My new album... Totally made in Live 7.

[jesso]

Well, here it is at last! I've been working on it for bleedin ages. Im crap at self promotion, but check it out if you have a moment.

http://www.myspace.com/jesseboothmusic

I've been with live since version 5, and this whole album was totally recorded, sequenced, and mixed in Live. Plugins were Vintage warmer, zebra 2, metric halo channel strip, and a few others.
I'm really happy with the way it sounds. Its for sale too, on Itunes if any of you are feeling like supporting a starving musician!

Peace out.

Jesse

[dinaiz]

Great job dude ! It's a shame there are only 2 songs to listen to but I love them

I add you as a mypace friend;-)

[jesso]

Thanks Diniaz! If even one person genuinely gets a kick out of them then I've done well!
The idea with just the two songs is to whet peoples appetites.... then hopefully they go buy it on itunes! Unlikely I know.... Maybe I should just post em all on the myspace page. I wonder if theres any point in even trying to make any money at all out of it. It feels like a loosing battle.

[leedsquietman]

You need a lot of energy and belief and time spent to promote yourself if you want any hope of selling anything.

Talentless hacks like Deadmau5 make big bucks because they found an amazing promoter/manager and aren't afraid to big themselves up.

I busted my balls 2 years ago to promote a self made album (done entirely in Live 6 with a few 3rd party plugins), going on dozens of websites, emailing everyone, sending out press kits and so on, and although I did sell 80 copies of a CD and a couple of hundred digital downloads, I wouldn't go that route again, too much effort for too little return, there is way too much music out there, and a lot of free music is excellent, so unless you get elevated to megastar status, you won't sell. So, I eventually put my album up for free download, where it has been subsequently downloaded several thousand times when several sites worth of stats are combined.

[dinaiz]

You need a lot of energy and belief and time spent to promote yourself if you want any hope of selling anything.

Talentless hacks like Deadmau5 make big bucks because they found an amazing promoter/manager and aren't afraid to big themselves up.

I busted my balls 2 years ago to promote a self made album (done entirely in Live 6 with a few 3rd party plugins), going on dozens of websites, emailing everyone, sending out press kits and so on, and although I did sell 80 copies of a CD and a couple of hundred digital downloads, I wouldn't go that route again, too much effort for too little return, there is way too much music out there, and a lot of free music is excellent, so unless you get elevated to megastar status, you won't sell. So, I eventually put my album up for free download, where it has been subsequently downloaded several thousand times when several sites worth of stats are combined.

That's a really interesting feedback ! So what do you recomend to him, or to anyone who would like to promote a self made album ? Playing live and giving away your music for free so you get more buzz, and eventually sell you second album ?

[loquat]

Thanks for the link. I like the tunes. I also like the fact that you're doing it all in Live. I'd say your a brave man for staying in Live 7. The sound design in 8 is a lot better. Collision is a lot of fun too. Good luck~

[dazzer]

You already know I like your music but I'll give you a bump anyway!

Your MS site is looking a lot better too

Cheers.

[jesso]

Thanks for the feedback guys, very encouraging! I did the whole thing "in the dark" as such... I didn't look for anyone elses opinions, I just carried on until I was happy myself.
Thats very interesting leedsquietman... thanks for your input. Where can I find your album? I must check deadmau5 out, I still haven't heard his music although its pretty obvious he has a huge profile.
80 copies and a couple of hundred downloads is not TOO shabby... but I suppose you probably didn't even make back your outlay on postage and CD production etc. It's hard to know... I hesitate slightly before putting it up for free download. I believe its worth something, if only to a few people. I myself make a point of downloading good new music and actually PAYING for it from Itunes. I must be a dying breed....

[mr.ergonomics]

just heard moving in undercover on your myspace page, like it.

ps: I like the slightly "bored" tone from your voice (...you know what I mean, not the voice is boring... for me it has a casual feeling in a good way)

[leedsquietman]

I definately recommend playing Live and giving some out as either freebies or discounting. I admit, I did not play live at that time and that effects sales a lot.

