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.
new album release
How to promote your record release
Now that your music is recorded, your product and assets have been created, and your release calendar set, it’s time to promote your record. Read the post.
Preparing your music for distribution: How to release and sell your music, Part 3
There are many steps to successfully releasing and selling your music, and getting your product prepared and your distribution channels aligned are critical elements of your plan. Read the post.
How to promote a record release, Part 2: Your release schedule
There’s a lot of planning and production that goes into releasing and selling your music. The second post in our series focuses on planning your record release schedule. Read the post.
How to promote a release and sell your music, Part 1
There’s a lot of planning and production that goes into releasing and selling your music. This series of blog posts breaks it all down and gives you a blueprint to achieve success. Read the post.
The album release in the streaming era
In today’s streaming era, while music promotion should launch a new album release, your music is always “on the shelf” and lightning can strike long after it first hits the marketplace. Read the post
How to record, release, and promote an album in 90 days
We’ll help you plan and organize all the events and decisions that go into making an album — from day one in the studio to your continuing sales and promotion efforts. Read the post.
Ready to launch a music project? Do these four things first!
Whatever your next music project is — be it an album, tour, video, single, or anything else — the first step is always planning. These four steps will get you off on the right foot. Read the post.
Some things I wish I’d known before making an album
In life, and when making an album, things happen. The more you understand about the process and the more detail-focused you are, the better your chances for success. So here are some things I wish I had been told before I started putting together an album’s worth of material to be pressed and distributed. Read the post.
Choose quality over quantity for your next CD release
All too often, I’ll see an artist find the funding for her recording only to fail miserably at project management. Too many independent music artists are engrossed with recording a full length CD, so they focus on how to achieve that goal within their budget rather than making the most of the money they’ve raised. Read more.
How to launch a music publicity campaign
Most bands do a traditional media campaign (newspapers, magazines, radio), as well as a new media campaign (podcasts, music blogs, MP3s). Music publicity is not just compiling lists and following steps mechanically, it should be fun and is a chance to channel the same creativity you put into your music to build a buzz. Read more.
ISRC, Gracenote, and CD-Text explained (and provided) here!
You’ve heard the term “ISRC” thrown around, but what is it, and why do you need it? An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-digit alphanumeric code that serves as a unique and permanent identifier for any sound recording or music video. So where a UPC is tied to the “carrier” of the track – e.g. the CD or LP – an ISRC identifies individual tracks. Read More.
‘Tis The Season (To Sell CDs)
The holiday season, especially the golden month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is the most lucrative time of the year for retail sales. As an independent musician, it can be a time for you to move a ton of product – professionally manufactured CDs, merch, and more. There are many ways to take advantage of this time of the year, and our new guide answers questions about how to prepare your order and make your new release something special for the holidays.
Read more and download your FREE PDF.
Is your project ready for CD manufacturing? A DIY album release checklist
Before scheduling your album release, plan for the steps that lie between songwriting and CD manufacturing. This DIY album release checklist will help. Read more.
Valentine’s Day might be the best time to release your album
The first quarter of the year (Jan to March) is often the best time of the year for a new artist to release an album, as it’s the least competitive. Plus, the Valentine’s Day period is one of the biggest sales periods of the year. Read more.