IOTM Blog
Posted: Jul 3, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
33 years band members bandzoogle delegate responsibilities diy get creative photoshoot social media squarespace website improvement wix
**Guest post written by Paula Tolly, one half of the Boca Raton based Americana duo 33 Years.
"Did your bass player just move out of town? Are you broke and can’t afford the next photo shoot? Looking for a way to make a bigger online splash?? Don’t fret! Here are a few DIY Band Fixes that you can try RIGHT NOW before your next gig."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jun 26, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
advances balanced rights bandzoogle career goals contracts edwards pc creative law expenses record labels red flags termination provisions
**Guest post written by Canadian entertainment lawyer Byron Pascoe, originally featured on Bandzoogle.com.
"Before signing a contract with a label, it’s important to understand what you’re signing. When I’m reviewing a record label agreement for an artist, it’s not uncommon for there to be a number of “red flags” – warnings to watch out for in the agreement and/or the relationship with the label. The following list (in no particular order) provides some common red flags to keep in mind..." View Full Article
Posted: Jun 19, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
artist collective branding career goals invest keys to success make money marketing record labels save money
**Guest post by Vinnie Hines of Artist Collective.
"It’s almost understood that if you’re a musician, you’re likely unemployed, homeless, broke or all three. I deal with it constantly when people ask what I do for a living. Though I love writing and booking, I will always and forever identify as a “musician.” It’s my passion and my purpose and here’s the kicker: I’m not broke. The reason for that, is that I have approached my music like a business from the get-go." View Full Article
Posted: Jun 12, 2017
Category: Songwriting
#1 hit songs 100 greatest artists charts elvis presley gocompare.com keys to success songwriting the beatles
**Guest post written by Matt Lindley.
"Every musician takes inspiration from their heroes – modern pop music owes a debt of gratitude to the Beatles and Elvis Presley, while the lineage of hip-hop runs from 1970s New York acts like Afrika Bambaataa and Kool Herc to modern stars like Drake and Kendrick Lamar. But how much do you know about the careers of the legendary artists that have paved the way? And what can the musicians of today learn from them?" View Full Article
Posted: Jun 5, 2017
Category: Copyright
clay mills copyright poor man's copyright royalties songtown statutory damages
**Guest post written by Clay Mills, hit songwriter, producer, performer, and founder of SongTown.com.
"For years I have heard the phrase “Poor Man’s Copyright” thrown around in songwriting circles. The term is often brought up as a cheap alternative to an official $35 copyright from the US Copyright Office...BUT..." View Full Article
Posted: May 30, 2017
Category: Recording
demo diy diy recording layering midi portable setup recording soundcheck stage time touring
**Guest post written by Ben Jacklin.
"For any touring outfit, life on the road can be fun, but can also mean a lot of fast food, cramming in the back of vans and plenty of spare time. For musicians, this can present an opportunity to write, practice and even record songs whilst making your way from one show to another. We’ve put together some top tips for putting together your next demo whilst you’re touring, the perfect way to fill the hours from one city to another and at a time when many bands and artists can be at their most creative."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 22, 2017
Category: Licensing
copyright cover songs derivative work donna kay licensing royalties weird al yankovic
**Guest post written by Donna Kay of Donna Kay & The Carousers.
"After the time and expense of recording, mixing, designing the cover artwork, and launching the CD, I had two tasks: Copyright the CD, and obtain the licenses to release (for sale) and perform our version of “Minor Swing”...I had to obtain two permissions to use the song: One from the owner of the publishing rights, and after submitting their permission in writing, the Easy Song standard licensing fee to record and perform our version of the song. This took a full month of digging, e-mailing, getting responses and finally finding two brothers in NYC who run a publishing company and own the rights the song."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 15, 2017
Category: Online Presence
advanced tickets bandzoogle call-to-action crowdfunding merch mobile friendly music store newsletters videos
