In our Indie Project series, we’re following Monica, a young artist just starting out.  The goal is to make the biggest impact with the least amount of money possible.  It CAN be done!  We’ve finished the first step of establishing our artist identity.  Now it’s time to get it on the web.

What?  We’re not out singing? Booking?  Not so fast.  An indie artist website is the machine that makes all of those things much more effective.  So to maximize our efforts we have to start there.

A well done artist website WILL:

• Effectively promote your artist identity with potential fans and venues
• Build your fanbase on auto pilot
• Build social authority (proof that people like your stuff)
• Create buzz about you and your music

7 Must Haves for an Effective Singers Website:

1. A clean, non-cluttered layout/design with no more than 3 main colors
2. An easy to use interface with minimal buttons and links on the main page
3. An easy to read text color (no red text on yellow background, etc.)
4. An opt in fan mailing list.  We’ll tell you how to do this free next time.
5. Audio samples. If you don’t have an album or recording, just record yourself singing to a couple of tracks.  The goal is just to let people hear what you sound like.  You’ll update these as you record an album or have newer audio to feature.
6. A photo showing your face clearly.  For new artists photos showing no more than 3/4 length are preferred so people clearly see your face.
7. Contact Information.  A contact form is best.  (How to’s are coming in this series) Avoid giving out your personal phone number.  If you must, get a free Google voice number that forwards to your private number.  NEVER put private phone/address information on your site.

Your artist identity will set the tone, feel and even the colors you should use on your website.  It’s also an excellent guide for which songs you should put on your site.  Don’t just pick your favorites, pick the ones that most identify with who you are as an artist. 

By following this process you are creating your own personal brand.  In just a few seconds someone should be able to take a look at your site and get a feel for who they’d be getting if they booked you or came to hear you sing/play; not just what kind of music, but what kind of personality you have.

Our Indie Project Artist Gets a Site

We took these principals and put them in place for Monica, our Indie Project artist. See her new artist website here.  We registered her name for the domain.  You should always register your name if you’re a solo artist or your band name.  If it’s not available find the next best thing.  We’ll give you more tips about finding the right domain name in this series.

 All in all we spent $0.00 on this website because I already have a hosting account and designed it myself.  I’ll show you exactly how I did it next time.  Even if you’re starting from scratch you can create an artist website for very little.  The breakdown is coming in our Indie Project blog.

Sign up on the mailing list to get new blog posts in your email so you don’t miss it!  And leave us your comments about what you look for on singers websites below.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Many of you are posting cover tunes on YouTube and ask me how to get more attention once you put it out there.  So I’m spilling Sarah’s secret (with her permission of course). 

Sarah’s Secrets for Building a Fast, Huge YouTube Following

1. Upload your latest cover tune

2. Go to the search bar on YouTube and search “cover”, “cover song”

3. When the search results pop up, click ‘filter’ and choose to sort the results by ‘uploaded today’ or ‘uploaded this week’

4. Visit the top ten videos on the results list

5.  Subscribe to their channel and leave a genuinely kind comment with a request for a return of the favor on each.  For example:

“Great video!  I liked (….insert honest, nice comment here….).  I just put up a cover of this song/another song too.  Would you check it out and leave me a comment?  Thanks!”

Why does this work?  Because most singers are really nice people.  They’re  happy to return the

The Command Sisters Know How to Get Press

favor when you leave a nice comment. But  a large percentage of people who put up YouTube music videos also lose interest after their videos have been up awhile.  Some never even check in to their own comments again after a few weeks, so you’ll have to get to them while they’re content is fresh and they’re watching.

If you find that the number of sites you’re subscribing to is embarrassingly larger than the current number of subscribers to your YouTube channel, you can hide the list of those you subscribe to in your YouTube channel settings.

You can check out The Command Sisters here and thank them for this tip by joining their mailing list and subscribing to their YouTube channel.  (See how we did that?) 

Do you have a tip for getting more attention from your YouTube cover songs?  Leave it below!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Your artist identity will determine everything you do from the colors and look of your website and marketing materials to the kinds of venues you should be looking for and the people you should (and shouldn’t) be working with. 

