Posts tagged as:

strategy

Keeping a Song (and Yourself) Together

by Leah R. Garnett October 21, 2010

This post is devoted to answering a reader question about singing and emotion. The reader, a man, specifically asks: How do you manage strong emotions that arise when you sing? The question will likely resonate with most anyone who sings (or wants to sing) in public – whether it’s a bar of music in a choir or an entire performance. Judy Rodman, the wonderful singer and vocal coach who contributes guest blogs to Music After 50, graciously provided an answer to this reader’s question. First the reader’s words, and then Judy’s: 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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Music Marketing 2.0: The Digital Brand Manifesto

by Dexter Bryant Jr. October 11, 2010

Every artist needs a fully customized DIGITAL BRAND to succeed. Proper branding requires the following:

  1. A unique web domain separate from an artist profile on the record label website. The artist’s website functions as the central web hub for that artist’s digital brand.
  2. A simplified e-commerce system on the artist website. Easy check-out store supporting various forms of payment (PayPal, credit, debit, etc).

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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Online Collaboration

by Keith Hatschek and Casey Newlin September 21, 2010

Back in July 2009, an Echoes post offered an overview of a number of online interactive music collaboration sites. At that time, online music collaboration in the form on co-writing, long-distance overdubbing, remix contests, and simply expanding one’s own network of possible music-making partners was just starting to gain momentum. 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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The Thing About Ping, Apple’s New Social Network

by Chris Robley September 7, 2010

PingApple announced last week that they were launching a new social network called Ping which is integrated into their ubiquitous iTunes player. Ping allows music fans and artists to interact and share details about their listening habits. This is another great way for musicians to market themselves, share content, display concert info, and boost sales (artist profiles link to iTunes artist pages). Unfortunately, Apple is currently only allowing artists to start profiles by “invitation only,” though anyone with an iTunes account is welcome to start a user profile. 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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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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