Groove Cruise – 2019 Lineup

GROOVE CRUISE MIAMI 2019 CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY & ANNOUNCES PHASE I LINEUP FEAT. KASKADE, ALY & FILA, HOT SINCE 82, MK, MARKUS SCHULZ, SIMON PATTERSON + MORE!
August 8, 2018 — Dance your way across the turquoise waters of the Caribbean with Groove Cruise Miamiwhich announces Phase I of their highly-anticipated 2019 lineup today. Setting sail on the deluxe Celebrity Infinity next January 10th - 14th, 2019, Groove Cruise Miami will offer up an array of electronic music legends and up-and-coming acts, primed to deliver the best in house, trance and techno. Don’t miss this opportunity to dance, discover, and follow your inner compass to an experience of a lifetime.
As Groove Cruise celebrates its monumental 15th anniversary, the soundtrack for this year’s cruise will be provided by an amazing roster of 2019 headliners that include critically-acclaimed Chicago-bred EDM superstar Kaskade, Egyptian trance duo Aly & Fila, Yorkshire-based house/techno phenom Hot Since 82, Detroit house legend MK (Marc Kinchen), German-born, Miami-based trance icon Markus Schulz, and Irish house music extraordinaire Simon Patterson.
Supporting artists on the Phase I lineup include Anthony Attalla, Blackgummy, Chus & Ceballos, Cocodrills, Eli & Fur, Leftwing & Kody, Liquid Todd, Prok & Fitch, Roger Sanchez, Technasia, Adam Scott, Chris Garcia, Dancetronauts, Dean Mason, Drums of the Sun, DSK CHK, Eva Kane, Geronimo, Grube & Hovesepian, Kristen Knight, Kristina Sky, Laser Assassins, Luccio, Scotty Boy Scooter & Lavelle, and Stellar — more TBA in the coming months.
As part of his headlining act, MK will bring his globally - renowned AREA10 party straight to the decks of Groove Cruise, consistently known for featuring some of the hottest names in electronic music as special guests. Groove Cruise Miami will also feature a stellar series of hosted stages, ensuring that there is more than enough music to keep cruisers dancing ‘til sunrise. Look forward to stage takeovers by Coldharbour, Eve, Future Sound of Egypt, Incorrect, Never Going Home, Rubber Ducky, Stereo Productions and Under the Radr.
Surrounded by bumping beats and the beloved GC Fam, captains aboard Groove Cruise Miami will voyage to two new destinations in 2019—the stunning, tropical island of Cozumel, Mexico and Key West, Florida. Known for its clear, aquamarine waters, vibrant snorkeling, and culinary delights, Cozumel will add an extra layer of travel and culture to Groove Cruise’s already impressive itinerary. The Groove Cruise family will also be making a stop in Key West, an intimate island hub and favorite Floridian destination. Rolling out further initiatives to heighten the peak experience Groove Cruise Miami delivers, the ship will now depart from the port of Ft. Lauderdale. What was once an arduous cab ride from airport to port is now direct; GC Fam will be able to travel from plane to boat in a matter of minutes.
Among the first passenger cruise vessels to be powered by smokeless turbine engines, the premium 2,170-passenger Celebrity Infinity is elegantly themed with its iconic three-level foyer grand staircase and sophisticated decor. Captains will discover a bevy of novelty features including a retro restaurant, Egyptian-themed casino, basketball court, jogging track, shuffleboard, indoor solarium and pool, fine dining, and more than 100 spa cabins. From sprawling penthouses (complete with butler and baby grand piano) to the petite and elegant Sky Suites, Groove Cruise on the Celebrity Infinity will undoubtedly be the most luxurious festival experience yet—welcome to the suite life! Click here to snag one of these epic suites before they’re booked. More info surrounding on-board activities and artists activations coming soon!
For those who reside on the West Coast, Groove Cruise Cabo is extending the party to land, air and space with their San Diego pre-party taking place from 8pm - 12am on October 9, 2018, the Tuesday before the festival sets sail. Blasting into San Diego’s iconic Air and Space Museum in Historical Balboa Park, the GC Fam will imbue the museum with outrageous fashion, good vibes, and thumping dance music, giving attendees a flavorful taste of the Groove Cruise experience. A surprise lineup of soon-to-be-announced DJs will transform this sanctuary of science into an intergalactic dance party unlike any other.
For tickets & more info: Groove Cruise Miami 2019
STAY CONNECTED
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About Groove Cruise
What started in 2004 as a group of 125 thrill-seeking house-heads (led by founder Jason Beukema) sailing on a cruise together has erupted into the world’s first and largest floating dance music festival. Groove Cruise is the only music cruise to sail from both East and West coasts, and is a non-stop experience comprised of four straight days of beach, pool and theme parties, great food, EDM and luxurious destination parties. In addition to the standard cruise amenities, there are also artist activities, yoga classes (often paired with deep house), costume parties, and various onboard events that rival the best dance music festivals in the world. Groove Cruise is produced by Whet Travel.
About Whet Travel
Over 12,000 people each year choose Whet Travel for their music cruise adventure. Whet Travel has executed 24 full ship charters including Groove Cruise Miami January 10-14, 2019 (15 year anniversary), Cabo and LA as well as Salsa Cruise (20 year anniversary Oct 29-Nov 2 overnight in Havana Cuba). Whet Travel received the prestigious Charter Partner of the year award from Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines and Inc Magazine ranked Whet Travel as the #4 fastest growing travel company in the USA.
Press
“Combining the luxury and travel of a cruise ship with the pulsating, all-night party of an electronic music festival, it is no wonder that this event sold out so quickly.” — Huffington Post
“The Groove Cruise is The #1 Place in The World to Get Your Groove.” — Travel Channel
”Only after attending can one understand the logistical marvel that is Groove Cruise.” — LA Weekly
“No VIP area or backstage or green room, and it was obvious how it made people feel: free.” — YourEDM
“Just like most movie sequels and TV reboots, Groove Cruise Miami is floating proof in a monsoon market of spinoff rave boats that nothing ever quite lives up to the original.” — Billboard
Photo Recap Sonic Bloom 2018
Swoon for Shambhala Music Festival in Our Magical Moments Photo Gallery