Not starting with your artist identity is like packing the car with the goal of getting to a specific far off location without a GPS.  You might get there, you might not.  But you could greatly increase your chances, reduce your time and have more fun if you knew how to get there.

Wherever you are in your journey as an artist if you haven’t done this step back it up!  Defining your artist identity will give you clarity moving forward.  And you can do it by exploring these three things:

1. Develop Who You Are

What are the five characteristics that best describe you?  Are you funny, sarcastic, a deep thinker, the life of the party?  Think about the comments people make about you most often.  This is the way people see you, not necessarily the way you want them to.  Write down everything that comes to mind and narrow down the list to the top five.

In Monica’s case these are 1) caring,  2) funny,  3) quirky,  4) sweet,  and 5) a good friend

Because this is who people most often see Monica as, these are the qualities we want to come through in her music, the way she relates to people  through social media, on her website and live.  This is important because gaining loyal fans is more about helping them find a connection to you than your music.  There can be a million people singing your signature cover tune but if your fans have come for you, none of them matter.

2. Discover Your Favorite Song Themes

Hardly anyone sings just one genre anymore.  Pop artists are remaking country tunes, R&B artists are remixing old standards.  So we’re not talking about what genre you like, but what kind of music.  Do you like to sing songs with great emotion?  Songs you can show off your funky moves to?  Songs that get the crowd going?  Sad songs? 

If this one stumps you just open your iTunes library and look at all the songs you love to sing along with.  There will be a few types of songs you lean towards.  Maybe it’s just the ones with a great groove, but there will be a connecting theme.  Write down the top three  song themes.

Finding your favorite types of songs will help guide you when you have to build or increase your set list.  There’s nothing worse than filling a set full of music just because you kind of know it and then bore yourself and your audience by having to sit through it as a time filler.  This is also an incredibly helpful tool when it comes time to create your own versions of cover songs.  You might find a song you want to do but want to change it up to make it your own.  Where do you start?  Shift the feel of it into one of your three main song themes.  Make it what you like most and your fans will be getting on board right behind you.

If we want your fans to come hear you, then we need them to know what to expect from your music.  That includes music you can bring your own enthusiasm and feel to. 

In Monica’s case these are 1) songs with a jazzy flavor,  2) story songs,  3) introspective themed songs

Your artist identity is almost done.

3. Determine Your Target Fan

If we want people to come see you and know what kind of music to expect then we have to know who they are too.  This is one of the biggest mistakes performers at all levels make: throwing their music out there and hoping everyone just loves it.

If your goal is to pack venues, gain loyal fans and (I hope) make money at some point,  you greatly increase your chances if you start out understanding that you’ll have the biggest impact and the most long term impact if you narrow down who will really connect with your music.

Every corner of media pays professionals to come in and help determine their target audience so they can make the biggest bankroll.  Once the huge bill is paid they deliver a list of qualities that companies ‘core customer’ has.  This is what marketing departments use to created everything surrounding a product, a show or an artist.   But you can design your target fan FREE.  Create this imaginary person by thinking about the who your music and your personality would most appeal to.

What gender is your core fan?

What age range? (10-15, 16-21, 20-30, etc.)

Where do they hang out?

What kinds of things are they into?

What kind of lifestyle would they have?

In Monica’s case her target fan would be a mid to late teen girl who lives online and always brings her core group of friends to shop, hang and listen to music.  She can be found at the coffee shop, the mall and Facebook.  She is never far from her ipod and downloads all of her music digitally.

Can you see why this information might be helpful?   Having a target fan in mind helps you maximize where and how you’ll market your music and where you’ll want to look for gigs.  It will also help you determine if audience complaints are worth making changes for.  If it comes from a target fan you should take it more seriously.  If not, you can just appreciate a different the difference of opinion.

Now that you’ve got a good idea of your Indie identity, it’s time to let everyone know you’re coming!  Your artist website is next.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

No one knows if this new program will be like Spotify (the hottest music download service to just hit the US) or if it can be used to add your own mp3′s, like so many musicians have been requesting. 

