Tell Your Story  and Sell More Art We know that fans support and buy from artists they know and like. Video interviews are a great way to let your fans see you when you are not performing and to hear you talk about your background and your art. They are also a great way to introduce yourself to new fans. Since most of us cannot get booked on The Tonight Show or David Letterman, find websites like Amused Now that provide opportunities to be interviewed and post those interviews on your own website and social media sites. Imagine how much more you could sell if right next to that Buy button, you had an interview where you shared the back story about your song or film or book. Remember when you were younger how much fun it was to learn all about your idols and what your favorite song or movie or book was really about? Artists who tell their stories have a competitive advantage over those who don’t. Artists who film a great interview have an advantage over those who film a crappy interview, because fans are more likely to watch the whole thing. Booking the interview is only the first step. So, how do you prepare for a great interview? Here are some tips I’ve learned from interviewing hundreds of artists. Set the Stage Get yourself a good webcam, so the film quality of your interview is maximized. Webcams cost less than $100, and the film quality they record are much better than if you used the default webcam in your Mac or laptop. Do not conduct interviews from your phone or tablet. The aspect ratio is not right. Before the interview, sit down in the same place you plan to record...

Mark Grimes and Perry Gruber organized the first-ever Documentary Weekend in Portland, OR on September 26 and 27. I didn’t know anything about filmmaking, so I signed up to meet some new creative people and to learn something about making a documentary. I had an amazing weekend! We filmed two documentaries, a two-minute film on Friday night and a five-minute film on Saturday. So, I guess, now I’m a filmmaker. We were a small group of fifteen participants. We came with different levels of expertise, positive attitudes, iPhone/iPad/professional grade cameras, sound equipment (if we had it), laptops and zero prior planning. No pre-organized teams. No one even knew the topics. Before we were given our first assignment, Matt Monroe (freelance photographer, soundman and founder of Nasty Clamps) gave us a hands-on lesson about what it’s like to be a soundman and techniques to reduce background noise. Then, we paired into teams of two. Our first assignment was to pick a quote and create a documentary around it. Quotes are interesting. Everybody knows them, but not everyone feels strongly enough about them to be inspired with great ideas for a film. After discussing multiple ideas, my partner, Joe Aleman, and I decided to go with: “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” It was Friday night and we were across the street from one of the biggest collection of food carts in Portland; the perfect setting to film a documentary about food. So, Joe pulled out his iPad and I set out to interview different sets of people on the topic. We talked to an older couple, a young couple, a gay couple, a man from Morocco and a single woman. The results were quite comical. My first filmmaking lessons learned: 1)...

Meet the delightful Liz Lohnes, our ReverbNation contest winner in the pop genre. Liz’s personality is a lovely as her singing voice. We selected Liz Lohnes, because we adore her single Fly Away. I also love her song Where You Are, with its influences of soul. Liz explained, “I actually started singing at a blues jam that my parents used to take me to, so the first genre of music I ever sang was blues. So, I definitely have a little bit of the soul vibe in there.” Liz smiled and added, “It’s a love song about just wanting to be with the person that you love.” Liz Lohnes describes her music as, “it’s mid-tempo, with an R&B, pop and soul type of feel.” She has a wide range of musical influences, “I listen to all different kinds of genres. My parents are a big reason why I’m into the music that I’m into. I was raised listening to Aretha Franklin. My dad always loved Stevie Wonder. I personally love Beyoncé. Who doesn’t?” Liz writes, composes and sings her own music. “I started taking voice lessons as a teenager, but I’ve always been singing. I began singing at community plays, so I have a bit of musical theater background. I graduated from the Berklee College of Music (in Boston), so that’s a big part of my development as a writer. The very first song that Liz Lohnes wrote is Why’d You Turn Your Back On Me? , written in eighth grade. “I still have it up on my ReverbNation page. A lot of people think it’s a break-up song, but it’s actually about being in that transition stage from junior high to high school. My best friend went off with the cool kids.” Liz...

