part of my style, and I play nearly all of my songs in altered tunings now. Several unsuccessful grunge/metal and rock bands followed, until I realized that I liked acoustic guitars best, and resolved to go solo. I've been doing it ever since.


J: Where are you based?


PL: A lovely place called Whitburn. It's a coastal village in the North East of England, just outside of Sunderland. It's nice to see the sea every day, although the wind threatens to tear the roof off on a regular basis.


J: What are the 3 major influences on your music?


PL: I grew up around lots of music, so really I've been absorbing all kinds of stuff since I was small. The big three are probably Pearl Jam (especially their more acoustic moments), The Wonder Stuff (for the brilliant 'English sounding' pop songs) and The Beatles (obviously, just incredible). Except I don't actually sound anything like any of these people!


J: How would you describe your sound?


PL: It can be a bit of a mish mash. I tend to move around a bit, stylistically. For me the focus is always on the song, so with that in mind if you could imagine Neil Young's more electric moments, some of the more introspective songs from Pearl Jam and the very English sounding nature of Nick Drake, then you're getting close. Vocally people have said they hear elements of Jeff Buckley and the occasional gravel of Lennon. I've also managed to pick up an unflinching pop sensibility from somewhere, so there is usually a big fat chorus.


J: Any big releases coming up?


PL: Yeah, I have a new EP called 'Help Yourself Float' out on the 28th March 2010 with 360 Degree Music www.360degreemusic.com. I'm really happy with it. I think it's a strong set of songs, and the feel and attitude on the EP reflect my live performances more than my previous recordings. I'm really pleased about that.


J: Do you perform live and if so where can people see your live show?


PL: I do, I played literally hundreds of gigs last year. I play all over the UK in all kinds of venues. There is a full list of all gigs at www.paulliddell.com. I also play house gigs. That is, gigging in peoples living rooms. If anyone wants me to come and play, feel free to drop me a line!


Thanks Paul

January 13, 2010

Linking My Plays To iTunes and...

The Three Fold Path To A Long Term Musical Relationship

Since Airplay began almost a year ago I’ve had the pleasure to speak with hundreds of artists, bands and label managers in an attempt to figure out what they want to get out of their Airplay campaigns and how we here at Jango can best serve those needs. Nine out of ten times artists and managers ask only one question. ‘How can we get the people who hear our music on Jango to go buy it at iTunes ???’ After a while I came to a simple answer for this constant question and the answer is…you don’t, or at least not yet.


I realized that in everyone’s hurry to sell, sell, sell, they are missing out on a great opportunity or trying to skip right over it. That’s the opportunity to engage these listeners and new fans. Skipping over this important step will in the end mean less sales, less engaged fans or even worse, closed doors that should have remained open.


These days with so much opportunity to explore an artist online people are a lot slower in making a first purchase of a new artists. If their overall music and presentation is great some people will go buy their music. But if the first message you get from an artist is ‘BUY SOMETHING FROM ME NOW PLEASE’ you could end up shutting a lot of doors. People know your music is for sale somewhere, and if they like it, they know where to get it.


So after all these discussions and a little research I came up with what I am calling…


‘The Three Fold Path To A Long Term Musical Relationship'


…so here goes.


  1. Exposure
  2. Engagement
  3. Relationship














Exposure: This is one of the hardest things to achieve as a new act and interestingly enough it’s the thing that we here at Jango pride ourselves in being able to deliver, on a massive scale, for a very affordable price. We play your music to the people most likely to like your music based on their musical tastes. It’s that simple.


Engagement: This is the step that everyone seems to want to skip and it’s the most important, albeit hardest step along the way. If a new fan likes your music that’s great, now’s the time for you to let them get to know you better. Think about it like a first date, you might not even get a kiss let alone a roll in the hay, but they may be keen to get to know you better.


The question I ask is ‘who is going to buy your music after only hearing you one time?’. The answer is, ‘not many people’. They will visit your Jango profile, MySpace, YouTube and anywhere your music lives to get familiar with you before heading over to iTunes. So we have great tools to help engage your new found audience right here on Jango first. Here’s a couple examples.


