How to promote ambient music?

[SampleScience]

I've had success in promoting and selling my sound libraries. But I'm really wondering how to efficiently promote my ambient music! I've tried a lot of things: sending promo CDs to the medias, uploading my music on music sites like Soundcloud, myspace, etc. Creating my own DJ mixes and having my own podcast (Obscure Waves, which serve the purpose of promoting my music as well as other similar music I dig).

Are you also playing live shows?

No. Would anyone come see me? I doubt it. + seeing someone holding one note for 1-2 mins isn't very interesting, it's even worst when you're doing that with a laptop!

Here is the crux of being an ambient music performer. The whole concept of ambient music is to be an aural environment in which some other event takes place. Find that other event. I've had luck with art openings. Cafés. Also, what I'd do is team up with a video artist, or do and trigger my own visuals using Arkaos (does that even exist anymore?) I've done gigs where I replaced the musical soundtrack of a movie or video game.

I also used to do sets at a small bar/club called 26 mix in SF where a friend had a downtempo groove night. It always was busy. Mostly DJs, but people loved the live set. Same woman who hosted that did a downtempo rave called WOOM that I used to play. Really great venue. Again, mostly DJs but I always felt more than welcome.

Sounds right to me. If you've got the right venue and enough interested/involved parties with enough contacts you can pack out a medium sized room. The more people you involve, the better!

Last such I event I went to was at an old, volunteer run cinema. They showed a few (satan-themed, obviously) cult 70s British horror flicks then a few people played sets in the bar space. Funnily enough, I'd say the band that made the biggest effort to be visually interesting were the least attractive proposition. Sticking electrodes in soil from a burial pit, burning incense at certain times, miking up loads of objects and dealing with about 7 Apple products at once. The crowd didn't really want to actively watch, and all they really achieved by being so visually frantic was highlighting by juxtaposition how static their sound was. The best set to my mind was a lad playing back layers of Paulstretched material with some slowed down nature footage he shot himself being projected. He was completely hidden behind the stage - you couldn't see him or his laptop at all, other than his head popping up to check where he was in the video footage occasionally.

I'd say it's not really about the individual performer or performances with this kind of stuff. Nail the whole environment and the rest comes naturally.

Interesting. Thank you for your comment.

[SODDI]

Do you know any painters, artists' groups or galleries that might be interested in a collaboration or installation? It wouldn't be a performace venue and you would have to open yourself up to the idea that you would be collaborating with others in a process, not necessarily one that you had complete control over.

Then there is the idea of public installations - there were a number of these in New York in which recorded sound was made part of the environment - one involving piping sound through the various surface vents and shafts around the Times Square subway station complex. It was wonderful.

Your town or state probably has an public arts council where you could submit a proposal.

[seismic1]

I have a CD of Fripp playing in the atrium at the WFC. I think it was recorded during a lunch hour with people shuffling through on their normal daily business. It must have been quite an event, if the music is anything to go by.

[zerocrossing]

I'd say it's not really about the individual performer or performances with this kind of stuff. Nail the whole environment and the rest comes naturally.

Very well said.

[SODDI]

I have a CD of Fripp playing in the atrium at the WFC. I think it was recorded during a lunch hour with people shuffling through on their normal daily business. It must have been quite an event, if the music is anything to go by.

I was at that concert - Fripp was incredible. He also brought out the California Guitar Ensemble, who I guess were students at his scholl. They and Fripp did a blistering acoustic cover of "Pipeline" by The Chantays. Fripp doing surf music, who'd a thought of that.

That Wintergarden Atrium is no longer, part of the 9/11/2001 destruction.