• Pro Services
  • Venues & Colleges
  • Festivals & Conferences
  • Members
  • Show Availabilities
  • Band Availabilities
  • Classifieds
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Features
    Pro Services Venues & Colleges Database QuickPitch Emailing Festivals & Conferences Show Availabilities Band Availabilities Classifieds
  • Members
  • Account Benefits
  • Blog
  • Home
Login Sign Up

IOTM Blog

Reset

Top Mistakes Artists Make on SoundCloud

Posted: Aug 14, 2017

Category: Online Presence

artwork biography fan engagement online presence promotion push power promo soundcloud

**Guest post written by Rachel M., originally featured on Push Power Promo's Blog.

 

5 Reasons No Radio MS
"Everyone has a Soundcloud profile, but not everyone is using theirs to its fullest potential to make their music brand look good! Having a solid music profile page includes providing your page visitors with the right information, a great online personality and a music catalog they will be excited about! Here are the top mistakes to avoid with your Soundcloud profile."

View Full Article

Is Posting Covers On YouTube The BEST Use Of Your Time?

Posted: 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 Article

5 Ways to Use Facebook Live to Grow Your Band’s Reach

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 Article

7 Musician Rules For Instagram / Snapchat Stories

Posted: Dec 19, 2016

Category: Social Media

aris take consistency fan engagement get personal instagram marketing snapchat social media

**Guest post written by Ari Herstand, the author of How To Make It in the New Music Business. It originally appeared on Ari's Take.

 

Ari
"I get it. It’s so annoying every time a new social site pops up or updates their platform and then you have to completely relearn it (or start to lean in). The DIY world was a hell of a lot simpler when there was just one social network that mattered: Myspace. But those years are behind us. Let me help you make some sense of this all before we dig into it..."

View Full Article

4 Common Traits of a Wildly Successful Artist

Posted: Nov 7, 2016

Category: The Musician Business

brand storytelling career goals fan engagement jonny carroll karma keys to success social media value

**Guest post written by Jonny Carroll, a touring singer-songwriter from Grand Rapids, MI, as featured in his blog.

 

Lazy Way to Sell Music
"In my short time burning the pavement that is independent vocational musicianship I’ve come to observe the artists who, regardless of genre, possess some traits for being wildly successful at making it into a flourishing career. The common denominator between them is simple..."

View Full Article

The Lazy Way To Sell Music Online

Posted: Oct 10, 2016

Category: Online Distribution

fan engagement make money marketing monetization musicgoat.com online distribution promotion selling your act singles

**Guest post written by Corey Koehler, an indie singer-songwriter from Minnesota, as featured in his blog MusicGoat.com.

 

Lazy Way to Sell Music
"Here’s the good news: These days if you want to sell music online it is pretty damn easy. You find a nice music distribution service, upload your songs and BAM… you are worldwide. Your music is blasted out all over the world in less than an hour. Here's the bummer..."

View Full Article

Why I Don’t Use Reverbnation FanReach For Email Marketing

Posted: Aug 1, 2016

Category: Marketing

autoresponders aweber custom design fan engagement fanbridge getresponse mailchimp marketing musicgoat.com newsletters promotion reverbnation

**Guest post written by Corey Koehler, an indie singer-songwriter from Minnesota, as featured in his blog MusicGoat.com.

 

No Reverb Email
"It is not a bad place to network with other musicians. They have a few decent tools. And its nice to have some links back to my website and other social media properties. If you are just starting out and testing the waters, you could do a lot worse. But if you want to get serious about marketing online, building your fan base, and growing your music career, you should be thinking beyond ReverbNation. Especially when it comes to your email marketing."

View Full Article

Why social media is DEAD for music marketing (and why email works)

Posted: May 16, 2016

Category: Marketing

call-to-action drop track facebook fan engagement free downloads marketing platform newsletters social media the diy musician twitter

**Guest Post by Paul Loeb, founder and CEO of No Ego Records and DropTrack. Originally featured on The DIY Musician.

 

"It’s hard to believe it’s been over 12 years since the launch of Facebook. Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay. That’s good news for marketers, musicians, and entrepreneurs. You have this incredible platform to reach every one of those followers you painstakingly cultivated. Or do you?"

