Many musicians have figured out the secret sauce so they’re able to go on tour when they want to without quitting their job entirely.

But some jobs are more flexible than others – if you can take 2 to 4 weeks off at a time, or work remotely during that time, that’s great!

But if you can only get a long weekend here and there, it’ll be incredibly difficult to grow your music career. If that’s the case, it may be time for some changes so you can hit the road once shows and touring are safe again.

Listen now to ditch the golden handcuffs and become more invested in your music career so you can achieve your dreams!

What you’ll learn:

• How you can make a living before music is your primary income
• Why working a flexible job is important for growing a music career
• How musicians can harness the power of the gig economy
• Why being your own boss is helpful when you’re in a touring band
• How you can grow your own business relying on the network you’ve built around your band
• What kind of remote work opportunities exist for traveling musicians
• Why this is a move you need to make if you were born to create

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/58

“Quality over quantity” is a phrase we’ve all heard at one time or another. But what does it really mean?

Hearing that saying over and over has caused people to give up on their dreams because not every song they write is great.

But really what it means is that you should only release your best work – that doesn’t mean everything you create will be gold. Many major artists write 50-100 songs for every album they release, working out which songs are the best and letting the world hear those.

Listen now to dive deep into the myths and truths of “quality over quantity” so you can put out better products, get (and keep) more fans, and feel confident in your work!

What you’ll learn:

• Why creating a great first impression is key for your long-term success
• How you can catch a listeners’ attention by starting your singles the right way
• Why guitarists like Slash and Synyster Gates are more well-known than guitar legends John Pettruci, Steve Vai, or Yngwie Malmsteen
• Why you shouldn’t have a guitar solo in every song
• Why cutting corners on your products is bad for your band
• How quality vs. quantity plays into your merch sales
• Why unique merch is easy to sell
• Why quantity is key when writing songs
• Why even when you’ve written thousands of songs, there will still be songs you scrap

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/57

Setting goals is an important part of any artists’ path to a healthy career.

But you can’t just say, “I want to be as famous as Green Day!” and expect it to happen.

Your goals have to be realistic, measured, and clearly defined.

So what can you do to set goals for yourself that actually make sense? Listen now to find out what our top tips are to get you on the right path!

What you’ll learn:

• How you can boost your growth by setting goals
• How to get a million Spotify plays
• Why you should have easy, repeatable goals as well as big goals
• Why building relationships is key to growth
• How to achieve your big picture goals
• Why marketing that doesn’t result in much is not wasted money
• How having an emergency fund can be your most important goal

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/56

30 years ago, being in a band with members spread out over multiple states or countries would have meant traveling for almost any group work such as songwriting or demoing.

Now, thanks to the internet, it’s possible for bands to exist without ever having met each other in person.

That’s not common, but there are bands like that out there.

What’s more common are traditional bands with one or two members living further away due to a move or other change in life circumstances.

That doesn’t mean the music has to stop – there are many opportunities to keep the show on the road.

Listen now to learn how you can become more effective and efficient in managing a long-distance DIY band!

What you’ll learn:

• Why each member of your band needs assigned roles
• How to pick fitting roles for the various bandmembers
• What you can do to nurture effective communication
• How you can stay in touch with everyone in your network
• Why having backups is extremely important, especially when working remotely
• How personal accountability plays into a long-distance band
• Why you should practice at home, and rehearse before tour
• How to have continued growth

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/55

Music is an incredibly personal form of expression. It’s like you’re opening up your soul to your listeners… So when someone says they don’t like a certain part of your music, it can feel like a personal attack that cuts quite deeply.

The good news is, most of the time that’s not how it’s intended, unless the person saying those things is a hater.

But for the mass majority of people giving you feedback, the ones who aren’t haters, they likely have your best interests at heart. Responding kindly to them will help you seem more reasonable, and give them a positive interaction with you – which you can grow into a long-term relationship with them as your fan.

So how can you harness criticism to create better music and grow your fanbase at the same time? Listen now to learn more!

What you’ll learn:

• Why criticism is a good thing
• The difference between an amateur artist and a professional artist when it comes to handling criticism
• How handling criticism poorly can burn bridges (directly or indirectly)
• How to use criticism to create a better product
• Why telling someone they “don’t understand art” is a terrible response to criticism
• How you can turn a hater into a fan
• Why songwriters like Max Martin are incredibly successful
• Why not liking a song isn’t a personal attack
• How blaming your fans for your failures is a highway to failure
• Why constantly learning and improving isn’t a sign that you’re bad at what you do… It’s a sign that you’re great at what you do!

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/54

For many artists, getting signed is a dream come true.

Record deals aren’t one size fits all, but there are a few basic types that are most common.

If you’re one of the thousands of artists hoping to get a record deal, do you know what kind of arrangement you want?

Matt Bacon of Dropout Media was kind enough to hop on a call and outline the three types of deal that you’re most likely to come across.

Listen now to hear Matt discuss the basics of record label deals so you’re able to scout out potential labels that fit your band’s needs!

What you’ll learn:

• How Matt Bacon got his foot into the door of the music industry
• Why you should be cautious of “new” types of record deals
• What the most advantageous type of record deal is for a DIY artist
• How you can sign a record deal with the least amount of drama
• How the relationship between artists and labels is changing
• Why not recouping your advance typically isn’t the end of the world
• Why you you need to find the right lawyer for your business
• How to avoid getting taken advantage of by a label
• How Matt Hoos and his band escaped a bad record contract

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/53

It can be scary to think about letting a stranger work on your music. What if they don’t share your vision? What about losing the feeling of accomplishment that you did all the work yourself?

Those are valid concerns – but that doesn’t mean they should stop you.

Building your creative team shouldn't be taken lightly, you need to do proper research and find people who will work well with you and understand how you want the project to turn out.

Ultimately, it's up to you to think “big picture” while letting experts do their job so your song or album comes out better than it would if you do everything alone.

Listen now to hear more about the advantages of hiring a team to work on your next project, so it can be your best release to date!

What you’ll learn:

• Why you need to learn how to relinquish some control if you want to have the best product possible
• Why teamwork makes the dream work
• How pacing yourself lets you keep the mental bandwidth to complete your projects
• How having a team working on your projects gives you a larger audience
• Why segmenting your project into separate parts (with different people working on each part) results in a better end product
• How you provide the ingredients, and a producer is the chef
• Why your fans could be let down by poor quality products
• How you can create your own graphic designs easily… But why it’s not always the right choice
• How to be the best musician you can be

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/52

Branding is often the last thing that musicians have on their mind…

But it’s actually one of the most important aspects of your business!

Having good branding not only sets career musicians apart from hobbyists, it also gives your fans a cohesive experience with you.

Some might say it shouldn’t matter for music, and that’s likely true… But that doesn’t matter, because there’s no changing it: without good branding, your chances of success are extremely low.

So what does branding even mean? What does it involve? In a way, many little things that add up. Listen now to learn how you can create a brand for your band!

What you’ll learn:

• How you can grow your band’s fanbase by having good branding
• Why having a mood/vibe on your social media is important
• How your performance ties into your branding
• What you can do to make your appearance fit your image and brand
• How you should approach your color palette
• How your sound is also part of your branding
• Why top bands put on a theatrical performance instead of a musical performance
• Why embracing your band’s backstory and history can be a good thing
• Why consistency is the key to good branding
• How to avoid major mistakes on your printed CDs and merch

For full show notes visit https://thebetterbandbureau.com/51