January 31, 2018

Musician's Atlas Staff Pick (Week 4, 2018)





Staff Pick artist Emily Kohne was chosen for Week 4 as the Musician's Atlas PopScore Pick for her song Open Road - Listen Here! 

She received a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service.

But you don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get VIP access to the best performance, promotion & distribution.
                                  
                                      
                                        
                                             Become a member of Musician's Atlas today

Indie Bible PopScore Pick (Week 4, 2018)


Top PopScore artist Boo Riley was chosen for Week 4, 2018 as Indie Bible's PopScore Pick for their song K.I.D. - Listen Here!



Boo Riley received an Ultimate Indie bundle ($280 value) from Indie Bible. The ULTIMATE INDIE BUNDLE can help you to get valuable radio airplay, music reviews, spotlight features, video airplay, physical & digital distribution, signed to a record label and much more!


You don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get your Indie Bundle. Get Your Ultimate Indie Bundle Today!

January 26, 2018

Contact Your Fans via Email: Use Shared Emails in Mailchimp

You've probably noticed by now that when Jango listeners become fans, they also have the option of providing you with their email address. Every time a fan chooses to provide their email, the address is then added to a list that can be found in the LISTENERS > EMAIL ADDRESSES page on your Radio Airplay account. 


What you may not have been aware of is that you can download the list in CSV format which can then be imported to various platforms to send emails or newsletters to all your fans at once. MailChimp is a favorite of ours. It's a great platform and email marketing service with many awesome tools to keep you connected to your fans. If you don't have an account, you can create one for free HERE.


After you create your MailChimp account, you'll need to download your CSV list
from the LISTENERS > EMAIL ADDRESSES on your Radio Airplay account page to your computer: 


The CSV file with the email list will then be saved to the files in your computer, which you will need to locate later. Now that you've completed the above steps, you're ready to import the CSV file to your MailChimp list.

Log in to your MailChimp account and navigate to the LISTS page and click CREATE LIST. From here you can fill out the details for this particular list of emails as well as notifaction settings:


After you've completed this page, you will then be asked to Add contacts. From here, just click on the IMPORT CONTACTS option:


You will then see options asking where you want to import your contacts from. Choose "CSV or tab-delimited text file" then click NEXT.


Now just click BROWSE to locate and select that CSV file you saved earlier. Check the box next to "I understand that my billing plan may be automatically upgraded. Your account will only be upgraded if your list import causes your subscriber count to exceed your current billing plan." Click NEXT to go to the import subscribers step:

Click Save for the Email Address column. MailChimp automatically matches the column in your import file that contains email addresses to the required Email Address field in your list:


The editing pane for each column includes the current column name, field type, and example data from your list, for your reference. To exclude a column from the final import, click Skip.

You must match or skip all columns to complete your import. After you're finished matching, you'll see a success message:



Click Next to review your final import settings.

On the You're all set to import! screen, review the settings for your import. Be sure to keep the Subscribed option selected:



After you've reviewed your settings, click Import.

Once you've imported your contacts, you'll be ready send your first email or newsletter. 
Just go to the CAMPAIGN tab and click CREATE A CAMPAIGN to get started! 
For information on how create a campaign, please see MailChimp tutorial HERE 
 

January 25, 2018

Center Stage - Explosive Ear Candy

Meet our latest Center Stage artist Explosive Ear Candy- the brainchild of the muse infested mind of L.A. based songwriter Tal More. It launched in early 2016 and has been gaining momentum ever since with 3 million streams and dozens of commercial uses for different projects worldwide (in Spain, Germany, Poland, U.S., France, Korea, Austria, Japan and others.). Tal, a classically trained musician, immigrated to the U.S. in 2013 based on an exceptional ability in the arts visa. He's been working with incredible talents, including Grammy award winning producer and arranger Jeff Bova. The vocalist for most of Explosive Ear Candy's music is the ridiculously talented Nashville based singer Kaci Bolls.

Get to know Tal a bit better in our newest Center Stage Q&A: 


Can you describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence?
Imagine a unicorn eating fluffy white clouds made out of cotton candy. If that image could be a sound- that's Explosive Ear Candy's sound.


What's your earliest music-related memory growing up?

