The Miews: Music & Money

IndieMono Founder and Spotify Curator Carlos Casany Helps Indie Artists Gain Fans Carlos Casany is the founder of IndieMono where he is a professional Spotify playlist curator. Carlos spends a great deal of his time searching out the best indie music he can find, in an effort to give artists/bands a chance to be heard by his more than 30,000 Spotify listeners. Here, I speak to Carlos Casany about the benefits artists gain through being added to Spotify playlists, despite the ongoing discussions about artists being paid fairly by the streaming service. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN What is IndieMono and how does it help artists? What are the benefits of bands gaining spins on Spotify playlists? How to get your indie music played on IndieMono playlists? and more... MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: FIVES - "My Gravity" Sonia DePellegrin - "Luckystars" Danielle French - "Did You Want Me" The smallest Creature - "Reboot" Ramsey - "The Garden" (Trip Hop) Denmantau - "Little Darling" (Rock)

3 Things Top Artists Do To Guarantee Success In Music + New Indie Music By Top Artists Success in music for any top artist can be traced back to a number of key things, but there are 3 things that the most successful artists do to guarantee themselves staying power in the industry. Interestingly enough, most indie artists rarely do these things and then wonder why they struggle to find success in music. So, here I am going to share with you: WHAT YOU'LL LEARN What you need to know about hiring help. What you need to understand about forming partnerships. Why you need to stop being so skeptical of every business proposition that gets pitched to you. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Paliki - "Tension" (Rock, Indie, Electronic) Motivibes - "Uprise" (Electronic, Pop) Supa Soop - "Sound Like" (Hip-Hop, Rap) Ramsey - "The Garden" (Trip Hop) Denmantau - "Little Darling" (Rock) Gabe Oliver - "Don't Let This Life Get You Down" (Reggae, Pop-Rock) 3Bubble & J Gray - "No Lie" (Hip-Hop)

4 Reasons Most Unsigned Artists Do Not Make Money + New Indie Music By Top Artists There are a number of reasons why unsigned artists do not make money, and the excuses range from "Oh, well there's too much music being released," to "I need to do more shows." But the truth is there are really just four reasons most unsigned artists don't make money from their hard work, and on today's episode of The Miews podcast, Shaine breaks those four issues down. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why you can't get paid gigs. Why your music isn't resonating with the people out there who are actually fans of music. Why great managers don't want to manage you. Why the media won't talk about you. Also, after Shaine has made multiple requests for musicians to address real life issues that do not involve love relationships and partying in their songwriting, a Miews listener requests that our host address the July 2016 civil unrest between police and black citizens in America. These incidents include the hanging of a young black man in Atlanta, the police involved shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, and the sniper attacks on five Dallas, Texas police officers at a Black Lives Matter protest. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Ramsey - "See You Bleed" (Ambient Pop, Trip Hop) Paliki - "Tension" (Rock, Indie, Electronic) Motivibes - "Uprise" (Electronic, Pop) Supa Soop - "Sound Like" (Hip-Hop, Rap) Ships Have Sailed - "Out of Time" (Folk, Singer-songwriter) 3Bubble & J Gray - "No Lie" (Hip-Hop)

Singer-Songwriter Will Carpenter of Ships Have Sailed Talks Building A Fanbase In 2016 Some musicians love to ignore the business side of music no matter how many times it hits them in the face; but not Will Carpenter. The Ships Have Sailed frontman has learned a lot from his journey as an unsigned independent artist. Having played some of the largest music festivals in North America - from SXSW and CMJ, to Canadian Music Week - Will has developed a keen sense of how things work in today's music business. Here Carpenter discusses what he's learned about: Building a fanbase in a cluttered music space Why he chose to record an acoustic album versus a full out band production How he leverages social media to increase his chances of success and more... MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Supa Soop - "Sound Like" (Hip-Hop, Rap) Paliki - "Tension" (Electro-Rock) Charley Raiff - "Tongues Out" (Pop, Jazz, Piano Rock) Ships Have Sailed - "Out of Time" (Folk, Singer-songwriter) 3Bubble & J Gray - "No Lie" (Hip-Hop)

