Coldwave Blog - Music Tips For Independent Artists

Blog post originally from the   SymphonicBlog . By Darren Cooper . Artists are driven by the desire to create from what comes deep within . We take dreams and ideas and construct something tangible for others to consume. A lyric. A painting. Each time striving to be better than before. But in doing so we can isolate ourselves, and that’s the last thing need to do. That’s why community is so important. A few weeks ago I had an idea and I wanted to see if it would resonate with anyone else. So after pondering it for a while (and realizing that if I didn’t act fear would win), I decided to take action. I sent a message to a few of my artist friends and asked them one question. I asked if they would you be interested in coming to a monthly artist meeting. The goal would be to come together and talk about wins we have had, ideas we are working on, and how we can help each other grow in our careers. I wasn’t really ready for the response I received . Everyone I aske...

Blog post originally from the   SymphonicBlog . By Concert Window . Whether you’re an emerging artist or a seasoned professional, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of online resources out there these days, all claiming to be the best way to either engage with your fan base, reach new audiences, or make money. The virtual concert is a relatively new concept, but one that is growing rapidly and is proving hugely successful on every level. A virtual concert is basically a show you broadcast online, allowing people to tune in from anywhere by mobile device or computer. It’s as easy as opening up your laptop and performing from your own home. Music fans around the globe can tune into the live show, pay for tickets, give tips, buy merch and chat with you, all in real time. Best thing about it is you only need to get dressed from the waist up.. . . . we’re joking…. No really, please cover up! Below is a guide to help you create the best experience for fans and cash ...

Blog post originally from the MusicClout . With today’s technological advances, musicians have an unlimited amount of choices for furthering their music career. The rise of social media in the last ten years has made it easier than ever to attract and reach out to your fans. With each one of today’s social media platforms having its advantages and disadvantages, it is important to have an understanding of what works and what doesn’t on each particular platform. In this article, we will focus on Twitter. Twitter is an online social media networking service that enables users to send and read short 140-character messages called, tweets. Users can access Twitter through the website interface, SMS, or the mobile device app. In 2013 Twitter was one of the ten most visited websites. It has been described as, “the SMS of the internet.” Twitter, more than any other platform,  makes it easy to find new fans of your music. Below I’ve outlined a list of nine things every musician m...

Blog post originally from MusicClout . A Guest Post by Rowen Bridler . The good thing to note about realising you’ve made a few mis-steps in your career is that this is a perfectly valid entrepreneurial business tactic – it’s called ‘testing’. If something didn’t work, you know not to do it again and that way, you learn what does work. However, far too many musicians spend too long doing things that aren’t working without realising it, and that adds up to tedium, frustration and a major lack of progress. So, stop for a moment and check if you’ve been doing any of these things: 1) Being inconsistent Do you only work on your songs when you feel like it? Do you only play gigs when a friend mentions there’s a free slot one evening? If you can’t say when you practise and when you’re next gigging, you are probably projecting a kind of ‘hit and miss’ approach to your career. You can fix your inconsistent behaviour by setting aside certain non-negotiable times when you’ll defi...

This article originally appeared on   PowerPublicity . Publicity is a powerful tool to increase awareness of your music, build your image, and grow your brand. While many emerging artists know they need publicity, they have misconceptions about how publicity works and how it fits into their overall marketing plan. Some even think that publicity is the magic component to catapult their career into mainstream success. We hate to tell you, but it does not work that way…at all. These misconceptions can prevent you from running a campaign on your own or with your publicist. Here are seven music publicity myths that musicians believe. Myth: Publicity will boost my albums sales There is no direct correlation between publicity and album sales. The main purpose of publicity is to generate awareness for your music and brand. While publicity does not directly lead to sales, no one will listen or purchase your music if they do not know it exists, right? Myth: Publicity is going to make me fa...

