Author: Egbert

In part 1 we covered how being spammy can hurt your chances of getting a review, and how it’s best to take the time to study the people you’re trying to reach and craft a personal email. But that’s not all, there are other deadly mistakes most newbies make when it comes to getting music reviewed by a publication: Mistake #2: You’re Not Making It Easy So you’ve done your homework, researched publications, and reached out to each editor individually, had patience and kept at it for months… and nothing. What’s going on? Well, it could be that your sound is not good enough, but it could also mean that...

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Anyone looking to make a living off of original songs is aware that knowing how to play excellent music is as important as knowing how to promote it. Nowadays everyone can put up a website, set up a SoundCloud profile and promote away on social media, but there’s something that eludes even the most social media savvy: how to get critics to notice and review your music. Social media has made the process of reaching audiences a lot easier than just a few years ago, but it hasn’t really done that much to ease the process of getting some press for your music. If anything, it’s made it harder seeing...

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Cover bands tend to get a bad rep, certain musicians look down on them thinking there really isn’t that much to them besides learning to play someone else’s chord progressions and mimicking another band’s stage persona. And yes, that sounds completely uninspired and boring, and it also doesn’t accurately reflect the reality of most cover bands. In reality, cover bands have to carefully study the source material experiment how much of their own twist they can add to it (jury’s still out on whether a cover should be an exact replica or can deviate from the original), still work on their stage presence and the cohesion of the band as...

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Once you’ve booked a show, the most stressful part is making sure people will actually show up to hear you play. In fact, it can be the most nerve-wracking part of the entire ordeal. While there are no guarantees, there are smart ways to play around so that you do everything in your power to get people into your show: Invite Another Band Unless you’re participating in an American Idol type of deal, don’t view other bands as your competition. Doing a show with another band is a great way to expose your music to an entirely new fanbase without doing extra work. Think of it as unpaid advertising. What’s...

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When you’re making a living off of art, be that painting, dancing, or creating music, waiting for inspiration is not an option. Any artist will tell you that yes, inspiration is very much real and there will be moments when you will feel more compelled and inspire and the work will come out without you even trying. But that doesn’t mean you get to sit and rest on the days that it feels like you can’t even get a note out and you can’t even imagine writing a new song. When there’s no inspiration, you still need to be making music. The process of writing and composing a new song...

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Now that practically anyone can set up an account on YouTube or Vimeo, it makes sense for bands to make videos for their songs. It’s an opportunity for people to find them, and if the video is entertaining enough, it will convert a lot of people into fans and maybe even go viral. People are more visual than ever, so visual content adds another layer of value to whatever you put out. They’re a nice little extra to have for any artists, and with good quality cameras being available for accessible prices, it’s not that hard to put out a great music video. Still, as a first timer, it’s important...

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Whether you’re a signed artist already wondering what else is out there, or an up-and-coming musician speculating about how to secure your big break, it’s worth learning about how independent record labels are not only a viable option, but a vital part of the music industry. Whoever you are and whatever your circumstances right now, signing with an indie label could be the right move for you. Even some of the biggest names in the business, like Rough Trade, Sub Pop, XL and Creation, are actually independent labels with successful artists and lots of clout on the music scene. A Special Relationship Immediately one of the plus points of going...

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Kickstarter has said that only half of the projects in the site get fully or overfunded. The other half completely fails or thoroughly underperforms. Some will say it’s a matter of popularity, that the more famous you are, the more likely you’ll get completely funded, but in reality, as we saw in Part 1, fame isn’t the end-all-be-all of crowdfunding. Finding backers has a lot to do with planning ahead, being smart about your resources, and understanding that it’s not asking people for money in exchange for nothing, but about giving them value. Here are the things you have to keep in mind: Have a Community Your community is what...

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Singers have the most delicate instruments out there, with improper technique and bad practices, they can lose it forever or create serious health problems that can permanently affect their abilities. Vocal cords can’t be replaced, and a loss voice can’t be immediately fixed during a live performance. Scare tactics aside, singers -amateurs and pros alike- need to develop safety habits to avoid as much damage as possible. When you’re in a band, it’s easy to get caught up in all taking care of absolutely everything except for your voice. There are instruments to plug, songs to promote, and gigs to get to, so your cords get nothing besides a warmup....

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The internet has changed a lot of things in the music industry. It’s easier than ever for indie acts to get their music out into the world, there’s money to be made through streaming, bands can be closer than ever to their target audience, and artists can make and distribute their own material without having to wait for a label. One thing that hasn’t changed though is that recording and distributing an entire album still requires a lot of time and money, even if it’s being done in a home studio and costs are kept at a minimum. Having the tools to record is just the first step. Recording sessions...

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