IOTM Blog
Posted: May 14, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Musician Indie Coalition, Business-Based Artist Development Experts who help DIY Musicians develop, launch and scale their music careers.
"Building a career in music requires a ton of hard work and involves a wide array of both music and business activities. Whether you're an aspiring solo artist, a band looking to break into the industry or an established musician looking to grow your music career, having the ability to form a strong team behind you can make all the difference in achieving success. That said, knowing the right time to find a great manager, an entertainment lawyer, or fill other important roles is equally as important to your career progression. So if you want to know how to build a music team, here are our recommendations..."
Posted: May 6, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Xander Rushie of School of Sync.
"If you're an indie artist writing, recording, or producing your own music and you’re even thinking about getting into sync licensing, there’s one tool you need to know about: DISCO...[It] is the professional standard for sharing music with music supervisors, ad agencies, and sync reps. If you’re still using Dropbox or SoundCloud to send your tracks, it might be time to level up...Unlike Google Drive or WeTransfer, DISCO was built by music supervisors for music supervisors to solve common challenges in the music industry and simplify the process of sharing and managing files. It loads quickly, preserves your metadata, and presents your music in a polished, professional way."
Posted: Apr 2, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"One of the biggest things you can do for your music career is to make new connections. Do you ever wonder how those other bands are getting all the best shows? Well, they probably know somebody to get those awesome gigs. You might think it is impossible to meet amazing people in the music business, but it isn’t that hard actually. Let’s dive into how you can start making great new music industry contacts."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 11, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by WordPlay T. Jay, hip-hop artist and producer based in Tacoma, WA.
"Since the advent of music streaming, our careers have not been the same...Streaming services partnered with the major labels to carve out exclusive rates in exchange for vast catalogs of music and market share...It’s discouraging and that diversity is under threat. Fans want to see artists thrive and musicians are struggling to earn a living. Fortunately, you can do something to help musicians earn a living wage."
Posted: Feb 11, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Eric Todd, Founder/CEO of iProdigy, a Grammy-winning artist development and funding platform for artists at every career stage.
"With the dominance of streaming platforms like Spotify offering unprecedented competition and dismally low payouts, independent artists are finding it nearly impossible to earn a sustainable living solely from streaming revenue...The reality is that success in the music business no longer revolves around simply getting placed on playlists or racking up streams. Instead, artists must cultivate dedicated fan bases and build direct-to-fan (D2F) communities that they can monetize outside the constraints of digital service providers (DSPs)..."
Posted: Jan 22, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
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**Summarized from a guest post by One Submit, music promotion for independent artists.
"Are you curious about your music's performance on Spotify? Whether you're a new artist just starting out or an experienced artist looking to monitor streaming stats and grow your online presence, Spotify provides features to help you explore your music's performance and presence across different platforms."
Posted: Dec 3, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Xander Rushie of School of Sync.
"1. The Best Song Wins 2. Don’t write in the first person 3. Don’t Bore Us - Get To The Chorus! 4. Treat Each Section As a New Scene 5. Don’t Be Explicit..."
Posted: Nov 27, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Kristen Ford, LA based indie rock act with a passion for music business.
"Happy Thanksgiving! A time for awkward chats around the dinner table, carbs with a side of carbs, sweater weather, and Black Friday Sales! This is that unique time of the year when all the retailers, life coaches, and memberships flex their marketing muscles and slash prices. For annual memberships, this can be the BEST time to purchase."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 12, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Bruce Houghton, Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor, originally featured on Hypebot.com.
"Overall concert attendance grew 20% last year, but smaller independent live music venues are closing at unprecedented rates. Music industry commentator’s Bob Lefsetz has the solution: “Let clubs close.""
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 2, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"Show posters are still one of the best ways to promote your band and a live show. I know most of the venues that I played at still used show posters for every show. Some venues even required that you send posters. These are a low-cost option for promotion and still can work great if done correctly. Don’t just write some stuff on a sheet of paper with a sharpie. Put some thought into your show posters and they will pay off with larger crowds and more engaged fans. I’m going to teach you how to make the most kick-ass show poster ever!"
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 28, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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While the official venue listings on the site are administratively curated and controlled, we do still encourage community input as it relates to additions and updates to our venues directory.
Posted: Aug 6, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"Do you feel like you are up against all the other bands in your genre or region? Do you consider those bands your competition? If they win, do you lose? The secret is, we’re all in this together. That’s why fighting bands is a waste of your time."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 14, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Modern Musician and featured in their blog.
"You love making music and in order to keep moving forward, you need to create a sustainable income. So how do musicians make money from their music? It’s something a lot of independent artists struggle to do… but we’ve got answers!...I’d like to introduce you to a simple system that will help you to earn a real living from your music..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 23, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Cássio from CS Discos.