I remember sitting on a bus on the way to who knows where. Probably a class trip to some educational destination. I was in elementary school. A friend asked if I knew the band Queen and gave me his Walkman so I could check them out. I listened to Bohemian Rhapsody. Those incredible sounds flooded my ears and I was absolutely floored. I don't even remember listening to music before that moment. When I think back, that was probably the moment where I fell head over heels in love with music and the one that ultimately led me to create music. 

If you were to cover another band/artist's album, which would you pick and why?
I'd never cover another band/artist's album. Nothing can usually beat the original anyway and it's sad to say, but too often covers are just a way to profit from someone else's creativity. Don't get me wrong- some covers are epic, but so many times they're done for the main purpose of giving fans a sure thing. Something familiar that the artist knows will be received well and help sell the other material. So personally I prefer to follow the words of the wise old man who said: 'you do you' and only record my own songs.

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
No, I have a robot that does it for me. But seriously- yes, I write and compose Explosive Ear Candy's songs. I usually start with a melodic idea that buzzes in my brain. I grab my trusted guitar and explore where that buzz leads. Lyrics usually start to form around that initial idea and then I continue to work on the melody and lyrics so they would complement each other, building the song piece by piece, until I feel all the pieces fit together perfectly. A song usually takes a few days to complete, but there are songs that proved more stubborn and took months until they felt just right. I should have just used the songwriting robot and spared myself the effort.

What was the highlight for you in 2017? Either personally or for your music career?

There were dozens of licenses for Explosive Ear Candy's songs that were used in different projects throughout 2017. Most notable was a license by the Korean branch of the magazine Elle. That was really cool though they didn't send me any fashion swag which was somewhat disappointing. Another highlight was a promotional video for an Italian website. In the video 18 Italian moms are dancing with their babies in a street mob to the sound of Explosive Ear Candy's song 'New Life' from the SUGARUSH EP. That song was also used recently to promote an Augmented Reality app so that was definitely a major highlight too.

What have you been working on recently? Can you give us a hint for whats to come in 2018?

A batch of new songs was recorded in September 2017. 'Christmas All The Time' was the first release from that batch- a fun little holiday treat. Other new songs will be released during 2018 in a new EP currently titled 'Chronicles of a Blue Heart'. The amount of unrecorded songs that are waiting for their day in the sun could probably fill 10 albums. The plan is to record more songs in late 2018 and hopefully release a full length album in 2019.

What do you like more: Performing live or recording in the studio?
Definitely recording in the studio. I'm not a kind of person who loves being in the spotlight. I'm more inclined to be the guy behind the stage who operates the spotlight.

What are some artists/bands that you're into at the moment? Or any particular song you find yourself listening to over and over?
One singer-songwriter that I've been into for a long time is Chris Merritt. He writes complex out of the box music and has blown my mind to smithereens many many times. He lyrics are extremely personal but at the same time also deal a lot with science, evolution, religion and everything in between. That might sound boring but he's witty as hell and the music is always interesting to my ears. Some of his songs are melancholy and deep while others are pure fun. If I had to recommend just one song as an introduction to his music it's without a doubt 'Sarah and the Fabric of Reality'. That's the first song I heard by him and it made me a fan so hopefully it'll make more people take interest in his music. Look it up on YouTube.

Any embarrassing on stage moments you'd like to share? C’mon, don’t be shy.
Thanks for helping me relive the horror. I was once "forced" by the lead singer of a band I was in to sing backup vocals while playing the acoustic guitar. I tried to object but the song required it so I went along with it reluctantly. The sound at that show was awful to begin with. My guitar was out of tune. I'm not a good singer. I'm not great at doing two things at once. And to top it all off- a string snapped in the middle of the song. Let's just say the people who attended that show are probably suffering from PTSD to this day. If there's a hell- the performance from that night is surely its soundtrack playing in a loop.

What's one thing people should know about you?
Explosive Ear Candy's music is almost always fun, catchy and (here comes the dreaded word I hate most) commercial. I love writing this type of music, but I also write more artistic and introspective music and have released it under a different project called 'The Quiet Revolution'. In case anyone wants to check it out (after checking out Explosive Ear Candy of course!)- go to your nearest YouTube and look for the music video of a song called 'Parallel Me' as an introduction. The Quiet Revolution released one album titled 'The Unheard' and I hope to release more songs in that vein in the future. For now I'm focusing on Explosive Ear Candy but The Quiet Revolution is always in the back of my mind and I've accumulated a lot of material for that purpose. Someday... Someday...

