Head over to Google real quick and search for your band name. It should only take about 0.25 seconds so I’ll wait for you to come back…

Alright, is your band the first thing that comes up in the search results? Is it on the first page?

Anyone looking for info about your band, be it a fan or a promoter, will probably start with a Google search (and if you’re lucky, they might even spell your band’s name correctly). If they can’t find you easily in the search results, you’re missing out on new fans and gigs.

If your band isn’t coming up, what can you do? (more…)

Last month I started reading a book on the history of Stax called Soulsville USA: The Story of Stax Records.  It’s ridiculously detailed (the author interviewed nearly everyone that had anything to do with Stax) and provides a fascinating look back to a very different music industry.

One of the most interesting parts so far is reading about how Stax songwriters analyzed Motown songs and then used the formulas they discovered to churn out their own hits.

“David Porter figured out the lyric structure for ‘Don’t Look Back‘ and it applied to a number of Motown hits.  He deduced that they all had an opening that laid out the scenario, followed that with a bit of action, and then some sort of denouncement.  All were in first person, and none of them ended with complete resolution.” (page 91)

The first song that David Porter wrote using that formula (with Isaac Hayes as a writing partner) was ‘Hold on I’m Coming‘.

Whats your take on the Motown formula?

This article was written by Ben Priceat Sweetwater. We’ve publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often! And now for some motivation.

Equalization – or EQ, if you prefer – was created in the early days of telephony to counteract the frequency loss in the signal when it was sent over long transmission lines. Broadcast and studio engineers adopted the technology as a creative tool for adjusting the timbre or sound quality in reproduced sounds.

There are tons of resources out there for understanding the technical side of EQ, so I won’t get into that side of it here. In this article, I want to get into a more esoteric topic: microphone placement as EQ. Yes, before you reach for the EQ in your desk, rack, or DAW, try moving that microphone around. The relationship of mic placement to sound source offers unlimited variances in tonality and frequency response.

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In Malcom Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point he describes mavens as the kind of people that are first to try new things (also sometimes called early adopters). If you’re an up and coming band, mavens will be the most willing to check out your music even if they haveno idea who you are. If you win them over they can be influential in spreading the word about your music. So where can you find music mavens online?  Here are my best guesses: (more…)

This article was written by Kavit Haria, founder and consultant at Inner Rhythm in London.

The independent music world is really rocking right now, and if you’re going to take advantage of it and play the game the right way, you’ll need to operate for maximum results.

•   As independent musicians, we have tons of work to be doing, from making and performing music, to doing the promotion, booking the gigs, getting together a band, the accounting, networking and press.  It’s a lot of stuff. Most musicians see no way round it, but there is. Here are a few things to understand:

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This article was written by Simon Picazo at Sweetwater.  Over the next few months, we’re publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater along with contests and prizes. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often!

So how do you get to where you want to go with your music from where you are right now? Here are 10 key things to keep in mind.

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Fellow Sonicbidders,

This is my first post at the new home for my blog that I call “Panos’ Brew” (good, pitch black coffee = heaven).

I promise to keep updating my blog frequently so keep coming back for random thoughts and unbridled musings on this fun new world we’re all a part of. If you want to access my previous blog posts, you can find them here. (more…)