A collection of Music Business resource for the independent musician
As of May 1, 2026, Making a Scene celebrates eleven years of continuous support for independent music. By producing over 9,500 posts, including 2,200 interviews and 4,200 reviews, it has built a vital archive and community. With a redesign and expanded mission, it aims to empower artists through ownership, tools, and direct fan relationships.
The Indie Artist’s Field Guide to Booking the College Circuit emphasizes the college market as a vital, underutilized resource for independent musicians. It explains how effective routing through campus gigs can stabilize income, build relationships, and support long-term growth in an artist’s career. The guide encourages strategic outreach, adaptability, and leveraging technology for successful bookings.
The podcast “Making a Scene” discusses the importance of networking in the music industry, emphasizing that relationships, not metrics or trends, drive success for artists. It suggests that real connections build trust and create opportunities, urging musicians to engage in local scenes, participate in events, and focus on genuine interactions rather than superficial networking.
The article discusses the superiority of direct-to-fan SMS marketing over social media algorithms in reaching audiences effectively. It highlights the decline of organic reach on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, emphasizing that SMS offers higher open rates and engagement. By focusing on owned access rather than borrowed attention, independent artists can better connect with fans and drive revenue.
Micro-sync licensing is essential for independent songwriters, creating a faster, more organized method for monetizing music in visual media. It shifts the focus from relying on large placements to treating songs as valuable assets with diverse revenue potentials. By embracing ownership and clarity in rights and metadata, songwriters can maximize their catalog’s earning potential.
The modern music industry favors a select few artists financially, leaving many struggling despite the abundance of music consumption. This system is designed for platforms to profit while artists bear the risks. To rebuild a sustainable music middle class, leveraging tools like AI and Web3 for better control and compensation is essential.
Native Instruments has initiated preliminary insolvency proceedings, raising concerns for indie musicians reliant on its tools like Kontakt, Maschine, and iZotope products. While insolvency does not equate to shutdown, it creates uncertainty affecting user confidence. Musicians are encouraged to secure access, identify alternatives, and prioritize ownership of their work amidst potential changes.
The article emphasizes the necessity for independent artists to establish both a record company and a publishing company, transforming their music career from a hobby into a sustainable business. This structure enhances ownership, visibility, and financial control, ensuring long-term protection of their work and allowing for effective navigation in the evolving music industry landscape.
Independent musicians need a solid, practical business plan to turn music into a sustainable career. It should outline current resources, goals, and actionable strategies while incorporating modern tools like AI and decentralized platforms. Focusing on control, ownership, and realistic objectives helps artists protect their work and build durable careers in an ever-changing music landscape.
The article emphasizes that independent musicians inadvertently run a business when releasing music and touring, often without realizing it. It stresses the importance of establishing clear structures, such as LLCs, to protect assets and manage finances. Successful music businesses require organization, accountability, and strategic planning to prevent exploitation and ensure sustainability.
The HITS Act helps US indie musicians by allowing them to deduct recording costs up to $150,000 in the year incurred, easing cash flow burdens. The law applies to projects starting before January 1, 2026, providing a crucial tool for aligning expenses and income, thus supporting the indie music economy sustainably.
Making a Scene is enhancing its commitment to the independent music community for 2026 by focusing on practical journalism that empowers artists in navigating a changing industry. It advocates for decentralization, AI as a supportive tool, and a strong business literacy approach, aiming to build a sustainable music industry middle class.
Making A Scene aims to transition to a completely ad-free, reader-supported platform for the indie music community. After over ten years of daily content, they seek $1,500 annually to maintain operations. By contributing, supporters help sustain independent journalism and create a more focused, engaging environment for artists and fans alike.
The article details how indie musicians can maximize their royalty earnings through proper registration and the use of AI and Web3 technologies. It explains the complexities of music royalties, emphasizing the need for artists to register with distributors, performing rights organizations, and SoundExchange. It also highlights the importance of claiming lost royalties and leveraging direct fan sales.
