Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

More Than Just Music with Jeeni

/ By Andie Jeenius
More Than Just Music with Jeeni

So far, 2021 has been a very busy year for the Jeeni team, so what's new? The platform is growing and growing, and it's more than just music with Jeeni. The first job was to update the website. The look changed, the user experience was enhanced and new channels were added, allowing all the varied talent joining us is easier to find.

More than just music, means we welcome all the trades that support the industry, plus the industries that benefit from music itself. The new look channels added, mean we can offer separate sections for all these extra and supporting parts of the creative world. Our Goods and Services channel now gives members access to tutorials for singing, including Opera and Classical, guides to performance prep, as well as studio production. There is also advice on optimising your social media, recording your music, graphics and album artwork. And when the world seems to be spinning at 100mph, you can find help to unwind and seek peace and calm.

Tara and Sharmayne - Opera Coaches

In the Masterclasses channel, users can sharpen their skills from drums to guitar, and even try the bass guitar lessons from the legend Suzi Quattro. If you require the services of a photographer, director or editor, you can search the various talents listed in the Photography and Videography channel. Or follow the guides on how to do it yourself , even on a limited budget. Plus Jeeni's own image welder, Sharron Goodyear with her special rate offer for a 'virtual shoot' exclusive to our subscribers. Should you be thinking of going before the lens, you could check out the services in the Style and Grooming channel to grab some tips on all aspects of hair, make-up, style and image.

CrackaLackTV Editing Tutorial

Not forgetting the next generation of creatives, we have a special channel for Juniors to go to for music, dance, stories, teaching and performance tips aimed at the younger musicians and dancers. We are also building the Audio Books channel to encourage writers of stories for children and young adults. Not excluding the oldies, there are currently 31 episodes of Stephen Palmer's 'Hairy London' for the adults to immerse themselves in.

One of our most exciting, up-coming channels is Royalty-Free Music for Dancers. Whether your routines are for performance or competition, using other peoples' music can be problematic and expensive. So, Jeeni has set up a channel specifically to address this issue. We are approaching some of our big name contacts, asking them to contribute to this cause and the response has been fantastic, so keep an eye out for the new uploads. If you are willing to allow your music to be used royalty-free, then please think about giving others the benefit of your talent and share the love by uploading to this specific channel.

Check out the new look site, build your showcase and get uploading and sharing!

05
Jun

How to Build Your Own Playlist

In our previous blog called, "Top Ten Tips on How to Promote your Music Independently" http://bit.ly/2W2nCJ5 we suggested you get yourself PLAYLISTED. Maybe we should have said, Build your own Playlist and then get yourself Playlisted. So what is the difference? Building your own PLAYLIST is an easy way to boost the promotion of your own music, so why not give it a go. The video is 3 minutes long so I have taken the highlight. (Approx. 60 second read time) Start by creating your own public playlist filled with great music, and include your own tracks too. With a small amount of work you you could get a few hundred followers, it'll still help your chance of landing on other, bigger playlists. With a lot of work and fun, you could build your playlist to have thousands or even millions of followers over time. Discover Weekly algorithm takes EVERY playlist into account, no matter how small. The algorithms behind Discover Weekly find users who have built playlists featuring the songs and artists you love. It then goes through songs that a number of your kindred spirits have added to playlists but you haven't heard, knowing there is a good chance you might like them too.Ideally, you want to be uploading & submitting your tracks to playlists weeks in advance of your release. For example Spotify alone get 20,000 new tracks every day. Make sure you get your tags rights so you can be featured automatically and help the editors find you. No guarantee, but you need to start somewhere. Share your music on your own social media platforms to get on a playlist, stay on a playlist and grow your fanbase. Drive traffic from off platform, that means share your links everywhere. Post them on your socials, website and other channels. You can only submit one track per release, so if you're releasing an album or an EP, have a good think about which track is most likely to get picked by a playlist. Pitch your music to independent curators, if you are not sure how to do this, keep a eye out for our next blog. Try not to disheartened if you do not get thousands of followers straightaway, keep choosing music you love and keep adding to your playlist, be true to yourself, only add your favorite tracks and have some fun. Check out our new community of facebook, called: Unsigned Artist Community and join today. http://bit.ly/2Q45ri8 https://vimeo.com/396927442

