Our Promise to the Independent Artist

To All Independent Artists Around the World,

As I sit here trying to come up with something profound or memorable to write, I keep coming back to the original reason why I started Jammer Direct in 2007. I am a musician. A guitarist primarily. And I spent years playing at gigs and recording for other people in my spare time. My career, or ‘paying gig’ as I call it, is a software developer. I have worked in the defense, aerospace, computer manufacturer, and logistics industries. Basically, I thought that this would be a way to combine my two passions in life; music and software development.

But, as one passion paid the bills and the other was a musical hobby. I realized that one could feed the other and vice versa. But, as this journey in my life is progressing and has become an actual company, I’ve found countless numbers of people in the music business with the same passion, perseverance, and originality that I have and I began to find myself thinking: ‘What would I like as a musician using Jammer Direct?”.

Also, as a musician I too have scoured the internet to find ways to promote my music and find new people to cross-promote with as well as listen to new music. What I found was something I’m willing to bet most of you have found as well. What I found was that there seems to be two main classifications when it comes to areas for independent artists to promote through.

  1. Bloggers. Bloggers are a good idea if you can get a lot of them to write about you and do more than just copy and paste your press release or song/album info. When they do that, the page or post from their site gets buried because search engines see it as copied or ‘overused’ text.
  2. Payola. What I mean by ‘payola’ is exactly what it means in the radio industry. You pay for play. In the world of social media this means that you pay for exposure by people who may not listen to some or any of your music and sends out email blasts to as many in their contact lists as they can hoping to get a response. Most of these services can cost between $500 to $5000 (seriously) and can, because the same emails are used, end up in many spam folders.
I know there are many more types of promotion that are out there and there are also different levels of promotion. What Jammer Direct evolves into doing is to take those types and blend them on as many levels as logistically possible.
 
As you can see by what is available in the menu at the top of this and every other page on the Jammer Direct, Jammerzine, JDTV, and JammerStream Radio brands, there are a lot of options and avenues as to where and how your music can be promoted. There will also be an ever-expanding list added to this. We are always looking for new ways, means, and skill-sets to promote the music of the independent artist.
 

And we did this with absolutely no…

One thing that I am particularly proud of is, that in addition to organically growing both in scope and audience, we did this with absolutely no banner or obtrusive advertising or asking for donations or supporters. Personally, I feel that banner ads are a joke and show little return and, frankly, look like graffiti and can even damage the content because usually the website or mobile app has no control over what is being advertised. Also, while I do feel that asking for donations and/or soliciting for supporters can and sometimes does work on an artist level, as it should, on a brand or corporate level it can look like the business model is a failure as they are not monetizing properly.
 
This also means that, by abstaining from banner advertising as well as not soliciting for donations or supporters that we do not have to answer to anyone. Our vision remains pure and we are beholden to no one.
 

Now, having said that, I know what question may have just popped up in your head: “How do you make money?”. Well, so far we haven’t. But we are in the middle of monetizing now. The ideas are already set in stone and the work is well underway and should be implemented by the end of 2020. Some of this is already being tested. What I can tell you is that, if you are an independent or unsigned artist, you will be as excited as we are. And, if you are already familiar with our work and our brands, you will know that what I am hinting at will not only be big, but sustainable and beneficial for both us and the independent artist.

To get an overview of some of our accomplishments and milestones, click HERE.
 

The ‘One Billion Reach’

Corporate & Artist Promotional Structure

Corporate & Artist Promotional Structure

Currently, Jammer Direct is going through a monumental transformation as of summer, 2020. I call it the ‘One Billion Reach‘. What this entails is the combined reach of all of the Jammer Direct Brands (which currently average around 4 million total views a month, explained with third-party evidence in our ‘About‘ page) with the traffic of the media partners as well as those entities that we supply content to in the online, television, radio, film, and interactive markets in order to give you the most exposure that we can possibly give. And, with this being an ever-expanding mission as we learn and implement, this can only grow, expand, and improve with time.

With media partners such as Amazon, Roku, Samsung, Comcast, IQIYI (China), and more (you can see our expanding list in different sections of the menu at the top of this website) as well as syndication partners in both TV and radio, Jammer Direct is poised to become that ‘bridge’ that all independent artists need to fill that publicity and promotional gap that sometimes desperately needs filling.

Click HERE for links and information on our current Over-the-top, streaming media, television reach and partnerships.

Our promise to you is this…

  • We will work both for you and with you to help you achieve those goals that you need to get your music listened to. I say listen and not heard because listening means a greater chance of feeling your music.
  • We will listen. Whatever your input and needs are we will listen. We learn from what you need. Unique goals are encouraged.
  • We won’t tell you things just because you want to hear them. Sometimes there may be a hidden idea in what is discussed that you may not know, or we may not know, but may come up. Sometimes he original idea may not work out. But, if that is the case, see the promise directly above this one. Lets explore all possibilities and find them out together.
  • We won’t bore you with accomplishments. I know this may sound a little weird on this page but it really is something that needs to be said. Personally, I get turned off when I hear someone bragging about how ‘they did this’ or ‘they did that’ and how they are the best fit for your project. Do your research. That is what Google is for! Some of these people are standing on the shoulders of others trying to look tall. Some of them are for real. Some of them are taking the accomplishments of others and, in a way, trying to stand on the shoulders of others trying to look tall. It’s up to you to decide. I can say this about Jammer Direct: We have had a lot of accomplishments that I am proud of. We have had some failures that we have learned from. We will have more of each. The truth is in the trying.
  • We will add to these promises as we learn and evolve.
 As we transition into a new decade and into an era that, so far, looks to be custom made for the independent artist, we invite you to joins us in what we call ‘The Evolution of Revolution‘. There is a reason for that being our official tagline. find out why by submitting your music or contacting us.
 
Sincerely,
Ryan Martin
Creator/CEO Jammer Direct (Jammunity LLC)

Originally written on June 29, 2020. Updated on July 9, 2020.

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