IOTM Blog
Posted: Aug 23, 2023
Category: Fans
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**Guest post written by Jubran Haddad, originally posted on Chartmetric's blog.
"Discover the key stages, real-life examples, and essential tips for artists to navigate the fan journey from discovery to advocacy." View Full Article
Posted: Jun 7, 2021
Category: Merch
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**Guest post written by Desi Thorne for Bandzoogle.
"The beauty of digital merch is that you can offer it to fans anywhere in the world. Create some one-of-a-kind items for your online store."
View Full ArticlePosted: Dec 7, 2020
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Gideon Waxman, a London based drummer & music educator.
"Although now the music industry operates differently, it doesn't mean there aren't opportunities hiding in the economic shadows. It's exciting that we live in an era where very little stands in the way of passionate artists from achieving their goals. If you're looking to start a new music project, the great news is that the barriers to entry are virtually non-existent. However, it is crucial to demonstrate financial sensibility when starting a new project so that you can continue to build your project sustainably. In this article, I'll share what's required when creating a DIY music project without breaking the bank."
View Full ArticlePosted: Nov 9, 2020
Category: Touring
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**Guest post written by Hudson Moore, originally posted on DigitalTourBus.com.
"I’ve been a touring independent artist for 10 years. I’ve booked, advanced, produced, and promoted almost every headline show I’ve ever played. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve been fortunate to play some amazing shows to fans across the US and over the years I’ve picked up a few tried and true tips and strategies that have helped me that will hopefully add value to you as well. So without further ado..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 26, 2020
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"Have you wondered how some bands get such engaged fans? It is because their fans feel like part of that band’s world. That band did one thing that you might not be doing. They made their message about the fans and not the band. People follow and buy from people or brands they like. So let’s make sure your message is likable..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jun 15, 2020
Category: Live Performance
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**Guest post by Kristen Ford, Nashville based indie rock act with a passion for music business and a book on DIY touring in the works, featuring members of the health, scientific and musical communities of Nashville.
Until we have a vaccine, have increased testing capacity and learn more about antibody testing and if having the Coronavirus antibodies in your system means you cannot contract the Covid-19, we must move forward in a "new normal" environment...
View Full ArticlePosted: Mar 25, 2019
Category: Fundraising
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**Guest post written by Jennifer Hughes, staff writer at Know Your Instrument and enjoyer of traveling to new/obscure places and checking out new indie bands.
"Independent musicians often don’t have enough money to spend for renting rehearsal spaces and studios, paying graphic artists and photographers for album art, hiring professionals for music production and promotions, touring and the like. When a crowdfunding campaign is done right, it could help musicians get the exposure and the backers they need for their venture."
View Full ArticlePosted: Feb 25, 2019
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post written by Nicholas Rubright, founder and editor at Dozmia, and lead guitarist for the band Days Gone By.
"with email marketing, you have direct contact to some of your most passionate fans...While [touring] can be a great way to gain exposure to a new audience, if you want to develop good relationships with the venues you're performing in, it’s also important that you get your existing fans to come out to the show...With these things in mind, how do you leverage your email list to get people to come to your show?"
Posted: Jan 22, 2019
Category: Social Media
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**Guest post written by Charles Berthoud, originally featured on the iStudios Blog.
"There are basic pre-requisites to building a large following - posting engaging content, posting regularly, using appropriate hashtags - which we basically all know and understand. So I'm going to skip to 5 quick, easily-implemented tips that will boost your social to levels you would never have expected, if you carry them out on a daily basis."
Posted: Nov 5, 2018
Category: Fans
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**Guest post written by Evan Price, Music Mentor and Founder of Artist Collective.
"Instagram focuses in on content gold like photos and videos. Luckily for us, they are still running an interface with few ads that allows pages to be grown easily. Careers have been built on the back of strong Instagram followings and I’ve seen it work."
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 1, 2018
Category: Merch
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**Guest post written by Ari Herstand, the author of How To Make It in the New Music Business. It originally appeared on Ari's Take.
"When you’re on tour, merch can be your number-one income generator. Believe it. Bands stress over their guarantees, door splits and turnouts. If you want to survive financially with your music, you must understand the importance of merch sales..." View Full Article
Posted: Sep 11, 2018
Category: Fans
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**Guest post written by Ariel Hyatt, originally featured on the Cyber PR Blog.
"This post focuses on how to energize and connect with Community 2 – Engaged Fans. These fans are your Active Online Audience...They know who you are but they may not know you very well (yet)...In Community 2 contribution is critical but engagement is even more vital." View Full Article
Posted: Sep 4, 2018
Category: Fans
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**Guest post written by Ariel Hyatt, originally featured on the Cyber PR Blog.
"In the desperate desire to try to connect with as many fans as possible artists are forgetting something: not everyone “out there” is the same. Some may be following you simply because they liked your sunglasses or your cat and have no idea you are even a musician, while others are waiting to like and comment on every post. You need to understand the differences and create a separate way of communicating with each community." View Full Article
Posted: May 14, 2018
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Ellie Batchiyska, a writer for SoundStageDirect, the number one online source for the best vinyl records and turntables.
