A collection of informative articles on Independent Music Business for the Indie musician. Booking, Radio promotion, online promotion, economics, and Music business related news
Independent musicians can educate their fans about the decentralized music industry, which empowers artists and provides fans with more choices and better prices. By using platforms like Audius, Catalog.works, and Opulous, musicians can engage their audience, offering unique rewards and experiences, fostering a closer artist-fan relationship in this evolving landscape.
Making a Scene Presents The Top Decentralized Streaming Platforms for Music Here’s a list of the top blockchain-based music streaming platforms that aim to empower artists and provide decentralized alternatives to traditional services: Audius Audius is a decentralized music streaming and sharing platform built on blockchain. It allows artists to upload music directly and get […]
Web3 is transforming the music industry by decentralizing control, allowing independent musicians to retain ownership, directly interact with fans, and automate royalties through blockchain technology and smart contracts. It offers strategies like NFT sales and tokenized crowdfunding, fostering financial independence and community engagement while creating sustainable revenue opportunities for artists.
Catalog.works is a blockchain-based music platform allowing independent artists to mint their songs as unique NFTs, enabling direct ownership and revenue. Musicians can create sustainable income through sales and royalties from secondary markets, while fostering fan engagement. The platform offers opportunities but requires active promotion and understanding of blockchain complexities.
Opulous is a blockchain-powered platform designed to empower independent musicians by enabling them to control their careers through decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Founded by Lee Parsons, it offers tools for monetizing music, sharing royalties with fans, and ensuring transparency in transactions, fostering a direct connection between artists and their audience.
The music industry is transforming due to decentralization and blockchain technology, empowering independent artists with greater control, transparency, and direct fan engagement. Decentralized platforms like Audius, Opulous, and Royal facilitate equitable revenue distribution and foster a community-driven approach, enabling artists to reclaim ownership and establish sustainable careers in a fairer ecosystem.
In 2024, independent artists face challenges from Spotify’s new payment model, favoring popular tracks and limiting income from streaming. However, decentralized platforms utilizing blockchain technology offer direct revenue streams and better payment systems. Initiatives advocate for fair compensation, prompting artists to adopt diversified income strategies and leverage technology for fan engagement and trend analysis.
Record companies are adapting to a decentralized music industry by acquiring legacy artist catalogs to leverage AI music creation. This strategy allows them to control royalty streams and use catalogs for training AI, enhancing music production, and securing rights for derivative works. Legal and ethical issues also emerge, prompting careful negotiation for artists.
Musicians are encouraged to transition from Twitter to the decentralized platform Bluesky for better content discovery, user control over data, and meaningful engagement. Bluesky offers a safer environment for creative expression, a growing community for artists, and fewer distractions, making it an ideal space to connect authentically with fans and promote music.
Cyanite is an AI-driven music analysis platform that aids artists and marketers in understanding audiences through data insights. It offers features like mood-based recommendations, audience segmentation, and automated playlists, enhancing targeted marketing efforts. By analyzing song characteristics and trends, Cyanite optimizes campaigns and improves connections with listeners in the evolving music industry.
IMPORTANT!! PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU ENTER ANY NOMINATIONS The independent Blues Awards celebrate the diversity and power of the music that is created by those artists that acknowledge their inspiration and roots are in the blues. These awards will represent not only those “touring” artists who work within the established blues community, but embrace working artists […]
Gonher’s Strategic Acquisition of Sam Ash and Samson: Expanding Horizons in Music Retail and Audio Equipment In a strategic move that marks a significant consolidation in the music retail and pro audio sectors, Mexican music conglomerate Gonher has acquired both Sam Ash, the iconic American music retailer, and Samson Technologies, a leading manufacturer of pro […]
“Making a Scene” announces the 2024 Independent Blues Awards winners, celebrating exemplary and nominated indie blues artists. The event had record voting participation. It emphasizes supporting all nominees by encouraging listeners to explore and promote their music. The awards also highlight the importance of supporting live and touring blues artists.
Lemonaide, an artist-first AI music company, balances ethical AI training with top-quality music production. Lemonaide’s Collab Club lets producers train AI with their own music, ensuring artists’ fair compensation. Co-founded by MJ Jacob and Anirudh Mani, the platform aims to inspire creative collaboration and establish ethical AI standards in the music industry.
Making a Scene – How to Use Cyanite and Chartmetric to Market Your Music In today’s music industry, success isn’t just about talent; it’s also about effectively using new technology to understand and connect with your audience. Two powerful tools, Cyanite and Chartmetric, have emerged as essential assets for musicians and music marketers alike. By […]
The music industry is undergoing a potential shift towards decentralization, driven by blockchain technology and smart contracts. This transformation promises to enhance transparency, efficiency, and direct artist-fan relationships while eliminating intermediaries. It could lead to higher revenue for artists and a more engaging experience for consumers through new decentralized platforms and models.