The Smart Indie Artist’s Guide emphasizes that independent musicians must adopt marketing strategies in 2025, utilizing tools to understand and reach their target audience. Platforms like Beatchain, Chartmetric, and Spotify for Artists provide essential data for effective fan engagement. A well-structured approach shifts focus from random marketing to strategic, data-driven growth.
Independent musicians often miss out on unclaimed royalties due to issues like incorrect metadata, lack of registration, and outdated accounts. Millions remain owed, waiting for artists to claim them. This guide provides actionable steps to retrieve these funds, emphasizing the importance of accurate registrations, metadata management, and utilizing various platforms for royalty collection.
The article outlines ten prevalent scams that indie musicians encounter, including pay-to-play showcases, fake sync licensing offers, and fraudulent booking agents. It emphasizes the importance of vigilance, thorough research, and seeking trustworthy connections to avoid falling victim. Musicians are urged to recognize red flags and prioritize transparency to safeguard their careers.
ReverbNation has unveiled Levels, an exclusive program aimed at supporting independent artists with essential resources, financial backing, and personalized services. This initiative addresses industry challenges, offering advances for recording and marketing, comprehensive distribution, and dedicated concierge services. Selected artists will benefit from tailored assistance to foster their creative journeys and career growth.
Gonher’s Strategic Acquisition of Sam Ash and Samson: Expanding Horizons in Music Retail and Audio Equipment In a strategic move that marks a significant consolidation in the music retail and pro audio sectors, Mexican music conglomerate Gonher has acquired both Sam Ash, the iconic American music retailer, and Samson Technologies, a leading manufacturer of pro […]
Spotify will Institute a 1,000 annual stream limit on royalty payments Spotify is looking to institute a new payment model that will require A new minimum annual threshold of 1,000 annual streams before any track starts generating royalties on the service. This will adversely affect the Indie music market and will funnel millions of dollars […]
Making a Scene Looks at Bandlabs new Aquisition “AirBit” Introduction Bandlab has been quietly (or maybe not so quietly) acquiring indie music assets since 2015! They started by purchasing the Cakewalk DAW Software product SONAR from Gibson and released it as a FREE download (which now they plan to release a new version as a […]
Making a Scene Presents The 2023 Independent Blues Awards Winners! This is the 8th year we have produced and honored independent blues artists with the Independent Blues Awards. The voting this year has broken all records and was the largest voting participation since we began. As always we believe that not only are the winners […]
Making a Scene Brings you an Interview with a Pro – Gerry Roszak of Kondler and Associates Royalty Audit Team Introduction In the music industry, the traditional revenue streams for musicians and songwriters have undergone a significant transformation. With the rise of digital music platforms and streaming services, the way in which artists earn […]
ShineX Music Royalty Monitoring Introduction As an artist, one of the most critical aspects of your career is ensuring that you are receiving the appropriate compensation for your work. One of the best ways to achieve this is by keeping track of your music royalties. One tool that can help you do this is ShineX […]
What is the Music Licensing Collective and Why Should you Care! The Music Licensing Collective (MLC) is a non-profit organization that was established in the United States as a result of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018. The MMA was signed into law to address the issue of music licensing and copyright law in […]
The Future of the Music Industry Introduction Music has always been an integral part of human culture. From traditional folk songs to the latest pop hits, music has the ability to connect people and inspire them. The music industry has gone through many changes over the years, from vinyl records to cassette tapes, CDs to […]
Bandlab Acquires Reverbnation and Intergrates Tools Into their Platform Intro I first discovered Bandlab when they announced the purchase of Sonar Platinum from Gibson after Gibson discontinued the popular DAW. Bandlab immediately released Sonar Platinum as a free download when you signup for a free Bandlab account. In addition to the Free DAW they also […]
Making a Scene Presents – Audius – Blockchain Streaming will unseat Spotify! Intro There is a revolution on the horizon in the music industry and it revolves around decentralized Finance (DeFi) and BlockChain Technology. This trend began with the Etherium blockchain which brought us the NFT (Non Fungable Token), Smart Contracts, etc (See “Indie Artists […]
