Back in 2013, Ben wrote about Facebook’s Custom Audiences feature and how seamlessly it can integrate with MailChimp accounts. A lot has happened since the tool launched—at MailChimp, and probably at your business too. So if you missed the integration when it was new, or if you’re one of the few million new users we’ve […]
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Why bands should play two (or more) shows in the same town in the same week, and how venues can benefit from it
[This article was written by Cristof Ensslin, cellist and manager of The Wilhelm Brothers, a cello-infused folk rock band from Asheville NC.] Are you doing the booking for an indie band? Have you ever come across a venue that didn’t want you to book another show within a certain radius and time span? Chances are, […]
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Apple Music Lacks A Core
Mark Knight, the founder of Right Chord Music explains why Apple Music fails him and struggling musicians. I’ve always been a firm believer that when it comes to music consumption people broadly fall into three groups. 1. Listeners 2. Active Listeners 3. Discoverers The first group is the most passive in their consumption habits, the […]
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7 signs your music grind is finally paying off
[This article is written by guest contributor Brandon Waardenburg, founder of artist coaching service Apparatus.] The lustre of performing live can die pretty quickly. When you’ve seen more dive-y bars than you’ve seen daylight hours. When you step in yet another unidentifiable sticky object on the bar floor. When the door man stiffs you $100 […]
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9 Secrets From Indie Artists for Selling a Ton of Merch After Their Shows
This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog. You packed the house. You had a fantastic performance. The entire crowd loved every minute of your set. Now you have to turn that enthusiasm into album and T-shirt sales. How do you go about doing that? That’s a question I asked a few indie hip-hop artists […]
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SoundCloud Imposes API Streaming Limits
As part of its moves to monetize the platform and properly compensate creators, SoundCloud has been making a series of changes – some of which have not been well received by users. ________________________ Starting July 1, SoundCloud will introduce streaming limits. Any track hosted on the service and delivered via its API will be limited […]
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A2IM Cautions Indies Not To Sign Current Apple Music Offer
After a source shared the contract that Apple Music was offering independent record labels, we wrote about Apple’s insistence that no money would be paid to rightsholders during the 90 day free trial of its new subscription music service launching on June 30th. Apple’s iTunes is among the top sources income for most labels; and […]
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June Replication Special – 1,000 CD’s in Sleeves
Top Quality CD Replication at Ridiculous Prices! Get: 1,000 replicated CDs, full color imprint (offset or silkscreen) 5″ x 5″ full color (4/4) cardboard sleeve Includes shrink wrap All For $699 (plus shipping) Standard turnaround time for new orders is 10 business days from artwork approval. Wallets & digipaks are 14 business days. All orders […]
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Getting Social Series: Social Strategy & Digital Presence
We understand that when you’re writing, rehearsing, recording and eventually distributing new music, social media isn’t always a top priority. However when it comes to building excitement around and promoting that new release, it should be one the first things that comes to mind! Think about it: people who follow you on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, […]
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Dos and Don’ts of Demo Submission
{Editor’s Note: This blog was written by Thomas Sontag, A&R at Turbo Recordings and MixGenius. It was originally featured on the LANDR Blog. With LANDR’s Instant Mastering tool, you can give your recordings a more polished sound in minutes!] During my eight-year tenure at Turbo Recordings, I would guess that I’ve received over 50,000 demos, […]
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Independent Artists, Labels Score More Than 50% Of 2016 Grammy Nominations
Independent labels and artists received 205 Grammy nominations for 2106 out of 405 non-producer category nominations., more than 50% of the total. In 15 of the categories, independents secured 100% of the nominations. Courtesy of A2IM Independent labels received several nominations in key categories, including Record Of The Year, Album of the Year, Song Of […]
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Being “Seen”: How To Maximize Your Album’s Online Visibility
For independent artists, making your music available in online stores and on streaming services is relatively easy, but gaining any kind of online visibility outside of friends and family is often quite a challenge. Here we offer some advice on what steps you should take to broaden the digital reach of your music. ________________________________________ Guest Post by Mike […]
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Making MailChimp for Apple Watch
Last month, when Apple unveiled their new watch to the world, my MailChimp mobile teammates and I immediately knew we wanted to build something for it. But we wanted to make it truly useful, not just an app for the sake of having one. New tech toys are fun, but we knew what we made […]
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Tips for Celebrating Holidays While on Tour
Being a musician often means traveling—and lots of it. While you love being in a band and going on tour to share your music with appreciative fans, part of your heart stays at home with your spouse and kids. This is especially true for holidays and birthdays. While it is tough to be apart on […]
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Investing in People Through Profit Sharing
As one of the newer members of MailChimp’s senior leadership team (I’ve been here 17 months), I’ve been amazed at the company’s generosity from day one. I’ve worked for much bigger companies—some like Microsoft, whose benefits and compensation are legendary. Yet none of them compared to MailChimp—in dollar value, career fulfillment, or pride of ownership […]
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4 Ways Musicians Can Make Money Online
4 Ways Musicians Can Make Money Online When I see this sentence my radar usually goes off. I mean if it were that simple everyone would be able to do it, right? Certainly, there are many scams out there. The good news is there are also many legit ways for musicians to make money online.
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How to design an instantly recognizable band logo
[The following article was written by Tyler Allen and it originally appeared on The Sonicbids Blog.] I’ve harped way too often that your band is your brand, but it’s true. I’ve also said this in other posts, and I’ll say it again: Music is weird, man. It’s this art form that takes time and thought, […]
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Fair Use: A Manual
By Eduardo Loret de Mola from Berklee’s Music Business Journal, thembj.org. Fair use has always been a contentious concept. A great number of musicians, as well as artists of other varieties, include copyrighted material in their own works through techniques such as sampling and parodying. However, many of these works do not fall under the […]
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