With so many music conferences being held, Music Pin has thrown its hat into the arena with their service. Music Pin is a digital marketing company, based out of West London, that provides promotional tools to labels and artists to maximize their exposure through download cards and their online media platform.

The simple fact is they provide a way for you to give out promotional cards with pin codes to redeem your music online. They manufacture it and its the job of the artist or label to sell it. They deliver you the pincodes and host the content on their site.

Here is the video from Derek Sivers that has a great interview with Nayo Abidoye who discusses the service in more detail.

The content essentially links to your websites and social network links. For example, the fan goes to the Music Pin website and redeems their music. The fan receives an html email with the download link and the email also contains a list to your social network profiles, blogs and websites.

I would love to promote my music through this technique. Fans can download my music and at the same time find links to my indie music marketing blog, Twitter account, Myspace page and mailing lists. Put this in comparison with someone purchasing through iTunes only. They click, buy and the transaction is over.

As an artist or label, they give you a campaign report to see who your fans are. Great marketing idea. You can load up from 1 to 20 songs: sure beats carrying Cd’s. The main advantage is you are making a fan go to their computer and potentially bookmark your webpages or follow you on your favorite social networks. Bridge the gap between the distance with fans and artists. Let the fans get to know you.

The price currently is stated at 500 cards for 300 pounds, which is roughly $426, with price breaks for higher quantity orders.

I like the fact you can use it for promos or demos, or sell them to fans, depending on your purpose. I like the versatility also: sell them after your shows or use them when you go out and network with others during your daily encounters. This packaging might get you some extra attention and spark the curiousity to want to hear your music.

Music packaging is what is intriguing to me. By changing the way music is delivered to the fan, we can introduce them to more than just a song, but our brand and mission.

Aderra Inc. has created a genius product for musicians to use as a way to generate more revenue after a live show. I came across their press release and found the Live Music USB Flash Drive Wristband. Aderra specializes in the recording of live events and transferring that audio to a USB wristband that is made available immediately for sale after the event. Great slogan: “Sell your event twice!”

They gained publicity when the Midem 2009 world music conference announced they were going to discontinue CD distribution of their British content to USB Flash drives. The storage drives allow for various forms of content, multimedia and files to be added for consumers and at the very least, reuse the storage device.

Their market is big and they cover live music events, conferences, live sporting events, government & public assembly. According to the founder of Aderra, Ed Donnelly, “Live in a Flash™ USB flash drive system which is quickly becoming a key component in the multiplatform revenue streams currently available to artists, labels event organisers and promoters right across Europe.”

The change from CD to USB flash drives provides a great insight to its importance of how content we receive is perceived when its packaged differently.

The press release stressed an important point for all musicians seeking better revenue streams: “What Aderra does is create something that is personal to the fan either as a memory of a fantastic night via the live recording and or by bringing together the music and merchandise all into one unique product.” Distribution is more than just CD’s and mp3’s.

Here is a link to the Aderra press release.

Marketing music for musicians is a daily task, there are no days off when promoting. Your main objective is to get people to your site so they can buy your albums, and read about your shows and projects.

We are at the stage right now where Fried Roots has an album on iTunes called “Time” and we wanted to give out promos or even sell new singles to stimulate some sales. We came across this site, called Sustainable Group which sells Recycled CD/DVD cases. The cases are made from 100% Recycled fibers called ReSleeves.

You can get a 50 pack of the sleeves for $16 and they have different styles such as combo deals where they offer the labels for the CD’s. The marketing aspect comes here. In a current time where eco-friendly products are popular, use it to your advantage, and make a difference.

Write a press release regarding your new marketing efforts with an environmentally friendly product. You make a great impression with your potential fans and also may reach a better level with those who value the environment’s safety. This helps jump start your promotional campaign. Think of different ways to spread the word about your music.