Chuck D: Get Yourself Out of the 90s

I finally sat down and spent some time going through the Red Bull Music Academy interview with Public Enemy’s Chuck D from October of 2008, and while it is long (more than 120 minutes!), it’s worth spending some time with. Besides providing insight into the early days of hip-hop and the history of P.E., as this was the Red Bull Music Academy, he also delves into what it means to be a modern musician and how to become a successful independent artist…

Generosity as Marketing Tool

Thoughts from Hypebot on exceeding your fans’ expectations, inspired by Coldplay’s announcement of a few live album that they will be releasing in May.  It’s a small article, but it ends with a key question: “How are you exceeding your fans/customers/stakeholders expectations?” Read more here.

To EP or not to EP…

Brian Hazard over at the Music Think Tank just posted an excellent article on the benefits of releasing a follow-up EP a short time after releasing your full-length album. Among other reasons, he reminds us that it rewards your most loyal fans with additional music and can actually help maintain interest in your full-length. Read [...]

“I’m already watching the project evolve…” (The Mark Marshall Interview, Part III)

This is the final entry in our three-part interview series with independent musician Mark Marshall, examining the ways that he is using social media to both promote and shape the final outcome of his massive Four for 4 project. Special thanks to Mark for allowing our readers to learn more about how he is making this all happen…

“I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t a struggle…” (The Mark Marshall Interview, Part II)

…this is the second in our three-part interview series with Mark Marshall on his Four for 4 Project, focusing on how he is making it all happen, both in terms of technology and in terms of funding. Friday we will examine the ways that he is using social media to both promote and shape the final outcome, and yesterday we examined the genesis of his idea to release four albums in one year as part of a subscription package…

“One Man…One Year…Four albums…” (The Mark Marshall Interview, part I)

…when we heard that the independent musician Mark Marshall was not only going to release four albums over the course of the next year, but also a documentary film, as well as launch a subscription-based social media experience around the creation of said albums, we had to discover if there was a method to his apparent madness…This is the first in our three-part interview series with Mark, focusing on where the idea came from and why he has chosen to release his music in this manner…

Musicians Library: Highlights from Around the Web (21 April 09)

…we feature some of our favorite articles from around the web that you should consider adding to your library (virtual as that library may be), including highlights from KnowTheMusicBiz.com and FutureofMusicBook.com…

Trent Reznor: “hone your craft…then present it in a way that exploits it the best”

…Digg finally posted their much-anticipated interview with the forward-thinking Trent Reznor. The questions were all written and voted-on by Digg users, and (happily, for us) the bulk of the discussion revolves around new music business models and includes very detailed advice on how music artists can use technology to connect with both fans and potential fans…

Record Store Day: Show Your Local Indie Music Store That You Care

One of the more effective ways for you as an independent musicians to promote your music and discover new listeners is through your local independent record store. These stores and their customers are at the center of any healthy local music scene. Thus, they should be a key part of your music marketing strategy.

April 18, 2009, is the annual Record Store Day celebration–an excellent opportunity to both support these music-centric businesses and to promote your music to the locals. Read on to learn how…

Musicians: What Can You Learn from a Group of Boy Scouts?

Every February, I take a large group of Boy Scouts from Manhattan on their annual Winter Camp event.  For those who have not done it before, winter camping is everything that you would imagine it to be (and probably more), but it always ends up being a great time, despite the cold and (usually) wet [...]