Posted: Mar 22, 2021

Category: Show Booking

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**Guest post written by Dustin Drennen, DIY independent songwriter and musician.

"Shouldn’t music and friendship still be central to building a community and playing your songs? Absolutely. But, you don’t have to bumble along, you don’t have to loose direction or heart. That’s where this advice will come in handy. Here are four bits of advice for securing shows and building a reputation that makes it easier to do so."

Posted: Mar 15, 2021

Category: Live Performance

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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!

"?HUH? WHAT!? YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK UP JIMMY, I'M QUITE OLD."

Posted: Mar 8, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post from Justin Paul, music/career coach, A&R, DJ, and producer.

"The pandemic has hurt all artists, even larger acts had to cancel tours. Ultimately what we're talking about is that there has been loads of money lost for the artist, for the promoters, also for the sound engineers, light engineers, stage crew, food vendors, security, stage techs, drivers, venues, and merchandise sales in live music. Furthermore, the pandemic has created a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty for artists. Some artists are now thinking about shifting to a different career or creating side hustles. Multiple income streams are the way to go even during normal times."

Posted: Mar 1, 2021

Category: Touring

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**Guest post written by Gideon Waxman, a London based drummer & music educator. Originally posted on Soundfly's Flypaper.

"Although by no means a long run of shows, my band Familiar Spirit’s 2019 UK summer tour in support of American metal heavyweights Mushroomhead was an utterly insane and eye-opening experience — filled with wonderful people, great venues and an abundance of earth-shattering riffs. Having only formed a year ago, this was an opportunity that my band just couldn’t pass up, and I learned a lot from the experience. Here’s some of what I took away from the tour, and what I think young bands can do to prepare for and seize their own career-opening moments."

Posted: Feb 22, 2021

Category: Licensing

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**Guest post by Keller Medlin, a music producer based in Nashville, TN. He is also the founder of Sounds Sphere - a marketplace platform helping artists and songwriters create great songs faster and with less cost.

"There’s a subtle lesser known aspect of music production that has slowly become more popular over the course of the last decade. Probably the culmination of this model’s success was demonstrated with “Old Town Road” which is now the longest running No. 1 song in history...Non-exclusive licensing - and I don’t mean for sync."

Posted: Feb 15, 2021

Category: Marketing

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**Guest post from #1 YouTube Consultant Derral Eves.

"I understand that a lot of musicians love to share their music in live settings, and why wouldn’t they? In the past year, unfortunately, sometimes the only option for exposure has been online. So...what better time to focus on your YouTube audience than now?...How do you build a bigger audience, foster brand loyalty, and grow revenue?"

Posted: Feb 8, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog. Reprinted with permission.

"In part four of our DIY music business series, we cover the tasks required to get your music written, recorded, produced, and made ready for distribution...Whether you handle all these roles for your music, or just a few, there are resources that can help with each."

Posted: Feb 1, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog. Reprinted with permission.

"While you hear a lot about independent musicians and how you can build a music career with a do-it-yourself mentality, doing it yourself doesn’t mean doing it alone. There isn’t a singular music industry. Instead, there are industries that serve every facet of the foundation upon which you build your career, and you have to master them all to succeed and grow as an artist...Today we’ll tackle another subset of roles to help grow your music career: those associated with merchandise and getting media exposure."

Posted: Jan 25, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post from David Franz, a California-based music business entrepreneur, producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, educator, and author of Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools.

"Fear stops progress. It is crippling. It is a disability. You must push through into uncomfortable places if you want to grow. Getting in front of the camera has brought all of my fears out to the surface and recorded them for me to watch. It has forced me to push through the discomfort and grow."

Posted: Jan 19, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Matt Santry, independent musician and founder of the Well Paid Musicians Club.

"Did you know that the Paycheck Protection Program loan is also for independent contractors and sole proprietorships? Well it is. So if you’re a working musician and you filed your 2019 tax returns as such (i.e. a contractor or sole proprietor), then you’re eligible. Here are my Top 5 reasons why you should apply for the PPP loan right now."