06
Jun

Let the Music Play and Save Our Venues

You may have seen the hashtags going around today #LetTheMusicPlay and #SaveOurVenues. If you were wondering what it's all about, an open letter has been issued. THIS is what is happening ? Some 1,500 acts including Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones urge the British Government to save the country's live music industry from collapsing because of coronavirus. Coldplay, Eric Clapton, Sam Smith, Rod Stewart, Liam Gallagher, Iron Maiden, Dua Lipa, Skepta and Florence + the Machine were also signatories to an open letter warning that the ongoing shutdown threatens thousands of jobs. They cited new research showing that live music added £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion, 5.0 billion euros) to the British economy and supported 210,000 jobs across the country last year. Live music has been one of the UK's biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for venues, concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak. Until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this world-leading industry. On July 2nd 2020, the Concert Promoters Association and a coalition of live music businesses including artists, venues, concerts, festivals, production companies and industry figures launched a campaign to highlight the importance of the sector to the UK’s economy. The campaign asked people to share on social media a film or photo of the last gig they played or saw with the hashtag #LetTheMusicPlay. If you’d like to add your support, you can download shareable graphics and quotes from some of the country’s biggest artists here. Post them on your social media to show how important UK live music is to you, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #LetTheMusicPlay. Read the joint letter Dear Secretary of State, UK live music has been one of the UK’s biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. From world-famous festivals to ground-breaking concerts, the live music industry showcases, supports, and develops some of the best talent in the world – on and off-stage. As important as it is, our national and regional contribution isn’t purely cultural. Our economic impact is also significant, with live music adding £4.5bn to the British economy and supporting 210,000 jobs across the country in 2019. Like every part of the entertainment industry, live music has been proud to play our part in the national effort to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and keep people safe. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak. This sector doesn’t want to ask for government help. The promoters, festival organisers, and other employers want to be self-sufficient, as they were before lockdown. But, until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies, and the end of this great British industry. Government has addressed two important British pastimes – football and pubs – and it’s now crucial that it focuses on a third, live music. For the good of the economy, the careers of emerging British artists, and the UK’s global music standing, we must ensure that a live music industry remains when the pandemic has finally passed. Yours, Leading UK artists, music professionals & venues (read the full list of signatories here) Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

06
Jun

Waiting for the Harvest in Business

By Kelli Richards, Managing Director, Jeeni USA As an entrepreneur and/or a self-employed professional, have you ever been in a situation where a game-changing opportunity presented itself to you in business? Something that could “overnight” propel you to a different level of success and financial freedom? Only to find that the brass ring was further away than you thought? And while the opportunity seemed to be realistic and close at hand, it remained elusive for a long period of time; sometimes years at times? I’ve been in such a situation with not one but several ‘big deal’ business opportunities over the past few years. I won’t lie; it has been a trying experience, ranging from being annoying, frustrating and even gut-wrenching — waiting for the dominos to fall and for the scales of justice to be balanced in my favor. Holding my breath and waiting to exhale. Friends and colleagues have expressed concern and wonder if I’ve lost my mind holding out hope that one or several of these deals will come to fruition. But I know in my heart of hearts that these opportunities are real — and I need to ride the wave and exercise every ounce of patience and trust that I have. Lately, I’ve felt the life force of these opportunities building in strength, and I see light at the end of very long and dark tunnel — it genuinely appears as though the time is growing nearer for them to manifest at last. I look forward to that happening with great zeal and anticipation, knowing my patience will be rewarded and that I’ll experience great relief on the other side. As I was taking my morning hike the other day in the forest surrounded by trees, I experienced an Ah-Ha! insight that took me aback… I grew up surrounded by fruit orchards. When you plant a fruit tree, you don’t expect it to bear fruit for a few years — but once it starts doing so, it typically delivers wonderful fruit for many years to follow; it’s an investment in patience and trust. Duh!  It occurred to me that each of these ‘big deals’ I’ve been waiting on has been like one of these trees — each one has had to come to maturity at its own time, when it was ready, and not a moment before. As they do, my colleagues and I stand to benefit from their rewards for many years to come. If you’ve been in a similar situation, take heart and keep the faith; I hope this dose of perspective serves you and will give you strength to stay the course. Though many of us are rabbits in practice (and sometimes deals do come together at a faster clip), the tortoise knows that “slow and steady” wins the race. A good reminder for us all! Kelli Richards Consultant – Super-Connector Trusted Advisor – Celebrity Wrangler Creating Powerful Connections Across Music, Entertainment and Technology With a unique talent for connecting thought leaders and disrupters from technology with innovators from entertainment, CEO Kelli Richards guides her clients to create big visions, make big connections and achieve big results. Prior to establishing The All Access Group, Kelli made waves in senior-level positions at Fortune 100 entertainment and technology companies including EMI Music, Silicon Graphics (SGI)– and Apple Inc., where she launched Apple’s earliest focus on music & entertainment, driving initiatives in that space during her 12 years with the company. Over the course of the last 25 years, Kelli has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work and collaborate with many people that have been instrumental in defining their respective fields—some have even become iconic. Steve Jobs, Mark Cuban, Sheryl Sandberg, Stewart Copeland, Nancy Duarte, Todd Rundgren, Alan Cohen to name a few, have all been personal mentors, colleagues, or clients. Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com