Pianist Charley Raiff Talks About His Dealings With Major Labels and More Charley Raiff has a lot to be excited about. From working with top producers on his new release in Persona, to playing tons of dates in the northeastern U.S. But his excitement isn't just about being an artist, it's moreso about him being able to successfully record an album despite being told by major label execs that his music was great but, it's "not what's on the radio." Some artists would not bounce back from hearing that, but Charley shares with us how he was able to keep his focus despite this so-called "set back". TOPICS DISCUSSED: How he got started in music, and why he chose piano. How he bounced back from being told no by a major label exec. How South Park inspired him to record his entire album in just 2 days. and more... MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Supa Soop - "Sound Like" (Hip-Hop, Rap) Easy Rosco - "Never Lie To You" (Rock) Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Charley Raiff - "Tongues Out" (Pop, Jazz, Piano Rock) Ships Have Sailed - "Out of Time" (Folk, Singer-songwriter) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) 3Bubble & J Gray - "No Lie" (Hip-Hop)

Interview with Billboard.com Senior Editor - Gail Mitchell + Hot New Indie Music Getting a feature in a major publication is one of the many dreams that music artists have, and thanks to people like Gail Mitchell - Senior Editor at Billboard, this dream has become a reality for many musicians. This award-winning journalist has covered some of the industry's most iconic artists - from Prince to Stevie Wonder, over the course of her 30+ years in the music business. This episode, I sat down with Gail Mitchell to chat about a number of key things that many artists and aspiring journalists would like to know. TOPICS DISCUSSED: How she became a music journalist at Billboard. How she determines what artists and news to write about. How to get your foot in the door with an iconic media source like Billboard. The one artist she was ecstatic to meet and speak with. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Supa Soop - "Sound Like" (Hip-Hop, Rap) Easy Rosco - "Never Lie To You" (Rock) Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Charley Raiff - "Tongues Out" (Pop, Jazz, Piano Rock) Ships Have Sailed - "Out of Time" (Folk, Singer-songwriter) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) 3Bubble & J Gray - "No Lie" (Hip-Hop)

Interview with Shawn Barron - VP of Urban A&R at Atlantic Records + New Indie Music When it comes to discovering talent Atlantic Records VP of Urban A&R, Shawn Barron, has the Midas touch and a golden set of ears to match. After discovering some of the most acclaimed hip-hop music artists of today, including Drake and Ty Dolla $ign, Barron has been making his mark as one of the top A&R executives in the music business. On this episode of The Miews podcast, I sat down with Shawn Barron and asked some of the most frequently asked questions that I get from listeners of the show. It is my hope that by the time you finish hearing it straight from the guy who signs artists, you'll get some closure on some of the unknowns you've been pondering in your journey through the music business. TOPICS DISCUSSED: Shawn's track record on famous artists he discovered long before the world knew them What projects he's working on at the moment How long it takes before he signs an artist he likes What he looks for in an artist before deciding to sign them How aspiring A&R can get their foot in the door and more... MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Supa Soop - "Sound Like" (Hip-Hop, Rap) Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Charley Raiff - "Tongues Out" (Pop, Jazz, Piano Rock) Ships Have Sailed - "Out of Time" (Folk, Singer-songwriter) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) 3Bubble & J Gray - "No Lie" (Hip-Hop)

5 Things Musicians Care About That Music Fans Don't + New Must Hear Indie Music Today, I'm going to focus on the 5 things bands obsess over that music fans do not even care about. Over the years I've found that musicians and their fans are on two totally different wavelengths when it comes to what they're looking for out of music - which is why only about 1% of the bands who pursue a career in music will reach superstar status and only 3% will be able to actually make it their full-time job for 20+ years. The biggest problem I see from majority of the artists releasing songs is that they want to give fans what they (musicians) want fans to have, instead of actually giving fans what they want. This never works! So, in this episode I'm going to share 5 common areas where musicians seem to focus too much attention; all of which are areas that music fans do not care about. My hope is that by the time I'm done you'll be a bit more cognizant of these key issues and will consider making the necessary adjustments to give yourself a better chance at success. Sound Producer & Studio Selling Music Release Parties Streaming Audio MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Port of Est. - "Valentine In My Headphones" (Experimental Pop) Cool Company - "Summer Daze (Soul) Bitter's Kiss - "The Rope" (Indie, Folk-Pop) Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop)

