January 27, 2016

How To Ask For Feedback

"Feedback: you need it. Especially if you’re trying to get better at producing music. Feedback will make you a better producer. Critiques mean learning and growing. It’s a must for anyone looking to take their music to the next level. So how do you get the feedback you need and use if effectively?"

Check out this excellent new article from our friends at Tunecore, with great tips and information on the best ways to get feedback on your music, and how to utilize that feedback to improve, evolve, and take your music and promotion to the next level!

http://www.tunecore.com/blog/2015/11/how-to-ask-for-feedback.html

January 22, 2016

2016 Radio Airplay Love Song Contest



Have a great love/anti-love song? Well now is your time to share it by joining the 2016 Radio Airplay Love Song Contest

Click HERE to see what you could win and submit your song now! 

January 20, 2016

75 Tips & Tricks to Get Your Music Out of the Bedroom

"Sometimes you need a little inspiration to kick start the process."

Check out this great new post from our friends at Tunecore with 75 fun, inspiring, and sometimes irreverent tips and tidbits of advice on how to focus on music, avoid distractions, and help get your music to the next level!

http://www.tunecore.com/blog/2016/01/23813.html

How To Quickly Become A Professional Musician

"Out of all the musicians who try to make it in the music industry, very few ever will. This is because the majority of them spend their time doing things that won’t actually accomplish significant success in the music business. As a result, most musicians will become very frustrated and quit pursuing their musical dreams."
Take a look a this great post by our partners at MTT which lays out six reasons why you have not become a professional musician yet, and what you should do to immediately move your career forward

January 14, 2016

Center Stage - Doug Hammer

Meet our new Center Stage artist, Doug Hamer!


Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Doug Hamer began playing guitar and writing music in his early teens. He studied classical music, composition, and music theory at Olympic and WWSU.

Doug Hamer is an accomplished finger-style guitarist and melodic composer. It is often said that he literally paints his music with color, texture and the many moods of nature. His life interests include a passion for horticulture, his wife and best friend; Children's book Illustrator, Bonnie Hamer, guitar collecting, landscaping, hiking, and photography.

With his love of nature and his Celtic roots apparent in his compositions, Doug's listening audience often finds his timeless music both relaxing and inspiring.


Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence? 
Inspired solo finger-style guitar instrumentals.


What inspires you to make music?
Nature, the creative process, and finding that my music might make someones day a little bit better by listening to it.


What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Seeing what musical journey and direction I will be led to next.


What aspect of music gets you the most discouraged?  
Sometimes with other commitments, finding a quiet time to get my next musical inspiration.


What's one of your all- time favorite recordings?  
There are so many all-time favorite recordings but what first comes to mind is "Rubber Soul" by the Beatles.  The writing, the vocal and musical arrangements, the production, the ambience, very beautiful and thought provoking.


Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why-Living or dead.
John Fahey, Bola Sete, and John Rebourn .  All three were originals in their style of playing and composing.


Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd  like to share with us.  Tell us about it.
I am in the process of  composing music especially for film and television documentaries, PBS, etc.


What do you like best about Radio Airplay?
What I like best about Radio Airplay is that Jango gives me the ability to get my music out there. It's great that my music is heard by fans from all over the world.  To know that at any one time a listener from the USA, the UK, Africa,Japan, South America, Mexico, the Ukraine, etc. is hearing and enjoying my solo guitar music is just inspiring.  I might not be able to travel to some of those far away places but it is wonderful to know that I am there musically for people to enjoy.


Doug still performs in the greater Seattle area doing fund-raising events for a variety of charities, with one of his favorite musical highlights being his featured appearance on KCTS TV, a PBS television station in Seattle, Washington.




January 13, 2016

8 People Who Can Help Your Music Career Right Now


"Instead of leaving your band’s success up to some fateful meeting, step back and think about who you already know or see often. If you’re an active musician working on making your presence known in your local scene, these eight people you probably already know can help you get your music into the right hands and keep your career in music rolling." 
(Via Music Think Tank)


http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/8-people-who-can-help-your-music-career-right-now.html

5 things I learned from the life and music of David Bowie


"The whole world seems to be grieving the loss of David Bowie by sharing stories of what his music meant to them."

Check out this new, timely article from our friends at CD BABY, with great general advice and lessons from the life and career of David Bowie, "worth remembering and leaning into, when you need the motivation to move forward, artistically or otherwise.."

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/5-things-i-learned-from-the-life-and-music-of-david-bowie/

January 6, 2016

The Ultimate Social Media Cheat Sheet for Musicians


"Wondering how to properly size your social media images? Or which days you should post on each platform? Or what kind of content performs best? And between what hours?"

This infographic posted by our partners on the DIY Musician page will set you straight! 

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/social-media/the-ultimate-social-media-cheat-sheet-for-musicians-infographic/

5 Essential Tips To Make Your First DIY Tour A Success


"Your band’s first tour can be your first step up the ladder to success, but if it’s not done properly, it can end up wasting a lot of time and a lot of money. Always take care in planning your tour, whether it’s your first one ever or just another month on the road."
Our friends at MUSIC THINK TANK just posted this great new article for any band or artist planning an upcoming tour, with great info to help make your first tour a success!

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/5-essential-tips-to-make-your-first-diy-tour-a-success.html