Shambhala Music Festival returned for its 21st installment held on August 8th-10th 2018 at Salmo River Ranch, British Columbia. Take a photo tour along with Freio Music.

Photos by Lindsay Rebecca Moyer

Photo by Lindsay Moyer - One of the first sets to kick off the weekend: Frase and his dancers at the Grove Stage

Festival fashion was in high style in B.C. last weekend

The ever smooth and cool Frase rocking the Grove Stage

Art installations scattered around the Grove grounds

Food shaped intertubes ascended on the creek since the high temperature at Salmo River Ranch was 95 degrees fahrenheit

Taking dips and floating around without a care in the world was a common activity for most on Friday

Cairn building in the creek on Shambhala's hottest day.

A hoop goddess spins her skills on stage with Westerly at the Grove stage

Troupes of creative minds like this enlightened the campground crowds with impromptu parades

Meanwhile, some festival goers found balance on the slackline among the giant mushrooms

Wanderers meander through the feilds of sunflowers

Liquid Stranger throws down a banger set on the AMP stage

Dreamers dancing and wishing the sun a good night

JPOD lays down the love at the Living Room Stage

The costumes were well thought out and planned in advance with so much creativity

If you came unprepared for all the costuming, you could visit one of the friendly vendors

The crowd is enamored with Dirt Monkey's heavy hitting Village stage set

Interactive art installations like these light up musical mushrooms were dispersed throughout "Downtown"

J. Kenzo at the Grove stage

The Pagoda stage packed a weekend filled with 3D Projection Mapping on its expansive white canvas of house-like structure that festival veterans say has gotten larger and larger each year

Surreally organic forms dress the Pagoda stage during Claude VonStroke's set

Photo by Lindsay Moyer - Claude VonStroke lights up the sky during his house set at the Pagoda Stage

The nights were alive with laser light dancing and cutting through the dark nights
Saturday, August 11th, 2018

Lazy Syrup Orchestra serenades the afternoon crowd at the Grove Stage

Kolt. gives his all at the Pagoda Stage

Dancing to your own beat is common at these grounds




Bubbles ignite excitement amongst some entranced passersby

Off-stage aerials occur during Meow Mix's set at the Living Room stage

MeowMix member waves to a friend in the crowd at the Living Room stage

Multi-hoop performances accompany the tunes of Meowmix at the Living Room stage

Melanie Dekker serves up an intimate acoustic set on the AMP stage

The smartest Shambhalans brought bicycles for trekking all around the grounds at Salmo River Ranch

Matt the Alien shows off his signature silly smile during his set at the Pagoda Stage

Everyone was feeling the groove

The Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man got grooving on the dance floor

A beautiful Elf asks for more bass

Meanwhile, the finger puppets come out to play by the wall of PK speakers

Spidey-duder even brought his big spoons to the dance floor

Speaker riders at the Pagoda Stage for Matt the Alien's set

A Shambhalady decked out in her festy best


Village stage get down

Party people show up for some dubstep

Stylust hypnotizes the crowd with his rap infused dubset beats at the Village stage

Festival goers tune in for Stylust's bass in your face set

Partygoers once again show up decked out in wild costumes

Tyler Stadius lit up the night sky at the Living Room stage

Defunk delights during his visual heavy set at the Pagoda stage

Mark Farina's set was one of this photographer's favorite sets of the weekend

The Glitch Mob slays at the Village at midnight ringing in the start of a new day

D Double E raps to the fans at the Grove Stage

The crowds for Adventure Club's Pagoda Stage set were humongous

Adventure Club threw down a banger of a set for the shoulder to shoulder headbanging crowd
Sunday, August 12th, 2018