Give out free copies to influential radio stations or websites in the hope that you'll get a review, with a decent press kit. I got my music played on CBC Radio 3's New Music show a few times and that helped me get a few sales. I got a few sales from Dmusic.com too, as the title track on that album was voted #3 electronic music song for 2007 at the Dmusic Awards. This is on my electronic type music 'Umbriel Rising' and it's a bit of an acquired taste because I don't make commercial sounding house music, or techno or whatever, more a hybrid of classic 70's synth music such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, and early 80's synth stuff mixed with more modern influences. Anyway, you can download all the Umbriel Rising stuff for free at Jamendo, http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/umbriel.rising . Extraterrestres was the album I put up for sale, the rest I just made free right off the bat.

I also think that CD is a dying format (unfortunately) in the field of electronic music. Trying to get a small label to promote you can help, and if you get your music on Beatport or similar, that will help. Also use sites such as audiojelly, beats digital and the like to sell your music digitally, I got a few sales that way.

The main thing is - you put a lot of effort into the music. If you put the same amount of effort into the promotion, you will get some returns, but if no-one knows about your album, then people aren't just going to randomly pick it up - CDBaby helps a bit in that it references you to other artists, so your CD will appear in the 'in you liked this album, you might like ....' on another artist's page. Also, be confident and proud in your musical creation, you don't have to be arrogant, but don't be afraid to compare it to major label releases that influenced you, don't belittle yourself 'my little album' or 'this little thing I threw together' in Live 7 doesn't inspire confidence, treat your work like it is a priceless creation that you put all your heart and soul into and believe in yourself.

Good Luck with your album sale.

[jesso]

Thanks mr ergonomics. Thats what I was going for kind of ..... that whole bored 80s vocal vibe!
And thank you leedsquietman for bothering to write such an extensive post.
Lots of good points in there. I'm not planning on doing any of my music live... It wouldn't really work and I don't have the time to get it together. I'm hopeing for some local (Irish) radio play, but those other sites and radio stations you mention I will look into also.
I reckon I'm gunna pick carefully who I send a press pack out to. I don't see the point in sending out hundreds of cds that will end up in the bin.
I'm just in the process of downloading extraterrestres. I like the sound of your description! I'm not really a big house/techno head myself, although I can appreciate it when its good. I'll let you know when I've given it a spin!
I totally agree with you about being confident... thats probably half the battle for me. No one else will believe in what your doing if you don't yourself.

[leedsquietman]

Thanks.

I love the artwork on your album jesso. I'll try and make some time and give your music a listen.

Yes, you need to target your resources, don't just randomly throw stuff out there, otherwise you're correct that your album will be used as coffee coasters or residing in a dumpster somewhere, but think, which media (radio, internet, magazines etc) has given airplay or reviews to music of a similar genre. The press kit has to be good too, otherwise they don't even bother listening to the CD.

You might be better to make a demo of your album too, sending in the 4 tracks you think are best, or at least the most commercially viable, rather than sending a full album, as the chances of a full album being properly listened to are pretty much nil, but that demo still needs to look professional (use the same cover art etc).

In the meantime, make full use of the web - get your Myspace and Facebook or Virb/Reverb Nation and whichever else sites you are a member of fully updated, with pictures and tracks or at least excerpts from your new email, get in contact with all your family and friends and see if they can buy a few copies or spread the word for you. Every little helps. I did break even on Extraterrestres, possibly with some small beer change profit, but it took a heck of a lot of work and I remember feeling so disappointed after 2 or 3 weeks, when I'd sold about 8 copies of it through paypal to friends only mainly. So I realized fast that without the confidence to believe in your self and really put the word out, I'd be stuck with a basement full of CDs and feel like a chump, so I set to work and although it was a heck of a lot of work for such a small return, it was worth it and I only have a few copies of the album left (originally pressed 125 copies of the CD, sold 84 copies and gave away 28 copies). Most of my mp3 sales have been through I-tunes, if you're music is going up on itunes, make sure you promote that fact too, lot's of people think you're cool when they can dial in a purchase of your music just as easily as buying a U2 or Chemical Brothers track or album !!!

[jesso]

Thanks again. I've taken all your advice onboard. You've been very helpful!

[jesso]

Wow for some reason I've had like at least a hundred myspace hits a day for the last 4 days. I have no idea why... I only have a few friends, and no new friend requests?? I suppose its pretty cool, but no ones bought my album yet as far as I know! I checked the CD baby accounting section, and its all big fat ZEROS!!

[djsynchro]

live 7 is so 2008