In the age of streaming, more singles and EPs are being released than albums for various reasons. The first reason is that albums are costlier to make and production takes a longer time. Singles and EPs, on the other hand, are quicker and cheaper to make and are a great way to test new styles. The release process is no different than the production process on this front. With singles and EPs, it is easier to customize the release process and make it as engaging as possible. Here are five steps to prepare your single or EP for a release:
5 Steps To Prepare Your Single Or EP For Release
5 Things To Expect On Your First DIY Tour
If you’re a regular reader of the ReverbNation blog or are just an experienced musician, you already know how unpleasant touring can be for musicians at any level. But there’s something unique and story-worthy when a young band sets out to play a tour they booked themselves for the first time. DIY touring is brutal work but is also the type of stuff that transforms inexperienced musicians into confident performers. For the young and inexperienced, here’s five things to expect on your first DIY tour:
3 Ways Casual Listeners Are Different Than Fans
Playlists and streaming technology are upending just about everything in music, and the relationship between fans and musicians is no exception. A decade ago, it’d be safe to call most of an artist’s listeners true fans, but that’s no longer the case. Between the plummeting value of music and how easy it is for fans to listen to and discover new music, more people are listening to more music than ever before––but it takes much more than listening to an artist to become a loyal fan. Here’s three ways casual listeners are different than fans:
3 Common Unrealistic Expectations For Musicians
Because music is closely intertwined with emotion, musicians often approach their work with unrealistic expectations. Big, vague, and unreachable expectations can be dangerous because they lead musicians to exchange focusing on small successes for ones they’ll never be able to attain. Here’s a list of three unrealistic musical expectations to watch out for:
Why Balance Is Essential For A Successful Music Career
I’m well aware that the title of this article looks like something out of a self-help book for musicians, but I’m ok with it because it’s true. Neglect your career, stop writing songs and putting energy into music, and your musical identity evaporates. But spend all your time touring and holed up in your music studio and things like the state of your close relationships and bank account are sure to suffer. Balance is vital for musicians because it creates a big, dynamic space for their everyday lives to exist in. It makes room for an ambitious, fulfilling career along with vital non-musical aspects of a musician’s life. Can you always have it all when it comes to balancing a music career with a marriage, mortgage payment, or dayjob? No! Of course not. That’s why balance is so important.
7 Spooky Good Music Marketing Tips To Try
Happy (almost) Halloween! In honor of all the spookiness that lies ahead, we’ve put together a list of fun, scarily good tactics to try out in an effort to up your marketing game. (Ok, so they’re really just fun marketing tricks to try, but we’re excited for Halloween—can you blame us?)
So if you’re sick of the same old tired techniques or simply don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered with these music marketing tips to try.
5 Ways Small Blogs Lead To Success
Everyone wants major placements on big name blogs —and understandably. Not only does a positive feature from them hold weight with their audience, but it’s a pretty big ego boost for the indie band that gets featured. The problem? The likelihood of a truly indie band getting featured is pretty slim.
But before you get too deflated, or angry, or go through the myriad of emotions you’re likely feeling when you accept that and let it sink in, I want to re-introduce you to something you’ve probably given very little thought, but is in fact your best shot at long term success: small blogs.
While indie hopefuls may view smaller blogs as beneath them, insisting they’re destined for great things (and they might be), they’re missing out on a crucial player in the music industry if they skip them. As both a blogger (for small and high tier sites) as well as a publicist that has placed my artists on both, I want to let you in on the secret of just why small blogs are the missing ingredient to your music career.
5 Nontraditional Ways To Promote Your Band
When I think of some of the most creative strategies I’ve seen from emerging bands, none of them include posting about their shows/music nonstop on social media, shoving their CD in my face as I walk by them at a festival, or otherwise trying to harass me into listening to their music. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.
The most effective ways to promote your band are the ones where the audience feels an honest and natural kinship with what’s happening. They don’t feel pressured or sold to, and the effects are subtle yet long lasting. That is almost always due to your promotional strategies being aligned with your brand.
So how can you do the same thing? The truth is that some of the best ideas will come through your own experiences and specific branding strategies. But if you’re feeling stuck, take a look at some of these ideas to promote your band and let us know what some of your favorites have been!