Weekly update
Do we bore you already if we tell you that once again we’ve had a great week on www.sellaband.com? Since Nemesea have moved aside on the search engine (because they have raised the full 50k, remember!) close to 6,000 Parts have been sold. Also we are now over 900 registered bands and are over 5,000 registered Believers. Oh yes, and in the first 20 days of November our little website has welcomed over 1,000,000 (that’s one million!) page-views!
Chart analysis
Cubworld is still the reigning champion, adding another $3,000 to his budget, and is now on his way to 20k. 
But it pleases us immensely, that both Second Person and especially The Fakes have seen an impressive increase in budget, both apparently hell-bent on making it to our New Year’s Party. Kane Sole has passed the $5,000 mark this past week and elsewhere Luna Assassins, Maitreya, Elleanore and Nearfield saw a healthy rise as well, confirming their positions in our Top 20. Watch out for newcomers Slim Void, Vegas Dragons, Cope, Tiffany Gow and Africa’s Magnus, the latter dreaming of an initiative to record one of his songs with the help of the SellaBand community.
Paradiso = sold out!
Yes, you read that right. We’ve been bombarded with requests for the Paradiso show on January 7. This ‘Heineken Presents… SellaBand in Concert’ promises to be a special show. We like to see it as our New Year’s Party and perhaps that’s why so many of you have requested tickets. And not only from Holland, but from Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, Canada, United States and Latvianas well. Latvia? Yes folks, Arnis is coming and he is threatening to bring his lovely wife as well! Several other very active SellaBand-users such as John B. Baloumba, plastic-willem, Onno Hoogendoorn, Peter Kuipers, Dushi A and Campuslegend have applied for tickets as well, so we may as well make this our first ever Believer-summit! Everybody will be notified in the next week or so about the status of their requests, so please bear with us and we will definitely be in touch with you.
Just as a reminder: who will play the Paradiso in Amsterdam on January 7? Nemesea will be there for a special, acoustic slot, and they will be joined by the current Top 3 in ranking. At noon (CET) on December 5, we will capture a shot of our search engine and the Top 3 in budget will be flown in to perform on January 7.
Here’s the current Top 3 on November 21, so with 2 more full weeks to go:
Nemesea A&R Meeting
Speaking of Nemesea; we’ve had a long but fruitful meeting with the band at SellaBand HQ, last Friday. We introduced them to our dedicated A&R man Adam Sieff and have discussed the timeline, the budget and potential studios/producers. The band have come up with an idea to keep all their Believers informed. They will keep a weekly updated video-diary which you will be able to see on their profile page. The first episode of this diary is being prepared as we speak, watch the newsticker for when it goes live!
Friday Nov. 17, Nemesea A&R meeting at SellaBand HQ
Round up
We know that X-mas is approaching fast, and we are still working very hard on offering you the possibility to give Part(s) as a present to family and friends. We hope to be able to announce this really, really soon.
We would also like to inform you that, yes, the SellaBand Presents... Part 1 CD's have arrived and that we've been very busy mailing them out to you. So, Believers who have registered for this album, you can expect it in your home-mailbox any day now.
You may also have noticed that our homepage has a new look as well. Most of it speaks for itself, but we would like to give a special mention to the Portugese translation of the How it Works section. Our gratitude goes out to Believer Paulo Valente (PV), who wrote it for us. So, new arrivals from Portugal or Brasil might very well be thanks to him!
And then finally, a few words on the SellaBand Jukebox. Yes, the Radio player turned our to be a Jukebox, we hope you like the design as much as we do. It currently features only 2 programs: Top 30 and Random Play All. Other options, such as your own Personal Playlist will be added in the near future. Apparently these things take longer than we anticipated but at least the Jukebox is now in place and you can listen to SellaBand all day long…
Introducing… Muaw Dibe & The Awakening
They are one of the most active and certainly most talked about acts on SellaBand. Their posts are nothing short of hilarious and their ‘Agressive Advertising’ gives the innocent Believer at least a pre-warning of what is to come. How can you not like Muaw Dibe & The Awakening, to some already better know as Uncle Ben…
So how does an Irishman end up in the Alsace France?
