Tips & Tricks

[ad_1] While artists may typically think of music sales as being their primary stream of revenue, merch sales can also be a fantastic way for independent artists to put food on the table. Here we look at the top sites for getting merch out to fans. ______________________ Guest post by Raquel Dixit When you think […]

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[ad_1] Tracking the position of a song or album was much easier for Billboard when such things were based strictly on sales, but in the age of streaming they’ve been forced to adapt how they get their numbers. That said, one service is still being conspicuously left out: YouTube. ___________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski […]

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[ad_1] Here we look at some tips and advice for bands or artists who reach the stage in their career where they’re ready to hit the road for their first major tour, outlining how they should plan for maximum success, and what they should be prepared for. Guest post by Rich Nardo of the TuneCore […]

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[ad_1] With the rise of playlist culture, and the nature of music consumption changing so rapidly, many are questioning whether the conventional album is worthy investment of a band or artist’s resources. In this piece we look at why albums still matter. Guest post by Patrick McGuire of the ReverbNation Blog In today’s landscape of […]

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How many streams does it take to get into the Spotify top 200? Charting on Spotify can change things for an artist, and potentially alter an entire career.  But most artists (and even labels) have no idea what it takes to climb into the coveted top 200 ranking.  Now, there are some concrete stats: according […]

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Want better payouts from YouTube? Then stop accepting lower payouts from YouTube. It’s really that simple. The music industry is often accused of promoting ‘brain drain,’ engaging in constant infighting, offering wild overcompensation for underwhelming results, suing instead of solving business problems, and routinely getting out-strategized by smarter big tech interests.  But beyond these enormous, self-imposed handicaps, […]

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This is how you can hack your streaming royalties. Earlier this year, DMN starting asking artists and labels to share their streaming royalty statements, which unearthed a pile of incredible per-stream statistics.  That’s part of an ongoing data-sharing project to battle the incredible lack of transparency in the streaming music space (and, please send your […]

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Are you stuck on YouTube and don’t know how to get out? Justin Bieber was the first superstar to come out of YouTube, but it almost feels like he was the last.  Since Bieber’s ascent, hundreds of thousands of artists have flocked to the platform, often recording endless covers and never crossing over.  That sometimes includes artists […]

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The greatest bands create great memories and a total escape at their shows.  If that’s not happening for you, here are the most common reasons why audiences disengage and what you can do about them. Most artists are earning a huge percentage of revenues from live shows, not recordings or publishing.  So why are so […]

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Rihanna’s ANTI album gained a number one spot on Billboards top 100 chart the week after it was released exclusively on Tidal’s streaming service. This was achieved without Spotify or any other streaming service except Tidal. Just 15 hours after ANTI was released on Tidal, the album was downloaded more than 1.4 million times, and by the end […]

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  First, a Disclaimer (after all, I ‘m a lawyer). This series of articles and the forms included in them have been created for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. This article and other articles in this series should be used as a guide to understanding the law, not as a substitute […]

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After keeping her new “Adele 25” album purposely on-demand streaming music services, today Adele released her new single “When We Were Young” to Spotify and other on-demand streaming music services.  It’s a well timed move that will help her stay at or near the top of the charts. After dominating the music charts for weeks, […]

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Merch not selling as much as you’d like? The following article offers a series of tips for how to change your merch display so as to maximize customer engagement, as well as some ways to plug your new album from stage without coming of as too sales-y. _________________________________ Guest Post by Chris Robley on The DIY Musician […]

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Just because a DIY artist doesn’t have the backing of a major label does not mean they aren’t capable of producing a high-quality and engaging music video. Here we look at four such independent efforts and hear from the artists featured in each one. ____________________________________ Guest Post by Chris Robley on The DIY Musician Between CD […]

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Former indie and major label musician (The Lemonheads, Blake Babies) turned music attorney John Strohm who represents, among others, The Alabama Shakes and Bon Iver shares his optimistic vision for the future of streaming and the music business in general. ________________________________ Guest post from Songspace The last 15 years have been a wild ride, but the dust is finally starting […]

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When it comes to having a career in music, asking yourself the right questions, like how to create superfans or make a living as an artist, are hugely important to being successful, and asking yourself the wrong ones can just as easily derail an otherwise promising career. _________________________________ In this article from MusicThinkTank, Tom Hess poses five […]

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Here entertainment lawyer and assistant chair of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music in Boston, John Kellogg Esq, answers five questions ranging from how to advance one’s career, to the ins and outs of a 360 deal. _______________________________ In this recent interview on MusicThinkTank from Cyber PR, Ariel Hyatt sat down with John Kellogg to pick his brain about […]

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Musicians are a scattered bunch. I know you agree with me. Don’t lie. I think some of them just glide through life with this “things are bound to happen!” mentality. I mean, optimism is great and all but you know what’s better? Actually being in control of what’s going to happen. Do you know how you can get more […]

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