331: 5 Things Musicians Should Leave Behind in 2023
Are you holding your own music back? Whenever we hear an artist rationalize why they haven’t achieved a certain level of success, it often seems like they’re getting in their own way due to some…
#307: The 2022 DIY Musician Conference Preview
With 60,000 new tracks released on Spotify every day, you need an advantage that will help your music rise above the noise and get noticed amidst that daily mountain of new music.You can’t leave it…
#306: 7 Ways to Feel More Confident About Your Music
Most people in the world don’t know what it’s like to put themselves and their ideas out into the world. There’s a level of vulnerability involved in releasing your music for others to hear. These…
#305: 5 Ways to Ruin Your Spotify Presence
If your songs do well on Spotify, it means reach and revenue for your music. Sending the right signals to Spotify can lead to huge audience growth driven by personalized playlists like Discover Weekly and…
#304: Music Marketing 101, Part 2
Having a plan and using the right tools is essential to building an audience for your music.In the second part of our two-part series Music Marketing 101, you’ll learn how to market your music on…
#303: Music Marketing 101, Part 1
Do you want music fans to hear your music, love it and stick with you for life? Of course! But that doesn’t happen automatically. It takes marketing to achieve this goal. And not just marketing,…
#302: 31 Music Revenue Sources
Are you looking to make more money from your music? Of course! We all are.The good news is there are more revenue streams for artists out there today than there have ever been. But most…
#301: The RIGHT Way to Do a Cover Song
Supercharge your Link in Bio here: https://withkoji.com/@kojidiymusician Cover songs can be an amazing way for you to build an audience and reach new fans, but there are some right and wrong ways to do them….
#300: The Indie Revolution Continues!
The DIY musician podcast has been going strong for 15 years, and this is our 300th episode! This episode is a celebration of the amazing independent artists that make up now-massive segments of the music…
#299: Adam Ezra – Making $200,000 From Your Artist Website
Growing and maintaining a sustainable music career is always a hot topic, especially as opportunities around music monetization continue to evolve. While some artists express frustration regarding streaming payouts, there are many more dependable ways…
#298: Promote Your Music with Videos That ACTUALLY Go Viral
If you’re not promoting your music with short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to grow your audience. And while everyone wants to go viral, actually…
#297: How to Find Your First True Fans
Whether you’re just starting out or it’s been a while since you’ve released new music, it’s important to find real, true fans. These are people who love your music for what it is, not because…
#296: How to Book Gigs in 2022
Real, live, in-person gigs are finally happening again! That means you should start thinking about getting back out on the road and on stage. But what if it’s your first time out, or your first…
#295: The Post-Pandemic Plan for Musicians
After two years of false starts and canceled tours, it’s finally time to plan for a post-pandemic music career. But with so many changes in the music industry, how do you get back on track?…
#294: Before you remove your music, listen to this!
You’ve likely seen some famous artists announcing they’re removing their music from streaming platforms like Spotify. These major artists can have an equally major influence on the music industry, and they may even inspire independent…
#293: NFTs for Musicians, Pt 2
You might know what NFTs are, how they work and how to create and sell them. But…should you? That’s a totally different question. In part two of our series on NFTs, we talk through some…
#292: NFTs for Musicians, Pt 1
NFTs have been hyped as digital collectibles; as a way of building community; as a new format that could potentially revolutionize the music industry; as a way to return value directly to artists for their…
#291: Making an impact with cover art
The cover art for your single or album is one of the first points of contact that you have with your listeners, so it’s important to make a compelling first impression. After all, your cover…
#290: What every artist needs to know about mechanical royalties
What are mechanical royalties and how do you get them? If your music is not listed with the MLC, you’re missing out on mechanical royalties you’ve earned. That’s YOUR money! So how do you collect…
#289: 10 creative challenges to get you out of your songwriting rut
Writer’s block happens to everyone, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t frustrating when you’re trying to create and coming up blank. If you’ve found yourself in a songwriting slump, try these fun challenges to dig…
#288: Is social media dead for musicians?
When it comes to sustaining your music career, is social media… Dead? Dying? A zombie? Still the greatest tool we have, even though it’s killing our souls one post or doomscroll at a time? In…
#287: The new rules for cover art
Contrary to the old idiom, people DO judge a book by its cover. And the same goes for music. If your release’s cover artwork is blurry, unnecessarily cluttered or just downright ugly, it could put…
#286: Music predictions for 2022
Given that there’s no ONE path to success these days, CD Baby has made sure to empower artists in a myriad of ways: digital music revenue, publishing administration, sync licensing, physical manufacturing and distribution, social…
#285: What independent musicians can learn from The Beatles’ Get Back
It may feel like there are few applicable lessons to learn from the unrivaled career of The Beatles. They were icons. They were giants. They were… mere mortals? Yep. Humans, just like the rest of…
#284: Releasing music for the first time
Are you planning to release your first song? Or… your first song in a while? There is a lot you’ll encounter along the way that might be new to you. Let’s talk about all the…
#283 – Bryan Ewald: Artist endorsements and diversifying revenue
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,…