To date, the best way for a musician to get their music to play on theirFacebook profile is through one of the services offered by ReverbNation, an online services for independent musicians.  But as Facebook continues to change their code it gets harder and harder to find an add on application that consistently works with Facebook.

Without an outside paid application like the one offered by ReverbNation the only way to add your songs to your facebook page or profile is to wade through long strings of conversations from those seeking to solve the same problem and sometime finding solutions, though they’re usually far from simple.

Get with it Facebook!  They’ve gotta know musicians want to add their music to their profile from the level of online discussion.  Maybe, just maybe Vibes is the answer to our prayers.  There’s no word on if, or when, Facebook will test or release Vibes at this time.  But we can always hope. 

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

You don’t need a vocal coach to tell you what’s wrong with these sad attempts, but give ‘em a listen and let’s look at how they could have all been avoided.

So how can you avoid getting your performance on this list?

Top 5 Mistakes Made in the National Anthem

1. NOT KNOWING THE WORDS It’s the flippin’ National Anthem.  I understand forgetting a word or two when the nerves get to you but many people wing it and never take the time to learn the actual words.  Incorrect lyrics are all over the internet.  Get the right ones here. I have Canadian students who know every word of our anthem so I think the rest of us can do the same – consider it your patriotic duty.
2. OVER STYLING There can be a fine line between adding your own personal style to a song and adding so many vocal trills that you can hardly recognize the melody.  Honestly most people don’t understand what styling is and how to incorporate it.  So when they’re not sure they just pull out the whole bag of tricks.  The melody is there for a reason; it’s the face of the song.  Over styling is like putting on so much makeup that you can’t recognize the face anymore.  Real styling complements the integrity of the song.
3. CHANGING THE MELODY This is way more noticeable in a song like the National Anthem where people have a patriotic attachment to the basic melody but it’s an important lesson for all songs: the melody should only be changed after it is established and should not be changed so dramatically that it sounds like you’ve launched into another song.  This is styling 101.  Unfortunately, many stars who are surrounded by yes men are not required to take that class.  Consider yourself one step up.
4. STARTING IN THE WRONG KEY The National Anthem reaches just short of two octaves of the vocal range.  For a non-mixing singer, that’s probably 4-8 notes less than you can comfortably reach which is why this song terrifies us.  For a student who’s learned to mix you’ve got another octave or two on top of that.  Either way, starting in the right key will give you the best use of what you’ve got.  How do you pick a key?  Sing the first line quietly and choose a key where the 2nd word (“say”) falls on one your lowest notes possible.  That’s your key.  Obviously you can determine this ahead of time and use a pitch pipe or similar note reference but I’m a big fan of going freestyle because I’ve found it trains the ear better.  If you don’t use a pitch device and you start where the brain will tell you to (closer to the middle of your range) you are…toast.
5. SCREAMING Incorrect ‘belting’ is just screaming near or on a note.  It happens when a singer doesn’t know how to narrow their mix to transition to their higher notes.  When they try to add volume to power through the result is….well, Christine Aquilera’s big note.  Scream singing yanks up the larynx (the box your vocal cords are in) and literally puts your anatomy in place to choke yourself.  That’s why it sounds (and feels) like you’re being strangled.  How do you sing with power without screaming? THE MIX.  Mixing allows you to use the power of the chest voice and mix it with the higher resonance of your head voice to reach high notes with balance.  It prevents the vocal damage scream singing brings and it sounds way better!

Singing the National Anthem is an honor and one I think ever singer should seek.  It’s well worth it to learn this song.  When you’re ready to sing it just record it acapella on a CD or mp3 and contact your local sports venues to see who to send it to.  You’d be surprised how easy it can be to get in to sing the National Anthem even at a major sports venue.  Why?  Because this a tough song and not many people are in line to try their own luck at getting You Tube’d for their less than lackluster performance.