**Guest post written by Melanie Kealey of Bandzoogle.
"...when someone gets to your band’s page, you want to be sure to grab their attention right away...You want to make sure they find the most important information. Their eyes will gravitate towards text and a button. With this in mind, make it count by adding a call-to-action." View Full Article
Posted: May 8, 2017
Category: Social Media
blitzmetrics facebook facebook live facebook videos know your audience social media targeted advertising
**Guest post by Paul Doffing, (Indie musician, and marketer at BlitzMetrics).
"Making a living as a performer, band, or songwriter relies on one major factor: finding your audience. Today a great bulk of “audience finding” happens online, amidst the rapidly evolving mechanics of social media. Whether you regard the pervasiveness of social media as a positive or a negative thing, social media is a tool that you can utilize to get heard. In this post I’ll explain how to get the most out of Facebook, but first, a little history."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 1, 2017
Category: Tips & Tricks
drinks equipment food headphones tethering wifi working remotely
**Guest post by Vinnie Hines of Artist Collective.
"Working remotely isn’t for everyone...So know yourself and realize that these methods don’t work for everyone. However, I thrive on the chaos. I accept the challenge daily of having my cake and literally eating it, too...To optimize your experience, experiment with the following tips and tricks..." View Full Article
Posted: Apr 24, 2017
Category: Lodging
ask fans be charming confidence fanbase lodging opening bands save money sleep support your scene
**Guest post written by Matt Bacon, originally featured on IndependentMusicPromotions.com.
"There is an art to finding a place to sleep with your band for the night...The struggle is real, every day you need to make a new friend and charm someone enough to let you into their lives even just for a night...The point being: Finding places to stay is a key skill to learn on tour. Here’s what my time on the road has taught me about it..." View Full Article
Posted: Apr 17, 2017
Category: Sponsorship
affiliate marketing amazon commission gear make money musicgoat.com social media sponsorship website improvement
**Guest post written by Corey Koehler, an indie singer-songwriter from Minnesota, as featured in his blog MusicGoat.com.
"You heard right: Music sponsorships and endorsements are real and there are a ton of companies that sponsor musicians. But there’s one small problem. Small indie musicians, like you and I, do not have audiences big enough for them to sponsor us..." View Full Article
Posted: Apr 10, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
be reliable be respectful communication music career organization please and thank you relationships with fans
**Guest post written by Debbie Stanley, a professional organizer, South By Southwest 2017 speaker, and owner of the consulting practice Thoughts In Order. This post is an excerpt from her book The Organized Musician.
"Being organized isn’t just about having a tidy closet, being on time, or keeping up with email. The consequences of disorganization can be severe for indie musicians, including damage to or even destruction of your relationships, and, by extension, your career...Of all the habits that either build or erode relationship equity, a surprising number are related to organization. Let’s look at some habits that are likely to undermine your relationships..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 3, 2017
Category: Touring
corina corina emotional health enjoy yourself mental health quiet time sleep stay connected touring treat yourself
**Guest post written by Corina Corina, NYC based Singer, Songwriter, Blogger.
"I have a love/hate relationship with touring. For all the incredible memories I have from years on the road, it was also stressful, exhausting and emotionally taxing. I've read hundreds of DIY music blogs about touring that emphasize the importance of self care but only begin to scratch the surface...Here are a few things I’ve learned in between downward facing dog and gas station coffee..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 27, 2017
Category: Promotion
call-to-action cover songs facebook live fan engagement newsletters promotion schwilly family musicians youtube
**Guest post written by Carlos Castillo of Schwilly Family Musicians - music marketing strategist, web designer, live performance recordist, international road-tripper, lap steel player, and Captain of the Schwilly Family.
"A lot of music biz teachers will tell you that you should commit time to releasing cover songs on YouTube because you’ll get all kinds of organic growth and attention. This is a proven strategy that has been working for several years. But, especially now that so many musicians are applying it, I’m not sure it’s all that it’s cracked up to be anymore. And it’s not as simple as picking songs you like and recording your own versions..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 20, 2017
Category: Promotion
basic interview skills bobby borg differentiate have a story hobbies influences interviews know your audience preparation research
