The guys at MusicBiz.com, with whom I usually agree on a lot of things, are taking an oddly defensive tone to the recent report from the Future of Music Coalition exploring how government-sanctioned consolidation has choked off a once vibrant industry. [Note: How I wish MusicBiz.com would add permalinks -- by Tuesday, their post will [...]
I’d love to see someone do a formal study of this (not that the RIAA would fund it, or anything), but it’s always been my personal belief that direct links to MP3’s in places like blogs and bulletin boards ultimately lead to sales. The paralyzing fear that folks have around sampling prevents us from enjoying [...]
Putting the gloom and doom of the Tower Records post behind us, there are still opportunities for indie record stores to stay alive and stake a claim for relevance in their customers’ lives. To survive, a good record store should:
Position themselves as an expert in one or more specific niches. When folks think you’re THE [...]
I know that we’ve covered this topic in passing over the past few months, but with today’s news of a foiled airplane bomb plot in the U.K., airport security’s going to be on condition red for at least the next few days, if not weeks.
I often advise clients to carry guitars and valuable instruments with [...]
Either someone’s out astroturfing for a competitor of CD Baby, or somebody must have had a freakishly screwed up order. Someone calling themselves John Miller is sending e-mail and posting forum and blog comments to just about every independent music website they can find, claiming that they’re starting up a class action lawsuit against Derek [...]
In all the commotion around our move, I fear I neglected to highlight the episode of Music Business Radio that I did with David Hooper at the studios of Lightning 100 over in Nashville. We ended up spending most of our time talking about how street teams can make or break your music business career. [...]
[Thanks to a Stereogum commenter for a great headline.]
In my books, I’ve written about the ways that baby bands would push hard to get a date at a venue like CBGB, then complain when a talent buyer would insist on preselling dozens of tickets for a showcase slot. (Hint: the talent buyer knows you don’t [...]
Jennifer Layton posted a great article at Indie-Music.com about the challenges that independent musicians face when playing outside the U.S.A. She covers more than the usual territory about stringing together some pickup dates in Europe and Asia — she digs deep with the help of some expats and discovers what life is like for folks [...]
Mary McFaul has directed the music career of songstress Laura Love since 1991 and has 30 years of experience in artist management, publishing and licensing, booking, tour management and more. In addition to Love, Mary’s consulted for artists such as Catie Curtis and Tim O’Brien, and her current roster includes up-and-comers Vicci Martinez and Jo [...]
Erika Luckett’s got an excellent article in the new issue of Stave Magazine. She shares “Five Rules for the Healthy Musician,” and she couldn’t be more right. If you’re working the zone strategy now and you can’t wait until you can get out on the road full time, Erika’s five tips should be at the [...]
