The music industry landscape has changed drastically over the past 10-15 years. It’s pretty much unrecognizable from the music industry that I grew up with through high school. So why hasn’t the mindset of the musicians changed as fast? For those seeking a musical path to stardom, it sounds to me that the majority of bands still see getting signed as Nirvana (the point of enlightenment, not Kurt Cobain’s band). (more…)
The idea of mixing business with pleasure, through the oft-needed shared work space, came up recently during a discussion with two friends in NYC. He currently shares with other like-minded custom furniture builders without a problem. She no longer shares with other musicians due to the multitude of bad situations she kept finding herself in. (more…)
I'll be the first one to admit, compiling top lists like this is never easy and subject to author bias and reader criticism. However, I'm still gonna go for it. And that's only because I'm putting this disclaimer here and letting you fantastically awesome people tell me what else I might have overlooked or should not have included in the comments on this article. We good? Aight, let's do this. (more…)
Dreaming about getting your band on a festival ticket where your music will get heard by those in the industry who may be able to help? Well, read on as we are pleased to share this guest blog from Mike with the hard-working band Sunspot. He explains what keeps luring them back to one of the biggest music gatherings in the country. It may just make you want to go, too. (more…)
Each year, people in the record store industry have looked forward to that special time in April when the jolly man comes down their chimney and fills their stockings with all sorts of gifts and goodies. This year, that man is no other than Public Enemy's very own Chuck D. And just for the record (pun intended), this has nothing to do with Christmas. It's the third Saturday of April: It's Record Store Day! (more…)
With all the discussion about tackling the music business on your own and choosing not to get signed by the existing industry, it’s hard to keep the two separate. There is plenty of overlap in several subjects that pertain to both the mainstream and independent industries. The one thing that most people say you should leave to the mainstream is your royalties and licensing. I personally would beg to differ (cue the critics!). (more…)
It’s almost March, and if you’re in the music industry, you know what time it is: South by Southwest (SXSW) time! As many bands make the annual trek to Austin to either perform or promote, we thought it would be a good idea to put together a guide that covers some important things to remember when representing yourself, your band, your business and your music to fans and industry professionals, at SXSW or any music event. These opportunities are about making a good impression and educating yourself, not getting discovered and signed! (more…)
There’s no shame in taking inspiration from tried-and-tested music. (more…)
Let's face it: more and more of us are putting away the good ol' fashioned FM radio and opting for services that give us more options and freedom, such as Pandora, Spotify and other Internet-based services. (more…)