How Do You Market Music You Have Composed Yourself?
I have a relative who is a talented composer/arranger of a wide range of music styles but he just doesnt know how to get it out there to the people who matter. He hasnt got a computer so anything online is not an option. Any ideas anyone?
November 9th, 2009 at 2:12 am
The approach to each type of market is different. What kind of music does this person write and arrange?
Musician, composer, teacher.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:38 am
http://magnatune.com/ ( they will choose who to sell )http://www.lulu.com/en/products/digital_… ( self-published )
November 9th, 2009 at 11:22 am
there are several ways… but one of the easiest ways these days is to go through MySpace.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Firstly, I must voice my disagreement with the above answerer – I am a young professional composer myself, and have met or heard speak at least a hundred composers, and to the best of my knowledge, NONE of them are “independently wealthy”, and VERY FEW regularly work in other professions to make money. Composers earn their money from writing on commission, and sales of sheet music and recordings, but primarily from teaching composition lessons, privately and at music schools. And composers work extremely hard to balance the time spent earning money with the time spent writing music. Please do not spread a ridiculous and disrespectful idea that composers don’t need to earn money, or that they pursue music “as a hobby” and other professions for work.
I apologize for the tirade! But in fact, it should go some way towards explaining what the average composer’s life is like. Writing the music is what we do best, what we can’t live without – everything else takes a lot of hard work. The above answerer was exactly right in saying that one must get pieces performed – having the most fantastic piece available for sale means nothing to the market if they haven’t heard the piece.
The way to get pieces performed is to develop working relationships, and friendships, with musicians. As many as you can, in as many different places as you can. And do not be selfish about it – if they can promote your music by playing it, is there something you could do for them as well, on an individual basis?
Everything else which is possible – selling scores to publishers, selling recordings, receiving commissions, receiving teaching jobs – can only happen after a composer is well-connected to musicians. So get to it, and have patience, and good luck!