I can’t believe we are celebrating the first birthday of The Amused Now Blog and YouTube channel. I have met many talented artists and shared many interesting stories and helpful advice. Indie artists are the bravest and truest artists in the world. This past year has been more rewarding than anything I could have imagined.  Yes, Amused Now is becoming known as one of the premiere sites to promote indie artists; but what really excites me is the community and partnerships that we are building as we grow. I love how we support each other and share each other’s successes and introduce each other to those who can help advance our careers. How many sites can say that? I want to celebrate the successes of our five most popular posts this year. I am often asked how artists can increase their reach and attract new fans. Well, I’ll let these real life examples answer that question: #1 Smiz the Moneykid ~ Office Boys NY These guys are promotion machines! Smiz the Moneykid and Villa Dom have multiple Twitter accounts, one for each of their projects. I just looked up their post and, since their post was published in February, they have over 1700 tweets. They heavily promote on Facebook and Google+ too. Lesson learned: The lifetime value of your post depends on you. As a promoter, when I publish your post, I give it my undivided attention for 1-3 days. As long as the information in your post is relevant, you can link to it from your website and social media accounts for long after the publish date. Take advantage of all your internet real estate and pump up the volume! #2 Chris Browne ~ Busker Rhyme I love Chris Browne’s positivity. I asked...

When Agnieszka Sorycz interviewed me for her Film Marketing Blog, she asked me “What are the most common mistakes made by artists when it comes to promotion?” That really got me thinking about why some artists have wildly successful interviews and posts and why some artists don’t. The answer is simple: The most successful Amused Now posts are those where the artist shares responsibility for promotion with me.  This led me to identify the top 3 promotion mistakes an artist can make and how to avoid them: Mistake #1: Assume Promotion is the Promoter’s Job Through this Amused Now Blog and YouTube channel, I provide a vehicle for artists to share their work, backgrounds and insights. I can promote to my fans, but I am not you and I do not know your fans like you do. Every artist has to take ownership of their promotional activities. The most successful artists today are social media savvy. They have researched the available social media sites, studied the communication nuances of each one, found out where their fans hang out and hang out there too, making connections and building relationships. As an artist, you don’t have to be on every social media site, just the sites where your fans hang out most. Establish a web presence. If you don’t have your own website and don’t want to take on that responsibility, then setup a profile on an established site that fits your image. Fans want a place to go where they can find out more about you, what’s new and about upcoming gigs and public appearances. Keep your site updated and fresh, so fans return on a regular basis. Link your website through social media posts every time you update it. Mistake #2: Assume You Have a Private...

Hi, I’m Cynthia Kahn, Founder of Amused Now. 2013 has been a wonderful year! Since I launched Amused Now Blog with the Artists Helping Artists post on May 13, we have helped over 55 Featured Artists and guest bloggers! Well, it’s that time of year to reflect back on all my blessings and to thank those who have helped me along the way. I could not have launched this blog without the help of two fabulous friends: Joseph Gier and Libby Baker Sweiger. Joseph taught Libby and me how to use Google+ Hangouts for the first time. Did you know that I did not record the first Featured Artist video interviews? It was Libby took the reins and blazed that trail for us, creating those first video interviews for YouTube. Thank you Joseph and Libby for all your help launching the Featured Artist Series: http://www.youtube.com/amusednow I’d also like to thank those artists who believed in me and our mission to “create a world where artists can make a living doing what they love.” Since we have so many new fans, I thought it would be fun to share some insight into Amused Now’s beginnings and to show my appreciation by giving our first five Featured Artists and bloggers a little added exposure. Featured Artist Damien Cripps ~ The Music Has the Power It seems funny that we know so many indie artists in the US, yet our first Featured Artist resides in Australia. Libby has been social media friends with Damien Cripps for years, so she reached out to him for the series. What a trouper! Libby got up and dressed and interviewed Damien at 4:30 am her time, just as Damien was getting ready to go out and play a gig. The video quality...