January 30, 2013

25 Digital Media Resources For Musicians

With all the amazing and helpful new tools, resources and opportunities out there for musicians, it's more important than ever to be in tune with and take advantage of all the new technologies in order to let them help you become a bigger, better, smarter musician!

Our friends over at Music Think Tank recently posted a great article with 25 excellent digital media resources and professionally-written articles musicians can use, from publishing, to fan interaction, to becoming a better all-around musician, to the all-important revenue streams. Knowledge is power in the music business, so take some time and check out some of their great listed resources. Click Here to read more..

Check back often for more industry news, tips & tricks on how to make the most out of your promotion on Radio Airplay!

January 23, 2013

Ditching the Record Label ....

It's 2013, and in many ways it's never been easier to make it as an artist or musician. New technologies and opportunities for artists are coming out every day, to a point where the traditional paths of waiting around for a record label to discover you are becoming less effective than DIY and self-promotion. Taking advantage of all the great new musical technologies and opportunities can do wonders for building your fan base, getting more exposure and making it in the music business!

Our friends over at Music Think Tank recently posted a great article about new ways of finding success with your music. They list some great ideas and examples on promoting yourself and finding success without going the traditional way of finding a record label. Click Here to read more..

Check back often for more industry news, tips & tricks on how to make the most out of your promotion on Radio Airplay!

January 22, 2013

Airplay Band of the Month - Dan Kaplan

Influenced by traditional folk and contemporary indie artists, Dan Kaplan has been able to achieve a familiar yet completely authentic sound. His music both inspiring and at times nostalgic has Jango listeners begging for more. We present to you the first Band of the Month for 2013, Dan Kaplan!

Describe your sound in one sentence

My current band project, Magnolia, sounds like a mix of anthemic bands like Coldplay and U2—minus the, err, worldwide fanbase, pyrotechnics, and quite so much falsetto—and bands like The Killers and The Temper Trap. Then my own work tends to be a bit more traditionally folk oriented, with nods towards bands like Wilco, or artists like Ryan Adams and Tom Waits (minus the gravel and 40+ years of cigarette smoke). OK, that was two sentences. Whoops.

When did you first start writing music?

Technically I wrote my first song on my brother's keyboard when I was about 3. Although the lyrics still resonate with me today ("You should know me better"), I was also singing it naked except for a towel draped around my shoulders pretending I was Mumra from Thundercats. I wrote my first "official" song when I was 16, though—naturally about a girl that I had a crush on, but never got around to saying anything. Since then writing has become kind of an obsession, and I've written over 250 songs to date.

Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why? (Living or dead)

There are plenty of artists who have influenced me in so many different ways, but there are a few that I always tend to fall back on who have defined and changed the way I think of music.

When I first heard Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker, it was a revelation—it sounds so familiar, but then completely new at the same time—it invited me in to learn a whole new way of looking at the music I grew up listening to.

Then Jeff Tweedy’s Wilco led me even further in—every song steeped in the history of American folk music, but at the same time writing a new history with a slightly different story to tell. I also learned what a Shepard tone is (a progression of chords that seem to endlessly ascend or descend).

The third spot, I’d have to reserve for my two older brothers, Noah and Ethan (if I may) They’ve since moved on from songwriting, but most of what I know about music, I’ve learned from them. Whether it was listening to Ethan play the piano as a kid, Noah introducing me to new music when I was in middle school, or seeing what it was like when they played together in a touring band, they’ve shown me the ropes at every step. And now that I finally get to carry the torch, I’ve been furiously trying to show them up at every chance I get. This counts, right?

How do you connect with fans and get them involved in your music?

More recently, my goal has been to share more of my own creative process—all the hours of hard work that go into bringing a song to life, from the first demo to the final master. I’ve always loved watching how other artists work, especially in the studio, and I wanted to try something similar with my own music. So for my newest single, “Sink or Swim”, I documented as much as possible of the process, and put together a short behind-the-scenes style video (you can watch it here). Over the next year or so, while I’m recording an album with my project, Magnolia, I’d like to do even more to invite people to join in the creative process with me (and I know this means updating Facebook more often haha).

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?

Radio Airplay has been an incredible resource for me, by not only exposing my music to people who are otherwise far outside my reach, but also by letting me find out more about who they are, and even seeing what some of them look like (although not in a creepy, stalker way or anything, just in the it-makes-me-feel-more-connected-to-the-world-outside-my-world kind of way).

Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.

I'm so excited about my latest single, "Sink or Swim", that I got to record in Nashville with one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Matthew Perryman Jones. After that, I'll be heading to LA in March to record an album with my current project, Magnolia. Click here to view the video for the single "Sink or Swim"

Are you playing live and do you have any shows coming up soon?

For the time being, I've been focusing on recording, but eventually, once my new album is finished up, I'm sure I'll get back into it, playing shows in and around Boston whenever I can. To stay up to date, visit:

Websites:
http://www.dankaplanmusic.com
http://www.magnoliatheband.com

Bandcamp:
http://www.dankaplanmusic.bandcamp.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/dankaplanmusic

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/year-of-the-swallowtail/id365747057

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Year-of-the-Swallowtail/dp/B003F0OEOU/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1283539508&sr=301-1

January 15, 2013

2013 Resolution - A More Successful Music Career!

Have you made your 2013 music resolutions yet? Maybe you've already started making those resolutions a reality.

Having a career in music can be more complicated than ever these days, and it's important to be organized and have reachable, realistic short- and long-term goals set for your music.

Our friends over at Music Think Tank recently released a great FREE e-book download, called 8 Steps to a more Successful Music Career in 2013. They list 8 great ways you can really build and push your music career this year. Click Here to read more and download your FREE copy.

January 8, 2013

Why You Too, Should Have a Music Blog

Are you looking to expand your fan base, while keeping your existing fans interested and excited about your music? Could you use an easily-accessible page where you can list your band's history of gigs, news, song releases, and everything else? Would you like to share more in-depth info with your fans than what you can post in a Facebook update or Tweet?

Many popular artists and bands keep a running, current blog page on their websites, and if you don't already, you should consider starting up a blog page too! A blog can be an invaluable tool not just for your fans, but for you personally as an artist/band.

Your blog can include anything and everything about you as an artist, from your official updates, news and upcoming releases, to personal thoughts and statements you'd like to share with your fans and site visitors. A blog is also a great archival tool where both your fans and you can look back and check important past information, or just reminisce on your great experiences and history as an artist.

Our friends over at Music Think Tank recently posted a great article about why your band needs to blog. They list 4 great points about how having a blog page for yourself as an artist/band can really benefit you and your fan base. Click Here to read more..

Check back often for more industry news, tips & tricks on how to make the most out of your promotion on Radio Airplay!