Posts tagged as:

career

5 Habits That Will Make You a More Successful Musician

by Scott James August 3, 2011

There are a lot of posts out there that have great tips for becoming a more successful musician by using things like social media, sales techniques and email marketing strategies. I wanted to take a bit of a different approach and look at getting better results by improving the foundation that those things are built on…YOU! By changing some of your unconscious habits you can literally multiply your results in just a matter of months. Read more…

5 comments

One Thing a Day for My Songwriting Journey

by Doak Turner July 5, 2011

If I told you you should do over 350 things for your music career between now and this day next year, you’d probably think I was crazy. But you could do one thing a day, right? One thing a day over the year is how many? Exactly, 365 things on your journey in the next year. Read more…

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Setting Your Goals

by Ariel Hyatt July 1, 2011

In any aspect of your personal or professional life, setting goals is an empowering way to set the stage for success. In regard to your music, taking the time to visualize your goals can help you pave a personal roadmap for defining and achieving success with your career, whether you consider music your hobby or you are making a living out of it full-time. Read more…

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10 Questions to Ask a Potential Band Member

by David Hooper July 1, 2011

It’s like a job interview, but so much more. A band member isn’t just doing a job – they are joining your creative family. You want to be sure of their technical ability, and you also want to be sure they will blend with the rest of the band. Success for your group depends on a synergistic blend of personalities. Here are ten questions you can ask a potential band member to ensure they will be exactly what you need to take your band to the next level. Read more…

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Re-Energize Your Career

by Scott James June 7, 2011

Do you ever feel like you’re just going through the motions? Like your shows are not quite as fun for you as they used to be? Has your audience started to shrink and lose interest? Then now might be a good time to take a step back and reflect on where you are and what you can do to change.

If your audience has started to dwindle then chances are you’re feeling anxious, depressed, sad, etc. Not exactly the right frame of mind to put off an attractive energy that’s going to make people want to forget about whatever else is going on, get in their cars and pay to come see you play. Read more…

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How Bands and Co-Writers Divide Percentage Shares in a Song

by Bobby Borg April 29, 2011

Under copyright law, as soon as one of your original song ideas is recorded on a handheld recorder or the lyrics to one of your compositions is written on a sheet of paper, a copyright is formed. A copyright grants you the exclusive first right to reproduce, distribute, perform, and sell your compositions to the public.

But what does copyright law say about your rights when an original idea is formed between two or more people? A few principles regarding joint works must be understood by the authors, and the most important principle has to do with ownership. Read more…

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Are You an Artist or Just Someone Who Plays Music?

by Scott James March 31, 2011

Many of us use the term ‘independent artist’ or ‘recording artist’ to describe ourselves, but are we really artists, or are we just people who play music?

To answer that question we need to decide what it means to be an artist. Many of us grew up in an environment where we were only taught what art means at a superficial level. Maybe our first definition of an artist was someone who was really good at making realistic paintings or drawings or maybe someone who made weird abstract creations that were supposedly only understood by special people. Read more…

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Combining Forces = WINNING!

by Scott James March 17, 2011

Combining ForcesBeing an independent artist doesn’t mean you need to take the word ‘Independent’ too literally. Chances are, you’re missing big opportunities to take your career to new levels if you’re not actively looking for chances to join forces with other artists and industry pros. A piece of something big is worth a lot more than all of little or nothing. If you feel like you’re bashing your head against the wall trying to get people to your shows or to buy your music on your own then changing your approach can make all the difference in the world. Read more…

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Top 5 Music Business Mistakes of 2010

by Rick Goetz January 28, 2011

I’ve never been one for top 5 or top 10 lists, but I have seen these mistakes so many times in the past year, I figured they needed to be documented. #1 Waiting. You may want to reconsider. With replication costs low and mailings that can be made for little more than the cost of a stamp, putting your message on disc may be the smartest way to tell your company’s story and interest new and existing customers in your latest offer. Read more…

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Quincy Jones: Tools For Success

by Quincy Jones December 8, 2010

My daddy used to say to my brother, Lloyd, and me, “Once a task is just begun, never leave it ’til it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.” Every day he said that. That has stuck with me through everything I’ve done.

There’s nothing in the world worse than having an opportunity that you’re not prepared for. Good luck usually follows the collision of opportunity and preparation – it’s a result of that collision. Read more…

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10 Great Tips to Help You Fail as an Independent Artist

by Scott James October 14, 2010

10 Great Tips to Help you Fail as an Independent ArtistWe’ve all seen and read posts and eBooks about how to ‘succeed’ as independent artists and to be honest, I’ve even written a few. But what about those of us who are bent on failure? Those of us who would like to know how to shoot ourselves in the foot as efficiently and painfully as possible? Those of us who would like to be more unsuccessful and confused? Well this post is for you!

Some of these things I’ve done myself, and I can assure you – they work amazingly well! Read more…

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Progress vs. Perfection

by Scott James September 29, 2010

About 8 years ago I used to smoke two packs of Marlboro Red cigarettes a day. It was hard for me to imagine what it would really take to quit. I tried to kick the habit cold turkey a few times and it just made me want to crawl out of my skin. Then I heard about the patch and decided to give it a try.

I put it on one morning and made it until about 10PM before I ripped it off and started smoking. The fact that I don’t smoke today has a lot to do with how I chose to look at what happened that day. Read more…

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Achieving Success with your Music – Disc Makers Seminar

by Disc Makers September 28, 2010

LA seminarJoin us at our Los Angeles seminar where we will share years of knowledge about what it takes to be successful as a musician in today’s world, including:

• What Makes an Artist or Band Instantly Signable
• How Good Your Demos Really Have to Be
• How to Dramatically Increase Your CD Sales
• Radio Airplay: Myth Or Reality for Independent Artists?
• How to Get Distribution and Not Get Burned
• And Much, Much More! Read more…

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The Couch Sessions

by Disc Makers September 9, 2010

Rock ShrinkOur friends over at We All Make Music have started a new series called “The Couch Sessions,” in which Rock Shrink Lisa Thaler, LCSW, tackles the music career-related anxieties and fears of indie musicians. Check out the first two installments and then submit your own question/concern for some free professional advice and insight! 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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