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THE 5 MISTAKES OF MUSIC PRODUCTION – AVOID THESE FOR MORE CLARITY!

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.

 

5 Mistakes Upaya Sound


"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."

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Why Your Band Needs To Be Using Visuals in 2023

Posted: Apr 4, 2023

Category: Technology

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**Guest post written by Jeff Robbins, a long-time songwriter, producer, and musician who fronted the band Orbit and toured with Lollapalooza back in the 90’s. He started Lullabot, a web development company whose client list includes NBC, The Grammys, MTV, Sony Music, and Tesla Motors. He is also the founder of Spaceage, the company behind Visibox.

 

Visibox 1


"Since the days of Pink Floyd’s animated concert visuals from “The Wall”, we’ve come to expect shows at our local arena or amphitheater to rattle our eyeballs as well as our ears...But most of us are still playing smaller theaters, clubs, and cafes. We don’t have a lighting person, much less someone to set up and run visuals while we perform. Maybe you’re a bedroom beat maker who performs with backing tracks. Maybe you’re an aspiring Taylor Swift. Or maybe you’ve got a Kiss cover band looking to add some fire-marshal-safe pyrotechnics to your show. It would take a lot of expensive production and equipment to elevate our performances, right? Wrong!"

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Musician's multiple streams of income. Top 10 ways to make money on your music

Posted: Mar 21, 2023

Category: The Musician Business

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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.

 

KF Mult Streams of Income


1. Live Performances 2. Online Sales/Consignment/Out the trunk sales 3. Sync/Licensing placements 4. Private Events/Colleges 5. Streaming income...

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Musical Instrument Insurance For Musicians

Posted: Nov 8, 2022

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post written by Don East of Killer Rig Music in the USA.

 

Mus. Instrument Insurance - Don East


"No one ever plans on their instrument being damaged or stolen, but the unfortunate truth is that accidents happen all the time. That's why it's important to have insurance for your musical instruments. This way, you can rest easy knowing that they are protected in case of an emergency. In this article, we will discuss the importance of musical instrument insurance, and touch on some of the policies to consider."

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10 Things You Need to Stop Doing on Stage Immediately

Posted: Apr 26, 2022

Category: Live Performance

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

 

10 Things to Stop - Legit Mus


"I have played many live shows where I have seen bands do some unprofessional things. A lot of these things are simple things that can be fixed. Most of them will improve your overall image as a professional musician. Some of them will improve your relationships with other bands as well. Here are 10 things you need to stop doing on stage immediately."

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Crossing the border to the Great White North: A musician’s guide

Posted: Apr 11, 2022

Category: Touring

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**Guest post originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog.

 

Marcus Welch


"O Canada! So close… yet sometimes so far away. Music flows freely across the border, but there are times when musicians and instruments have a little more trouble. If you’re planning a trip to play music gigs in Canada, here’s some advice and a few online resources to help make your border crossing smooth and easy."

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20 Tips for a Successful Tour as an Independent Artist (Part 1)

Posted: Nov 2, 2020

Category: Touring

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**Guest post written by Hudson Moore, originally posted on DigitalTourBus.com.

 

Hudson Moore 2


"I’ve been a touring independent artist for 10 years. I’ve booked, advanced, produced, and promoted almost every headline show I’ve ever played. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve been fortunate to play some amazing shows to fans across the US and over the years I’ve picked up a few tried and true tips and strategies that have helped me that will hopefully add value to you as well. So without further ado..."

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Use What You Already Have to Create Great Music

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.

 

Use What You Have - Legit Musician


"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."

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Yes, You Can Be Your Own Producer - Here's How.

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..."

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Top 5 Tips to Help Prepare You for a Live Performance

Posted: May 11, 2020

Category: Live Performance

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

 

ACPG - Support Slots


"...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."

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Winter Tour Tips

Posted: Feb 4, 2019

Category: Touring

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**Guest post written by Brandon Stoner of Thieves & Lovers.

 

Thieves&Lovers


"Winter is in full swing and it’s been a particularly brutal one due to the polar vortex that swept across the United States this past week...I wanted to write an article with some tips for touring during winter, as I’ve done so numerous times both as a performer and as a part of a tour crew and wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned along the way."

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Life Hacks for Touring Bands

Posted: Dec 17, 2018

Category: Touring

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**Guest post written by Brandon Stoner of Thieves & Lovers.