Brilliant bubbles as big as your body bombarded the early afternoon crowds "Downtown"

The Sonic Portal sent some Shambhaliens into outerspace with it's surround sound gong experience

A Sonic Portal guru creates meditating and undulating vibrations

James, of the Glitter Projects, paints a man's head

The other James of the Glitter Projects buffs out a waiting friend

Not all festival goers went the whole four days without a bath

This totem makes for great shade as well as being easy to spot by the crew

People were Shambhalovin' the bubbles

This pirate skull definitely came back to life for the weekend's big drops

A lovely muse poses in front of the Pagoda stage

Chuurch throws down a heavy sunset set on the Pagoda stage

Some totems were also utilitarian, like this 5 foot bong

Saqi illuminates his fans during his Living Room stage appearance

Dirtwire's unique sound was soaked in by the crowds at the Living Room stage

Dirtwire members play multiple peculiar sounding instruments to create their aural vibes

An interactive sand display enamors a small crowd by the beach at night time

Each movement of the sand causes a topographical change on the map projected below, forming rivers, lakes and lava

Camo & Krooked drop their alluring bass and drum beats to the roaring crowd at the Village Stage

Some speakers riders geek out for the early morning thumps of 29 Palms

A watermelon carting wolfbear jams out to Scottie at the Village stage
Groove Cruise 2018
~Press Release
GROOVE CRUISE CABO ANNOUNCES PHASE II LINEUP FOR 30TH SAIL FEAT. DUKE DUMONT, MK, GREEN VELVET, THE DESERT HEARTS CREW, TWO FRIENDS + MORE!
July 10, 2018 — Hop aboard the original floating dance music festival as Groove Cruise Cabo announces Phase II of their 2018 lineup today. Boarding Norwegian Pearl this October 10-14, 2018 is an array of electronic music legends and up-and-coming acts, primed to deliver the best in house, trance and techno for four incredible days on the high seas. Don’t miss this opportunity to dance, discover, and follow your inner compass to the experience of a lifetime — cruise packages available here.
As Groove Cruise prepares to take its monumental 30th sail, the soundtrack for this year’s cruise will be provided by an amazing roster of 2018 headliners that now include Detroit house music phenom Marc Kinchen (MK), UK house producer and Blasé Boys Club owner Duke Dumont, Chicago house and techno legend Green Velvet, Mikey Lion, Marbs, Porky, and Rybo of the beloved Desert Hearts, Chus & Ceballos plus L.A.-based progressive house duo Two Friends.
These newly added artists will be performing along with previously announced Phase I headliners legendary Italian DJ/producer Benny Benassi, famed Dutch-Filipino DJ and martial artist Laidback Luke, German trance duo Cosmic Gate, Dirtybird Records signee Shiba San and Marques Wyatt, the Los Angeles-based house DJ named “Best DJ” by LA Weekly.
Supporting artists on the lineup include Adam Scott, Anthony Attalla, Baggi, Cocodrills, Felix Cartal, Huxley, Liquid Todd, Omnom, Sage Armstrong, Secondcity, Tim Baresko, Adam Auburn, Adin, Ahlex Diego, Alex Madden, Astley, Bryan Lubliner, Damaged Goods, Dancetronauts, David Delano, Dean Mason, Drums of the Sun, Dsk Chk, Electric Polar Bears, Eva Kane, Goshfather, Grube & Hovsepian, Jeremiah Red, Joe Ghost, John Beaver, Keith Christopher, Kristina Sky, Luccio, Mark Villa, Paul Ahi, Pyrodox, Rizzo Vassalo, Scooter & Lavelle, Scotty Boy, Shmitty, and Tastebreakers.
Departing from San Diego with a final destination of Mexico’s famous port of Cabo San Lucas serves as the premier stop for GCFAM, with a private party at Blue Marlin Ibiza Los Cabos at ME Cabo, one of Mexico’s leading resorts, as a marquee event during the voyage. This beautiful venue offers dramatic views just steps away from the pristine sands of Playa El Médano. Stay for the party or walk to the marina, shops, bars, and restaurants nearby. Transportation and entry to the ME resort is included in the cruise fare but food, beverage and cabanas will be available for purchase.
As on past Groove Cruises, the festival will also feature a stellar series of hosted stages, ensuring that there is more than enough music to keep cruisers dancing ‘til sunrise. On-board, Green Velvet will be hosting a Relief Records stage alongside Chus & Ceballos who will host a Stereo Productions stage, while in Cabo, Duke Dumontalong with some special guests will be hosting one of his beloved Blasé Beach Club events. In addition, captains can look forward to stage takeovers by Basement Leak, Blue Marlin Ibiza Los Cabos, Coldharbour, Deep House Brunch DTLA, Deep LA, Descend, Drai’s Beachclub, Incorrect, Mixmash Records, Officially Addicted, Random Nights, Stereo Productions and We’re Never Going Home.
Last but not least, Groove Cruise Trance Fam will be the first to experience EMBARK: Trance, an oceanic voyage into the heart of Groove Cruise. Featuring John 00 Fleming, Alex Di Stefano, Paul Thomas, Factor B and Monoverse, EMBARK will take captains on an emotive, beautiful journey through sound. More info TBA soon!
Groove Cruise is a logistical marvel, combining the non-stop music and loving community of an electronic music festival with the convenience and amenities of a cruise ship. Taking place on the 2,700-passenger Norwegian Pearl, captains can indulge in its imaginative decor and steampunk-themed nightclub. As if the 96 hours of non-stop music across 9 stages wasn’t enough to entertain attendees, the 12 bars and lounges, 13 restaurants, picturesque pool deck, bowling alley and arcade also provide an endless array of activities to keep cruisers occupied all hours of the day and night. More info surrounding on-board activities and artists activations - Coming soon!
For tickets & more info: Groove Cruise Cabo
STAY CONNECTED
Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Twitter | Website | YouTube
