Resources

By admin • February 9th, 2010

diymusician.cdbaby

With live streaming becoming increasingly popular among the indie music community, our friends over at Justin.tv gave us this tutorial to get artists up to speed with using their site. If you’re not familiar with Justin.tv, it’s definitely worth a look as they have tools geared specifically for musicians.
Justin.tv is a free YouTube-like site [...]

knowthemusicbiz

Imagine you’re at a busy metropolitan airport. The luggage carousel goes around, and people stop by, check the luggage tags, and pick up their belongings. As the day wanes, though, there are still lots of suitcases left on the conveyer belt with no luggage tags and no one to claim them. Now, what if I [...]

Heather McDonald

Let’s talk some basics today - licensing versus distribution. Now, the word “licensing” can have a few different applications in the music realm, but let’s take it in the sense of licensing as a flipside/alternative to getting a distribution deal.
First, you’re right - digital distribution options like Tunecore make a lot of these considerations [...]

Musicthinktank

Question:

You are a musician and you want to sell your music on digital retail sites. You are deciding between two digital distributors to deliver your new album to retailers. The two distributors, Distributor A and Distributor B, have different payment terms and fees.

* Distributor A charges a one-time album [...]

knowthemusicbiz

As an indie artist you have no job security, no constant paycheck and no retirement plan. You might not be able to do much about the first two but you can definitely do something about the last, the retirement plan. As a self employed musician you can invest in your future and save [...]

musiclicensingmoney

I think if you want to get into the world of production music and music licensing in general then I would study the pros. Do anything and everything they are doing because most television, film productions are using their services and music in one way or another so it’s great to pay attention to what [...]

spinme

It seems like the music journalism community has decided that this is the week they can finally pile on Taylor Swift. In the past 36 hours, I’ve read headlines about her “career-ending” Grammy performance, bloggers and columnists have called for her to hand back the statues (not just the one that broke) or retire altogether [...]

jasonkadlec

What defines a successful email? Open rate? Click through rate? Yes, those are both very important. Of course someone has to open the email and click to our site. But the real value is realized only when that person takes the desired action once arriving – for example they purchase a CD or a digital [...]

latimesblogs.latimes

If you’re a musician, your magic number is 1,000. That’s the number of “true fans” required to launch a band from being a night job to a day job, at least according to Kevin Kelly, who wrote a famous essay on the topic. The theory goes that if you can get 1,000 hard core fans [...]

musiclicensingmoney

That’s the truth, when it comes to licensing your music to make money from it not all clients are worth the time and effort. You must choose your clients wisely and stick to the ones that will make you the most money.
There are clients out there that will will nickle and dime you for everything. [...]

diymusician.cdbaby

With all the hard work the indie music community puts into promotion and marketing of music, it’s amazing how often key information is missing from the message. It’s hard enough to get above the noise, so when you do get the attention of a potential fan, it’s important that the action you want them [...]

knowthemusicbiz

Martin Atkins’ experience from a recent Tour: Smart event: A guy came up to me after my Tour:Smart event in Traverse City. He plays on his own, without a band, has a CD, etc. He’s trying to expand his base outside of Traverse City which is, literally, the end of the line in [...]

latimesblogs.latimes

To tweet or not to tweet. That is no longer the question.
Musicians who don’t take advantage of social networking tools will soon perish in the La Brea tar pits of old-school media.
At least that’s what the “social media rock stars” told the audience at an event this afternoon hosted by the Recording Academy as part [...]

blog.vici.ro

If you’re a musician or songwriter, your manager and your attorney should always be two different people, your agent and your manager should always be two different people, and you, your manager, and your agent should all have different attorneys, all of whom should work at different law firms.
But that’s not all…
Your manager shouldn’t be [...]

knowthemusicbiz

If you’re in charge of a band and you hire musicians you need to be aware of the tax filing requirements for Form 1099-MISC. The filing deadline for the form is quickly approaching and there can be penalties if you don’t file. The forms must be postmarked by January 31st. Copies of the forms and [...]

thaidy

The Six Sigma Music Business: Keep your audiences coming back for more! Six Sigma? What could a statistical math term possibly have to do with music? Well I could bore you with a long answer on the statistical benefits, or I could explain it in one simple sentence.
Six Sigma is about quality, service, and making [...]

press release

Creativity has never been everybody’s cup of tea and so has been establishing in the art industry. It always required a thick mantle to survive and the music industry is no exception. The best survival trick is to be able to deal properly with the disappointments, take lessons and keep moving in order to [...]

musicthinktank

The term ‘music industry’ is a misnomer. In reality the ‘music industry’ is not one industry, it is several independent industries. This is an important distinction because if we say that there is a “crisis in the music industry” it suggests an equal amount of misfortune for everyone (musicians, the recording industry, the live-music industry, [...]

makinitmag

95% of the music I receive is deleted without ever being listened to. Why? Outside of the fact that I get 300-700 records sent to me each week via Email, Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Its just impossible for me to listen to every song I receive and still find time for my family and [...]

musicthinktank

Its here! A whole new Decade
Paying attention to this article could be the difference between you making a little money off of your music in the New Year vs. making A LOT of money! All of the current news surrounding the music business is still bad news.
But I think that this is a [...]

