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Tips for Surviving and Thriving on Tour

Taking your music on the road is a great way to reach new audiences, see the world, and hopefully have a grand adventure — but any touring veteran will tell you that it’s not as easy as it looks. From maintaining peace amongst band members and staying healthy, to dealing with substandard accommodations and endless hours in transit, spending time on the road can present unique and unforeseen challenges. Read more…

Sing Me a StoryIf you’re a songwriter looking to do something special for a youngster, here’s an organization worth checking out. Sing Me a Story is a program that gives children in hospitals, orphanages, and youth organizations around the world the chance to write and illustrate stories about anything they want – childhood memories, people they know, stories they’ve invented – it’s up to the child. Through Sing Me A Story’s network, these stories are distributed to songwriters, who turn them into songs. Read more…

February Desktop WallpaperThe 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. February’s wallpaper features “99 Red Balloons (99 Luftballons)” by Nena! Click here to get yours!

In the Key of Success"Goal" is such a ridiculous word. It’s a word that, once you put it in place, you automatically create its inverse: the possibility of failing to achieve it. The prospect of failure can be so scary that it becomes impossible to take action towards achieving your goal, and thus, the downwards cycle of mediocrity and spinning the wheels begins! Read more…

It’s fun and easy to blame the woes of the world on major labels. After all, they’ve brought us The Pussycat Dolls, Milli Vanilli, and global warming. Now there’s the 360 record deal.

It’s worth mentioning that 360 deals (AKA Multiple Rights Deals) are increasingly common across all types of music labels (majors, indies, etc.), and music publishers are also getting in on the action with versions of their own. Not to be left out, concert promotion giant Live Nation is also banging the drum, signing so-called 360 deals with the likes of Madonna
and Jay-Z. Read more…

Brian Lipski, who heads the dedicated group of audio engineers in the SoundLab Mastering Suite at Disc Makers, explains some of the basics about post-production mastering and the gear used in the process – either in your home studio or in a professional environment like the SoundLab. View video…

It seems that hardly a month goes by where a top singer isn’t forced to interrupt a tour, take a break, or undergo a medical procedure due to problems with their voice. Vocal health is often taken for granted, but once problems develop, they can stop a singer dead in his or her tracks, and in some cases require surgery and a lengthy post-surgery period of rest and recovery. Read more…

Disc Makers Home Studio Series, Volume 1: Building A Professional Home StudioRecipe for homemade speaker stands
When mixing, it’s good to have more than one pair of speakers as a reference. When I was setting up my workstation, I decided to pull out my trusty Tannoy PBM 6.5’s and place them next to the Mackie 624’s on top of my Argosy desk. This would complete my midsize near field speaker requirements, but I needed more space for the larger speakers. I looked around for speaker stands and almost died. Hundreds of dollars for a pair of stands. No way!
Excerpted from our new "Home Studio Series" guide, Building A Professional Home Studio
A no-skimping guide to turning your living room into an A-Room.
Download your FREE PDF.

Two Steps From HellGeorge DonaldsonRed MollyCheck out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby!
Here are the 10 best-selling albums in December: See all 10…

January Desktop WallpaperThe 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. January’s wallpaper features “In A White Room” by Cream! Click here to get yours!

Be great and be honest with the connection that you’re making. You’ve got to hustle and make your own destiny. But my biggest piece of advice is, team up with someone passionate to work with you. And that doesn’t mean someone from the music business. When you look at a lot of people I’ve worked with and look at who their managers are, they started as enthusiastic young people who didn’t have training in the music business… Read more…

Press Kit Fundamentals – How To Write A Compelling Artist Bio

by Michael Gallant December 12, 2011

Samson MicAs creative and expressive musical artists, we’d like to believe our music speaks for itself. It does, of course, but a well-crafted artist bio is still a necessary part of your press kit and promotional efforts. In addition to giving the reader a glimpse into your musical career/journey/accomplishments to date, an engagingly written band bio can increase the chances of your music getting heard, whether you’re approaching music journalists for press coverage, creating an electronic press kit, or just trying to draw in casual visitors to your website. Read more…

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Fundraising with CDs and DVDs: Manufacturing and Packaging

by Andre Calilhanna December 7, 2011

When it’s time to raise money for your club or organization, you may already have your go-to method of procuring funds. But there’s always room to improve, and maybe it’s time to find an additional revenue generator – or it may be time for a totally new solution. Perhaps you’re terrified by the whole concept. Read more…

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2012 Gear Guide: Four pieces of music gear priced under $300

by Keith Hatschek December 6, 2011

Samson Mic Time for our year-end round up of music equipment for your wish list that’ll offer outstanding value without breaking the piggy bank. We’ll take a look at music gear that includes an innovative router to help you make maximum use of your guitar pedals, a great USB microphone, an eight-track recorder, and a dock to help convert your iPad into a recording hub. To help me select this year’s picks, I consulted one of my own music tech gear gurus, Bob Furlong, Sales Engineer at Fort Wayne, IN-based Sweetwater Sound.
Read more…

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Top 10 CD Baby Albums: November 2011

by Disc Makers November 23, 2011

David M. BaileyTom ChapinDoughboyz CashoutCheck out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby!
Here are the 10 best-selling albums in November: See all 10…

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Desktop Wallpaper – December Edition

by Disc Makers November 23, 2011

December Desktop WallpaperThe talented designers in our Design Studio created twelve original works of art (one for each month) that feature the cities where Disc Makers offices are located. Each month we will post a new design, in six common desktop sizes, so you can use them as your desktop wallpaper. December’s wallpaper features New York! Click here to get yours!

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