About Groove Cruise
What started in 2004 as a group of 125 thrill-seeking house-heads (led by founder Jason Beukema) sailing on a cruise together has erupted into the world’s first and largest floating dance music festival. Groove Cruise is the only music cruise to sail from both East and West coasts, and is a non-stop experience comprised of four straight days of beach, pool and theme parties, great food, EDM and luxurious destination parties. In addition to the standard cruise amenities, there are also artist activities, yoga classes (often paired with deep house), costume parties, and various onboard events that rival the best dance music festivals in the world. Groove Cruise is produced by Whet Travel.
About Whet Travel
Over 12,000 people each year choose Whet Travel for their music cruise adventure. Whet Travel has executed 24 full ship charters including Groove Cruise Miami January 10-14, 2019 (15 year anniversary), Cabo and LA as well as Salsa Cruise (20 year anniversary Oct 29-Nov 2 overnight in Havana Cuba). Whet Travel received the prestigious Charter Partner of the year award from Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines and Inc Magazine ranked Whet Travel as the #4 fastest growing travel company in the USA..
Press
“Combining the luxury and travel of a cruise ship with the pulsating, all-night party of an electronic music festival, it is no wonder that this event sold out so quickly.” -- Huffington Post
“The Groove Cruise is The #1 Place in The World to Get Your Groove.” -- Travel Channel
”Only after attending can one understand the logistical marvel that is Groove Cruise.” -- LA Weekly
“No VIP area or backstage or green room, and it was obvious how it made people feel: free.” -- YourEDM
“Just like most movie sequels and TV reboots, Groove Cruise Miami is floating proof in a monsoon market of spinoff rave boats that nothing ever quite lives up to the original.” -- Billboard
Enchanted Forest Gathering Photo Recap
Wow! What a trip... It started out fortuitously but not without some typical last minute "oh, shits", a rushed amazon delivery and the realization of a 20 hour drive to attend. With a co-pilot, a Prius, plenty of snacks and a 4am departure, we made good time all the way Nevada on day one. The second day completed the travel to the fest where we showed up just as the first act was coming on stage. We rushed to get our tent set up and then strolled onto the dance floor.
The festival had three main stages, each decorated with care and finesse. The Knoll stage seemed to be dedicated to a lively variety of genres, and featured some of my favorite sets of the whole fest including 'Diggin Dirt' 'Dirtwire' (no there was not a dirt theme), and Ozomatli. The main stage, aka the Groove Stage, was settled into the forest in a nice natural clearing. The stage was framed with beautifully cut wood circles and shapes that rounded the LED walls into an aesthetic art piece. The Saucy Spa, the late night stage, pumped the music through a quadraphonic sound-system into the sunrise hours. Check out our photos to see the stages in action.
Every stage had great sound quality but two of the three stages had 'Funktion-One' speakers. If you have never heard of Function One's or have heard of it but never experienced music played through a Function One sound system, it rocks, rumbles, and rips through the air with surprising clarity and vibrance. This is the current state of the art speaker system. Enchanted Forest even took the sound quality even further. At the Saucy Spa, the late night stage, four stacks of Funktion-One speakers positioned at every corner of the dance area, all angled to the center of the dance floor. Why is this special or notable? Damn, I am glad you asked! A quadraphonic speaker setup enables artists to shape sounds in a 3D environment and can 'pan' audio to all four speakers (front left, front right, back right, back left).
Below was a brotherly collaboration in an attempt to translate the musical event through photos.
Shambhala Full Line Up Announced
Shambhala Full Lineup Announced
What do Claude VonStroke, Feed Me, Justin Martin, Destructo, Snails, Malaa, Gramatik, REZZ, The Glitch Mob, Mr. Carmack, Boombox Cartel, Brasstracks and more have in common?
Shambhala Music Festival!!!
Shambhala Music Festival Announces 2018 Headliner Lineup With Claude VonStroke, Feed Me, Destructo, Mr. Carmack, REZZ, Justin Martin, Malaa, Gramatik, Snails And More
The festival previously announced Canadian DJ and record producer REZZ and the pioneering electronic trio The Glitch Mob as the first two headliners, and now Shambhala has returned to announce their full headliner lineup for 2018 which includes Dirtybird founder Claude VonStroke and his hip-hop leaning project Barclay Crenshaw, legendary UK dance music aficionado Feed Me, renowned DJ and event promoter Destructo, San Francisco based DJ and Dirtybird favourite Justin Martin, and hip-hop meets electronic producer Mr. Carmack.
Other highlights include mysterious bass music producer Malaa, Slovenian electronic musician Gramatik, UK drum & bass duo Camo & Krooked, ubiquitous UK hip-hop artist Dizzee Rascal, Montreal dubstep duo Adventure Club, the electrifying 2¢ project from Craze and Four Color Zack, Mad Decent duo Boombox Cartel, turntablist legend DJ Qbert, masked Canadian trio Black Tiger Sex Machine, Montreal bass music phenom Snails, Grammy winning live duo Brasstracks, glitched out Australian act Opiuo, and a collaborative set between Ooah and Boreta of The Glitch Mob under the name 29 Palms.
Following the headliner lineup, Shambhala will soon be launching the lineups for each individual stage: Pagoda, Village, Fractal Forest, Living Room, Amphitheater, and The Grove. Keep an eye on the social media channels of Shambhala Music Festival throughout the next week for more info.