Blog post originally from the SymphonicBlog . “THIS DAY AND AGE, JUST MAKING MUSIC IS NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH.” -ASAF BORGORE Here’s the reality: everybody makes music. In my niche, electronic music , this is especially the case. It easier now to be a musician than it has ever been before. To stand out from the sea of artists, it has never been more important to develop skill sets that complement your music. You might think, “Gee, Sky, shouldn’t I triple down on my music in order to stand out?” You could. It’s simpler to be different than to be better because there will always be people better than you. Unless you’re Beethoven and have been playing music since you could walk, you probably can’t skate by on music alone. So instead of directly competing with the thousands of musicians who make and play similar music to you, go the road less travelled by and build out your other skill sets. Whether you want to stand out to a promoter or cut through a label’s inbox, here are tips for...

A guest post by Schwilly Family Musicians. Originally found at MusicClout As the band was packing up, I brushed by and could hear the owner spouting his contorted excuses about why he couldn’t pay the guarantee. I’ve heard it all before and I’ve felt that crushing feeling of not knowing how I would make it to the next town because an owner or promoter let me down. I was glad it wasn’t me in that position that night. That’s why it surprised me to see that Tony just nodded and smiled as he listened the news! It all made sense twenty minutes later when I saw him packing up the merch booth. As he stuffed an impressive wad of cash into his guitar case, he gave me the most valuable piece of advice I ever heard on tour: “Don’t rely on the promoters. As long as you put on a killer show and have killer merch, you’ll always have enough gas to make it to the next stop.” The bottom line is that if you want to be a professional musician, you should have a solid merch setup...

A Guest Post by Howtorunaband.com Originally found at MusicClout I know a lot of bands, my own previous band included, that will book any venue that will give them a chance to play. Sometimes you have to do this just to get a chance to play! But if you don’t know anything about the venue before you book, you could be heading for potential disaster. I’m going to cover some pointers from what I’ve learned after years of booking my band. A bit of research about a venue can really help you out before you book there. You might find out that you want to run screaming in the opposite direction of that venue! Know their booking details Bands often miss this extremely important detail: Read the venue’s booking details from their site . Some venues spell out every single detail of their club, down to what the stage dimensions are and how many people they expect your band to bring through the door. But I see bands that completely ignore doing this. The club spelled out exactly what...

Blog post originally from MusicClout In today’s ultra-competitive and sometimes oversaturated music industry, it is important for independent bands and artists to not only go out and perform in order to gain fans, but to also understand and relate with these people. Knowing who your audience is and what they are all about can help you connect with them on a deeper level in order to gain truly devoted followers of you and your music. These things are necessary in order to independently take your act to the next level! As an independent musician, your fans are your greatest asset. Learning about them any way possible can turn them from a casual fan to someone who buys your merchandise and attends all of your shows. One of the first things you should ask yourself is “Where do my fans (or potential fans) hang out? What is their ‘scene’? What other bands do they listen to and where do those bands play?” Knowing this will enable you to book shows and events in the right parts of town....

A Guest Post by The Musicians Guide Originally from MusicClout One thing that fascinates me about how bands develop is the ‘leaps’ where a band grows exponentially over a short period of time. Very few bands grow at an incremental rate their whole career – but what causes these leaps? In practical terms, how can you double, triple or quadruple the size of your fan base in a short period of time? I urge you to not just read this post and go back to browsing Twitter. No one builds their fan base by clicking on links all day. You build your fan base by taking action – testing and learning what works, and eliminating what doesn’t. 1. Every single fan must (on average) generate at least one new fan To double or triple the size of your fanbase you need every one of your current fans to (on average) introduce your music to one or two of their friends who will also take the same action. This is the most fundamental point to this blog post. The larger the number...

Blog post originally from the SymphonicBlog . Hey there, Symphonic Blog reader. I’m Sky–I’m a former DJ/producer, record label manager, and all-around live production dude. I run the lifestyle brand Pariah Reign , and will be doing guest articles here on Symphonic. These articles will chat about the music industry through the lens of electronic music. Enjoy. Intro This article is written for those who want to become a crucial element of their local music scene. If you want people to know who you are, and talk about you, this is how you go from 0 to 100. It may not be real quick, but it’ll happen. This article is written from the perspective of an electronic music producer/DJ, but the principles apply outside of electronic music, and even out of music in general, because these are interpersonal skills to make you more well-connected, knowledgeable, and influential. 1. Have talent (make yourself talented) None of the following suggestions work if you are not talente...