Being an independent musician is hard but if it’s your passion, it’s worth it. Here are some resources you might find helpful. You may also find help on our Domains/Hosting/Printing page.
ReverbNation
Distribution | Profiles | Widgets | Social Sharing | Music/Merch Sales
RN lets you post all of your shows, photos, info and songs for free. You can sell songs as downloads or as physical albums through their stores (which they create on demand with your artwork and songs), and use widgets to place any of that info on any site. Fans can also share the widgets for more spread. They have some paid features as well and have a digital distribution option to get on iTunes and other places. If you want more exposure, getting on some of those download sites is the way to go. You can also connect your ReverbNation profile to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to share fans, updates and information. An example music widget is at right featuring an amazing artist named Ginger Doss. Another great aspect is access to contests, agents, festivals and other opportunities.
CDBaby -
CD Sales | Digital Distribution
A lot of people still use CDBaby as a way to get their physical CDs for sale online. Like ReverbNation, they also have digital distribution options for a fee. They are connected to Discmakers as well so sometimes you can save money with packages. If you can’t quite afford to have physical CDs yet you may be better trying ReverbNation but CDBaby remains sort of the cherished child of indy music.
Discmakers
CD and DVD Manufacturing
You have a lot of options for getting physical CDs made. You can buy a duplicator and a printer that can do labels and such, you can have friends burn copies and put them in paper sleeves or you can get bulk printed CDs, cases and labels like you’d find in stores. Which method is best depends on you and your situation. If you just want to send in your tunes and artwork and get them printed and shipped, we use Discmakers. For short runs with low amounts you may get it done cheaper at other places but after a certain point, you may be able to get Discmakers to price match. It’s worth a try; they did it for me. I’ve also had a short run of DVDs printed by Nationwide Disc, but their customer service was pretty bad and they’re not very helpful when your DVDs don’t arrive on time.
IndieGuide.com
Resources and Databases
Lots of How To articles, classifieds, links and other resources for the indie musician.
iContact
Mailing Lists
It’s not free but if you want an excellent mailing list option with great deliverability with templates and options, iContact is king, and more affordable than many other services that don’t have as much reach. If you want to take full advantage of your mailing list, you can make segments, multiple lists, send to only some users or all, set messages to mail out on a certain date, etc. I did a lot of research when finding a service for Promolife, and iContact won out over about 30 others. Haven’t had any issues.
Jango
Song Distribution
I haven’t tried this myself but it looks interesting. For a fee they guarantee that your music will be played on the Jango radio stations that play artists similar to you (that you choose). It might be a valid option for some bands who want to expand their reach to certain groups in certain places. If you have any issues or praise for Jango, let me know.
Indie On The Move
Databases and Resources
A database of venues you can contact to book gigs. Search by location easily. Allows for rankings and comments on the venues and many show capacity.
Sweetwater
Musical Equipment
I LOVE Sweetwater Music. If they have it in stock I always buy from them. They do great shipping, they stay in contact. You get your own person there who lets you know when your order will ship, will answer any question you have or find someone who can and will follow up to make sure everything is cool. Plus if you describe your situation, they will recommend the right product even if it’s cheaper than the one you actually inquired about.