View Full Article

How to Release a Single and Sell More Music More Often

Posted: Feb 22, 2016

Category: Selling Music

distribution fan engagement fanbase make money marketing plan music album release musicgoat.com preparation promotion singles stay relevant

**Guest post written by Corey Koehler, an indie singer-songwriter from Minnesota, as featured in his blog MusicGoat.com.

 

"For the past 30-40 years musicians have been releasing albums. Many times the time between those albums was a year or more. Many bands and musicians these days still model their own release schedules after this same one. This is a mistake. These days you should be learning how to release a single and doing it often. Here's why..."

View Full Article

How to Engage Your Fans To Launch Effective Word-of-Mouth Marketing Campaigns

Posted: Dec 7, 2015

Category: Marketing

consistency crewfire facebook fan engagement incentives marketing promotion relationships with fans social media twitter word of mouth

**Guest Post written by Alan VanToai, Co-Founder of www.CrewFire.com (turn your existing fans into your Facebook and Twitter ambassadors).

 

When you think visionary brands, who comes to mind? Probably Apple, Red Bull, or Nike… right? Well, how about we add one more to the mix: The Grateful Dead...Long before social media or digital marketing ever came into play, they employed viral marketing, social networking, and word-of-mouth marketing...50 years later, the game has changed – but the principles are the same. And word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful marketing strategies out there.

View Full Article

Musicians, do you NEED to be on Snapchat?

Posted: Nov 23, 2015

Category: Social Media

demographic fan engagement know your audience promotion snapchat social media the diy musician

**Guest post written by Chris Robley, originally featured in the DIY Musician Blog.

 

Snapchat
"If you’ve been on the planet for more than a quarter century, you could be forgiven for not really knowing much about Snapchat...with 77% of college students using the app daily, and over 400 millions “snaps” a day (and a valuation of $16 billion) Snapchat can’t really be ignored anymore. So let’s ask the question: do you need to be on Snapchat as a musician?"

View Full Article

5 Ways to Generate House Concert Leads

Posted: Nov 9, 2015

Category: Live Performance

ask fans fan engagement grassrootsy house shows live performances make money newsletters postcards social media

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

 

Grassrootsy House Show Postcard
"For a while there, house concerts were a trendy idea for independent artists that caught on pretty quickly...But now house concerts are actually becoming the primary means for many artists to make their living...Here are 5 ways that I’ve used to generate solid house concert leads."

View Full Article

Why Bands Should Wear Their Influences On Their Sleeves

Posted: Nov 2, 2015

Category: Marketing

branding community support cover songs fan engagement indie artists licensing marketing plan

**Guest post written by Matt Bacon, Senior Campaign Manager at Independent Music Promotions.

 

You look out on the crowd after a high powered set opening up for one of your favorite bands – and then instead of playing another song off your latest release you instead pull off a killer cover of Just Like Heaven...People love artists who pay tribute to their influences.

View Full Article

Why Bands Should Play Two (or More) Shows in the Same Town in the Same Week

Posted: Jul 13, 2015

Category: Live Performance

built-in crowds convenience draw exposure fan engagement friend support local concert goers promotion

**Guest post written by Cristof Ensslin, cellist/manager of The Wilhelm Brothers, folk rock with cello infusion from Asheville, NC.

 

"Are you booking for an indie band? Have you ever come across a venue mentioning you ought not to play another show within a certain radius and timespan? Chances are, you have." But what if you could play multiple shows in the same town in the same week and the venue could also benefit...

View Full Article

Improving Speaking Skills Between Songs - Part 3 of 3

Posted: Jun 15, 2015

Category: Live Performance

addressing your crowd fan engagement live performances rocket to the stars sentence structure

**Guest post written by Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.

 

"In the third of a three-part video series, Rocket to the Stars' Wade Sutton continues examining how artists can improve their speaking skills when on stage performing at live shows!" Sentence structure is key...

View Full Article

Improving Speaking Skills Between Songs - Part 2 of 3

Posted: Jun 8, 2015

Category: Live Performance

addressing your crowd dynamic energy fan engagement live performances perfect your performance stage rules

**Guest post written by Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.

 

"In the second of a three-part video series, Rocket to the Stars' Wade Sutton continues examining how artists can improve their speaking skills when on stage performing at live shows!"

View Full Article

How To Improve At Speaking Between Songs

Posted: Jun 1, 2015

Category: Live Performance

addressing your crowd fan engagement how to run a band live performances live performing make money perfect your performance rocket to the stars

**Guest post written by Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.

 

"Finding a comfort zone while speaking to audiences between songs is something that has been problematic for MANY singers...So I spent a large portion of time over the past year ­and ­a ­half exploring this very issue and looking for ways artists can improve at this extremely important, yet often neglected, skill..."

