#345: 10 Ways to Simplify Your Instagram Ads
Running ads for your music isn’t easy, no matter what the experts tell you. But it CAN be one of the best ways to reach new listeners and build a lasting audience of fans and…
#272: The state of music streaming
The State of Streaming: CD Baby artist’s revenue increased 26% in 2020 over the previous year. What music platforms drove the most revenue? What does today’s fractured listening environment mean for your music promotion? In…
#271: Musicians guide to YouTube
Can musicians succeed on YouTube if they’re not “YouTubers?” Yes, though there are many lessons musicians should learn from creators who use YouTube as it’s intended — managing a video channel with consistent programming. In this…
#270: What every artist is asking
Every musician’s path is unique, but a lot of times we’re all wondering the same thing. How to reach new listeners during a pandemic? How to make sure our single releases build towards the album?…
#269: Getting your music promotion in order for 2021
It’s a new year with many challenges still facing artist as they try to connect with music fans during a global pandemic. Take heart! Indie artists have always lead the charge when it comes to…
#268: How to release your music in 2021
The way artists release music completely changed in 2020. As we approach 2021, artists are asking what is the right balance between singles and albums? How do you target and engage new listeners in the…
DIY Musician Stories #8 : Madisen Ward
In this episode Montse chats with musician Madisen Ward of the folky-blues-roots duo Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. Madisen tells us about his “Quarentunesâ€, how he built his artist team, on writing, starting a podcast,…
#267: Cheryl B. Engelhardt – Organizing your fans to reach a goal
Whether you’re launching a new album, promoting a livestream, or trying to shoot for something bigger like a Grammy nomination, getting your fans onboard can be a challenge. In this episode you’ll hear how Cheryl…
DIY Musician Stories #7 : Sally & George
In this episode Montse chats with Shelby Means and Joel Timmons of the folk-rock duo Sally & George. They are independent artists releasing an album during the pandemic and they tell us all about that…
#266: Preparing for the 2020 holiday release season
Releasing music before the end of 2020? Listen to this episode, where Kevin and Chris talk about distribution deadlines, holiday music promotion, which Christmas favorites you can record without paying a mechanical royalty, and more….
#265: How artists make money from sync licensing
Sync licensing has grown into a huge opportunity for indie musicians to gain listeners and earn money. That’s increasingly true for thousands of CD Baby clients whose songs have been licensed to numerous projects on…
#264: Live-streaming on Facebook (Musicians, DON’T panic!!!)
The internet exploded with news that Facebook was no longer going to allow artists to livestream on the platform. Fortunately, that information was completely false. However, on this episode of the podcast Kevin and Chris…
#263: How to deal with failure and rejection
Let’s get real for a sec: Musicians are well acquainted with rejection and failure. But we don’t want to admit it, do we? In this podcast episode, Kevin and Chris talk about the kinds of…
DIY Musician Stories #6 : Birds of Chicago
Birds of Chicago are a husband and wife folk/soul duo based in Nashville, TN. In this episode of the DIY Musician Stories podcast, Alli and JT chat with Montse about their origin story, writing process,…
#262: Getting attention with online advertising
Few people are going to notice your music simply because you’ve made it. You have to do something ELSE to get attention, and online advertising opens up an affordable way to create awareness, stir interest,…
#261: What musicians need to know about Instagram Reels
Musicians, it’s time to get Reel. Instagram Reels — Facebook’s answer to TikTok — is now available, and your music can be there too! In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss the features of Instagram Reels, why…
DIY Musician Stories #5 : Maya de Vitry
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…
#260: Creating videos for 2020 and beyond
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…
DIY Musician Stories #4 : Sunny War
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…
DIY Musician Stories #3 : Mary Gauthier
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…
#259: 10 Strategies for releasing a single in 2020
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…
DIY Musician Stories #2 : Amythyst Kiah
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 #1 : Misty Boyce
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…
#258: Taking your live-stream to the next level!
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…
#257: Live-stream success pt 2 – Henry Invisible
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…
#256: Live-stream success pt 1 – Dawn Beyer
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…