Posted: Jul 23, 2018

Category: Digital vs. Physical

merch diy make money online distribution vinyl keys to success ask fans musicgoat.com physical vs. digital competition

**Guest post written by Sylvia of Vinyl Price Comparison Search, previously featured on MusicGoat.com.

"Vinyl is back on the (turn)table as a means for new artists to get their musical message out there. And vinyl record shops and online stores are even making a revival. But if you’re an up ‘n comer is it worth putting your needle on the groove, when there are cheaper and easier options at your fingertips? Let’s take a spin around this complex issue…."

Posted: Jul 16, 2018

Category: Touring

diy touring networking touring tips ask fans friend support emotional health andrew tufano

**Guest post written by Andrew Tufano, Nashville based Acoustic Pop Singer-Songwriter.

"In most professions, emotional health is largely neglected. When you’re a touring musician, it can feel taboo to even admit to yourself that you’re lonely or that you need help, nevermind telling others...Here’s some of what I learned about relationships and self-care during my time on the road."

Posted: Mar 5, 2018

Category: Show Booking

booking agents diy live performances megaphone agency music career show booking touring

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

"In the early days, a lot of bands book their own shows until it becomes necessary to seek out an agent or when an agent finds them. For serious artists, hiring a booking agent can be a big step in launching their music career to the next level. If you are wondering when you should get a booking agent, here are some things to consider..."

Posted: Feb 5, 2018

Category: The Musician Business

career goals diy joshua rich keys to success mentors stay positive

**Guest post written by Joshua Rich, a pop pianist out of Washington, DC.

"Have you heard the famous story about the invention of the V-8 engine? Seems that Henry Ford kept telling his engineers to create it, and they kept coming back saying it was impossible...As a creative person - one who is pursuing my dream of becoming a successful performing artist, I think it’s super important to remember these points:"

Posted: Oct 10, 2017

Category: Touring

andrew tufano be efficient diy essentials gear merch music equipment touring touring tips

**Guest post written by Andrew Tufano, Nashville based Acoustic Pop Singer-Songwriter.

"When you’re touring full-time, every cubic inch in the back of your van counts. You can’t be a hoarder and tour efficiently, but fitting your daily necessities into a suitcase-shaped hole isn’t easy. Here are some strategies I learned on the road to help you consolidate your life into your car so you can comfortably tour for a living."

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."

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."

Posted: Jul 5, 2016

Category: The Musician Business

bret alexander build a buzz diy fan support have a story indie artists marketing newsworthy promotion

**Guest Post by Bret Alexander of The Badlees and Saturation Acres.

"I have always said that the best way to break up a band is to make a record. I’ve seen it a hundred times. A bunch of guys have a rock and roll dream. The band gets all excited and starts diligently writing songs. They save up some money...Then, they do the recording. Then, they put together the artwork. Then, they plan the release party. Then……. About two weeks or so after the release party the phone calls start coming in. The band is depressed. At this point they ask the question that whole empires have risen and fallen on: Now what?"

Posted: Jun 13, 2016

Category: Recording

black lodge recording diy diy recording drums microphones mixing soundfly

**Guest Post by Mahea Lee of Soundfly.

"For many musicians, the idea of recording a demo can seem a bit daunting, especially when taking a do-it-yourself approach. Fortunately for those of us who need a bit of guidance, Black Lodge Recording’s Vishal Nayak has helped the Soundfly team create a brand new course, full of tips for efficient, effective, and stress-free demo production."

Posted: Jun 6, 2016

Category: The Musician Business

bret alexander can't do it all diy keys to success master of one primal ear specialty the real gig

**Guest Post by Bret Alexander of The Badlees and Saturation Acres.

"Over the past few months, I have written several entries about diversification in the music business. You have to be able to do it all to keep your calendar full. Write, play, record, teach, etc, etc…… it takes a wide array of skills to fill your calendar these days. But here is the rub: Once the calendar is full, that’s when the real soul searching begins. Ironically, the real gold is in being a samurai at something. That’s how you get to the next level. A master of one, not a master of none."

