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Checklists and help for improving your act on-stage and off.
Cool Tools and Resources
Career Books for Music Professionals Fat Chuck Hand-Rolled Checklists
Self-Promotion + Sales Help
Business + Cover Your Butt Help
Gigs + Tours Help
Production, Recording + Creative Help

Cool Tools and Resources

Credit Card Swiper - $30. For CD Baby members, this swiper needs no plugs, phone lines or merchant accounts.
UPC Barcode - Normally $750, this is $20 with a CD Baby membership and free with Discmakers order.
SonicBid - $50/year. Your Electronic Press Kit (EPK) makes it easier for shows and festivals to book you.
StudioFinder - Free. Search over 10,000 recording studios around the world.
Reseller Ratings - Free. Know the reputation of the music vendors you deal with.
Artist Couch Exchange - Free. Database of people who offer touring artists a place to stay while on the road.
Rock-n-Roll Web Design - $Varies. Strongly recommended for expert, affordable music web site design, including hosting and mail lists.


Career Books for Music Professionals
DON'T BUY EVERY career-helper at the bookstore. Doing 5-10 things very well is better than 20-30 things so-so.

The Indie Bible
The Indie Bible shows you where to get your music reviewed, your songs played, and your CDs sold. The fourth edition now has over 300 pages of valuable contacts and music-related articles.
Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook
You'll discover that music marketing doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. This book gives any Indie act the needed tools to get the maximum bang for your buck!
Tim Sweeney's Guide...
..To Releasing Independent Records. Packed with hundreds of money-saving tips, helpful hints, and much more information about releasing your own albums.
How To Be Your Own Booking Agent...
..And Save Thousands of Dollars. A performing artist's guide to successful touring. You will learn techniques that save time, strategies to help plan your career, and more.

Other career books that are optional
Everything You'd Better Know...
...About The Record Industry. A "must read" for anyone entering the music business. How to find success and make money doing it.
Guerrilla P.R.
The manifesto for waging a street-smart publicity campaign with no- or low-cost strategies from one of Hollywood's most successful publicists.
How I Make $100,000/year in the Music Business
The true secret to selling any musical product or service, even on the Internet, how you can make almost anybody watch for and open your press kit and much more.
Buzz Your MP3
You will discover the methods used to get the word out on the Internet with your MP3, your CD and your music to get your fans Buzzing.

Fat Chuck Hand-Rolled Checklists
Combining the best tips from dozens of articles, you can kill a lot of birds by going through 1-10 on each checklist.

