Posted: Mar 4, 2025

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post by Melissa Mulligan, Recording Industry Vocal Coach & Music Career Mentor for independent artists.

 

"When I sat down to make the two videos I'm sharing with you here, I did not intend to publish them. So, you're literally seeing me, in my home studio, helping a friend get ready for his tour. But the 10-minute routine I captured that day has been working so well for so many singers, I keep sharing this with more of the touring artists I coach. Even if we are working together weekly on more long term vocal goals, this routine is consistently upping the level of my vocalists' performances!"

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Posted: Mar 5, 2024

Category: The Musician Business

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**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, you’ve finally decided to release an album. Wuhoo! But listen up – getting your album out there isn’t just about tossing it into the world. It’s more like planning a grand wedding for 1000 people – you need a solid plan. In this guide, we’re going through fifteen essential tips—covering everything from using digital tools to finding the right partners—to make your album release stress-free (or at least less stressful than usual). Let’s get started!"

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Posted: Mar 7, 2022

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post written by James Peters of Musical Instrument Insurance in Ireland, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.

 

"Commercial air travel can be a stressful affair on a normal trip — and that counts double when you’re bringing along your musical instrument. Between airline rules and regulations, necessary equipment, and accessories, it can seem like an overwhelming ordeal. The good news is there is a way to travel with your beloved instrument without undue anxiety. So, in order to get from point A to point B with your instrument in one piece, follow these simple tips for a smooth and painless travel experience."

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Posted: Aug 30, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Hovey Otis.

 

"Now that bars, venues and festivals are opening up, we as musicians are hungry to hit the stage. But, lots of musicians (myself included) had a rocky 2020. Here are a few tips to reignite your creative flow, collaborate, start recording, and get back into the music world!"

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Posted: Jan 25, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post from David Franz, a California-based music business entrepreneur, producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, educator, and author of Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools.

 

"Fear stops progress. It is crippling. It is a disability. You must push through into uncomfortable places if you want to grow. Getting in front of the camera has brought all of my fears out to the surface and recorded them for me to watch. It has forced me to push through the discomfort and grow."

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Posted: Sep 28, 2020

Category: Licensing

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**Guest post written by Marty Dodson, a multi-hit songwriter, co-founder of SongTown, and co-author of The Songwriter’s Guide To Mastering Cowriting and Song Building: Mastering Lyric Writing.

 

"One of the most popular questions we get at SongTown is “how many songs should I send to a producer or publisher?” The prevailing myth for aspiring songwriters is that “more shots equals a better chance of something great happening”. I want to dispel that myth and to explain why pitching your songs with a shotgun is NOT the best way to hit your mark."

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Posted: Dec 3, 2018

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Matt Santry, independent musician and founder of the Well Paid Musicians Club.

 

"There’s a character named James [in the Netflix series "Westside"] who works construction by day. In the first episode, he asks his boss to cut his hours down to 3 days a week so he can have time to practice for an upcoming show. They show James digging ditches, tearing down walls and doing backbreaking manual labor...This is insanity to me! He's a talented guy. So why couldn't he do 1 cover gig at a private event and make that same amount [of money]?"

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Posted: Jul 24, 2017

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post written by Allison Stafford, lead singer and acoustic rhythm guitarist for the Southern Country band No Deceit.

 

"We all know as musicians that the Merch Sales and Tips can be the saving grace of a show! You may not make a lot of money from the venue that you’re playing, or anything for that matter, but sometimes, you can make more in a tip jar or in merch sales than you would from the venue anyway! How do you get people directed toward your mech and tip bucket?"

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Posted: Jul 10, 2017

Category: Tips & Tricks

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**Guest post written by Jonathan Sexton, CEO of Bandposters.

 

"It’s hard to stay on top of all the things you have to do to break your band and make a living...To keep ahead of the game, time management is key. So we’ve put together a weekly calendar for you, with some helpful things you can do early in the week to help sell out your shows on the weekends..."

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