Posted: May 31, 2016

Category: Technology

aris take concept create videos diy editor gear lighting people performance students video marketing videos

**Guest post written by Ari Herstand. It originally appeared on Ari's Take.

"I just released a music video. It cost me exactly $0 to make and it looks pretty darn awesome if I do say so myself. Well, I can say so because I didn't make it. I kind of had nothing to do with it - other than writing and recording the song of course (and showing up and shooting the thing). So how did this happen?"

Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Category: The Musician Business

attorney career goals diy indie artists make money musicianship record deal record labels supply and demand

**Guest post written by Gaetano, a NYC based Singer, Songwriter, Producer, and Guitarist, as featured in his blog and on Digital Music News.

"At this point, we all know someone trying to “make it” in the music business. Thanks to the world of technology we live in, the industry has easily become over-saturated with thousands, if not millions, of aspiring singers, producers, songwriters, musicians, DJs, etc. Anyone with a smartphone and a Wi-Fi connection can simply fill out their social media bio and give themselves whatever title they wish to be called. With too much supply and not enough demand, it’s no wonder that so many are getting discouraged while in pursuit of their dreams..."

Posted: Nov 30, 2015

Category: The Musician Business

bandzoogle career goals control distribution diy funding independent label major labels pros and cons

**Guest Post written by Dave Cool of Bandzoogle.com.

"...it can be difficult as an independent musician to determine the best path to take for long-term growth and success. Ultimately this crossroads is met with three separate avenues: DIY (Do It Yourself), Independent Label, or Major Label. There are pros and cons to each avenue, which should be weighed carefully against what type of musician / band you are and how you expect to see growth."

Posted: Aug 31, 2015

Category: Technology

adobe creative cloud create videos diy hank & cupcakes indie indie artists lynda.com video marketing

**Guest post by Hank & Cupcakes, Brooklyn based Indie/Pop/Rock duo.

All of us are aware of how important the visual aspect of our music is for promoting, exposing and marketing our band. It seems that many indie bands are afraid of making their own videos mainly because there's a common mythological assumption that it is very complicated, expensive and technically demanding to create this kind of content, so many bands don't even try to explore this territory which is today as accessible to us as the audio recording field is...

Posted: Jul 6, 2015

Category: The Musician Business

apparatus career goals diy entrepreneurship keys to success music business networking the grind

**Guest post written by Brandon Waardenburg, founder of Apparatus (an artist accelerator providing music advice and coaching to independent artists and DIY musicians) as well as a musician, songwriter, "musicpreneur" and consultant.

"The luster of performing can die pretty quickly when it becomes old...Truthfully, any activity can turn into a grind no matter how intentional we are about keeping focused..." Here are some signs that you are on the right track.

Posted: May 26, 2015

Category: The Musician Business

career goals delegate responsibilities diy entrepreneurship keys to success music business music career

**Guest post written by Ashley E. Norton, a Colorado based nomad, currently touring across the country with her Indie duo, Whitherward.

"I've been a professional singer-songwriter for about 10 years now...and I've been screwed over many times...I moved to Music City 5 years ago to hire a team of people to do the behind-the-scenes work I was so tired of doing my fucking self. Like many of us, I wanted to solely focus on my craft. This, is the only mistake I've ever made..."

Posted: Apr 27, 2015

Category: Live Performance

advanced tickets bar coffeehouse diy grassrootsy house shows music album release music festivals show booking

**Guest post written by Joy Ike, creator of Grassrootsy.com and Independent Musician, as featured on Grassrootsy.com.

"...we thought it would be important to talk about the different types of shows out there and give you a comprehensive understanding of the types of shows you should be taking at certain stages in your career depending on what city you are in and depending on the timing. Yea, that’s a mouthful, but stick with us and you*ll get what we mean..."