What do you enjoy doing outside of music? Does your hobby rejuvenate your creativity?
I've been into words ever since I learned my ABZs (my version of the ABCs). I love twisting them around and discovering new and interesting ways to shape and mold them so they can express a feeling or capture a moment. This passion has led me to creative outlets such as writing short stories, screenwriting, copywriting and domaining. The latter two occupy me quite a lot in recent years and they serve both as a hobby and a source of income that helps finance my musical escapades. Trying to find names or slogans for companies and constantly analyzing existing brands/domains on a linguistic level has definitely been helpful in being able to craft better lyrics that have a natural flow and "sit" well on melodies. At least I hope that's the case.

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
Radio Airplay allows artists to target listeners based on well known artists they're already listening to. That's a great way to find fans who actually dig what you're doing. Also, consider this: I'm not a paying member but was still able to submit 'Christmas All The Time' to the holiday contest (for free!) and get this feature as a result. Though Radio Airplay naturally isn't a non profit organization, I think that demonstrates that they're in it for the right reasons- advancing music and helping indie artists get heard.

Radio Airplay Staff Picks (Week 4, 2018)



We here at Radio Airplay are big music fans and listen to every possible genre. From the down home country lovers, indie dwellers, to head banging metal aficionados, we figured it would be fun to share who our current favorite Radio Airplay bands are - giving these artists even more opportunities to be heard. 

Every week we'll post Erin, Kelly, Tara, and Kait's favorite tunes of the week. We'll be featuring them here on the blog, the Radio Airplay Facebook, and our weekly Airplay newsletter. What's more?! 



1 lucky staff pick each week will receive a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service. 




All staff picks are added to Jango Radio's Ear Poppin' New Music station which receives over 3000+ hits per week. All staff picks are also added to Jango's Staff Picks Station




Check out our Staff Picks of Week 4 Below!

Erin's Picks

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2251953

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2030515


http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2209646


Kelly's Picks

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2253804


http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2252714

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2256177


Tara's Picks

http://www.jango.com/music/James+Robert+Webb/American+Beauty

http://www.jango.com/music/Midnight+Mystery+Club/Calling+Me

http://www.jango.com/music/Dominion+Entertainment/Number+one+girl+by+ceezar+ft+kelvin+armani


Kait's Picks

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2254224

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2254233

Musician's Atlas Staff Pick (Week 3, 2018)




Staff Pick artist Nina Lee was chosen for Week 3 as the Musician's Atlas PopScore Pick for her song Safe Place - Listen here! 

She received a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service.

But you don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get VIP access to the best performance, promotion & distribution.
                                  
                                      
                                        
                                             Become a member of Musician's Atlas today

Indie Bible PopScore Pick (Week 3, 2018)


Top PopScore artist Brunson Kay was chosen for Week 3, 2018 as Indie Bible's PopScore Pick for his song Steppin Off - Listen here! 


He received an Ultimate Indie bundle ($280 value) from Indie Bible. The ULTIMATE INDIE BUNDLE can help you to get valuable radio airplay, music reviews, spotlight features, video airplay, physical & digital distribution, signed to a record label and much more!


You don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get your Indie Bundle. Get Your Ultimate Indie Bundle Today!

January 19, 2018

Center Stage - Drakeford

Meet Drakeford - A husband and wife singer-songwriter duo based in Chattanooga, TN. Made up of a Brit and an American, the world-traveling duo's music is folksy at heart with hints of pop throughout, with the finger-picking style being as clear and crisp as the vocal articulation. They manage to repeatedly deliver quality both in musical ingenuity and lyrical depth. Their first full album, Anchors Aweigh, has received outstanding reviews and taken them on tour all over the United States and Europe, performing at festivals, Universities, house shows, coffee shops and everything in between. 

Get to know our latest Center Stage duo, what inspires them, and what they're cooking up for the new year in our newest artist Q&A:

Can you describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence? 
We are a husband and wife Folk duo with hints of Pop and Americana, with Lucy-Jayne's British roots adding some flair to the sound as well! 

