Time Is Running Out, Indie Artists!

We told you guys about our contest in this blog last month. Well, our song contest ends in just three days!

It's very easy to enter. Once you visit our page, you can enter in just four simple steps:

1) Record a song using any Bari Beat.

2) Upload your song to YouTube. Include 'Bari Beats Contest' in the title. Include http://www.BariBeats.com in the description.

3) Like our Facebook page and introduce yourself by dropping a comment on our wall.

4) Send an email to BariBeats@gmail.com with the subject 'Fall Contest Submission.' Include a one paragraph bio and the link to your YouTube video.

All of our prizes include Bari Beats. But the no. 1 winner will receive $500 cash, an exclusive month-long feature on our site, mixing and mastering for 16 tracks, a spot on our Bari Beats mixtape, and two 100% custom Bari Beats. We're basically giving away the farm to one deserving indie artist. We support the indie music industry--and we want to pick someone who shows promise, believes in their talent, and has true grit in the face of adversity. The more original you are, the better. We don't want to hear anything we've heard 100 times over.

Aside from the top prizes, we are also offering

• 2nd Prize​​: 8 exclusive Bari Beats and our music marketing manual​ 
• 3rd Prize: 4 exclusive Bari Beats 
• Consolation Prize: 1 exclusive Bari Beat

Remember--time is up this Thursday, Nov. 21, at midnight PST.

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