The Top 4 Things That Keep You From Booking Shows The 2016 touring season is now in full swing and most DIYers are making the kinds of mistakes that keep you from booking shows. Over the past decade I have spoken with scores of independent artists who don't have a booking agent or a capable manager, and these four (4) issues continue to plague unsigned bands who try to lock in live performance dates. No Draw. Majority of the people creating and releasing music these days have absolutely no draw, and many new artists don't even know what a "draw" is. How can you possibly book gigs if you can't tell a venue owner what your draw is? The foundation of the booking industry is not about your music, it's about how many people you can guarantee will attend your shows. Venues are run by businessmen who need bodies coming through their doors who will buy food, drinks, or whatever else it is that they sell. If you can't deliver people to the venues you're trying to book, you will not be able to book that particular venue without doing ticket pre-sales or offering to deliver other artists on the bill who do have a draw. How do you develop a draw without shows? social media - see episode 122 of The Miews podcast for some tips on how to start building your following media coverage - if nobody in the media is talking about you, many music fans won't be interested in you. If you want to get more media coverage but can't afford a publicist, go to "The Biz" in our site menu bar and on the drop down menu click on "Career Tips" to access our How To Get Press video course. Sending booking requests on social media. When you post a booking request on a venue's social media page for the whole world to see - instead of sending an email, it makes you look unprofessional, but it paints you out to be a beginner like all the other DIY artists who do the same thing. Some of the smaller venues may respond, but most of venues have a specific way they like to receive booking pitches listed on their websites. It's best to visit them online and see if they have certain instructions listed. Waiting until the last minute. Many bands don't contact venues far enough in advance. Most venues like to book talent 4 - 6 months ahead, so if you request a date that is 30 days from now, you're likely to be unsuccessful in your efforts. Some venues will book you 60-90 days before your requested date, but the popular ones will likely turn you down unless you can guarantee them a massive turnout. Never following up. This area is not a strong suit for most indie artists. Followups are a vital part of booking shows; without them you're not giving yourself a real chance at successfully landing gigs. Some venues get inundated with emails and can't reply to every one. So, the artists who do followups have a better shot at booking gigs. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Port of Est. - "Valentine In My Headphones" (Experimental Pop) Cool Company - "Summer Daze (Soul) Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Magic Lightnin Boys - "Mojo" (Blues, Rock) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) Younes - "You Aint Got Nothing On Me" (R&B)

In keeping with our theme of HOW TO GET PRESS for the DIY Musician, I want to focus on the Top 4 Reasons Indie Musicians Get Stuck At A Day Job. There are a number of reasons why musicians experience a failure to launch when trying to make music their fulltime job, from fear to miseducation. Here, Shaine shares some valuable insights on why most musicians won't every make it, based on his 22 years experience as a music manager, musician/songwriter, and award-winning entertainment media executive. Neglect the business side. 97% of all recording artists are neglecting the business side of their career in some way, shape, or form. Artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Beyonce, Guns & Roses, and the list goes on are all proof that success doesn't come without doing business. Fear of failure and success. Majority of the indie artists I know are afraid to fail. Even worse, they're afraid to succeed because they're afraid they'll lose what they've gained (fear of failure). Burning bridges. Some musicians are so skeptical of everything and everyone that they can't see a great opportunity if it punched them in the face. Don't burn bridges with real legitimate industry people. Not educating yourself. The one thing that will always remain a fact is that tons of musicians do not understand, nor do they seem care to learn about how the business of music works. They just want keep saying, "I want to do music fulltime," with no real clue as to how that is brought to fruition. GUEST: Darryn Zewalk talks about learning the business and expanding his brand into non-music related intellectual property creation. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Port of Est. - "Valentine In My Headphones" (Experimental Pop) Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Magic Lightnin Boys - "Mojo" (Blues, Rock) Michael Lynch - "Come Back" (Pop, R&B) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) Younes - "You Aint Got Nothing On Me" (R&B)

