Paste magazine launches their “save Paste” campaign in order to preserve one of the top selling music magazines in the country. Webcaster’s rights are debated in the White House. Twitter gets bigger and BIGGER. The podcaster’s recap last weeks interview with professor Nancy Baym and discuss viewing your music career as party which you continually throw for your fans. Plus Your emails and phone calls! It’s a DIY party for the independent musician!
#059: Nancy Baym – Online Fandom
Artists and musicians spend a lot of time communicating with their fan community, whether it be social networks, email, or just the music itself. With so much thought and energy going into fan communication, it funny how little time is actually spend considering the fan’s perspective. In this episodes, we hear from Nancy Baym, an Associate Professor in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. She is an award-winning teacher on topics including the use of new communication technologies in creating identities, relationships and communities, interpersonal communication, and qualitative research methods. She has spent years studying online fandom to understand what communities like music fans a re really looking for. It might not be exactly what you think!
You can find more of Nancy Baym’s writing’s on here blog http://www.onlinefandom.com
#058: Roundtable – On the Road with Chris Robley
In the News: Mainstream radio is still a racket. Also, when is the best time of day to Twitter?
For our main topic of discussion, our own Chris Robley uses Haiku to woo his audiences as well as other experimental promotional techniques on his 2 week tour down the California coast. Listen as he shares what worked and what didn’t. Plus calls and stories from our listening audience.
Check out http://bandago.com where Chris rented his luxury tour van.
#057: Matt Malley – Life as a Counting Crow
Whether you’re slugging it out in small clubs, or selling millions of albums, there are consistent themes that run through every artist’s experience. Matt Malley, former bass player for the band the Counting Crows, has done both and he shares his experiences as an indie artist and as a member of a major label touring act. Matt joined up with the Counting Crows in 1990, when they were just a California indie band struggling to find a name for themselves in the Bay Area. Little did Matt know that the Counting Crows would soon become a household name. After years of success, platinum albums, and hit songs, Matt left the band in late 2004. Once again he found himself back in the world of indie music, though a bit older and wiser. In 2008, he released his first solo album on CD Baby. Matt’s journey as a musician has become a familiar story as major label artists decide that DIY is sometimes a happy alternative to the rigors of a major label relationship.
In this episode:
Some keys to the Counting Crows success and even a couple mistakes!
An inside look at the Counting Crows as a business
Matt’s tips for up and coming artists
Matt’s solo album is available at CD Baby here http://cdbaby.com/cd/mattmalley
#056: Roundtable – A Music Career Without Touring?
iTunes introduces variable pricing. Facebook stays on top. The podcasters recap our last episode, where David Nevue demonstrated that it’s entirely possible to make a living without the constant touring and gigging that most musicians do. But is this possible for the rest of us? Listen in as the broadcasters weigh in on this topic while sharing calls and comments from our audience.
Our new podcast T-shirts are here! Help support the podcast by sporting our stylish logo. You can buy it direct from CD Baby here – http://cdbaby.com/all/cdbabypodcast
#055: David Nevue – Building a Music Career Online
The internet is an irreplaceable tool for music promotion, but is it possible to build a music career in cyberspace alone?  In this episode, we hear from solo pianist David Nevue, who built his music into a full time career just by creating an effective online presence.  For the modern day DIY artist, David’s business model is the perfect example of what can be accomplished with great music, a little merchandising know-how, and a long term vision.  A lot of ground is covered in this interview, so get ready to take notes!
David Nevue’s artist website can be found here – http://davidnevue.com/
To check out David’s book, “How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet†click here.
#054: Roundtable – Finding Frequency
How often do you post a new song, demo, album or blog post? In the web 2.0 universe artists are competing for the attention of an increasingly distracted audience. Keeping your fans engaged often means frequently and consistently producing dynamic content. How does an artist do this without compromising the quality of their product? In this roundtable episode, the podcasters are joined by special guest, artist manager and Portland PR person, Ryan Wines, who wrote an intriguing post on his blog about releasing music with frequency in mind. Â Do you have a music promotion strategy that involves releasing music on a frequent basis? Â If yes, we want to hear about it! Â Read Ryan’s blog here – Â Petmarmoset.net
#053: Bill Thompson – Mobile Marketing
The cell phone has rapidly evolved. It’s hard to even think of another technology that has changed as quickly as mobile phone technology. The way we use our phones has changed drastically as well. What started as just a portable phone, has turned into what is now basically 
pocket computer. In many cases, the actual phone is the least used feature of the device.
