STREET TEAMERS UNITE! -share ideas here!

[Mustang]

Here's some things I feel the label and the street team can do to help.

1. I mean no offense on this one. But it seems like more and more bands are getting added which may not be a good thing. Because some of the bands currently on the label may get less notice. Maybe just slow abit on new bands and bring back out a push on some of the older ones. I'd especially like to see Pownd get a big push.

2. Try and get into more Video games, Movies and what ever else.

3. Host an all Nightmare Records band festival .

4.Do contest's every few months where people can win free CD's. There's alot of people out there that will come to sites they haven't ever visited before if there's a chance they can win something. Plus the winner would get to hear the band from the CD he won.

5. Street team members could make a list of contact info for radio stations.


Just a few of my countless ideas.

 

[MEGALOUD]

Well I agree, but for many of the nitch market it's all about the newest thing, but there has to be a balance to be sure, we do need to keep pushing the older albums, and those bands need to be proactive and write new albums so we can build something beyond a NEW band status.

But again, if street teamers don't do anything with the titles I've sent them, then the points are all mute. Yesterday was the biggest shopping day of the year, folks have had promo's in their hands to do a short review on that would take them 5 to 10 minutes to write and put online at some site and yet, it hasn't happened yet to my knowledge from any of the street teamers on this last mailing, most have had the albums for a couple of weeks or more.

I don't want to seem ungrateful, I'm just pointing out a fact, NOW is the time for reviews on new and any Nightmare titles, and if you want to be a help, this is how you can help, that is the deal if you want to be included on the next street team mailing, produce some reviews and help spread the word on these titles in some way, or email me back and tell me you think their crap and your reviews won't help anyway.

Links to Amazon and Cdbaby for our titles are right on our myspace pages
www.myspace.com/nightmarerecords1
and
www.myspace.com/nightmarerecordsmusic

itunes just need to have the program and do a search for the title
your working on. I can't emphasize enough, how much a simple review
from a regular person makes on these new albums from bands no few have heard of yet.

 

[Mustang]

Lance I think we all can understand your feelings. While I have done some reviews in the last few days they did come abit late. If I hadn't gotten sick it would have been alot sooner.

I've been really jamming out to the dimension album today . I was honestly surpised by this one. At first I didnt think I was going to care for it. Now I'm tottally hooked.

Also, I hope my earlyer comments didnt come across offiensive.
I sometimes tend to speak my mind on things when I shouldnt. Which tends to happen more so late at night when my meds are messing with me.

Also it might be helpful to post a list of what retail stores the albums can be found in. There are parents out there(Like mine) who don't like to buy things online. There are several Nightmare Records titles I'm asking them for , for Christmas and they were asking me this very question yesterday.

Just a thought

 

[MEGALOUD]

DIMENSION's new album is an AMAZING album, since David's voice is very unique and doesn't capture you immediately I have to say, you need to listen through this whole album once if not twice before you begin to get how great he really is. He's a lot more subtle than many vocalists
and as such comes across less than amazing at first, but once you just let the music play his guitar playing and the bands tremendous talents capture you and you realize that vocals are not supposed to be the main thing in their music, it's just another instrument in the mix and it works very well!!!!

Regarding PHYSICAL STORES, well all these albums are available at all major records stores and chains, the problem is, as a small label we're being quite conservative with what we have shipped out, so if it's not on the shelves it can be ordered and will be in the stores systems, all the street team can help get things on the shelves by just requesting at major chains for our titles.
Why this is, is simple economics. there are THOUSANDS of retail outlets nationwide and in Canada our key territory for most of our releases. It takes a minimum of 8,000 CD's just to get 1-2 copies into every store. And many of these locations just don't move metal.
So 80% of this will be returned in a year and a half or less and we'll be sitting on a pile of product that didn't sell. Much better to make less and be more conservative with what ships to where.

 

[MEGALOUD]

Here are some great places to get the buzz out, if you are focused, and ready to really spread the word about an artist you love....

