Everywhere you go, people appreciate the ability to pay for products and services with plastic. Some countries, like Japan, are basically a cash-first society. But in North America, many of us are used to making payments with debit and credit cards because of their ease of use and convenience. Even though it doesn’t make much…
Product placement has been around for a long time, and it’s become increasingly common since the early 2000s. With the advent of social media influencers and this new way of communicating with fans, product placement has become more accessible to people with smaller audiences as well. There is definitely money to be made with placements,…
Hey there. Good news: as of today, all of the guides on our blog are now 100% free to read!! If you’ve been a reader of this site for any amount of time, you’ll likely know that it’s been largely ‘member only’. You could get some of the guides for free by joining as a…
TV talent shows like American Idol and The Voice went through a bit of a cultural “moment” a few years ago. These shows are somewhat less important now, but they are still very popular. Similarly, radio talent shows were once a major driver for exposure and even cash. Now, good radio contests are harder to…
So you’ve decided to become a studio engineer. At first, it might seem pretty intimidating, and no question, there is a lot to learn. But once you get to the point of being able to connect a microphone and start capturing performances, your confidence will begin to grow. Then it’s just a matter of taking…
Many artists aspire to be signed to their dream label, independent or major. Some still view this as the pinnacle of success in the music industry. Being signed has certain advantages, though most are unwilling to do a whole lot for you unless they see you as being a viable money-making opportunity. If they don’t…
For many home studio owners, a MIDI keyboard is an integral part of the studio setup. MIDI keyboards are multi-faceted. They can be used for recording and live performance equally, and depending on the model, can be very good at creating and modelling sounds. In the studio, the MIDI keyboard is principally used to quickly…
So, you want to set up a home studio. You want to start producing music. Where do you start? There are so many things to spend your money on, it can feel overwhelming! The truth is, you just want to start making music. So, we’re going to give you the definitive list of hardware that…
Booking DIY tours is challenging work. Believe me, I know. My band has been booking DIY tours for years. Generally, we start four to six months out, route the tour and start pitching. We’re not just contacting venues and promoters – we’re also contacting bands and trying to get added to bills. We’re organizing promo,…
Up until recently, an artist could stand out on the merits of the uniqueness of their style of music. When making niche music, you still had to stay within the constraints of what sounded good, even if there were only a thousand people that would ever like it. But you’d be surprised by how far…
How are you marketing your music? There are many experts teaching people how to get the most from their promotion efforts. Unfortunately, I believe the inordinate focus on social media is grossly misplaced. I am aware of the success stories, but they tend to be the exception and not the rule. We just keep talking…
It’s all well and good to delve into the business side of music – necessary, even. But does it ever seem like you have too many tasks on your hands? Do you have a tough time completing them all, and even when you do, dread the thought of having to do just as much work…
Want to buy a Chewie Monsta Looper, or the latest model a Chewie 2 like Ed Sheeran showed off at the Grammys? Well while this is a custom made piece of equipment which can’t be bought, the good news is his Chewie 2 is basically used to control a Roland FC300 MIDI Controller, which can…
At music conferences, image and branding is one of the most often discussed topics. Everyone understands how important it is, so organizers always put together a couple of panels on the subject. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never come away from a conference on image and branding feeling better off. The thing is,…
Looking for a top guitar pick? Want to know how to choose a guitar pick which is right for you? Well you have come to the right place. When you’re learning how to play guitar like a pro, you’ll soon discover guitar picks are a big part of playing as a beginner. That said with…