We’ve all heard this piece of advice time and time again – in the music industry, it’s all about who you know. However, meeting influential connections can seem a rather daunting task. Connections with major record labels or publishing companies can seem completely unreachable and...
[This post was written by guest contributor Dave Kusek of New Artist Model.] Budgeting is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of planning for a new album or project. Compared to all attention you give to writing, recording, and marketing, budgeting can sometimes be overlooked entirely...
Here’s a story you’ve probably heard before: band makes it big, everybody gets rich, the songwriter gets richer. Why does the songwriter make more money? Music publishing! If you’re a songwriter, you could make huge amounts of money from your songs… IF you have a deal with...
When it comes to the online world, having an email list signup feature is one of the most important things a website can have. While having a lead magnet such as a free giveaway (e.g. free song, ebook, etc.) is an excellent way to attract people into...
6 reasons why it’s important to make flyers for every show 1. Not everyone is on Facebook (or Twitter, or G+, or whatever) As powerful a promotional tool as Facebook Events are, you can’t rely on just an Event invite and a few tweets to sufficiently spread the word about...
The place of digital downloads in the future music industry Steve “Renman” Rennie, a longtime friend of CD Baby (and the former manager of the band Incubus), has started a new web series called Ask Renman where he answers YOUR questions about the music business. In the...
Introducing SoundCloud’s new revenue sharing platform: On SoundCloud SoundCloud has always been a distinct outlier in the online streaming music industry. What has set them apart is how they allow anyone to upload and stream music without any annoying ads or monthly fees. For the past...
[This article was written by Ari Herstand and originally appeared on Ari's Take.] I get a lot of questions about press. Of course everyone wants a 5 star album review in Rolling Stone or an 8.7 in Pitchfork, but you have to be realistic about your...
By John Rampton If you’re sitting at your desk, daydreaming about starting your own business, this is the article for you. You already know that launching a company can be an intimidating process requiring tons of hard work. But the question has been lingering with you day...
As Spinal Tap reminds us, it’s a fine line between stupid and clever. This is particularly true in the world of popular music, where one bad move can kill an otherwise great tune. Here’s a list of ways to sabotage your next song during the writing or recording process...
[This article was written by guest contributor Brandon Seymour.] I’ve played in bands on and off for nearly 15 years. In addition to being a musician, I’m also passionate about marketing. Over the past couple of years, I’ve written several articles aimed at helping local,...
Time to look towards what’s next – away from Facebook. [This article was written by Greta Gothard of The Gothard Sisters. It originally appeared on the band's website and is addressed to their fans. I thought it'd be valuable to repost here as Greta does a great job...
Oscar winning actor and star of Kato Hammond's 1982 Young Playwrights award winning play, Denzel Washington stands among students giving them an empowering speech about their crafts, gifts, and missions. Watch the following inspiring video clip, and then check out the transcript below it. "True desire in...
Sean “Puffy” Combs, 44, has come full circle. The entertainment mogul who dropped out of college at Howard University in 1990, over two decades ago to start a career in music, has earned an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in recognition of his achievements as an...