Posted: Jan 11, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post written by Jordan Gates, of Megaphone Agency.

"Even through all the challenges this year has brought, the industry hung on through remarkable resilience. Live streaming, drive-in shows, fundraisers, even lobbying the government – there’s nothing we won’t do to keep the culture alive and the music playing. Music isn’t going anywhere. It’s only a matter of time before we can get back to that unparalleled feeling of experiencing it live and in person again."

Posted: Jan 4, 2021

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers. Originally featured on CelebrityAccess.com. Reprinted with permission.

"T​he Save Our Stages Act...just passed as part of the COVID-19 Relief Bill. The Save Our Stages Act will provide financial assistance to independent venues and promoters that have been devastated by the pandemic’s shutdown. The Save Our Stages Act will enable these locally owned businesses to hold on until it is safe to gather, reopen fully, and once again return to serve as economic engines for their communities."

Posted: Dec 21, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!

"Kids, if a stranger in full armor comes up offering you free band advice, you know what to say, right? JUST SAY NO!"

Posted: Dec 14, 2020

Category: Promotion

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**Guest post written by Cyber PR, originally featured on the Cyber PR Blog.

Posted: 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."

Posted: Nov 30, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog. Reprinted with permission.

"...there’s a lot to managing a music career if you intend to make money with your music. Fortunately, do-it-yourself doesn’t mean do-it-alone. Plugging in and outsourcing to music services that handle different aspects of the industry is one way to get the help or expertise you may be lacking. In this post, we’ll tackle roles and services associated with live music events."

Posted: Nov 23, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of MakingMoneyWithMusic.com. Originally featured in the Disc Makers Blog. Reprinted with permission.

"...there are industries around music. These industries offer solutions and expertise that, not long ago, only a music label could handle. Today, you can leverage these services and resources to offload work to a team of experts that you normally would have to do yourself. In this multi-article series, we’re going to explain all the major music business roles, the work each role performs, why what they do is helpful for your career, and give you options to outsource the work or empower you to do-it-yourself."

Posted: Nov 16, 2020

Category: The Musician Business

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**Guest post by Jeff Lysyczyn, music industry veteran, educator, and creator of Music Business After Dark.

"Episode 6 of Music Business After Dark, a series of informative vlogs by music industry veteran and educator Jeff Lysyczyn."

Posted: 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..."

Posted: Nov 2, 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..."

Posted: 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..."

Posted: Oct 19, 2020

Category: Career Goals

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**Guest post written by David Andrew Wiebe, founder & CEO at The Music Entrepreneur HQ.

"...your success is less contingent on what you do, which only accounts for 20% of the results you achieve, and is more contingent on how you think, which accounts for 80% of the results you get. Regardless of whether you buy into this notion, I think you’ll agree that your mindset will play a critical role in your longevity and ultimate success as a creative entrepreneur..."

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

Category: Technology

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**Guest post by Fang from Lords of the Trident, the most METAL band on earth!

"Multistreaming is a great way to keep multiple audiences engaged or increase your reach on different platforms. Fang reveals the ARCANE SECRETS of setting up a multistream server on a $100 Raspberry Pi!"

Posted: Oct 5, 2020

Category: Online Presence

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**Guest post written by Dre Dimura of Bandzoogle.

"With so many methods of promoting your music online these days, the importance of having a dedicated website can often be overlooked. Websites are still one of the best tools to drive fan engagement, curate your web presence, and manage the rest of your socials from a branded homebase. Here are five reasons to have a website for your band or solo musical effort..."

Posted: Sep 28, 2020

Category: Licensing

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**Guest post written by Marty Dodson, a multi-hit songwriter, co-founder of SongTown, and co-author of The Songwriter’s Guide To Mastering Cowriting and Song Building: Mastering Lyric Writing.