If you want to release an album that will blow your fan’s socks off, you need to do more than just hype it up. The problem with hype is that it always dies down at some point. And, after the fog of rah-rah is clear, there’s a good chance nobody will even care. If the…
When you’re playing with a band and taking it seriously, it’s important to take rehearsals seriously. You need to show up on time, know what you’re going to rehearse, and have structure throughout the rehearsal. In a big band, it can be hard to get regular rehearsals in. This makes it all the more vital…
“How do I get people out to my shows when even my family members don’t want to come?”, lamented a fellow musician on Facebook earlier this year. Fair question. After all, who loves you more than your parents, relatives, or siblings, right? If they aren’t your top supporters, who will be? Truth be told, this…
Disclaimer: This article is one man’s view. In short, yes. Location matters in any career, and this is especially true in music. If a town is inundated with plumbers, it’s probably not a good place to start a career as a plumber. You should always be looking for where the opportunities are. That said, it’s…
Music is an all-consuming job. A lot of people work jobs they don’t need to take home with them. If you’re working reception or serving at a restaurant, when you punch out, you’re done. You don’t need to think about your job for the rest of the day. Music isn’t like that. In fact, if…
Many musicians live for the road and the stage. There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of bringing your music to your fans, live and in-person. Once the initial excitement wears off, performing might feel like a bit of a grind. Audiences may not respond to your music. Gig revenue might be low or non-existent. Venues…
One of the most interesting things about the music industry is the different musical paths that artists and bands end up on. Depending on your upbringing, you may or may not have known people who played music their entire lives. People go about it in a variety of different ways. There are many stages in…
There are many approaches to songwriting these days. Some musicians like to crank out as many tunes as they possibly can to create more opportunities for themselves. Others like to take their time and put out quality music every time they release something new. And many others lie somewhere in the balance of this spectrum…
As I’m sure you know, if you hang out with anyone long enough, you’ll eventually get into some sort of disagreement with them. This problem is sometimes exacerbated tenfold when you’re in a band with them. Something about the intense shared experiences, creative process, and the ties that art has on people’s ego and pride,…
If you feel like a 360 deal is the logical next step for your career, you probably aren’t alone in thinking that. It turned out to be a great career move for some bands like Paramore. So, if you know it’s something you want to do, how do you go about getting offered a 360…
Ideally, you’ll end up playing a lot of live shows. The more shows you play, the more you get in front of an audience, the better you’ll get at your craft, and the more people will hear your music. The amount of shows you’re playing is often a good indicator of how well your career…
Artists are offered a variety of deals and opportunities every single day. Unfortunately, there are plenty of legitimate looking businesses that simply prey on artists and their desire to become ultra-successful. Plus, email spam is commonplace in virtually everyone’s inbox unless you have amazing filters. Watch out for those just trying to get into your…
Playing music is without a doubt the best job in the world. If you can make it work financially, you’ll be free to do pretty much whatever you want, whenever you want, and play music every day. Those of us who can do this are among the luckiest people in the world. On the music…
Marketing isn’t necessarily easy. But anyone who says it isn’t fun is lying to you. You get to experiment, apply your creativity, and gain more exposure for your art. Seriously, what could be more fun? Though there are many ways to promote your music, sticking to the following proven methods will help you cut through…
House concerts have been around forever in one form or another – from the East Coast kitchen parties to live band parties – but lately, they’ve become a way for artists to make good money and for fans to experience music and art up close and personal. Having hosted and played many house concerts, I’ve…