"In this age, making music is not nearly enough, in contrast with earlier times, when making good music until a producer liked it was the most common path. Saturation in the market and the breaking of the barrier to publishing a music catalog created a market in which the majority of content is never seen. With roughly 100,000 tracks being uploaded daily on Spotify, the offer is exponentially higher than the demand..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 9, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by James Hill, a veteran of the music industry. He has worked at Warner Reprise Records and then Interscope/ Geffen Records and now helps indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
"Having a career in music is not all sunshine and rainbows, and I’m sure you already know that, especially during the pandemic. To start a career in the music industry, you need to not only release good music but you have to be willing to learn the trade, to advertise yourself, get to know the right people, and many more. It’s too tedious! But still worth it. Let’s head on and enumerate the 25 reasons why being a musician today is awesome." View Full Article
Posted: Apr 3, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by James Hill, a veteran of the music industry. He has worked at Warner Reprise Records and then Interscope/ Geffen Records and now helps indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
"Having a career in music is not all sunshine and rainbows, and I’m sure you already know that, especially during the pandemic. To start a career in the music industry, you need to not only release good music but you have to be willing to learn the trade, to advertise yourself, get to know the right people, and many more. It’s too tedious! But still worth it. Let’s head on and enumerate the 25 reasons why being a musician today is awesome." View Full Article
Posted: Mar 5, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by James Hill, a veteran of the music industry. He has worked at Warner Reprise Records and then Interscope/ Geffen Records and now helps indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
"So, you’ve finally decided to release an album. Wuhoo! But listen up – getting your album out there isn’t just about tossing it into the world. It’s more like planning a grand wedding for 1000 people – you need a solid plan. In this guide, we’re going through fifteen essential tips—covering everything from using digital tools to finding the right partners—to make your album release stress-free (or at least less stressful than usual). Let’s get started!" View Full Article
Posted: Feb 21, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Matt Santry, founder of www.WellPaidMusician.com.
"2024 Tax Tip for Self-Employed Performers: This year (2024), pay all your contractors via one electronic pay method like PayPal or Venmo so that you can reduce or eliminate issuing 1099s next year. This is because of the new 1099-K."
Posted: Feb 13, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Aaron Enneking as featured in the artist growth blog.
"Whether you manage a single artist or a roster of talent, keeping track of it all is no easy feat. From juggling emails, texts, and phone calls to coordinating travel logistics, navigating disparate calendars, and managing big personalities, there’s a lot of chance for error. Luckily, there are some great artist management tools out there to help you keep track of it all. You just have to know what to look for, as most project management tools aren’t geared for the music and entertainment space. So to help you choose the best artist management software for your organization, we’re looking at 10 questions you should ask when evaluating your options." View Full Article
Posted: Jan 24, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by David Andrew Wiebe, founder & CEO at The Music Entrepreneur HQ.
"If you’re having trouble prioritizing music in your life, you’re certainly not alone...there is a way to ensure you prioritize music in your weekly schedule, no matter how busy you think you might be. The question is... Are you willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen? If you want to find out whether you’re going to make the cut, read on..."
Posted: Jan 17, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by Oren Sharon, founder of One Submit, a music promotion platform for independent artists.
"Spotify recently announced it has made serious changes to its royalty model that will affect independent musicians, digital distributors, and eventually the whole music industry. [This] is a summary of the changes made by Spotify, starting on January 1, 2024, and their anticipated impact on Spotify's royalty pool and all the players in the industry."
Posted: Jan 10, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"Sometimes we feel like we aren’t doing well when in fact we are doing better than ever. There are moments when we achieve something great only to feel like we missed the mark. Why does our success sometimes feel like a failure?"
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 3, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Aaron Enneking as featured in the artist growth blog.
"Managing an unsigned artist can be a challenging yet immensely rewarding experience...Without the backing of a record label, you (and your artist) will have to take on multiple roles and responsibilities to ensure their success. However, don’t let that discourage you! As artists like Macklemore and Chance the Rapper have shown, there’s no limit to what an unsigned artist can achieve. In this article, we'll discuss eight tips for how to manage an unsigned artist and help them navigate the music industry." View Full Article
Posted: Dec 20, 2023
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Baxter Brown, CEO/Founder of Muze, a platform all about connecting talented professionals in the music industry with people who need their skills.
"The music industry, like the songs it houses, is constantly evolving. With every passing year, new technologies and trends reshape the way music is created, consumed, and shared. As we step into 2024, it’s clearer than ever that independent artists have an unparalleled opportunity to make their mark on the music scene. However, this new frontier comes with its fair share of challenges and obstacles. In this guide, we’ll explore how independent musicians can not only survive but thrive in today’s digital landscape." View Full Article
Posted: Nov 1, 2023
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post by One Submit, the ultimate music submission platform.
"Being a full-time artist, musician, or vocalist is no different from being a mechanic, a carpenter, or an attorney. You'll eventually get there if you wake up to work every day. One of the most effective ways to do this is to diversify your sources of income. Try to locate multiple sources of income that will eventually add up to a respectable monthly salary, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Here are the top 12 ways to make an income as a musician..."