“I was working as a Breakfast Chef in some hole in Cork city when suddenly I felt a great disturbance in the force, this troubled me deeply (being a very sensitive Breakfast chef Jedi and all) So I decided to leave Ireland and blindly follow this French Girl I was going out with at the time back to her home city in hope of finding the cause of this great disturbance.....6 years later "Lustypopfunk" and Muaw Dibe and the Awakening were born but I am still none the wiser. Oh, and years of watching re-runs of the A TEAM and Knight-rider dubbed in French has seriously affected my alcohol consumption and blood pressure.”
How did you find out about SellaBand?
“My big sister Beks who lives in London sent me an email about SellaBand saying "sign up for this now". She scares the living hell out of me so of course I obeyed without question. No regrets so far! Thanks Beks!”
It took you a while to get the first Believers in. Have you ever thought this wasn't going to work for you?
“NO, I was really chuffed with the fact that people were just listening to our tracks and posting words of encouragement on our page to start with. When the shares in the band starting walking out the door it was really an added bonus. We have over 4,000 left by the way if anyone's interested in being part of the funk revolution (He says cackling super villain style.)”
You're really active in getting Believers to your page. What drives you?
“I love the idea of being able to contact Believers directly on their pages (You can't do that with A&R people or record labels), that mixed with being a bit of a chatterbox and long hungover periods in front of my computer means I get around a bit. I would of course, like everyone on SellaBand, LOVE to hit a ultra-pro Studio after reaching the 50 grand mark, I think that's reason enough to ‘gently’ encourage the believers to visit "Chez Muaw dibe". Another thing I did was put 3 really different songs on our page so that when potential Believers pop in, you have a bigger chance of appealing to their tastes. To quote one of our Believers: "Are you in for a musical odyssee? Stop by to hear these guys. Floorfilling tunes in Get in Line, tenderness in Never and back to the seventies in Dead Song. Thank you Uncle B, for converting me from an infidel into an agressive funkamentalist!!!!" 
What are Muaw Dibe's ambitions?
“Jesus, uhhh?, good question. We would definitely love to have a fantastic CD recorded, have a great video made for one of our tunes and be like number 8 in some underground chart in Japan somewhere, anything in and around that would be fine for 2007. I think the best thing would be to keep having great laughs at gigs, keep the crowds dancing and that me and the lads in the band remain really good friends. I am seriously really lucky to have met such talented musicians "Schnapps, la bastos and papa Pierre" Uncle Ben loves you.”
Any other SellaBand acts you particularly like?
“I'm big into Knaeckebroedt, his mushroom madness is a really solid tune he is also a self proclaimed loaf of bread, hungry for life and excessive parties which I can appreciate. I also think that Nearfield's tune INTRO is amazing, they are very talented people. Latvia's Nicol has by far the best cover pic of any SellaBand artist (Keeping working that fur coat oh yeah!) and what a voice, if her parent's owned a pub she'd be perfect.”
We love your sense of humor. How much would you charge for a weekly column in the SellaBand Tribune?
“You guys are sponsored by Heineken, can't you send beer vouchers to my house or something?
"I would be big into writing for your Tribune, It just depends on what you want me to write about. Is this a weekly review thing or an advice column on how to get the Believers in or something else entirely?
I'll tell you what, make me an offer I can't refuse and I'll just accept, How's that?”
www.sellaband.com/muaw-dibe-and-the-awakening
Pick of the Week
Our ever growing pool of Experts is also keeping an eye on our artists. Every week we ask one of them to pick his or her favorites. This week we go to the Big Apple, where Bob Brockmann, better known as Bassybob, has been listening to SellaBand all week, to give us his Top 3. Bob is the proud owner of 2 Grammy Awards and has produced/mixed for Santana, Joss Stone, Christina Aguilera, Korn, Ben Harper, The Fugees and many, many others. These are his SellaBand-Picks:
1. Cubworld
I really like the songs, and the guys voice, I'm a huge
jack johnson, Ben Harper, and Dave matthews band fan, and I love the little crack in his voice...lyrics are nice as well, really nice tunes...
