When Indie Artists Face Writer's Block

Nothing's worse than sitting down and having nothing to write. Getting stuck on the writing process can hit you and your pockets like a ton of bricks. Because you're basically just wasting time and money holding up your album's post-production process.

So...what do you do about it?

Well, it depends on how much time you have. If you're under pressure to produce, then often times you just have to work through it. Fear is essentially what can be holding you back. Sometimes the first step is to just write through the pain. The worst that can happen is that you revise it, or maybe even *drum roll* find the source of inspiration you were missing. Psychologists even say that fear is what holds many back from accomplishing their dreams. Are you going to let fear push back your amazing album?

If you have time on your side, then maybe you're just rushing things? Putting too much pressure on yourself can be worse than having no time at all. Besides what you do--producing music for the masses--is an art. As cliche as it sounds, you can't rush good art. Look at some things you could be doing differently:

Switch up your workflow. Go somewhere new, or even try something new that's not related to what you're doing. Listen to the music that inspires you. Meditate (seriously when you do it right, it kills a lot of negative vibes). Just embrace change.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. The worst someone could say is, "no, that sucks." And if you can't take constructive criticism, then get out the business now. And be sure that it's not someone close to you. If you're bold enough, you can even try your luck with it at a show.

Use new tools. There is the great big Internet out there, so use it. There are tons of inspirational apps and articles you can use. Maybe this is a sign that you should be growing your knowledge. 

One amazing article: A Producer's Guide to Overcoming Writer's Block

And let's leave you with an equally amazing quote: "The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away."- Linus Pauling

Run Your Home Studio the Right Way

We told you about our free music marketing e-book* in this post. We’re pulling out another piece of information from it that you can use: creating the perfect home studio. Many good indie artists have tons of talent, but sound like garbage on a track because they don’t take the time to properly mix and master their album. Don’t end up in the same boat. Whether you go to a local studio or down into your basement to produce, we have tips that will save you time, money, …and embarrassment.

Local Studio

Although this is usually a more expensive option than going the DIY route, choosing the right studio that fits your needs will give you the highest quality record. Yeah, we’re talking up to $500 a track here. But that includes recording time, mixing and mastering. To really make your dollar stretch far, remember

• Time is money. Don’t waste any—do all of your writing, practicing, and other prep work outside of the studio.
• Do your homework. To pick the right studio, you need to do some research and ask reputable artists where they go. Make sure they specialize in your style and genre of music. Be sure that you like the sounds they produce.
•  Ask questions. Find out what their recording process is, how they conduct their mixing/mastering, and if they have any special deals. Also, ask what type of software they use so that you’re not in the dark when dealing with the engineer.

Home Studio

Building a home studio is the most economic way you can finish your album. Plus, it eliminates any excuses (like lack of money) you may have if you couldn’t work from home. But the key to making it possible is investing in the right software and hardware. They don’t always have to be expensive, but you need to know the difference between trash and treasure. For a…

…Microphone, buy a Shure or Blue model to get the most bang for your buck.

…Preamp, buy a good interface that connects your mics and speakers to your computer seamlessly.

…Set of headphones, don’t just buy one—pick up two sets of high-quality ones so you can check your mixes against each other. Your headphones are even more important than your speakers.

…Set of speakers, you don’t have to spend a ton here. Just get a decent set (or two, to check your mixes).

…Few extras, definitely invest in the following accessories: mic pop filter, mic stand, and headphone amp.

Want More?

In our e-book, we also have links to the specific pieces of equipment with pricing you’ll need to set up a solid home studio. Check out our page to find out how you can obtain our free manual.

*Click the link and select either Deal 1 or Deal 3 to get our manual. The bonus with Deal 3 is that we’ll hook you up with 100 exclusive Bari Beats, too!

Don't Buy Indie Music One Song at a Time

A cool piece on Hypebot (Why Musicians Make Little While Music Services and Distributors Make Billions) talks about how streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora are actually hurting music artists' revenue overall. One commenter made an interesting point about how music fans don't seem as loyal anymore.

