IOTM Blog
Posted: Oct 14, 2025
Category: Promotion
promotion music streaming services music album release pr campaign press have a story direct to fan cyber pr videos singles waterfall release strategy journalists
**Guest post written by Cyber PR, originally featured on the Cyber PR Blog.
"I run a music publicity and marketing firm, which means I frequently discuss release plans. Many of you have recorded full albums...And I get it. Albums are sacred. They’re art forms, not content drops...If you’re releasing a full album, you need to know that long-form media coverage — those thoughtful, in-depth reviews of your entire record — are very, very hard to come by today. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t present full albums... It just means that this part of your release journey — the press part — probably won’t look like it did ten or even five years ago. This post explains why no one is reviewing your album anymore — and what to focus on instead." View Full Article
Posted: Sep 10, 2025
Category: Music Streaming
spotify fan engagement community support music streaming services discovery super fans symphonic distribution consistency advocacy
**Guest post originally featured in the Symphonic Distribution Blog.
"The reality is… not every fan is created equal. Some people will stumble across your track on a playlist and move on, while others will keep coming back, saving your songs, and actually buying tickets when you’re in town. In your Spotify for Artists dashboard, these are called your super listeners, aka the ones who go beyond casual listening and become the backbone of your fanbase. In this post, we’ll break down how to understand them and use them to your advantage. Here’s the rundown..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Aug 12, 2025
Category: Marketing
social media amazon youtube promotion live performances spotify touring strategy podcasts newsletters fan engagement music streaming services radio airplay press direct to fan apple music physical vs. digital
**Guest post written by Scott Helmer, a touring singer-songwriter whose music blends rock and pop with heartfelt storytelling and powerful vocals. He has opened for Heart, Eddie Money, 3 Doors Down, Jeff Bridges, and Eric Burdon & The Animals. A Guinness World Records title holder, he has performed over 1,000 shows and helped raise millions for good causes.
"I’ve removed all of my music from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and every other major streaming platform. I’ve also deleted my YouTube channel and all social media accounts. No more chasing algorithms. No more playing a rigged game where real artists are buried by bots and manufactured content. No more relying on tech giants to reach people who already want to hear from me. From now on, everything I create—music, videos, tour dates, photos, and merch—lives only at my website. I’ve gone 100 percent direct-to-fan."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 20, 2025
Category: Selling Music
make money spotify vinyl music streaming services distribution royalties cd's disc makers data isrc code
**Guest post written by Scott McCormick, originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog.
"Whether you’re releasing tracks digitally or on physical formats like CDs and vinyl, ISRC codes are indispensable tools for tracking sales and revenue. These unique identifiers will ensure your music gets the credit it deserves and will enable proper revenue tracking and compensation. If you’re new to ISRC codes, don’t worry — this guide will demystify the process and show you how to obtain ISRC codes for your music."
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 11, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
record labels make money spotify indie artists music streaming services career goals wordplay t jay living wage for musicians act
**Guest post by WordPlay T. Jay, hip-hop artist and producer based in Tacoma, WA.
"Since the advent of music streaming, our careers have not been the same...Streaming services partnered with the major labels to carve out exclusive rates in exchange for vast catalogs of music and market share...It’s discouraging and that diversity is under threat. Fans want to see artists thrive and musicians are struggling to earn a living. Fortunately, you can do something to help musicians earn a living wage."
Posted: Feb 11, 2025
Category: The Musician Business
make money artist development marketing fan engagement music streaming services discovery branding direct to fan monetization keys to success plan ahead iprodigy
**Guest post by Eric Todd, Founder/CEO of iProdigy, a Grammy-winning artist development and funding platform for artists at every career stage.
"With the dominance of streaming platforms like Spotify offering unprecedented competition and dismally low payouts, independent artists are finding it nearly impossible to earn a sustainable living solely from streaming revenue...The reality is that success in the music business no longer revolves around simply getting placed on playlists or racking up streams. Instead, artists must cultivate dedicated fan bases and build direct-to-fan (D2F) communities that they can monetize outside the constraints of digital service providers (DSPs)..."
Posted: Oct 9, 2024
Category: Music Streaming
amazon pandora spotify music streaming services royalties bandzoogle apple music data
**Guest post written by Lisa Occhino for Bandzoogle.com.
"Although DIY artists are finally starting to earn more royalties from music streaming services, it’s still quite rare to make a living off of that income. But does that mean that distributing your music is pointless? Far from it. Major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora offer free artist dashboards to track and analyze how your songs are performing. They also provide you with invaluable data that can help you understand who your audience is, where to tour, how to most effectively spend your marketing dollars, and much more. So how do you leverage all this data to grow your streams, and also benefit the other areas of your music career?"
View Full ArticlePosted: Sep 18, 2024
Category: Music Streaming
publishing spotify music streaming services eminem licensing royalties copyright music technology one submit
**Guest post by One Submit, a spotify promotion service.
"The situation brought by “Eight Mile Style” the co-publisher of 242 Eminem tracks, consisting of hits like "" Lose Yourself"" as well as "" The Real Slim Shady,"" was ruled in Spotify's favor regardless of the court acknowledging that Spotify did not have the appropriate permit for these tracks.
