Music Promotion and Marketing tips for Indie Musicians
Even megastars “piece it together.” Ticket sales, merch, streaming, publishing, appearances, sponsorships, the list goes on. But how can a DIY musician earn a living via a diversified revenue stream that includes production, session work,…
Maya de Vitry is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. In this episode Maya tells us about releasing her beautiful album How To Break a Fall just as the pandemic started to hit. Maya and Montse…
When it comes to creating videos to promote music, most artists and labels are still operating under that old paradigm of one “Official” music video, which drastically limits their reach and potential impact they get…
Sunny War is a Folk-Punk musician based in LA. In this episode, Sunny talks about moving from addiction into music, on the perils of social media, on her experiences busking, on finding meaningful ways to…
Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated folk singer-songwriter who has struck a balance between her own artistry and penning songs for singers such as Blake Shelton and Jimmy Buffett. In 2017, Mary was the keynote speaker…
It’s time to rethink the way you release singles. Standalone tracks are no longer SOLELY tied to larger album promo efforts. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss 10 strategies for releasing single songs so…
EPISODE 2: Singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah is a solo artist, and can be heard alongside Layla McCalla, Allison Russell and Rhiannon Giddens in the Grammy nominated project Our Native Daughters. In this episode of the NEW…
DIY Musician Stories delves deep into the struggles, triumphs, process, and inspiration of trailblazing musicians and songwriters. Hosted by Montse Andrée Carty, this CD Baby podcast also gives you a chance to sit in the…
With so many artists turning to live-streaming, it’s time to ensure you stand out from the rest and take yours to the next level. In this episode Kevin and Chris share more tips on presenting…
On this episode of the podcast, Kevin chats with Henry Invisible to discuss how he’s using live-streaming to make his music go further and reach a broader audience. Henry had been live-streaming before COVID-19, but…
Like many artists, Dawn set her sights on Nashville in order to pursue her musical dreams. When things hit rock bottom, she randomly notice the “go live” button on Facebook and everything changed. In this…
Is your social feed crowded with seemingly every musician on the planet “going live” at once? How many of those livestreams feel like genuine, engaging events? In this episode, Kevin and Chris dig into a…
You might have missed some important music industry news during the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s catch you up! In this episode, Kevin and Chris talk about recent music biz developments that could impact your music career….
There are seven things that many musicians get mixed up — publishers and PROs, cover songs and Public Domain tunes, UPCs and ISRCs, etc. In this episode, Kevin and Chris clear away the confusion. What’s the…
What do you do when a gig or tour is cancelled? Touring musicians are facing a time of uncertainty and financial sacrifice as the Coronavirus pandemic has lead to many public gatherings being postponed or…
Whether you want a gig, playlist placement, or press opportunity, you’re going to need to sell someone on your music — and that means “pitching.” In this episode, Kevin and Chris dissect successful music pitches…
Promoting your music on social media can eat up a lot of your time. Sadly, most artists waste that precious time using social media in ways that are rote and uninspired. In this episode, Kevin…
The music business is constantly evolving. Streaming dominates. Markets are truly global. The way people promote & monetize music shifts every year. And videos are growing shorter and more important than ever before. In this…
TikTok has more than half a billion active users, it’s the most downloaded app in the world, and the entire platform runs on music! Now that CD Baby is delivering YOUR music to TikTok, Kevin…
Having your own pro website is even MORE important in an age where fan relationships are often owned by anyone but the artist. In this episode, Bandzoogle’s Dave Cool talks about creating a good experience…
First time releasing music? Returning to music after a hiatus? Where do you even start? With a plan — then you build the foundation. In this episode, Kevin and Chris outline the basic steps artists…
What kind of merch is selling in the streaming era? How do you experiment with t-shirts and other kinds of band merch without going broke? In this episode, Kevin and Chris talk through some of…
With over 600 million users on Instagram every day, you need your IG game to be strong. In this session recorded at the 2019 DIY Musician Conference, Rick Barker shows you how to use IG…
“Everything about my music career will get better, easier, bigger, once I’m on a label.” That’s what musicians tell themselves, and in most cases it isn’t true. In this episode, Kevin and Chris talk about…
Music mastering can be the mysterious and stressful punctuation at the end of your creative recording process. Or it can bring out the best in your music, making it ready for streaming, CD, or vinyl….
Musicians are natural storytellers, but for some reason we don’t apply that talent to our music marketing. The best music marketing conveys a story that makes someone want to DO something with your music. In this…