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International Regional and Local Music Scenes
Local Victoria, Canada Music Scene




The local music scene of Victoria, Canada has many flavors that feed the national scene. It's a region that overlaps with many other regions on the Canadian circuit, offering a wide mix of traditional and experimental music. Some of the emerging artists in the region include rock band Max Bergen, Ciele, Olav and Sam Weber. The music of this region has a pronounced rootsy flavor that mirrors American pop music. A few of the most successful artists from the city have been pop star Nelly Furtado and David Foster, who has recorded a diverse mix of pop, rock and classical music.

Victoria is the home of many unique cultural events throughout the year including the Garden City Grooves Music Festival. Some of the well known establishments for live music in the city's history have included Alix Goolden Hall, Caffe Fastastico, Canoe Brewpub, Copper Owl, Felicita's Campus Pub, Hush Nightclub, McPherson Playhouse, Logan's Pub and Royal Theatre. One of the most authoritative websites that documents the local scene is Victoria Music Scene.

Every local scene has some sort of media that reaches a high percentage of the community. Local newspapers, TV stations and radio stations combined reach over 90 percent of any given market. Getting exposure on these outlets, however, usually does not mean getting seen or heard by 90 percent of the market. It's very difficult to get exposure Victoria's two television stations, CHEK and CTV, both of which only run a few local newcasts per day. Some radio stations set aside time on weekends to play local music. Very few play local music in regular rotation throughout the week.

In order for music to sell on a mass level it needs constant exposure in the media the same way the top hits get played around the clock on radio stations. Getting covered on local media for one shot deals is nice but it's not going to move a lot of product unless the artist or music gets frequent exposure. If a Victoria artist gets featured on TV a few times a month for several years, it's possible to build familiarity. Historically, the best way local artists have developed frequent local media exposure is buying print ads in local scene publications that are available free all over town.

Outside of local news advertising on VICNews.com and flyer distribution, word of mouth has been the main promotional tool for local artists. Friends who tell friends can lead to a chain reaction that develops into a fan base of a few thousand people, which is really all any band needs to be successful. An artist can maximize exposure by developing relationships with people who are influencers in big networks. You might know someone who works as an IT technician for large firm. That person might me responsible for sending out 25,000 emails to employees on a regular basis.





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