Artist branding is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the music business. For some musicians, it means picking a colour palette and designing a slick logo. For others, it feels uncomfortable, like selling out or turning art into marketing.…
If you are releasing new music and hoping someone in the media will care, you need more than a link and a hopeful email. You need a clear, focused press release that makes a journalist’s job easier. This post is…
The music industry has never been more open or more confusing. According to the Promo.ly article Music Industry Guide: How to Succeed and Grow Your Career, music artists today have access to tools and platforms that would have been unimaginable…
For many independent artists, 5,000 streams on Spotify feels like a distant landmark. Not huge. Not viral. But still meaningful. It’s often the first number that suggests your music is starting to move beyond friends, family, and polite curiosity. According…
Starting out as an indie artist today feels familiar and strange at the same time. Technology makes it easier to create and release music, and it also makes it harder to be heard. In a recent Disc Makers blog post,…
Fan engagement has been talked about for years, but in 2026 it is no longer a vague marketing idea or a social media buzz phrase. It is measurable, trackable, and increasingly central to how artists build sustainable careers. A recent…
For the last decade, the music industry has pushed a single dominant idea: artists must be visible, personal, and constantly online. Share your life. Share your process. Share your opinions. Share everything. And yet, quietly and almost against the grain,…
(This article is a curated and expanded guide based on the excellent CD Baby / DIY Musician article “What to Do on Release Day”) Release day is often treated like the finish line. You spend weeks or months writing, recording,…
For years, the narrative around music consumption has been fairly settled. Streaming won. Downloads faded. Physical formats became a niche curiosity kept alive by collectors and nostalgists. And yet, as we move through 2026, physical music is back in the…