The judgment nonetheless did not just prefer Spotify; it additionally put the blame on Kobalt Music Group, which took care of the legal rights to the tracks. This situation highlights the complicated and frequently periphrastic nature of song legal rights administration in the electronic age, giving beneficial lessons for legal rights owners and the song market at large."
Posted: Sep 4, 2024
Category: Online Presence
merch live performances spotify music streaming services discovery online presence symphonic distribution consistency know your options pre-save
**Guest post originally featured in the Symphonic Distribution Blog.
"Spotify is a powerful tool for any artist interested in reaching a larger audience. One of the most effective ways to utilize the platform is to create a custom Spotify for Artists profile which will help you get verified, easily manage your profile, learn about your fanbase and more. In this post, we’ll break down some tips to help you make sure your profile is optimized and ready to go."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 16, 2024
Category: Online Presence
make money exposure music streaming services licensing metadata online presence symphonic distribution music discovery be prepared
**Guest post originally featured in the Symphonic Distribution Blog.
"At this point, you should be well aware of the importance of metadata in the music industry. Not only does it help classify and identify your music among a sea of millions of others, but improper metadata could be the reason your music isn’t reaching as many fans as possible. How? Let’s break it down..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 21, 2024
Category: Fans
social media merch youtube online distribution fan engagement music streaming services analytics google data websitebuilder chartmetric unified manufacturing
**Guest post written by James Hill, a veteran of the music industry. He has worked at Warner Reprise Records and then Interscope/ Geffen Records and now helps indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
"So aside from talking and interacting with your fans, you can also try using quantitative data from different analytical tools. You might get overwhelmed with all of it, especially if you hate numbers. But I tell you, they’re worth investing a few minutes of your time. Plus, they’re actually not that hard. In this article, we will mainly be talking about the different tools you can use to analyze your fans and how they are important. Let’s start!" View Full Article
Posted: Mar 12, 2024
Category: Music Streaming
make money spotify indie artists music streaming services fan engagement dying code media anti-social club object x
**Guest post written by Greg Fuhs, co-manager of indie label Dying Code Media and member of indie bands Anti-Social Club and Object X.
"As you may have heard, Spotify recently announced that it will no longer pay royalties for songs receiving less than 1,000 streams per year, instead redirecting those funds to artists with songs exceeding that threshold. The company claims this is to better support “emerging and professional artists” and estimates they will redistribute as much as $1 billion over five years. They also claim that small indie artists won’t miss this money – although I don’t think Spotify asked any of us about this..."
Posted: Jan 17, 2024
Category: The Musician Business
online distribution spotify music business indie artists music streaming services royalties one submit
**Guest post by Oren Sharon, founder of One Submit, a music promotion platform for independent artists.
"Spotify recently announced it has made serious changes to its royalty model that will affect independent musicians, digital distributors, and eventually the whole music industry. [This] is a summary of the changes made by Spotify, starting on January 1, 2024, and their anticipated impact on Spotify's royalty pool and all the players in the industry."
Posted: Dec 20, 2023
Category: The Musician Business
music business fan engagement music streaming services online presence advice consistency delegate responsibilities collaboration tiktok muze
**Guest post written by Baxter Brown, CEO/Founder of Muze, a platform all about connecting talented professionals in the music industry with people who need their skills.
"The music industry, like the songs it houses, is constantly evolving. With every passing year, new technologies and trends reshape the way music is created, consumed, and shared. As we step into 2024, it’s clearer than ever that independent artists have an unparalleled opportunity to make their mark on the music scene. However, this new frontier comes with its fair share of challenges and obstacles. In this guide, we’ll explore how independent musicians can not only survive but thrive in today’s digital landscape." View Full Article
Posted: Nov 22, 2023
Category: Fans
live streaming fan engagement music streaming services bandzoogle content get creative landing pages sammy hakim
**Guest post written by Sammy Hakim for Bandzoogle.com.
"Whether it’s over the internet or on a stage, one of our main jobs as musicians is to engage with our audience...in the modern era, engaging with your audience means a lot more than generating powerful work: fans expect artists to be active online using various platforms, from TikTok to streaming services. Some even deem this online activity to be necessary for building a sustainable career. With that said, if you’re struggling to find ways to engage with your audience online, we’ve got your back! Here are five tips to get you started..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 1, 2023
Category: The Musician Business
one submit live performances mixing music streaming services licensing royalties music libraries session musicians teach production beats curators
**Guest post by One Submit, the ultimate music submission platform.
"Being a full-time artist, musician, or vocalist is no different from being a mechanic, a carpenter, or an attorney. You'll eventually get there if you wake up to work every day. One of the most effective ways to do this is to diversify your sources of income. Try to locate multiple sources of income that will eventually add up to a respectable monthly salary, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Here are the top 12 ways to make an income as a musician..."