Don’t miss out, tickets are almost sold out and won’t last long. Purchase your #Shambhala2018 tickets here. High-end camping packages are offered in addition to some other accommodation packages for those travelling from afar. Carpool options and additional travel information is available on the Shambhala website.
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Introduction Episode – Freio Music Podcast
The Freio Music Podcast
Episode 00 - Introduction
Welcome to the Freio Music Podcast. I am your host Michael Morahan. This is episode number zero. THis episode is going to be about the podcast itself. So we are going to get super meta and talk about what we are going to talk about. So, who am I? I am a music student. A Musician. A music Lover. I go to different shows all over the place. I love, love music for sure. I also love to produce. What that [producing music] means to me is using the computer to harness bits and bytes and make some bad ass beats. Beyond that I also love sound engineering. The back end of how everything works. Thinking about the signal flow… Basically, what interests me is how I am reaching your ears right now. That is interesting. I would say that I am a mad-scientist and a musician at the same time. But beyond that the podcast is not about me. The podcast is about artists, other artists. I am going to be interviewing artists from around the world. I am not going to limit myself to genre. It’s going to be far and wide so I hope you enjoy. Hopefully you will find some new music that you have never heard of. Some new artists that you appreciate, that you have never heard of and maybe you will see some that you are familiar with. They are going to be sharing nuggets of wisdom. Young artists, listen up because these individuals and bands they know what they are doing. They have been through it so you can learn something from them. Let them help you along your way to becoming a musician because I know it is not an easy path. It is not; pick up the guitar, plug it into Garageband and you are going to have a new hit single. That is not going to work. You need some guidance.
But if you are not a musician, the podcast will hopefully still be interesting. It is not merely talking about types of instruments and cables and stuff like that. We are going to be talking about stories. How they got to be where the are. You are going to get a behind the scenes… like you are opening up the curtain and shedding some light on who these artists are. It is going to be an interesting podcast
Moving forward, this podcast is likely to evolve. And I want it to evolve because music changes. Life changes, everything on this earth changes. So if you think the podcast would be better with X or Y, I would love to hear it. That could be an artist [that you would like to be featured] or music news, or anything that I cannot even think of, that would be awesome. So please give your input and let me know what you would like to hear on the podcast moving forward. I will do my best to cater to it. Of course can't make a promise that I will incorporate everything that everyone wants, that seems unreasonable. But your input will be listened to and will likely have an impact on the podcast moving forward.
Feedback is very much appreciated. Leave your reviews on iTunes and comments on FreioMusic.com/Podcast. You can get all the episodes and show-notes there. Parents, forewarning, there might be some explicit content. It is unforeseen when it will come up. So just know that if it is something that is unacceptable, maybe this isn't the podcast for you. If you are open to it, we will see where it goes. Basically, I just don't want to filter these artists. I don't want to mute their worlds. Let them come out and say what they need to say and how they need to say it. So that is my stance on explicit content. Not every episode will have any swear words but just know my stance on it. So that is your warning.
In case you were wondering who that cute, partially coherent, voice was at the beginning of the podcast, that is my nephew Declan who is obviously one of a kind. And, in my opinion, has the cutest voice in the entire world. You have got to agree, he has the cutest voice in the world. And if you don’t, whatever. I think it is awesome. He went off script, delivering the priceless line “Pottycast”. Which, I could never have foreseen. He looked at me, out of the corner of his eye, started smiling even before he said the word because he knew what he was going to say. And he knew it was naughty but he delivered it excellently. So thank you Declan for being to voice of the podcast and being the intro. I couldn't have done it without you.
Moving forward, I hope you enjoy the podcast. And please share it with your friends, leave some comments, give some feedback and enjoy the next episode.
Other Podcast Episodes
Shambhala Festival – BC, Canada
Shambhala Music Festival’s Headliners are Released!
Shambhala Music Festival announces The Glitch Mob And REZZ as headliners for the 21st annual festival. If you are at all considering making the trek to BC (British Columbia, Canada) for this fest, this video will certainly sell you on the adventure.
Watch and Enjoy!
What you need to know:
The Festival Website
How to buy a ticket
More info about the festival
After celebrating the historic two decade mark last year, Shambhala Music Festival is excited to return to the immaculate Salmo River Ranch in British Columbia, Canada on August 10-13, 2018 for the 21st annual edition. Taking place on a breathtaking family-run farm, festival-goers will have the chance to experience the best of what nature has to offer throughout four blissful days while witnessing hundreds of artists across six unique stages that are individually curated and run by their own stage directors.
