Posted: Nov 11, 2025

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Bobby Owsinski, originally featured in the Music 3.0 Blog.

"As we all know only too well, fame is elusive. Everyone may get their 15 minutes sooner or later, but some are lucky enough to keep it going way longer than that. That said, even those that reach a superstar level don’t stay there forever, and a good example of this is Ed Sheeran."

Posted: Nov 4, 2025

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Tyler James Cook, an independent musician from South Carolina.

"while there are more outlets for musicians than ever before, the much-vaunted democratization of music has made our jobs even more difficult. Instead of being a songwriter and musician, we must fill multiple additional roles, all of which might help us get towards the indie musician's dream: financial security through music. It is a noble and achievable goal, but it takes time. During all that practicing, recording, performing, promoting, and touring, musicians need to feed themselves. The solution is elegant in its simplicity, and immensely profitable: teach private music lessons...Here are a few reasons why indie musicians should make time for private lessons..."

Posted: Oct 22, 2025

Category: Songwriting

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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.

"Think about all the great music made in all of history. We only have a relatively small amount of it created with the latest technology and access to almost anything we need to be delivered to our doorstep. I want to give you an exercise in limitations. What can you learn about yourself and your music by putting certain limits on your creative process?"

Posted: Sep 16, 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.

"In the music world...your artist or band name plays a massively important role in shaping audience perception and marketing opportunities from the very start. When selecting your artists or band name, you should give significant thought and consideration."

Posted: Aug 19, 2025

Category: Promotion

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**Guest post written by Julia Kater for Bandzoogle.com.

"No matter what tools you use or how smart your promotional strategy is, quality and creativity in your actual music is what wins fans over, and keeps them coming back. That's why one of the best audience-building strategies for indie musicians these days is still the same as it was a decade ago: cover songs. But not just any covers; covers that truly stand out. A creative, personal take on a familiar song gives new fans a musical on-ramp into your world. Think of it like a gateway: the right cover can grab attention through familiarity, then win people over with your originality and style."

Posted: Jun 10, 2025

Category: Promotion

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**Guest post written by Yona Marie, originally featured in her blog.

"In the fast-evolving music industry, some promotional tactics that were once effective have become outdated or less impactful. Here are some music promotion strategies that may no longer work as well as they used to..."

Posted: May 27, 2025

Category: Show Booking

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There are a couple of reasons why a venue would be classified as "excluded" when using the IOTM QuickPitch to reach out to music venues and colleges/universities: 1. That venue does not use email to book. 2. That venue only or mostly works with local talent. 3. That venue is primarily a rental facility...With that being said though, there can be a lot of valuable options in the excluded list, so do not hesitate to go through it individually once your QuickPitch is approved.

Posted: Apr 29, 2025

Category: Show Booking

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Following up with music venues that do not respond to booking inquiries is an important part of the booking process. After all, persistence is key to landing the most gigs. Things do get a bit more complicated though when you are talking about sending a second cold pitch to a group of venues included in an Indie on the Move QuickPitch email. The first step is to remove the venues that did respond initially so those conversations can continue individually. Then once the venues list is updated, you can very easily add a relevant follow up message and new pitch name. You'll see we already took care of the proper formatting. This video will show you the rest of the process.

Posted: Mar 4, 2025

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post by Melissa Mulligan, Recording Industry Vocal Coach & Music Career Mentor for independent artists.

"When I sat down to make the two videos I'm sharing with you here, I did not intend to publish them. So, you're literally seeing me, in my home studio, helping a friend get ready for his tour. But the 10-minute routine I captured that day has been working so well for so many singers, I keep sharing this with more of the touring artists I coach. Even if we are working together weekly on more long term vocal goals, this routine is consistently upping the level of my vocalists' performances!"

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 29, 2025

Category: Show Booking

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While we do have community driven sections of the site, specifically the availabilities, the most effective method of using the platform to get shows and tours booked is via direct outreach to the venues, colleges, and festivals in our venues database.

Posted: Dec 10, 2024

Category: Recording

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**Guest post written by Ryan Donaldson of Boombox.io.

"Audio quality is the cornerstone of music production, shaping the way listeners experience music across diverse platforms. Behind every flawless track lies the expertise of mastering engineers and mixing engineers, whose roles are critical in ensuring that music resonates perfectly, whether played on studio monitors or smartphone speakers. This article explores the meticulous steps taken to refine audio and achieve professional-grade sound, highlighting the tools and techniques used to perfect every track."

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."

Posted: 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..."

Posted: Mar 19, 2024

Category: Promotion

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**Guest post written by Cyber PR, originally featured on the Cyber PR Blog.

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 7, 2024

Category: Recording

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**Guest post written by Nick Braren, owner and operator of Upaya Sound. This was originally an excerpt from his new book COMPLETE CREATIVE CONTROL – The Art Of Recording Music Unveiled.

"Recording vocals should be a fairly simple undertaking, as we are only using one mic, with one sound source – what can possibly go wrong? The problems arise mostly on the performance side, and as a producer, I see it as my job to provide the setting for the best vocal performance possible."

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 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?"

Posted: Jan 3, 2024

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Aaron Enneking as featured in the artist growth blog.

Posted: Nov 29, 2023

Category: Recording

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**Guest post written by Nick Braren, owner and operator of Upaya Sound. This was originally an excerpt from his new book COMPLETE CREATIVE CONTROL – The Art Of Recording Music Unveiled.

"Before you learn the foolproof process of what works, I want to first tell you about what things you should avoid. Knowing the mistakes of music production that others (me included) have made will further streamline your thought processes and stop you from wasting time, energy, money and gear. By knowing what not to do, it will become much clearer what to do instead."

Posted: Nov 15, 2023

Category: Technology

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**Guest post originally featured in the PlaylistSupply Blog.

"In today’s digital age, technology continues to revolutionize the way we approach various industries, including music marketing. One of the most exciting advancements in this realm is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into music promotion strategies. When it comes to playlist marketing, AI can be a game-changer, providing valuable insights and automating certain tasks to maximize your outreach and increase reception. In this article, we’ll explore the powerful combination of PlaylistSupply and ChatGPT, two AI-driven tools that can supercharge your music marketing efforts."

Posted: Oct 18, 2023

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by David Andrew Wiebe for Bandzoogle.com.

"One of the reasons musicians end up choosing to become artists and joining bands in the first place is because they love live performance and simply can’t get enough of the adrenaline and dopamine cocktail. That is, of course, until they’ve been rejected by 10 venues in a row and grow tired of trying to grind it out. It’s usually at this point that the bassist chimes in with – “I know! We should find a booking agent!” But is now the right time for a booking agent? And, if it is, how do you get one?"

Posted: Sep 12, 2023

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post originally featured in CS Discos' e-book Cover Your Way Up, a guide to leveraging music covers on YouTube.

"Understanding YouTube’s algorithm can be your ticket to shining amidst so many creators. With millions of videos uploaded daily, the algorithm’s effort is directed towards tailoring content to viewers’ preferences, ensuring they get a satisfying experience. As artists, understanding this system can amplify your online presence."

Posted: Aug 30, 2023

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post originally featured in the Symphonic Distribution Blog.

"Publicity is arguably the most misunderstood of all the marketing efforts recording artists go through. Many creators, from musicians and influencers to songwriters and producers, have wild visions of what publicity is and how it functions to support and enhance the trajectory of their career. Typically, these visions aren’t accurate. To clarify this process, here’s a rundown of everything you need to know..."