2. Second Person
Reminiscent of Portishead a bit, although I dont like
to categorise, sweet vocals, and tweaky filetred atmosphere...very nice record, would definitely add it to my i-pod...
3. IGT
Nice beats and flow, the guys are definitely an east coast outfit, I particularly liked one of the mc's , not sure of his name but he has a gravely sound , reminds me of Biggie..nice group
Q + A Maitreya
“I'm grassroots, I can't change and I don't want to”
With $2,000 in as little as 10 days, he has made a grand entrance on SellaBand. He also leaves messages on Believers pages, but these original rhyming lines are as far removed from spamming as could possibly be. Maitreya, in short, is a true breath of fresh air on this website, so this New Zealand born artist deserves his place in the spotlight…
Who is Maitreya?
“Maitreya is the name that was given to me by a friend of mine DLT. We used to study a lot of books together and one was ‘The Messages From The Maitreya’. Maitreya is essentially the communicator of truth to the people. MC’s communicate truth through their lyricism, so it’s the perfect name for an MC.Who am I? I’m Jamie Greenslade, a kid from Christchurch, NZ who had an average childhood, challenging adolescence and hopefully successful adulthood. I learned to communicate and deal with my emotions and problems through poetry and Hip Hop culture from a very young age. I am a member of the crew Nilstate for life and I love my mum!”
How did you end up in New York?
“I had done what I’d wanted to do musically in NZ. We had great success in the crew Dark Tower and I had collaborated with some of the biggest artists in NZ; I knew it was time to take it to the next level. I’d always dreamed of making it to NYC and learning from the True School of Hip Hop, so, I saved hard out and next thing I knew I was on a plane! Hong Kong was the first stop. HK is incredible, it’s a beautifully insane place, which prepared me for NYC more than I could realise at the time. I was working as the Freestyle MC with a DJ who had placed 2nd at the DMC World Champs, it was a perfect introduction. 
Plus, it’s a dog eat dog world and that’s NYC to a T. I was in HK for a month and on August 2nd 2003 I finally made it through immigration and into NYC! Like all first timers in NYC, I was blown away and on total sensory overload!!! Within two months I was working on the Roc-a-Fella Records Street Team and learning from some of the biggest names and most clued up cats in the game.”
What inspires you musically/lyrically?
“Musically I’m inspired by Jazz, Funk, Blues and Soul music. I love Gil Scott Heron, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Sade, Tracy Chapman to name a few. I love it when I hear an old Soul Jam and I feel like the dude’s talking to me about my life right now, that inspires me. I find myself reaching for the closest pad and scribbling madly! Roots music is a massive influence growing up in Aotearoa, I used to toast and spit over raga beats but nowadays I think the influence is in spirit and flow. Lyrically I’m inspired by my environment and my experiences in it, I think all poets feel that way. As far as artists who’ve influenced me, I’m a massive Chuck D fan, Rakim, Ice Cube, Nas, Tupac, Big, that’s my top six. Then there’s UK Hip Hop, I really love Mike Skinner from The Streets and Dizzy Rascal has the illest flows. Most of all I’m inspired by growing up in Aotearoa, New Zealand. When I’m there I wanna get out and see the world, when I’m gone I wanna go home and feel the land!!”What made you join SellaBand?
“Serendipity! 6 months ago I was coming home from a gig & ran into a guy on 8th Ave and 13th St, he asked where he could get a slice of pizza, I said, “You're a kiwi aren't ya?!” Sure enough, he was, I got him a slice and he's been repaying me ever since with his brilliant ideas and suggestions on how to gain exposure. Two weeks ago, SellaBand was one of them. I took a look and listened to the bands, read the Tribunes and was really impressed. I wholeheartedly support the idea of fans helping grow an artist. This is a revolutionary way of bringing fans and artists together.
There's too much disassociation and aloofness in popular music these days. I'm grassroots, I can't change and I don't want to. I have a really strong instinct that SellaBand will do big things. I also really like the idea that you can retain a certain amount of independence and still have access to the muscle of a major label. And seeing as P. Diddy ain't returning my calls, I signed up! I still got parts Puff, don't sleep ;)”
What are your ambitions?
