If your grand musical plan to jump start your career is to win American Idol and enter into a life of indentured servitude to a mega conglomerate, ignore Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan’s The Indie Band Survival Guide. However, if you’re an independent musician without a label who feels your unique blend of goth-thrash-folk-punk-polka could reach an audience if you only knew how to go about it, consult this book. Covering topics such as setting up an effective website, creating and maintaining a consistent brand and message, getting your music recorded, distributed, and heard at a global level, getting booked for live shows, shaping and conducting an effective PR campaign, and navigating various copyright and publishing legal landmines, Chertkow and Feehan’s detailed and well organized book is essential reading for both veteran and budding independent musicians.
The two authors certainly have the experience and background to craft such a book. As members of the Chicago-based band Beatnik Turtle, they have recorded 18 albums, written music for films and the idiot box, and licensed music to the ABC Family Channel, all without the support (or interference) of a record label. The authors bring this real-world experience to their logically structured and easy-to-navigate book.
The impact of the Internet on independent musicians — and specifically how it has revolutionized how people discover, discuss, and consume music — forms the backbone of much of the authors’ tips for succeeding as an independent musician. Chertkow and Feehan persuasively show how the Internet can play a major role in enabling musicians to get their music heard by a global audience, instead of just being a vast wasteland where a pervert might try to lure you somewhere. They systematically show how the Internet is a powerful tool in everything from getting an artist’s music heard via podcasts, blogs, and other new media, to developing and maintaining important relationships with music venues, promoters, and journalists.
Article comments
1 - Douglas Mays
hhhmmm....lots to say about this. so much of what you say is surely applicable in perspective of situation.
example, not needing a label to cultivate a loyal fanbase. Very true. Matter of fact you must develope some form of foundational loyal fanbase in order for the majors to take a look at ya. It is all part of the corporate check list of 'do we sign these guys?"
Ugh! It is such a mess out there in musicland. Not many even being signed right now. this book is timely as things are really pointing to everybody taking that grass roots indy approach to get to the next level.
www.myspace.com/newsoulenterprises might give a form of point of view.
Isn't that the way it is suppossed to be? Even when one is on a major?
blah, blah, blah
DM