We’ve already made our enthusiasm for SXSW well known, and will be departing SFO for Austin in 24 hours to...
The Business
‘Tis the season to make merch money!+
CD Baby’s DIY Musician blog has put up a string of posts showing how musicians can take advantage of holiday sales spikes, much like...
All Shall Perish frontman says label suing downloaders is “absolute horseshit”+
We talked to All Shall Perish vocalist Eddie Hermida last week before they opened for the mighty Hatebreed. Eddie told...
How to sell 1 million albums and still be broke+
By now, you’ve heard the RIAA talking point that “file-sharing hurts bands” even though artists in other genres are using...
How to sell more merch+
We’ve long talked about how merch sales will make the most money for your band in the Internet Era. Not...
Save yourself the money and STOP making CD’s!+
A new study by the ominously named Total Bankruptcy blog breaks down the current state of selling music. As any stroll through...
The Metalluminati at Bay Area Metal Fest+
This past weekend, we welcomed the bands of the Zombie Apocalypse Tour to Oakland for their final date at the Bay...
The State of the Music Industry+
In four cartoon panels, the always-brilliant Oatmeal has summed up the problem and solution to the current music biz. Normally, this would...
How to turn your fans into SUPER fans+
We’ve talked about how a loyal fanbase can work wonders for your band, but most artists probably are thinking “So, how do...
FanCulture: Quality of fans vs. quantity+
In the Internet Age, it is essential for bands to talk to their fans. (the sophisticated douchey business term for this...
PledgeMusic: Only for the squeamish?+
A few weeks ago, we talked about PledgeMusic as a great fan-funding alternative to Kickstarter for bands outside of the...
Aborted frontman compares touring Europe vs. U.S.+
We talked to Sven de Caluwé of Belgian brutalists Aborted yesterday in San Francisco. Sven really elaborated on the differing aspects...
Can’t use Kickstarter internationally? Then try PledgeMusic!+
We’ve professed our love for Kickstarter here before (and crowdsourcing funds for your band, in general) so you don’t have to rely...
Jeff Loomis offers advice to young bands and “bedroom guitar players”+
We caught up with guitar god Jeff Loomis last night in San Francisco, before his band’s opening set for Periphery...
Wasn’t tape-trading also “piracy?”+
Many people today condemn file-sharing as “piracy,” especially those who are deeper entrenched in the media cartel (obviously Lars, among others). From...
What’s wrong with the California metal scene?+
Falling to Pieces is a metal band from Livermore, California that have been in the scene since 2004. Recently, our...
Andy Dörner of Caliban says merch and touring pays the bills+
Recently, I caught up with Caliban frontman Andy Dörner and asked him about the differences between touring in Europe versus the U.S., their...
LORD bassist Andy Dowling on the music biz (“the evolving industry”)+
LORD is one of Australia’s highest profile heavy melodic bands. Having toured both nationally and internationally with artists such as:...
Havok reveal secret that saved them $1000′s on tour+
Last week, we went to see Denver thrashers Havok open for English Dogs in Oakland. Afterward, we had a quick...
The Blueprint: Checklist for starting a band+
I get a lot of musicians asking me about what they should do next or what they are missing from...
All Shall Perish guitarist discusses music biz, admits to piracy+
We tracked down All Shall Perish guitarist (and We Need Merch owner!) Ben Orum over the weekend to pick his brain...
Warbringer frontman says “we are traveling t-shirt vendors”+
We caught up with Warbringer frontman John Kevill after their opening slot for Symphony X in San Francisco last weekend. John...
The DIY Movement, Pt. 2: Embrace the business+
There is something that every artist needs to understand and fully submerge themselves in: You have to know the business of...
Bill Ward and shady record contracts+
Drummer Bill Ward's refusal to a Black Sabbath reunion over an "unsignable contract" shows that ANYONE — even metal royalty...
The Piracy Debate+
The piracy debate is definitely a polarizing argument in the music industry, even among the writers and staff of the...
Are You Keeping Up with the Media Cycle?+
I know that we talk about the power of giving your music away for free, and it is truly a...
More than an artist+
The days of simply being an artist have long gone, and yet I still see a lot of bands not...