Head over to the HAVE YOUR SAY page to have your say on the new album cover!

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So I haven’t heard back from the album art designer yet so I’m preparing for the worst- which is, that I do indeed, have to design the album art myself so that it’s done by Tuesday. There was also a deadline tomorrow of getting the album cover to Tunecore for posting on iTunes but that’s not going to happen on time, so I pushed the album release date back one week from July 7th to July 14th. It’s really no big deal, and it’s actually better because we have more time to set up some web promo and interviews for the album release.

*sigh* so I actually wrote a lot of that last “Many Hats” blog not only to share what I’ve learned in the past but also to remind myself that “If a deadline isn’t met, it is NOT the end of the world.” That is definitely not the motto for signed artists. Oh no. So another perk of being indie! But you really don’t want to go changing deadlines. Annie and Jo started doing some press and promo and they have to contact the publications they emailed to let them know about the changed date. I hesitated about that, about not looking professional, but decided in the end that it was NO BIG DEAL. What is the use of having flexibility of running your own business if you don’t take advantage of it? And honestly, I’m on very few radars right now, so it shouldn’t make much of a difference. (BUT I WILL BE ON A LOT OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE’S RADARS VERY SOON!)

I’m just SO EAGER to release this thing and get the album OUT THERE for everyone to hear!!!!!

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If you want to be a successful independent musician, you need to wear many ‘hats’. You need to be the ARTIST, PRODUCER, PROJECT MANAGER, TOUR MANAGER, BOOKING AGENT, MARKETING MANAGER, ART DIRECTOR, sometimes GRAPHIC DESIGNER, ACCOUNTANT, etc. If you’re blessed, like I am, you have people who are willing to help with some of the tasks listed above. But there are two things I’ve come to learn after doing this for a few years. First, even if you have people helping, it still gets overwhelming. If you are independent and unsigned, YOU are your business and YOU are the one that has to keep it going. The details can get a bit stressful. Case in point, right now I’m dealing with manufacturing and artwork deadlines for the album. Read the rest of this entry »

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To be a successful unsigned musician you MUST work your ARSE off. For the past year I’ve been in the starting gate, ready to blast through. I couldn’t do anything without an album in hand but the album is now in HAND! And now that I have clear things TO DO, I’m lovin’ it (Having clear goals that I can go after)! Here’s my to-do list for today:

LISTEN TO MASTER #2 CD!!!! and send Priority Mail to Manufacturer.
pay for Tunecore Rush Promo, email Annie and Jo confirm 7/7/ on iTunes
do basic template press release, email to Annie: “Indie Musician Mia Kim Announces Fan-Funded Album Release Date, July 7, 2009. ”
ADD ALBUM TO CD BABY AND GET BAR CODE
FOLLOW UP/ CONFIRM iTUNES/TUNE CORE RUSH PROMO

DO ALBUM ART!!!

SHORT RUN INTO PRODUCTION: DROP OFF MASTER as soon as you get 3rd master

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Ho-hum, every Tuesday night until 7/7/09, a new song up on Myspace. Two up already. Yeah!

www.myspace.com/miakim

ALSO! You can NOW PURCHASE THE PREVIEW TRACKS via My BANDBOX on my myspace page. Bandbox is a service that favors indie artists by providing them a way to sell digital tracks and keep 100% OF SALES. I’ll be doing a future blog post on Bandbox and what it means for me, the independent musician.

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I’m still on STEP 1 of Section 1, but I’ve done step 2 and 3! So that’s progress!

After recording steps:
1) Album Art (<-- I am here. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.)
2) Album Duplication Choices (<--DONE!)
3) Album Distribution Choices; Digital and Hard Copy (<--DONE!)

