From the category archives:

Promotion

The Companies That Make Up The Music Biz

by Moses Avalon September 2, 2010

ConfessionSo one afternoon you sat down and wrote a simple four-chord song and made a rough recording on your home hard-disk multi-track. You sent it to a friend who liked it, and the next thing you know, a top artist heard it and fell in love. They want it for their next album. A few months later, the song is on the radio and it’s a hit. You’ve won the jackpot.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, your mailbox is being stuffed with large, thick envelopes from various companies. Who are they? What do they want? There seem to be hundreds of them and they all have thick forms and legal documents for you to fill out. Read more…

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5 Sales Tips for Independent Artists

by Scott James August 31, 2010

Sell your music better and you’ll have resources to make more music, better-sounding music, and get more people to hear it. Here are five tips to help you generate more sales:

1. Believe In Your Product
It’s difficult to look someone in the eye and ask them to buy something that you don’t believe is a good deal for them. If you’re trying to sell a CD to someone for $10 that you believe is worth $5 then you’re going to have a hard time selling it. The idea is to focus on ‘giving’ them something that’s valuable to them at a fair price. You can always tell when someone is just trying to ‘get’ something from you. Don’t underestimate the intelligence and intuition of your fans. Read more…

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More Music, Less Marketing

by Rick Goetz August 20, 2010

I am sitting at the edge of the Grand Canyon with a teaspoon trying to fill it in. That’s what marketing and self-promotion can feel like in the digital age or at least, that’s the way it feels to me.

I walked into a cavernous Barnes and Noble a few months ago. They opened another location by me on East 86th street in New York. I can’t begin to describe how big it is. I’ve lived in Manhattan my entire adult life so I do a double take when I see wasted space- but this? This place is ridiculous. It completely freaked me out. I felt a primal fear that I haven’t felt since Sylvia Rhone (former CEO of Elektra) used to scream at me- but that’s a whole other blog post. Read more…

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Finding a Manager – Part 1

by Rick Goetz August 17, 2010

“How do I find a music manager? How do I find a booking agent? I just need to find someone to get my music to the next level.” I’ve heard these questions and statements before, and fifteen or so years ago I sounded exactly like this. As it turns out I wound up on the industry side of the fence and traded in the crowded smelly van for a record company desk job but I do have some answers for you. Read more…

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Influence, Imitation

by Cameron Mizell August 12, 2010

Grant GreenAt some point, every musician finds themselves studying, or perhaps copying, another’s music. This isn’t too different from apprentices studying with the Masters during the Renaissance. Except today, we usually don’t get to be in the same room as the person we’re studying.

It’s often said that imitation is the greatest means of flattery, but for those in the creative business, imitating too well can also be interpreted as plagiarism. Another expression I’ve heard several times is that stealing from one person is plagiarism, stealing from many is influence. Read more…

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Creating a Budget for Your New Album

by Disc Makers August 6, 2010

creating a budgetCameron Mizell, freelance guitarist, producer, and consultant in Brooklyn, has written yet another excellent article for independent musicians. This article comprehensively details the time and costs involved in creating a new album. Mizell put together “a realistic cost scenario for every stage of creating a new album,” which could serve as an indispensable guide for those about to embark on the process. Read more…

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Music Lessons as Life Lessons

by Leah R. Garnett August 4, 2010

woman playing guitarI recently heard an adult guitar student say something that many of us have likely said at one time: “I need to cancel my lesson, because I haven’t practiced.”

The thought of showing up at a music lesson unprepared causes a myriad of emotions in people – shame, embarrassment, anxiety….and outright fear. Read more…

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What Does the Web Say About You?

by Rick Goetz July 30, 2010

Recently I was approached by an artist through my website who wanted me to listen to his music. His pitch was that he had thousands of fans but just needed help “getting to the next level” with his music. I was kind of perplexed by email because quite frankly if someone has thousands of real fans – they don’t need a music business consultant and they won’t have any problems getting a qualified manager and agent on board if they want them. Read more…

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Five Huge Takeaways from the New Music Seminar

by Disc Makers July 28, 2010

Last week, Disc Makers CEO, Tony van Veen, spoke at the New Music Seminar in New York City about how artists, no matter where they are at in their career, can make more money. Digital Music News, the premier news and information authority for the music industry and technology executives, put together their top five takeaways from the three-day seminar, which we thought was worth sharing: Read more…

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Stop Pushing Buttons and Start Baking Cakes

by Scott James July 26, 2010

cakeDoesn’t it just stink when you do something that seems like it should work, but it falls flat and leaves you more confused and frustrated? This can seem like a way of life for many independent artists. We try to do something to promote ourselves but instead we end up just spinning our tires in the mud and getting nowhere. We want to make something happen but can’t see the relationship between our actions and our results. Read more…

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The Self-Made Musician

by Disc Makers July 20, 2010

Sharon Jones & The Dap-KingsGabe Roth is the bass player, producer, main writer and founding member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the head of their label Daptone records. Gabe also recently won a Grammy award for engineering the Amy Winehouse record “Back to Black”. I was lucky enough to be in a band with Gabe in college back when he was a drummer. He is one of those enviable musicians who can pick up any instrument and make it look effortless. Read more…

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DIY Performance Video – Part 3: Titles & Distribution

by Keith Hatschek July 19, 2010

Over the past five weeks, we’ve explored the pre- and post-production processes involved with the DIY video shoot I did with the band Sugar Water Purple. We’ll wrap this series up by adding the final touches to the video and then publishing online via YouTube.
Read more…

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DIY Performance Video – Part 2: Post-Production

by Keith Hatschek July 13, 2010

Last month, I described the pre-production planning process and the DIY video shoot done with the band Sugar Water Purple. Now let’s step through the DIY post-production process used to finish up the video.

First, I wanted to recap a few decisions we made in the pre-production process that came up in reader comments to last month’s story. Read more…

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Get Offline and Promote the Old Fashioned Way

by CD Baby July 7, 2010

offline music promotionWhile maintaining a steady web presence is a vital part of any musician’s promotional arsenal, you shouldn’t rely on it as the only way for fans to feel connected to your music. Make sure you’re not neglecting an equally important means of making an impact: real-life interaction with your audience. Read more…

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Are You Too Old to Make It?

by Scott James June 28, 2010

Most musicians I know hold a dream to someday ‘make it’ in the music business. To play in front of huge crowds and live a lifestyle that they can only imagine. Many of us believe that we’ll someday get there. Unfortunately most of us find ourselves growing older with an ever increasing fear that we’re missing the boat.

We’re conditioned to believe that if we’re going to make it then we have to do it at a young age. I had already started to have this feeling when I was in my early 20′s. I felt like I was slacking because I hadn’t ‘made it’ yet. Read more…

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