BIOG

 

'OK, I didn't ask for your life story. ' This is the mentality to be guided by whilst creating your 'Biog'. At the core, I feel, particularly in this day and age of ADHD browsing LOL! It's gotta be punchy and straight to the point: WHO YOU ARE and what you are OFFERING aligned with your USP jumping up next as the 'Browsing client' reads your introduction/biog. Here is an example on FIVERR from my EDM-ROCK gig:

 

"Hi, thanks for stopping by. I am a seasoned singer-songwriter and performer with vast experience in global co-writing. I am offering Soulful rock/pop male vocals for your track.

 

I OFFER A FREE, NO OBLIGATION TO USE ME SAMPLE (20-30 Seconds) so YOU CAN HEAR IF I AM RIGHT OR NOT. 

 

My talent is to write catchy, insightful vocal melodies and lyrics that are top lines in various genres.

 

EDM, Rock, Pop, Acoustic, Ballads, and many more........( EDM is an interesting one as Dance music with classic rock vocals creates something EPIC!!"

 

Firstly, I say 'Hi' with a friendly positive tone, 'Thanks for stopping by'. Then I introduce myself as a 'Seasoned singer-songwriter and performer with a collaboration history 'Globally' as in: WHO I AM.

 

Then it's in essence part 1 of my USP :

'I OFFER Soulful rock/pop male vocals for your track' ... a description of my offering/style of singing.

 

Followed by an attractive offer,.... A FREE, NO OBLIGATION sample so the client can hear if I am right or not!

 

I then swiftly state I am 'eclectic' in genres :

'EDM, Rock, Pop, Acoustic, Ballads and many more...'

 

Then a quick expansion into my USP for this particular Fiverr gig:

'EDM is an interesting one as Dance music with classic rock vocals creates something EPIC!!'

 

I, as you can see ended on a very positive and bold word EPIC, relating to my EDM-ROCK offering.

 

The key point I am trying to stress here is 'Less is more', but the 'Less' has to be laser-focused and to the point! 'Free of  waffle and too much detail, a snapshot of what you are offering. It's tempting to include way too much detail, I could have waffled on about 'being signed in my 20s to Boy Georges label', having co-writted a song for the S African x-factor winner, had my single guest reviewed by Moby, been selected by the legendary Radio One (BBC) DJ John Peele... and so many more... yes it's always nice for me to showboat these facts but to be honest these facts are:

 

a- Not that relevant to my USP : EDM to ROCK

b- Fiverr is global, so these seemingly (to me) impressive facts may not mean anything to someone from another country.

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So, for a BIOG/INTRO, the key guidelines to structure what you write are:

 

• LESS IS MORE

• WHO YOU ARE- (Include words that are attractive and positive, like my example 'Globally/seasoned.. etc)

• AN ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITION (Free sample?)

• WHAT YOU OFFER (Aligning with your USP)

• A STRONG POSITIVE WORD/PHRASE (That creates a powerful image in their mind- in my example: EPIC!)

 

 

 

 

DEMOS

 

As a musician, it is obvious that music demos are pretty important!

This of course relates to your USP. I recommend selecting 3 of your best tracks to 'Showcase' your talent but expanding on this point I recommend not including full songs, obviously, this and all my points on demos here are pretty subjective, but like the BIOG the factor of needing to offer up what you are 'Selling' QUICKLY is paramount!

 

Edit out the INTRO and if the point in the track as to where you shine is the CHOURUS, start there...( An old muso joke I've heard many times is 'Don't bore us get to the Chorus' a lazy phrase used by A+R peeps and Radio pluggers mostly... but here it firmly applies!) Of course, if your USP is amazing guitar, trumpet, keyboard, or whatever solos, obviously start there!

 

You want to immediately shine the brightest upon first listen, 'Your best foot forward, so to speak'. I would say 30 seconds to 1 minute per demo is a good length. Browsing clients will just not have the time to listen to anything more than that.