To kick things off on the music front, the Shambhala family is pleased to announce their first confirmed headliners for the 2018 edition: Canadian DJ and record producer REZZ and pioneering bass music trio The Glitch Mob. This is just a small taste of what’s to come with the full lineup to be announced soon, which will bring performers from around the world in genres like dubstep, drum and bass, glitch-hop, house, hip-hop, trap, future bass and much more to Salmo River Ranch.
REZZ, affectionately known by her fans as “Space Mom,” started DJing at 16 and soon after developed the confidence to begin producing her own originals. It wasn’t long until she caught the attention of Skrillex and soon after released a project on his OWSLA imprint. From there, her rise in the EDM industry was meteoric as she released several projects on deadmau5’s label mau5trap, including her debut album. The Shambhala veteran recently announced that her second album is also in the works.
The Glitch Mob—comprised of ediT, Ooah, and Boreta—have been pushing the limits of electronic music since their inception in 2006. Meeting at an underground Burning Man party in Los Angeles, the three instantly kindled a creative chemistry that has led to an illustrious career with multiple albums and one of the most beloved live shows in dance music. The trio has announced their third album will be dropping on May 4th, and also recently released the first single entitled “How Could This Be Wrong.”
Shambhala began in 1998 as a grassroots gathering of 500 people on founder Jimmy Bundschuh’s family farm in an evergreen forest beneath breathtaking mountains, and has since grown overtime primarily by word-of-mouth thanks to past patrons and artists. Shambhala’s home has continued to evolve over the past two decades with a focus on infrastructure that ensures a healthy and sustainable environment.
The Shambhala team is currently working hard to prepare for the upcoming festival, carefully curating every aspect of the festival to maximize the attendee experience. Paired with their double-headliner announcement, Shambhala has also released is a stunning festival trailer to get attendees hyped. The video can be viewed here and will give viewers a taste of the unique Shambhala experience.
That’s not the only thing to get excited about though, as the festival has also launched “The Ultimate Shambhala Music Festival Experience Contest.” This will include flights, accommodations, tickets, merch, food vouchers, a stay at the Savoy Hotel in Nelson and much more. The contest is now live on their Facebook, and two lucky winners will be chosen to win this exciting contest.
General admission tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased here. High-end camping packages are offered in addition to some other accommodation packages for those traveling from afar. Carpool options and additional travel information is available on the Shambhala website.
STAY CONNECTED:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
MVP – Minimum Viable Promotion
MVP – Minimum Viable Promotion
Seven steps to launch your music properly!
Ok so you have your music recorded and now you want to get it out to the world… You might be wondering “Where do I start?” or “What do I need to do to launch my new album and not hear crickets?”. If you are a musician and have wondered about the how to get your new music heard this blog post is for you.
To be clear, I will not post any affiliate links in this post, which means I am not financially incentivized to send you in one direction or another. I am merely providing and summarizing my knowledge acquired from years of building websites, promoting, and consuming music. My hope is that this post will save you some time and help get you started on making productive moves now.
So now that you have your musical idea recorded, polished, and bounced (as an MP3) it is time for the big day. The day you release it to the world. Are you launching on a solid foundation? This post will help you answer that for yourself.
This bullet-pointed list is an outline of the topics I will discuss in greater detail throughout the rest of this post.
Let’s start out with the 21st-century basics (#’s 1-4) and then the timeless high impact steps.
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You need a website
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You need social profiles
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Distribution Plan
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Email Sign-Up List
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Merchandise
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Branding
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Concert Schedule
#1 A Website:
A website might be the most daunting and intimidating task to start on. Keep in mind there are many free or low-cost options. NO, a SoundCloud profile does not count as your website! If you are looking for a great free option I suggest you look at WordPress.com.
Best Free Options:
WordPress.com (the .com is important!)
BandCamp.com
WordPress.com
Pros:
Free – Free Hosting and free SubDomain (YourBand.WordPress.com)
Very Flexible,
Freedom of design and layout
Cons:
Some Hands-on effort required.
You will need to set it up, but it has amazing tutorials and resources. You can start here
You do not own the domain. You only get to customize the subdomain (example: YourBand.WordPress.com rather than YourBand.com)
BandCamp.com
Pros:
Free – Free Hosting
Semi-Flexible,
Musician Friendly – All websites are designed for musicians, so it is extremely easy to set up.
Cons:
Limited customizability
You do not own the domain name – You only get to customize the subdomain
Best Low-Cost Options:
WordPress.org (.org is important)
BandZoogle.com
Wix.com
SquareSpace.com
If you are looking for a low-cost way to manage your own website I suggest you look at WordPress.org or other third-party providers such as BandZoogle.com (Musician Friendly), Wix.com or SquareSpace.com.
