EM Blog

There are a lot of changes coming and we're excited to tell you what's ahead...

It's possible to get publicity when no one's covered you before. The key is to use what's within your arm's reach to begin building momentum.

There are ways to build your following from zero followers, the key is to use what's within your arm's reach to begin building momentum...

People are going cashless. In fact, more people than ever are paying electronically through their phones, credit cards, and debit cards. In fact, some stores such as Epic Burger, Sweetgreen, and Argo Tea have become cashless. But what does this mean for musicians? More of your fans and customers don't have cash. And if they don't have cash, how can they pay you?

After a sold out night last night at Carnegie hall, we're glad to say that there are two more chances to see us if you're in New York City on Thursday, June 28th at 7-9PM or Friday, June 29th @ 6PM...

If you're in New York City on June 26th or June 29th join us at Carnegie Hall where we will be speaking on topics we cover regularly here at EM and The DIY Advisor with a focus on making money with music, streaming, and the importance of having a release strategy....

Having a team to help book and perform your live shows is critical, but so is fostering the right type of musician network to help one another and create new opportunities....

Not every musician takes advantage of ways to make ad revenue off of your videos even if can't become a YouTube Partner...

YouTube is the top music search engine in the world, so having your music there is critical. But when it comes to making money, YouTube has raised the threshold for creators to become a YouTube Partner. This is important since it’s only as a Partner that you can monetize the ads being played on your channel and videos. Last week we shared three ways you could boost your chances at hitting these numbers. This week we share two more ways to boost views, hours, and subscribers...

YouTube is the top search engine for music in the world which is why your music needs to be there. The good news is there are many ways to monetize video, although Google recently made it more difficult to tap one revenue stream: becoming a YouTube Partner. However, if you consider a couple of the five approaches below, you can still unlock this additional income...

When it comes to making more money with your music business, there’s an important 3-part sequence to keep in mind. In fact, it’s a sequence that’s true for any business and some of the top ones do it all the time. It’s a simple concept, but many ignore it since it’s so easy to keep doing exactly what you’re doing once you get your business going...

We took a brief break from The DIY Advisor to work on our latest project and do more research to generate new and practical articles for you. But we also have an exciting announcement for you based on the work we did while we were on hiatus...

Every year we look back into our reader stats to see which DIY Advisor articles were the most read, shared, and discussed. Here's this year's countdown running down the top ten articles in 2017 from 10 down to 1...

It's been another busy year for us at The DIY Advisor. Beyond the teaching, consulting, and numerous speaking engagements in Austin (and our annual trip to SxSW ), Chicago, Carnegie Hall in New York City , and Oklahoma City , we managed to also write ebooks and articles focused on making money with music. These were published outside our weekly column here at The DIY Advisor, and so, with 2017 coming to a close, we thought to collect and share them here...

As we continue to research and interview successful musicians making money with music for our forthcoming book, we analyzed the commonalities and discovered four general music business skillsets they use. Most focus on only a couple and then are smart as to how they compensate for the rest. Have you been thinking of your music business in light of these four skillsets? In this article we explore them so you can see which ones you should be focusing on...

Each year for Thanksgiving we write articles that fit the holiday. This year we’re going to focus on the giving part of Thanksgiving by sharing how you can promote both a good cause and yourself while doing good for others...

Your fans are one of the most potent resources you have as a musician and are far more than just customers. While they will definitely promote you on social media and talk about you to their friends, they’re an even more effective force if you can direct them since they can put your name and music in places that you haven't even thought of...

One of the most common questions we get when we lead music business workshops and do talks around the country is: "how do you succeed in music when you have little or no resources?" The answer may surprise you...

Musicians enter into signed agreements all the time for recording studios, gigs , licensing deals , rehearsal spaces, t-shirt manufacturers , equipment rental, and online services and websites. Many of the contracts you deal with as a musician can be handled on your own. But although there are some common legal mistakes you can avoid , sometimes you need an attorney such as bigger deals, or custom contracts. When you do, you will want to do it effectively, and keep these costs down...

Last week we talked about the powerful music production skill of scheduling and how using Jerry Seinfeld's "don't break the chain" calendar system can help you get more music made. But there's more to scheduling than simply forming a good habit. Here's how you can apply more of the power behind scheduling and planning your calendar...