 

Most platforms accept WAVS and MP3s, the latter most likely, so make sure you create MP3s with the highest resolution possible, a bitrate of 320kbps is generally considered the best resolution ( Some platforms may have a file size restriction, so another reason to keep your demos short).

I wouldn't worry about "Tags" (Metadata) on MP3s as all the platforms I have used so far require you to enter the 'Track name' etc.. on the actual site.

I think it is a good idea, once you've edited your chosen 3 tracks, to step back and consider if these 3 tracks represent the USP you are trying to convey. Of course, try and order them with the best track first, a very subjective choice, but perhaps ask a friend what they think of the order, for an unbiased and objective perspective. To be honest, there is no right or wrong answer here, and with this 'Setting up', there is definitely an element of 'Trial and error'.

 

On a technical point, make sure the MP3s are NORMALIZED to 0 dB and as "MAXIMIZED" volume-wise as best you can using DAW plug-ins.

To help with this, here are 3 links to the most popular DAWs for such volume-boosting plug-ins:

 

CUBASE https://archive.steinberg.help/cubase_plugin_reference/v9/en/_shared/topics/plug_ref/maximizer_r.html

 

LOGIC

https://whylogicprorules.com/maximize-loudness-preset/

**** There is no dedicated "MAXIMIZER" plug-in like on Cubase, but here are some tips on a forum

 

APPLE (Standalone Volume booster app)

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/volume-booster-bass-booster/id1564277746

 

Of course, there are many other plug-ins that do similar volume-boosting things to MP3s and WAVS... the key is to use your ears, don't overdo the volume-boosting as it can get pretty squashed and saturated sounding, particularly if your demos have already been mastered, even just to some extent like a limiter on the MASTER VOLUME!

 

Also, check there is consistency across all 3 tracks volume-wise too, and adjust accordingly.

 

 

 

So, in Summary: My strongest advice is 3 of your best demos, edited in such a way as your instrument of choice or voice SHINES the BRIGHTEST!

 

 

 

 

VIDEOS

 

In this day and age of audiovisuals, a video is a must to promote what you offer!

On Fiverr each 'Gig' has the facility to upload a 1.15 minute video of a certain size, so like the MP3s you may have to play around with reducing the resolution until the video is accepted. The resolution for a 1.15-minute video on Fiverr requirement is pretty decent.

Airgigs on the other hand offer an ability to link a YouTube video into the gig offering. Quite a few session musicians on Airgigs, including some top-rated sellers don't link YouTube videos and I feel this can be for a good reason!

If you don't have a big YouTube following (Subscribers) and your promo video has very few views, it can create a negative perspective within the browsing potential client's mind! I guess it can seem quite 'Amateur'.

You could boost the YT video with a Google ads campaign...chuck 10,20 bucks at it to maximize views, but that won't really increase comments or, to be honest, subs! So I would personally avoid it unless, of course, you have a respectful YouTube following!

 

In my view, the video content has two key visual elements to choose from, which can be combined.

 

1- Stock video footage

2- Self-videoed performances of yourself with your instrument of choice

and also perhaps spoken parts to introduce yourself, talk about what you have to offer

 

With the stock video footage, there is a lot of free and, importantly, 'Royalty' free (non-copyrighted) footage, so you are free to use the footage with impunity.

Also, on a few sites, 'Attribution is not required' as in you don't have to credit the video/picture creator.

