Dear Tim Sweeney,

We just brought in a new singer/guitar player into our band. I noticed that he was always playing at big events in our city and it seems like every store in town, whether or not it was a record store, was selling his CD. When I asked him how he got to play all these festivals and got non-music related stores to sell his CDs, he said, he went to one of your workshops and you taught him how to use all the resources around him. He said, you told him to use the phone book to get more exposure and sell more CDs. Is he full of sh*t?

Nope. He is being honest with you. In my workshops, I teach artists like yourself how to use the resources around you that you wouldn’t commonly think of. The phone book is one of my favorites.

The phone book contains some great information and leads for musicians in every market. For example, the festivals and outdoor events that are put on in your city, are listed in the front of the phone book in the city calendar section. The major events are listed by calendar dates and who is putting them on. All you have to do is pick out the events that interest you, decide whether you want to perform at them or just attended and promote your CD and then call City Hall and ask for the department handling the event. From there you can get more information like, who is putting it on, who is the main contact person and how do you get a hold of them. Artists I work with will frequently play outdoor events to thousands of people and sell hundreds of CDs, simply by contacting the people who are putting on the event and offering to play for free. The organizers are usually so happy to have them at no cost, they advertise for them and give them a free booth to sell their CDs at.

In some markets that are already tough like New York City, you can’t beat playing in Central Park to a couple of thousand people who wouldn’t normally come to your shows.

Most events are run by charities who will often buy copies of your CDs to be given away as premiums for donations. Especially if you have songs on your CD or the theme of it, has some connection to their cause. Most major cities have “local” offices for the larger charity organizations. I’ve had cancer organizations buy more than a thousand CDs to be given away as premiums. The best part is that if its a big success, they can contact the “local” office of the next closest city and have you play events for them!

You can find the local charity office either in the business listings or in the yellow pages or, just call the operator for the number of the office in your area.

In regards to non-music related stores, just stop and think if your CD connects with various gift stores or specialty stores in your city. For example, Children’s music can be sold in baby furniture stores. Dance or high energy music can be sold at dance studios or gyms. Songs about taking a chance on a new relationship can be premiums for dating services in the area. If your music fits certain demographics, try local car dealers. I’ve sold hundreds of CDs to Mercedes Benz dealers to show off their expensive high end sound systems.

Stop and think about each song on the CD and the overall theme of the album. Think if there are businesses in your city that deal with the topic. I had a lady come in for a consulting session who wrote songs about her dog and cat. After a little bit of thinking and a few phone calls, 3 pet stores in the area bought over 400 of her CDs to be given away as premiums. Don’t laugh! It was $2,500 in her pocket. Now she is selling hundreds of copies online through sites that offer pet advice and supplies.

Try using the phone book for something other than a door stop. Better yet, email me through my web site at http://www.tsamusic.com or feel free to come to my next workshop, http://www.musicstrategies.com