10 KILLER Online Tools for Bands (ALL FREE)
Posted by EMPIRE | Filed under ARTICLES
Ten of the lesser-known tools that every band/musician should know about and take advantage of.
TourZag
If this list had been compiled in any purposeful order TourZag would be #1. This is a powerful online band manager that was made by musicians for musicians. It offers a gig tracker, tour route generator, customizable contact list, a financial tracker, merch manager, to-do lists and reminders. You can even sync this with your Twitter account so fans know immediately when a new show is added. TourZag is simply amazing.
ePressKitz
E-press kits otherwise known as EPKs are a more professional way to link industry contacts to your bio, songs and contact info. than by simply sending a link to your social networking page. Another feature of the EPK is that you can target your message specifically to the press or other industry contacts. The free plan allows a flash intro with music, a bio page, three videos, three high res photos (or three mp3’s), a contact page and unlimited e-mails with tracking.
Noteflight
If you’ve ever tried to find a decent music writing program then you know just how ridiculously expensive they can be. Noteflight is an amazing browser-based tool that lets you create and hear your music notation in professional quality. You can even print your sheet music or embed it in your web site so fans can learn your songs.
Broadtexter
With Broadtexter bands can allow fans to subscribe to text message updates. Bands can schedule text alerts to be sent at specific times, limit a message to users from certain regions and design a subscription widget to post on their site. According to the research of CTIA there were 1.36 trillion text messages sent from June 2008 to June 2009. That accounts for more than half of cell phone users’ time spent using their wireless devices. As fans go mobile so should your band.
Geotweet
Geotweet allows bands to show fans exactly where they’re tweeting from. This a great tool when posting show information. Mini-map and photo integration will help your fans find the venue fast.
Drumbot
The Drumbot site includes an online guitar tuner, metronome, drum machine, pattern sequencer and bpm finder. These tools were designed with rich graphical interfaces, lots of features and are quick running alternatives to similar downloadable programs.
Indie on the Move
Indie on the Move is the most comprehensive venue database we’ve seen on the web. No need to sign up, just type a city name in the search bar and you’ll be presented with a list of local venues. Click a venue link and you’ll find a photo, reviews, the address, set up description, age limitations, booking contact info and more. There’s no doubt that this site will provide your band with everything needed to book your next show or tour.
Song.ly
Share your music with fans on Twitter. Just paste a link to your mp3 and your tweets appear along with a play button so your followers can listen to the track without having to download it. You can also add “tweet this song” buttons to your website.
Zazzle
While most internet users have come across the name it is important to know that Zazzle is not like most web-stores. If you need to make band merch immediately available to fans, but don’t want to front any money in doing so then Zazzle is the perfect solution. Simply upload your designs, choose which products you’d like be available and customize your virtual storefront. There is zero cost involved because Zazzle simply collects a percentage of the profit, which you get to set. Zazzle even offers design templates so you know the exact resolution and size your design needs to be depending on the products you want to offer. The time and effort you’ll save in printing, stocking and shipping the merchandise will be worth the meager profit slice that goes to Zazzle.
My Band
Add a “My Band” tab to your personal Facebook profile. When your friends click the tab your band bio, pictures, music and gigs will appear. It’s a great way to promote and easier than telling every new friend about your band individually.
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December 30th, 2011 at 11:50 PM
This was an incredible article. As the CEO of an Artist Development company, Konstant Kudos, I find insightful information like this game changing to say the least. Thank you for putting this together! -2KP