Suggested option: WordPress.org
Pros:
You own everything! – Custom Domain (example: YourBand.com)
Unlimited Flexibility – if you can dream it you can build it!
Don’t split your hard earned revenue.
You can sell your music or merch on your store and never have to split the revenue with anyone (other than the payment processor and uncle sam, or your countries government)
It is free! – But you must pay for hosting (can choose any hosting provider).
Open source – Which means it is always evolving in amazing ways without paying a dime for the updates! (think Android operating system).
Cons:
Must pay for a custom domain (yearly) and hosting (typically monthly).
These are the minimum costs that everyone must pay if they want to own and manage their own website and domain. These fees are not associated with WordPress. WordPress does not dictate the fees for your domain and is not charging you to host (or store) your files. But you must pay for your domain and hosting in order for WordPress.ORG to work.
You are in charge of everything, and if something goes wrong, it is your fault. You must fix it.
(Pro tip: if you are confused about something, call your host, they can usually help you understand what is going on or fix what is broken).
BandZoogle is designed for musicians.
There is a monthly fee to run your site. They host your site but there are a limited number of things you can do to your site. You still need to buy your domain from a third party. BandZoogle is competitively priced and provides you with a domain upon paying them. There are some limitations regarding the number of songs, photos, and email subscribers and you may need a higher tier depending on your needs. You can check BandZoogle’s pricing here.
Wix & Squarespace
Wix and Squarespace are pretty similar to each other. They are designed to be for everyone who wants a website, so it is not musician-specific. Both are easy to design and manage with WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors. I believe that both providers will enable you to buy your domain through their service. You will still need to pay them monthly for hosting. There are more design possibilities with these providers than BandZoogle but it is not an ‘out of the box’ solution for musicians and you will need to customize it to suit your needs. Check out Wix Pricing here. Check out Squarespace Pricing here.
#2 Social Profiles
By now you should be familiar with the major social networks and even if you don’t use them, other people do. You want your music, your band, and your brand to be visible and consistent on the major platforms. Do you need a profile on all platforms, ‘no’! You should only commit to having profiles on networks that you will update. I suggest you have at least three profiles/ pages set up so that people can find you online.
You do not need to update them daily but some consistency will help you gain some traction. Try to have your username be ‘YourBand’. (example on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourBand @YourBand or facebook.com/yourband). If you have a commonly used phrase or name for your band (ex: @sky) it might be difficult to get that username. Try adding music to the end of it. (ex @skyMusic).
(Pro tip: you can use a service like IFTTT.com to automatically share updates, posts, tweets, etc across your social networks. For example, when you update your WordPress website, you can automatically post it to FaceBook, or Twitter etc. Or when you update your facebook page it will automatically tweet it out to your twitter followers. You can set it up in any way you want, just watch out for creating a loop, which will infinitely repost a repost, of a repost, of a repost… you get the point).
- Suggested Networks:
- SoundCloud, Facebook Group & Page, Twitter, Instagram.
- Optional:
- Beatport, Periscope, MixCloud, iTunes Connect (Artist Page), Google+, Bandcamp, many others
#3 Distribution Plan:
Think about how people will consume your music. Streaming is the new norm for many people. You should take steps to get your music on iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora at the minimum. Google Play and Amazon Music are on the rise and many more digital stores are out there. This process can be confusing for some and there are professional distributors out there to help you out. Here is a short video to give you the basics and what to look out for when choosing a distributor. In short, you want to make sure that you retain ownership of your music and that you earn 100% of your music’s revenue. Do your homework! Just reading these few paragraphs is not enough. Make sure your music is distributed properly and that you get the money you deserve when your music sells or is streamed.
Many of these distributors, such as TuneCore will help get your music into many different digital stores. You must pay these distributors for their services. Why use a distributor? They have experience with the process and will guide you along the way. Their job is to get your music out there and into the ears of your fans. They will help you but you must pay them for their services. Some distributors are country specific so be sure to make sure that the distributor you choose operates in your country. They can help you keep track of your data across many different platforms.
How do you get your music on iTunes?
You can reference this list of authorized or ‘trusted’ distribution partners for the iTunes store. Here is a great resource from iTunes. Reference the list provided to ensure you have everything you need to be accepted to the iTunes store, these requirements will likely change over time so use the link to get the official requirements. As of the date of this writing, you will need to have the legal rights to sell that music, a Universal Product Code (UPC) and an International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) for your music. You also need an Apple ID and a Tax ID.
