Besides playing music, the best part of touring is exploring new cities. Have you always wanted to go to New York, Nashville, or Newfoundland? Well, you’re in a band, so go ahead and bo yourself a tour! At the end of my days, if nothing else I will have seen a lot of the world. […]
How To Get On College Radio Stations And Get Your Music Played
Radio isn’t dead. No matter what people say, getting on the charts has huge implications for your career. As an indie artist, college radio should absolutely be a part of your marketing plan. College radio stations are dedicated to playing new music and they spin music commercial stations simply can’t, due to their need for […]
5 Reasons Why Recording Yourself Is The Best Practice Tool At Your Disposal
Are you loing for a way to kick up your practice game? At times practice can feel stagnant and progress futile. But if you start recording yourself regularly, your practice will be forever changed. Over the years I have had many teachers tell me to record myself and listen back, but it to a while […]
How To Plan for Future Tours – While On Tour
Something I’ve learned while on the road is that the best time to plan for the future is right now. Traveling around the country gives you the unique opportunity to meet people you wouldn’t normally meet and make personal connections you wouldn’t otherwise make. While I’m on tour, I find it’s a good time to […]
Building A Team For Musicians From The Ground Up – Who’s First, Who’s Next
Sure, you’re an indie artist now, but what about in five years? 10 years? Will you still be completely independent? At some point you’ll (hopefully) have too much on your plate do it all yourself. Generally speaking, your team will be built slowly over the course of many months/years. Indie artists spend a great deal […]
Do You Need To Post On Social Media Everyday?
Short answer: no. Long answer: definitely not. What we’re going to do today is lo at what I consider to be the greatest social media myth of all time – and debunk it. Then, we’re going to lo at a few artists with very effective social media personas and see what we can learn from […]
How To Manage Your Finances On Tour
Believe it or not, when my band goes on tour, we make money. It’s not a lot of money, but we certainly come out on top. This is a result of a couple years of groundwork and less profitable tours, careful planning, and grants. It’s also the result of being able to manage our finances […]
Negotiating A Management Deal In Music: Do’s And Don’ts
In 2015, I received my first offer for management. It was a very exciting development, and I was loing forward to exploring this new aspect of my career… then I saw the contract. What was in there surprised me and at times – even horrified me. I’m an independent musician, and my entire salary comes […]
How To Get The Most Out Of A Publicity Campaign
It’s important to know what you’re getting into when you start a publicity campaign. Whether you’re working with a publicist, hitting it DIY, using a marketing agency or otherwise, you want to get your money’s worth and you need to make an impact. This means you need to put in some effort. Having worked with […]
How To Maximize The Effect Of A Tour Stop
In the past I’ve written about boing effective shows and promoting shows, but I have yet to cover how to make the most of a show once it’s boed and publicized. I’ve found the key to making my shows effective is knowing what you want to accomplish. I only play shows that have a purpose. […]