Failure in the music industry is crucial for growth, creativity, and long-term success. It offers learning opportunities, builds resilience, and promotes innovation and authenticity. Facing setbacks strengthens both artists and their teams, driving personal and professional development. Embracing failure allows artists to evolve and achieve significant breakthroughs on their path to success.
Spotify for Artists provides musicians with control over their profiles and access to detailed analytics about their audience. It offers demographic insights, marketing tools like playlist pitching, and allows artists to tailor strategies based on listener data. Utilizing these insights can aid in creating targeted marketing and connecting more meaningfully with fans.
Making a Scene Presents Goal-Oriented Music Marketing: Strategies for Success In today’s competitive music industry, artists and bands must approach marketing with clear, defined goals. A goal-oriented strategy not only helps musicians stay focused but also maximizes their potential for success. Here’s how to effectively market your music from a goal-oriented perspective. 1. Define Your […]
Making a Scene announces the 2024 Independent Blues Awards, highlighting diverse blues artists, record companies, and publicists. Voters can explore nominees via Spotify, enhancing engagement and artist visibility. Categories include Male/Female Artist, Traditional/Contemporary/Blues Rock Bands, and more. Extended voting till Sept 15, 2024. Ensure full ballot completion to vote.
Making a Scene Brings you 10 Effective Steps to Understanding your Fanbase Understanding your fans is crucial for building a strong, engaged community. Here are some effective ways to get to know your fans better: 1. Social Media Interaction Engage Regularly: Respond to comments, like posts, and share fan content. Polls and Surveys: Use features […]
Making a Scene Celebrates 9 Years of Publication! It’s hard to believe that it’s been nine years since Making a Scene first came to life. It’s time to celebrate and look back at some of the milestones we’ve achieved over the past nine years. As of today we have published 1,821 Artist interviews and 2,873 […]
Making a Scene – Harnessing AI to Transform Music Marketing Campaigns Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI), recognized for its transformative potential across a multitude of industries, is making a significant impact on the music industry as well. I know many of you hear the term AI, and you think it is the end of music as […]
Striking the Right Chord: Navigating the Intersection of Music and Technology as an Independent Artist Introduction From the invention of the electric guitar through multi track recording, MIDI and now with the digital revolution the way we make and consume music has constantly evolved. Today, the consumer has embraced streaming as a way to consume […]
Making a Scene brings you a “Comprehensive Review of Songvest: A New Era in Music Investment” Introduction SongVest, a unique and innovative platform, has emerged as a novel way for music enthusiasts to invest in songs, leading to a new form of music royalties investment. This groundbreaking approach not only allows fans to foster a […]
Elevating Your Brand: How Musicians Can Harness AI-Enhanced Visual Content Creation Tools for Effective Music Promotion In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, standing out amidst the noise requires more than just great tunes. Visual content has become a powerful tool for musicians to capture audience attention, convey their brand identity, and ultimately drive […]
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Celebrates 20 Years! In May of 2003 I had returned from a trip to Atlanta where I had visited the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (now sadly gone), and It inspired me to try and discover the music history of Long Island. What I found astounded […]
AI and the Future of the Music Industry Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been rapidly advancing and integrating into our lives over recent years whether we see it or not. It is leaving an indelible mark on multiple industries and revolutionizing not only the way see the world around us, but opens up Technological advancements […]
DataMind Audio Unveils Virtual AI Instrument and Ethically Sourced “Artist Brains” Wildly creative music tech trailblazers team up with sound designers and music producers to set an ethical, green paradigm for AI in music. While much of the AI-powered tech for music creation spits out replicas or facsimiles, DataMind Audio does something radically different. Founded […]
Making a Scene looks at the Truth about Spotify Introduction There is no argument that consumer has embraced streaming as a way to consume music! For the consumer this is a no brainer, you don’t have to store you music on a shelf, you don’t have to fill up your phone’s memory with mp3’s and […]
SymphonyOS brings AI marketing power to CD Baby’s 2M artists Introduction Social Media Marketing and Content Creation has become an ever increasing part of an indie artists daily life. Today there is not a scenario where an indie artist does not have to dedicate a major amount of time and effort to create and distribute […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with a Pro – Clay Hawkins of The Open Music Exchange Introduction It is no secret that the current revenue from streaming services like spotify/youtube/pandora, etc. is not sustainable as a business model for the music industry. The Digital Revolution has however proven to be very fluid […]
Making a Scene – Tuned Global and Sona.stream create an Artist-First Streaming Service What is Sona? Music is everything at Sona. Co-founded by producer TOKiMONSTA and Laura Jaramillo, Sona’s vision is a music industry that’s more equitable and rewarding for both fans and artists. This starts with sona.stream, an ad-free music streaming platform with a […]
