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.
How Gratitude Can Make You A Better Musician
3 Big Ways Streaming Is Transforming Music
From the way audiences listen to music to how songwriters make music, major streaming platforms have changed music so completely that we won’t fully understand what it all really means for some time. But while the long-term impacts from music streaming are difficult to predict, there’s plenty of massive transformations underway we can talk about now. Here’s three of them:
Pros And Cons To Starting Your Own Label
You might not know it, but some of the most influential institutions in music started with a couple of frustrated musicians taking things into their own hands. This especially applies to the ever-expanding world of independent record labels. But forming your own label is no easy task, and most musicians are probably better off looking to team up with an already established one to help bring their music to listeners. If you’re considering starting your own label, here’s a few pros and cons to consider:
The Music Industry’s Playlist Culture And Our Attention Spans
In addition to delivering big profits to labels and publishers, playlists are helping new and unknown artists succeed in some profound ways. From popular independent playlists curated in dorm rooms to Spotify’s insanely successful Discover Weekly feature, playlists are becoming a major way for listeners to learn about new music. The music industry has a lot to gain from this new trend, but is there a downside to our ever-increasing penchant for playlists?
About The Money: Music Distribution As An Investment
Imagine you’re a new, independent artist looking to test the waters of the business they call music. You have a soul-sucking day job, but hey, gotta pay the rent, right? Soon you’d love to quit and make music full time, but first you need to get some momentum going. You bedroom-produced a handful of songs and you’re ready to get streamed. Got $50 to drop on digital distribution for those five songs? “Ayyyyyy, I haven’t even bought a nice microphone yet!”
Do you really want to begin your career hundreds of dollars in the hole?
You can’t catch your dreams if you go broke trying. That’s why we’re dethroning The Old Way with Select Distribution, the smart, budget-friendly way to get your music on the biggest streaming platforms in the world. The Old Way requires you to spend at least $10 per song and $50 per album to get on “hundreds” of streaming sites, apps, and stores. That’s a fine offer for the more established artist with thousands of fans. That guy is confident he’ll make his money back in a few months. But the up-and-comer, well, she needs to be a bit more choosy with her money. Want to do some quick math?
What The Electric Guitar’s Decline In Popularity Tells Us About The Current State Of Music
Seemingly without notice until recently, the music industry has been experiencing a seismic and possibly irreversible change throughout the last decade. Last year, the Washington Post published an article about the recent decline in international electric guitar sales. The numbers are pretty shocking. In just the past decade, electric guitar sales have dropped by a third, from 1.5 million to a new average of just over 1 million. As you can imagine, this trend has been hell on small music stores, but even large music retailers have been experiencing pain due to waning guitar sales.
If you own a music store, this is all pretty bleak news, but what does the electric guitar’s decline mean for the rest of the music industry?
Label Interview: Pacific Records
California-based indie label Pacific Records is running an opportunity through us where they’ll be conducting A&R research to identify potential ReverbNation artists to add to its roster. The label is looking to expand its roster with exciting new bands covering all genres of music.
Pacific Records has evolved from its humble beginnings as a retail record store chain into a multi-dimensional entity that includes recording studios, engineering services, CD replication, screen printing, and talent buying services, while its primary focus remains as an independent record label and music publisher.
We spoke to Martin Guigui, Senior Vice President & Director of A&R, at Pacific Records about how they got started, what kind of artists they look for, advice for artists submitting to records labels, and lots more. Check out their interview!
Must-See Artists Playing SXSW Next Week
From authentic Americana to future electro-soul, there’s a gaggle of uber talented ReverbNation artists headed to BBQ-land to play SXSW in Austin next week. You’ll probably recognize at least a few of them. There’s the quirky pair that make up GRUMBY, the kid Rolling Stone labeled a “prodigy” – also known as Sammy Brue, and Future Thieves, who debuted their track “Ghosts” with Conan O’Brien. That’s just to name a few. Come hear the rest…