Instagram Now Has Half A Billion Active Users

Where you should expend energy building a following on social media can vary depending on your audience, talents and goals. But when a social media channel has 500 million active users and growing, it shouldn’t be ignored. ___________________________________________________ Instagram has 500 million monthly active users, the company announced on Tuesday,…

6 Jobs To Consider If You Have A Passion For Music

While some may feel there’s no middle ground between rock-stardom and simply having music as a hobby, there are a variety of other ways a person can build a successful career out of the passion for music beyond performing on stage. ____________________________________________ In this latest article taken from MusicThinkTank, Anita…

Warner Music Unifies Direct To Fan Efforts, Names Matt Young EVP

A decade ago, major labels forgoing middlemen to sell direct to fans would have led to a revolt from retailers. Now, with the ranks of retailers diminished and streaming the new normal, ringing every dollar out of fans is so essential that Warner Music has created a division to focus…

Taylor Swift, U2, 180 Musicians, 19 Orgs Sign Letter Demanding Digital Copyright Reform [FULL TEXT, LIST OF ARTISTS]

Many in the industry agree that digital copyright laws (DMCA), last updated in 1998, are antiquated. An unprecedented group of artists and music organizations has joined together demanding change. Unfortunately, their open letter to Congress is short on solutions. ___________________________________________ 180 songwriters and recording artists have joined together to send…

Why Did Twitter Invest In SoundCloud?

After previously walking away from a SoundCloud acquisition deal at the last minute, Twitter recently invested 70 million in the company, and although such an investment is likely good for SoundCloud, it’s a little harder to tell how the exchange benefits Twitter. _________________________________ Guest Post by Bobby Owsinski on Music…

Overseas Tour: Investigate The Venue Before Arriving

Attending a show outside of your home country can certainly be an amazing live music experience, but if not planned for correctly, it can just as easily be completely miserable. Here we look at how properly plan for an overseas concert. _________________________________________ In this piece, recently lifted from MusicThinkTank, Rachelle…

Getting It Done: The Week In D.I.Y And Indie Music

No shortage of tips for independent DIY artists on Hypebot this week, with tips on promoting local shows, effective email marketing techniques, at home recording and production, plus much, much more. 10 Reasons Musicians Fail On Social Media 10 Techniques For Effectively Promoting Local Shows Emerging Tech Offers New Opportunities…

Music Think Tank Weekly Recap: EU Referendum• Networking Skills • Why Musicians Fail On Social Media • More

Recently on MusicThinkTank, we examined how the EU referendum might affect creatives, how to network effectively, and why so many artists fail on social media. Jon Hockley | The EU Referendum: A Creative’s Perspective Young Cory | The Benefits Of Having Good Networking Skills Joy Ike | 10 Reasons Musicians…

5 Must-Haves For Making A Budget Music Video

Even if you’re filming a music video on a shoe-string budget, there are certain things you still need to invest time and money in, particularly if you want your DIY video to have the trappings of a professionally done project. ________________________ Guest Post by Stormy Strong on Haulix Daily The…

Visual Strategies For Boosting Email/Social Engagement

Visuals are an excellent way to increase fan engagement with online content, whether it’s your email newsletter or your Twitter account. Here we look at some easy and effective ways to create visual content, from photos to email headers. ______________________________ Guest Post by Team FanBridge It’s no secret that images…