“My ambition has always been to live off of the music I make. I want people to feel my music, enjoy it, come to my shows and have that put enough money in my pockets to keep creating and stop waiting tables!!! Small steps are the key, I’m building my following in NYC, especially Loisaida, Avenue C and the East Village. Every last Sunday of the month I do a show called ‘ILLEGAL’ @ The Sunburnt Cow, 137 Avenue C. $4 drinks, come along! Obviously SellaBand has quite unexpectedly become a big part of my ambitions, the live following and SellaBand complement each other, so it’s an exciting time. As far as ambitions for my future music, I'm living in NYC and I'm a Hip Hop head, so you can imagine its awesome to think that through Sellaband I could work with some of the best Producers and Engineers in the game. I produce all my beats, so working with an engineer who could take my sound to the next level would be a dream come true. Getting a beat from Kanye, Swiss Beats, Just Blaze, that would be incredible. I’d like to collaborate with certain US and UK MC’s. There's a couple of Producers & MC's back home too, but I won't mention names ‘ cause the fees will go through the roof! Haha!”
How do you hope to get to the 50k?
“Well I’ve had a good start, I can't explain how much it means to me to have a couple believers put up 50 parts. The other key I think is to have an established fan base, people who are familiar with and love your music already, they're down from the get go. As I said the live show is a forum to turn people on to SellaBand. SellaBand is still very new, so sometimes I have to explain it twice but I haven’t had one negative reaction. I really Believe it’s up to us as artists and fans to build awareness of SellaBand, it’s for our benefit as much as any one’s and we have to take a responsibility for it’s success. To get to 50K would be incredible, I am actively working to give myself a great start and I feel that with enough traffic going through Sellaband my music should do it’s own talking. I have a big catalogue and will be droppin’ new jams weekly, so keep tuning in Plastic Willem, one of ‘em will getcha! Haha!”Why should people Believe in Maitreya?
You should believe in Maitreya because I’m an artist dedicated 100% to my craft and I think I have achieved a completely original style. Hip Hop has always been about story telling and having fun. Sometimes it’s deep, sometimes it’s about partying, sometimes right in the middle: super melancholy and introspective. As an artist I cover all those bases and I do it honestly. I don’t talk about the jewels I wish I had or the guns I dream of shooting (I don’t by the way!), that’s kid-stuff. Ain’t nobody like me!!! I got mean beats & ill rhymes and I keep it honest dude. One of my biggest Believers, Samson Chui, is from Hong Kong! That’s wicked to me, ‘cause I know where he’s from and what Hip Hop is about over there. I'm all about cross-cultural education & experience and what better platform to share mine and learn about others’ than SellaBand? I want to learn as much as I can, so I want to have people from all cultures, all around the world Believing in me!”Any other SellaBand acts you like?
“I’m feeling Simeon’s stuff. You don’t need to understand a language to feel the message, he’s tight. Second Person have a good sound, lead vocals are wicked. Gotta give props to my boy Kane Sole, New Zealander stranded in Korea, keep ‘em Believing brotha! Cubworld is probably my favorite, there’s a good reason why he’s doing so well, he’s honest, vulnerable and strong all at the same uncomplicated time. I’m working on getting the dude to NYC for a gig with me soon! I’m a sucker for Lilly’s stuff and I love Darth Koala! Oops, he’s not an act is he? He should be, he should start a stand up comedy section!!! Haha! Love & Light, Maitreya”
In his own words… Jesse David
Like any other grown up, he has to pay the rent, so at daytime he’s a police officer in Toronto, Canada. But at night, he pursues his dream to become a professional singer. Jesse David feels that being on SellaBand might make his dream come true…
“Jesse David is a man who believes he can make a difference through encouraging and inspiring others by any means necessary, in SellaBand’s case - through music! A friend referred me to SellaBand and after browsing the site, I immediately saw that it was a complete ‘no brainer’ for me to sign up. The concept makes so much sense. I read some articles and blogs where others had written about SellaBand. Someone mentioned that SellaBand was just a dream for artists.
