Posted: Aug 31, 2020

Category: Merch

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**Guest post written by Conor Farrell of Solid Merch, a comprehensive source for independent artists and record labels to stock their merch tables and web stores, and engage with their fans and communities.

"One of the factors contributing to vinyl’s renewal has been creators’ focus on unique releases that become collectible works of art on their own, distinct from the creativity contained in the grooves. While black vinyl has been the standard option for much of vinyl history, most pressing plants have expanded in recent years to include more color choices, and some even have the ability to combine multiple colors into eye-popping designs."

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Category: Fundraising

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**Guest post by Nicole Hoglund, Managing Director of Bandtwango, the premier crowdfunding platform for country music artists.

"There are always elements that can lead to an artist having a successful campaign. From choosing the right incentives for their audience, shooting for a realistic monetary goal, and to having an engaged fanbase all help, however there is one element that we know is the most important one for artists to succeed, pre-promotion of their campaign."

Posted: Aug 17, 2020

Category: Music Streaming

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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!

"Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, has been in hot water after stating that musicians "can’t record music once every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough". Is he right? Are we just slaves to never-ending work?"

Posted: Aug 10, 2020

Category: Songwriting

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**Guest post written by Kristen Ford, Nashville based indie rock act with a passion for music business and a book on DIY touring in the works.

"Hearing how the audience responds can be hugely helpful in deciding to cut that verse or extend that outro, bands often "road test" songs before committing to record them. Now that many venues are closed for Covid-19 and open mics are on hold for the foreseeable future, it can be easy to feel stuck, isolated or missing the community feel. The more collaborators you have on a project, the more possible doors could open."

Posted: Aug 3, 2020

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post by David Figueroa of Avoid Cliche, a musical artist branding company.

"You've made your music, but you need to decide how you want to present yourself to the world. Even if you're making music just for fun, it's always good to give people an extra layer of the artistic story, so people remember you. Here I'll explain why visual branding is vital and even get into some fun psychology. Buckle up..."

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Gideon Waxman, a London based drummer & music educator.

"There are times in life when we are forced to adapt in order to survive. This is one of those times, and it’s why we as musicians need to become flexible in order to achieve financial security—I also want to give you some advice as to how to start becoming more self-reliant..."

Posted: Jul 20, 2020

Category: Social Media

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**Guest post written by Eddie of The Entrepreneur Drummer, an online blog/resource dedicated to teaching business education to session musicians.

"Facebook now makes the majority of its revenue through selling advertising however it's a dangerous game to get into, especially if you're a novice. A whole array of deep-diving settings and unknown terminology means that it's very easy for you to lose a LOT of money very quickly. Don't fret though, I've found a great way to find new clients on Facebook for absolutely free, all it costs you is your time."

Posted: Jul 13, 2020

Category: Recording

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**Guest post written by Danny Mekonnen, a hardcore drummer and founder of deBObaND.

"A soundproof room is absolutely crucial for home recording as you do not want outside noises ruining your recording while also making sure your recording does not ruin the day for people outside...If you want to have a recording session in your home, here is how to soundproof a room for home recording..."

Posted: Jul 6, 2020

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post written by Kai Marks & Lyron Haceon of Les Flair, an electro-pop project based in London.

"With not a single track released and a limited budget in tow, we sold out a string of live shows across the UK, led by word of mouth alone. Which we've now come to realise, is the most powerful tool in music marketing. Here’s our top tips for building a strong WOM foundation and translating hype into sales..."

Posted: Jun 29, 2020

Category: Live Performance

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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!

"Want to make your music livestreams as AMAZING as possible? Don't just sit in front of your webcam with a guitar! Follow this tutorial and your streams will be INCREDIBLE!"

Posted: Jun 22, 2020

Category: Recording

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**Guest post by Caleb J. Murphy, a songwriter-producer based in Austin, TX, and the founder of Musician With A Day Job, a blog to help part-time musicians succeed.

"Anyone can be their own producer. Don’t believe me? Read on and I’ll show you the whys and hows of producing music yourself..."

Posted: Jun 15, 2020

Category: Live Performance

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**Guest post by Kristen Ford, Nashville based indie rock act with a passion for music business and a book on DIY touring in the works, featuring members of the health, scientific and musical communities of Nashville.

Until we have a vaccine, have increased testing capacity and learn more about antibody testing and if having the Coronavirus antibodies in your system means you cannot contract the Covid-19, we must move forward in a "new normal" environment...

Posted: Jun 8, 2020

Category: Touring

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**Guest post written by Bug Hunter, a "thoughtful, self-reflective pop" singer-songwriter out of Seattle.

