Focal Press' Web Marketing for the Music Business

Marketing your music and promoting yourself on the Internet requires special expertise. In Web Marketing for the Music Business from Focal Press ($31.95, focalpress.com), marketing professor Tom Hutchison guides you through Website development with money-saving tips to get it right the first time. Hutchison has worked with a variety of artists including Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Sonic Youth, and Beck, and he has done market research for major distributors like Sony and MCA/Universal. Beyond site development, the book covers increasing traffic and using social-networking sites like MySpace and Bebo. You also get access to a dedicated Website with a variety of online resources.

Hal Leonard's How to Make Your Band Sound Great

Bobby Owsinski's How to Make Your Band Sound Great from Hal Leonard ($29.99, hal leonard.com) deals with all aspects of putting a band together and extracting the maximum performance from it. Owsinski brings years of experience as a musician, producer (Jackson Browne, Billy Gibbons, and others), and engineer to the book and accompanying 60-minute DVD — a step-by-step analysis of a working band. Topics include creating an impact, songwriting and arranging, performance technique, using backing tracks, stage lighting, and audio problems. Check out the author's descriptive video on the Hal Leonard Website.

Course Technology PTR's Recording on the Go

In Course Technology PTR's Recording on the Go: The Definitive Guide to Live Recording ($44.49, courseptr.com), authors Gary Gottlieb and Paul Hennerich IV take you through the basics, the gear, and the process of live audio and field recording for television and film. More than an overview, the book is a comprehensive guide to every step in the process — from planning to setting up to editing the results. Along the way, the authors talk about satisfying client needs and overcoming surprises at the gig. They also offer best practices, insights, and humorous anecdotes from their years in the audio trenches.