There has been a lot of debate over streaming services and the royalty rates they pay. Critics point to royalties from services like Spotify, where it takes 200 streams to earn the equivalent of one download, as evidence that these services don’t provide a viable income for artists. Damon Krukowski of Galaxie 500 argued these streaming services “are doing nothing for the business of music.” While I don’t want to diminish the challenges […]

“Payola is as old as radio. The legalities have also changed most recently allowing legal loopholes. Legal loopholes created playola the creation of corporate america to cash in legally. For decades decision makers were individuals in each marketplace. Payola comes in the way of cash,trips, appliances, drugs, sex and anything of value for today’s marketplace. Payola is as American as prostitution. Radio programmers and Dj’s hands are shaped like cups. Everyone […]

When it comes to touring, I find more musicians focused with the “How,” “When,” and “Where” aspects but not enough of the “Why.” Of course, touring can be an incredibly important step in most artists’ careers but you should definitely take some time out to create solid goals and a definitive strategy before you decide when/where you want to hit the road. Why do we pick the target areas for […]

Whether they ever choose to regain some of their former financial stature and growth, record companies, majors and indies alike, along with unsigned and unknown independent artists, too, must cultivate and create, as quickly as possible, a SINGLE new digital marketplace.  Here competition will flourish and some semblance of reasonable choice and control over the discovery of new artists with original new music will be exercised by whatever is left […]

Whether or not you think it is the key that unlocks your music career, it is always good to build an army of enthusiastic supporters who will fervently support your music. The best way for any company or new artist to grow their fan base is through referrals. The combined energy from a hardcore fan base can create some serious momentum (just look at the career of Justin Bieber or even the […]

Six degrees of separation are allegedly all that stand between you and anyone on the planet.  Or, according to my father, “There are not six degrees of separation, there are two; you just have to think hard enough.” Like him, I’m a connector, and would agree that regardless of how many people it takes to connect us, no one is too far removed.  More so, it can be a great joy […]

This is an excerpt from “Countdown to Maximum Exposure” a free PDF guide written by IndieGuide.com and CD Baby for musicians who are preparing to release a new album within the next year. Releasing a new album takes more than just duplicating discs and throwing a party. You’ve got to get the word out if you want your music to sell. But with so many methods of promotion and so […]

Getting coverage of one’s music on music blogs and websites is an important part of reaching new fans and keeping older fans excited. Unfortunately there’s not a master list of who to contact to get your music featured because every musician needs to focus on writers who will appreciate what they do. Here are a few tips for identifying the right music bloggers for outreach and making initial contact with a long term perspective. I was […]

Building a Facebook audience doesn’t have to be expensive. By taking a few simple steps, you can promote your page without spending a dime. Here are seven top tips for marketing your Facebook page! 1.)     Cross-Promote Simply looking at the stats on your Facebook posts will show you that to promote your content, you cannot rely on Facebook alone. That’s why you have to find ways to draw […]

Congratulations for taking a big step forward in your career as a songwriter. If you’re considering submitting one (or several) of your songs for a music business opportunity, then you’ve gone to the next level beyond just writing songs and hoping the world will come to you. This being the case, there are a couple of classic mistakes you should be careful to avoid so that you can present yourself […]