What's your earliest music-related memory growing up? 
For me (Drake), I remember my Grandad giving me a classical guitar when I was 6. I would just lay on the couch, strum it openly and make up songs about whatever my little attention span could grasp! My earliest memory (Lucy-Jayne) is being given a karaoke machine. i would come home from school everyday and sing into it for hours!

If you were to cover another band/artist's album, which would you pick and why? 
I think we'd have to say Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface. Mainly because it's so different from our style, but we love their music so it'd be fun to put our own spin on it. 

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process. 
Yes we write all our own songs. Every song is a little bit different, but typically music comes first and then a vocal melody followed by lyrics. Once I've found a melody I like, I tend to just sing out random things that don't make sense until something resonates, and I build around that. I normally start the ideas, but Lucy-Jayne is always a fundamental part of solidifying the final draft. 

What was the highlight for you in 2017? Either personally or for your music career? 
We had a few different highlights, but probably playing at our first ever festival in May, and also releasing a Christmas EP and touring it with friends. It was a great year!

What have you been working on recently? Can you give us a hint for whats to come in 2018? 
Yes! We've actually been working hard in the studio the last year in Nashville on our second full length album! We're almost done with it, and hope to release it before the summer! 

What do you like more: Performing live or recording in the studio? 
Drake prefers live and Lucy prefers studio! So a good balance I guess! 

What are some artists/bands that you're into at the moment? Or any particular song you find yourself listening to over and over? 
We're big into the band NEEDTOBREATHE. We've been listening to Gabrielle Aplin's new EP on repeat since it came out as well! 

Any embarrassing on stage moments you'd like to share? C’mon, don’t be shy. 
Haha oh goodness. Probably too many to count! One time, we were performing at a Festival in the UK but I (Drake) completely lost my voice due to a bad cold. So, 30 minutes before going on stage I told Lucy-Jayne that she'd need to sing all my parts which she'd never done before. So we changed all the keys to suit her range. We only realized half way through the first song how obvious it is that the words were written by a man....leaving Lucy to sing about wanting a wife!! It was embarrassing until we explained afterwards, and the audience thought it was hilarious! 
What's one thing people should know about you? Lucy-Jayne and I actually met in the small country of Kyrgyzstan and started dating while living in Istanbul, Turkey! It was there that we started doing music together...which eventually led to us doing it full time back in the States!

What do you enjoy doing outside of music? Does your hobby rejuvenate your creativity? 
I (Drakeford) love woodturning ie making rings, bowls, shakers, basically anything out of wood!! ...and I (Lucy-Jayne) love dancing! I used to be a full time choreographer and still love dancing on the side. I would say both those things definitely rejuvenate us! 

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay? 
We love that Radio Airplay gives Independent Artists a platform for their songs to be heard on the radio! We've had thousands of people all over the world hear our songs and become fans because of Radio Airplay. We're very grateful. 




January 18, 2018

Radio Airplay Staff Picks (Week 3, 2018)



We here at Radio Airplay are big music fans and listen to every possible genre. From the down home country lovers, indie dwellers, to head banging metal aficionados, we figured it would be fun to share who our current favorite Radio Airplay bands are - giving these artists even more opportunities to be heard. 

Every week we'll post Erin, Kelly, Tara, and Kait's favorite tunes of the week. We'll be featuring them here on the blog, the Radio Airplay Facebook, and our weekly Airplay newsletter. What's more?! 



1 lucky staff pick each week will receive a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service. 




All staff picks are added to Jango Radio's Ear Poppin' New Music station which receives over 3000+ hits per week. All staff picks are also added to Jango's Staff Picks Station




Check out our Staff Picks of Week 3 Below!

Erin's Picks

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2230996

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2218501

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2213253


Kelly's Picks

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2248948


http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2253419

http://www.jango.com/music/John+Bergman



Tara's Picks

http://www.jango.com/music/Rebecca+Chase/Water

http://www.jango.com/music/A+Sunday+Fire/Summer+s+Over


http://www.jango.com/music/Chaisley+Lussier/Fast+Love


Kait's Picks

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2253138

http://www.jango.com/stations/airplay_song_tunein/play?song_id=2252156