‘Premium Targeting’ is the best way to get listeners to hear your song more than one time on Jango. By drilling down into specific geographic regions and age/gender demo you will surely expose your music to the same listeners again and again. This you can manage right from your 'Targeting' tab in your dashboard.


‘Custom Overlays’ are a really effective way to convey a personalized message to listeners and get them to bounce from Jango to your own landing page where you can give away mp3s, collect email addresses and sell music.


For more info contact labels@jango.com for a short presentation on ‘Airplay PRO’.


We actually did an A/B test with our ‘Custom Overlay’ promo unit running two of the same ads, one with a ‘BUY HERE on iTUNES’ button and one with a ‘GET MORE INFO’ button. ‘Get More Info’ got six times as many clicks and took the listener to the bands own website where they could explore more about the band, join a mailing list and hopefully down the line make a purchase. And this leads us to ‘Fold Three’.


Relationship: This is the part that includes having a fan buy your music at iTunes or Amazon. It’s also about them coming to see your shows and buying merch. Having a relationship with your fans is based on a mutual trust and doesn’t start at the cash register. It’s up to you to deliver great music, exciting performances performances, lyrics that mean something and an identity to relate to. If all these things come together some cash will ultimately come your way helping you continue to make great music and put on incredible shows. It’s a two way street.


I can’t tell you how many times artists, bands and even seasoned label managers always seem to overlook ‘Fold Two’, ‘Engagement’.


As a quick side note here is a great blog post from marketing guru Seth Godin talking about this same theory but using lemonade stands as an example. It gives a nice perspective…check that HERE













Please feel free to leave comments on how you best engage our listeners and your fans. We'd love to hear success stories as well as failed yet noble attempts...let's get the discussion going !!!


January 12, 2010

The Sales Numbers Are In - Chance of Sunshine

So the 2009 music sales numbers are in and it's actually looking a little sunny. Music purchases are up 2.1% over 2008, Digital now makes up 40% of all sales, and a particularly sunny spot comes in with vinyl sales jumping 33% this year mostly through indie record stores. Maybe it's time for the fat cats to put on their running shoes and get back in the race because it seems that the race is on...read more HERE on HypeBot

Artist Interview - Jocelyn Scofield

Here's a quick conversation with Jocelyn Scofield who had one of the top 5 PopScores the first week it launched. Her music is great and you should check it out.















Jango: When did you start playing music?


Jocelyn Scofield: I've been singing since before I can remember. Both my parents are music teachers, so I've always been in a musical atmosphere. However, I started playing the piano, writing songs, and performing when I was in college.

J: Where are you based?


JS: That is always a tough question. The most honest answer is out of my car. I travel quite a bit and split my time when not touring between Lansing (MI), Nashville, and Los Angeles, usually writing and/or co-writing.

J: What are the 3 major influences on your music?


JS: I think I have to split my influences into two groups: singing & songwriting. For singing, I've spent hours and hours listening to Mariah Carey, Karen Carpenter & Ella Fitzgerald. For songwriting, I've tried to learn as much as I can from monster songwriters like Bob Dylan, Carol King, and Freddy Mercury.

J: How would you describe your sound?


JS: My sound is definitely a hybrid of musical styles. I would say artsy pop with a combination of jazz, classical, and folk influences. When compared to artists, I'm a cross between Regina Spektor and Sara Bareilles. Or maybe a happy Fiona Apple.

J: Any big releases coming up?


JS: I just released an EP in October '09. It's called "A Witty Girl" and was quite a process to get out. But I'm really proud of it and it's available on iTunes. For 2010, I will be promoting that album and working on two other projects. I'm writing for a new album and also working on songs for a holiday CD. I'm hoping to release both of those in Winter of 2010.

J: Do you perform live and if so where can people see your live show?


JS: I've pretty much spent the last four years traveling and performing around the country. I'm currently working on another tour to support the latest album. For this tour, I want to really make sure I tour cities where I have a strong fan base. The best things fans can to do, is subscribe to Eventful and "demand" me to come to their city and/or join my mailing list and make sure they tell me where they are located. if they friend/follow me on Facebook or Twitter, I also give updates for spontaneous shows or writers nights.