View Full Article

The Bright Side of Social Media

Posted: May 18, 2015

Category: Social Media

charities facebook fan engagement get personal google hangouts marketing plan scatterradio social media twitter

**Guest post written by Melinda Lewis of ScatterRadio.

 

"The evolution from simply surfing the internet on a computer to consuming content on mobile phones has put a growing emphasis on social media. And, the pressure to be “good” at social media has never been stronger...Your audience may be inundated with the same messages from different people and the quest to stand out oftentimes seems like an uphill battle. Instead of focusing on the quantity, cultivate quality..."

View Full Article

The New Music & Entertainment Business: Easier Than You Think?

Posted: Apr 20, 2015

Category: The Musician Business

ariel hyatt branding cyber pr deuce ellis fan engagement have a story live performances make money merch monetization music business publishing relationships with fans

**Guest post written by Deuce Ellis, Buffalo-born and Brooklyn-raised rap renegade. Originally posted by Cyber PR.

 

"Here’s My Guest Blog After Attending the #YourMusic Seminar; maybe this whole thing is easier than you think…First things first, let’s demolish whatever train of thought you may have. Demolish it. Let’s destroy and rebuild..."

View Full Article

One Great Way Artists Can (Not) Annoy Friends And Facebook Followers!

Posted: Apr 7, 2015

Category: Social Media

facebook facebook events fan engagement graph search promotion social media checkered owl media

**Guest post written by Andrew Jones of Checkered Owl Media.

 

"FB events [are great. They] get you all the details and can be a perfect way to get show info; HOWEVER, there is one kind of invite that becomes REALLY tiresome: Invites to shows that are nowhere near me..."

View Full Article

How to Write a Better Biography for Your Website

Posted: Mar 9, 2015

Category: Online Presence

bio biography concise content fan engagement online presence resume rocket to the stars web presence website improvement

**Guest post written by Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.

 

"The problem is a vast majority of biographies on websites are written by either the artist or the individual hired to construct the website. And when you take into consideration that the best web bios are the ones that combine elements of both journalism and marketing, well, you can see why problems arise...So what can you do to make YOUR biography better should you choose to attempt to write it on your own?"

View Full Article

What’s the Deal With Brand Partnerships?

Posted: Feb 23, 2015

Category: Sponsorship

brand partnerships fan engagement identify companies know your audience licensing look the part make money marketing plan promotion sponsorship

**Guest post written by Anelka Argiro, VP of Brand Partnerships for Wind Up Records.

 

A good song just isn't enough [to break through the clutter] these days...Enter your new best friend -- brand partnerships.

View Full Article

House Concerts Are Viral

Posted: Jan 20, 2015

Category: Touring

fan engagement house shows live performances make money pyragraph shannon curtis

**Guest post written by Shannon Curtis, an independent songwriter, singer, performer, recording artist, and author, as featured on Pyragraph.

 

"Then we discovered this awesome phenomenon of house concerts: they’re viral..."

View Full Article

The Bribe to Subscribe: Bands and E-mails

Posted: Dec 22, 2014

Category: Promotion

aweber direct to fan fan engagement mailchimp marketing plan newsletters promotion

**Guest post written by Wade Sutton of Rocket to the Stars.

 

"It is no secret that creating and adding to a list of e-mail subscribers is one of the most important marketing tools for singers and bands. It is also one of the most difficult and frustrating tasks to undertake..."

View Full Article

How to Promote Your Shows

Posted: Dec 1, 2014

Category: Promotion

fan engagement newsletters press and radio press release promotion social media street team the jazz spotlight web presence

**Guest post written by Yannick Illunga of The Jazz Spotlight, as featured on The Jazz Spotlight.

 

"...it is time to promote your gigs...You have to ask yourself this first: How am I going to promote my gigs? The answer is simple: be memorable!..."

View Full Article
  • «
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • »
About | Features | Pricing | Testimonials | Contact | Newsletter | Blog | Touring Tips | Terms | Privacy
  • About
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Testimonials
  • Newsletter
  • Contact IOTM
  • Members Directory
  • Blog
  • Touring Tips
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Professional Services
  • Venues & Colleges
  • Festivals & Conferences
  • Show Availabilities
  • Band Availabilities
  • Classifieds
Facebook X Instagram
Back To Top

© 2025 Indie on the Move. All rights reserved.