Did you know you only have to sell about 450 albums in one week to make the Billboard HeatSeeker Chart? Believe it or not, there have been many unsigned artists hitting the Billboard Charts in the last year. There are many ways for unsigned artists to sell their music online and even in retail stores. But is that all it takes to get you on the charts? No.
Here are the 5 Secrets To Hit The Billboard Charts:
1. Get a UPC code - Most CD duplication companies offer to put UPC codes on your CDs (some for free but most for a fee). It is worth the $30. You should not pay more than $30 for a UPC code. If a company charges you more than that, go to UPCexpress.com and get one for $29. You can give the CD duplication company your UPC code to print on your CDs.
2. Register for SoundScan - How does Billboard create the top album charts? Because of Nielson SoundScan. Every time you buy a CD at a store (most stores) or online, a computer system counts that CD purchase. At the end of every week, the top album sellers are released on Billboard. And if your CD does not have a UPC code, you don't qualify for Nielson SoundScan. But even having a UPC code doesn't automatically qualify you. You must register your CD and UPC code on the SoundScan site. Once you register, your online and retail CD sales will count towards the weekly charts. However, not all online or brick-and-mortar retailers report to SoundScan. Call or email the retailer to find out.
3. Set Up A Pre-order - What is a pre-order? It's a period of time (up to 8 weeks) where fans can buy your CD before it comes out. They receive the CD the week of your CD release. But all the sales up to the release of your CD counts towards your 1st week sales. For example, if you sell 300 CDs in a 6-week pre-order period and sell 200 the week the CD comes out, your first week sales will be 500 which would be good enough to hit the Billboard HeatSeeker Chart (usually 450 albums will qualify for the Top 150 on this chart).
When you register your music for digital downloads through Tunecore or another site, set the release date for a minimum of 6-weeks in advance to ensure your EP/album will be out in time to correspond with your pre-order. Otherwise, your first week numbers will not include both your physical pre-orders and first week sales numbers.
***Again, make sure you set your pre-order up with a company who reports their CD sales to SoundScan. This is crucial. Simply email/call the company and ask.***
4. Bundles - Because of the downloading trend, a lot of people get their music for free online or only buy singles. Labels and bands are starting to "bundle" up their CDs with merchandise. Bundle up your pre-order CD with a Tshirt (CD/Tshirt for $15 etc.) and offer the CD seperately. Give your fans choices. But don't only keep the bundle up during the pre-order. Keep the bundles up permanently! You can bundle up your CD with posters, autograph booklets, stickers, Tshirts and hundreds of other items. This will definitely increase your sales.
Websites that are good about helping unsigned bands set up pre-order bundles are SmartPunk.com and DistrictLines.com. And both companies report to SoundScan.
Give your fans a reason to buy your whole CD instead of just the singles.
5. Promote - I can't say this enough. You have to promote your music and don't stop. Reach out to as many webzines as you can to review your CD or just post about your pre-order. Post it all over your MySpace. Send out an email blast from your mailing list. Make banners and post it on all the websites that have your band profile.
Also, try to get front page coverage on sites like Purevolume during the week of your release. This extra exposure will definitely increase your sales. Offer these sites exclusive rights to stream a new song for a week in exchange for front-page coverage.
Other ways to help your 1st week numbers is to get your CD in your local Hot Topic stores during the week of the release. But you must coordinate this weeks in advance.
Use these tips and I'll see your band on the Billboard charts!
13 comments:
Be realistic. If you can't bring a 100 fans to your local shows, the chances of you finding 450 people to buy your CD is small. But it doesn't hurt to set high goals!
July 12, 2009 at 6:32 PMAnd one thing I personally can't stress out enough is to go out and physically promote, promote, promote. I see and hear to many unsigned bands telling others that they are in studio recording their new album, but they never sit down to discuss an execution plan or marketing plan on how they are going to promote their new release. So bands, my advice is plan, , organize, and promote so that you can get those 100 fans if not more to your shows and so you can find those 450 + people to buy your CD for those billboard charts.
July 13, 2009 at 2:16 PMTim, who is a good direct contact over at purevolume to set up an exclusive stream to promote the album release?
July 13, 2009 at 2:21 PMlovely!!! i'll follow these steps!
October 30, 2009 at 1:44 PMim from south africa, i would like to know how do i get my music sold overseas,if i follow these steps would the stores order my cds so as they could sell them and what other ways do i have to hav a name overseas
November 20, 2009 at 3:24 PMI'm also from South Africa!! hehe, it's every band's dream here to become recognized overseas, but not all the bands are committed enough to put in that extra bit of hard work ;)
January 29, 2010 at 9:11 AMWhat if you have a Standard CD and a Deluxe edition CD available for Pre-order?? Would they combine together for your first week sales?? I have always wondered that.
February 11, 2010 at 6:39 PMGood advice, Tim. Another great resource for independent touring artists to get on Billboard is http://www.IndieHitMaker.com. They report live venue sales (CDs, DVDs, Download Cards, LPs) for touring independent bands, which is where most live performing DIY bands sell most of their CDs.
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Thank you and Do you know how many singles you have to sell to hit Billboard charts?
November 30, 2010 at 10:49 PMKingSageBooking@gmail.com
Thank you for the valuable information. I'm a Hip-Hop artist from Lusaka, Zambia, Africa looking for management and a label to call home.
September 8, 2011 at 9:07 PMI believe and I have been told by many that my music is destined for the billboard charts.
If that is not enough, I have won several awards. I have just been nominated for an African VMA. You can help too. Simply vote for 'C.R.I.$.I.$.'
Please vote here http://channelo.dstv.com/nominations/most-gifted-southern-video/
Thank you for reading this and taking part in the voting process.
Over and Out,
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May 15, 2012 at 8:53 PMI disagree with Tim about needing 100 people at your show to sell that many. I feel it can help sales greatly and a advantage for a brand, but DEF not needed.
March 1, 2013 at 10:58 PMAs one of the bands I manage releases have sold well over the 500 mark in a week and without doing any touring as of yet. The key is YOUTUBE and connecting with your fans on a personally level or if you can link up with other established brands if you can.
Want to hear something crazy that kinda upsets me of the state of music as I'm not going to put out any names but there is a group that went number 1 in sales on itunes and was in the running for Top 100 DJ in DJ mag for 2012 and never even did one show! How can you be top dj with out playing once! :-/
the internet is a great tool and despite what everyone says you can literally sit back in your bedroom and collect checks and royalties, but going out and playing if great also just not as fast of a rate of growth in my experience.
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