Anyone Going To SXSW ???

Hey Jango Airplayers, just dropping a quick line to see if anyone is going to this year's SXSW in Austin in March. Let us know in the comments section and include your band name and Jango link...

Let us know

January 11, 2010

Featured Artists - PopScore Top 5

Here's the newest hottest artists on Jango Airplay...

The featured artists are chosen by top PopScore each week so check them out here and see who's resonating the most with Jango's listeners. Each of these artists also receives 5000 Play Credits to continue to promote their music on Jango.com

Artist: MC Psalmist
MC Psalmist aka Mr. Church Gritty
has been a staple in the gospel rap
industry for over 12 years. He's
released 6 albums, 13 mixtapes, and
pushed 25,000+ units with no formal
distribution.

Click to hear MC Psalmist:
First Love (Feat. David Cooper)
Artist: My Last Fall
Hailing from Roma, Italy, My Last
Fall offers an electrified take on emo.
The music offers a refreshing
alternative to its American counterpart.

Click to hear My Last Fall:
Where We Belong
Artist: Paul Liddell
Paul Liddell is a singer-songwriter from
Sunderland, England. A new EP, "Help
Yourself Float" has just been completed,
and will be available in March 2010,
whilst his never ending UK tour continues.

Click to hear Paul Liddell:
Electricity
Artist: Dianna Corcoran
Two Time Golden Guitar Winner Dianna
Corcoran is one of Australia's most
distinguished and honest vocal and song
writing talents.

Click to hear Dianna Corcoran:
Thank You For Cheating On Me
Artist: John Mandeville
Though he may be a relative newcomer
behind the mic, John Mandeville's debut
release "We Belong To Heaven"
simultaneously demonstrates his lyrical
depth, vocal charm and deft precision as
a musician and producer.

Click to hear John Mandeville:
Who Do You Say I Am

January 7, 2010

Artist Interview - Ryan Holley

Here's another quick interview with one of our artists, Ryan Holley, who had a top 5 PopScore the first week out. Let's hear what he has to say.



















Jango: So when did you start playing music?


Ryan Holley: I started playing music in high school and started writing in College...I didn't start playing the guitar until I was in college and was pretty bad at it. I have never had musical lessons, guitar lessons, piano lessons ECT and for the most part I have no regrets in that. I believe it allows me to focus more on the simple things in creating music but it has limited my ability to recreate the sounds or melodies I am hearing. Song writing to me is the magic to music.....I always thought if you could write songs you would start popping out hits on the first try but that was an immature perception. I now believe it is a gift you are given and can grow and be perfected and taken away. It is a craft I fell in love with and at times have defined my desire to play and write music as a gift and at times a curse.


I left corporate America cold turkey to pursue music with really no idea what to do, where to begin, or even how to get started. I did have my first cd recorded but wanted more than the local gig every Tuesday night with a goal of getting the prime Friday night spot. I wanted to tour, I wanted to forget what city I was in and so that’s what I did. I used the resources I had on the internet to get my music out there and I started gaining momentum and started booking regional tours then national tours and within 2 years time I played over 500 shows in pretty much every major city in the US sold several thousand records, met some amazing people, saw some amazing places played and toured with some amazing artists and found the power of experiencing rock bottom and beauty that is in humility. I was asked in LA after a show by a young artist how do you tour without a label and I said to him " If I put a gun to your head and took your keys and your wallet and said be in Phoenix by sun up you are going to do it" and that’s how I looked at it. Music is a business and to many young artists do not see that or do not want to but like it or not it is. It takes money to be shared and heard and there for it has to bring in money to keep the process going. I got a message one day on MySpace when I was out on the road and I had written a blog about supporting artists that you like by going to shows and buying their music ect and one person sent me a message of how I was only in it for the money and I can’t tell you how hard I laughed at that and told the other artist I was touring with at the time "if he only knew" I was 1200 miles from home had $42 dollars to my name was 6 hours from the next town and after gas it would leave me with $3.75 and this is after I had been on the road for 2 months. It is a labor of love but if you want it go get it...

