Trent Reznor offers advice for unknown artists trying to get noticed.

* Establish your goals. What are you trying to do / accomplish? If you are looking for mainstream super-success (think Lady GaGa, Coldplay, U2, Justin Timberlake) – your best bet in my opinion is to look at major labels and prepare to share all revenue streams / creative control / music ownership. To reach that kind of critical mass these days your need old-school marketing muscle and that only comes from major labels. Good luck with that one.

If you’re forging your own path, read on.

* Forget thinking you are going to make any real money from record sales. Make your record cheaply (but great) and GIVE IT AWAY. As an artist you want as many people as possible to hear your work. Word of mouth is the only true marketing that matters. ”

http://forum.nin.com/bb/read.php?30,767183

Bottom Line: Trent offers some great marketing advice but it all comes down to the songs. In fact, Head Like A Hole, the first single to chart on Hot 100 Singles broke Nine Inch Nails. It’s all about a great song and a good original video will help as well. The track Rehab launched Amy Winehouse, Misery Business propelled Paramore to instant fame, and Just Dance put Lady Gaga on the map. Of course, the artist needs to backup the song with an incredible live show. I can’t think of something more unfortunate than a great song being sung by a faceless artist, which is common. If you are that artist who wrote that song that broke Trent, Gaga, and Paramore, then we want to hear it. Email tips@kingsofar.com