Are you standing in the way of your own success? Are you accidentally making it harder to accomplish your music goals? In this episode Kevin and Chris talk about 25 kinds of self-sabotaging artist. Are you one of them? Listen in to make sure you’re not creating obstacles in your music career.  

As we close out 2018, we have another episode dedicated (mostly) to our listeners, where DIY musicians call and email with great questions and tips! “Mostly” dedicated, because the episode begins with Kevin and Chris sharing some of the successful things they’ve tried recently while releasing singles, touring, marketing music, and selling new merch!  

Our listeners ask great questions, so we thought we’d do a whole episode taking calls and emails from DIY musicians, and then try our best to provide answers that aren’t bonkers. Plus, inspirational film and podcast recommendations that will help you close out 2018 on an upswing.    

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to crank up your music promotion efforts and try something new and different to engage your fans. In this episode, Kevin and Chris share their holiday promotion ideas and tips that take advantage of this special time of year. Plus, they reach into the mail bag…

Time to say goodbye to a few false assumptions that have been holding you back! The music industry has stayed loyal to some really destructive myths, so it’s always great to see when independent artists find new methods for success once they’ve freed themselves of bad or outdated ideas and habits. In this episode, Kevin…

Do “real” artists do cover songs? What kind of songs should you cover? And what are the different uses of a great cover version? In this episode, Kevin and Chris talk about the controversy and opportunities of recording or performing another songwriter’s material. Plus some great listener emails!  

The European market has a rich live-music tradition, but artists often feel lost when trying to infiltrate the scene as an outsider. However, with the aid of online tools like Google Translate and Skype, booking your own successful European tour might be easier than you think. In this session, recorded live at the 2018 DIY…

Once you’ve finished recording your new album or single there is still some work to do in order to get the release over the finish line. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss all the final pieces and bits of information needed to ensure success in the distribution process. Plus, we answer listener calls, emails,…

Streaming has opened up new opportunities for artists to get creative with the way they release music. What strategies actually work? How can you ensure your album release has maximum impact? In this episode that was recorded live (partially) at the 2018 DIY Musician Conference, Kevin and Chris will discuss the release mindset and strategies needed to…

The way musicians — heck, the way ANYONE uses Instagram today — is very different from how we used it years ago. Whether you’ve been marketing your music on Instagram for years or you’re brand new to the platform and have no idea what “Instagram Stories” even are, this episode will help you get the…

Whether you were at the 2018 DIY Musician Conference in Nashville, missed out, or didn’t even know it existed, Kevin and Chris talk about 8 lessons learned at the event, and how they apply to today’s independent musician. Plus, a few thanks and listener emails.  

Let’s get beyond the basics of Spotify playlists. How do you determine which playlists will actually make a difference for your career? How do you find them, hunt down the contact info of the curator (without being a creeper), and make an effective pitch? In this episode, Part 2 of our “Truth About Spotify Playlists”…

Rethinking everything you know about Spotify playlists means you have to revisit your assumptions. In this first of a two-part series, Kevin and Chris talk through the foundations of a playlisting strategy, touching upon a few common misunderstandings, and a few commonly missed opportunities.  

There are a million ways to promote a new release. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss some of the things they’ve tried with their new music to reach listeners and amplify that interaction — from proven promo strategies to untapped press opportunities. Also, lots of listener calls and questions. Hear Smalltown Poets’ new album…

The old ways and myths are strong. And many musicians are still making important decisions for their careers based on outdated practices and false assumptions. In this episode, taped in front of a live audience during Music Biz 2018 in Nashville, Kevin and Chris talk about everything you need to forget about the music industry….

Are you use Pandora AMP? It’s a no-brainer; DIY musicians should absolutely take advantage of these powerful (free) features of Pandora’s streaming service, particularly the Artist Audio Messages and Featured Track tools. In this episode, Kevin interviews Heather Ellis of the Pandora AMP team to explore how AMP and Next Big Sound can be used…

Have you been wasting your time on social media? Online tools and trends are constantly changing. In this live taping of CD Baby’s DIY Musician Podcast, Kevin Breuner and Chris Robley will discuss what works, what doesn’t, and how to keep your audience interested on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and more.

If you’re like most artists, you’ve been collecting fan emails to build that coveted email list. However, once you build that list, it’s hard to figure out what to send so your emails continue to feel fresh and useful to the people who subscribe. On this episode of the podcast, Cheryl Engelhardt is going to…

As musicians, we work hard to get press coverage. But when the moment arrives, we sometimes squander the opportunity, or worse, let it go completely off the rails. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss five surefire ways to ruin a press opportunity or interview. Oh, and how NOT to ruin your moment in the…

Independent musicians today have LESS time and MORE responsibilities. Plus, we can waste a lot of hours just daydreaming. How do you juggle all the DIY tasks without dropping the ball or wandering off track? In this episode Kevin talks with Suzanne of Rockstar Advocate about time-management strategies, finding a place of efficiency that balances…

Artists that create original music will make more money from on-demand streaming over the next five years. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss two recent wins for songwriters in the world of music streaming: a huge hike in interactive mechanical royalty rates, and the addition of songwriter and producer credits in Spotify’s track-level metadata….

Show.co’s music marketing tools make it easy for you to create online campaigns that will get your fans to take specific actions. But the effectiveness of these tools is directly related to the thought and creativity you put into your campaigns. In this episode, Kevin and Chris tell you how to get the most out…

Getting gigs and building out a tour is always a challenge for indie musicians. In this episode, Craig Grossman talks about how to utilize three proven methods for networking, contacting venues, and closing bookings. This episode, which was recorded at the 2017 DIY Musician Conference, will also teach you how to organize all the data…

What opportunities and challenges lie ahead for independent musicians in 2018, and what lessons can they carry forward from the past year? In this episode, Kevin and Chris do some soul searching, and a little industry analysis, to ask questions about where DIY artists stand right now. Plus, a bunch of great listener calls and…

Want to know how to grow your YouTube channel and increase audience interaction? In this session recorded at the 2017 DIY Musician Conference, YouTube’s Ted Kartzman chats with Hip Hop artist Illmac to break down the steps Illmac took to truly own his audience on YouTube.