Guest post by Bob Baker of TheBuzzFactor.
Apple caused a stir some weeks ago when it launched iBooks Author, a new free app that indie authors and book publishers can use to create multimedia ebooks for the iPad. Another great thing about this development is that Apple is giving content creators a way to take the titles they produce with the new app and sell them (or give them away) in the iBooks Store.
What does this have to do with you and your music?
You may not be an "author" per se, but another way you can think about this free iBooks Author app is as a multimedia design and publishing platform. It allows anyone to combine text, images, video and even interactive touchscreen content into a single file that can be enjoyed by anyone who has an iPad. (About 60 million iPads have been sold so far.)
Wouldn't this be a great way to create an extra product line for your music fans? Instead of producing an expensive DVD boxed set package for your super fans, why not create something cool with similar features that requires only a modest sweat equity investment?
Visit the iBooks Author page on Apple's site or watch this video for an overview of the app's capabilities.
(Note: The free iBooks Author app works only with the new Lion operating system.)
What could you create with this app? Maybe something fun to go with your latest album? Include lyrics, exclusive video interviews, behind-the-scenes photos, a diary of the "making of" the recording, and more.
Consider all the app has to offer and start thinking about how you might use it to reach new fans — either as a for-sale title in the iBooks Store or as a giveaway to your fans who have iPads.
What do you think? Is this a silly idea? Or a potentially powerful tool if used creatively? I welcome your comments!
Bob Baker is the author of “Guerrilla Music Marketing Online,” Berkleemusic’s “Music Marketing 101” course, and many other books and promotion resources for DIY artists, managers and music biz pros. You’ll find Bob’s free ezine, blog, podcast, video clips, and articles at www.TheBuzzFactor.com and www.MusicPromotionBlog.com.
