4 Home Security Measures To Keep Your Music Equipment Safe

Musicians, what if we told you there’s a burglary happening right now? We wouldn’t be lying. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there’s a break-in every 15 seconds in the United States. Most of which occur in broad daylight. The average loss of homeowners, some of which are musicians just like you, affected by break-ins is around $2,230, which includes damages, stolen cash and other stolen property. With nearly 6,000 break-ins happening each day here in the United States, security should be top of mind. Here is how you can protect your home and the valuable equipment and priceless instruments you keep stored inside.

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3 Keys To Breaking Into The Industry As A Broadway Musician

 Fairbanks violinist Caitlin Warbelow wanted to grow up to be a scientist. Instead, she’s performing on Broadway in Tony-nominated “Come From Away,” a true story about the September 11 attacks. Warbelow earned degrees in violin performance, anthropology, cartography and urban planning before stumbling into success, which she says came to her unexpectedly. She was trying to make it as a musician in New York City when the opportunity came her way.

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Master The Musician Side Hustle With These Income-Boosting Ideas

We could all use a little extra income. Musicians, if you’re searching for a way to supplement your income and expand your skill-set, look no further. You don’t have to sacrifice your dreams just so you can pay rent. Check out these four side hustle ideas and start earning more money today:

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How Technology Has Changed The Online Musical Marketplace

The music industry is in a state of flux. Technology has changed the way musicians play and how engineers produce music, but most of the impact can be measured in how listeners consume and discover music. But what are the main technologies and platforms, who drives these trends and how has the business end held up? Here’s a look at how technology has changed the way people listen, buy, sell and discover music.

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Music-Inspired Getup For The Summer's Biggest Festivals

Summer means music festival season is here. In fact, heavy hitters like Coachella and Sasquatch have already come and gone. But there are still a host of great music festivals over the summer, so mark your calendar, request time off, buy your tickets and great ready to party. How will you stand out in the crowd? Part of the fun of festivals is the extravagant costumes. Here’s a guide for music-inspired getup for all your summer festival needs.

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Entrepreneurial Muscle Building: A Musician's Go-To Guide

You are an artist. You make music that can make people dance, smile or cry. This is your gift. For good or for bad, though, there is another layer to the music industry that defines whether or not your music will be heard. Business is an undeniable truth of the music industry and it is in your best interest to develop some solid entrepreneurial skills that will get your music in front of the biggest and best audience possible.

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Survival Of The Smartest: A Musician's Guide To Moving To LA

Your journey may not start or end in LA, but if you’re looking to make a name for yourself in the entertainment industry, odds are you’re going to spend a considerable amount of time in the City of Angels. And while sometimes it’s a good thing to be a big fish in a small pond, there is nothing like walking down Sunset strip and popping into The Roxy or The Viper Room a few nights of week to do some world-class networking. So when you get the band together or just get your butt and your guitar out on the highway and en route to Los Angeles, here’s your guide for surviving the city that can give you life or steal your soul.

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Protecting Yourself And Your Fans From Getting Hacked

In late 2015, music distributor TuneCore announced it was the target of a security breach that ultimately compromised some of its customers’ personal information. Fortunately, no music files were compromised. But TuneCore admitted names, email addresses, passwords, and mailing addresses were exposed.

You may think that would never happen to your music business, and breathe a sigh of relief that your own system doesn’t store customers’ financial info. But TuneCore customers had their mailing address, bank addresses and last four digits of their credit cards on file. It’s really not that difficult to take the leap and connect that information in order to make fraudulent purchases and steal someone’s financial identity.

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4 Ways to Spark Inspiration And Break Through Writer’s Block

When you write for a living, every now and then you will fall into that infuriating slump known as writer’s block. Writer’s block isn’t only for authors or bloggers; musicians can also find themselves lacking words and inspiration.

Inspiration doesn’t always easily fall into your lap, and sometimes you have to seek it or recognize it in different ways. Next time you find yourself lacking the words you’re looking for, try one of these solutions to spark that next song.