Automate Your Music Promotion

As you may know, I advocate a personal approach
to marketing, especially for independent artists.
One-on-one communication with your fans is far
better than the mass marketing techniques of the
major labels.

But ... there are only so many hours in the day.
No matter how passionate you are, you must learn
to spend your energy wisely, and focus on the
things that will bring the most results.

That's easy to say, but not always easy to do.

What if there was a way to automate at least
*some* of the personal dialogue you have with
your fans? Something a lot smarter and cooler
than mindless MySpace autobots?

Well, marketing expert (and indie musician) Mitch
Meyerson and I just put together a three-part,
no-cost mini course called "Automate Your Music."
You can sign up for it now at

http://www.AutomateYourMusic.com/

Each day we give you a quick audio lesson about
this simple way to stay in touch with your fans.
It's a technique used by hundreds of Internet
marketing superstars, but it's rarely used by
musicians at all. Until now.

Sign up for the three-part "Automate Your Music"
mini course now at

http://www.AutomateYourMusic.com/
90+ Essential Music and Audio Web Sites

I've expanded the list of blogs I subscribe to
lately. One I've found extremely helpful is
Mashable.com, described as "social networking
news."

A post titled "Online Music: 90+ Essential Music
and Audio Websites" is an indie music promoter's
wet dream. Check out the exhaustive list of music
web sites at
www.mashable.com/2007/07/06/online-music/

Even if you think you know it all, you're bound
to find dozens of cool music sites you never even
knew existed. Internet radio, music discovery
sites, widgets, music sales sites, and more.

Also see ...

Podcasting Toolbox: 70+ Podcasting Resources
www.mashable.com/2007/07/04/podcasting-toolbox/

Blogging Toolbox: 120+ Resources for Bloggers
www.mashable.com/2007/06/19/blogging-toolbox/

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

interesting Lance.

 

[Leopard]

But again, if street teamers don't do anything with the titles I've sent them, then the points are all mute. Yesterday was the biggest shopping day of the year, folks have had promo's in their hands to do a short review on that would take them 5 to 10 minutes to write and put online at some site and yet, it hasn't happened yet to my knowledge from any of the street teamers on this last mailing, most have had the albums for a couple of weeks or more.

I'm working on them, I promise! I have done some but I know I need to finish. I'm sorry, it just takes time (not just to write the review, but to really listen to the album), and there are a lot of new releases. I hope you don't feel that I'm a disappointment to you. I haven't forgotten, and I do make a point of playing Nightmare bands on my radio show every week; I think that's an important way of spreading the word about them, and I hope you do too!

Beth

 

[MEGALOUD]

Beth,
of course I appreciate your efforts, and I know it takes awhile, but it's not nearly as bad hard or time consuming as all that if you do it systematically, just put on the album, write your thoughts down about it, clip and paste it into a few sites and before you know it, it's done ; )

thank you all for your help, it's very much appreciated, back now to working on that AVIAN album

 

[99centsshort]

I have to leave again for awhile but... will bring my MP3 player and listen to the couple of the CD's I have. Will jot down a few notes while I am in a waiting room... waiting. When I get back later tonight, I'll hit a couple of sites to plug in a review. I'll shoot for Heart Of Sun, Incrave, Kategory V oh, and Grand Lux. I'll see what tomorrow looks like and try to do some tomorrow also. promise!
I have seen your emails on new releases and am so itchen to get some of them... I need a new Darkwater too. Listened to it twice and it seems to have disapeared!! I loved the CD! So, I will go visit Nightmare and order sometime over the weekend. Once I get those. I will listen and do the review posts. Looking forward to Dimensions music since you first signed them!!

Looks like a lot of good reading with those two sites posted (AutomateYourMusic.com and mashable.com)
I could create a profile or two on a few places and maybe keep going back to search/view/play some of the nightmare CD's... kinda like how some people plug views on U-tube getting the videos to highest viewed status. Some teamers set a time to go to a site for say 15 minutes and all of them play certain vids or music over and over. Sounds silly but when it gets placed with top views, it gets noticed by people who never would have known about some of these bands.

