Diy Musician Podcast

It's a new year with many challenges still facing artist as they try to connect with music fans during a global pandemic. Take heart! Indie artists have always lead the charge when it comes to music promotion innovation and adapting to tough circumstances. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss what you'll need in order to make 2021 your best year yet! Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com

The way artists release music completely changed in 2020. As we approach 2021, artists are asking what is the right balance between singles and albums? How do you target and engage new listeners in the streaming world? Kevin and Chris answer these questions and more.

Whether you're launching a new album, promoting a livestream, or trying to shoot for something bigger like a Grammy nomination, getting your fans onboard can be a challenge. In this episode you'll hear how Cheryl B. Engelhardt organized her fans to feel ownership in her quest for a Grammy nomination.

Releasing music before the end of 2020? Listen to this episode, where Kevin and Chris talk about distribution deadlines, holiday music promotion, which Christmas favorites you can record without paying a mechanical royalty, and more. Plus, listener calls and questions.   Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com

Sync licensing has grown into a huge opportunity for indie musicians to gain listeners and earn money. That's increasingly true for thousands of CD Baby clients whose songs have been licensed to numerous projects on almost every major and cable network, streaming networks, film studios, and more. What do the tracks that we place in film and TV have in common? How can you increase your chances of getting a sync placement? Let's talk. Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com

The internet exploded with news that Facebook was no longer going to allow artists to livestream on the platform. Fortunately, that information was completely false. However, on this episode of the podcast Kevin and Chris help define the mysterious "listening experience" issue that has Facebook muting some artists videos. Plus, we take some amazing listener calls. Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com

Let’s get real for a sec: Musicians are well acquainted with rejection and failure. But we don’t want to admit it, do we? In this podcast episode, Kevin and Chris talk about the kinds of rejections you’ll inevitably encounter as a musician, how to deal with it, and maybe even transform it into something positive. Plus listener questions. Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com

Birds of Chicago are a husband and wife folk/soul duo based in Nashville, TN. In this episode of the DIY Musician Stories podcast, Alli and JT chat with Montse about their origin story, writing process, and what it’s been like to pause and pivot from a life on the road. They also talk about collective grief, the rejection every artist encounters, finding your tribe, and much more.

Few people are going to notice your music simply because you've made it. You have to do something ELSE to get attention, and online advertising opens up an affordable way to create awareness, stir interest, and build a fanbase as an independent musician. In this episode, Kevin and Chris talk about advertising for musicians, the power of a new interactive ad tool, and much more. Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com.

Musicians, it's time to get Reel. Instagram Reels — Instagram's answer to TikTok — is now available, and your music can be there too! In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss the features of Instagram Reels, why it matters for your music career, and what it means for TikTok. Plus, gossip and rants about Spotify's Daniel Ek, listeners calls, and more. Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com.

Maya de Vitry is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.  In this episode Maya tells us about releasing her beautiful album How To Break a Fall just as the pandemic started to hit. Maya and Montse also chat about holding day-jobs as an artist, self-forgiveness, and social media breaks.

When it comes to creating videos to promote music, most artists and labels are still operating under that old paradigm of one “Official” music video, which drastically limits their reach and potential impact they get from video. In this episode of the podcast, Kevin is joined by Diarmuid Moloney, the CEO and Co-Founder of Rotor Video to discuss how developing a video strategy in 2020 and beyond looks very different than what we were used to in the past.   Get 50% off your first ROTOR Video by using coupon: CDBABY50

Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated folk singer-songwriter who has struck a balance between her own artistry and penning songs for singers such as Blake Shelton and Jimmy Buffett. In 2017, Mary was the keynote speaker at CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference, and had 1000 attendees wiping tears from their eyes after her talk about the transformative power of songwriting to heal trauma. In this episode, Mary conveys that power, while discussing her songcraft, and her new memoir "Saved by the Song," the way her life has changed since the pandemic, and much more. If you’re a songwriter, or want to be, this episode is a must listen. More episodes here: https://podcast.cdbaby.com/category/diy-musician-stories/

Singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah is a solo artist, and can be heard alongside Layla McCalla, Allison Russell and Rhiannon Giddens in the Grammy nominated project Our Native Daughters. In this episode of the NEW DIY Musician Stories podcast, Amythsyt Kiah talks openly about overcoming trauma and pain and how music was her emotional vehicle to process deep feelings. She speaks on the transition of music in her life from an escape into a career, on being a part of the Grammy nominated project Our Native Daughters, and how she’s been leaning into live streams during this time.

It’s time to rethink the way you release singles. Standalone tracks are no longer SOLELY tied to larger album promo efforts. In this episode, Kevin and Chris discuss 10 strategies for releasing single songs so you can grow your audience, build algorithmic momentum on streaming platforms, and stay inspired. Plus listener questions! Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com.

Misty Boyce is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She is part of Sara Bareilles and Lord Huron’s band, and has an incredible solo career to boot!  In this episode of the NEW DIY Musician Stories podcast, Misty talks about what it's like being a "sideman" vs. a solo artist, the artist/manager relationship, and her recent collaboration with Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith.

With so many artists turning to live-streaming, it’s time to ensure you stand out from the rest and take yours to the next level. In this episode Kevin and Chris share more tips on presenting yourself like a pro. Plus, you get a rundown of all the gear Chris uses to pull off a top notch livestream. The article on Zoom audio tips mentioned in the episode can be found HERE.  Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com.

On this episode of the podcast, Kevin chats with Henry Invisible to discuss how he’s using live-streaming to make his music go further and reach a broader audience. Henry had been live-streaming before COVID-19, but really took advantage of new opportunities that have popped up as people learn how to socialize in the currently reality. Distribute, monetize, and promote your music at cdbaby.com.

Like many artists, Dawn set her sights on Nashville in order to pursue her musical dreams. When things hit rock bottom, she randomly notice the “go live” button on Facebook and everything changed. In this episode you’ll hear how Dawn has turned her use of Facebook Live into a full time sustainable career.   Check out Dawn’s live-streaming resources at TheRealMakingIt.com.

Is your social feed crowded with seemingly every musician on the planet "going live" at once? How many of those livestreams feel like genuine, engaging events? In this episode, Kevin and Chris dig into a lot of the common misperceptions about live streaming and offer some best-practices as well.