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How To Set Up Your Own Home Recording Studio

Independent musicians now dominate the music industry, the data shows. The independent segment’s market share grew from 25.8 to 34.5 percent between 2007 and 2013, surpassing previous industry leader Universal, according to Nielsen SoundScan. By 2020, independent musicians will outnumber label-employed musicians by 1,830 to 190, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects. Today’s technology makes this the best time in history to be an independent musician. But becoming a successful artist can require overcoming a number of startup barriers, including setting up a home recording studio. Here are a few tips for setting up and maintaining your home studio.

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3 Common Recording Studio Construction Mistakes

If you’re a serious musician, you’ve probably considered building your own space at home for playing and recording music. A home studio used to involve a lot of work and a huge expense, but in recent years recording technology has become more user friendly and less expensive, making it possible for anyone to create a recording space that operates on their schedule.

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The Internet Killed The Record Deal: Launch Your Album On Your Own

Saying you need a record deal to launch an album these days is like saying you need a desktop computer to visit the Internet. Twenty years ago people would not have believed that you could have every song in the world in the palm of your hand or on your television, but here we are. Now it just takes a mic, a bathtub, a computer and few clicks to launch your record and make it accessible to people all over the world. But it’s also just as easy for your music to get lost in the shuffle and disappear into obscurity. The following tips are your best shot at making it in this ever-evolving music game and getting the airwaves bumping with your heartbeat.

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Follow The Music: Top 5 Cities For Aspiring Musicians

Ready to make your big break in the music business? It might be time to pack up your band and head to a brand new city. Get inspiration from this list of the top 5 musical cities in the country.

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Tips For Effectively Managing Your Roadie Crew

As a professional musician, it goes without saying that you want each performance to go as smoothly as possible. Whether you have been earning a living as a musician for some time or are relatively new to the paying gig scene, it probably didn’t take you long to realize that a seamless performance goes beyond your own vocal chords — you need your entire roadie crew to be on top of their game as well. To make sure you are getting the most from your team, check out the following tips:

Security Guards

Depending on the size of your venue and the rowdiness of your audience, you might need to hire some security guards. Before your show starts, listen to their recommendations and communicate your own concerns and needs about the venue’s security.

For instance, if you tend to get a rowdy group up front, ask at least one security guard to be near the stage to make sure your band members stay safe and to discourage the audience from making bad decisions. If you want the security guards to keep a low profile, request that they stay near the back of the venue. Security also can check people at the door, making sure they are not bringing in glass bottles or any weapons.

Instrument Technicians

To be a successful musician you must treat your entire support staff with respect. If you have a great team of instrument technicians, realize they are in high demand in the music industry, and don’t expect them to read your mind in terms of what you need or want.

Present them with a song list well ahead of time, and ask for their help in making sure each of your instruments is ready to go, whether you need your piano tuned or your guitar strings changed, before your gig starts.

Sound Guys

When it comes to working with your sound crew, STD has rather blunt and useful advice: “Don’t piss off the sound man.” Keep in mind that these people show up early, head home late and have to deal with a huge amount of equipment. The sound crew also listens to your songs more carefully than your most devoted fans.

Go over your set with your sound crew, and come up with an efficient way to communicate before, during and after the show that doesn’t involve shouting over the audience. Make sure everyone has portable, durable and robust smartphones like the iPhone 6s that help coordinate your sound needs before the performance and allow you to communicate quickly.

Lighting Technicians

If you’ve ever been to a show where the singer looks great half the time and is standing in the dark the other half of the show, chances are good the communication is lacking between the performer and lighting technician. Like the sound crew, the lighting technicians come in early to get everything set up so you look as good as you sound.

Go over the set with them and clearly communicate if you want to have fancy lighting effects like strobes, lasers or multi-colored lights. Also be sure to see what they suggest for the size of the venue.

Tips For Effectively Managing Your Roadie Crew