In this episode, we talk to Bill Thompson, from Full Sail University, who teaches a course on Mobile Marketing & Commerce. For the indie artist, the mobile phone offers a world of possibility. It takes the technology formerly only available on our home computers, and puts it into real world situations where interactivity can be maximized.
The Mobile Marketing Association website can be found here – http://www.mmaglobal.com/
#052: Roundtable – The Working Musician
News, calls, emails, tips and tricks!
The Podcasters revisit last week’s episode with Greg Poree, share some more Twitter tips, and investigate the art of playing other people’s music for a living. This and much more on your beloved DIY Musician podcast.
The Seth Godin interview that Kevin mentions can be found by clicking here!
Want to check out Matthew Ebel’s subscription side to his artist website? Just click here to sign up and enter in promo code cdbaby50. The subscriber side of his website can be accessed at http://matthewebel.net
#051: Greg Poree – Dancing With The Stars!
Most indie artists have a day job in order to make ends meet. For some, their “day job†is actually playing music. In this episode, Kevin talks to Greg Poree, the guitar player on the hit TV show, Dancing With the Stars. We’ll hear how Greg worked his way up to such a prestigious position, and get a behind the scenes look into his “day job.â€Â This work is not for the faint of heart. When the red light is on, there is no room for error. Greg shares his tips and insights for all who are interested in pursuing a career as a working musician. If music is your job, we want to hear from you! Please share your tips, tricks, or horror stories!
Hear Greg Poree’s inventions album here -> http://cdbaby.com/cd/gregpore3
#050: Roundtable – The Value of Music
The big 50! Kevin, Chris and Robert are pleased as punch to have delivered fifty info-packed episodes of the DIY Musician Podcast. They kick off this episode by sharing a few of their favorite lessons learned as well as some recent music business news. Get down to the dirt with our hosts as they visit a touchy topic for hard working musicians: What is the value of your art? Plus your calls, emails and comments.
Do hard working musicians deserve a better living? Is the general public less likely to spend money on music because it’s so freely available?
#043: Tom Jackson – Creating Moments On Stage
Tom Jackson is a performance coach. He works with major label artists from all over the world in order to produce stage shows that will create a memorable experience for concert goers. Knowing your songs and reproducing your record live isn’t enough to dazzle an audience.
Tom helps artists develop shared moments on stage that often send an audience clambering to the merch table. Tom says the trick is to develop a structured show that leaves room for spontaneity. Join us as Tom shares his expertise on this often overlooked aspect of being a successful performing artist.
Check out Tom’s website Click Here!
#042: Roundtable – Microblogging your music career
iTunes introduces tiered pricing. Microsoft releases SongSmith, a program that makes anyone a musician. NIN gives away 400GB of HD video. Kevin, Chris and Robert discuss Twitter and how micro-blogging and social networking can enhance your music career. 
Plus calls and emails from our amazing listeners: That’s you!
In episode 41 Alex Steininger mentioned questions that he gives to artists and bands to help them write a better bio and discover some specific story lines. To see some of those questions, Just Click Here!
#041: Roundtable – What’s Your Story?
Not-so-secret secrets revealed! Social media do’s and don’ts. What Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Madonna have in common. YouTube teams up with Rumble Fish. Robert offers to throw a virtual snowball at Kevin. And the podcasters discuss the importance of knowing the story behind your music. Pour yourself a cup of hot coco, plug in your earbuds, and let the DIY Musician Podcast ring in the New Year.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Techipedia article on Social Networking Etiquette
#040: Alex Steininger – Get Publicized!
Alex Steininger, music journalist, 10 year veteran publicist, and founder of ‘In Music We Trust’ (a label, eZine and publicity company) discusses the ins and outs of promotion in the digital age. Alex is the publicist for our own Chris Robley and many others. He discusses how to pick a publicist, what a publicist does and at what point a musician should seek a publicist to move his or her music forward. Don’t miss this one! Your music career will thank you.
#039: Roundtable – How Fans Discover Your Music
Indie legends Wilco release an EP that’s also a free application. Guns ‘N’ Roses finally does it. Video games drive music sales. Robert seems mostly recovered from a minor head injury. The podcasters discuss Pandora Radio and the many ways that people discover music. Plus call-ins and lessons learned from our awesome audience (that’s you!).
playapp.com is the company releasing Wilco’s enhanced EP as mentioned on the podcast.