Posted: Mar 30, 2015

Category: Merch

diy make money marketing merch t-shirts vinyl

**Guest post written by Ari Herstand. It originally appeared on Ari's Take.

"It was a great show [Low Cut Connie at the Echo]. So naturally I stopped by the merch table afterwards to get their vinyl and a T...when she told me the price for the vinyl and T I thought there must be some kind of mistake. $27?! For both? No way. They were charging $13 for the vinyl and $14 for the T. Way too low!..."

Posted: Sep 29, 2014

Category: Touring

diy eva alexiou-reo fata booking agency indie show booking tour booking

**Q&A with Eva Alexiou-Reo of FATA Booking Agency.

This is a great question! I feel that a band should take on a booking agent after they have booked a few tours themselves or if they have a high demand by fans to be in national markets. Since an agent's job is to find and route live engagements, then it should be during a time when there is something going on in those markets...

Posted: Feb 24, 2014

Category: The Musician Business

diy entrepreneurship licensing make money marketing plan music business

**Guest post written by David Priebe of Green Room Music Source, a full time agent/artist manager and also part time instructor of music business at the Institute of Production & Recording in Minneapolis.

"It official- it’s now impossible to make money in the music industry." There are scads and scads of articles and commentary that sound a lot like that statement. What you hear much less about are the people who completely disagree with that sentiment. I’m in that camp, and I’m going to tell you why...

Posted: Nov 6, 2013

Category: Renman Music & Business

black veil brides diy ozzy tour booking touring touring plan

If you want to be in a rock and roll band, touring is going to be your biggest asset. It's not all glitz and glam and it's definitely not for for everyone, but if you're anything like Blasko, Ozzy Bassist and manager of The Black Veil Brides, you'll enjoy the struggle and learn on the fly along the way. Check out this bit of Blasko discussing the ups and downs of the touring business and what you should expect when getting involved.

Posted: Sep 16, 2013

Category: Merch

active approach diy exposure make money marketing merch networking on demand printing

**As featured in Indie on the Move's Touring Tips Section.

When first breaking into a new market, even the best promotion can often yield poor results in attendance because you have yet to build name recognition in that area. Other times, you are forced to play for exposure alone just to get your leg in the door at one of the local music venues. In either case, merchandise sales can not only get you to the next show and pay for gas, but also allow you to continue and finish the tour without going bankrupt.

Posted: Sep 9, 2013

Category: The Musician Business

bbc radio network clear channel diy indie artists musik and film payola radio promotion

**Guest post by Stephen Wrench of Musik and Film as featured in their blog.

If you want to get a hit in the US, you will have to play the game. Meaning - you better have some very deep pockets to play in this high stakes game. You will need to hire a team of promoters to maneuver your song into the charts. This team will need to be in a position to grease the airplay wheels to get your song played. Call it payola, call it big business, call it what you want. But the bottom line is -- unless you have a million dollars to drop into your single you are not going to get a hit record in the US.

Posted: Sep 3, 2013

Category: Facebook

diy facebook fan engagement grassroots how to run a band marketing plan promotion social media twitter

**Guest post written by Chris Lee of The Shakers, a melodic high energy Rock act from Los Angeles, CA. 

"I would like to go on record and state that, with every fiber of my being, I vehemently HATE social networking. I hate it. I hated Myspace. I hate Facebook. I hate Google+. I hate Tumblr. I hate Twitter. I hate Pintrest. I hate Instagram. And god help your mortal soul if you so much as THINK about sending me something on frikkin LinkedIn. Unfortunately for myself, and hard working musicians everywhere, the fantasy of being discovered over night came and went with my TMNT feetie pajamas as did almost the entirety of what I once (thought I) knew of the music industry."

Posted: Aug 20, 2013

Category: The Musician Business

clear channel diy indie artists indie record labels musik and film online distribution radio promotion

**Guest post by Stephen Wrench of Musik and Film as featured in their blog.

The sooner that indie artists realize that they are on their own in this world of 360 deals and pay-to-play radio, the better off they will be. There will be no major label knocking on your door offering riches and fame just because you’re good. If you are good, you better be very smart and be savvy in business and the art of promotion if you want to succeed in the new world of being an independent artist.