3 Things That Will Take You From Nobody To Somebody In Music -- HOW TO GET PRESS (Part I) This episode you'll learn 3 ways to increase your chances of gaining press and going from nobody to somebody in music. If you've ever wondered why nobody is talking about you and your music there's likely a number of reasons this is the case for you. Maybe you're lazy, or afraid of rejection, or maybe you think it's because you don't have a publicist? I'm sure you can pinpoint a few reasons if you really sit down and think about it. I've been talking a lot over the past year about the various aspects of building a successful and sustainable music career, even bringing on people who have already done it successfully. But, of all the advice I can give you on building a career, the one thing that remains forever a fact when it comes to music -- the cool kids get all the breaks. So, here are the 3 tips I have for you: Stop sending out BCC'd emails Keep your messages brief Check your email regularly (CLICK HERE to learn what the right info is) MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Jaylon Ashaun - "While You Wait" (R&B, Pop) Epikker - "Everyday" (EDM) Phenom - "Heist" (Hip-Hop) Magic Lightnin Boys - "Mojo" (Blues, Rock) Lion In The Mane - "Waiting" (Indie, Pop-Rock) Jrob - "Gone" (R&B, Hip-Hop) Michael Lynch - "Come Back" (Pp Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) Sir Plus - "We Gotta Do Better" (Hip-Hop)

How Your Name Can Create Issues + Guests THE SLANTS Join Us To Discuss Their Recent Fight To Trademark Their Name When it comes to choosing a stage name for your band or self, a lot must be taken into consideration, as my special guest - Simon from the band The Slants has learned over the past few years while fighting in court against the US Patent & Trademark Office for the right to trademark their name; as you'll learn in this episode of The Miews podcast. When your parents discovered you were on the way, it’s very likely that they began thinking of what to name you. Why? Because your parents knew that your name would be the lifelong personal brand that others would use to identify you. Just like your personal brand, your artist or band name is your professional brand identity. Your band name is the title of your musical story, and it will precede all of your other public identifiers. The name you choose is the one your fans will adopt and use to declare their loyalty when it comes to music, and in many cases, it will determine your earning potential when pursuing corporate partnerships. This episode, Shaine will discuss the 3 types of stage names that can slow your music career to a crawl, and keep you from reaching the levels of success you hope to achieve. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Shiffley - "Entropy" (Electronic, Pop) Epikker - "Everyday" (EDM) Phenom - "Heist" (Hip-Hop) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) Lion In The Mane - Waiting (Indie Pop-Rock) Sir Plus - "We Gotta Do Better" (Hip-Hop) Media Solution - "Stand My Ground" (Hardcore, Metal) Paige Milan - "Headliner" (Dance, Pop)

3 Kinds of Musicians Who Sabotage Their Own Career + NEW Indie Music There are 3 kinds of musicians who sabotage their own career, and smart managers do everything they can to avoid them. The artist-manager relationship, if properly handled, can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. It can also be one of the most frustrating and complicated arrangements that, if left to chance, has the potential to totally ruin great friendships. In the same way that a band might have an ideal manager in mind, great music managers have the ideal artist in mind. But, if you talk to a manager and an artist separately, their ideals rarely line up with the other’s, which can sometimes lead to fall outs. In my time as a full-time talent manager handling both musicians and actors, I learned a lot about people and how they handle conflict, how they manage their expectations, and what red flags to look for before forming an artist-manager relationship. While some managers have a higher threshold for insanity than others, many great music managers just don’t want to work these three types of artists. THE ADDICT THE FIRESTARTER THE DESPERATE ARTIST [See more on this subject HERE] MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Shiffley - "Entropy" (Electronic, Pop) Epikker - "Everyday" (EDM) Phenom - "Heist" (Hip-Hop) Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) Lion In The Mane - Waiting (Indie Pop-Rock) Sir Plus - "We Gotta Do Better" (Hip-Hop) Media Solution - "Stand My Ground" (Hardcore, Metal) Paige Milan - "Headliner" (Dance, Pop)

