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Are you dreaming of a music career, one where people will actually pay to listen to your music and watch you perform? If you are, then you know that it doesn't just happen overnight. You have to actually get out there and promote yourself to make people aware of your music and exactly what you do.

But, what can you do if you don't know a thing about artist promotion? Well, it's not as hard as you may think. Just by starting with a few simple steps, you can start promoting your music yourself and gain a following that will help you get noticed.

First, define your objectives: What do you hope to accomplish by artist promotion? Is it to get people to come to your shows? Is it to sell your music? Or, is it to ultimately to get a recording contract a record label. By defining your goals, you're helping to determine what path you should take to make your goals a reality.

Next, determine your audience: Your goals will dictate what audience you are trying to reach. For example, you'll promote yourself differently if you're trying to get people to come to your shows versus trying to get a recording contract. Figuring out your target audience will help you hone your message.

Once you have figured out your objective and goal, then you can start to develop a plan of action to accomplish each one. For example, if you want to get people interested in your music, you could do something like create a MySpace page that features your music. Once you've created the page, start adding people to your friend list that might enjoy the music. Then, ask them to refer friends if they like what they hear. This is a simple way to get your music out to more people. Or, work with a local venue owner to book a show and then invite people to come out. Maybe entice people who don't know your music to come by offering something like a free t-shirt or CD.

Or, if you're trying to get the attention of a record label, create a package to submit to A&R reps with stuff like a demo, a professional media kit with press clips and quotes along with it. The more professional the promo package, the more likely they will be to take it seriously.

While there isn't necessarily a surefire way to do artist promotion, the best idea is to simply get out there and see what works for you. Sure, it's incredibly difficult to do sometimes, but in the end, you'll be glad you did once you see the benefits of the work you've put in.