None of us are perfect and live performances with no music to hide behind are the toughest of all.  But if you’re up the challenge, singing the National Anthem is incredibly rewarding.  It feels good to do what few singers can.  Do it!  Then tell us your experience.  And don’t forget to check back in July to hear our students compete in our National Anthem contest!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

1. As e-news mag Mashable reports, Avery was signed to Universal records in 2010 after her covers and original songs made a big splash on YouTube.
2. Alyssa Bernal’s acoustic uploads drove Star Trek records rep to track her down at her highschool.  She has just put out an EP (a mini-album) with the label.
3. Justin Beiber was viewed by a talent scout who got him in touch with Usher.  We all know what happened.  Buy the book if you don’t.
4. Ysabella Brave was signed to Warner Music Groups digital label Cordless after getting spotted on YouTube.
5. Ellen Degeneres was so impressed when she saw Greyson Chance online that she made him the first signed artist to her own record label.
6. Dutch singer/songwriter Esmee Denters caught the attention of Justin Timberlake who snagged her up to be the first artist on his own new label.  She’s now working on her 2nd album.
7. So So Def Recordings offered Dondria a record deal after seeing her online.  Her debut album reached #14 on Billboards Hot R&B chart.
8. Kim Yeo Hee, or Apple Girl as she’s known as on YouTube, became a viral hit for her covers used on iphones which drew her pick of recording offers from South Korea, China and the UK.
9. In 2006 Andy McKee found himself over 35 million views on YouTube and attention that led to an album and a current concert tour.
10. Terra Naomi‘s online hit “Say it’s Possible” got enough attention to result in a record deal.  Terra has since gone back to an independant fan based label.
11. Julia Nunes or Jaaaaaa as she’s known on YouTube and her ukulele covers led to three independent records and opening for Ben Folds.
12. Chantelle Redmond from the UK was secretly filmed and put on YouTube by her dad.  She became the 2nd most subscribed singer and signed a deal with Agency Global Enterprises.  Her single has just come out.
13. Ria Ritchie, also from the UK, was signed by UK musician Plan B after uploading her acoustic covers.
14. Mia Rose started uploading her songs in 2006 and was singed to a Portuguese-British label by 2007.  She’s now migrated to L.A to further her career.
15. 12 yr. old Australian Cody Simpson was spotted online by a record producer and signed to Atlantic Records.

So does that mean you’re the next YouTube sensation waiting in the wings?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  The one thing this trend proves is that labels are looking for people who can really sing.  Let’s face it, you can’t hide a lot in a live acoustic video made in your bedroom.

YouTube has become a powerful tool for the aspiring recording artist.  Look at the videos you’ve put up on YouTube.  Make sure they’re a good representation of where you’re at as an artist.  Show a little personality.  And always remember who might be watching  on the other end.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Stupid question?  Well, maybe not.  Once you know who you are as an artist and what your goals for your music are, the next step is to objectively look at not only how you get there, but what will, and won’t help you reach those goals.  Have you ever thought of getting signed through those eyes?  Most artists never do.

The top reasons singers say they want to be signed to a record label:

1. It will validate me as an artist

2. It will make me rich, or at least makes me a good living

3. I will get to sing for huge audiences all of the time

4. It will make me famous

Sometimes these things happen to labeled artists.  But would you be surprised to find that most of them never do?  Either way a career that’s focused only on these four goals will never be fulfilling.  But since most newer artists have never heard anything else they just assume it’s all true.  So let’s take a look at what a label contract can, and can’t do for you.

It will validate me as an artist

Artists are creative creatures and creativity is not always easily accepted.  That is unless you get a major record company to confirm to the world that your art is indeed valuable, right?  Heck, even our non-musical friends and family get that THAT makes you a success and they will probably get off your back for ‘pursuing your dream’ if you sign a record deal.  Maybe.  But would that all go down the drain if you ‘failed’ as a labeled artist?

The truth is that many new artists never do much beyond their first album contract.  And a lot of times it isn’t even their fault.  If the record label decides not to put much of their marketing budget behind a new artist they may never have a good chance to get the exposure to really get their career off the ground.  And what happens when you don’t have the exposure to get enough high visibility gigs and sell enough product?  Your label and other labels don’t see you as a good financial risk.  Sometimes these artists are traded to smaller sub labels like a quarterback past his prime or another label may pick them up if they can make a solid pitch.  Some get released early from their contract and others go to smaller independent labels for their next project.  The rest either go back to being an independent artist if they have to skills to manage themselves or just quit.

