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Music Marketing Blog

A Resource for Independent Artists
Dec 27
Love138
Choosing Stage Name

How to Choose the Best Stage Name For Musicians

By Branding, Marketing Basics 16 Comments

This blog was last updated October 4, 2023.

Are you a new musician still trying to decide on a stage name? If you’ve been having trouble, then hopefully this blog can help.

Unless you want to perform under your given name, you should devote a considerable amount of time researching and strategizing what your stage, artist or band name should be. For a new musician, choosing a name to perform under may not seem like that big of a deal. However, you can avoid a lot of potential headaches down the line if you invest the time to research your preferred stage name. Read More

Dec 13
Love4
How NOT to get booked for shows

10 Ways for Independent Artists to NOT Get Booked for Shows

By Music Business No Comments

It is safe to say that if you want to make a living off of music, you need to book gigs. Lots of them. Not only does it put money in your pocket, but gigs are a great way to get exposure and reach new fans.

Performing live is the biggest source of income for most independent artists. Unfortunately, many artists inadvertently sabotage their chances of getting booked. To avoid this, here’s a list of ten things you should NOT do, brought to you by the Super Duty Tough Work podcast created by underground hip-hop pioneer Blueprint.. Read More

Nov 15
Love2
time saving tips for musicians

8 Time Saving Tips For Musicians

By Email, Music Business, Social Media No Comments

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more time to focus on the creative aspects of music?

Probably the biggest challenge of being an independent artist is juggling all the business-related tasks, while also squeezing in the necessary time to work on music and hone your creative abilities. Besides music, everyone has external responsibilities – work, family, pets, etc – preventing them from dedicating more time to writing and performing music. Understandably, it can be an overwhelming and frustrating struggle to balance. Read More

Nov 01
Love1
Streaming spells doom

Does the Rise in Music Streaming Services Spell Doom for Independent Artists?

By Music Distribution, Music Streaming, Spotify No Comments

In the past few years, there have been a number of big name artists who have spoken out against music streaming services for not fairly compensating musicians. One of them was Taylor Swift. Here’s what she had to say about why she didn’t want her songs available on Apple Music:

“I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists, and creators of this music,” she told Yahoo. “And I just don’t agree with perpetuating the perception that music has no value and should be free.“

Likewise, Aloe Blacc stated that “…a system that allows digital streaming services to enjoy enormous profits while music creators struggle is imbalanced and broken.”

Even though these artists are clearly more popular than your average musician, the question is what does it really mean for smaller, independent artists? Read More

Oct 18
Love2
Stop obsessing over social media followers

Stop obsessing over social media follower numbers! Focus on this instead

By Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Twitter No Comments

Having a bunch of social media followers is a good feeling. The more, the better right? I get it. A high number feeds the ego. It gives you something to measure your career progress and validates you as an artist. Drive-up the follows, likes and subscribes. It’s the digital instant gratification we crave.

Having a large fan base may help you sleep better at night as you anticipate your fans turning into buying machines. But before you purchase a money counting machine, stop, and think: how many are actually your true fans?

Just as important is the question, how can you tell if they are loyal fans that can support you financially for the long haul? Read More

Oct 04
Love5
Stressed Musician

6 Must Learn Business Concepts for Musicians Who Hate the Business Side

By Marketing Basics, Music Business One Comment

In an ideal situation, your sole focus would be on making music and not having to worry about marketing, booking, promotion, accounting, or any other business functions. Unless you are signed by a label or have a large budget (let’s face it, most of us don’t), chances are you gotta do it all yourself.

You may hate the business side of things (or just would rather spend your time doing something you actually enjoy), but don’t let that discourage you from incorporating these fundamental business concepts that will improve your chances of making a living off music. Here are 6 must learn business and marketing concepts that you need to know: Read More

Sep 20
Love2
Engaged crowd

9 Social Media Engagement Tips so Musicians Don’t Lose Fans

By Social Media, Strategy No Comments

Did you know that it costs more money to acquire a new customer (or fan in your case) then it does to retain one you already have? In fact, acquiring a new customer is about five times more expensive than keeping an existing one.

Because of this fact, it is not the best use of your time or money to chase after new fans when you have a robust fan base already built. It’s easy to get caught up in the mindset of always wanting more new fans, but neglecting the fans you already have is a costly mistake. This is why social media engagement is so important for musicians. Read More

Sep 13
Love5
Building an Email List

5 Most Effective Ways Music Artists Can Build an Email List

By Email No Comments

Last Updated 10/6/2023

By now, you should already understand how important it is to have an email list as an independent artist. Getting fans to volunteer their email address is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. Being able to own your fan relationship and communicate to them directly is a valuable asset for those who want to make a living off music.

Where do you start if you want to build your email list? Here are the 5 most practical methods for you to effectively build an email list: Read More

Sep 05
Love1
Social Media vs. Email

Social Media vs Email: 4 Stats Show Which is a Priority for Indie Artists

By Email, Social Media No Comments

The two online marketing channels indie artists use the most often are social media and email. Both channels allow artists to interact with fans, but email actually plays a more direct role in helping artists earn money.

I’m sure you already know that an email is better for reaching fans directly as opposed to social media. The way I like to think about it, social media is where your fans likes to hang out during lunch breaks or after work. Email is like having their home address, or even cell phone number.

Regardless of where you are in your music career or what your goals are, your priority should always be to build your email list. Why? Read More