In my articles I often harp on the necessity of learning the business and I know a lot of musicians are out there scratching their heads saying "I've been a musician for years and I have a pretty good idea about how the business works." Well, I've been working as a promoter for a number of years and I'm still learning. I read voraciously and have been compiling lists of newsletters, magazines, e-zines, web sites, e-books and books that I find either helpful or even just inspirational. You can always learn something new from someone else.
Since it's the end of the year, this is a good time for musicians and bands to take stock of what they have accomplished in the previous year and what they intend to complete in 2003. To help you on your way in the New Year, I've dedicated this article to places to find ideas for music promotion, honing your craft, understanding the music business and business tips.
Over the next few months I'll list a few books, e-books, web sites and newsletters that are great resources. This article will concentrate on web newsletters that can help in your quest for stardom (or at least a decent living). I've tried to limit the newsletters to those that focus on music promotion or the music industry.
Newsletters- Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor offers creative ideas about promotions as well as short articles that can motivate musicians and bands. His tips are short and easy to read so you don't have to plow through tomes of information to get to the gold nuggets. Often he includes tips sent in by musicians that have stumbled on a new avenue for promotion.
- Jeffrey P. Fisher's Moneymaking Tip of the Week offers you quick words of wisdom on making and keeping your money. It covers a lot of the music industry's business aspects and is a fast read for musicians on the go.
- Harmony Central Newsletter I'm a fan of this site. They have a lot of good articles and forums about everything about the music business from gear to promotion. My favorite newsletter is about the Music Business. It's short and to the point, making for an "easy read." But as a musician you might try other newsletters about instruments, gear, etc. You can always un-subscribe if you are overwhelmed by e-mail.
- The Music Dish has many different newsletters offering different perspectives on the industry. They are often daily newsletters so choose carefully and remember to check your e-mail regularly to keep up. I skim these newsletters, reading only the articles that are important to me or have an impact on the artists with whom I work. Keep in mind that this is also a resource for announcing band news so you might want to review it carefully if you want to make an announcement.
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