There IS one way to guarantee your value as an artist.  And it has nothing to do with a record company.  It’s going to sound a bit simplistic, but when you have taken the time to develop who you are and what you do as an artist you’ll find that YOU value what you do.  And believe it or not, not only do artists with that perspective tend to have more success on their own, they are also the most attractive artists to a label rep in the first place.  It’s a win-win.  You value you.  This helps create your success.  Your success and your bright and shiny attitude attracts people who are more willing to take a bet on you.  And even if you don’t go down the road of a record contract, you have already created one of the major elements you need to be a success on your own.

It will make me rich, or at least makes me a good living

As a long time radio talent I can’t tell you how many new label artists I’ve interviewed over the years.  And after mics are off and the album has been adequately pitched you often get to hear stories of what it’s really like to move from indie to labeled artist.  In fact it was those candid conversations that convinced me very early on that a label thing probably didn’t fit my goals.  What surprised me most was to learn that the vast majority of new artists (those in their first or second contract with 1-3 albums on the charts) still had at least part time jobs to make ends meet.  Some had another full time job they worked traveling around.  Most of those who weren’t married were living with their parents or with five roommates to help cover costs.  I also heard countless stories about how much less they made in a contract then they did in their years as a successful independent artist.  Shocked me too.  Obviously that isn’t true of all artists.  But of all of the major label artists I’ve talked to through the years, the majority of them had the same story so I think it’s worth keeping in mind.

So why is it that these hot new artists can be touring the world and not making a great living?   The bigger the promotional push the more the artist will probably make from more gigs and radio airplay which results in ticket and album sales.   BUT, the bigger the label, the more hands in the pot.  Publishers of the music you sing (most artist don’t own their own publishing rights even when they write their own music) get the bulk of the money the songs make.  The record company takes a pretty big chunk.  Everyone who was involved in preparing you, promoting you, playing in the band, plugging in your cables, printing your posters…they’re all in line for a paycheck.  And you’re pretty much last in line.  Kind of like when you were on your own except the line gets a whole lot longer.  Knowing that might not be a deal breaker for you.  It’s just something you’re much better understanding from the start.

I will get to sing for huge audiences all of the time

It’s easy to believe this one.  Really most of the time we see new recording artists is at major label tour concerts and on music awards shows.  We don’t get to see the thousands of performances at places where the small audience reacts to them with the same look an unknown gets from an audience member who not only doesn’t know them but really would rather they weren’t even there.  Some labeled artists I’ve talked to have told me what a bummer is was to be used to playing for an active fan base they had built over years who really got what they did and then be playing for people who looked either annoyed or barely interested.  It’s your labels job to get you out there.  Where, when and how much is really at their discretion.  You might love where they send you but you have to know that part of the package is playing many more places you might not be so thrilled with.  That’s why it’s so valuable to learn how to engage any audience.  It’s harder to engage a smaller audience.  Record labels know that.  That’s why they’re looking at how loyal your fans are and what you did to make them that way.  They expect you will know how to engage new listeners wherever they send you so learning to engage your audience is a skill that will only help you if and when you hit the big time.

It will make me famous

You know this isn’t true, right?  Right?  Being a labeled artist is like being a product that is being sold by a big company.  They decide how they’ll brand you, how they’ll promote you, how much money they’ll shell out to do that and how long they’ll give you to become a success.  It’s their business.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  It’s your job to be a valuable product.  It’s your job to know how to protect your own interests and make the most of what they invest in you to give yourself a better chance at success.  But being a labeled artist will in no way guarantee success or fame.

Katy Perry was a labeled artist.  Three times; which is really beating the odds.  She had a major label contract.  They fired her.  Not because she didn’t work hard or didn’t sound good but because she wasn’t making them as much money as they expected.  Being a really good self promoter she did some very smart things to land herself another major label contract.  They fired her too.  I think most of us would probably hang it up at that point.  But she did what a good independent artist does; she found every opportunity she could to establish herself without a label.  Which attracted the attention of Capital Records.  That’s why you know who she is.  Katy knew she wanted a record deal.  She knew what they were looking for.  She worked her butt off.  And still she got fired twice.  The point is, many labeled artist are for all intensive purposes unknowns.  Think I’m wrong?  Go to a major label website and take a look at the list of the artists they represent.  There are probably many you know.  But count how many you’ve never heard of.

