BlogOn the surface, few things are as revealing about a person as the sort of music they claim to like. Think, for a moment, about the major genres of music out there and the social and economic stereotypes associated with each. For decades, music has been used as a social tool to figure people out by categorizing them into neat, predictable boxes. Musical stereotyping has always been problematic, but in 2019, it’s also becoming woefully inaccurate about not only music fans, but also musicians. Today, music is bending and shifting into new styles that borrow from a spectrum of all genres and eras like never before. As musicians, we’re doing ourselves a massive disservice when we listen to music we think we like and nothing else.
Why You Should Listen To Music You Don’t Like
How Gratitude Can Make You A Better Musician
Gratitude isn’t something we think about much in the music industry. The relentless work ethic it takes to make music and compete in a fierce and unforgiving music climate makes it hard for musicians to think about anything other than what it takes to make meaningful momentum happen for their work. But if you’re a musician trying to build a career in music, stepping back for a moment and being grateful for what you’ve already accomplished in music can help give you a positive new perspective and hope for your work.
Music Law 101: What Rights Does A Copyright Owner Have?
So you’ve already written and recorded a song and determined who owns it, but now what can you as an owner do with it? What rights in the song do you have, that no one else does?
The owner of the copyright in a work has certain exclusive rights in that work, rights that no one else but the owner has, including the rights to:
Want Decent Band Photos? Don’t Do This
Photography has nothing to do with music, but the pictures that represent you or your band are hugely important. Imagery, along with the written narrative you use to describe the story behind your music (your bio) is an integral part of getting people interested in your project. But while solid and engaging band photos can help draw in the attention of potential listeners, poorly executed pictures can do just the opposite. Here are some things you’ll want to avoid while taking band photos:
Basic Ableton Live Tips: Part 1
Ableton Live has become one of the most powerful Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) on the market today. Although it was designed primarily for live performance, it’s become a studio favorite. Originally built for DJs and electronic musicians, it still has enough audio capabilities to compete with other big-name DAWs. We’re introducing a new video series teaching basic Ableton tips and tricks so you can get started in Ableton Live today.
4 Ways To Make Your Next Album Release A Success
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of gearing up to release a new album. All the adrenaline, excitement, and anticipation of the last several months coming to fruition—it can be tempting to just release it on a whim, eager to get it out to the world.
I hate to break it to you, but unless you’re Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, you can’t just drop an album with no notice or hype and expect press, fans, and opportunities to find you. You’ve got to put a little planning into it! While that might seem daunting at first, it’s not only a necessary part of a successful album release, but it can be pretty fun too. Here’s how to plan for your next release, and make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.
4 Lyrical Cliches To Avoid
Unless the music you make is purely instrumental, the tone, felling, and narrative of the lyrical content in your songs is most likely going to be an important part of your musical identity. Depending on the kind of music you make, you might not think lyrics are all that important, but you’d be wrong. Yes, music speaks when words fail, but the stories portrayed in music often do a great deal as far as reaching out and relating to an audience. Approach lyrics with honesty, thoughtfulness, and poetic potency, and you’ll have a proven way to inspire real emotion and understanding from a listener. But all too often, songwriters rely on cliches to help tell the stories in their songs. Here are four lyrical cliches to avoid:
Why You Shouldn’t Rely On Crowdfunding For All Of Your Releases
Crowdfunding is an excellent way to promote new music and to help fund it at the same time. Platforms designed to reach friends, family and fans make it easy for artists to reach out to their community and ask for their help in turning a musical vision into a reality. But while crowdfunding has no doubt now helped countless musicians create and release music, it’s a bad idea to rely on it every time you decide to put out new music. Here are a couple of reasons why: