One of the reasons many artists find it difficult to spend more time on their creative work is because they must spend time earning a living. That tension causes some musicians to become increasingly frustrated over time. They repeatedly ask themselves, “when will I ever get to focus on what I love?” As a creative…
Occasionally, you hear about an artist getting taken to court over a copyright violation. Some famous cases that stick out in my mind are Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” and Robin Thicke’s “Got To Give It Up”. These cases always make me cringe a little, because I can imagine being on either side. Sometimes, it’s…
There are more TV channels and movies popping up all the time. If that wasn’t enough, Netflix has been creating more and more original content for their platform. There are more opportunities for you to get your music placed in movies and TV shows than ever, assuming you have the goods music supervisors are looking…
It’s hard to know what your brand should look like, what your next single should be, what promo shots you should use. In fact, it’s just hard to know what to do in general. I also feel like musicians and artists are worse at making these decisions than most people. Self-doubt and self-consciousness can cripple…
If you’ve been learning about promoting your music for any length of time, then you probably know how important it is to get your music reviewed by influential bloggers. Reviews don’t just bolster exposure, streams, or sales. If that’s all you’re looking for, you should probably focus on selling to your fans instead of getting…
I’ve talked a fair bit lately about ways to make extra money playing music. There are plenty of ways to monetize your music career as an original artist, but there’s no shame in playing other people’s music as well. Many great musicians grew up playing covers, singing in lounges, and playing for tips. It’s a…
Vine shut down earlier this year. Twitter has been on shaky ground for a while, and it may end up in the hands of Google, who appears to be buying it up in pieces. Who knows what will happen after that? Instagram seems well-positioned to edge out Snapchat. Some even call Google+ a failure (I…
Have you ever transcribed a musician’s part in a song, only to find out that it’s very simple and uses many of the same techniques and scales that you already know? It can be frustrating trying to figure out what makes great musicians sound so good. There are may things that make great musicians great,…
Have you ever thought about getting into street performing? I have good news for you – it isn’t very hard to get started, and so long as you play by the rules, you shouldn’t run into any problems. If you put time and effort into developing your set list, and play at the right places…
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about ways to generate revenue that accrues every month without a bunch of extra work. Many entrepreneurs do this – set up an online course or build an app – and let it make money every month. This is called passive income. The best way to set this up…
Things are tough out there. There are still many ways to make money as a musician, but if you aren’t proactive and innovative in your approach, you could easily find yourself without sufficient income to sustain your art. To avoid this situation, you should educate yourself on the various income streams available – not just…
It’s hard to admit we don’t understand something, especially something that everyone else seems to understand. If you’ve ever played live or tried to record and mix your own music, you’ve probably come across an effect known as compression. Compression is literally everywhere. Compression and EQ are two of the most important plug-ins or effects…
So, you want to dominate YouTube rankings. Be forewarned: This will take work. And if you’re timid at heart, or shy, or lazy, or nervous about getting the word out about your videos, these methods aren’t for you. But if you want to hedge your bets on video marketing – and I think this is…
For most of us, being a working full-time musician is more of a dream than a reality. It can be hard to make enough money to support yourself without having to give away precious hours to a “real job”. I’m not here to tell you that you can make music into a full-time gig right…
What is the holy grail in the music industry? That depends on who you ask, but many musicians will tell you that it’s landing a contract with a label. Getting signed can be a worthwhile goal. But because of some of the restrictions it often comes along with, it might limit your flexibility and your…