Musical success in nine weeks by Ariel Hyatt has just been released in its second edition. Many of you, indie musicians, wonder if the book is worth buying, and I would like to split the chapters to help you make an informed decision. Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR, a digital company based in New York that connects artists, authors and filmmakers to blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations and social media sites. In the past 13 years, his company has represented more than 1,400 musicians in all musical genres.
In my own career as an indie musician, I had to worry about my business, not just my music. To be an independent musician, you need to have an entrepreneurial mindset, and I read a lot of books about the world of music, and being an entrepreneur who helped me achieve my goals.
As a customer of Ariel’s, and owner of the first edition of the first edition of Musical success in nine weeks, I was anxious to know how the editions differed from each other. Although the concept of dividing tasks into nine weeks is the same, it is obvious to me that the second edition has even more content than the first.
Week 1: Mental Preparation
Ariel’s first week Musical success in nine weeks The program is about setting goals and adopting the right mindset. The music world is not for the lazy or the weak, and you need to be prepared for the long run. That means getting into the right mindset for success and creating realistic goals that you can work towards.
Week 2: your perfect argument
The second week teaches you how to create an elevator speech: a description of your music that you can easily repeat in the time it takes to travel from one floor of an elevator to another. The best music tone is memorable, and you will be happy to use it continuously.
Week 3: Optimizing Your Website
The purpose of your music site is not just to store music clips and display the date of the next show. Your website needs to attract potential fans and allow them to join your cause. Ariel offers practical suggestions on how your website can be used to build your fan base.
Week 4: Social media for musicians
With social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, the potential to build a global audience through the internet has grown exponentially. Week 4 of Musical success in nine weeks defines “Web 2.0” and shows which social media sites a musician needs to create an online presence.
Week 5: blogs
In the past, a static website containing your music, photo and biography was enough. Having a blog on your website allows you to show your personality, connect with other bloggers and also be found by search engines. Week 5 explains the importance of having a website that updates frequently so your fans can come back to your site and connect with you.
Week 6: Connecting to fans through your newsletter list and conducting surveys
Your band’s newsletter can be used to do more than announce the dates of your next show. Your newsletter should be used to build and grow your relationship with your fans. Once you have their trust, you can also ask them for what they want from you. It is much better than guessing.
Week 7: How to build your distribution list
Once you have an email list, it is also important to add more names each month. Week 7 shows tips and tricks for creating a healthy fan mailing list.
Week 8: Real live network tips
In addition to having an online presence, it is still important for musicians to meet people offline and establish connections with them. Week 8 teaches you how to make an authentic connection in person.
Week 9: Creating a Continuum Program
As enlightening as the rest of this book is, in my opinion, Week 9 of Musical success in nine weeks is the highlight of the book. Once you’ve created your fan base and are allowed to contact them regularly, it’s time to get your fans to buy products from you regularly. Whether it’s CDs, t-shirts or any other type of band gifts, creating a product line will make a difference in your band’s financial results.
Another bonus of buying Ariel Hyatt’s Musical success in nine weeks is that you get free lifetime membership to Ariel’s closed online Mastermind Forum. In the forum, you will find other musicians like you who are working on the program and have the additional support of Ariel and his team. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am also one of the moderators of her forum, but as a musician, I get what I give and recommend Ariel Hyatt’s book and services to any musician who wants to take his career to the next level.