Indie bands, take note: last week, CD Baby announced a new CD distribution partnership with Alliance Entertainment, the largest wholesale distributor of audio, video, and software home entertainment in the United States. Read more.
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Indie Music Marketing Strategies
While most bands would like to have a marketing plan and budget that would allow them to promote their latest album on TV, radio, and billboards, it’s more likely you have just enough to print up posters for your next gig. And yet, indie musicians can get the kind of attention that can build a real fan base and help make a career in music with the right songs and the right marketing strategies and promotional approach. Read more and download your FREE guide.
Regardless of whether you’re auditioning for the biggest pop act in the world or the smallest band that nobody outside of a five-block radius has heard of, treat all auditions with the same level of rigor. "If you can’t be professional on a small scale, then you can’t be professional on large scale," says Kern Brantley, bassist for Lady Gaga. "If you come into a wedding band audition wearing the wrong clothes and hitting wrong notes, you’re going to do the same thing when you get the chance to audition for a super star. Use smaller gigs as dress rehearsals for bigger auditions that may come up." Read more.
Before you go microphone shopping for your home recording set up, your first consideration – besides budget – should be, “What will you be recording?” Whatever your intentions, assembling an arsenal of quality mics can be one element of your studio that defines your work. While assembling the world’s greatest mic collection is not something that’s done overnight – even if you DID just hit the lottery – here are some recommendations for where to begin. We’ve gone to three industry veterans and asked them for their picks for mics they couldn’t do without in a variety of price ranges: $0-500, $500-$1,000, and “lottery day.” Here’s what they came up with. Read more.
Spring cleaning is not just for ridding your closets of worn sneakers, destroying dust bunnies, and scrubbing windows. I like to take the “It’s spring, I MUST clean something” energy and put it towards something other than the grossest stuff in my apartment. This year, it was my live show.
There are lots of reasons to want to freshen up your live show. Maybe you hit a point where you are performing songs off your new-but-not-that-new record and feel like the show is getting stagnant – not just for you but for your fans. Or maybe you feel like you haven’t found the sweet spot of what your live show should be. Perhaps you want to experiment a bit but don’t know how. Read more.
In the eye of the whirlwind of internet chatter and media coverage leading up to the 27th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction this April was Guns N’ Roses, and more specifically, Axl Rose. GNR was being inducted to the Rock Hall, would there be a reunion? Would the five original members be able to stand shoulder to shoulder on the same stage? Would Axl pull some sort of ludicrous stunt? Where’s Izzy? Read more.
Check out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby!
Here are the 10 best-selling albums in April: See all 10…
The talented designers in our Design Studio created twelve original works of art (one for each month) that feature some of our favorite songs. Each month we will post a new design, in six common desktop sizes, so you can use them as your desktop wallpaper. May’s wallpaper features “Purple Rain” by Prince! Click here to get yours!
What’s the most important thing to focus on as a music producer? Enthusiasm. Even if you’re telling them it’s not a great take, be enthusiastic about the fact that you think they can do a better job. You have to be good at focusing the artist and getting them to do the best they can. People are very sensitive about their artistry, so you really have to watch what you say. You have to make sure that nothing is condescending and that the tips and feedback you give are constructive. Read more.
Musicians getting in trouble with the law – well, that’s nothing new. What’s a good music resume without a couple of arrest reports to fill out the career dips? But what about that YouTube “take down” notice you just received for the video you posted of your band covering “Freebird?” You got a mechanical license to release the song on your CD (right?), and the video turned out awesome, so you owe it to the world to post it online. But did you get a sync license for your online videos of cover songs? Read more.
Re-amping is a recording technique that can salvage or spruce up tracks recorded in a home studio or less-than-ideal recording environment. It’s also a great way to experiment with sounds and tones without having to constantly re-record a part. You can even totally reinvent a part without compromising the original track. The basic idea is to take a recorded track, send the signal to studio monitors or an amplifier, set up a mic, and record the “re-amped” track. Read more.
Have you ever heard serious musicians likened to competitive athletes? It’s a worthy comparison in many ways. Just like world-class swimmers or football players, dedicated musicians spend years training, honing their technique, and practicing hours a week so when the time comes, their skills are sharp and their focus is tight. And, just like athletes, musicians can get injured doing what they love. 
As an indie musician with multiple careers in music to juggle, there have been many times when I’ve caught myself in the "Predictable Paycheck Predicament," or PPP. It’s the one where I’m jealous of my roommate as she leaves the apartment at her regular time to go to her regular job to get her regular paycheck.
The Future of Music Coalition just released the results of a research project they conducted where over 5,000 US-based musicians were surveyed about how they earned money. Here is the list with their findings. 1. Publisher advance. Bulk payment to songwriter/composer as part of a publishing deal. 2. Mechanical Royalties. Royalties generated through the licensed reproduction of recordings of your songs — either physical or digital. 