"Find the bands you love and buy their album on their websites or directly from the band at shows. Support them by going to their shows and buying their music. If you really loved them you would buy the album and not one song at a time on some stupid streaming service. Collect art people."—Pedro

It's rare to find a music lover like Pedro nowadays in a generation where many people have bought few if any CDs in their lifetimes. People pull their music from YouTube or a playlist service such as Music Unlimited. And its clear that the music industry overall doesn't care if artists make bank or not. So the question is, how can you get more people to support you like Pedro?

Simple. Don't forget to sell yourself as more than just a hit song.

At shows, when you talk to the crowd, emphasize how much hard work and dedication you put into each track. Even better is to give them something they've never heard before to show your diversity as an artist.

Remember, times have changed but people largely have not. If you give your fan base something to rally around, they'll be willing to spend a few bucks more to support your dream versus $.99 (or nothing) for one track.

Making Good Contacts in the Music Industry

Here at Bari Beats, we’ve created a free 62-page marketing manual* specifically for indie music artists. It’s chock full of invaluable advice on how you can advance within the music industry. We’re going to give you a few excerpts from it on how you can cultivate solid contacts.

Developing Etiquette

You’re only as good as those you surround yourself with, so you need to develop working relationships that can take you to the next level as an artist. But it’s crucial that you understand the following rules to successfully connect with an industry professional.

Punctuality

This goes without saying, but be on time or don’t take on a meeting at all. If you must, then reschedule. But call ahead first. If you fail to show up on time or at all, then you look irresponsible and disrespectful. And you will likely not get a second chance.

Be Trustworthy

Never break confidence with sensitive material and intellectual property. Basically, you need to zip it and hush. The more people who trust you, the more doors you’ll open for yourself.

Representation

You need to have a reputable person with you at all times when conducting business: manager, lawyer, agent, company or investor. It adds to your credibility. It’s still OK if you don’t have access to one of these professionals, but you should actively be in pursuit of one.

Don’t Spam

Don’t overwhelm your contact with too much information. People don’t have the time to listen to an entire album or read a three-page bio. Keep your media kit short and sweet. Plus by being selective, you’re forced to send only your best work. And lastly, give them some time to respond. Don’t email them constantly, because then they’ll just block you.

Know Who You’re Calling

Just as easily as you can Google for any other information, you need to research the industry professionals you want to develop relationships with. Even better would be to find others who know them personally and ask what their likes/dislikes are and how they reached their individual path to success.

Be Clear and Professional

Be direct—industry professionals do not have time to beat around the bush. And keep it professional. Polish up on your language, spelling and grammar. Don’t assume you can just speak casually because of the industry you’re in.

Be Thankful and Reciprocate

If someone did take the time out to help you—whether it was the industry professional him/herself or someone who knows him/her—the least you can do is say, “thank you.” Take it a step further and return the favor. Showing your appreciation is crucial, and you never know when you’ll need that person again.

Want More?

We have also included many reputable industry contacts throughout the US that you can try to link up with. Check out our page to find out how you can obtain our free manual.*

*Click the link and select either Deal 1 or Deal 3 to get our manual. The bonus with Deal 3 is that we’ll hook you up with 100 exclusive Bari Beats, too!

How to Keep Grinding Even When You’re Down

Most people never see the work an indie artist puts in just to get a little shine for their talent in the music industry. It’s hard to stay on track if you constantly feel overworked and undervalued. It’s easy to think, “Where is the pay off?” and fall into a negative trap of intentionally pushing back on your goals.

To keep your eyes on your prize and avoid pouring your dreams down the drain, there are some pivotal questions you need to ask yourself.

Do I lack self-confidence?

It’s easy to tell others that you’re confident in your project. But what you feel inside can be a whole other story. And it’s usually the small setbacks that chip away at your confidence over time.

Read: The Importance of Confidence and Self Care for Musicians

Having the mental strength to persevere despite your challenges is the most important tool in your arsenal as an artist.

Am I scared to fail?

Many people have talent but never share their gifts with the world because they’re scared they’ll reach failure before they ever taste success. If you’ve already put out your project or done a gig then, congrats! You’ve already done more than most people will ever do. You’ve started on the path to your dreams, but it’s staying the course that’s most likely challenging at this point.

Read: Facing Fears and Moving Forward

Pinpoint what you do (procrastinate, think negative thoughts, perfectionism, etc.) that causes you to fear failure and work like hell to fight it.

What’s the end game?

