Cheap or Free Ways to Promote my Metal EP

[Linchpin]

My band Forget Forever just released our first EP yesterday. Does anyone have suggestions on how to get some exposure? We're in a couple local shops and signed up to the major music websites (myspace, audiostreet, pure volume etc.), but nothing much beyond that. We're pretty broke after pressing discs, so keep that in mind. Any help is appreciated.

Kyle
www.forgetforever.com

[Gorty]

Are you doing any local gigs?

If so,
1. Make flyers 6"x 4" (All done yourself on PC)
2. Posters " "
3. Contact your local newspapers, arrange to have a write up and photographs of the band to advertise local gigs.
4. Sweet talk Hotel proprieter in supplying give aways at the gigs,eg t-shirts, stubbie holders.
5.Local radio airplay.


Two weeks prior to gigs place flyers everywhere,


1.Shopping Centres
2.Deli,s
3.The venue of your gig, on tables, on the bar (If your gig is say on a Friday nite, go to the venue on the previous 2 Friday nites and hand out flyers to all the punters)
4.Place of work
5.Windscreens of cars everywhere (Beware of littering laws)
6.Petrol Stations
7.Newsagencies

Just a few ideas! Hope that Helps!

[glynb]

Cheap free promotion - send off your EP to webzines and fanzines who specialise in your genre (do some research on the net).

These will review your EP for nothing (don't pay for any review it's not necessary) and the fanzine ones will even print a feature about your band if they like you.

I say 'cheap' rather than 'free', because you have to bear in mind the cost of postage, padded envelope, and giving away many copies of the disk. Reckon on about a 20% hit rate, so if you send out 100 copies hoping for a review you might get 20 or so reviews.

Another 'free' way to promote is to put together a press release around something your band are doing (get some advice about how to do a good press release) send that out in PDF format to webzines and ezines. Costs you little except time to do the research. But be polite, email them FIRST and ask if it's OK to send them press releases, otherwise they might treat your stuff as spam.

It takes time, but noone ever said it was easy to get your name around.

[treymonfauntre]

having worked for and knowing tons of people that do ezines.. bands that do press kits are the laughing stock of all of them. save that shit for the hard rock live.

[Robertt8]

set up something at myspace.com/music

free.

[Yippee]

Music Promotion Online and Offline

[bcains]

Using websites like Purevolume and Myspace, will give youe band a chance to get heard worldwide. So thats good. Since you've already signed up for that maybe you should get like a mailing list going, to promote your CD more and maybe any upcoming gigs. Just start sending out heaps of friend requests, hopefully then they'll start telling their friends ect ect.

Other things to do

Contacting radio:
As with the regional press, local radio will have a small budget and fewer listeners than a national station but it's still worth approaching them with your material. Check out the internet to see which of your local stations have shows that showcase new talent.
National radio

Making a press kit:
What to include
-CD
-Business card
-Cover letter
-Head shot/Group Shot
-Bio
-Reviews (most current on top)
-Any press

Presenting your demo:
If you want your demo to stand out from the crowd.

Getting Reviews:
Slowly you'll get responces, then you can put them on your website/press kit
Contacts (1)
Contacts (2)

[David Hooper]

Best way to do it is via a live show. That way you'll get paid to get in front of people. Plus, it's more convincing and an easier sale in person than using something like MySpace.