Major Vs. Indie: What Really Happens When You Sign A Record Deal

As the recording industry continues to battle against the steady decline of physical album sales, and now steady decline in digital album sales, it can be difficult as an independent musician to determine the best path to take for long-term growth and success.

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4 P's That Make It Difficult For Musicians To Deal With Fame

Fame – that’s what most musicians dream about. In the music business we still live with the myth that once you are famous, all problems are solved. NOT! You will encounter a whole lot of new problems. Many musicians struggle with fame and with being famous. They suffer so much that some of them die far too young, like Kurt Cobain or Amy Winehouse.

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Avoid Failure Simply By Speaking To Your Audience

What elements might you say make up the perfect record label?

If you could have a label which did everything right, both internally and externally, what would it look like? How would it perform? What composite parts would form the basis?

I think to nail down such a tall order, you have to consider at least three key points of view. In order of importance they are…

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: How Piracy Law Affects The Music Business

 

• Rachelle Wilber | How Piracy Law Affects The Music Business
• Joy Ike | 14 Ways Musicians Can Make Money from Live Shows
• Jason K Ventura | Spotify: The Music Industry’s Life Support?
• Donnie Angkuw | Guidelines To Think About Before Promoting Your Music
• Russell Sheffield | The Anatomy & Politics Of A Hit Song

How Piracy Law Affects The Music Business

Piracy laws are widely contested, and it seems that nobody can agree on whether privacy laws actually affect the music business. As a culture, there are good reasons to support the creation of new music. It helps our society grow, and music has always been a part of what makes us human. While the math and sciences teach us about the world, the arts help us to learn to live together and appreciate our world.

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14 Ways Musicians Can Make Money from Live Shows

You know the adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket“. Musicians just can’t afford to do that anymore. There are just so many baskets and each one has its benefits. Some baskets will be more important to you, and some will be more important during specific times in your career.

Think of the below list as a bunch of baskets related to making money from your live performance, and determine which ones you want to use. Some of these will be no-brainers, but they’re still on the list as a reminder.

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Spotify: The Music Industry’s Life Support?

Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, does not believe that Spotify is out for anyone, but themselves. On Grammy night Portnow took to the stage to aim shots at music streaming services for making less-than lucrative deals with artists and musicians. Neil Portnow said, “Isn’t a song worth more then a penny?”

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9 Reasonable Guidelines To Think About Before Promoting Your Music Through Websites

There are so many websites for musicians. Sometimes they look similar with each other. With so many choices, people are getting puzzled of so many music sites to look at. Of course websites like Soundcloud or Bandcamp are great, but what so many young talented musicians missed is why they should sign up for that kind of sites. *It’s not just because other people do it, then you should do it too. We know that music websites is only a tool for musicians.* But musicians are not tools. Every musician should think about how they will promote their music, what is their artwork gonna be and other things apart from the music itself.

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The Anatomy & Politics Of A Hit Song

Touting his supreme confidence, Ice Cube once said, “If It was all about me, I’d do a whole lot of pop records, make a whole lot of money.” For Ice Cube, and many other people who share this belief, producing a popular song is a choice. From this perspective, some musicians have decided to make pop music, while others have chosen more alternative routes.

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: Two Pens Are Better Than One

• Russell Sheffield | Co-Writing: Two Pens Are Better Than One
• Emma Sturgis | Pitch Your Tent: Tips For Camping At A Festival
• Lizzie Weakley | What A Master’s Degree In Music Can Do For Your Teaching Career
• Dillon Roulet | The Music Industry’s Guide To Content Marketing
• Cherie Nelson | 3 Common Recording Studio Construction Mistakes

Co-Writing: Two Pens Are Better Than One

There’s sometimes a stigma associated to co-writing – as if there’s a purity to the “solitary creator” in music. We’d like to dispel the bad reputation of co-writing and say, categorically, these lone geniuses are a dime a dozen. All you have to do is look to some of your biggest musical idols like Bowie, who knew that good creation comes from good collaboration.

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Pitch Your Tent: Tips For Camping At A Festival

Camping at a festival sounds exciting and fun, but without proper preparation, the trip could turn into quite the fiasco. To avoid this scenario, campers need to be ready for the adventure they are embarking on. This could take some research of the area and learning the basics of camping, if new to the scene.

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What A Master's Degree In Music Can Do For Your Teaching Career

Being the top of any given field can be hugely advantageous for people who are looking to build a serious career. This applies to every field, but it is especially important when it comes to music education. If you are someone who has finished an undergraduate music program and are considering whether or not to try for a master’s degree, there are a number of reasons why you should.

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The Music Industry’s Guide To Content Marketing

Many marketers are calling 2016 the year of Content Marketing. It’s the hottest conversation starter amongst media folks. But is the music industry plugged into this chatter? With the Content Marketing industry expected to balloon to over $5 Billion in 2016, the answer should be definitively ‘yes’. Unfortunately, the Music industry tends to fall behind the curve of innovative digital trends. Don’t know where to begin? Check out these tips below to jumpstart your content strategy and stay ahead of the game.

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