I was flipping through the online version of entrepreneur Bruce Judson’s book Go It Alone! and came across an interesting concept: “relentless repeatability.” In a nutshell, Judson beleives the ability to reduce your activities into a process you can refine…
Remaindered Links: March 16
UK online radio stations must Geo-lock content or face closure: UK stations have been skirting the stiff regulations that US broadcasters have dealt with for years… however, could this shut down a valuable source of airplay for independent artists, or…
REAPER: almost-free recording software
Although it’s not quite to version 1.0 yet, Reaper looks like it’s going to be killer recording shareware. Windows-only, but lots of the same features you’d expect from a pricier recording suite. I particularly like the VST/DXi support since there’s…
CD Baby updates
Thousands of artists use CD Baby’s digitial distribution program to get their music into iTunes, Rhapsody and other digital stores. Today, CD Baby posted a streamlined version of their DD agreement. Among the changes are: improved readability, ringtones and an…
New “Interviews” category!
I’ve got quite a few more 5 Questions interviews in the pipe, so I’ve added an Interviews category to spinme.com so you, Constant Reader, may more easily find them. Watch this space. In the meantime, here’s a brief recap of…
On being “real”
Seth Godin’s blog is another non-music website I think all working musicians should read. Godin has a rep as a marketing “guru” but I suspect his true talent is a keen grasp on what people really value in their lives.…
5 Questions with Michael Tarlowe of Virt Records
Michael Tarlowe started his independent label Virt Records in 2001 with a tight focus on the Triple-A and performing songwriter markets. Virt’s modest roster includes critically acclaimed artists Vienna Teng, Shane Nicholson and Brenda Weiler. New releases from husband-wife duo…
American Idol no guarantee of marketplace success
Here’s a report that American Idol finalists typically have poor record sales and that labels are hesitant to offer contracts to former AI contestants. Of course, “poor record sales” can mean different things to different people: Second-season singer, third-place finisher…
Remaindered Links: March 10
Art statements, Pitchfork, and fancypants analysis: Keywords: business, music Idol’s former finalists have poor record sales, and "labels are reluctant to sign ‘Idol’ runners-up": Keywords: business, idol, music
The power of audacity and other networking tips
This week I finished reading Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferazzi’s book on professional networking. There are some people who seem to be naturally adept at making connections with others; I’m not one of them. However, I personally feel that networking…
What is Square One?
I’ve been reading Kathy Sierra’s blog forever now and recommend her to almost every musician I know. Funny, because she writes about software development and learning, not music. But her ideas and observations are completely applicable to just about any…
Remaindered Links: March 07
Reduce stress by doing what you love: Keywords: advice