How To Become A Household Name (BRAND AFFINITY) + NEW Music By Top Indie Bands and Artists Every music artist wants to be a superstar, but the problem is that most don't know how to become a household name. The truth is, very few musicians can do it without the help of a great team and an equally amazing plan. You can be a household name in your city, state, region, country, or internationally; but you have to first understand how that happens. Becoming a household name takes money, planning, hard work, and whole lot of patience. So, here are the key components to getting on the right path toward becoming a household name: [FOR FULL LIST OF TIPS VISIT >> www.TheMiews.com/how-to-become-a-household-name-plus-hot-new-indie-music] MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Ramsey - "PAY" (Pop, Trip-Hop) William B Johnson's DRUMATICS - "Paparazzi" (Hip-Hop, Jazz, Indie) Lion In The Mane - Waiting (Indie Pop-Rock) Sir Plus - "We Gotta Do Better" (Hip-Hop) Media Solution - "Stand My Ground" (Hardcore, Metal) Jelani Lateef - "Forward Advance" (Hip-Hop) Paul Gross - "Hero" (Singer-songwriter, Rock) Paige Milan - "Headliner" (Dance, Pop)

3 Signs You Should Quit Your Dayjob To Do Music Fulltime + NEW Music By Top Indie Bands and Artists We all have - or have had - a job that we flat out hate(d). You might be at that job right now as you're listening to this. In the end, no musician wants to work a day job...at least I don't know of any who do. So, if you hate your job and dread going in everyday, here are 3 signs that you should quit your day job to do music fulltime. IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO QUIT make sure you have 9 months worth of bill paying, food buying, car repair money saved up. You must also understand that during this time you will NOT have any money or time to waste so there won't be anymore Friday afternoon happy hour drunkfests at your favorite watering hole. No movie theater tickets. No nothing to splurge on. IF YOU FEEL YOU MIGHT COMMIT A TERROR ATTACK: No job is worth going to jail for. If you hate your boss or co-workers that much start looking for a way out of that place. If you can't afford to quit cold turkey, find a different job to hold you over until you can afford to give music a go fulltime. IF YOU'RE SINGLE WITH NO REAL RESPONSIBILITIES: If you have no spouse, kids, mortgage, or anything that would ruin your credit and you're single with nothing more than a car payment...then QUIT! Especially if you still live at home. There's no excuse for working a job you hate, just so you can go out on the weekends to get plastered. None of that will put you in a position to do your passion for a living. TIPS FOR BEFORE YOU QUIT - I SUGGEST YOU DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: a) Take a week's vacation and dedicate that time to putting a 3-6 month exit plan together. Your plan HAS TO BE based on realism and NOT idealism because, depending on what your job is paying you, you will likely NOT make what you make on your day job for at least 12-18 months. b) Spend the next 3-6 months trying to book paying gigs or landing a solid booking agent or manager who believes in you enough to work his/her butt off to make sure you're successful enough to be able to confidently leave your day job. c) Start building your official artist website (if you don't have one), NOT your social media or your Bandcamp or Reverbnation pages. Build a REAL website where the visitors to your page can focus on you and not the thousands of other distractions that exist on something like a social media profile. If you have a site already, begin looking at ways to build traffic like blogging and posting those links. Make sure your blog posts are something interesting to the fans you're trying to attract, it shouldn't just be about your music only. The goal is to get them to visit your site, and then once they're there...curiosity will drive them to listen to your music. d) Save, Save, Save!!! If you have to downgrade your car to something less expensive so you can pay down your credit card debts; if you have to move back in with your parents. Do whatever you have to do for 6 months to save as much money as you can in order to go after your passion and try to turn it into a real career. Leaving the comfort of a steady paycheck ain't easy, but when you have a well thought out - realistic plan; you will get used to the hustle of entrepreneurship, and you will find yourself getting along just fine if you stick with your plan. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Sir Plus - "We Gotta Do Better" (Hip-Hop) Bones Garage - "Birthmarks" (Alternative, Post-Punk) Media Solution - "Stand My Ground" (Hardcore, Metal) Ramsey - "See You Bleed" (Pop, R&B) Jelani Lateef - "Forward Advance" (Hip-Hop) Paul Gross - "Hero" (Singer-songwriter, Rock) Beauty In The Breakdown - "Satellite" (Pop, Dance) Kristian DeLayne - "Temperature Rising" (R&B, Dance) Paige Milan - "Headliner" (Dance, Pop)