Last week we talked about the powerful music production skill of focus . The ability to say "no" to distractions so you can say "yes" to creating music is critical, but it's only the first part. To produce the music, you need to the second powerful skill...

As an independent artist today, you have so many things to take on such as growing your fan base and making money with music . It's easy to lose sight of why you're in music in the first place: to make music . But to balance the music part with the business part, we're going to share two of the most powerful music production skills of all. You won't find either of these in any recording book or available as a plugin...

You are NOT qualified to judge your own music. Sure, you can certainly judge how you feel about your music, but once you release it into the world, it's the world's to judge. As you'll see, this is a good thing!...

This week we're continuing our ongoing Creating and Making Music series with the third and last installment about generating ideas for songs. Releasing a steady stream of music throughout the year can drive steady engagement, grow your fanbase, and make more money with music in today's internet-driven music industry ...

Because the internet and the new streaming world rewards consistent and regular releases of music, every musician needs to be focused on creating episodic releases of their output. So, this week we're tackling the next three idea-generators for creating music in our ongoing Creating and Making Music series...

Because the internet and the new streaming world rewards consistent and regular releases of music, changing your focus from releasing a yearly album to dropping episodic releases (singles, remixes, EPs, and other music drops that lead to final album) over the year is critical. Doing so can help grow your audience and make money with music in today's internet-driven music industry . This week in the Creating and Making Music series we're tackling the age old question: "where do you get your ideas?"...

In today's world of streaming, it pays to create more music and release it on a schedule . One common question we receive from musicians relates to how to create and produce more music for this new streaming world . This is often tied to questions about our TheSongOfTheDay.com project where our band, Beatnik Turtle, released one song for every day of 2007. They ask how we managed to write, create, produce, and release 365 songs and what we learned from the monumental creative exercise...

You never know where your music may wind up once you release it into the world. While much of your music today may be distributed through Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Pandora, and other streaming services, if you encode MP3s yourself, there are a few tips you should follow to ensure your MP3s lead your listeners back to you, your website, and more....

Last week, we posted the first five tips for playing on the street , which include getting a license, creating a good space, and of course, having a well-seeded "tip jar". This week, we're going to take things to the next level by sharing clever ways to boost your income and grow your fan base eachtime you busk...

Performing your music in public for donations, or "busking", is not for everyone, but if you do or are thinking of doing it, it can pay off. In fact, busking today can generate income, interest, and grow your following more today than those who busked in the past. The key is to leverage all the tools available to you today...

One of the most effective ways to get your music heard and to boost your "music resume" is to find alternative venues where you and your music can stand out. We inadvertently discovered this idea with our own band when some of our friends who had graduated from Second City's improv training program asked if we'd handle the music for their latest comedy show's production. In this article, we're going to share four alternative ideas you too can explore for you and your music...

We constantly get great questions from readers and while many of them are specific to their situation, some of these questions cover topics any musician can benefit from. When a question like that happens, we like to share the answers in the DIY Advisor column. Today's question is about copyright and ownership when you arrange someone else's song...

Last week we dove into the first five ways you could interact directly with your fans and give them that personal connection beyond your music, all while making money. While the first five focused on ideas centered around playing live, this week we'll share five additional ways you can build your relationship with your fans no matter where they are and whether you play live shows or not...

Since the dawn of music, fans have wanted to form a connection with their favorite artists. Today, technology makes all musicians global while bringing all of their fans within reach. We're not just talking about social media: there are many new ways you can interact directly with your fans and give them that personal connection beyond your music while also making money...

Last week we outlined the first 5 things you should create to get PR for your music . When the press and media want to cover you, they'll want all the information at their fingertips easy to get to and easy to copy and paste. To boost your chances of getting covered in a positive way, you should have these 10 things completed and ready to go. This week we outline the remaining 5 things you should create to get PR...

Once your music is out in the world, you can build an audience by encouraging PR outlets to cover you and your music . Fortunately, journalists, YouTubers, and bloggers are always looking for content, and if your story catches their interest, they'll want to cover you. Your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Here's how...

Getting your music licensed for use in TV, advertising, films and movie trailers is a great way to turn up the income if you can achieve it. To do this, you should understand the mindset and goals of Music Supervisors, the people who choose the music for TV and film. While we discussed this in detail in our EM feature article Master Class: Get Placed, Get Paid , today we want to talk about how to prepare your music to make it as easy as possible for them and increase your chances of earning license income ...