**Guest post written by Bobby Borg, originally from Music Marketing for the DIY Musician.
"Great interviews don’t happen by accident. Both parties, the interviewer and the interviewee, need to do a great deal of preliminary research. In fact, preparing your complete interview in writing before the interview can serve as helpful research for the busy interviewer and provide additional content that can be posted on your artist websites..." View Full Article
Posted: Mar 13, 2017
Category: Online Presence
bandzoogle free ebook marketing music business search engine rank seo
**Guest post written by Wes of Bandzoogle.com.
"SEO is one of those mysterious and challenging topics for musicians who want to use search engines to promote their music, and who understand how powerful it can be. If SEO matters to you, but you're not sure where to start or how to do it: we have something great to give you..." View Full Article
Posted: Mar 6, 2017
Category: Facebook
facebook facebook live facebook videos fan engagement marketing promotion reverbal communications
**Guest post written by Josh Klemons, digital storyteller and strategist of Reverbal Communications.
"If you spend time on social media, you’re probably familiar with Facebook Live, a relatively new Facebook tool that allows you to broadcast live—in real time—directly to your audience...Facebook, at least for the time being, is extremely committed to this tool and is offering all implementers a powerful free gift for using it: guaranteed exposure and engagement! Here are 5 ways to use Facebook Live to greatly expand your band’s reach..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 27, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
copyright distribution dozmia licensing performing rights organization royalties sound exchange soundscan trademark
**Guest post written by Nicholas Rubright of Dozmia.
"Releasing music requires a huge amount of work, which makes it easy to miss something important. In addition to promoting your new release – sending it to radio stations, getting bloggers to write about it – there are some important things to take care of on the administrative side. Here’s a checklist of all the boring things you should take care of when releasing new music..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 21, 2017
Category: Marketing
apple music crosshair deezer digital influencers indie artists marketing plan pandora playlisting radio stations spotify
**Guest post by Garrison Snell of Crosshair.
"Placement on playlists is the digital equivalent of radio placement, except that playlists aren't limited by geographical location AND they can be used to work your song into bigger playlists...Influencer marketing (placing stuff with influential digital celebs) is still the most organic form of promotion and word of mouth..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 13, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
attire be patient content cruise ship entertainment industry eat healthy gear make money passport booking agents
**Guest post by Vinnie Hines of Artist Collective.
"There’s a place where that musical dream can still become a reality. The beautiful part of it is that it’s a rapidly growing industry based completely around good times, scenic views and constant entertainment. It’s the cruise ship entertainment industry, and this is how you “get in"..." View Full Article
Posted: Feb 6, 2017
Category: Social Media
be patient consistency facebook marketing midi lifestyle networking newsletters online presence promotion social media spammer twitter
**Guest post by Doug Beney, lead editor of MIDI Lifestyle.
"You've been improving your skills for months, spending countless hours slaving over your DAW, perfecting every slight detail in your mix. Finally happy with your track, you publish it on Soundcloud, sit back, and.....Crickets...What I hope to provide you with today are some quick, practical improvements you can make in how you promote your music that will actually get you results..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 30, 2017
Category: Recording
arrangement custom tracks landr mastering mixing recording recording budget session musicians studio rates
**Guest post by Dane Myers, CEO of Custom Tracks, a virtual recording studio that offers low-cost session musicians and studios to artists around the world.
"Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned studio vet returning to make your next production, figuring out what a new album costs can be tricky. Here are some things to make the picture a bit clearer..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jan 23, 2017
Category: Live Performance
lighting microphones npr perfect your performance position songwriting tiny desk contest video marketing videos
**Guest post by Niki Walker, lead videographer of NPR's Tiny Desk series. Originally posted on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest Tumblr.
"The Tiny Desk is essentially the opposite of a concert venue or a music video. There’s nothing to hide behind except a real, tiny desk, in a real, very-active office. In some ways, our look is easy to replicate, because it’s all about the music...A lot of people film their Tiny Desk Contest entries on their own, so we thought we’d share a few things we’ve learned by filming almost 600 of these things..." View Full Article
Posted: Jan 17, 2017
Category: Marketing
app blogs dozmia facebook google adwords marketing networking paid advertising remarketing search engine rank seo youtube
**Guest post written by Nicholas Rubright of Dozmia.
This is the last part of "50 Ways to Promote Your Music and Grow Your Fanbase".
View Full Article