The secret isn’t only knowing which record labels are looking for new artists. Anybody can find that information through various online sources — some more reliable than others. Google, “Companies looking for new music,” and see what you find. The real secret to getting your music heard by major and independent record labels is to know what they’re looking for in new artists. “For” is small word, to be sure. Just three letters! But it’s a very important word for you in the context of getting a record deal. Record Companies Are Businesses! Like all other companies, both major and...

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“Is TAXI.com a Rip Off, Scam, or Legitimate?” If I could make a nickel for every time I’ve seen that question asked on online forums and blogs over the last 22 years, I could probably put one of my kids through college on the income. People tend to believe what they read. But on the Internet, you may not know who the person is posting the opinion, or if they’ve even been a TAXI member, or have ever used the service! We’ve also seen negative posts about TAXI we suspect come from copycat companies trying to discredit us. Playing dirty?...

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A list of music supervisors might look like the Holy Grail to the uninitiated. But having a music supervisor directory is only part of the puzzle when trying to pitch your music for film and TV. Knowing what the people on that list are currently working on, and what kind of music they’re looking for at the moment is the true key to success.. Music supervisors aren’t just looking for good music, they’re looking for great music that fills a need. And more often than not, what they need is music that supports the central emotion of the scene. They...

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I just finished doing a video interview with some nice gents from Australia. One of the topics they asked me about was Music Marketing for Indie Musicians. I realized while I was answering the questions that so many of the music marketing techniques I was recommending are common sense things we often overlook unless reminded. Your instinct - or should I say reflex  - is often to market music in a way that feels like it would appeal to you. But you aren't the potential buyer, and may not be objective when judging the effectiveness. So the first step is...

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Promoting Your Music Online Michael Laskow's Music Promotion Panel Notes from 1/16/10 I was asked to join Bob Baker, Ariel Hyatt, Brian Mazzaferi and Tony VanVeen, the CEO of Discmakers and CDBaby, for a panel at this year's NAMM show. All but Brian are good friends of mine, so it was an honor and a pleasure to join them. Brian turned out to be a great guy, and I'm sure our paths will cross again soon. As I began to clean up my computer's desktop moments ago, I found the panel questions and my notes/answers and thought you might benefit...

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