IMPORTANT!! PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU ENTER ANY NOMINATIONS The independent Blues Awards celebrate the diversity and power of the music that is created by those artists that acknowledge their inspiration and roots are in the blues. These awards will represent not only those “touring” artists who work within the established blues community, but embrace working artists […]
Making a Scene brings you a preview of No Words Atlanta – an Instrumental Music Festival! Atlanta has the Only Instrumental Music Festival Anywhere! Music without words connects directly with the listener, creating a powerful experience. No Words Music was an light-bulb idea that occurred to life-long instrumental guitarist, Ann Wood (PerkinsWood) while attending […]
Spotify will Institute a 1,000 annual stream limit on royalty payments Spotify is looking to institute a new payment model that will require A new minimum annual threshold of 1,000 annual streams before any track starts generating royalties on the service. This will adversely affect the Indie music market and will funnel millions of dollars […]
First-Ever Major Billy Joel Exhibit to Open on November 24th at Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame ‘My Life, A Piano Man’s Journey’ to showcase the legendary musician’s life and career in an exclusive exhibition After nearly a year in the planning, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) has […]
Moises launches AI Voice Studio, a brand new model for artist-first voice modeling Vocalists can now license their own voices and sell their models to producers and content creators DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) like ProTools, Logic, and FL Studio have massively increased accessibility to music making. MIDI instruments, sample libraries, and plug-ins unlocked the sounds […]
Making a Scene Looks at Bandlabs new Aquisition “AirBit” Introduction Bandlab has been quietly (or maybe not so quietly) acquiring indie music assets since 2015! They started by purchasing the Cakewalk DAW Software product SONAR from Gibson and released it as a FREE download (which now they plan to release a new version as a […]
Making a Scene Presents The 2023 Independent Blues Awards Winners! This is the 8th year we have produced and honored independent blues artists with the Independent Blues Awards. The voting this year has broken all records and was the largest voting participation since we began. As always we believe that not only are the winners […]
Making a Scene Brings you an Interview with a Pro – Gerry Roszak of Kondler and Associates Royalty Audit Team Introduction In the music industry, the traditional revenue streams for musicians and songwriters have undergone a significant transformation. With the rise of digital music platforms and streaming services, the way in which artists earn […]
Making a Scene Presents Building a Songwriting Roundtable using Social Media Introduction As a songwriter, it can be difficult to find a group of like-minded individuals to collaborate with and bounce ideas off of. Thankfully, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have made it easier than ever to connect with other musicians and build […]
Laura Zito Cancer Support Hi, this is Mike and Laura Zito. Most of you know, my wife Laura was diagnosed with Stage4 Pancreatic Metastic Cancer in July of 2022. She was given 9-12 months to live at that time. Laura decided she would fight with everything she had to beat the odds, and she did. […]
Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame Celebrates Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary with Hip-Hop Concert Unveiling of LL COOL J Statue, Performances and Panel Discussions with Son of Bazerk, A.J. Rock (J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E.), DJ Jazzy Jay, Dinco D (Leaders of the New School), DJ Johnny Juice and Keith Schocklee (Public Enemy) MC Glamorous and Ralph McDaniels […]
Bandlab Discontinues Free Version of Cakewalk by Bandlab DAW Bandlab, the company behind the popular digital audio workstation (DAW) software Cakewalk, has announced that they will no longer be offering a free version of the software. Bandlab acquired Sonar by Cakewalk DAW after Gibson discontinued the software after it purchase it from Cakewalk, leaving their […]
Making a Scene Presents the 2023 Independent Blues Awards! Congratulations to all the nominees! The 2023 Independent Blues Awards nominations are now in and ready for you to vote on. We do things a bit different than other awards in that we give you the opportunity to explore and experience artists and music you may […]
A Review of the Warm Audio WA-CX12 Microphone When it comes to recording music, having high-quality equipment is essential. Microphones are especially important to ensure the best possible sound. The Warm Audio WA-CX12 is a microphone that has been gaining popularity among music producers and audio engineers. Warm Audio designed the WA-CX12 as a faithful […]
ShineX Music Royalty Monitoring Introduction As an artist, one of the most critical aspects of your career is ensuring that you are receiving the appropriate compensation for your work. One of the best ways to achieve this is by keeping track of your music royalties. One tool that can help you do this is ShineX […]
What is the Music Licensing Collective and Why Should you Care! The Music Licensing Collective (MLC) is a non-profit organization that was established in the United States as a result of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018. The MMA was signed into law to address the issue of music licensing and copyright law in […]
The Difference Between Compression and Limiting Introduction Compression and limiting are two frequently used audio processing techniques that audio engineers use in music production, mixing, and mastering. While they might seem similar, they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. In this blog post, we will explore the differences between compression and limiting and when […]
