Music Education: Why It Is Important To The Industry

Music is a product of many factors. The more avenues an artist can draw upon, the more original their music will tend to sound. For many aspiring musicians, there exists a notion that being self-taught, often in a rather unorthodox fashion, is what being a successful musician is all about. Although it is true that some rare musicians will thrive with this philosophy, the reality is that these individuals are quite rare.

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The Scary “S” Word: Redefining Success As A Musician

Too often, our first instinct when measuring “success” is by the amount of money that’s in your bank account. One year Joe Shmo is making 30K annually, and the next year he gets a raise to 45k. Now he’s more successful, right? However, in music you’ll notice that unlike most other professional fields, “success” is a far more intangible and complicated concept to measure.

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How To Get Your Music On Hip-Hop Blogs

As a hip-hop artist, just making music and putting it out there for the world is not enough anymore. Technology has made it easy for almost anyone to purchase the basic equipment and become a rapper. Not only has this made promoting your music more difficult, it’s also made getting your music featured in hip-hop blogs less likely due to tons of artist submitting their music.

However, for those that put in the extra work requred to stand out and get noticed, you might call it “easy”. Most hip-hop artist are using spammy “mass-messaging” techniques and writing unprofessional pitches. So, to help you avoid making some of the same mistakes, I’m going to show you how to stand out from the crowd and get your music featured in hip-hop blogs.

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How To Get All The Benefits From SXSW Without Actually Going

It’s almost that time again - that time of year when every band and singer worth their salt makes that annual pilgrimage to Mecca (Austin) for the week-long SXSW festival. A week of no sleep, watered-down drinks, bad food, unrewarding performances and the heartbreak of the ultimate realization that it wasn’t really worth it. Never have so many spent so much time and money for so little notoriety and reward. 

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If-Only And The Hedonic Treadmill

“If only we could play this major festival, we would become successful and happy.”
“If only I could find an agent, I would have many shows and will be happy.”
“If only a major record company would discover me, I would become famous and happy.”

Do you recognize the if-only thoughts? Many musicians have them. They think that their happiness is dependent on positive events, and that positive events will lead to long-lasting happiness.

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: Set Up Your Own Home Recording Studio

• Cherie Nelson | How To Set Up Your Own Home Recording Studio
• Joy Ike | How To Book A Tour Without A Booking Agent
• Anne Kings | Music Videos Have Leaped From Entertainment To Experience
• Ariel Hyatt | 5 Questions For A Music Industry Expert
• Rachelle Wilber | How To Show Your Affection For Your Favorite Bands

How To Set Up Your Own Home Recording Studio

Independent musicians now dominate the music industry, the data shows. The independent segment’s market share grew from 25.8 to 34.5 percent between 2007 and 2013, surpassing previous industry leader Universal, according to Nielsen SoundScan. By 2020, independent musicians will outnumber label-employed musicians by 1,830 to 190, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects. Today’s technology makes this the best time in history to be an independent musician. But becoming a successful artist can require overcoming a number of startup barriers, including setting up a home recording studio. Here are a few tips for setting up and maintaining your home studio.

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How To Book A Tour Without A Booking Agent

One of the biggest challenges musicians face is booking tours. Many bands don’t have a booking agent, so booking a tour can seem like a daunting task the first time out.

Here are some key things to keep in mind to help you book a tour without a booking agent.

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Music Videos Have Leaped From Entertainment To Experience, Thanks To Social Media

The talent-hunting reality shows may have started it, but music videos in general, and social media sites, YouTube in particular, have transformed and rebranded music and their artists from entertainment to a lifestyle experience. The interactive component in shows like American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, and their various versions have given their millions of viewers part of the power to decide who wins and who loses.

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5 Questions For A Music Industry Expert - Ariel Hyatt Interviews Julie Flanders Of October Project

Julie Flanders is an expert in Creative Leadership, Self Expression and Change. She provides creative business consulting, excellence training, whole life coaching balanced-lifestyle approaches and dream achievement. She is also the founding member of the influential pop rock group October Project. 

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Concert Road Warriors - How To Show Your Affection For Your Favorite Bands

When you go to concerts, it’s more fun if you can find interesting and effective ways to support your favorite bands. It doesn’t matter if these are world famous musicians or simply friends of yours who have started a local band that you want to support. Either way, there are ways to show your loyalty and make the experience of attending concerts more fun for you and your friends.

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: Preserving Digital Music

• Dan Sarath | The Difficulties Of Preserving Digital Music
• Anita Ginsburg | 4 Places Every Music Lover Needs To Visit In Their Lifetime
• Jon Ostrow | Major Vs. Indie: What Really Happens When You Sign A Record Deal
• Hilde Spille | 4 P’s That Make It Difficult For Musicians To Deal With Fame
• Alex Cowles | Avoid Failure Simply By Speaking To Your Audience

The Difficulties Of Preserving Digital Music

Fully embracing the possibilities of digital media may have some repercussions in the future, particularly in terms of how viable it might be to preserve the music we love.

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4 Places Every Music Lover Needs To Visit In Their Lifetime

 No matter the genre, there are plenty of places lovers of music can go to revel in the vibe of their favorite music. Music continues to be one of the art forms that brings people together, and at its best, it lifts the spirits and moves the soul. It’s only fitting that music fans should visit some of the places that pay tribute to the musical experience.

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