The 3 Biggest Delusions Musicians STILL Have About the Music Industry

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog.

Despite mountains of easy-to-find evidence to the contrary, musicians still have some serious delusions about the music industry and how to “make it.” To quote the amazing Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones – because what he says is #truth – “If it was an overnight success, it was one long, hard, sleepless night.” If that still hasn’t penetrated your skull, well, here are three more specific delusions musicians still have about the biz, and each one revolves around the idea thatovernight successes are a serious myth.

Click to read more ...

MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: | 4 Types Of Videos That Musicians Can Make Today

• Dartsya Tarkovska | 4 Types Of Videos That Musicians Can Make Today 
• Cherie Nelson | 5 Cloud Storage Options For Musicians 
• Jorge Brea | How To Stay Motivated To Make Music
• Larry Butler | What’s Your Name And How Do You Spell That 

How to Stay Motivated to Make Music

In the age of internet 2.0 and social media basically taking over our everyday existence, it’s easy to get distracted. On top of all of the issues facing our every day lives, we have to provide for ourselves, loved ones, etc. thus a day job or something substantial is quite important. How in the heck are you going to find the time to continue expressing yourself through music and also, how will you stay motivated?

Click to read more ...

WHAT'S YOUR NAME AND HOW DO YOU SPELL THAT?

This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee ended in a tie for the second year in a row. Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam both correctly spelled through the list of 11 championship words, which included such everyday terms as boquetiere (an assortment of fresh vegetables) and hippocrepiform (shaped like a horseshoe), to share in the trophy. I would suggest that there could have been an obvious tiebreaker to establish a true winner of the spelling bee – each of the finalists should have been asked to spell each other’s last name.

Click to read more ...

5 Cloud Storage Options for Musicians

When searching for the optimal cloud storage platform for your music, a few important factors must be considered prior to selecting a provider. For starters, you want to confirm the storage space is adequate and the platform is user-friendly, secure and reliable. And should the cloud storage provider experience technical difficulties, you need to understand how they get things back up and running. Price is another important element because space can fill up quickly, so it needs to be scalable.

With these factors in mind, here are some of the best cloud storage options for musicians, producers and DJs:

Click to read more ...

4 types of videos that musicians can make today

We all know how popular Youtube is but when it comes to music, there are still lots of musicians who still don’t know how to deal with it. Most of them can’t shoot official videos to each song of the album and post it every week. So… you have nothing to show, right? Well, it’s not true. There’re at least 4 types of videos strictly connected to your music and guess what? You can make it Today!

Click to read more ...

Spotify Now or Never

In recent news Spotify has partnered up in a steamy business relationship with Starbucks. The deal makes Spotify the sole supplier of music to all 7,000 Starbuck stores. Baristas will be creating music playlists, using Spotify’s Premium membership in early fall. Starbucks reward members will have access to music on Spotify and have a huge influence on what is played in the stores. Reward members will also be able to use their star rewards as currency just like a virtual jukebox, for subscribing to Spotify’s Premium membership.

Click to read more ...

MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: |Victorious Vinyl: What “New Vintage” Is Doing for Music

• Emma Sturgis | Victorious Vinyl: What “New Vintage” Is Doing For Music
• Yves Riesel | Why Streaming Music Still Doesn’t Make Any Money
• Wallace Collins | “Sampling” Issues: Questions And Answers
• Simon Davies | Music Production: Accesibility & Experimentation In The Bedroom

Click to read more ...

Why Music Streaming Still Doesn’t Make Enough Money.

Unlimited music streaming is a new method of commercialising recorded music - and it is a poisoned chalice. As far as users are concerned, it is magical. But, when it comes to profits, it can leave a bitter taste in the mouth of many licensed services and platforms. The forthcoming launch of Apple Music will show that the key to creating a truly viable business model in this arena is simple: coming to terms with the fact that free streaming, where the user is not expected to pay for their listening experience, is a mistake, and the argument that it helps fight against piracy is a trap for the naive.

Click to read more ...

"Sampling" Issues: Questions and Answers

Many clients ask about whether or not they can “sample” from an existing sound recording and how much is permissible to use, and whether or not they need permission to embody a sample in their new sound recording.

Click to read more ...

Music Production: Accessibility & Experimentation in the Bedroom

One of the advantages of living in our digital age is the technology that grants accessibility to all kinds of creative pursuits. This is particularly true when it comes to music production, because even if an individual isn’t inspired to learn an instrument, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy sequencing beats or reversing vocal samples.

Click to read more ...

Victorious Vinyl: What “New Vintage” Is Doing for Music

No one can deny that “vintage” is in. To achieve the ultimate in chic, nowadays, one need not even have access to the tokens of days long gone, as the mere appearance of oldness can pass as the height of style. You don’t have to look far to see evidence of the “new vintage” trend—so-called “hipsters” sport suspenders and waxed mustaches on street corners in every major Western city.

Click to read more ...

MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: | Artist Merchandising Made Simple

• Liz Upton | Artist Merchandising Made Simple
• Cherie Nelson| Your Summer Music Festival Guide
• Jason Ventura | American Idol Signing Off

American Idol Signing Off

After fifteen seasons American Idol is finally signing off. Sad you say? No, I am happy as can be. I have never liked the American Idol format of contestants with minute talent, being transformed into an over night music success. On air talent was selected by music background and skill. In later seasons the guesswork was taken out, leaving less work for the judges. Contestant Clay Aiken admitted to this happening after his American Idol appearance.

Click to read more ...