Student Resources

A continuously updated collection of articles, sites, guides, and more!
There will no doubt be some overlap between topics; please just use these headings as a starting point!
This page is DEFINITELY still under construction (trying out a search feature!)...I appreciate your patience! Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Great sites & sources

CD Baby DIY Musician Blog

CD Baby's DIY Musician Podcast

Ari's Take

Soundfly

TapeOp

Free Guides from Disc Makers

Sweetwater InSync Blog

Indie On The Move

Music 3.0 Blog

SonicBids Blog

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Songs, Songwriting, Creation

Yes, There ARE Rules for Songwriting

October 06, 2015

By Benjamin Samama

4 Dos and Don’ts When Writing Songs

June 19, 2013

By Cliff Goldmacher

7 Laws For Smart Songwriting

May 08, 2018

By TOM JAGER

How To Have Better Creative Thinking

April 12, 2011

From Videojug

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Dynamics / Communication

Playing Well with Others – Teamwork Onstage

March 30, 2016

By Don Carr

5 Ways You Can Start Being a Better Bandmate Right Now

May 03, 2017

By Dan Reifsnyder

The 11 Keys to Keeping the Band Together

April 16, 2018

By Ben Lindbergh

6 Simple Ways to Get Your Bandmates More Involved (and Give the Bandleader a Break)

January 13, 2016

By Chris Dearcangelis

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Gear

Introducing Sparkplug: Rent instruments, gear, and space to and from your fellow artists

January 10, 2017

By CD Baby

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Practicing & Education

Building the Practice Habit: 6 Science-Supported Steps to Great Musicianship

March 04, 2016

By Justin Colletti

10 Easy Ways To Optimize Your Music Practice

September 03, 2013

By ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS

Five Laws of Productive Band Practice

August 08, 2015

by Rich Maloof

How Music Theory Can Improve Your Songwriting

From New Artist Model

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Branding / Aesthetic / Design

The basics of band branding

January 30, 2017

By Chris Robley

Want Decent Band Photos? Don’t Do This

By Patrick McGuire

3 Resources for Designing Awesome DIY Images

From New Artist Model

#175: The Authentic Artist Branding Bootcamp (DIY Musician Podcast Live!)

October 31, 2016

By Kevin Breuner

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Social Media / Online Presence

5 Ways to Boost Facebook Engagement on Your Musician Page

From New Artist Model

Instagram for Musicians: 5 Tips You Need to Know

From New Artist Model

Promoting Your Music on Social Media – How to NOT Waste Time

From New Artist Model

4 Best Practices For Social Media Marketing

May 10, 2016

by Bobby Owsinski

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Marketing & Promotion

3 Elements Of An Artist’s Online Promotion Strategy

May 12, 2017

By Bobby Owsinski

The Essential Elements Of An Artist Or Band Online Press Kit

May 31, 2018

By Bobby Owsinski

How To Diversify Your Music Promotion Efforts

May 24, 2018

By Patrick McGuire

5 Steps to Creating an Effective Music Marketing Plan

March 10, 2016

From the Bandzoogle Blog

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Networking & Community

6 music networking tips nobody tells you

June 29, 2015

By Amy Sciarretto

5 Mistakes to Avoid as a Member of Your Local Scene

June 04, 2018

By Jhoni Jackson

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Booking

5 Things Every Musician Needs to Book Great Gigs

October 13, 2014

By Dylan Welsh

How to Book Your Band

August 05, 2014

By Rus Anderson

The little known secret to booking gigs consistently

February 27, 2018

By Craig Kelley

How to Become a Gig-Booking Guru

March 10, 2015

By Sam Friedman

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Preparing for & Playing Shows

5 Performance Psychology Skills Every Musician Should Master

July 05, 2016

By Anthony Cerullo

Getting Through Your First Gig: The Do’s And Don’ts

February 12, 2018

By Roz Bruce

5 tips for delivering a “press-worthy” stage performance

February 13, 2018

By CD Baby

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Recording

6 Things I Wish I Knew Before Recording My First Album

April 14, 2015

By Dylan Welsh

How Did They Do It? How Producers Got Their Famous Sounds

May 08, 2018

By Sweetwater

Where the Female Mixers At? Q&A with Marcella Araica (Timbaland, Meek Mill)

May 12, 2018

From Waves Audio

5 Ways to Improve Your Recordings Before You Even Enter the Studio

January 19, 2017

By Rich Crescenti

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Music Release Strategies

Make your songs more playlist-friendly with these four editing tricks

May 30, 2018

By Michael Warner

Ready to launch a music project? Do these four things first!

May 09, 2018

By Dave Kusek

Album Release Countdown: How to Promote Your New Album

May 30, 2011

By adamr

The DIY Self-Release Timeline 1: Prior to Release

August 22, 2013

By Nicolas Rizzi

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Revenue Streams

5 Royalty Streams Every Indie Artist Should Know

November 30, 2017

By Dae Bogan

WHAT IS MUSIC LICENSING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MY CAREER AS AN ARTIST?

June 04, 2018

By LENNON CIHAK

How Your Favorite Songs Get On TV

May 21, 2018

By Danny Ross

Starting A Business? 13 Critical Things To Do Before You Quit Your Day Job

March 06, 2018

By Forbes Coaches Council

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Physical & Digital Media

Understanding your music on Spotify: The Game Plan (video series)

May 24, 2018

By Chris Robley

Produce music videos that get attention

May 15, 2018

By Bobby Borg

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Music Careers (and day jobs)

Alternate Income Streams for Audio Engineers and Music Producers

May 10, 2018

By Brad Pack

Career Paths in Music

From CareersInMusic

THE BEST DAY JOBS FOR MUSICIANS

June 25, 2016

By Alison Stolpa

15 Best Part-Time Jobs for Musicians

January 02, 2018

By Lisa Occhino

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Touring

How to Tour as an Indie: Strategies for Booking, Promoting, and Thriving on the Road

May 11, 2012

By CD Baby

The DIY Musician’s Complete Guide to Touring

Compilation of CD Baby DIY Musician articles regarding touring

Tour Checklist: 5 Things You Must Have Before You Go on Tour

From New Artist Model

Convincing Strangers to Let You Sleep on their Floors: A Primer

April 24, 2017

by Matt Bacon

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Sustainability & Wellness

Music Has a Mental Health Problem That Needs Immediate Treatment

June 05, 2018

By Nick Jarjour

4 Tips for Maintaining Vocal Health

May 25, 2018

By Kristin Daines

Physical Health While on the Road

June 04, 2018

By Andrew Tufano

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General Advice & thoughts

5 Things Serious Musicians Should Do Every Day

September 29, 2015

By Dylan Welsh

4 Myths Musicians Believe About Succeeding in the Music Industry

June 06, 2018

By Krizel Minnema

5 Ways To Manage the Band Yourself

January 29, 2016

By Christopher DeArcangelis

Can A Band Survive As A Democracy?

July 03, 2015

By Rich Maloof

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Student Resources

Great sites & sources

Songs, Songwriting, Creation

Dynamics / Communication

Gear

Practicing & Education

Branding / Aesthetic / Design​

Social Media / Online Presence

Marketing & Promotion

Networking & Community

Booking

Preparing for & Playing Shows

Recording

Music Release Strategies

Revenue Streams

Physical & Digital Media​​

Music Careers​ (and day jobs)​

Touring

Sustainability & Wellness

General Advice & thoughts

Branding / Aesthetic / Design

Physical & Digital Media

Music Careers (and day jobs)