It's nice to get a push and direction like you're doing... mindless little go here and do this; sometimes works wonders!!

 

[99centsshort]

I was clicking on my music links for music and shops for posting reviews and came across the Rockline Radio page.

I saw a contest - The Next Great American band…Fridays at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central only on Fox! I don't watch much TV so have no clue about this show... It looks easy enough to enter some US Nightmare bands.
If nothing else... Rush and Queensryche could use some votes to air a show over the Christmas holidays!!

Rockline Radio

 

[MEGALOUD]

Everyone please note, I check the PM's on ULTIMATE METAL rarely
so please email me at NIGHTDISCS@AOL.COM for street team questions
or ideas as well.

I would like to ask if anyone has received any of the last couple STREET TEAM emails I sent out from the NIGHTDISCS@AOL.COM ?

These have been over the last couple weeks, if you haven't received an email and you have given us your email address, then please check in or sound off.
I've been having issues with this email address getting blocked from some
servers because we have some rather extensive email lists, and I think it's been blacklisted. I will most likely need to change emails but wanted
to see if you guys are getting the messages first.

 

[Leopard]

Everyone please note, I check the PM's on ULTIMATE METAL rarely
I would like to ask if anyone has received any of the last couple STREET TEAM emails I sent out from the NIGHTDISCS@AOL.COM ?

I have!

Beth

P.S. You'll be happy to know that I've done a bunch of reviews in the last week!

 

[Mustang]

Here's another idea,
Try and put together a music video for one of the bands by having a huge contest where people enter to win a chance to be in the bands music video. I suspect this might bring large notice. I'd make it so all winners must pay their own travel costs, they are just winning the chance to be in the vid not the trip.

 

[MEGALOUD]

Here's another idea,
Try and put together a music video for one of the bands by having a huge contest where people enter to win a chance to be in the bands music video. I suspect this might bring large notice. I'd make it so all winners must pay their own travel costs, they are just winning the chance to be in the vid not the trip.

good idea!

Hey guys check this out it's the new street team page on myspace
please ad yourself's to it by sending friend requests
And spread the word, we are not really looking to ad people to this list unless they are part of the street team, this page will be more of a resource page for everyone that is on the team that is on myspace, there will be things there that won't be on the Nightmare pages that you can ad to your page and send out in bulletins and paste into other peoples comment sections etc
there, it's still a work in progress so feel free to give ideas here and there about it.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=294306378

 

[Slappy]

Well, what I can reccomend is something I noticed other labels are starting to do. I know it takes time to get a release ready with printing and pressing. Once you have the mastered cd release it on your site ONLY as a pre-purchase download limited time for a lower price (say about 8 or 9 bucks). Therefore it cuts back on a "leak" ruining the release. My advice is to put the release on your site in lossless format (FLAC, or OGG format) so the quality is much better than if you get it from a Torrent site in VBR or low quality. Most people, given the window before you actually press the cd's and ship time will most definately be more interested in paying the 9 bucks for an "early" copy in high quality versus grabbing it off a torrent site in crappy quality. The label that did this is having tremendous success and no one gets hurt. And then MOST collectors will purchase the actual when released cd for the packaging factor. It's a win win Lance and proven. Good luck, if you have any questions about this contact me............... Tom

 

[MEGALOUD]

Like the idea Tom but the problem I see with this is simply that if it's released in high quality digitally, then anyone that downloads it could just as easily upload those high quality files to the Torrent sites. I'll think on it though.

 

[Slappy]

Like the idea Tom but the problem I see with this is simply that if it's released in high quality digitally, then anyone that downloads it could just as easily upload those high quality files to the Torrent sites. I'll think on it though.

*** Well, The deal is once is a cd is even recorded it has a risk of leaking through media sources, even friends of the bands. I agree it's not 100% leak proof BUT trackers can be embedded in the files on your end. I like the idea because it definately will generate some income for you and the bands as well before the hard copy release and it is a slight incentive for the illegal downloaders to see that Nightmare is doing their best to get the music to those "impatient" fans (LOLOLOL, not me) before it's actually ready to ship.