It is worth mentioning within this subject of videos, still pictures are also an option to use. A good creative art site for small videos/image animations is Canva, I won't go too deep on this aspect because that's a whole course on its own, but here are 3 helpful links to direct you:

 

CANVA - For design/logos/Pic animations and more.... https://www.canva.com/

 

PEXELS- For Stock Footage (Video and Pics) FREE and ROYALTY FREE

https://www.pexels.com/

 

PRIMAL VIDEO channel (YouTube tutorial) Great video on the new Canva Video editing facility

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psnVlWcAgjM

 

CLIPCHAMP Windows video Maker

https://app.clipchamp.com/

 

iMOVIE Mac Free Video maker

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id408981434?mt=12

 

In terms of creating the video, I would start with the audio to be included, my suggestion is (For the Fiverr 1.15 minute) video, would be the edited 3 tracks you have chosen, one can also upload MP3s as I said so logic would dictate 'Why not 3 different tracks on the video', I refer to the quick attention grab of a potential client,, the audio-visual element will be the first thing they are drawn too (Think Instagram scrolling here!). I would say this video is the most important 'Media' representation of you and your skills, so definitely have the top 3 audio tracks as the soundtrack. In theory, you could have 3 different MP3s, but better to safeguard against those (Whom I sense will be the minority) who go straight to listening to your MP3s. As I have stated, the MP3s are perhaps not quite as important, you could throw in a 'Wildcard' choice, but definitely include your best 2 and have it as the 3rd track in the listing, order-wise.

There are no rules on this; I am merely suggesting a certain navigation for you, based on my experience!

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There are a few key aspects of the service you offer to consider, visually, for instance, if you are selecting 'Stock footage' from a creative-abstract perspective the footage needs to align with the 'Style' you are offering (Rock/EDM/Acoustic, etc...) for instance, if you are showcasing a high energy Rock song, stock footage of a Rock concert, with the crowd looking "ROCK!" would align, same with EDM, a live DJ set perhaps with a crowd dancing in a bright EDM - Vibe club. 
An 'Acoustic' offering, particularly Country or Folk lends itself to calm stock footage of nature; aerial views of winding roads in beautiful forests, hopefully, you get the 'Gist'. 

 

Here are some LINKS to PEXEL free download videos to highlight my points: 

 

ROCK: https://www.pexels.com/video/people-watching-a-band-854054/
 

EDM: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-dj-on-a-concert-7722299/
 

ACOUSTIC (Country/Folk) : https://www.pexels.com/video/a-road-in-a-forest-19796434/

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As you can see on these various videos they are aligned with the genre/vibe of the specific gig you are offering. To the potential client, they help emote a vibrancy that supports the 'Excitement' of your chosen musical tracks. If it feels a little overwhelming creating this video just remember it is going to be a short video, in the case of Fiverr, 1.15 mins so three to four 10-second clips will 'Pad' out the video enough, even with some repeats of certain clip parts.

This is the DIY way to create the video, which I personally find fun!

Of course, there is always the option to employ a video maker on Fiverr (For instance) or an online freelancer.

You could gather the clips you wanted to use (Like the ones above) and provide them with the 'Metadata' including the 'Text' to be included, here is a suggestion for the various text clips to appear in the video, this is based on, as an example, my vocal offering...

 

​

• Killer Rock vocals

• To make your track EPIC

• Multi-harmony backing vocals

• PRO recording equipment

• 48 Khz HQ WAVs delivered

• 100% commercial usage assigned to YOU

• Bespoke 'From scratch' lyrics and melodies created or in collaboration

• Take your TRACK to the next level!

 

 

 

Of course, these text points (Examples) Examples)  can be applied to your video whether you DIY or hire a video creator to create one for you.

 

The other option is a video of you saying 'Hi' and introducing yourself or in combination with the 'Stock footage' clips. And of course video footage of you actually playing your instrument or singing.

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I have some points to raise on this which subjectively I feel are important:

 

​​

• The quality of your video equipment

• The lighting you use

• What will the background you video yourself in: ie a plush studio or your spare room?

• How good you are at talking to a video camera

 

 

My main point here is the 'Filming' yourself option could look amateur if any of the above elements are 'low' in quality.

If the video appears cheap with a bad background (As in your spare room with the gaffa taped cheap soundproof squares stuck to the wall, even a domestic-looking house door or radiator is bad in my opinion!) it will cheapen you and the service you are offering!

 

 

So I advise you to be careful with this approach, it's not like you are advertising yourself as a presenter or actor.