Tonight we'll be speaking at Carnegie Hall as part of New York City's 1st Annual New York Music Month . Come join us as we speak on "Making Money with Music". And, if you can't make it, join us for tomorrow's session at Made in NY Media Center by IFP which will focus on how to maximize your revenue in a streaming world...

If you're in New York City, come join us Tuesday, June 20th and Wednesday, June 21st where we'll be speaking at New York City's first ever New York Music Month. New York City's 1st Annual New York Music Month is packed with free and paid concerts, workshops, walking tours, conferences and resources for musicians including "more than 2,000 hours worth of free rehearsal space that will be underwritten by the city". Plus, we'll be speaking about making money with music at two workshops -- but space is limited, so register now...

So, all your hard work has paid off and someone from the press contacted you to do an interview. Congrats! Now, don't wing it. This is an opportunity for you to get as much out of the coverage as you can. This means you'll want to control the message. But unlike marketing, with an interview, you don't have a direct say in the message they ultimately write. What you can control are the words you say in the interview and the material you give them. Here's how to prepare so you can maximize exposure...

With video being critical for promoting your music and growing your audience, musicians need to know how best to create engaging videos, with as much care as you do your music. So to help, over the past five weeks we tackled the importance of creating high-quality audio , proper lighting for your videos , techniques to speed up and simplify your video production process , and eight prep steps   you should use before completing and uploading your videos to YouTube [ADD other LINK]. This week we're tackling the problem of finding footage and image assets to use in videos.

The role of video in promoting you and your music mean you need to know how to create and promote your videos as much as your music. So, the past four weeks we've been tackling the importance of creating high-quality audio , proper lighting for your videos , and techniques to speed up and simplify your video production process . Then last week we tackled promotion and the four prep steps you should follow before completing and uploading your videos to YouTube . This week we're adding four more to your toolbox...

Because musicians today are just as much video makers as they are musicians, the past three weeks we focused on creating high-quality audio , lighting for your videos , and techniques to speed up and simplify your video production process . Doing so can help grow your audience and make money with music in today's internet-driven music industry . This week we're tackling steps you need to do to prepare your videos before completing them and uploading them to YouTube. That way you increase the likelihood of getting fans and increasing sales...

To grow your audience and make money with music in today's internet-driven music industry , musicians today are just as much videomakers today as they are musicians. Distributing internet video on YouTube is free, provides a great way to engage your fanbase, can expose your music to a greater audience, and is another income stream you should turn on . The past two weeks we focused on creating high-quality audio and lighting for your videos . This week we discuss how techniques to speed up and simplify your video production process...

Musicians today have also become videomakers due to two developments: first, internet video is one of the best ways to engage and grow your audience (and worldwide video distribution is free!); second, there are so many ways to monetize video and YouTube . Because musicians need to improve their video skills , we started this multi-part DIY Advisor series. Last week we discussed how critical high-quality audio is for your videos and generating views . This week we're tackling another critical skill: great lighting .

Since YouTube is the top search engine for music in the world and since there's so many ways to monetize video , you need to have both your music and videos there. To help you conquer YouTube, starting this week and all through the month of May, The DIY Advisor will focus its articles on improving your game for video.This first installment covers one of the most important things every video needs: great audio ...

Every show you book creates opportunities. It's a reason to sell merch , make royalties from your setlist, stream your shows online , build awareness / promote yourself , and more. One of your best tools that comes out of your live shows is your guest list. You have a chance to give special, free access to your show can help you create future opportunities for you and your music -- from media coverage to more shows ...

If you release remixes or different versions of your music, each one of these is a separate sound recording from the point of view of royalty organizations like SoundExchange or Performance Rights Organizations like ASCAP and BMI. And unless you register each one, you're potentially leaving money on the table that's yours. Here's how to avoid missing out on what you're owed...

One of the biggest misunderstandings in growing your fan base is to avoid trying to appeal to the largest groups and taking on too large of an audience with your message. While that's a strategy for large media companies and labels with huge marketing budgets, instead, ask yourself a more manageable question: where will I get the next 10, 20, and 50 fans? The key to music marketing is to narrow your focus to a single group and then targeting a message that speaks to those people specifically. This works because viral campaigns grow from just a few sources, and if you hit the right ones, it can share quickly...