So why WOULD I want a Record Deal?

A record deal can be the exact career boost you’ve always wanted as long as you understand what their business is and what your job is in the middle of it.  If you’re a hard working artist who knows who they are you’ll be more likely to be able to find the right contract that will enable you the best chance of success.  If you know how to promote yourself and engage your audience you can multiply every dollar any label puts behind you, even if it’s not as much as you’d hoped.  If you know how to market yourself and perform in a wide variety of situations you’ll be able to turn those grocery store parking lot mini-concerts into cd sales and new fan club members when other new artists would just feel out of their element.

If you do your part you not only get more out of a record deal but you make your label very happy.  And even if that first deal ends, you’ll know you have the skills to just keep moving on until a deal that’s perfect for you comes along or discover you’re happy enough on your own.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

1. Pick Your Songs

You don’t have to record 10 songs.  It can be as few as 3 or 5 (it’s called an EP, which is basically a mini album).  Pick your favorites or even better, pick the holiday songs your relatives love most.

2.  Decide on Your Accompaniment

If you play an instrument, this one’s a no brainer.  Practice a few songs until you’re ready to record.  If you play keyboard, plug your 1/4″ cord into your computer’s mic input with a stereo miniplug adapter.  If you play an acoustic instrument the best way to record is with a pickup or by using a vocal mic aimed directly at the 12th fret.

If you don’t play an instrument or aren’t confident enough yet to accompany yourself, karaoke tracks are a quick and easy solution.  Just keep in mind that while it’s totally legal to use tracks on a gift project like this it is a violation of copyright law to sell a cd using purchased tracks without paying for additional recording rights and that can get pricey.

It’s easy to find tracks to choose from.  Just search “christmas karaoke” on iTunes to find songs you like in a key that works for you and purchase them.  Find the arrangement you like best before you buy.  There are tons available so keep looking if you don’t like the first five that pop up.

Now you’ve got your music.  It’s time to record.

3. Choose Your Software

If you have a Mac, you probably have GarageBand which is a great simple recording software.  If you have a PC or don’t have GarageBand on your Mac, download Audacity; a FREE recording software for either platform.  It looks a little more complicated than GarageBand, but it works the same way.  There are tutorials online to guide you through how to use it.  You can also search “Audacity Tutorial” or “GarageBand Tutorial” on You Tube to find quick and easy tips.  If you’re new to using recording software it’s a good idea to take a little time to get the feel for the software before you start recording your project.  It can really save you on frustration in the long run.

If you’ve used recording software before, ramp it up.  Think about what you want to do differently this time.  Do you want to try a different mic?  Change mic placement to get more or less room noise?  Try using effects?  Use every recording project as a chance to try new things and grow your recording skills.

4. Import or Record Your Music

If you’re playing your own music, it’s always best to record the music separately.  That way you can record the vocal separately as many times as you want until you get the take you like best.  If you record them both together you have to get both the music and the vocal right at the same time and that can take considerably longer.  Recording separately also makes for a cleaner more professional sounding recording.

If you’re using tracks, just import or drag and drop them into your recording session.  If you have trouble importing them (they don’t show up when you drag or import) try this simple fix:

1. Open iTunes
2. Right click on your karaoke track
3. Choose ‘create mp3 version’. Even if the track is already an mp3 sometimes the way the file is encoded doesn’t read quite right in some recording software (I’ve found this to be the case in GarageBand many times).  All you need to do is reconvert it and you’ll be good to go.
4. If you don’t see that option just check your iTunes preferences.  Go to the General tab and click ‘import settings’ to make sure it’s set to mp3.
5. Drag you new mp3 to your desktop and try importing it to your recording software again.

5. Record Your Vocal

If at all possible, don’t use a built in computer mic to record your voice.  The ideal would be a good USB microphone which you can pick up at your local music store for around $50.  The Snowball and the CAD U37 are my favorite picks and both provide exceptional quality for the price.   You can also plug in a standard microphone (use a stereo miniplug adapter if the end is to big) into the mic input of your computer.

