For many artists, landing a record deal is the ultimate goal. Obviously you’re undertaking a Herculean task in trying to get label attention, but here’s some insider knowledge that should help you feel a little better: Here are some of the biggest mistakes made when contacting record labels, learn what you can do to set yourself up as the type of artist labels dream of signing.

1. Not Doing Your Research

This is the cardinal sin in contacting record labels! You wouldn’t believe how many p...
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I get a lot of emails everyday and to be honest with you sometimes they provide a well needed comedic break in my day. I often read emails and think "Oh my God, I can't believe someone actually wrote this to me!" I thought it would be nice to share four things you should never write in an email and why. These are in no particular order with regards to comedic value.

 

1-I need your help, please! What does your company do?

Let me break this down for you because there is so much wrong w...

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Everyone talks about networking and how it’s so important for your business, but when it comes down to it, not many people know how to do it and why it’s so valuable. Here are a few tips for all the new networkers out there.

No matter what your business, if you’re a up and coming musician, a publicist or an accountant, it’s important to know people in your industry. Industry connections, no matter the context, can make a considerable difference when it comes to growing and maintaining ...
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Does promotion often feel like pulling teeth?

Has it been hard for you to get people to share your music?

If so, continue reading. We’re about to clear things up for you.

The truth is, paying for promotion and getting your music on bigger outlets can do wonders for your career. HOWEVER, your core fan base is actually your most effective form of promotion. If you can get all of your fans to share your music, their friends will catch on, and then their friends will catch on. Before you know it, ...
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Smart musicians know that their career depends on building a loyal relationship with as many fans as possible. But before you can start to build that relationship, you have to get people’s attention…

So how do you cut through the noise?

Well, here’s a simple rule: What stands out gets remembered and talked about. What blends in gets forgotten - or worse - goes unnoticed.

If you want to be remembered and talked about, here are 3 simple and effective ways to do it:

1. Use Stunning Visuals

We l...
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Quick. Simple. And they make a huge impact. What’s not to love?

1 Remember Peoples’ Names
Ya ya ya, you meet a lot of people… we get it. If you want people to remember your name, you better sure as hell try to remember theirs. Find a good system. Make notes. Facebook stalk. Do something.

2 Send Thank You Notes
A small and simple gesture that goes a long way to ensure you leave a great impression.

3 Database Relentlessly
Keep organized and detailed databases of your mailing list, the local ...
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No I can’t make you famous. No one can. That’s not how this works. So why do people like me need to explain this to artists all the time? Fame is a very intangible thing – and in this day and age it’s largely purchased. By hiring a producer, manager or promoter you’re probably not going to get famous right away. In fact, even having rad music and an entire team behind you does not guarantee that you will make it. It’s only one step forward. Here’s the thing – we live in a worl...
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I've read at least a dozen articles with people who make sweeping claims like “Don’t release in January” that quite honestly don’t have any idea what they’re talking about. When you should release your album depends on A LOT of factors and there’s no simple reason why you should pick one month over another. It all has to do with what your plans are AFTER the release. Let’s take a look.

January Boom - In the last few years there has been a big push to get major label artists to re...
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We box with the demon of doubt daily, while at the same time wrestle with our art, fighting to get it just right before we launch, release, publish, ship or produce. The inner dialog is relentless and the process is exhausting. No one else on earth could possibly understand what you go through to manifest just one inch of acceptable, original work. However, this is it, this is what it’s like to be an artist, an entrepreneur, and every single day of your life is “Showtime!” And every sin...
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Twice in one week I heard from two different people involved with booking bands about the importance of your website and social presence. Sometimes I feel like all I do is repeat myself when I say your official website needs to be core to everything you do and it must be current and look professional and… engage with your fans on your social networks. Well this article is going to repeat those statements again.

I was at SF Musictech and listening to Nic Adler from the world famous Roxy night...
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Some people are into money. Some aren’t.

Some people are inspired by helping the needy. Some aren’t.

Some are into fame, power, and prestige. Others are into anonymity and freedom from responsibility.

It gets more interesting when you realize people have different preferences in the different parts of their life. Famous online, but anonymous in their local community. Generous with time, stingy with money. Introvert when working, extrovert when not.

You have to know your preferences well, beca...
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It can be difficult for adults to have to take care of their families and manage their music careers. This can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. As a result, here are a few steps in how to take care of your family and your music career without getting stressed.

Try to set goals for yourself when you manage your family or career. When you go to work each day, try to set some goals for you to accomplish. For instance, let’s say your goal for today is to finish the report that your bo...
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Here's the good news:

These days if you want to sell your music online it is pretty damn easy.

You find a nice music distribution service, upload your songs and BAM… you are worldwide.

Your music is blasted out all over the world in less than an hour.

Here's the real bummer.

This is the point where most every Indie musicians stop. They think “Hey, I just released my music to the world. Break out the Pabst Blue Ribbon and lets party [high faves all around].”

That is the lazy way to sell your m...
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As an artist who are you? How do you want to be seen? Unfortunately a talented musician without an image and a web presence that appeals to the public won’t get very far.  It is important to take a moment and step back to think about how you would like to be perceived by others. What are you doing to portray this image to your fans?  

In this new technology driven world artist have the opportunity to be very transparent. Fans can interact with bands they love directly through omni...

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Taylor is a killer vocalist. He’s always been a natural and never had to practice much. He doesn’t need to warm up, just shows up, belts, then goes partying with his friends. He’s done shows buzzed or hungover more than once.

Dan’s dream is to be a recording artist. He practices every day. He’s not particularly musical, and he’s rather shy, but he works hard and doesn’t leave the house much.

Luke is a likeable guy and a decent drummer, though not the best. He practi...

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