ALTPRESS

Standing out from the crowd is harder than ever these days. There was a time when there was a formula to being a successful band: practice hard, get some shows, get an audience, record some demos, land a record deal and let them promote you to the media, thereby helping to get your music to [...]

genyrockstars

I have a theory that musicians do not read enough non-fiction. When I was in a band, my education into my business and my marketing was the panels at Florida Music Festival every year and skimming through Donald Passman’s “Everything You Need To Know About The Music Business.”
Now that I spend my time on the [...]

knowthemusicbiz

One of the most important aspects of being a musician these days is trying to understand how to efficiently use the web to promote your tunes to people in the hopes of creating a rabid fanbase. Unfortunately, most do not understand the underlying principles of how to use your website in order to actually get [...]

madalynsblog

You’ve probably heard these buzzwords commonly used in the last few years when talking about social networks: analytics, metrics, trends, stats. And many of you are probably saying, “what does it all mean?” Simply put, it’s the collection of data. For most, it makes little sense. However, if you spend time getting to know your [...]

musiclicensingmoney

Let´s face it. The music business can really suck sometimes! It´s not nearly as glamorous as I thought 0it was when I was younger and dreamed of one day playing music for stadiums filled with adoring fans. The reality of pursuing a music career is that there are times when it´s really, really hard. It [...]

musicthinktank

Do you ever dodge your creative work? Say, your practice time arrives, and you race off to do some chore. It might be a chore that you detest, but now it calls to you. Then, instead of refining your music, you start cleaning the house or doing whatever.
If that scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. [...]

diymusician.cdbaby

Everyone likes to track the number of users hitting their CD Baby page, but there is info offered deeper in the Web Hits section of the CD Baby member account that is probably more important to your overall sales efforts (Yes, more important than the actual number of hits!). The valuable section is the [...]

lounge.sonicbids

I’m a pretty cheap guy. This doesn’t seem to help much in the dating scene, but can quite useful as a musician — instruments cost hundreds of dollars a piece and unless you’ve reached a certain level of success, it’s difficult to pay that back quickly, if at all. So, when starting out you’ll want [...]

For the musician or singer looking to find their place in the music industry, having your own home recording studio is one of the biggest advantages you can provide for yourself. In this guide, we will consider the equipment needed to properly record your music in a home recording studio. For the first [...]

futureofmusicbook

As we start 2010 I wanted to combine some philosophy and practicality with these recommended strategies that can lead to success in music, and in life. Take them with a grain of salt. With this new decade comes the promise of digital music, the power of the entrepreneur and the tools to connect [...]

wearelistening

1. Email Is The Holy Grail
Whether you’re tricking out your MySpace page or performing at your local venue, always think about what you can do to collect more email addresses. Believe me, there is nothing of greater importance than your email list. If you’re not using a professional email marketing service (EMS), you should [...]

blog.artistshousemusic

It’s well known that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) is responsible for putting on Music’s Biggest Night, but the organization is also responsible for several lesser-known initiatives that those of you planning to enter the industry (or already working in the industry) can take advantage of.
Rather than attempt to explain the [...]

music think tank

I promote to establish and nurture a genuine relationship with my fans. I measure my success by the number of subscribers to my mailing list. Notice I said mailing list, not Twitter followers or MySpace “friends.” I’m talking about the people who grant me permission through a double opt-in process to email them [...]

madalynsblog

It’s that time of the year where we need to look back, evaluate, assess and look towards the New Year. 2010 is going to sparkle for you!
When it comes to promoting your music in bigger, better and broader ways it’s all about having a plan in place. Take a moment and think about what your [...]

musiclicensingmoney

When you license one of your songs for use in a television broadcast you generally get paid at least twice. When you initially sell the rights to one of your songs you get what is a called a licensing fee. This is a one time, upfront fee that is paid by a television show for [...]

studionoize

Coming up with the right name for your music business is an important step. Many describe their names as cute, clever, stand-outish, catchy, and even strange.
The good thing is you can name your business whatever you want; however, the following are the things you should consider first:…
VIEW ARTICLE SOURCE

musicthinktank

What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School (a bestselling book) talks about a research study that was conducted at Harvard between 1979 and 1989:
“In 1979, the MBA graduates were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” Only 3 percent had clear written goals and [...]

soundonsound

Acclaimed engineer, musician, and record producer Alan Parsons is releasing the first six exclusive video scenes, which examine the topics of MIDI, EQ, Delays, Drums, Noise Gates and Recording a Choir. These are available immediately for streaming and digital download at the Art and Science of Sound Recording, boldly trumpeted as “the highly-anticipated epic living [...]

musicthinktank

One of the recurring themes of the recent Future of Music Policy Summit in Washington, DC was the necessity, for musicians, to develop an “active fan base.” There wasn’t one specific panel about this, or one discussion; it was instead a constant thread through many different panels and discussions, and the seemingly inevitable answer to [...]

knowthemusicbiz

Are we there yet? So, you’ve recorded your music, found a producer interested in using your song in a film or television series, and negotiated a price for a synch and/or master-use license…so, now what? Well, everything else.
What else should you be weary of before signing a synch and/or master use license?
Limited Media and Internet [...]

creativedeconstruction

I get this question a lot from both artists and artist managers. I have traditionally avoided answering it. This is partly due to the fact that I really don’t cover individual artists very often here at Creative Deconstruction, so I’m probably not the best blogger to ask. But the question keeps coming.
Fortunately, there are plenty [...]

Heather McDonald
musicians.about

When you are playing your next gig, take a look around the room. Who do you see - fans or friends? Make no mistake about it - they are not the same thing. One potential pitfall of sticking to your local music circuit is that you can pack out a venue with your work [...]

mainecampus

When the subject of being a professional musician is brought up, the most common response from parents and friends is, “You’ll never make it; it’s impossible.”
Two representatives from the Portland Music Foundation, Sam Pfiefle and Mark Lourie, came to the University of Maine on Wednesday hoping to debunk that negative attitude. They spread their knowledge [...]