 

Thieves&Lovers


"24-Hour Gym Membership, Hotel Breakfast, Show Logistics, Power Inverter, Weather Woes, Rules of the Road, Tune Your Vehicle, AAA, Poor Man's Laundromat, Gear Conscious, Always Have Toilet Paper..."

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Are You Ready For When Something Horrible Happens?

Posted: Oct 30, 2017

Category: The Musician Business

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

 

Horrible Happens
"Most musicians sink a lot of money into their gear. This is how they make a living! Sometimes, it took years and years to acquire this gear. Don’t let one horrible event wipe you out. I’ve seen too many stories about how a band had to call it quits because their gear was stolen, or damaged. They couldn’t continue to make a living, so they gave up their dreams to get regular jobs to pay the bills. If this sounds like you, then you need INSURANCE."

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POSSESSIONS: What to bring on an efficient tour

Posted: Oct 10, 2017

Category: Touring

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**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."

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Travel Hacks For Bands

Posted: Sep 25, 2017

Category: Tips & Tricks

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

 

Legit Musician Travel Hacks
"We all have seen people come up with life hacks and thought “why didn’t I think of that?” Well, here are some travel hacks tailored to bands on the road..."

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Music Sponsorships & Endorsements Hack: How To Get Paid To Endorse The Equipment You Use

Posted: Apr 17, 2017

Category: Sponsorship

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

 

Music Sponsorships & Endorsements
"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..."

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11 Tips on Getting the Cruise Gig

Posted: Feb 13, 2017

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Vinnie Hines of Artist Collective.

 

11 Tips Cruise Gig
"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"..."

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Recording At Home: Taking A Song From Demo To #1

Posted: Sep 26, 2016

Category: Recording

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**Guest post written by Clay Mills, hit songwriter, producer, performer, and founder of SongTown.com.

 

Recording At Home Clay Mills
"People often ask me if they have to do full-production demos to present songs to publishers or major artists? I do a fair amount of full demos, but I also have had about half of my major cuts from pitching home demos done on a very basic set-up on my mac laptop..."

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5 Things Musicians can Blog About to Get Targeted Website Traffic

Posted: Sep 6, 2016

Category: Online Presence

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**Guest post written by Nicholas Rubright of Dozmia.

 

"Even if your website is well optimized for search engines, it’s unlikely that people who have never heard of you are going to specifically search for you or your website. Because of this, the best way to generate new, well targeted website traffic is to start blogging...Here are some topics you can blog about that can help drive more organic, relevant traffic to your website."

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How To Make A Music Video On A Tiny Budget

Posted: May 31, 2016

Category: Technology

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

 

Ari
"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?"

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Here are some tips and tricks I learned while touring the country (DIY) as a singer-songwriter/duo

Posted: May 2, 2016

Category: Touring

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**Guest Post by Ezekiel Morphis, San Diego based Americana/Folk Singer-Songwriter.

 

"If you just started playing music last week, this article will aid you further down the road as long as you stay committed and work on your music first. If you are like me — two EPs completed, well practiced, working on an album, playing for a handful of years, don’t mind smelling like beer and shame for days on end and still want to know how to tour DIY — then this is the article for you."

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How to Make a Living Playing Music - Part 2

Posted: Apr 18, 2016

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest Post written by Danny Barnes as featured on DannyBarnes.com.

 

"I hear so much complaining about this subject, I just wanted to lay my practical experience on you. free... Assuming... you are financially workable and you have the music where you want it and you are surely called into the art, here goes, in no particular order..."

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Musicians’ Checklist: 23 Little Things That Will Help You Nail Your Next Gig

Posted: Sep 14, 2015

Category: Live Performance

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**Guest post written by Megan Liscomb, originally posted on TakeLessons.com.

 

"Congrats on getting the big gig! Whether you’re preparing for your band’s first show or your album-release party, these tips will help you learn how to promote your band, make your best impression on stage, and get invited back to the venue to do it all again."

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Your Gear Will Get Stolen

Posted: Sep 30, 2013

Category: Theft

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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand, a DIY singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, CA with 500+ shows under his belt, as featured in his blog "Ari's Take".

 

Ari


"Years ago I got back late after a local gig and was exhausted. I carried in my guitar and cash box, but left some of my other gear in my car - including my $2,000 trumpet (no judging - I was young, stupid and TIRED). The next morning, as you would imagine, I awoke to a smashed back window and no trumpet. I called my insurance company (State F(U)arm) and explained what happened."

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