Give yourself several takes.  It’s best to set up a few tracks for vocals and record one at a time.  Just mute the tracks you’ve already recorded when you start recording the next take.  When you record, make sure the meter light (the light that will go from green to red while you’re making sound in the mic) doesn’t hit red.  You can always turn the track up later but once it’s hit the red (clipped) it will sound distorted in those spots and is not fixable.

Next, choose which take you like best.  If you’ve used recording software before you might even want to edit pieces of each track that you like the best and drag them to a master vocal track.

6. Check Your Levels

Turn the volume of each track up as far as you can without clipping (having the little meter bounce from green or yellow into the red).  Most recording software have an option to ‘normalize’.  If you have it, use this instead.  Normalizing basically takes all of the parts of the tracks and brings balances the volume up as evenly as possible.

7. Add Effects – but don’t go crazy!

Just a tiny bit of reverb will make your Christmas songs sound great.  Avoid the temptation to go wild with effects.  You want people to hear your voice and too much of an effect or too many effects muddies the waters.  When in doubt, always lean conservatively with effects.

8. Mix it Down

Make sure you mute ANY tracks you don’t want to play in your final recording, like all of those vocal takes you didn’t use.  If you don’t, seven of you will be competing to sing the lead on your recording.  Once you’ve muted everything you don’t want in the recording, you can export the song.  Check your software help menu to see what your options are for saving your song.

9. Finish Your Album

You can print simple CD labels and jackets (most office supply stores have printable labels starting at around $8 a pack).  Don’t want to spend time creating graphics yourself?  Download the template you’ll find at the site listed on your label package.  Many times the label maker will have free pre designed templates you can use.  Or just drag in a picture of yourself and put your name on it.  You can even skip digital artwork altogether and hand draw a personal picture on each label and jacket.  Anything you do to personalize your Christmas gift album will only make it more cherished.

To burn your CD’s, just drag your finished songs into a playlist in iTunes.  It’s easy to customize your album for playback on a computer.  Just click ‘info’ on your song title and fill in your name, the name of your album, the track number and even add your graphic.  Once you burn your album and it’s imported to a media player all of this info will automatically show up.  Now, just move your song titles to the order you want them in, put a CD-R in the CD tray and click ‘burn’.

10. Wrap it Up

If you want to make your CD and even bigger gift, the key is all in the packaging.  There are endless ways to package your cd to create a more substantial gift.  Pack it in a stocking with a pair of headphones and an iTunes card for younger recipients.  For parents or other adults, make a Christmas memory package by putting together a little photo album of past family holiday pictures and a personalized poem or letter with your CD’s.  You might write about what or who inspired you to record each song to make the album even more personal.

Recording your own Christmas album will not only give you invaluable experience recording and as a singer but it will create a holiday time capsule that you and your loved ones will hold tight to long after most of the other holiday gifts have been exchanged or tucked away in forgotten corners.  So, get recording!  It’s time to start making memories.

Have you recorded your own cd?  Tell us about how it went and what people thought.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

So what do you need to launch yourself as an artist online?

1. A Website: Wix is a great place to build a really nice looking FREE website. You won’t get a personalized domain (yourname.com) without a price, but if you’re just starting out, you can easily link your new artist website to your facebook page so people don’t have to type in the long url (web address).   MySpace is another place to get your music online FREE.  It’s also free and has recently gone through some updates to make it more easy to customize it to look more like a website and less like a MySpace page.  As soon as you can, I strongly encourage registering your own domain name. It can cost as little as $8/yr and can be done through any web host.
   




2. A Good Photo: You don’t have to have professional pictures to put on your artist website.  You can take them yourself or have someone else take them with any standard camera.  The key is to take the pictures specifically for your site and to not use just anything you have in the family album.  Look online at album covers you like and copy their pose.  You don’t need a sophisticated background to get a nice look.  A blank wall or simple background works best to keep the attention on your face.  Once you have a nice face shot for your site, remember to have some pictures taken every time you perform.  Add them to a photo page to add content and interest to your site.




