Challenge yourself to discover new music
Actively discovering new music not only helps broaden your musical landscape, it can help you learn something about your friends and bandmates — and yourself. Read the post.
CDs
What was the first CD ever released?
There are a few albums vying for the title of “first CD ever released,” and how you phrase the question makes a difference. Read the post.
Happy 40th Anniversary to the CD!
The CD turns 40 this year. We’ve got fun facts, personal anecdotes, and an answer to the mystery of “what was the first CD ever made?” Sorta. Read the post.
Mechanical royalty rates are going up… Or are they?
The Copyright Royalty Board announced plans to increase the mechanical royalty rates for product sales, which is great for songwriters. But will streaming rates do the same? Read the post.
Sell your CDs online: Stake a tent at Bandcamp
Ready to start selling CDs and merch online? Bandcamp offers a customizable solution with the independent musician in mind. Read the post.
There’s a CD revival in the making
CD sales are up for the first time in over a decade, and we take a dive into the DIY market to explore the details of what’s being hailed as a CD revival. Read the post.
Are we witnessing the rebirth of physical media?
With the explosion of music streaming, physical media appeared to be out for the count. However, the majors are now reporting physical music revenue growth compared to 2018. Heck, even cassettes are making a comeback. Read the post.
You need to sell merch — here’s why
Why pass up the chance to make additional revenue, build your artist brand, and cement a special connection with your fans?
Read the post.
An Innovative Approach to an Album Release
We are always on the lookout for new album release strategies. Here’s the latest from Billboard.biz and the Kaiser Chiefs:
U.K. guitar group Kaiser Chiefs is taking an innovative approach to the release of its new studio album, “The Future is Medieval” (Fiction/B-Unique Records), by allowing fans to choose their own track listing and album artwork.
Sell the Story – Not the CD
In 2009 Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn tried out a little experiment. They spent $128.74 on a bunch of yard sale junk and hired professional writers to draw up interesting stories about each item. Then they put everything up on eBay with the stories that they created to see what happened. Read more…
The Album Release Schedule Is Back!
CD Baby and IndieGuide.com have put together a very interesting and helpful album release schedule – updated for 2011.
Back in the late-90s at Sony Music Entertainment, we had these incredibly detailed setup schedules for albums. That included everything from getting artwork approvals, passing elements to distribution, setting up artist interviews, the works.
Top 10 CD Baby Albums: October 2010
Check out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby! Here are the 10 best-selling albums in October: See all 10…
Fresh Pressed: Fierce Bad Rabbit
Hot off our presses this week is Spools of Thread, a new CD by Fierce Bad Rabbit. We also noticed them in this interesting article on Scene Savvant where they talk about their new record, funding it through donations, and cooking meals for their fans as a reward for said funding. Read more…
Music Marketing 2.0: The Digital Brand Manifesto
Every artist needs a fully customized DIGITAL BRAND to succeed. Proper branding requires the following:
- 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.
- A simplified e-commerce system on the artist website. Easy check-out store supporting various forms of payment (PayPal, credit, debit, etc).
Progress vs. Perfection
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…