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: 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: Jun 13, 2023

Category: Tips & Tricks

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

"We sit down with Martin Atkins - the godfather of the DIY band business, and inspiration for this whole video series - to talk about the current state of the music business, and how to make your band stand out!"

Posted: Jan 18, 2023

Category: Promotion

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**Guest post written by Lacie Blue, director of artist relations at Musik and Film Promotions.

"Nashville used to be the land where dreams came true for musicians. Superstar makers would walk into a bar and swoop up the “next big thing”—pretty soon you had Garth Brooks. Perhaps it still happens…once in a blue moon. Once upon a time, musicians and songwriters created music to create. They performed because it was in their blood to perform. They didn’t care if they fit into a genre. They wanted to connect to people on a higher level through music. Gone are those days. (But not the musicians…)"

Posted: Jan 3, 2023

Category: Promotion

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**Guest post by One Submit, the ultimate music submission platform.

"If you're an independent artist and currently promoting your music by yourself without the help of a label, the process can be sometimes hard and take valuable time and effort. The purpose of this article is to give you some tips and links on how and where you can promote your music easily and efficiently."

Posted: May 4, 2022

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Evan Price of Artist Collective.

"It's time to stop thinking you have to do this alone. Sometimes we all need a team, a coach, a mentor. It's just hard to admit it, and even then it can be hard to know what KIND of help to seek out. We get it. That's why this blog / video is for you. Here are 3 types of teams to consider if you're stuck and what to expect from each for your #musicbusiness."

Posted: Nov 29, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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

"Releasing songs as an independent artist is pretty easy thanks to technology. 50 years back, you'd be out of luck for the most part, but now is the best time to thrive as a musician or artist without having to rely on a label! The main thing about being independent is that you want to make sure you're always growing and learning when it comes to music industry knowledge. You are in charge of your career and will not have any big-money company backing you or guiding you."

Posted: Mar 29, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com.

"In the last part of our DIY music business series, we cover the tasks required to get your videos created, recorded, edited, produced, and made ready for distribution. You may be an independent musician, but being independent should never mean that you're alone. In fact, the list of people credited for being part of each release you do will probably get longer as you grow your career and level up the music, art, and entertainment that you release and perform."

Posted: Dec 7, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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

"Although now the music industry operates differently, it doesn't mean there aren't opportunities hiding in the economic shadows. It's exciting that we live in an era where very little stands in the way of passionate artists from achieving their goals. If you're looking to start a new music project, the great news is that the barriers to entry are virtually non-existent. However, it is crucial to demonstrate financial sensibility when starting a new project so that you can continue to build your project sustainably. In this article, I'll share what's required when creating a DIY music project without breaking the bank."

Posted: Nov 23, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog. Reprinted with permission.

"...there are industries around music. These industries offer solutions and expertise that, not long ago, only a music label could handle. Today, you can leverage these services and resources to offload work to a team of experts that you normally would have to do yourself. In this multi-article series, we’re going to explain all the major music business roles, the work each role performs, why what they do is helpful for your career, and give you options to outsource the work or empower you to do-it-yourself."

Posted: Sep 14, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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

"Let’s face it, we all want to have a professional studio in our backyard filled with all the best gear. This is not possible for even the most successful musicians out there. For the indie musician, this dream is even farther off than we can imagine. That shouldn’t stop you from creating music, however. You need to think of ways to use the stuff you already have around you to create the music you love."

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: 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 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: 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: 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 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: Feb 10, 2020

Category: Touring

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

"Episode 16 of Words of Fang. Eventually, your band will be faced with the daunting task of touring outside of your home country. Here are some Dos and Don'ts about DIYing your cross-country-conquest!"

Posted: Jan 13, 2020

Category: Touring

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

"As a music consultant for Artist Collective, I constantly hear the complaints and excuses of artists all around the country about the industry and the idea of ‘touring’...so to start chipping away at the brainwash, let’s knock down these 5 HUGE LIES ABOUT TOURING IN 2020..."

Posted: Sep 9, 2019

Category: The Lefsetz Letter

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**Guest post by Bob Lefsetz of The Lefsetz Letter.

"Don't wait for help, do it yourself. Just like you can record and distribute yourself, you can promote too. If you're waiting for a manager to start, don't...Decide who you want to be. A hobbyist, a touring musician or a superstar. This affects your path..."

Posted: Jun 24, 2019

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Nick Cesarz, drummer, producer, and blogger from Milwaukee, WI. Nick is the editor and owner of DrummingReview.com, a website dedicated to helping drummers choose gear, learn how to play, and guide them through the music industry.

"It's a phone call conversation I wouldn't wish on any of my enemies: getting dropped from a record label. Being let go from a record company is a sad tale that many acts endure throughout their careers. Today I'll explain what it's like and how you can reduce your chances of having this unfortunate conversation."

Posted: Jan 28, 2019

Category: The Musician Business

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**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.

Posted: Oct 29, 2018

Category: Music Streaming

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**Guest post written by Angela Predhomme, a singer-songwriter / music producer of inspiring soulful songs.

"As independent artists releasing music on streaming services, we have one goal: that people come across our music and like it...First, I’ll go over a little background information about music streaming and promotion, and then share the details of my own personal experience..."

Posted: Jul 23, 2018

Category: Digital vs. Physical

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**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…."