Digital Hustle: 3 Ways To Dominate the Internet with Your Music

There is a huge demand for the unsigned artist to learn how to properly get their music to these new outlets. Here are 3 functions DIY need to know: music business management, public relations, & social media management.

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How to Get More Fans on Facebook

During a consulting session earlier this week, I was asked “How do you get more fans on Facebook?”

I began by talking about the usual techniques: advertising the Facebook page, better cross-promoting with other sites, increasing engagement, etc. However, the more that I thought about the question, the more I realized it was the wrong question. Many artists are constantly looking for ways to increase the number of followers on their Facebook or Twitter. They even buy fake followers to do so. But the bigger question isn’t amount how to get more fans on Facebook, it should be more about how to get more fans, period.

When you are staring at your Facebook fan page and are thinking about how to increase the number of likes, think about the bigger picture: how can you increase the number of fans. Who cares if you have a large number of followers but no one buying your music or attending the shows? When you increase the number of genuine fans, your social media metrics automatically increase.

So how do you get more fans? Many of the important thoughts about this are covered in The Best Social Media Site for Bands as well as in How to Develop a Hardcore Fan Base. Enjoy 

Tech: An Introduction to Field Recording

Earlier this summer, I was doing sound design for a video game company, work which involved going out into the city to capture source material to use as the basis for my projects. Applications This presented a conundrum of the ‘how should I go about this?’ type. Recording in the field can be applied to live gigs (where legal), band rehearsals — uploading impromptu recordings/videos of your band is a great way to connect with fans – interviews, on-location podcasts, capturing great sound effects and everything else in between.

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Biz: Tour Preparation Checklist

OMG you’re going on tour? Congrats! It can be one of the best experiences of your life. However, if your tour isn’t managed correctly, that show in Austin, TX, that you’ve been looking forward to all these months might not happen. Have you changed your oil? Can your van make it the entire distance of the tour without breaking down? Have you confirmed ALL of your dates with the booking agent AND club manager? These are all things we’ll be covering in this article.

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Building a Side Project with Mathieu Santos

It’s not uncommon for musicians to let the itch for further artistic exploration get the best of them. Some try out a different role in their current band, others go a step further and create their own side/solo project. The latter was the case with Ra Ra Riot’s Mathieu Santos. A founding member of the group and its bassist since 2006, Santos has come to be known as one of the most innovative bassists in all of the indie rock world. But that peer admiration wasn’t enough — Mathieu wanted to pursue a new creative outlet and did so by branching out on his own as a multi-instrumentalist. The result is Massachusetts 2010, Santos’ eclectic, colorful debut album released on August 2nd via Barsuk.

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