Internet Checklist

Self-Promotion + Sales Help
CD Releases - Timetable - Planning A Successful Release
CD Releases - CD Release Party Prep Basics
CD Releases - Of CD Launches and Sundowners
CD Releases - One Band's CD Release Party
CD Releases - Releasing A CD - Graphics
Demos - Demo Strategies (Several!)
Demos - Getting Your Demo Played
Demos - Why Most Demo Recordings Are Rejected
General - Ask Tim Sweeney
General - Breaking The Pattern
General - Growing Thicker Skin
General - Is Image Everything?
General - Perception
Guerilla - 7 Ways to Improve your Marketing Creatively
Guerilla - Alternative Marketing + Thinking
Guerilla - Charity Band Promo
Guerilla - The Grateful Dead or Metallica? (Sharing Your Music)
Guerilla - Guerilla Marketing Techniques for Poor Musicians
Guerilla - Guerilla Music Marketing Suggestions
Guerilla - Guerrilla Techniques to Sell CDs + Promote Your Music
Guerilla - How to Promote a Band Without a Big Corporate Budget
Guerilla - Indie Ad Strategies
Guerilla - Ruthless Self-Promotion in the Music Industry
Internet - Creating Your Band Website
Internet - Flash vs. Content
Internet - Gaming MP3.com (Or other Music Sites)
Internet - GigPage.com
Internet - How Do I Manage All This Email?!
Internet - How to Sell a Lot of CDs On-line: Attracting Traffic
Internet - If You Build It, They Will Come... Not!!
Internet - Musicians Internet Primer
Internet - Selling Your Music On The Net
Internet - Search Engines for Bands
Internet - Snail Mail List Promotion
Internet - Useful Email
Internet - Utilizing Your Newsletter
Marketing - Sivers - Think of everything from their point of view
Marketing - Sivers - Have the confidence to target.
Marketing - Sivers - Grab people's attention, senses and emotions.
Marketing - Sivers - All the world's a stage. What character are you?
Marketing - Sivers - Think test marketing - proof of success
Marketing - Sivers - The Power of People
Marketing - Sivers - The Power of Words
Marketing - Sivers - Tools and Weapons
Marketing - Sivers - Big Strategies
Networking - Atlantis 99
Networking - Marketing at Trade Shows
Networking - Power Networking
Networking - Nurture Your Fans
Promo Stock - Sending Photos to the Media
Promo Stock - Why a Good Photo is Worth 1000 Words
Promo Stock - Insider Tips On Taking Good Promo Photographs
Promo Stock - Taking Great Publicity Photos
Promo Stock - Writing a Band Bio
Promo Stock - The Do's and Don'ts of Writing Your Own Band Bios
Promo Stock - How To Write + Send a Press Release
Promo Stock - Smashing the Myth of the Press Release
Promo Stock - Top 10 Promo Pack Blunders
Promo Stock - "Understanding" Your Music Is A Key To Promoting + Selling It
Promo Stock - Branding Your Band
Promo Stock - Professional Graphics At Any Budget
Radio - Airplay 101 - Commercial Formats
Radio - Airplay 101 - Music, CD and Case Requirements
Radio - Airplay 101 - Commercial Radio Stations, Part 1
Radio - Airplay 101 - Commercial Radio Stations, Part 2
Radio - Airplay 101 - Non-Commercial Radio Stations
Radio - Airplay 101 - Creating a Story
Radio - Airplay 101 - Independent Promoter Checklist, Part 1
Radio - Airplay 101 - Independent Promoter Checklist, Part 2
Radio - Airplay 101 - Traditional Radio vs. The Web
Radio - Airplay 101 - Airplay vs. Sales
Radio - Airplay 101 - Why You Have To Promote To Radio
Radio - Airplay 101 - The Add Date
Radio - Airplay 101 - Investors, Part 1 of 3
Radio - Airplay 101 - Investors, Part 2 of 3
Radio - Airplay 101 - Investors, Part 3 of 3
Radio - Airplay 101 - Small Market Commercial Regular Rotation
Radio - Airplay 101 - Medium Market (#31-#100) Commercial Regular Rotation
Radio - Airplay 101 - FMQB Airplay Tracking
Radio - Airplay 101 - Commercial Radio Ratings
Radio - Airplay 101 - Using Vinyl for Airplay
Radio - Airplay 101 - Time of the Year to Push to Radio
Radio - Airplay 101 - Commercial Radio Charts
Radio - Airplay 101 - Publishing Royalties from Radio
Radio - Airplay 101 - What Is Successful?
Radio - Airplay 101 - Why Clear Channel is Irrelevant for Indies
Radio - Airplay 101 - Reporting vs. Charting
Radio - Airplay 101 - BDS / Mediabase / Soundscan
Radio - Airplay 101 - Payola
Radio - Airplay 101 - Commercial Radio Ratings
Radio - Airplay 101 - How Retail and Radio Work Together
Radio - Getting Your Music Played On The Radio
Sales - Barcodes - Do You Need One?
Sales - Bar Codes Explained
Sales - The Importance Of Soundscan For An Independent Artist
Sales - Distributors: How To Attract Them And How To Work With Them
Sales - A Look At Distribution
Sales - What Is the Orchard? (Distribution)
Sales - The Orchard (OWIE)
Sales - Designing a CD Cover That Sells
Sales - Music + Visual Design: Strive for a Perfect Union
Sales - Thoughts on CD Packaging
Sales - Confessions of a Master CD Sales Woman
Sales - Selling More CDs at Gigs: The Rogues
Sales - ZENcase CD Case

