Managing your band's online presence

Any musician trying to make it these days needs the Internet. But as your band gains traction, managing your online presence can quickly become a full-time job. Between your official website, social networks, music portals and stores, you can easily find yourself managing dozens of separate accounts.

It's almost enough to leave you pining for the days of old, when all you had to do was update www.yourbandname.com every once and awhile. Now, to keep your fans interested, you need a steady stream of media flowing out in all directions at all times.

'Web 2.0' can be a huge boon to your music career, but it takes a lot of diligence and a little strategy to relieve the burden. Here are some tips to making your online presence more manageable.

Organization - Keep a folder with bookmarks of all of the sites and pages that your band oversees. When you update your media, run down the list and don't stop until you've updated every relevant account.

Planning - Typing out a random update and sending it your your mailing list is better than nothing. But with a little planning you can get much farther. Anticipate future events (shows, album releases, etc.) and work on your message days or weeks before you send it. That way, when something interesting happens that generates media for your band, all you have to do is copy, paste, and click 'submit'.

Restraint - Don't jump the gun on news just because you're excited or feel like you haven't updated in a while. Album release dates can slip, shows can fall apart immediately after they're booked, and people will get less and less excited if you're always crying wolf. You're a journalist covering yourself -- so get the facts right before you go to press.

Consistency - You want to be putting out the same message on each site. For example, if you're debuting a music video, don't distract your audience by including a new T-shirt design and news on your new bass player. Just stick to one thing and wait for it to sink in before you switch gears.

Branding - In terms of design, keep the same look and feel across all of your band pages. Not only does it help 'brand' your band, but you'll save a lot of time updating your band's image by changing everything across the board at once.

Ubiquity - You want your media to be everywhere within reason. It's great to sign up for ten different music video sites as long as you have the time to manage them all. For starters, stick to the most popular online venues, but don't be afraid to branch out as new opportunities present themselves.

Subscription - One of the best features of Web 2.0 is the ability to subscribe to 'feeds'. Usually, a user merely has to click 'subscribe' and they'll receive all of your updates from then on. Make sure you push subscription at every available opportunity -- it's the ultimate connection between fans and bands online.

Communication - If your media push succeeds, you'll know because you'll be receiving positive feedback from your community of fans. Learn how to use the communication tools at each site to maximize your exposure. Follow-up on every contact you receive.

Street Team - What's better than managing dozens of separate band sites? Having someone else do it for you, of course. Offer your biggest fans the early scoop on all your upcoming news and media, and they might just help you distribute it online, leaving you more time to master the music itself.

Get Real - Finally, don't forget that there's a real world outside. If your band solely exists on the internet, that's where it's gonna stay. Go out and shake some hands, make some friends, and your Internet efforts will not be in vain.

Guatemalan rising star Shery spreads music 'like a friendly virus'

Latin music is all about passion, and it's hard to imagine a more passionate singer and songwriter than superstar-in-the-making (and GarageBand.com member) Shery.

Hailing from Guatemala, Shery's artful approach and pop appeal have caught the pulse of the Latin music scene. Over the past three years, she has taken step after successful step in a music career that is as blessed as the voice that carries it forward.

Shery's songs have been picked up by numerous radio stations. She's appeared on television and has sung for thousands in concert, just recently opening for Enrique Iglesias. Her debut album, El Amor es un Fantasma is making a huge splash across the Latin market, not to mention the waves she's made across the Web. We asked Shery to explain her phenomenal online presence.

"I'm just too fortunate to have been born in this wonderful era," she said. "As an indie artist, without a major record label on my back, I can see before my eyes how my music spreads all over the world like a friendly virus... It's sweet to know that every minute of every day someone, somewhere, is discovering my music."

Shery became a GarageBand.com member almost three years ago, at the start of her music career. "[GarageBand.com] has a lot of credibility," she told us. "It's a place where you can get unbiased feedback on your music from thousands of 'critics', most of them fellow indie musicians, who rank and comment on your songs without knowing who you are (not even seeing a picture of you), therefore basing their reviews exclusively on the music itself.

"Among other things, GarageBand.com made me realize that people all over the world liked my songs, beyond the barriers of language: most don't understand the lyrics, which are in Spanish, but still love the songs!"

When asked what advice she would give to other aspiring musicians, Shery was quick to point out that while the reviewers on GarageBand.com helped steer her music in the right direction, inspiration ultimately must come from within.

"Be your own toughest critic, keep it real, and remember: all limitations are self-imposed," she said. "There are no limits outside our own mind. Before conquering the world you have to conquer yourself."