In episode #368 of the DIY Musician Podcast, we sit down with Jack Conte, co-founder and CEO of Patreon, as well as one-half of the musical duo Pomplamoose and co-leader of Scary Pockets. Jack shares his unique insights on what he calls “the end of the follower era” in 2024. We dive into what it means to be a musician today, how the changing digital landscape affects creators, and why metrics still play a crucial role in shaping careers. Whether you’re an artist or simply curious about the future of content creation, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the evolving role of social platforms, fan engagement, and much more.
#367: Branding for Musicians feat. That Good Sh*t, arabbitshole, and The Luna Collective
Your personal brand doesn’t stop at what you post on Spotify, TikTok, and Instagram. It’s also expressed in the way you interact with other artists in your community, how you pitch your music to tastemakers, and how you present yourself in interviews.
These forms of outreach expose you to new audiences who could make a genuine connection with you and get invested in your music — and it all starts with a great first impression. What will you do to stand out in a way that’s authentic to you and your music?
In this episode of the DIY Musician Podcast, Via Perkins, Senior Communications & Content Manager at CD Baby, takes a deep dive with Annabelle Kline-Zilles, founder and host of That Good Sh*t, Daylon Hicks, founder of arabbitshole, and Meleah Hartnett, host of The Luna Collective podcast, to answer this question, including a Q&A featuring questions from CD Baby, That Good Sh*t, The Luna Collective, and arabbitshole audience members.
#366: How to Start a Band that No One Wants to Quit
In this episode of the DIY Musician Podcast, Cristina and Rachel offer insight into the process of building a band from scratch. Join them as they navigate the intricacies of finding the perfect performers and nurturing relationships within the group. Together they discuss some practical tips like how to keep a consistent rehearsal schedule, band calendar, how to communicate effectively, and much more.
#141: Gretchen Peters – From Songwriter to Performer
Gretchen Peters is a Grammy nominated, Nashville singer-songwriter who has always been fiercely independent and true to her own vision. In fact, she’s managed to retain ownership of all her music.
Gretchen began her career as a songwriter in Nashville, but struggled at first to gain success as a performer (who also performed original music). Gretchen talks about the Nashville songwriting industry: how it was, how it has changed, and how she found success writing songs for big name artists.
Join us as Gretchen describers a journey of music, songwriting, performing, and staying independent.
#135: Roundtable – Does your artist image matter?
Soundcloud removes music creation tools from their popular app. Google buys Songza. Music Vault opens their vault by publishing 12,000 concert videos on YouTube. The podcasters discuss a recent blog article from the DIY Musician Blog by Brandon Seymour Your image is more important than your music — especially if you’re an indie artist. Plus, your emails and phone calls!
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Read the study at West Point HERE
#134: Shannon Curtis – No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender
Shannon Curtis is a touring musician and author. Her new book, “No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour (And How You Can Too)” explains how independent artists can make more money and build more meaningful fan relationships by performing in homes instead of traditional music venues. Shannon shares stories and advice from her experiences playing living rooms and tells us how she discovered house concerts in the first place.
GET THE EBOOK ON AMAZON
GET THE PAPERBACK FROM SHANNON’S SITE
#131: Ari Herstand – Should You Pay to Play?
Ari Herstand is asinger/songwriter and bloggerbased in Los Angeles, California. Ari has played over 600 shows and writes about being an independent musician on his blog, Ari’s Take. He also regularly contributes to popular indie music news and advice sites, including our very own DIY Musician Blog.
In this episode, Ari sits down with CD Baby’s Kevin Breuner to talk about the phenomenon of “pay to play” gigs for bands. Ari recently penned an article on the subject and it garnered quite a bit of attention, not to mention a lot of interesting responses. Before you consider paying for a gig, listen to Ari’s take on this controversial practice and learn how to look out for the pitfalls and scams that can leave an unwitting band in the lurch.
Get more info about Ari and his music at http://ariherstand.com
Check out his new album Brave Enough HERE.
#128: Roundtable – How Much Are Musicians Paid to Play? Part 2
Thinking about touring Canada anytime soon? Think again. Canada’s new exorbitant performance fees make it nearly impossible for non-Canadian independent acts to play there. iTunes radio is alive and may not turn out to be the Pandora killer that some assumed it would be.
We asked our listeners “How much money do you pull in at a gig?†The answers might surprise you. Tune in to hear how artists just like you are ‘bringing home the vegi-bacon’ in this action-packed episode of the Do-it-Yourself–Because-You-Love-it Musician Podcast.
#126: Dmitri Vietze – Selling Your Story to The Press
Dmitri Vietze is 14 year PR veteran and founder of StoryAmp, a platform for connecting music providers and journalists. In this exclusive interview, Dmitri tells how artists can approach the press, get their music heard, and the holy grail: get written about in local or national press. Dmitri emphasizes how important developing unique artist stories is for good PR. He explains how we all have important artist stories. We just need to discover and formulate them in a way that the press can draw from. You won’t want to miss the vital artist info in this podcast. Listen!
Also check out Dmitri’s free “Publicity Hacks” Guide packed with PR tips for Musicians.
#125: Roundtable – How Much Are Musicians Paid to Play?
In the news: Pandora’s controversial tactics to reduce what they pay artists. Japan is poised to take the lead as world’s biggest music seller. And Amazon releases its first “Cities That Rock List” a compilation of US cities that sell the most music.
In this episode we asked CD Baby musicians how much they get paid when they gig. Find out what what your fellow musicians are getting paid and get tips on how to make more money from your gigs and choose gigs that pay more than others. If you’re looking to make more than just drink tickets at your next gig, this episode is for you.
Let us know how much you get paid or ask us a question we can answer on the show.