What Goes Where? Setting Up A Recording Studio

Your first attempt at recording a song or even just vocals at home will likely include the built in microphone and soundcard of your computer or even a webcam.  It’s a confusing task to even understand what all pieces of studio gear are required, let alone how they must be connected to operate properly.  Newcomers become intimidated almost immediately, but think of these factoids…

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: The Best Apps And Accessories For Music Lovers

 

• Emma Sturgis | Listen Anywhere: The Best Apps And Accessories For Music Lovers
• Brandon Waardenburg | Are You Getting The Most From Your Current Fans?
• Mark Knight | The Evolving Role of Social Media For Bands & Brands
• Rachelle Wilber | 5 Rewarding Careers to Explore With a Music Degree
• Gabe Schillinger | Recording Professional Quality Vocals At Home

Listen Anywhere: The Best Apps And Accessories For Music Lovers

You use your smartphone for just about everything these days. Sending emails, playing games, connecting with old friends on social media… So why not listen to your favorite tunes while you walk the dog? But with so many apps and accessories out there, how do you know which ones will work for you? Here are a few options perfect for music lovers.

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Are You Getting The Most From Your Current Fans?

It’s deliciously tempting to ignore everything and obsess about getting more fans. 
 
It’s natural to want more fans.  It’s not even a bad thing.
 
But what if you aren’t getting the most out of your current fans?  Is getting more fans going help?
 
It’s easy to think that more is the answer.  We do a simple math equation…

• More fans = more people to sell to
• More fans = more people to fill a venue (and venue owners like that)

But adding more fans isn’t always the answer.  

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The Evolving Role of Social Media For Bands & Brands

Social media has changed the music marketing landscape forever. While it’s easy to be impressed by the scale of an artist’s social media footprint, both marketeers and musicians need to continue to look behind the numbers to understand the value of social media and how it can be further enhanced.

With last week’s Social Media Week in London, and having just held MEC’s second Music Week looking at the changing role of social, data and brand partnerships, I took the opportunity to speak with three emerging bands – MALKA, The Daydream Club and The Microdance – to find out their perceptions of social media and the future role for brands.

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5 Rewarding Careers to Explore With a Music Degree

While many people dream of becoming a musician, most people assume there are limited career options. However, there are actually many exciting jobs available to music degree graduates. Below introduces five rewarding careers available to those with a music degree.

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Recording Professional Quality Vocals At Home

If you’re a singer or a rapper your goal is to record your vocals at the highest quality possible. Ideally you’ll be recording in a million dollar studio with top-of-the-line mic & preamp, high-end room treatment and a professional engineer that has spent years honing their craft. Unfortunately this is not always possible, so here are a few tips that will help improve the sound of your vocals if you’re recording at home.

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: 5 Signs You're Ready to Release Your First Full-Length Album

• Sonicbids | 5 Signs You’re Ready to Release Your First Full-Length Album
• Ariel Hyatt | 5 Critical Things You Need Before You Start A PR Campaign
• Mark Powers | One Helluva Musical Butt Whoopin’
• Music Think Tank | Welcome Our New Community Manager Owen Davie

One Helluva Musical Butt Whoopin’

This article originally appeared on PowersPercussion.com

There’s nothing like stacking yourself up next to a heavyweight to remind you where you’re at on the totem pole! Over the years, I have had several opportunities to study and/or make music with some of the world’s best musicians. In many of those interactions, I have met the challenge and performed quite well, if I do say so myself. On the other hand, I’ve also had some encounters that have downright put me in my place.

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A Call For Submissions

MusicThinkTank.com was created to share opinions, ideas and best practices in the current and future music industry.  To provide our community with the with the best possible content, we are asking for your submissions.  

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5 Critical Things You Need Before You Start A PR Campaign

As an independent musician, a digital PR campaign can be a critical component to an overall marketing strategy that will help you to:

1. Reach new fans

2. Increase online influence

3. Create new content that can be used to continue to build strength of existing fan base through social media

4. Better understand marketplace position

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5 Signs You're Ready to Release Your First Full-Length Album

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog.

The first album you release sets up the rest of your career, and it can help you gain a lot of fans… if it’s any good. Timing the release is important, because if it comes too early, not enough people will know who you are, but if you make people wait too long, the perfect moment might have passed you by. Here are five signs that it’s the perfect time to release your debut album.

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Welcome Our New Community Manager Owen Davie

Please join me in welcoming our new community manager, Owen Davie. He’s been toiling behind the scenes on both Hypebot and MusicThinkTank for several weeks now, and it is time to lift the curtain…

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MusicThinkTank Weekly Recap: 4 Ways To Make Money On Tour

 

• Sonicbids | 4 Ways to Make Money on Tour (Besides Selling Tickets)
• Vinny Ribas | Top 10 Music Industry Podcasts
• Dan Sarath | The Best Way To Make Money As A Musician Is Not With Music
• Shaun Letang | 6 Music Business Skills All Guitarists Need To Know
• Paul Williamson | The Difference Between A Successful Band, And YOUR Band!