Although you can sell CDs and files, focus on vinyl, people buy it as a souvenir and oftentimes don't even listen to it, but the chart doesn't care.
Make unique, multiple vinyl. So fans have to buy more than one disc.
Lie. There is no music business police. And reporters are not skilled enough nor have enough time to ferret out the truth.
Blame the ticketing company for everything. They can't bite back, because you're going to go on tour again and they want your business. Furthermore, they know they're paid to take the heat.
If you need the publicity, say the gig is sold out even if it isn't. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but if it's a big space and/or multiple dates odds are you won't reach sellout anyway, so you might as well get the benefit of saying it is sold out. Also, this does create a mania driving people to get tickets. And sure, they might go to secondary sites where you won't get the uplift, but they will also go to the primary site, where seats are available. On authorized resale the the primary sits right next to the secondary, and many concertgoers don't care or don't know the difference.
If you can sell out quickly, turn off Ticketmaster's resale exchange. It makes it look like tickets are hard to get, and the public can't see how many tickets scalpers have (and how many fans have purchased multiple tickets planning to scalp tickets themselves).
Break records on a constant basis. Invent new categories if you need to. Remember the words "most" and "fastest." Most tickets ever sold in Wyoming! Fastest sale since the Beatles! You want to beat the Beatles, that's the ultimate goal, that gets people's attention, even though the charts are different and you have nowhere near the impact of the Fab Four.
Come up with a name for your fans, even if they don't call themselves that, it makes you look you've got a huge fan base and it is rabid.
Complain. Not about how you've been hurt, but how your fans have been abused. Primarily focus on ticketing, but you can come up with any way they've been abused.
Mobilize your fan base. It will do anything for you. The more people act, the more they're bonded to you. Have them defend you against any perceived negative feedback.
Have your operation be mysterious, it makes it look like you've got geniuses working for you who can do what no other act has never done before.
Never give the press direct quotes. Nor should you put out press releases. When you've got something to say, say it online, where it can be amplified by your fans, so that media can hear about it from the buzz online. It makes it look like you don't care about the media, when in truth you do!
Stay in the news on a regular basis. It's easiest if you're regularly breaking records, the press eats this stuff up and repeats it. And you ultimately get a cumulative effect, you must be huge because you keep breaking records!
Make people afraid of holding you accountable. This is what your rabid fan base is all about. People in the business, the hoi polloi and even media must be afraid of losing out in the future, losing access, you want them to be complicit in the game.
Reward those who come through for you. Whether it be business people or radio or the streaming outlet. Call them, text them, make them believe they have a relationship with you.
Don't get in petty online wars, it ultimately makes you lose. You don't want train-wreck publicity, you don't want to be seen on TMZ, you want to be above that.
Have photos taken with other stars. Primarily musicians, who have a greater aura than actors or ballplayers. The media loves to run these pics, burnishing your image as being fabulous and knowing everybody.
Bring musical stars out on stage to perform with you, but only occasionally and only sparingly.
Never be surprised, never appear dumb. You want to appear to be in control without being controlling.
You want to put out albums on a regular basis, which you can then manipulate via sales to the top of the chart so you can get the resulting publicity. No one cares if you fall from number one the next week. Everything is about being number one, if you're not number one, don't publicize it.
Make it look like media is not serving you, even though that's your goal. You want your story to be so big that they must report it as a public service.
Whatever you do, make fans want more. This isn't like in the old days, where you hold back. Rather in the modern era you keep selling, people want to evidence their brand loyalty. Vinyl, for the charts, merchandise, whatever can bond the fan to you, do it. And if it is merch, it must be limited. You can only buy it NOW! Don't limit quantity, just time frame.
You want to appear to be bigger than the system, therefore it looks like you're not gaming it, even though you are!
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