Things To Consider When Creating Your Band's Website

These days, it’s impossible to get by as a musician without a great web presence. Of course, one of the most effective ways to manage this will be with your own website where you can quickly send anyone who’s interested in learning more about you, finding merch, streaming your music, or booking you for your next gig. Sure, you can probably get by with a Facebook profile and a Bandcamp page, but an attractive website hosted on a domain that you own will make you appear more professional than most other new bands in your area. 

 

Streaming Changes Everything For Music Catalogs

Most labels and many musicians thrive because of their hits, but survive over time because of their catalog.  But as MIDiA analyst Mak Mulligan points out, streaming , which offers access to 35 million track library and a 'small royalty income forever' business model, changes the value of music catalogs in ways that we're just beginning to understand.

 

Millions of Followers? Yes, But Some Top Spotify Playlists Fall Short on Engagement

Spotify is arguably the reason why music-industry analysts and execs alike have deemed playlists “the new album” and “more powerful than radio.” With access to over 157 million monthly active users, the streaming service regularly catapults artists into the international spotlight, but not all of Spotify’s biggest playlists guarantee success for those who land songs on them. 

 

'They could destroy the album': how Spotify's playlists have changed music for ever

Custom playlists on the streaming site can bring unknown artists to millions. But are they altering how songs get written? The Swedish streaming giant can make the already-big even bigger – see Ed Sheeran’s annexing of the UK Top 20 in March – but it can also give unknowns a huge boost. These playlists are becoming arguably more important than radio in bringing new music to the masses; they hold the hands of a mass-market audience that is moving over to streaming but can find navigating 40m tracks overwhelming.

 

5 Reasons To Record, Release You Own Cover Songs

Given the time and energy which it takes to record new music, along with the challenges facing the format of the conventional album, artists looking to make splash should consider the advantages of a well crafted cover. Here we explore why.

 

Kelly Willis Talks New Record, Collaborating With Her Husband, and Touring Again

On the latest solo project from Kelly Willis, Back Being Blue, the Texas-based artist was produced by her husband – and frequent vocal collaborator – Bruce Robison. It’s a partnership that has worked well over the years

 

Could Article 13 Mean The End Of Music On YouTube?

Even as YouTube launched it's much anticipated music service, its core user-generated video business was being threatened. The EU Parliament is seriously considering overturning basic provisions of the safe harbor framework under which YouTube operates; and the idea is gaining traction in the US. 

 

How To Build A Perfect Musicians One Sheet

The one-sheet, a simple single page overview of you and your music, is a tool used by the many music industry gatekeepers (think radio stations and booking agents) to determine how sellable you are as a band or artist. Here we look at a checklist designed to help you write the most effective one-sheet possible.

 

CD Baby Opens UK Office, Hires Orchard

How To Integrate Facebook Music Event Marketing

The over-saturating of the online market has made promoting events challenging for artists, yet certain avenues still remain effective, provided your advertising is targeted correctly. In this piece we look at how Facebook events can be used to reach your ideal audience.

The Music Modernization Act’s New Burdens for Labels Identifying Unmatched Songs

The Music Modernization Act is definitely the gift that keeps on giving. The latest is a new burden the MMA places on all sound recording owners, large and small, to help the digital services comply with their obligation to locate song copyright owners in order for the services to keep the new “reachback” safe harbor also referred to as the “Limitation on Liability”.  This is the retroactive safe harbor given effect on January 1, 2018 regardless of when the bill actually is passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President. Here’s the relevant clause (at pages 100-101 of the House bill):

 

How To Guide For Cover Art On Spotify, Streaming Services

While cover art no longer carries quite the same weight as it once did (with music less often purchased as a physical product) it remains an essential part of the marketing puzzle. Here we look at the guidelines for when it comes to putting your music on streaming services.

 

How To Get An Endorsement As A Musician

We have come a long way in the last nearly forty years from when endorsements were easy to come by for musicians everywhere who simply had an awesome look and a cool sound. Nowadays, the industry has changed dramatically, so I thought I would offer some pointers for the best way to get an endorsement from the company you love.

 

Instagram Targets YouTube With 10 - 60 Minute Videos, Passes 1 Billion Users

Instagram now has 1billion users globally, up an impressive 200 million from September of last year. Anchoring its next chapter is an aggressive move into longer form video, including expanding the allowed video length for all users.

 

How To Guide To Get Music On Spotify Playlists

With Spotify now one of the most popular platforms for music consumption, figuring out how to get your music placed on one of the streaming services coveted playlists has become the Holy Grail for up-and-coming musicians. Here we look at some advice on cracking the playlist code.

 

Spotify Launches 'The Game Plan' Video Series For Artists

After noticing that many of its artists weren't utilizing the streaming platform's full potential, Spotify has a launched a new series of helpful videos intended to direct artists on how to take full advantage of their artist specific site.

 

Thought Streaming Royalties Were Bad? Radio Airplay Royalties Even Worse

Artists and songwriters have a tendency to rip on streaming for its low payouts, sometimes without understanding the scale and metrics of how it really works. While it’s true that streaming royalties can seem absurdly low sometimes, it turns out that U.S. radio airplay is way worse.

 

The Legalities Of Touring

You’ve read these tour articles a thousand times. By this point it’s no surprise that touring is hard. It’s no surprise that touring is expensive. And it’s no surprise that making your money back doesn’t often happen for DIY bands on their first couple of trips. That said however, there are legalities to consider. A band is a business, whether you want it to be or not. A tour is a venture. And musicians are people who bring their own lives and difficulties to the table. So when you’re looking to tour, consider some of the legal problems that could stop you from being able to fully experience or continue to tour in the future!

 

YouTube Music rolls out

YouTube Music Premium, the new subscription tier for Google’s video service, is launching fully in 17 countries today, including 12 additional markets to the five that were announced in May.

Sony Predicts Growth Slowdown For Music Industry

The recorded music industry has been on the up and up for the past few years, seeing double digit growth thanks to the magic of streaming. As with so many good things, however, doomsayers at Sony are predicting this precipitous growth will soon come to an end.

 

Tech companies are the new record labels?

[PIAS] co-founder Michel Lambot looks at how the economic structure of media consumption has shifted over time to one of renting vs. owning; and how tech companies bypassing record labels to make direct deals with artists is the next logical step in this progression.

 

D.I.Y. Spotify Playlist Promotion with Crosshair Music

Garrison Snell CEO of Crosshair Music and Gyrosity Projects joins Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert on the Music Biz Weekly podcast to discuss the self-service platform, Crosshair Music, for submitting music to playlists. Their mission is to affordably connect musicians directly to the playlist curators and social influencers who can help grow their audiences. But does it work?

 

Sony Music Entertainment to Start Paying Indie Artists & Labels Spotify Sale Proceeds as Early as August

Following Sony Corp.’s April sale of half of its stake in Spotify, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) sent an email to indie labels on Thursday (June 14) declaring its intent to share a portion of the profits with “eligible artists and participants as soon as possible,” with a target of August.

 

Spotify: Direct Licenses With Managers For Rights They Don't Control

Spotify has offered advances to a number of managers and indie acts in exchange for licensing their music directly to the streaming service, sources tell Billboard. Under the terms of some of the deals, management firms can receive several hundred thousand dollars as an advance fee for agreeing to license a certain number of tracks by their independent acts directly to Spotify.

 

Sirius XM Strikes $150 Million Settlement With SoundExchange.