3. Media (Audio and/or Video): The most important thing on your artist website is having a way for people to hear what you do.  If you have recordings, use them.  If not, you can record yourself for free on either PC or Mac with a FREE recording software program called Audacity.  If you have a Mac with iLife, GarageBand should be your weapon of choice.  A few labeled bands have recorded entire albums on GarageBand.  The more you use it the better you’ll get.  If you have nice video of you performing it’s nice to include that as well.  You can upload them to You Tube where they’re create the embed code for you so you can place them into your website.




4. A Way to Get a Hold of You: You wouldn’t believe how often online artists make it hard, or impossible, to contact them online.  This is the 2nd most important element of your online presence next to your music.   Skip the private info of course but make sure to include an email contact and information about how to book you.

The best way to create a quality presence online as an artist is to look at your site as if you were a potential gig, not a personal friend.  Make it easy to hear you, see you and contact you.   If you’re singing even semi-regularly, even if it’s just for free,  include a calendar so potential fans or gigs can know where to hear you.

Getting your music online is a great way to establish yourself as an artist.  So get yourself out there and see what happens!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Maybe I get it now. After just recently getting back on my feet after a year long medical recovery, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the day I would get back out there and start singing again. But it’s different this time. I’m pretty sure it’s directly related to one of the very few things I remember from my science class; a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body NOT in motion tends to think of excuses to stop them from ever getting started. Ok, I don’t remember it EXACTLY, but the premise is the same!

It IS harder to get out there and get singing if you’re not doing anything. It’s especially challenging if you have moved to a new place or don’t know anyone involved in the local music scene.

But here’s the BEST news: once you get started, you’ll find more opportunities to sing and the momentum will start to carry itself; as long as you don’t STOP!

I am now the proud owner of more new audio equipment than I need to get out there and start singing again. I’ve bought resources and done research on my next project, but I’ve found it’s way harder this time to just kick my own butt out the door and start SINGING again. So if you’re stuck, I so empathize!

Do you sing? Do you miss it? Then there are no more excuses!

Here are some ideas to get your ball rolling again:

Not ready to solo yet?

• Join an ensemble, team or choir at your church
• Join a community choir or musical theater group
• Check your local chamber of commerce and parks and rec department for group singing opportunities that are open to the public

Confident in your ability but not sure where to start?

• Check craigslist for bands in your area looking for singers
• Get some karaoke tracks, a mic and a small powered speaker and volunteer to sing community centers, malls, community celebrations, fairs and festivals  (just call to see who to talk to and record yourself singing a couple songs at home so you can prove you can sing)
• Record yourself singing the Star Spangled banner and submit the audio to your local sports teams.  Even major league baseball team require little more to consider you for the slot.  And you get in to the game free!
• Audition for musical theater in the biggest city nearby every opportunity you get.  Even if you don’t get the part, the experience of preparing and auditioning will sharpen your skills
• Offer to sing solos at your church
• Put together a business card to sing at wedding and renewal ceremonies (with either karaoke tracks or an accompanist)

Know some other musicians?

• Do a web search and see what restaurants/venues in your area hire bands that do the kind of music you like.  You only need a small acoustic group to get booked.  Put a set together, practice, record a couple of songs at home and start looking for bookings.  If you’re new, you probably won’t get paid, but the experience and the exposure just may get you future paid gigs.
• Contact state fairs and community festivals.  Almost all have smaller side stages they try to fill with a variety of music (not usually paid, but great experience and exposure).
• Make sure your musician friends know you’re looking for singing opportunities.  They will tell the other musicians they know and you might just be singing backup with one band one weekend and lead with another the next.   Remember, the lead singer is bound to go on vacation or get sick eventually, so scope out your favorite groups and learn the music so you’re ready when the opportunity arises.

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So why aren’t you singing?  It’s time to get back in the game.

As for me, I’m off to sing some love songs at at restaurant for Valentine’s Day; me and my sexy, sexy mic that, no honey, I didn’t really need but makes me want to sing even more.

One gig leads to another.  And that’s how singers sing!

Share where you’ve been singing or make your pledge to get going right now in the comments section below!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy