newsletters Archives - Haulix Daily

Whenever people ask me what resources I use to get ahead, I give them a single answer: Newsletters.

Nobody has time to read anymore. Between the constant demands of the workday and our need to be present with family, finding time to consume anything beneficial to our professional efforts is hard for most adults. That is if you can even find something worthwhile in the first place. Newsletters are the answer.

The Internet is an endless expanse of information and ideas. You can find anything at any point, but if you don’t have time to read, how can anyone expect you to do the searching? Every extra step between finding information and consuming it is yet another reason people don’t or can’t or won’t better themselves.

It sounds tired to write, but it bears repeating that we only get ahead when we all get ahead. I believe the key to a better, more lucrative, and fair industry for all is education. People need to be able to better themselves and feel encouraged to help one another.

In other words, we owe it to one another to try a little more.

No matter your genre or role, newsletters available right now will make you a better professional. Whether crunching data on the biggest names in your market or following industry-wide trends, newsletters can help you stay ahead of your competitors without wasting too much of your time.

There are hundreds of incredible newsletters available, but there is a handful I swear by and share daily. Enjoy.

Stream N’ Destroy (by Ryan J. Downey)

Anyone who claims that rock ‘n’ roll is dead must not subscribe to Ryan Downey’s newsletter. Downey is a best-selling author and fixture of alternative music who uses his newsletter to keep everyone updated on all things rock. From the most popular artists on Spotify to the best-selling albums of any given week, Downey provides data dumps on the state of rock and its many sub-genres that no other publication seems to offer (at least not for free). We learn more look at Stream N Destroy each week than we do from several leading industry news sites, and we bet you’ll feel the same after subscribing.

The Nashville Briefing (by Zak Kuhn)

Whether you’re curious about what’s happening in Nashville or need another perspective on where things are headed, The Nashville Briefing is your new go-to read three times a week. Enjoyed by over 5,000 industry leaders and counting, The Nashville Briefing offers a high-level overview of the country’s biggest moves and in-depth breakdowns of emerging industry trends. Thrown into the mix on occasion are also music and app recommendations, all delivered through the witty and insightful wordplay of Zak Kuhn.

Music Journalism Insider (By Todd L. Burns)

I don’t care if you consider yourself a writer or not—Music Journalism Insider should be viewed as a must-read for everyone in the industry today. Todd L. Burns is doing the Lord’s work by bringing together the latest and greatest criticism, essays, podcasts, videos, and everything related to the current music discourse. This weekly newsletter tells you what people are talking about and who those people are, including many voices you might not otherwise discover. Burns does offer a premium tier that unlocks a contact sheet for people hoping to pitch stories, but the free level is more than enough to keep you entertained and informed every Monday morning.

Music 3.0 by (Bobby Owsinski)

Bobby Owsinski is a music industry veteran who believes in transparency. Bobby’s blog and accompanying newsletter take the biggest stories and moments from the industry and use them to educate readers about the music business as a whole. What his writing lacks in personal revelations is more than made up for with industry know-how, so if you’re looking to get ahead, Music 3.0 may be the answer.

First Floor (By Shawn Reynaldo)

I admittedly know very little about electronic music as a whole. But Shawn Reynaldo’s writing makes it relatable to anyone in music. His ability to not only make data digestible but finding the most interesting ways to look at the information available to us is what separates First Floor from other electronic-focused publications. If you need someone to handle an investigative report for your startup or want a second opinion on your next release, Shawn is a person you can trust.

Hello and welcome to another week of music industry discussion here on the official blog of Haulix. We are thrilled to have you join us, even if it’s only for a few short minutes. The content we have planned the coming days has been in production for weeks, and we truly believe it’s some of our best material to date. We’re starting with some advice, but in the days ahead there will be interviews and additional features as well.

This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

We have made this point several times in the past, but in a time where everyone is constantly vying for attention on social networks there may be no better way to reach your fans than through maintaining an email newsletter. Some may think email is becoming antiquated these days, but that is in fact not the case. Email is the only way many brands and artists are able to reach their audience that allows for in-depth discussion on multiple topics, and though it may never make you a star maintaining such outreach can aide in developing a sustainable career in music. We have talked about how to make great newsletters in the past, and if I had to guess we will probably revisit that topic in the future, but today we are looking at how to increase signups for this outreach at your upcoming live events. The advice we have is not all that complex, but if you follow our guidance and apply the concepts to your audience you will see results.

Contests connected to signups.

One of the easiest ways to gain additional signups for your email newsletter at shows is to lure in curious music fans with the opportunity of a lifetime. Maybe you cannot offer a trip to Italy or a summer in Hawaii, but you could offer free tickets, free merchandise, or even a chance to contribute gang vocals to your next album. Find a prize that is feasible without breaking the bank and promote it at your merch table, requiring everyone who wants to participate to signup for your email newsletter. If longtime fans complain that they cannot enter, consider launching a digital counterpart that allows people to gain ‘entry’ in exchange for encouraging friends to signup.

Everyone loves a free download.

This one takes a little bit of extra computer work, but it’s worth the effort if you are willing to make time to do it right. Many people who signup for your email list at shows will have seen you for the first or second time that evening, which means there is a good chance they do not already own your music. One way to convince them your email list is worth their time is the promise of free music in the immediate future. Tell interested participants that everyone who signs up during the show will be given a free download following the night’s events, in addition to being added to your newsletter. This conveys to music fans that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get them interested in your music up front, and it also gives you an excuse to connect with them after the event as well. When sending out downloads you will have the opportunity to contact people individually, which could help develop a street team down the line.

There’s an app for this kind of thing. More than one, in fact.

For many years, the fastest way to collect emails for newsletters was to keep a pen and paper on your merch table, but in the digital age that format of record keepings is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Today, as long as you have an iPad or some type of tablet device you are able to collect information and store it in a fraction of the time the same activity required even five years ago. Apps like ProspectSnap, SignupAnywhere and Chimpadeedoo for instance, allow you to instantly add people to your email list. These programs are often used at conferences, but they work perfectly fine at concerts as well. You can even customize the signup form to reflect your band and image. The best part? You do not need a wi-fi connection for these apps to work. That said, you will want to keep someone at your table at all times to ensure the safety of your tech.

You have a voice – USE IT.

Might as well close with something a bit more obvious. No one can promote you and your music quite like you and the people who help create the sound you hope to make your career. That is a long way of saying you are the best advertisement for your efforts, and that goes as much for your new album as it does signing up for your email list. While on stage, mention the signup list. When your meeting fans by the merch table, mention the signup list. When you’re loading out and people want to hang and/or grab a bite to eat, make sure you mention the signup list. People will want to know what’s in it for them, and if you’ve applied any of the other tips in this piece to your efforts it should not take you long to formulate a fitting response. Sell yourself. If you cannot do that, how can you expect anyone else to?

…One last thing

Above all else – be human. Talk to people and let them know that you would like to stay in touch with them even when you do not have a show or album to promote. Newsletters are as much a place for promotion as they are a place to share where you have been and where you are headed. They bring together communities that would otherwise be unable to connect and strengthens them through meaningful messaging.