Although you want notoriety and have your music live on well after you’re gone, the reality is that you may not reach the level of fame that you’re expecting. So, how would you deal with that?

The main thing is that you should always carve out your niche and seek to leave a legacy for your fans—whether you have 100 or 1,000,000 of them. Don’t lose sight of quality over quantity. You’re making music to touch people—and any artist who accomplishes this is already successful.

Can I adapt?

Sometimes the path you intend to take ends up becoming a different route. The important thing to remember is that you just want to reach your destination, so be as open minded as possible.

If you still need motivation to keep going, check out these resources:

• Musicians at Heart (blog) 
•  Artists House Music (video)
• How to Never Give Up (infographic)

Do you already feel predestined for greatness?

Tell us how you stay motivated. Share your story in the comments.

Promote Your Music Through Contest Submission

One of the best ways any indie artist can do self-promotion is by taking contest submissions seriously. They’re free, you usually get prominent promotion on a website, and striving to create a good entry will force you to hone your skills. Just think of it as another way to promote yourself through social media. The same time it takes for you to upload your video to YouTube, or create an online mixtape through an app like SoundCloud, you can use to make a quality contest entry.

Talent House’s “Get Discovered” contest showcases the winners and runners up who submitted their entries to Avid and Abbey Road Studios. This page gives you some visual examples of what makes a good entry stand out—which increases your odds of winning.

So, why not start now?

We're hosting our own contest, encouraging indie artists to put their music out there using one of our original beats. We judge you based on your originality, raw talent and marketability. You’re allowed up to three entries and have a chance to win one of the following prizes.

• 1st Prize: 16 exclusive Bari Beats​; mixing and mastering for 16 tracks; $500 cash; our music marketing manual; a month-long spotlight feature on our website; a spot on the Bari Beats mixtape; and two (2) 100% custom Bari Beats! 
• 2nd Prize​​: 8 exclusive Bari Beats and our music marketing manual​ 
• 3rd Prize: 4 exclusive Bari Beats 
•  Consolation Prize: 1 exclusive Bari Beat

Check out our contest page and enter ASAP—it ends on November 21.

Google Dominates Online Music Marketing

Google is making everything all about Google+. Google drives the search engine results for many industries, including for how independent music recording artists are ranked. It’s not easy for many indie artists to reach the top spots on the first page of Google. And now, they’re pushing for Google+ to be at the center of it all. Pretty soon, you won’t even be able to leave YouTube comments without a Google+ account.

Read: Hypebot’s report

Although having many footprints on the web and social media will definitely help you move toward the rankings you want, Google is completely changing the game. Results will not be driven by what you think people are typing into the search box.

Read: Search Engine Journal’s report and Search Engine Watch’s report

So, why is this really important?

Well, Google wants to put users first and help them maximize their searches. For example, if people are searching for shows featuring indie artists in your area, it doesn't necessarily mean your name will pop up in the search now. Google will continue to shape the social footprint for rankings, and it’s best to get on board now instead of struggling to catch up later. There are a few ways you can start that process.

Use the tools you have

Many artists invest far too much into the “cooler” social media websites out there, such as Facebook and Twitter. Of course, these sites are sound investments, but Google will never let any of its products fail. In fact, Google+ is growing much faster than Twitter and has been for over a year now. The key to being successful on Google+ is by treating your page as a more professional profile—take it seriously like LinkedIn but have fun with it like Facebook. Post lots of pictures, make your updates, and join influential circles.

Start Learning SEO

There are so many reputable resources on how to create a SEO campaign that will really improve your rankings (we swear by The Moz Blog). Keep in mind that Google will judge you on the quality of your website content. So it’s important to frequently update your blog, bio, calendar for gigs, etc.

Invest a little cash

If you have some disposable income, then you can start a small campaign on Google Adwords and download the Adwords editor. The best way to maximize your Adwords results is by setting a realistic monthly budget upfront and monitoring your results weekly. Please keep in mind that it takes time to see results, and possibly longer since you’re going the DIY route and not using an agency. And Google’s customer service is actually pretty decent, so they’ll talk you through any concerns you have.

Last: If you’re not going to invest the time and research into Adwords, then don’t waste your money. There’s a reason some people get paid six figs to be a SEO expert.

If you’re already on Google+, leave your profile link in the comments so we can feature you in a later blog.