Review: The Independent Artist's Guide To Exceptional Income

Noisetrade is one of my favorite artist discovery sites.  If you're unfamiliar, artists can upload their music for free, and give it away to fans in exchange for their email address.  Which we'll talk about in a later post.

But recently Noisetrade added a books section to their site where you can download both written and audiobooks on a whole range of subjects.  And here is one that you should pick up:

Short, practical, and easy to follow.  This is a great listen from someone who is just like many artists, attempting to make a living by telling their story.  Williams helps artists process their unique opportunity, organize and plan their time for maximum effectiveness, grow in areas of existing strength while stepping into unfamiliar terrain, and finally how to be able to turn that into a career that is self-sustaining.  

Get it 'The Independent Artist's Guide To Exceptional Income' here!  And then let's talk about how you can practically apply those steps to your unique voice as an artist to tell your story.  Email me here.

Why Artists Should Be Pro-Spotify

I am as pro-artist as they come. 

I am also pro-Spotify.

Gasp, I know.

Here’s the deal: you’re right, as an artist you’re really not making any money via Spotify.  But as an artist that is trying to make a living off music, you’re not making the bulk of your income off of record sales or streams anyway!  It’s songwriters and publishers who have more to be upset with when it comes to the fractions of pennies they are getting from Spotify – not you!

As an artist, the bulk of your income should come from touring, licensing, as much exposure and endorsement deals as you can muster, and thinking like an entrepreneur about unique opportunities to use your gifting to make a living.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  Part of being an artist in this day and age is realizing that streaming in some format is here to stay.  So instead of getting worked up and frustrated about the pennies that streaming is leaving on the table for you because of the hordes of people that had planned to buy your album until they saw they could stream it, lean into it!

How can you make streaming work in your favor?  How can you utilize it for something you need more than pennies: exposure, listeners that become life-long fans?

Streaming is here to stay, so make it work for you.

If you’re interested in more reading on the subject, here’s a great detailed article from Billboard showing how streaming is not having as adverse an affect as everyone assumes.

Want to make a plan to make streaming work for you?  Let’s talk.

Email me here.

How Track Sequencing Tells A Story

This is perhaps one of my biggest pet peeves – poor track sequencing.  Track sequencing is a subliminal way of relaying your brand.  Your fans may not pick up on the overall story you’re telling through your sequencing – but that’s exactly what it is, a cohesive story.  A track sequence done poorly is like riding with someone learning to drive stick shift: jolting, bumpy and filled with lots of stops and starts.

Here are a few things to consider when putting together a sequence for your release:

Tempo

Hopefully you’ve written and recorded a good balance of varying tempos.  Don’t weight tempo too heavily to either side of the album – spread the love.  A good mix of fast, moderate and slow songs throughout the whole project will always feel more rounded

Production

Is this song seriously fifteen minutes long?  Oh, it’s been four different songs?  That can happen when the production elements stay the same – instrumentation, dynamics, key, structure, etc.  Don’t be that band.

End Listener

Sometimes as an artist your end listener will be different, keep that in mind when sequencing.  You’ll want a different flow for your audience than you would for industry professionals you’re pitching for a record deal, tour bookings, PR or placement opportunities.

Yes, sequencing is important, and makes an impact on your listener.  Don’t just throw songs together without thought.  Let your brand influence how you communicate the story of your records.

Don’t be the person learning to drive stick shift with your track sequencing.  Let’s work out those transitions together, email me here.