They were mentioning this in a negative way, however, this is not negative. It IS a dream and dreams are good, without them we lack purpose. Making music is one of my many dreams. Rather than compete with record labels in fulfilling my ‘dream’, SellaBand clearly offered a creative alternative which I embraced and which you should too if you haven't.”
Downsides
“I have been singing for as long as I can remember. I guess when you sing a lot you get more comfortable with your voice. I've never thought I had a mature sound but if others say I do I would attribute it to being comfortable with my voice and its strengths/weaknesses. My main weakness though is that I do not play an instrument. This has hindered me in my options for live performances. If I ever want to perform I need to hire players or arrange for friends to play. Both options have downsides. I have had a hard time committing to a band as my police profession is very demanding. At this point, as much as I love music, I need to support myself and future family as I am recently engaged-;) That being said, if things really started to pick up and there was more promise of supporting myself as an artist, I would leave policing to give it a try. That is a bridge I will cross when I get there.”Singing officer
“There are many things I would like to accomplish, however, my one true ambition that will never change no matter my life circumstance is that I hope to always be humble enough to reach out and love people. Not just family and friends but people that no one care for. Nothing else I have ever experienced has brought me as much joy and pride than this. I don't know of any other singing cops like me although I’m sure they are out there. I know there are some police choirs around but I've never heard of an officer who is actively trying to pursue music as a career option. As humans we all need to connect with others and ourselves. We are all on a constant journey of understanding ourselves, others and how we relate to others. 
Songs that tend to be successful often draw out some emotion that help people either better understand themselves and/or others. I think this is why there are so many songs about relationships instead of topics like math or science. People should believe in me because my songwriting focus is generally to guide myself and the listener to thoughts that will hopefully in the end lead to understanding.”
Fulfill our dreams
“There are many SellaBand artists I like. Maitreya has a great sound, Cubworld’s voice is beautiful and Slim Void has some really catchy stuff. Daniel Ward-Murphy writes great songs, Simeon Cosburn has a wonderful voice, and I love GD Allen's creativity and versatility. There are so many other artists who have admirable qualities to their music. I am very impressed with the level of quality that SellaBand artists have. I am also impressed with how friendly everyone is within the SellaBand community. Together lets break down barriers, reach our goals and fulfill our dreams.”
I’m a Believer
Although thousands of people have now joined SellaBand as Believers, some of them still stick out from the moment they sign up. Calling yourself Logical One helps of course, buying Parts in various artists is not a bad thing either. But it were her great comments and reviews that made us get in touch with Jennifer Barlow from California. This week she tells us why she is a Believer…
Tell us a little bit about yourself
“I am 32 years old. I was born and raised (mostly) in Sacramento, California and now live in Elk Grove, just outside of Sacramento. I have been married to my incredible husband, Lane, for 10 years. This union has resulted in two super cool little people, ages 6 and 4! My background is in sales & marketing, operations and event planning. Currently, I manage our company from our home office so that I can be here for the little people.”
How did you find out about SellaBand?
“I read about SellaBand in my favorite magazine, Business 2.0. Someone there does their homework! You can always count on that magazine to know about all of the really cool stuff first!”
What attracted you to the concept?
“Wow! This concept is all encompassing to me. Such talent from all over the world… Hitting that $50,000 goal means that somebody’s dream is coming true… How could you not want to be a part of that? I wonder how many brilliant artists have been lost to other worlds because they didn’t have the resources to move forward or because they got discouraged and nobody was around to remind them how much they “believed” in them… We can all buy CDs or downloads from great, proven artists with major labels all day long. There’s no shortage of those. But to have the opportunity to express to an Artist the appreciation that you have for their music or to be able to ask what a lyric is or what they were thinking about while they were writing it… truly awesome. Thanks, SellaBand guys, for putting this whole thing together. For me, it has already been the best fun and a privilege of sorts to be able to communicate with such amazing people! For some though, it will make the difference. You should be proud of you – it’s a great thing you’re doing!!!”
How do you see the role of the Believer, other than the money-aspect?