J: And where are you based?


RH: Austin, Tx


J: Tell us about the 3 major influences on your music?


RH: I love all types of music from country to rock to hip hop as I think allot of people do these days. I grew up on country then got into rock during the grunge era early 90's liked some heavier stuff there for awhile to but I think when I knew I wanted to create music is when I got a hold of Third Eye Blinds first record. I think Stephen Jenkins is a lyrical genius and lyrics are still something I base allot of my songs on and is my favorite part of the writing process. But if I had to pick 3 things that have influenced me the most I would have to say Third Eye Blind, Jimmy Eat World, and my life.

I would say my first record has a very broad sound from mostly rock/pop. But I would put it somewhere between a Jacks Mannequin/Jimmy Eat World type of sound or at least some of the tracks the ones I probably favor the most.

J: How would you describe your sound?


RH: I would say my first record has a very broad sound from mostly rock/pop. But I would put it somewhere between a Jacks Mannequin/Jimmy Eat World type of sound or at least some of the tracks the ones I probably favor the most.


J: Do you have any big releases coming up?


RH: Working on finishing up the 2nd record now and should be done here in the next few months. I released "Eyes Don't Lie" in March of 09 but just digitally. That and my first record "Everything after December" are both available on pretty much every online store.


J: And lastly, do you perform live and if so where can people see your live show?


RH: I have played over 1000 shows thus far and play all over the country. I currently am not touring in light of finishing this record but I usually play shows in the cities that people are sending me emails via MySpace/face book and requesting me to play a show in their town.

Thanks Ryan,

Jango


January 5, 2010

Artist Interview - Seve Vs. Evan

Here's a quick interview with Seve Vs. Evan who was one of the top 5 PopScore bands this week. We'll be doing these interviews from time to time so you can hear the story their own words...so here goes


















Jango: So when did you start playing music?


Seve Vs. Evan: In December 2003 we decided Seve Vs. Evan would be our new band. Evan & I had been in a few punk bands together in high school. Evan's family is all very musical, his older brother & dad are both musicians. Seve has been messing with keyboards since his first Casio at the age of 5.


J: And where are you based?


SVE: Utah, the blocky shaped heart of the west.


J: Tell us about the 3 major influences on your music?


SVE: 1. When we were young our hearts took a few too many daggers. 2. We are fluent in the forms of Square, Sine, & Triangle waves. They make us move in ways we never knew & 3. Music is a language that all humans can understand. We've heard songs since we were all very young. Songs that make us smile, songs that are perfect for when it's raining, songs that make us cry when we were down and out. We think music is the biggest influence on our music.


J: How would you describe your sound?


SVE: The year is 2136 AD, a robot named Synthicus travels back in time to the year 1988 to give his great grandpa Nintendo a lazer shooting keytar. He then vanishes with the parting words "Stay cool gramps, Beep, bop. Beep beep, bop, boop." There is some debate on how the last part of the message should be translated, but most scholars agree it means, synth is the way of the future. Or let us put it this way. There are millions of nerds across the nation, who are secretly dancing their hearts out in their bedrooms RIGHT now. We make it ok to dance & feel like that in public.


J: Do you have any big releases coming up?


SVE: Yes, in 2010 we have 2 releases scheduled to come out. The first is a re-recording of our first two releases from 2004 & 2005 (which have been out of print for about 2 years). The second album which will be towards the end of the 2010 is going to be a brand new album which we don't have a title for yet. It's going to blow people's minds. People are going to be getting mind-freaked just from looking at it. Both of these releases are going to feature our newest member Chad Davis on the bass. Previously all our songs had only been a keyboard / drums two piece. From here on out I think we are going to be a 3 piece outfit.


J: And lastly, do you perform live and if so where can people see your live show?


SVE: Anywhere on the west coast. We try to play in all the west coast states at least once a year if not more. Washington, Oregon, Colorado, California, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Nevada. We do play out a lot more though in our home state Utah.


Thanks guys, see you on the road !!!