Posted: Sep 6, 2023
Category: Fans
social media live performances spotify marketing plan fan engagement music streaming services instagram know your audience consistency soundfly data with the band
**Guest post written by Sarah Beth Perry of With the Band, originally featured in Soundfly's Flypaper blog.
"All artists want to get their music into the hands of more fans, but the real challenge lies in how to properly target potential fans with your marketing campaigns. With the rise of social media, fans are spread out all over the world, and they want to feel seen and recognized by their favorite artists. I want to help you better understand your fanbase by analyzing the demographics of fans who you interact with both online and in person...We use the following methods to help create marketing campaigns for major artists like the Jonas Brothers and Kacey Musgraves." View Full Article
Posted: Jul 25, 2023
Category: Copyright
performance rights organizations copyright artificial intelligence spotify music streaming services licensing ascap bmi sesac apple music tero potila
**Guest post written by Tero Potila, a professional music composer and producer. His career combining knowledge and experience from music, TV, film, ad, and game industries gives him a unique perspective that he shares through posts on teropotila.com.
"If you are an artist or otherwise work in the music business, you've likely heard about copyright and licensing. But do you fully understand what these terms mean and how they impact your work? In this post, I'll guide you on how to navigate copyright and licensing in today's music industry." View Full Article
Posted: Apr 25, 2023
Category: Technology
music streaming services make money music business distribution blockchain starfarm
**Guest post by StarFarm, Streaming That Makes Sense for the Artist.
"If there’s one thing that has been a constant in the music industry, it’s change. From the initial format, the 78 RPM record, which was created in the early 1900’s to today’s streaming platforms, the music business has undergone radical changes that have presented both new opportunities as well as challenges. Today’s music environment is no different and if anything, the challenges have never been greater for musicians. To better understand, a brief history of music distribution may be helpful."
Posted: Apr 11, 2023
Category: Promotion
one submit social media networking marketing plan newsletters music streaming services songwriting online presence videos playlisting collaboration
**Guest post by One Submit, the smart way to promote music.
"Now is truly the best time to be an independent artist. Thanks to the internet, everything is feasible and accessible. Regardless of whether you are just starting out in music or are already an established professional, spreading music around the world has become easier than before. As an artist you can promote your music independently and efficiently without needing to break the bank."
Posted: Sep 20, 2022
Category: Promotion
online distribution promotion spotify music aggregators music business music streaming services playlisting one submit
**Guest post by One Submit, the ultimate music submission platform.
"Without a doubt, Spotify is the biggest music streaming website on the market. As for 2022, there are currently more than 356 million Spotify users, 182 million of them are paying subscribers. Out of all these users, there are loads of Spotify playlist curators...If you're an artist releasing music to Spotify and other streaming platforms via a music distribution service, the best way for you to get your music heard is by getting on Spotify playlists."
Posted: Aug 30, 2022
Category: The Musician Business
spotify music aggregators music streaming services distribution online presence copyright contracts genre tiktok earache records
**Guest post written by Digby Pearson, founder of Earache Records.
"...every new band or artist needs to get their music online if they want to be heard by as many people as possible...Playlists on platforms like Spotify have the potential to propel a song into the public sphere as much as the charts or radio play. And if your music gets used in a viral TikTok video, you could soon see your fanbase soar. Music distributors help to make that happen...If you’re ready to take the next step in your music career and want your tunes to be heard by more people, here are five things you should know about how digital distribution - and the distributors that make it happen - work."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 12, 2022
Category: The Musician Business
social media networking spotify newsletters music streaming services adapt practice learning be reliable invest the music entrepreneur
**Guest post written by David Andrew Wiebe, founder & CEO at The Music Entrepreneur HQ.
"So, normally I talk about frameworks for success, just like in the last episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. This episode is going to be a little different. What follows is a framework for failure. Now, this might seem a little strange, but by the end of it, I think you will begin to see how powerful an exercise it can be...Let’s get into this."
Posted: Jun 21, 2022
Category: Promotion
marketing spotify music streaming services playlisting music discovery one submit scams curators
**Guest post by One Submit, the ultimate music submission platform.
"Spotify is one of the biggest online platforms for streaming and promoting music in 2022. Spotify currently has an astonishing 406m active users and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Spotify has created an amazing platform for indie artists to promote their music. Spotify’s success however, has led to the unfortunate establishment of Spotify playlist fraud and scams. From fake Spotify playlists to fake streams, there are many scams you should be aware of when using Spotify to promote your music."
Posted: Jun 15, 2022
Category: The Musician Business
the music entrepreneur live streaming merch make money youtube live performances vinyl t-shirts music streaming services licensing cd's radio airplay affiliate marketing teach coronavirus donate nft
**Guest post written by David Andrew Wiebe, founder & CEO at The Music Entrepreneur HQ.
"Have you ever sat down to work out all the ways you could possibly make money with music? I have, and I was surprised at the sheer number of ways I came up with. If you’re new to the music business, then it’s not your fault that you don’t know all the secrets yet. So, in this guide we cover a variety of ways musicians make money."