"The final step in your self-promotion efforts, however, should be none other than creating an EP...Having an EP is great for giving people a taste of your musical sound and style. Think of it as your curriculum vitae, a summary of your most impressive and promising work."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 23, 2018
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post written by Jordan Gates, of Megaphone Agency.
"A huge component of being successful in the music industry has to do with how you market yourself...Creating a powerful brand will help you achieve [lifelong fans]. Your band is the music making machine that will enable your career, and your brand is the face of your music that people will learn to know and love."
Posted: Jan 29, 2018
Category: Marketing
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**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.
"Find out what your fans want by asking them. I learned this little tip by following online guru Michael Hyatt. He does a reader survey every year, and he learns how to run his business from the results. Don’t be afraid to ask your fans what they want. Most of the time, they will be excited to share this info with you. It will make them feel more connected to you as well."
Posted: Apr 10, 2017
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Debbie Stanley, a professional organizer, South By Southwest 2017 speaker, and owner of the consulting practice Thoughts In Order. This post is an excerpt from her book The Organized Musician.
"Being organized isn’t just about having a tidy closet, being on time, or keeping up with email. The consequences of disorganization can be severe for indie musicians, including damage to or even destruction of your relationships, and, by extension, your career...Of all the habits that either build or erode relationship equity, a surprising number are related to organization. Let’s look at some habits that are likely to undermine your relationships..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 18, 2016
Category: Social Media
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**Guest post written by Joy Ike, creator of Grassrootsy.com and Independent Musician, as featured on Grassrootsy.com.
"What’s the deal with hashtags? Some of us have never hated the pound (#) sign more than we do right this minute. Some of us love it! Still others of us have no clue what it means or how it’s used in the world of social media. Well today we are going to explore the hashtag. Think of this as Hashtag 101!"
View Full ArticlePosted: Jul 12, 2016
Category: Social Media
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**Guest post written by Andrew Jones of Checkered Owl Media.
"I’ve been meaning to write a blog for a while about how CRITICAL video is becoming to Facebook, but this week I read 3 important pieces of news confirming that Facebook is going full focus on video, so it’s time to actually get this out. I’ll keep it fairly tight, but, if it’s going to get TLDR (Too Long; Didn't Read) for you let’s make this super clear, if you want to be successful at social media moving forward Facebook video better be a part of your plans..." View Full Article
Posted: Dec 7, 2015
Category: Marketing
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**Guest Post written by Alan VanToai, Co-Founder of www.CrewFire.com (turn your existing fans into your Facebook and Twitter ambassadors).
When you think visionary brands, who comes to mind? Probably Apple, Red Bull, or Nike… right? Well, how about we add one more to the mix: The Grateful Dead...Long before social media or digital marketing ever came into play, they employed viral marketing, social networking, and word-of-mouth marketing...50 years later, the game has changed – but the principles are the same. And word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful marketing strategies out there.
View Full ArticlePosted: Jun 30, 2015
Category: Social Media
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**Guest post written by Frederic Sahyouni of SplashFlood, a mobile app that rewards musicians for their talent.
"So you started a new band or a new solo music project and, as you absolutely must, you want to set up your online presence on all the typical social media platforms available...Here is a list of things you should and should not do in order to kickstart your social media presence on Twitter..."
View Full ArticlePosted: May 4, 2015
Category: Merch
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**Guest post written by Carlos Castillo of Schwilly Family Musicians - music marketing strategist, web designer, live performance recordist, international road-tripper, lap steel player, and Captain of the Schwilly Family.
""Don't rely on the promoters. As long as you put on a killer show and have killer merch, you'll always have enough gas to make it to the next stop"...The bottom line is that if you want to be a professional musician, you should have a solid merch setup and promote it effectively at your gigs. Because it might be the only money you make that night..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Apr 20, 2015
Category: The Musician Business
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**Guest post written by Deuce Ellis, Buffalo-born and Brooklyn-raised rap renegade. Originally posted by Cyber PR.
"Here’s My Guest Blog After Attending the #YourMusic Seminar; maybe this whole thing is easier than you think…First things first, let’s demolish whatever train of thought you may have. Demolish it. Let’s destroy and rebuild..."
View Full ArticlePosted: Dec 16, 2013
Category: Live Performance
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**Guest post written by Sarah Lynch, digital music marketing and social media content manager.
"Just how powerful does a statement have to be in order to capture an audience’s imagination?? For musicians, having a killer live show is essential because it is one of the only opportunities that fans have to see, interact with and get to know you as a person behind the music. So how do you make an audience fall in love with you?"
View Full ArticlePosted: Oct 7, 2013
Category: Merch
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**Guest post written by Phil Johnson, as featured in his blog, Big Whiz Bang!
"So let me tell you my strategy for this. Just like on the internet, content is king. The more the better. Your goal should be to have a merch option for everybody that wants to take a souvenir home. And make no mistake, that’s what it is. A souvenir..."
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