The Perfect Live Opener Set’s Defining Characteristics

When opening for a more established artist, it’s important to stick to a certain etiquette. The journey from opening artist to main act is full of pitfalls, but by sticking to these five rules, we can help you maximize your success and limit your failures in the opening slot. __________________________________…

Viral YouTube Formats: Creating Original Content That Works

For artists, creating original, successful content can be a challenge, but like so many things, systems and guides have been developed which can provide bands and artists with the structure for creating content that is either wholly new, or remixes preexisting elements in a new, unique way. ______________________________ Guest post…

If You Perform Live, You’re Probably Not Getting Paid Royalties That You Deserve

For many artists, touring is one of the primary ways in which they maintain a living as a musician, making it that much more troubling to learn that many artists who do live shows aren’t walking away with all the performance royalties to which they are entitled. Here Ari Herstand…

25 Year Old Rock Song Mysteriously Tops Japanese Charts

Recently a twenty-five year old Dinorsaur Jr. song called "Over Your Shoulder" agitated musical waters when it mysteriously popped out of the blue ta #18 on the Japanese Billboard charts. Here we look at what exactly went on that earned this quarter-century old tune its renaissance. ____________________________ Guest post by…

Gary Clark Jr. Is The Real Life Guitar Hero

In the wake of Gary Clark Jr’s recent performance on the coveted SNL stage, talent developer and music business writer Jesse Kirshbaum here takes a moment to reflect on why a powerful and iconic "real life guitar hero" like Clark Jr. still struggles to break into the mainstream of music….

What Musicians Should Ask Themselves Before Hiring A Publicist

Sure every wants to be successful, but the route to success tends to vary wildly across the industry, and while the help of a publicist can do wonders for advancing the career of some artists, hiring one before you’re ready, or when it’s simply not right fit, can be a…

Why Spotify Isn’t Simply A Music Company [Cherie Hu]

In this piece Cherie Hu looks at how Spotify’s major investments in third party licensing deals and original podcast development are validating investor predictions and causing it to become the Netflix of audio while potentially putting its brand at risk. ____________________________________ Guest post by Cherie Hu on Medium On October…

The Music Experience Quadrant

In this piece, Alex Tiuniaev unveils a new method of examining how we listen to music using something called the Music Experience Quadrant, which places music on a spectrum between emotional vs. rational, and abstract vs. visual. ______________________________ Guest post by Alex Tiuniaev About four years ago, I wrote an…

Indie Labels On The State Of The Music Union: If Content Is King, How Does It Feel To Be A Prince?

Over the past couple of decades, changes to the music ecosystem in relation to the fall and rise of major labels is frequently rehashed at music industry events, but the fate of the indies is often neglected. Here Neil Turkewitz his experience at a recent panel discussing precisely this issue….