Fiverr and the other platforms may push you to create an intro video, like the above, but I personally don't think it's that necessary.

 

 

I myself, a 'Top-Rated seller' on Fiverr have never created a 'Talking to the video camera' intro video, nor have I used any footage of me singing live in my studio! For the above reasons, I am not a videographer!

 

Of course, throughout these steps, I am only laying out what I did to become a top-rated seller, so they are suggestions more than instructions. If you are a great videographer, love talking to the camera, and can get access to a plush-looking studio with great lighting 'GO FOR IT!'.

In summary of this subject, the 'Self-video' option if done wrong can really affect your 'Hit' rate negatively!

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So........ in SUMMARY:

 

• BIOG- Be concise (Ease off the 'Life story' that may not be relevant!) and draw the potential client to your USP, of course, this means putting some thought into your USP; what are your unique skills, strengths musically and choose the genre? It is about finding a balance, don't 'Niche' down too much as to limit your potential clients but focus enough to be offering a musical service that you feel strong in recording.

​

• MP3- The same principle applies here, edit the 'Demo' tracks down to a concise length that highlights your musical strengths, I'd say pick the best 3 tracks you have that showcase your best recordings.

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• VIDEO- Again, be concise, simple yet to the point with relevant stock footage ( A side note: be careful and use 'Attribution Free' -Definition from Google AI: "Attribution-free videos" means you can use them without needing to give credit to the original creator. This usually occurs when the video is in the public domain or under a Creative Commons license that doesn't require attribution, like the Creative Commons CC0 license.)

 

Fiverr for instance, sees the use of Copyrighted footage in your videos as a violation of the Terms of Conditions! If you are good in front of the camera and enjoy filming yourself playing GO FOR IT!  .... BUT... if the video looks amateur due to poor lighting/background/sound/vibe BE CAREFUL as this can negatively affect the attractiveness of the service that you offer.

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PROFILE PICTURE

 

 

Lastly, your profile picture is very important. I feel it needs to be both personal and aligned with the genre:

(EDM/ROCK/COUNTRY, etc).... 

 

 

I learnt as a 'Moody musician' who hates smiley pictures of myself, in the 'Freelancer 'online world, a seemingly moody rock and roll shot may actually convey a certain unfriendliness, in 'Brass tax ' tax marketing experts have concluded 'Smiling pictures' CONVERT POTENTIAL SALES LEADS considerably more!

I admit on my individual gig pics, I am looking a bit moody, but my first port of call profile picture is a smiley picture of my 'Boat race' (British rhyming slang for face, GOOGLE LINK:

https://cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/slang/boat_race/

 

 

 

It's pretty simple psychology really, smiling pictures are inviting and give the immediate impression you are both 'Friendly and approachable', remember they don't know you from Adam and they are looking to work with you, it's pretty obvious really people want to work with positive friendly people, not moody, sulky peeps! 

 

Like I have expressed already, these steps are based on my own subjective experience and more suggestions/guidelines than they are instructions. But... in this case, the  EXPERTS have spoken (Digital marketers) Smiley pics will increase potential enquiries (Leads) and sales! 

 

 

Things to consider for your profile pic

 

*Lighting

*Background

*Clothing Colours

 

Here is a link to FIVERR'S PROFILE PICTURE GUIDE. 

https://help.fiverr.com/hc/en-us/articles/4416325224977-Perfect-your-profile-picture

 

 

If you have the money, I would highly recommend a professional photographer in a well-lit photographic studio. 

The key point here is conveying a degree of professionalism and 'Sheen'. I would steer away from staged pictures of you and your instrument of choice, in my opinion, this always looks a bit 'Cheesy'! The whole point in the profile picture is to convey a 'Human' touch, and I would go further than this and say this is possibly more important these days, as we as 'Creatives' are up against the AI's!!!

 

 

Using a proffesional photographer is also a great idea as you can use the pictures across the board in many of the platforms and outlets you will set up online.