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Music Business Archives

The Lightbulb Moment: Keeping The Lights On
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: Keeping The Lights On

This is trying time for all of us. And for those who make their living playing music, things are even more challenging. That's the focus of this new column Ryan just wrote: from the perspective of a gigging musician and a fan of bands and artists too.

What I’m Worth vs. What I Can Get
Ask Damian Erskine

What I’m Worth vs. What I Can Get

The topic of this week’s “Ask Damian” column focuses on the topic of money. This is a frequent discussion on social media and elsewhere, and Damian dives in on the subject of “What I’m Worth vs. What I Can Get.”

Reaching the Next Level in Your Music Career
Ask Damian Erskine

Reaching the Next Level in Your Music Career

A 40-year bass veteran is taking all the right steps to hitting that next level of playing. He reached out to Damian for advice on how to “break out.” Check out what Damian has to say.

Am I Selling Out?
Ask Damian Erskine

Am I Selling Out?

Making money making music can be a tough road. Sometimes, some of the options might feel like "selling out," which is exactly the focus (and question) for Damian's latest "Ask" column.

Connecting to Music or a Brand: Spotify vs Apple
Ask Damian Erskine

Connecting to Music or a Brand: Spotify vs Apple

For this week’s column, I asked a good friend and frequent band-mate – Seattle-based drummer Tarik Abouzied – to give his unique perspective into Spotify (and the streaming model, in general). Tarik had written a column in my stead here at No Treble once before regarding bass playing from the drummers perspective and everybody loved his insights. Tarik writes quite...

Establishing Your Rates as a Working Bass Player
Ask Damian Erskine

Establishing Your Rates as a Working Bass Player

Q: I have been networking, going to jams, and have actually started to make some headway in my local scene. I’ve just gotten a call about doing a regional week-long tour. The money seems a little low, though, and I’m worried about setting a bad precedent. I’d like to do the tour but don’t want to establish that as my...

Bobby Owsinski Publishes “The Music Business Advice Book”
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Bobby Owsinski Publishes “The Music Business Advice Book”

Producer, audio engineer, and podcast host Bobby Owsinski has released a new book for musicians trying to get the most out of the industry. The Music Business Advice Book is a compilation of 150 quotes from 130 guests from his Inner Circle podcast over the past four years. While not bass-specific, the 189-page book covers topics that all bassists can...

What To Practice When You Don’t Have Gigs
Ask Damian Erskine

What To Practice When You Don’t Have Gigs

Q: My question to you is this: what do you do when you’re not playing with a group and have no gigs on the horizon, particularly what to practice? Without a set of songs or even a style to give the context of what the bass should be playing, I find myself grasping for inspiration on what to practice. Also,...

Building Your Audience
Ask Damian Erskine

Building Your Audience

Q: I’ve been struggling with a question, and I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. I’ve been playing in a band for the past two years, mainly in bars and functions. Finally, we are getting some contracts to play in clubs, which is great! However, instead of the annoying sound of loud voices and laughs, we’re getting the haunting...

Making Music Your Career
Ask Damian Erskine

Making Music Your Career

Q: I have a job which a) takes up a lot of my time and b) doesn’t pay very well. I’ve been thinking about something you’ve mentioned before about when you quit your job and made your music career your job. Do you have any advice on how to manifest that? A: I will preface this by saying that it...

Marcone and Philp Publish Updated Edition of “Managing Your Band”
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Marcone and Philp Publish Updated Edition of “Managing Your Band”

If you’ve ever been in a band, you know the hardest part is managing it. If that’s something you’ve been struggling with, Stephen Marcone and David Philp have some advice in the new sixth edition of their book, Managing Your Band – Artist Management: The Ultimate Responsibility. The 344-page book is aimed at helping DIY musicians and personal managers to...

When It’s “Go” Time, Make Sure to Hit the Gas!
Ask Damian Erskine

When It’s “Go” Time, Make Sure to Hit the Gas!

As so often happens, I was recently having a conversation with a musician before a gig and we both commented on how that conversation would make a great No Treble column. First a little background: This guy is a great guitarist that I know and play with relatively often. He’s been actively trying to make a mark in the music...