General Music Chat

Hi all,
I am planning on making an album teaser on youtube for my upcoming cd. What are some things that you think would help me promote this upcoming cd?
It's ten songs, an all-instrumental album... mostly rock/metal... definitely a good mix of light and very dark.
I was thinking of including one full song playing during it or else mixing in short sections of maybe three different songs..?

What would you want to know if you were watching it?
Thanks for the help/suggestions!

Hi all,
I am planning on making an album teaser on youtube for my upcoming cd. What are some things that you think would help me promote this upcoming cd?
It's ten songs, an all-instrumental album... mostly rock/metal... definitely a good mix of light and very dark.
I was thinking of including one full song playing during it or else mixing in short sections of maybe three different songs..?

What would you want to know if you were watching it?
Thanks for the help/suggestions!

If you do this on video, consider 20-second excerps of each song. On your three most favorite and one least favorite, over dub a narrative about the making of the songs... (Keep em short) . SOmewhere in the medly, insert a banner that tells the audience how to obtain your cds... Always be sure to push the URLS to your FB pages, etc.. and throw in a couple of photos of you and band mates recording or peforming on a stage.

The video has to capture people, otherwise, people will listen while browsing in another window.

Whatever you believe to be your best 30sec- a minute of music... have it being played through the clip. I don't need to hear a montage of 6 different songs give me one or two snippets... but it has to be good or I'm gone! First impressions! (I always liked the ads where you get that sample of a band... usually the first single.)
Make it like a commercial... it's what people are use to... short and sweet or dark.
Just my opinion.
Good Luck to you.

Have you considered a format such as pink floyd did with the wall.With all the graphics and and free flowing ways to express what you are conveying in your project or even a jethro tull thick as a brick LP
Anyway it sounds very interesting good luck with your project and post us a sample

Love the feedback everyone!
That helped quite a bit and the video will probably be done in a day or two.
I will post a link on here once everything is good to go with it.
There is one song from the cd already out on Soundcloud and such.. so I am going to use one that no one has heard yet.
I thought I would play my song titles safe and mellow on this cd, so I called this track "Zombie Apocalypse" haha

Kept it pretty simple fellas... but I think I like the way it turned out. Have a look/listen!
http://youtu.be/_pruzdxxIpI

I'm a little late to the party, but honestly I think you took the wrong tact . . .

It's a good "teaser" and I like the way you inserted the information . . . again "but" I watched intent on getting "more" out of it . . . even for a teaser.

In my opinion, for what it's worth, I feel a full video based on a title track is a lot less likely to be passed over as an "advertisement" .
The reason I say this is, are we not inundated constantly with advertisement?
And do we not, for the most part, do our best to ignore the same ?


We did a full video on our title track to run as a precursor to our CD release.
And intend ( for the reasons specified ) to do so again for our second CD that we have on the drawing board.

Though we are a totally different genre' think for a moment if you were browsing YouTube, which would more likely grab your attention ?

Here's the link to ours:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi2C3PATcmQ

Just food for thought.

True, but an actual "video" costs money. You are a band, I am a single independent musician doing (and paying) for everything myself.
If I can get by with letting fans hear a track that they haven't ever heard before while conveying the needed info in an attractive manner, then I'm definitely happy with that.
Look at the equipment you have for a band and the money it costs for recording equipment... everything. I'm doing literally every step by myself.. writing, recording, mixing, releasing, album art, promotion..

I know the little staticy bit at the start is part of the music, but when I first heard it I thought it was bad sound.
I think a little movement needs to be added - Video yourself wailing on the guitar against a white or black background, then use some FX on it, insert it after the initial slides of the album.

True, but an actual "video" costs money. You are a band, I am a single independent musician doing (and paying) for everything myself.
If I can get by with letting fans hear a track that they haven't ever heard before while conveying the needed info in an attractive manner, then I'm definitely happy with that.
Look at the equipment you have for a band and the money it costs for recording equipment... everything. I'm doing literally every step by myself.. writing, recording, mixing, releasing, album art, promotion..

Yes . . . a daunting task . . . I know . . . I am a prcentage all the above as well, including managing the personalities / schedules of six musicians and countless "friends" whom help us ( but still get some compensation as is only just ) along the way.
It's do-able . . . if you were in my area You could hook up with "us" ( scores of like minded individuals with diverse talents and equipment ) and we would help one another.

You did well with your video, I take nothing away from the creation.
I only encourage you to develop mutually beneficial relationships with those around you. Networking is the power of the neo-producers.
And IMO the only way independent music will survive.

Best wishes . . .

I liked it. The only things i would change would be to add additional pics live if you have any, have the pics start sooner in the clip, shorten the overall length of the video and your last image... the choice of red color and size of the font doesn't make it very legible. I would suggest a larger font and a slightly brighter red color... I think it would work better.
Over-all nice job!

Kept it pretty simple fellains... but I think I like the way it turned out. Have a look/listen!
http://youtu.be/_pruzdxxIpI

Litost I did not get it,whats to pull me in and keep me there.The drum track overpowered too much for me.Not enough melody,no diversity and the message was unclear.I think you got some work to do.
It's only one mans view,I'm sure you got some kind of following for your music but you gotta take the good with bad.

Joe - You basically hate on everything, so that is fine. How can the message not be clear? The very beginning of the video and the very end of the video is basically saying, "this is the name of it, this is the date, this is where you get it"... all while a song from the album is playing. Yet you "don't get it" ... You're essentially saying that when you see a movie preview, you don't know that it's going to be in a theater on the date they show on the screen.
Jahva - I would definitely post live pics, but I am unable to play live. I refuse to be in a band. Maybe it's just Milwaukee, but being in a band here is impossible.
I write, record and release everything myself... drums, guitar, bass, samples... so I can't do a live show.
Mike B - I agree. Some actual video would help. Like you said, even if it was just a short clip of guitar playing or some drumming

You can go on SoundCloud.com and put up a few demo tracks.