Business + Cover Your Butt Help
Basic - 10 Things Done RIGHT NOW to Help Your Music Career
Basic - 10 Useful Personality Characteristics for Musicians
Basic - 10 Ways to Help Your Music Career
Basic - Get Focused!
Basic - How To Start A Band
Basic - Interview with Dent (General advice for Indies)
Basic - Musician's Corner: Momentum
Business - Steve Albini and Dealing with Record Labels
Business - Record Label Royalty Calculator
Business - Putting Together A Sponsorship Proposal
Business - Treating Your Band As A Business From The Start
Business - Create Your Own Destiny By Being Proactive About Your Career
Business - Starting an Indie Record Label - A Guide for Musicians + Producers
Business - When Opportunity Knocks (Are You Prepared to Answer ??)
Business - Emerging Musicians Market - A Music Industry Opportunity
Business - Increase Your Odds Of Getting Signed By Understanding More About A+R
Business - It's Not Over Just Because You Sign A Deal!
Business - So What are Labels, Producers and Managers Looking for These Days?
Business - (Warning) Playing The Fool OR How The Fool Was Made
Business - Potential Revenue Streams: Merchandising Theory
Legal - Record Label Contract Analysis (Kiss Your Butt Good-bye)
Legal - Band Agreements
Legal - Copyright and Songwriting Basics
Legal - The Digital Dilemna - To Copyright or Not to Copyright
Legal - The Do-It-Yourself Trademark Search
Legal - Interview with an Entertainment Lawyer
Legal - PROs + Cons - Performing Rights Organizations
Legal - SR Copyright Form Explained
Legal - Writing A Music Business Plan That Works
Staff - Musician’s Corner: One Minute Manager
Staff - How To Pick The Right Manager
Staff - When and Who to Hire as a Manager for Your Band
Staff - Who's Who in the Music Industry? (Job Titles)

Gigs + Tours Help
Basic - 10 Tips for Better Gigs
Basic - The Band in Cold Weather
Basic - Why Being Popular At Home Is Important
Basic - Is Your Music Still Yours?
Booking - How To Get Into The College Market In 4 Steps
Booking - Booking Yourself in the Right Venue
Booking - Festival Booking Policies
Booking - Getting The Gig
Booking - How to Be Your Own Booking Agent
Booking - Thoughts on Booking
Gigs - Showcase DIY
Gigs - Sharing The Stage (Etiquette)
Gigs - Venue Finances
Equipment - Buying a P.A.
Equipment - Buying Your First Drum Kit
Equipment - Carpal Tunnel + Repetitive Stress Injury in Musicians
Equipment - Keep Your Vocals in Shape
Equipment - Drum Tuning 101
Equipment - On Soloing (Guitar)
Equipment - RX For Stage Fright (Vocals)
Equipment - Six Mics Under $200
Internet - Touring Musicians Web Links

Production, Recording + Creative Help
Creative - The 3 P’s to Songwriting Success
Creative - 10 Ways To Break Through Writer's Block
Creative - 19 More Songwriting Tips
Creative - 21 Songwriting Tips
Creative - Capturing Your Creativity
Creative - Songwriting Techniques
Creative - What Songwriters Need to Succeed - Excerpt From 'A Meeting of the Minds'
Creative Thinking: Dealing With Burnout
Creative Thinking: Finding Your Style
Creative Thinking: Fresh Inspiration
Creative Thinking: Knowing When To Move On Musically
Equipment - 8 Cool Headphones
Equipment - Piano and Keyboard Software
Equipment - Recording Acoustic Drum Kit
Equipment - Getting a Good Set of Studio Drums
Equipment - Good Studio Drum Sounds
Internet - MP3 For Beginners
Internet - Website Sounds Tutorial
Internet - Producing a Real Video
Production + Recording - Recording? Read This First
Production + Recording - How To Choose Your Next Producer
Production + Recording - First Time Singing in a Studio? Try Karaoke
Production + Recording - Better Vocals in the Studio
Production + Recording - Changing Your Tune - The Value of Remixes
Production + Recording - How to Get 'Live' Sounding Recordings
Production + Recording - DAT Basics Q+A
Production + Recording - Don't Fix It In The Mix
Production + Recording - Mastering for Beginners
Production + Recording - Manufacturing
Production + Recording - How to Duplicate Your CD

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Last updated 4/10/2004 using DML v. 1.92