How To Sell *LOTS* Of Digital Downloads In Your Local Area

(And, start making sales in only a week, or less.)

By Kenny Love

This is more of a tip than an article, whereby, I want to show you how you can begin experiencing tremendous digital download sales in your own local area in only a week or less.

And, implementing this tip will greatly influence your own local radio stations, whether college, non commercial or commercial, to begin requesting your CD and giving you radio airplay.

And, wouldn't it be great to finally get some local support while eliminating the old "can't buy no love in my home town" scenario?

I'm glad you agree, so here goes...

1. The first thing that *MUST* occur is that you must ALREADY have your music on iTunes, the digital download music site at (iTunes) and similar download music sites. None of the rest of this tip will work if you do not already have your music on iTunes.

If you try this process without your music already at iTunes, you are going to lose big with digital music sales as well as upset potential music buyers who attempt to buy your music at the site only to discover that it is not there and will not likely return.

And, it currently takes approximately sixty (60) days for music to become active on iTunes after submitting it. But, you need your music on iTunes (and similar sites) in order to begin getting paid *immediately* after the following process begins.

2. So, assuming your music is already on iTunes (you are blessed if it is), make a list of local dance nightclubs where there are live deejays that play your style of music in their nightly playlists. While this information is not applicable to Jazz, Classical or similar genres because of their "live performance" natures, this tip will work extremely well for the genres of; Country, Rock, Hip Hop, Rap, Electronic, Dance, and similar genres of music where deejays appear nightly.

3. Next, contact local nightclubs to get the contact info for their deejays. If nightclubs are unwilling to give you their deejays' contact information, the next alternative is for you to personally visit the nightclubs during their hours of business and speak directly with the deejays.

Note: To save both a trip to nightclubs and a CD that can be used for sale, when contacting deejays by phone, inquire if you may email them an MP3 file that they can burn to CD themselves. Some are likely to accept the MP3, however, most will probably want to receive the CD. However, it doesn't hurt to try to save on product, time and money by offering the MP3 file.

4. Either way, you want to get your music in the hands of the deejays for them to play the single that you are promoting. That is your main goal and, opposed to radio deejays who may play politics with you in getting airplay, nightclub deejays will welcome the chance to get a new CD and give it a try to see how his or her audience will react to it.

Note: Keep in mind that your song must be very dance floor oriented/dance-able or it must be a very strong ballad. Don't simply suggest a mediocre song from your recording. If necessary, have several friends listen to your CD to get their opinion on which song you should select to present to the nightclub deejays. An uptempo tune is usually your better bet.

5. After making your selection and presenting it to the deejays, this is the general and wonderful scenario that is likely to occur for you.

A. If your song is a literal 'mover and shaker' on the dance floor the night the deejay introduces it to his crowd, people are not likely willing to wait until record stores open the next day in order to get your music. And, most are certainly not patient enough to wait until they receive it three days later in the mail. This is because, in both cases, they are likely aware of http://www.iTunes.com since it has approximately 70% of the music market share for digital download sales.

B. What people are going to do, is get your name from the deejay, then go to iTunes online once they return home in order to buy your digital download. In fact, the first night that the deejays play your music, you will likely experience download sales.

6. As local radio station music directors, program directors and radio deejays also tend to stay in touch with local nightclub deejays to learn what people are responding to on the dance floor, nightclub deejays will probably introduce you and your song to their radio deejay counterparts, thus, starting a buzz about you and your music at the local radio level, which will then cause local radio personnel to begin seeking you out for your music for airplay consideration on their stations.

7. Also, some of the nightclub disk jockeys in your area are also likely to have specialty/mix shows on your local radio stations. They will then bring your music on their show and introduce it to their listening audiences who may have not gone to any of the local clubs where your music is playing. This now gives you a dual local audience for your music.

8. Now, at both the nightclubs and radio stations, your listeners are likely to start making multiple requests for your music, which is an absolute wonderful thing to happen, particularly, locally. Also, the radio deejays are likely to introduce your music to their music directors and program directors.

The great thing is, this local promotion costs you very little to implement and maintain while having the potential to create some incredible digital download sales and profits on your local level, which should also increase your gigs in your local area as well.

Wow! It looks like this "tip" became an article after all.

Editor's Note: Kenny Love is a veteran Music industry executive and is president of MuBiz.com, a music business firm providing promotion, publicity and additional administrative services for independent and unsigned musicians and recording artists.