Who is your distributor of choice? Let me know in the comments below.
#4 Email List:
Setting up an email list is easier than you may think. You can grab a notebook and a few pens and set it on your merch table as you perform. On the top write something like want to be notified when our next album drops? Or if you are willing to do it, you can write: ” Like free music? Sign up and we will send you a track (or album) for free!” Ok, ok I know the younger generation is thinking “paper is so old fashion!”. Well, who wants to leave an iPad unattended at a show? So you can transfer the paper list to a digital list after you perform. Better yet you can have a mailing list sign up form on your website (digital start to finish). MailChimp is pretty intuitive to set up and is free for 2,000 subscribers or less. You can connect it to your website, social networks and manually add people to your list (such as your paper lists for each show). You can tag your subscribers so you know where they signed up. If you are a touring band this can be especially helpful. Pretend you are touring and you gathered 70 emails during one of your shows. You can then send out a targeted email to those 70 subscribers letting them know that you just released a live recording from the show or that you will be touring through their city again and they can buy tickets now. The possibilities are endless. Yes, emails are useful. You can use your email lists to sell tickets, music, merch and more. Start collecting now and you can reap the rewards for years to come!
#5 Merchandise
You can maximize your revenue when you perform by having merch. It should be noted that good band branding is critical. Read the next section on branding to maximize your impact. You can burn your CDs for minimal cost and sell them at your show. If you are the opening act at a show, crush it and get some of the main acts fans to become your fans as well. At the end of your set mention on the mic that you will be at the merch table at the back and will have CDs and merch for sale. During the main performance go and man /woman the merch table. Give people a bonus whether it is a hug or a free sticker with the purchase of an album it makes a difference. Not having anything to sell is a mistake. So take the time beforehand to burn 10-15 CDs and put them in a backpack with your other gear. Bring it and try to sell it all or even give some of it away! Your products will travel through the cars and stereos of your fans and likely will reach new people. Be a guerrilla marketer!
A great story, shared by Project Aspect, on episode two of the Freio Music Podcast was the fact that he was at a festival, as a fan (not performing), and walked around the campgrounds and gave away his CD to anyone who “liked free music” (everyone). The festival attracted people who like his style of music, so he was targeting people who like Music enough to pay to see artists for 72 hours straight. (Standing outside of a Bank and giving away your album is unlikely to have the same effect unless perhaps you only sing about money). Years later he performed at that same festival and people still have and remember him giving away his art (CD) and thank him for it. He made new and lasting fans form his efforts. Now that is a way to target your audience and sow the seeds for your future success.
#6 Branding
This section should not be overlooked. Your music is your brand. You are your brand. Your Facebook page is your brand. Your logo, performance, apparel, attitude, and interactions are all apart of your brand. Create badass art that represents you and your music. Be consistent. Of course, you can change it but only if it is a better representation of your brand. Think of the AC/DC text. The Rolling Stones lips. If you have a logo use it! If you don’t have a logo make one or hire/ convince a friend to help you out. Use your logo for your profile pictures across all of your social networks to give some consistency. If you don’t have a logo and are stubborn than at least have a photo of you or your band and use it as a logo. People want to be confident that they are following the right band so don’t make them think hard. Make your branding consistent across all of your marketing platforms.
#7 Concert Schedule
Your music is intended to be played so, play it! Play it live, with energy and excitement. Keep it fun for you and everyone and switch it up from show to show. One band that I choose not to name I saw play the exact same setlist twice on the same day at a small festival! You can bet that I was discouraged by their lack of creativity and adventurousness, and have not seen them perform since that time. I understand practicing your set with the band several times but when it comes time to perform add a new song or two. Add a cover if you don’t have enough original material. Jam out and make the same song sound different. I can listen to an album on repeat if I want but don’t make people listen to the same thing again and again. If you are touring than maybe your audience will not notice that it was the same setlist but your band members will. Keep everybody guessing and add some flavor to the mix. You will improve faster musically when you are playing new songs, so go grow! A growth mindset will take you from where you are to where you want to be. How do you think your idols improved? Do you think they played the same song endlessly? No, they pushed themselves to learn new songs. They played the same songs in new ways. In short, they challenged themselves to play new music, so you should too!
Did we miss something? If so, leave your comments below and mention what else should be included in this MVP blog post.
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