"It started as a plan to play a couple East Coast shows while attending our old drummer’s wedding in North Carolina. Eventually our radius got so big that we just decided: “Hey, let’s just drive out there and play a show every night along the way”. So we packed up the minivan in Seattle and drove for 15 days, playing 14 shows without any prior experience in the markets we were visiting (save for Seattle and Portland)."

Posted: Jun 1, 2020

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post by David Figueroa of Avoid Cliche, a musical artist branding company.

"When you've got your music ready, you want to send it out into the world for everyone to listen to it, but the worst thing you could do is to send it out in shoddy clothing. It's important that you get your branding right. You only get one shot. Here are some common mistakes that I see over and over again. And how to avoid them."

Posted: May 26, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!

"Episode 17 of Words of Fang. As a band, when do you need to "throw your weight around", and when do you need to, well, just stay quiet? Fang tells you the secrets of the trade!"

Posted: May 18, 2020

Category: Recording

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**Guest post by James Longman of AudioReputation, a technology writer & blogger by profession.

"A very common question we have been trying to answer is – can I use my headphones to record and mix music? Well, unfortunately the answer isn’t “definitely yes” because of some reasons, but if you have some decent mixing skills and you can trust your ears, then the answer goes pretty close to “yes”..."

Posted: May 11, 2020

Category: Live Performance

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**Guest post written by Gideon Waxman, a London based drummer & music educator.

"...it [performing live] can be stressful if you are not adequately prepared and if your musical equipment isn’t in top condition...your mindset can also be holding you back from reaching your full enjoyment...Whether you are playing at a local open mic night, or if you’re performing a theatre to a thousand people, we’ve got you covered with these top tips to help prepare you for successful and enjoyable live performances."

Posted: May 4, 2020

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post written by Vinnie Hines, Co-Owner of Artist Collective AKA @ac_vinnie.

"At Artist Collective, we’ve found that the most effective way to engage with your fans is through meaningful relationship building exchanges. These types of connections are invaluable and the foundation on which any type of notoriety is built...We urge you to use text message marketing for these 5 AMAZING REASONS..."

Posted: Apr 27, 2020

Category: Live Performance

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**Guest post by Casey Burke of Plaze, which helps musicians connect to the people & resources they need.

"Thankfully, musicians have found ways to maintain their livelihood in the absence of physical human contact. Enter: the Instagram livestream. While not strictly new, this format has taken off during all the unrest, and it’s likely to develop for at least as long as social distancing is the norm..."

Posted: Apr 20, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Jordan Gates, of Megaphone Agency.

"This isn’t the first time [the music industry] has been forced to adapt to tremendous change and adversity. No one is immune to the threats of disruption, volatility, and hyper competition that exist in this industry. Despite the fickle nature, there are things artists can do to set themselves up for success in the long run. Here are some thoughts on how to weather the storms and come out on top..."

Posted: Apr 13, 2020

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post by Whitney Asher of The Marketing Mixtape.

"...feeling distracted? If you’ve got a ton of to-do’s but can’t seem to focus, check out our top 3 productivity hacks… & then get back to work!!"

Posted: Apr 6, 2020

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post by Kristen Ford, Nashville based indie rock act with a passion for music business and a book on DIY touring in the works.

Seeing as so many gigs are canceled, with business as usual impossible due to coronavirus social distancing, I am trying to make the most of this unfortunate situation. If you are a musician like me, whether you are self employed, have a small business with a few employees or just do music part time and are still missing some of your income due to Coronavirus cancelations, I hope some of these resources will be helpful...

Posted: Mar 30, 2020

Category: Live Performance

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

"I wanted to come up with a few ideas for you if you are dealing with lost revenue from a gig being cancelled. I also wanted to make this post more universal than just for this latest pandemic. My hope is that you can use these ideas for a cancelled gig under any circumstances."

Posted: Mar 23, 2020

Category: Technology

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**Guest post written by Matt Santry, independent musician and founder of the Well Paid Musicians Club.

"Part 2 of this series focuses on getting professional-quality video with a smartphone."

Posted: Mar 16, 2020

Category: Technology

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**Guest post written by Matt Santry, independent musician and founder of the Well Paid Musicians Club.

"I think we've all been guilty of posting amateur-looking videos that make us look or sound worse than we really are...Or maybe you don't post any video because you're afraid that what you have isn't a good representation of what you do...We've (myself and Brian Fitzgerald) created a 2 part video tutorial on this topic that goes into more detail."