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So an example of an “Album Cycle” for a PERFORMING MUSICIAN is as follows:

#1 Go into the studio and record your album. Ideally finish it within 6-8 weeks. Release date is set as nearing the end of the album is made clear.
#2 When you near the end of recording and have an album title, the ‘marketing dept’ (i.e. me myself and i) is supposed to get the album art ready and start setting up pre-release press interviews and reviews.
#3 Finish recording the album. Send the album away for replication, do a short run of a couple hundred CD’s to send to press for reviews, radio, pre-release promo etc. For indie artists, the short run step is skipped due to lack of funds, or done home-made CD burning ghetto style or just skipped. Your ‘booking dept’ (i.e my myself and I or a management team, i.e. friends who are willing to help) starts booking gigs and performance dates for a couple weeks before the release thru to a month after the release date. They/we are also ideally setting up a more substantial ‘tour’ or grouping of shows for the next touring season (Fall or Spring). Your ‘marketing dept’ is setting up some live tapings and web promo.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Here’s where the real HARD work starts for the unsigned musician who is serious about getting their music OUT THERE and to the NEXT LEVEL. That’ll be me folks.

I had too much bouncing in my head last night so I quickly wrote down all the things I have to do in the next few weeks. Are you ready? This is just a summarized list and doesn’t include everything. Lucky for me, I’m an artist who enjoys administration and business (except booking, not so much). Right now I’m on Step #1 of “After Recording Steps”. Here’s the trick: BABY STEPS, TAKE BABY STEPS and thus, move forward.

After recording steps:
1) Album Art (<-- I am here. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.)
2) Album Duplication Choices
3) Album Distribution Choices; Digital and Hard Copy

Pre-Release Promo/Buzz
1) Pre-release reviews, interviews, press with select publications
2) Post preview mp3’s MySpace Streaming Track, etc.

Business:
1) LLC or DBA? $150 (had on East Coast, need to do for CA)
2) US Copyright, PA/SR $400

Then Full-On Marketing and Promo!
(send out Cd’s to Project Members)
1) new mkonline.com udpate srp.com, update myspace, facebook, bebo, reverbnation, lastFM, iLike, all new web 2. sites, etc. etc. etc.
1) send out CD’s for reviews
2) let everyone know about the release
3) press release, interviews, promo, etc.

Release Party Planning
1) opening band
2) food
3) my band, practicing

Booking and Playing Out
1) send out CD’s
2) follow up with Venues
3) open mics
4) active booking

and document it all on SRP and twitter.

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done done doneeee done done done done done, done done donnnnnnne done done done done done.. donnnnne done done done done donnnnnnnne donnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeee.

this is a new song i just wrote called ‘done’. I kid. the album is done! I just emailed Mr. Producer the final track listing. It’s done done done! done done finished, alive, real, breathing, done done done!

I HOPE EVERYONE LIKES IT!!!! I sure do.

Tentative release date is JULY 7, 2009, and “Miss Regret” is going to be your SONG of the SUMMER.

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Yes, by the end of this week, I should have a finished CD in my hands. Well the music part of it that is. In the end, it’s such a small thing compared to all that’s going on in the world, but for me, it’s a big goal accomplished so, I take that back, it’s a BIG thing! and I couldn’t have gotten this far without every single person who has supported/funded/encouraged me doing exactly that.

I plan on taking a little breather this weekend then it’s time for PHOTO SHOOT, ALBUM ART, (stay tuned to vote for your fave album cover pic), DISTRIBUTION STUFF, SENDING CD’S OUT FOR REVIEWS (and to INDUSTRY PEEPS), BOOKING SHOWS, NETWORKING, PRAYING, WEB PRESS/PROMO, oh and planning and practicing for a RELEASE PARTY. I”m thinking, real party, with disco music and all. No ‘artist sings a whole hour of their new stuff’ and people just sit there, no. Maybe I’ll sing a few songs, and then everyone will EAT and there will be cool music playing and maybe, I dunno, games like twister? Do I know how to throw a party or not?

Otherwise, I really have my work cut out for me. Though I must say, I’m REALLY blessed to have people (my peeps, I have peeps!) who are willing to help me with some of the above.

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