In this video Skyzoo shares some great info on how he remains successful as an independent hip hop artist. Good stuff!

Shout out to Eliment at TM101Radio.com for this find.

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VibeDeck is a service that provides a simple way to sell your digital music directly to fans. What’s so great about this is the fact that they take no cut of your sales. The service is completely free and they promise to never charge for it in the future nor add advertising to profile pages. VibeDeck handles the commerce transaction via Paypal, so the only thing you pay is PayPal’s service charge. Upon first glance, VibeDeck looks a helluva lot like Bandcamp, another service that I have high praise for. VibeDeck is easy to use and it’s pretty straight forward when it comes to jumping in and getting a page set up. They’re still developing new features to help enhance the Read the rest of this entry »

Building a fan base takes more than just having good music. People can connect to a great song and not give a shit about the artist who made it. Listeners like to connect to an idea, an experience…a personality. It’s not essential that you use social networks like Twitter and Facebook, but if you’re going to use them, use them to magnify Read the rest of this entry »

Hip hop artist Wax got the attention of Def Jam executives by building a strong buzz using YouTube. His frequent release of rhymes and entertaining skits was effective in amassing a strong fan base. This led to him signing a joint venture with the label. Wax, in this video clip, demonstrates one of the many ways he keeps his fans involved. Take notes. Read the rest of this entry »

Internet marketing is essential to creating your buzz. Not everyone uses the same strategy. These up and coming hip hop artists share their thoughts and some experiences about the topic. Check it out. Read the rest of this entry »

In this video clip, producer, musician and label owner George Howard, breaks down the importance for artists to become creative entrepreneurs. He also gives examples of how some musicians have used this mindset to create and sustain successful careers in the music business. And while the musicians talked about in this clip aren’t hip hop artists, this same mindset can be applicable to any artist in any genre of music. If you’re not doing this music thing just for fun, you must remember that YOU ARE A BUSINESS.

George Howard’s Twitter Read the rest of this entry »

In this clip, Curtis Smith, the head of Maelstrom Music and Maelstrom Music PR, talks about how to know when it’s time for artists to start thinking about getting a publicist, and what to look for when choosing one. Read the rest of this entry »

Spotted this at artist Grade Aplus’s Tumblr

This is the kind of sticky promotional tactic that works well to keep your name, label, or website in the minds of your fans. People can always find use for a lighter and even when the fluid runs out, it’s unlikely that it will get tossed, because a bottle opener is always handy. As I’m writing this, I’m looking at a Die Hard battery bottle opener that I’ve had on my key ring for at least 5 years.  I Googled to find a company that does this and this site was the first one that came up, Logo Lighters. I’m sure there may be others that provide this service. You can search and compare prices on your own. I definitely plan to invest in a few a these with the blog’s website to pass out.

Ok, let me first start out my saying that I like diversity in hip hop. And yes, Soulja Boy is a branch of the tree that is hip hop. You can’t hate on a 17 year old kid who became a millionaire from his bedroom by grinding his ass off. He did it. Captured lightning in a bottle. And people bought it. Lots of them. Hate his fans. Many will and have tried to carbon copy his footsteps but nah, it doesn’t work like that. You have to pave a new road. Explore new turf.

If you think he has no talent then that’s great news for you, right? Because it shows that a rapper with marginal talent can break through with hard work. That being said; I really tried to see if this dude would develop and evolve a bit, that didn’t seem to happen much by the look of this awful performance after the interview. Enjoy

By Lola Sims

Being that the music industry stretches far and wide and keeps mostly non-traditional work hours, most lines of communication are kept open through emails and cell phones. People rarely have set office space or even a designated place where they always are so cars become offices and phones are seen as the first lines of contact. So, it is important that you choose a phone that has good reception, works in other parts of the country, and is assessable to be answered at all times of the day. Read the rest of this entry »