This open ended structure that you have set up is brilliant in that it allows Artists and Believers to interact to whatever extent that they choose. For me, I love nothing better than a challenge and a common goal. Big ideas that keep me up at night! There is no lack of resources out there to help get your Artists to their goal. It’s really just a matter of bringing it all together. We can already see the amazing talents that the SellaBand Artists possess. I think that when Believers start pulling in and coordinating their own real world resources, skills and abilities and offering them up to the Artists that they believe in – things are going to get really interesting!!! Looking forward to that!!! Check in on my profile page in the next few weeks…”
What does an artist need to have to make you Believe?
“I place tremendous value on integrity, drive, original thought, solid family values, passion, talent, sincerity, spirit and purpose. Each of the Artists on my profile page embodies some or all of these qualities. The music, of course, is key in most cases. Equally important, to me though, is what the Artist is contributing to the kind of world that I want to live in.” 
Who are your current favorites and why?
“All of these guys are just the best!!! Stellar!!!
Mesa Street Exit: Sacre Bleu. That’s the very best reasoning that I have to give, but if you haven’t heard it just yet, that won’t make any sense, so I’ll try… The music and Dave’s voice just commands a stillness and suspends you in another place… When the song is over, you’re almost surprised and wonder where those moments went to and if you’re me, you play it again and again to try to figure out how that keeps happening…
Kane Sole: Kane and his music are just happy thoughts that stay with you! Eva is my favorite. His songs are terrific and I can’t even think about his music and the positive energy that he spreads all around SellaBand without smiling.
Simeon: I still don’t know what Simeon speaks of!!! I’m working on finding out though! (He’s offered to do some translation, but I have another plan!) So if you’re like me and love the sound of his music and feel like there’s a story behind it that you need to know, stay tuned…
Anything about SellaBand you would like to change?
“If there’s one thing that I think is worthy of attention, it would be the controversial “spamming” issue that seems to have been gaining momentum this past week. Maybe if there was an area of the site that was dedicated to messages to be put out to the masses, it would alleviate some of the frustration on both sides of the fence. One page for Artists and one for Believers to post on so anyone could view the messages and stay apprised of the latest happenings if they chose to. Like a spam central’ That would leave the individual Artist and Believer pages free for more personalized messages.”
Any other acts you are keeping an eye on?
“I’m keeping a REAL close eye on Muaw Dibe. That’s to make sure that Ben is behaving himself… :O) Love that guy! Their music too, of course! Also GD Allen. I’m afraid that I somehow missed him in the first place. I thought that I had listened to him a long time ago, but clearly, I didn’t! Great sound and after reading some of his comments and his feature in the Tribune, he seems to be a really great guy too!”
Introducing… Victor Sierra
You don’t have to be in the Top 20 of our search engine, to end up in the SellaBand Tribune. Enthusiasm and dedication help, so does dropping us an e-mail. Like Victor Sierra from Paris did. And then Expert Haydn Bendall choose them as his Pick of the Week, so and introduction is now overdue…
Tell us a little bit more about Victor Sierra.
“Victor Sierra has existed for a few years before such opportunities offered by Myspace.com or Sellaband.com appeared. We have been in a lot of events as live acts: several editions of the Parisian Technoparade, Rendez-vous electroniques and other festivals. We have our own home studio as many electro bands and work and rehearse a lot in our basement. The three of us come from different cultures. We are not stuck in the mainstream. The eastern part of Victor Sierra is obviously inspired by Bob Eisenstein's jewish culture, Anouk Adrien's past as an actress plays a very important role in her singing while Stephane Morelli's background as a sound designer brings the powerful rhythm that makes you dance. Those completely different musical experiences offer many elements to transmute. We are a triangle, three sides, three angles: a pyramid base, a launching pad, a symbol that won't lose its shape. Our music is more of some evolving crossroads than a simple mix of sounds and samples. That is what we offer our growing audience. so we have never left anybody untouched.”
Why did you join SellaBand?
“Because after having heard of dozens of internet labels that offer more or less the same thing, you came up with something new. To give people the opportunity of earning money through music they love looks like an excellent idea.”
How do you try to raise the $50.000?
“We make use of our address books, our internet contacts and promote on myspace.”