With 1.1 Million plays in just 2 months, Popstar - Ramsey - joins us + Four Email Mistakes Musicians Make Email is king when it comes to doing actual business online; and coming from a guy who receives over 600 email pitches per week, I've seen the good, bad, and downright horrible. For this reason, I have decided to share the four email mistakes musicians make when trying to successfully pitch themselves for press coverage and other business opportunities. The four things we will cover include: Blanket emails Lies and misinformation Unprofessional language Never following up SPECIAL GUEST INTERVIEW: Ramsey stops by to give a little insight into her creative process and why she wants to "See You Bleed," figuratively...not literally. With over 1 Million plays in just 2 months for just 3 songs, all before the album is even released, Ramsey is well on her way to becoming a Mega Popstar, and it's only a matter of time before she's a household name. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Sir Plus - "You Are What You Listen To" (Hip-Hop) Yardij - "Over You" (Rock) Beauty In The Breakdown - "Satellite" (Pop, Dance) Ramsey - "See You Bleed" (Pop, R&B) Magna Carda - "The Root" (Hip-Hop) Chris Beyer - "She's On Fire" (Rock) Jelani Lateef - "Day At A Time" (Hip-Hop) Kristian DeLayne - "Temperature Rising" (R&B, Dance) Paige Milan - "Headliner" (Dance, Pop)

3 Things Every Musician Must Do On Instagram + New Indie Music Recently, I wrote an article covering Instagram tips that were given by 31 social media experts, whose ideas I thought were very helpful. So, in this episode of The Miews I wanted to share the main 3 things every musician must do on Instagram based on my article, and what I've seen actually working for artists on that particular social media platform. The tips I cover include: Getting appropriately personal -- People make buying decisions based on who you are, so you must show them more than just your album cover art and YouTube videos. For many musicians this might seem like a no-no because, isn’t it our anonymity that makes us more appealing to fans? That was true before social media became the primary way that people communicate with one another. Here, I offer some tips on how to know what kinds of appropriately personal posts you should be putting up. Using proper hashtags -- Sadly, I’ve seen far too many musicians using irrelevant or made up hashtags that only focus on their band or songs. When you do this, you are leaving yourself out of the conversation and undiscovered. So to reduce the number of artists who suffer from this issue, I'm offering some high value insights that will help any serious musician move closer to success. Being consistent -- Being consistent is a major issue for most people online because, we have developed such short attention spans due to all the stuff competing for our time and money. But that is not an excuse if we plan to build a real following/audience online. So here, I offer some clues as to how you can stay consistent and relevant on Instagram, and every other social media platform. For a more Instagram tips not covered on this episode, check out my article "6 Instagram Tips For Musicians That Increase Engagement". MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Sir Plus - "You Are What You Listen To" (Hip-Hop) Yardij - "Over You" (Rock) Beauty In The Breakdown - "Satellite" (Pop, Dance) Ramsey - "See You Bleed" (Pop, R&B) Magna Carda - "The Root" (Hip-Hop) Chris Beyer - "She's On Fire" (Rock) Jelani Lateef - "Day At A Time" (Hip-Hop) Kristian DeLayne - "Temperature Rising" (R&B, Dance) Paige Milan - "Headliner" (Dance, Pop)

