Diy Musician Podcast

In this listener feedback episode, Kevin and Chris answer emails and calls from DIY musicians who are wondering how to market their music in the streaming world, how to brand themselves, how to make sure every sale counts, and more. Plus, news about Amazon and Google introducing free, ad-supported streaming to Echo and Google Home users.

In this live taping of the DIY Musician Podcast, CD Baby’s Kevin Breuner and Chris Robley compare notes on how they launched and managed their “Free + Shipping & Handling” campaigns to give away their newest CDs for free — while STILL making a profit, building their email lists, and converting casual listeners into fans. Concepts in this discussion can be applied to ANY sales or marketing funnel for your music, not just a traditional “Free + Shipping” offer.

A good producer can turn your songs into masterpieces. But a bad producer can ruin more than just your recordings. They can sap your self-confidence, wreck your reputation, and exhaust your energy and bank account. In this episode, Kevin and Chris give some pointers on how to find a good producer, what to expect of them, and how you can pave the way for a fruitful collaboration.

The foundations of music marketing stay pretty solid: capture attention, offer value, lead listeners on a journey from awareness to action. But the house you build on that foundation is always shifting. What older marketing strategies still work for musicians in 2019? What are the new tools to tell your story? How do the shifting expectations of your audience alter your approach? In this LIVE taping of the DIY Musician Podcast, CD Baby's Kevin Breuner and Chris Robley will discuss what effective music marketing looks like today — and tomorrow.

At CD Baby, we are always looking for new and innovative ways for artists to market and promote their music. That’s why we’re happy to announce  Spotify audio ads and banner ad targeting as a new additions to our Show.co marketing platform. In this episode. Kevin and Jason (Found.ee) walk through the new features that are going to change how artists promote their music to fans. If you still don’t have a a Show.co account, you can get it for free by creating a CD Baby account and clicking on the “Free Marketing Tools” link on the dashboard. 

Are you standing in the way of your own success? In this episode Kevin and Chris talk about 25 kinds of self-sabotaging artist. Are you one of them? Listen in to make sure you’re not creating obstacles in your music career.

As we close out 2018, we have another episode dedicated (mostly) to our listeners, where DIY musicians call and email with great questions and tips! “Mostly” dedicated, because the episode begins with Kevin and Chris sharing some of the successful things they’ve tried recently while releasing singles, touring, marketing music, and selling new merch!

Our listeners ask great questions, so we thought we'd do a whole episode taking calls and emails from DIY musicians, and then try our best to provide answers that aren't bonkers. Plus, inspirational film and podcast recommendations that will help you close out 2018 on an upswing.

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to crank up your music promotion efforts and try something new and different to engage your fans. In this episode, Kevin and Chris share their holiday promotion ideas and tips that take advantage of this special time of year. Plus, they reach into the mail bag to tackle listener questions.

Time to say goodbye to a few false assumptions that have been holding you back! The music industry has stayed loyal to some really destructive myths, so it’s always great to see when independent artists find new methods for success once they’ve freed themselves of bad or outdated ideas and habits. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss those myths and bad habits. There are eight of them in all!

Do "real" artists do cover songs? What kind of songs should you cover? And what are the different uses of a great cover version? In this episode, Kevin and Chris talk about the controversy and opportunities of recording or performing another songwriter's material. Plus some great listener emails!

The European market has a rich live-music tradition, but artists often feel lost when trying to infiltrate the scene as an outsider. However, with the aid of online tools like Google Translate and Skype, booking your own successful European tour might be easier than you think. In this session, recorded live at the 2018 DIY Musician Conference, Kristen talks Euro-tour logistics including accepting payments, renting music equipment, lodging, meals, merchandise, arranging a vehicle or cheap flights, busking, and non-traditional venues. Grab your passport and get booking!

Once you've finished recording your new album or single there is still some work to do in order to get the release over the finish line. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss all the final pieces and bits of information needed to ensure success in the distribution process. Plus, we answer listener calls, emails, and tweets!

Streaming has opened up new opportunities for artists to get creative with the way they release music. What strategies actually work? How can you ensure your album release has maximum impact? In this... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com

The way musicians — heck, the way ANYONE uses Instagram today — is very different from how we used it years ago. Whether you’ve been marketing your music on Instagram for years or you’re brand new to... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com

Whether you were at the 2018 DIY Musician Conference in Nashville, missed out, or didn’t even know it existed, Kevin and Chris talk about 8 lessons learned at the event, and how they apply to... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com

Let’s get beyond the basics of Spotify playlists. How do you determine which playlists will actually make a difference for your career? How do you find them, hunt down the contact info of the curator... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com

Rethinking everything you know about Spotify playlists means you have to revisit your assumptions. In this first of a two-part series, Kevin and Chris talk through the foundations of a playlisting... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com

There are a million ways to promote a new release. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss some of the things they’ve tried with their new music to reach listeners and amplify that interaction —... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com

The old ways and myths are strong. And many musicians are still making important decisions for their careers based on outdated practices and false assumptions. In this episode, taped in front of a... So what's it take to be Indie anywho? www.cdbabypodcast.com