Billboard’s Guide to Winning the Lottery

Two months ago, Billboard Magazine posted an article titled “The Maximum Exposure List.” In Billboard’s words, “today the ways artists can promote their music have proliferated so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up with what’s new.”

So Billboard attempted to help artists…or some artists. I’m not really sure who it was they thought they would be helping. What were some of their ideas?

Their number one idea was “Synch Placement In A TV Ad For Apple.” Second was “Performances On The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Other ideas included “Performance On NBC’s Today Show,” “Interview/Feature In Rolling Stone,” and (are you laughing yet?) “Acting Role In A Movie.”

Indie music marketing guru and author Ariel Hyatt felt the same way (laughing out loud as she read). She told me, “the truth of the matter is, it doesn’t apply to 99% of the clients I represent and it’s unattainable for most of us.” So she decided to put her own list together, The Indie Maximum Exposure List (A Guide For The Rest Of Us).

Her list is a collection of 100 achievable ideas that any indie artist can (and should!) use to move their career forward. These 100 ideas came from some great music industry experts, such as Derek Sivers, Jed Carlson & Lou Plaia (Reverb Nation), Tom Silverman (New Music Seminar), Rick Goetz, and musician Jonathan Coulton.

I was honored that Ariel asked me to be one of the contributors to her Indie Maximum Exposure List, so you’ll find 5 pieces of advice from me as well.

So where is this list? It’s posted in easy to read sections at Music Think Tank, including the section where you’ll see my contributions under Touring/Live Performance. Music Think Tank even gives you an opportunity to post your comments about each of the ideas on the list!

Or, if you’d like to print a copy of the list, there’s a PDF file available at HypeBot.

Ironically, some of the artists I work with actually have been on Oprah and had a cover story with Rolling Stone; and ironically, I’ve known a few people who have won the lottery.

But for the rest of you who want to make a career of doing music, I suggest Ariel’s list as a realistic way to go after your dreams!

Tom Jackson

Tom is uniquely talented and skilled at transforming an artist's live show into a magical experience for the audience; helping artists at every level create a live show that is engaging and memorable, teaching them to exceed their audiences' expectations and to create fans for life. Tom has taught indie and major artists of every genre. He has worked with Taylor Swift, Le Crae, Home Free, The Tenors, Shawn Mendes, The Band Perry, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, & many more. Tom also teaches at colleges, conferences and events worldwide.

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