What are your ambitions?
“We believe in our work, we love composing our tracks and arranging them. We enjoy performing, that makes our sound even more powerful. We don't see and don't want any limits to our career. We'll take the world!”
Is there anything you would want to change about SellaBand?
“Let's think a sec... Perhaps the $50.000 should be dispatched differently depending on the type of music. Since we will already have recorded a lot of things and have only the final mix and the mastering left to do, we won't use all this money in studio. Spending it on promotion would be useful.”
www.sellaband.com/victorsierra
From one believer to another
A couple of weeks ago we asked one of our Experts to come up with some well meant advice for SellaBand-artists. “Shouldn't we have a similar thing for Believers?” is a question that comes up regularly. And so we asked one of our more active and outspoken Believers, Lucretia, to tell us what she feels are the three most important things for Believers to keep in mind.
By Lucretia
A lot of people think that being a believer is a simple thing. You spend your money on the artists you like, sit back and wait for them to reach the $50,000 and then go out there and promote them. But that's a bit like an
artist signing up to Sellaband and waiting for believers to come to them, rather than making an effort to get believers themselves. The reality is that the Sellaband-artist-believer partnership actually started the day you chose to believe in your first artist, and it's now up to you to help make it work.
Being a believer is all about communication. Getting round the language and cultural differences isn't always easy, but when you can manage it there are a lot of very powerful things you can do.
1. Communicate yourself.
Tell other people something about you by setting up your believer profile. This could be anything from what you do for a living, to what music you like or even what brought you to Sellaband. Don't forget to fill in the artist
reviews for the artists you're supporting. A review which actually tells people something about the artist and why you like them can be very useful to other believers in helping them make up their minds about who to support, or even in introducing them to artists they might like but may have missed.
2. Communicate with believers
Get to know some of the other believers on Sellaband. This will give you an opportunity to find out who has similar tastes in music to you, so maybe you can pick up some artists you may have missed from the ones they're supporting on their page or even swap recommendations. You might even find you want to visit certain believer pages regularly to find their latest
recommendations, because you know they support a lot of the sort of artists you like. If you've been on Sellaband a while, you're also in an ideal position to help those believers who just arrived to make choices betweeen artists to support, because you have seen how their support has developed and how active the artists themselves actually are. If you've listened to a lot of the artists on Sellaband, you may even be in a position to recommend artists that you don't like yourself to other believers. Have you seen something on the artist's website, Myspace etc. that they don't mention on Sellaband that you think might affect other believers' perception of that artist? It's important to let other believers know, so that they can make decisions based on the full information available. Believers need to swap information about both the good and the bad.
Are you having difficulties getting points across to another believer or artist because there is a culture or language barrier in the way? The more believers you know, the more likely you can find someone to help transfer ideas more successfully. And of course, don't forget you can help to create more believers by introducing all your friends and family to Sellaband.
3. Communicate with artists
Believers can help artists even without buying their Parts. Artists need to know that there are people out there willing to provide feedback if they ask the right questions, even when they have no supporters. It's easy for an artist to get frustrated if they think they're doing everything right and yet they see similar artists getting supported when they are not. If artists can see there are believers willing to recommend them to other believers, they should be less inclined to spam and will hopefully create more personal requests asking for help to just a few believers because they know their requests will be passed on if that particular believer can't help.
Likewise by showing you are willing to offer suggestions to other artists, you can hopefully encourage artists to ask believers for advice to help them get moving in a positive direction if they feel they have got a problem.
This communication also helps to show other believers that the artist is committed and wants to be active and is not just sitting back waiting for things to happen. Hopefully artists with similar problems will also start to
pick up on ideas which work that they see being suggested to other artists Also remember to keep in touch with artists you are supporting or are thinking of supporting occasionally to let them know you are still out there and still interested in them and what they are doing.
4. Communicate with Sellaband
As a believer, add your suggestions to those of others by contacting Sellaband with your ideas. The more people that provide input, the better Sellaband can be made for everyone.
And finally, don't forget that believers need patience. $50,000 is going to take a long time to raise. Miracles rarely happen overnight!