Advance Hip-Hop

Look, there’s 5 million rappers out there. If you’re trying to get noticed you need to separate yourself from the pack. Now, if you do everything on this list you will be doing more than 95% of those 5 million rappers. So that might be something to think about.

You don’t have to do everything on the list, but you should, and if you do, I promise you will see results. Because anything beats doing nothing and complaining that nobody knows you right? So use this list if you’re ever asking yourself the question: “What can I do for my music today?”

I divided the list up into two parts: Free stuff (costs nothing), Not-Free Stuff (costs something, maybe a lot)

Free Stuff

1. Build and/or optimize your myspace page

2. Build the best Facebook page

3. Get on Twitter

4. Start a Facebook group

5. Start a blog

6. Start your social network (ning.com)

7. Put your music in as many places as possible

8. Give away free downloads

9. Google “independent rap resources” and learn something

10. Blast your single to DJs

11. Get your music reviewed

12. Write stories about yourself for Press releases and other PR

13. Join rap forums

14. Find “fanatic” fans

15. Give your fans a mission

16. Take more pictures (the best you can)

17. Offer up collaborations on your site

18. Find open-mic contests to attend and rip the stage!

19. Make sure all the content on your social networks matches (graphics, songs)

20. Get a reverbnation page

21. Get tweeting!

22. Put your music on iLike.com

23. Put your music on last.fm

24. Create a bandcamp page

25. Start a mailing list

26. Make a viral video

27. Get friends & family involved

28. Work on singles! The industry is driven by songs now not albums.

29. Find a DJ that will do a mixtape album for you

30. Study and improve your google ranking

31. Seek out indie rappers & producers

32. Introduce yourself to somebody in the business

33. Call promoters and ask to open up for any performances they’re hosting

34. Start conversations online about your music

35. Hit the gym, it’ll make you feel & look better, both helpful

36. Research all sites that cover your genre/style

36. Collect emails from Djs, blogs, websites

37. Research you’re competition, start with the biggest artist in your genre

38. Read books on the music industry

39. Make you’re sister, cousin, female friend a promoter of your music. Teach them how to blast your single, promo banner, etc.

40. Start an online radio show/podcast

41. Get active in relevant ning communities

42. Respond to every single person that messages, comments on, or mentions you. This is huge.

43. Google indie rappers from your region and see what sites they’re on

44. Make friends at popular recording studios frequented by other artists

45. Learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

46. Make sure your profiles all have relevant keywords so you show up in searches more

47. Ask fans for help

48. Write your long term and short term goals

49. Make a plan to achieve them

50. Write & record more songs!

Not-Free stuff

51. Buy a web domain and hosting service and create your own website, like fast

52. Or pay somebody to do it

53. Find quality but affordable graphic design

54. Get your songs on iTunes (the easiest sites are CDBaby or TuneCore)

55. Plan & schedule a professional photo shoot

56. Get professional, but simple, graphic layouts and banners for all of your social network profiles. Make sure they’re consistent.

57. Find an affordable mixing engineer and get your songs mixed properly

58. Find an inexpensive mastering engineer and have your songs mastered properly

59. Plan your first/next rap album release

60. Buy a home-studio

61. Pay a PR service (and learn what a PR service does if you don’t know already)

62. Make some promo discs to give away

63. Have flyers & posters printed for your next show, single or project designed and printed

64. Pay an email blast service

65. Attend conferences (ASCAP expo, Core DJs)

66. Register with ASCAP or BMI

67. Copyright your music

68. Film a music video yourself

69. Print t-shirts

70. Offer contests on your website and social networks for free give aways (autograph poster & CD with T-Shirt)

71. Sell your merch on your site packaged at three price levels. Meaning you offer a $15 package, a $45 package, and a $90 package.

72. Create a publicity stunt

73. Build a street team

74. Pay a radio promoter(s)

75. Pay somebody to write your bio

76. Pay somebody to write a press release for you

77. Connect with a promoter to throw your own show

78. Do a song with an established artist in your genre (they usually want some money, find out how much)

79. Purchase beats from established, hit-making producers in the game

80. Pay somebody to design your album or single cover

81. Send out your CDs to be reviewed

82. Design a real marketing plan

83. Put posters up at your neighborhood liquor stores, barbershops, hip-hop clothing stores and anywhere else your fans might go.

84. Listen to your local radio station and when they have that promotional truck down at the mall giving away bumper stickers, bring your street team down there with promo material & CDs and meet the fans.

85. Solicit known mixtape DJs to place your song on their mixtapes (if their big enough, pay them for this)

86. Pay a manager to make sure all your ideas turn to actions

87. Reserve a table and some bottles at the next event in your town attended by industry players (usually an artist show) these are usually pretty good networking opportunities.

88. Hire an indie film-maker to direct & produce a music video(s) for you

89. Write a movie starring yourself & pay to have it produced (again, hire an indie film-maker)

90. Solicit BIG-name artists for collaborations (this will cost you and make sure you have your paperwork in order)\

91. Attend awards ceremonies (BET, Source, Grammies)

92. Upgrade you’re studio equipment (get a high-quality mic & preamp. You have a preamp right?)

93. Buy a video camera (for your viral videos and other adventures)

94. Buy video editing software

95. Produce a documentary on yourself

96. Create an expensive “give-away” contest on your websites (diamond watch, rims for car, etc.)

97. Pursue a partnership with larger indie companies (distributors, labels)

98. Hire a marketing firm to “handle” your marketing campaign

99. Work with promoters to schedule a tour

100. Pursue placements for your music in places like video games, movies, commercials & more

101. Make it up in your mind that you are going to do something that benefits your music career at least every day. Learn as much as you can and get out into the world with it, you need your music to reach the public, this list has 100 ways you can do that. Use it, refer back to it, and please leave comments for more ideas on things you can do TODAY to advance your music career.