While I was on Twitter, I saw some misinformation being posted through an RT on the CD Baby account. A merch company argued that musicians should order merchandise before Dec. 31st so they could write off the expenses in 2012 while selling the goods in 2013. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter because you’ll be taxed on your earnings for 2013 … Read more
When looking at the top search terms for my blog today, I noticed several searches about “unsolicited music demos” and even “What is an unsolicited music demo?” So let’s talk about them and how to make them work for you: What is an unsolicited demo? If you look under the FAQ’s or contact information of … Read more
Do you have a tour or one-off show coming up? Let’s talk about how to promote it. Now, I understand that there are many debates on where the responsibility of promoting lies (some argue the venue/promoter, some argue the artist). Those debates aside, let me say this: the time and money that goes into strategically … Read more
The biggest mistake that anyone can make in marketing is trying to appease everybody. Bill Cosby once said, “I don’t know about the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” Not only is this true for business in general, it’s also true when it comes to getting sponsorships. If … Read more
Recently, I received an email with two commonly asked questions about sponsorship that I’d like to address: 1) How much can you ask from a sponsor?2) My project costs X dollars, should I mention that in my pitch? In my book, I talk about a new way of looking at sponsorship: a partnership. Approaching a business … Read more
When it comes to touring, I find more musicians focused with the “How,” “When,” and “Where” aspects but not enough of the “Why.” Of course, touring can be an incredibly important step in most artists’ careers but you should definitely take some time out to create solid goals and a definitive strategy before you decide … Read more
Last week, I received several questions about bands or venues canceling last minute and what the repercussions were. Between that and taking law classes at night, I’ve had a lot of contracts on my mind. Hopefully, this will help answer some of your questions about band contracts, if you need them, and how to create one. I’ll … Read more
A while ago, I wrote an article for Music Think Tank: 5 Tips on Getting a Label, Sponsor, or Booking Agent. This week, I got some follow up questions on the best route to go for choosing and pitching to a booking agent or agency. Here’s my thought process on how to find the right partner … Read more
Last September, I gave away ten 30 minute consultation sessions to ten different artists. I completely forgot about that until several people emailed me last week asking for some more free advice. Well, I’m happy to do something like that again… What is the Artist Consultation? I usually book one hour sessions with artists who … Read more
Now that the application window for SXSW is open again, I think it’s time to revisit some of these concepts. First of all, if you read the previous article, you’ll know that I spent a lot of time discussing the appropriateness of your act applying for the festival. The committee that reviews applications looks at multiple factors … Read more