I’m posting some early drafts of chapters from Audience Supported just for supporters of spinme.com… Much of what follows in this book involves learning how to make your audience happy without compromising the artistic integrity of your work. It’s a…
Solving donor fatigue with doner kebab
Here in Philadelphia, a core collection of 160 “arts and cultural groups” has issued an urgent plea for $1.4 billion in philanthropic funding. This, only five years after a report noted the challenges of making significant social impact when creative…
Brands are the new bands
Maybe it’s a sudden wave of nostalgia, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my senior year of high school. At the time, I was taking piano lessons and thinking about film school. So I picked a college where…
The coming concert cameraphone backlash
Cultivating a relationship with your fans means getting clear about your attitude toward showing up in their Instagram feeds.
Daniel Miller reveals the new Mute Records; Listener backlash over cover songs; X Factor winner in management contract lawsuit
Today’s roundup of music business news and opinion from around the web: Mute Records has returned as an indie, and founder Daniel Miller explains the complexities of running an iconic imprint while continuing to help major labels with A&R for…
Linda Chorney tells all about her one-off social media Grammy nod; Texas singer laments industry tunnel vision; Ed Lover would like you not to get in trouble with the IRS
Today’s roundup of music business news and opinion from around the web: Linda Chorney wrote a book about her experience becoming the first artist to get a Grammy nomination via social media. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, Linda used…
RIAA counts on-demand streams toward Gold and Platinum; music biz execs love cars and tip jars
Today’s roundup of music business news and opinion from around the web: The RIAA will now count 100 on-demand streaming requests as equivalent to a downloaded single for purposes of certifying Gold and Platinum records. [RIAA] Record stores continue to…
Alex Day’s YouTube success, post-Spotify promotion strategies, and BMG’s big backlist
Today’s roundup of music business news and opinion from around the web: Chancius Drzewucki deconstruct’s Alex Day’s YouTube success. [Music Think Tank] Tony van Veen from CD Baby and DiscMakers explores nine music promotion strategies at the New Music Seminar.…
Lefsetz to write Variety column, streaming ties radio for young listeners, meet the man who first booked Coldplay
Today’s roundup of music industry news and opinion from around the web: He’ll still be writing the indispensable Lefsetz Letter, but Bob Lefsetz will now contribute a new column to a revamped Variety. [Hypebot] Meet Markus Sargeant, the talent booker…
Music subscriptions offer industry a foothold, Matthew Knowles speaks about Beyoncé split, and Psych soundtracks help drive ratings success
Today’s roundup of news and opinion for independent music professionals from around the web: Subscriptions from Spotify, Rdio, and other “access services” helped the music industry hold its ground in 2012, according to an RIAA report that shows “flat” revenues.…
Touring by yourself, breaking new music in the UK, connecting with your natural audience
Today’s roundup of music business news and inspirational stores for musicians and other creative professionals: Dalton Caldwell compares being a solo professional to touring by yourself as a musician in the early 2000s. I’ve seen this connection a lot lately,…
Maximize music exposure at SXSW, learn from the NCAA’s March Madness, pitch your tent where it’s dry
Here’s today’s roundup of music business news and music promotion resources from around the web: Glenn Peoples suggests that the music business can learn a lot from the way the NCAA delivers live March Madness coverage. [Billboard] Brian Penick and…