How To Increase Your Social Media Engagement For Musicians + Special Guest: Jaylon Ashaun When it comes to increasing social media engagement for musicians a number of factors come into play like: which platform you're posting to, what you post, how often you post, when you post, who you're tagging/targeting, which hashtags you're using, etc. Besides what you post, no other factor has a greater impact on your social media engagement than when you post. We've all heard that timing is everything, so in a world where people have become highly connected through social platforms, it's important to know which days and times are the peak moments for engagement. So, on this episode we go over the peak times to post on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, in hopes that you can better connect with the audience you're going after. SPECIAL GUEST INTERVIEW: Jaylon Ashaun shares how studying abroad inspired his hit single, "Walls", that has been in rotation on The Miews podcast throughout the month of February. MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Ramsey - "See You Bleed" (Pop, R&B) Beauty In The Breakdown - "Satellite" (Dance, Pop) Titus - "PUSH" (Holy Hip-Hop) Kelly Hoppenjans - "Simple Thing" (Pop-Folk) Chris Beyer - "She's On Fire" (Rock) Supa Soop - "My Country" (Rap/Hip-Hop) Jaylon Ashaun - "Walls" (R&B) Jamie Alimorad - "Rock Me To Heaven" (Rock)

Music branding is one of the top ways corporations leverage "cool" to generate sales for their products and services. If you've been doing music long enough, then you've probably thought about partnering with a company before. I'm not talking about instrument sponsorships...that's just free gear that creates free advertising for the instrument company which helps them make googobs of money while you make nothing. I'm talking about REAL brand partnerships with companies like Nike, Samsung, Honda, Holiday Inn, heck...even a city like Palm Beach, Florida could be a great partnership. Maybe you have a song called "Envelopes" that you can use to partner with a company like 3M that makes envelopes? A perfect example of what I mean by this is... GWEN STEFANI's live Grammy Target commercial. Everything she and her dancers were wearing, the furniture they were sitting on, and the other products she was engaging with were all from Target. There were Target logos and red & white brand colors all over the place. Just look at the video on TheMiews.com for this episode. [Read More full episode notes at TheMiews.com] MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Nesbeth - "Victory" (Roots Reggae) Maxine and the Eskimo Bros. - "One Love" (Ska-Punk) Supa Soop - "My Country" (Rap/Hip-Hop) Jamie Alimorad - "Rock Me To Heaven" (Rock) Chris Beyer - "She's On Fire" (Pop-Rock) Jaylon Ashaun - "Walls" (R&B) Titus - "PUSH" (Holy Hip-Hop) Dream Eternal Bliss - "This Time" (Modern Rock) Kelly Hoppenjans - "Simple Thing" (Pop-Folk)

BACKSTAGE AT THE 2016 GRAMMYs WITH RON BASILE, THE GUY BEHIND MUSIC'S BIGGEST NIGHT On music's biggest night, there are a lot of things going on, but Ron Basile knows about everything taking place backstage at the 2016 Grammys because, he's the guy running making it go. Every performer you see has to see Ron before being booked for the show, and before stepping foot on the Grammy stage. So, if you've ever asked yourself, "What's going on backstage at the Grammys?", then listen to this interview with Ron because you'll get your answer. On this episode, the Grammy Awards Talent Executive at AEG/Ehrlich Ventures shares: How performers are picked How music is chosen for the live show The LAPD 2015 Grammys Tribute, honoring Stevie Wonder What he looks for in a potential employee MUSIC FEATURED INCLUDES: Nesbeth - "Victory" (Roots Reggae) Maxine and the Eskimo Bros. - "One Love" (Ska-Punk) Supa Soop - "My Country" (Rap/Hip-Hop) Jamie Alimorad - "Rock Me To Heaven" (Rock) Chris Beyer - "She's On Fire" (Pop-Rock) Jaylon Ashaun - "Walls" (R&B) Titus - "PUSH" (Holy Hip-Hop) Dream Eternal Bliss - "This Time" (Modern Rock) Kelly Hoppenjans - "Simple Thing" (Pop-Folk)