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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Do you sometimes feel that the enthusiasm for your music is languishing? Are you tired of seeing the same people at your shows and want to perform to a new crowd, even in your hometown?

If you’re like most artists, you know that you absolutely can do better, that you have more fans out there than who actually show up at at the venue, and despite always receiving positive feedback, you don’t know why more people aren’t showing up. Here are some tips on building some momentum back into you...
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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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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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Self-promotion in the music industry is a topic that has been explored extensively over the past 20 years. Some of the basic ground rules are the same that apply to any business or freelancer. Most people in the industry, however, artists included, don’t know a whole lot about it. Many prefer to hover around the topic of social media because it’s all they know.

Just as people starting businesses often under-estimate the amount of work necessary, so do unsigned artists. A quick disclaimer:...
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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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 "This music is free! Go download it!”

I see this statement a lot, but offering your music for free doesn’t encourage new people to listen to it. Why? Because so much music is free now!

Here’s another statement quickly becoming a cliche:

“This [formerly on a major label band] is now going indie and needs your help! Support their Kickstarter!” It was an amazing story when Amanda Palmer did it; now it’s commonplace.

Note, I love Kickstarter and I love how we can offer our music for free...
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One of the major problems that has plagued today’s music world is the bad stigma placed on lack of “Professionalism”. With the market being as flooded as it is, it becomes extremely difficult for artist to set themself apart from the rest of the pack. Furthermore, to even break out of the local music scene you might just have to enlist help  – imagine that! You have embarked on a business journey that, if handled correctly, will be very rewarding. But, how do you avoid fatal errors co...
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If you’re a musician/singer/actress or other kind of creative person, you may find that you struggle to cope with the overwhelming amount of work you need to do and still manage to fit in your singing/monologue practice that will help you in the lead up to a gig or audition. I know. I’ve been there. And I know how hard it is to pick yourself up when the weather outside is miserable and you feel miserable too.

Here are my top 5 tips on how to combat those low days and still make good progre...
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Ready for the world to hear your brand new track after spending hours in the studio recording it? Not sure exactly how to go about it? You’re not alone! Understanding the moving parts behind a release is half of the battle, and we’re here to help. Let’s honor the time you spent toiling over the tracking process and do this right. This checklist is meant to be used as a resource as you plan your next single release.

So how can you successfully launch your new single into the ether a...
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If you are not already on Youtube, you need to stop reading this and go create an account.  For everybody else that already has an account, hopefully you’ve been utilizing it to its maximum effectiveness.  If not, read on for some easy and helpful tips to improve your Youtube page.

First of all, you should make sure your Youtube Channel is looking the best that it can.  Upload all of your music videos and tweak your channel’s appearance so that it fits with the vibe of your music.   If you...
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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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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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In today’s ultra-competitive and sometimes over saturated music industry, it is important for independent bands and artists to not only go out and perform in order to gain fans, but to also understand and relate with these people. Knowing who your audience is and what they are all about can help you connect with them on a deeper level in order to gain truly devoted followers of you and your music. These things are necessary in order to independently take your act to the next level!

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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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