Making a Scene Presents EDUCATION is the Key to Success for the Indie Artist! Let’s face it, the music industry is moving at a break neck speed as is the technology that is driving it. If you want to find success in this industry you will have to dedicate yourself to learn the business as […]
Making a Scene Goes to the Grammys On Sunday 1/26/2020 I had the opportunity to attend the Grammy ceremonies at the Staple Center in Los Angeles. As every musician, producer and engineer will tell you, this is the one event that is on their bucket list. To attend the Grammy’s is like getting a front […]
David Isaacs The Perpetual Beginner The Perpetual Beginner is a very different and fascinating type of music “manual,” which is also partially a memoir of the musical life of David Isaacs, a well-respected professional guitarist and teacher. The premise is that anyone who has the desire to play better than they are already can do […]
Making A Scene Presents a Review of the 20th Anniversary Issue of THE INDIE BIBLE! It has been 20 years since Dave Wimble put out the first issue of The Indie Bible! Since that first issue, he has made it his mission to provide the Indie artist with a valuable resource to help them promote […]
Making a Scene Presents a Review of the Indie Spotify Bible! There is not doubt that Spotify has become a major influence in the music industry. For the Indie Artist, this has been a double edge sword, while streaming has taken a large chunk out their revenue of recorded music, it has also opened up […]
Making a Scene has a simple mission! To be the #1 Resource for the Independent Artist and the Fans that Love them! For the Independent artists we pride ourselves on bringing great content that is designed to help them stay informed on the latests developments in the music industry and as well as articles that […]
Mixtapes have long been the lifeblood of hip hop. But most artists fell outside mainstream distribution channels, because of the licensing and copyright issues involved. This left a major income steam for both the original creators as well as the rap artists and DJs untapped. Listen as we talk with Dubset CEO Steven White about […]
Music creators need copyright reform to ensure fair compensation for their work. Congress and the Senate listened. The Music Modernization Act, the biggest update to music legislation in the past 40 years. Impacting hundreds of thousands of music creators nationwide, and future generations, the Act unites provisions from across the music community under one legislative […]
Where would you host your music if Soundcloud Closes? Recent news about Soundcloud started making rounds in quite a few social media group forums I lurk in frequently. The most popular article shared was the article by Tim Ingham published on Music Business worldwide. Another article by Andrew Liptak published just days later on The […]
Austin born indie blues guitarist-vocalist, Jackie Venson, announces her web series,How to Become a Musician. Venson just released her live album, and has been featured in such publications as Guitar Player Magazine, Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Texas Monthly and Bitch Media among others. Jackie recently performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Now, Venson has created her […]
This is a real eye opener for anyone in the music industry. Indie Musicians, take heed of what the trends are telling you! .. The global market for recorded music fell slightly in 2014 to $14.97 billion, down 0.4 percent from the year before, as sales of online music matched those of CDs and other […]
An Exclusive Interview with Lou Plaia of Reverbnation! by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud Lou Plaia – Co-Founder/EVP Music Industry & Artist Relations – ReverbNation In 2006, he co-founded ReverbNation which is now the leading online music marketing platform used by more than 3 million artists, managers, labels, venues, festival/event/tour promoters and other music industry professionals to […]
Interview with Steve Ceragno from Dropcards.com by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud www.dropcards.com Listen to the Interview to find out MORE! dropcards.com is a way to bridge the gap between the digital download market and your merchandise table. Unlike CD’s your digital content can contain video, graphics, EPK’s, Music, E-Books, Apps or any other file that can be […]
My advice to the younger musicians who want to earn a living at their craft. Recently I read a post about a younger player who wanted to know what they would need in order to be successful in a music career. They questioned attending music college and how to convince their parents they were doing […]
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