Diy Music Biz Resources: Music Producers, Composers, and Singer Songwriters

 

Here is a list of Music Biz Resources that I use. Hopefully, they will be as helpful to you as they are to me.

Building Your Website

1. WordPress

The best platform to use when creating websites. It’s free and extremely easy to use. No coding is needed; everything you need coding-wise is done for you with just the click of a button via plugins (most being free).

2. Elegant Themes

Over 70 themes, 1 cheap price. Great for those who want to get a site up and running quickly.

3. Justhost

This is the host I’m using for Diy Music Biz as well as various other sites that I own. Justhost is reliable as well as affordable, and their customer service is great. You can reach them 24/7 via live chat or phone.

 

Getting Paid (Payment Processors)

1. Paypal

A trustworthy company that has been around for more than 20 years. They are free to use and connect directly with your bank account making sending and receiving payments from your clients easy.

Square

This is the application I use to process my transactions. It turns your phone into a credit card reader. It’s cheaper than PayPal, and they’ll give you the Square devices for free. Don’t make the mistake of buying them for $10 via Walmart. If you can’t find them, ask me. I have a crap ton of sliders.

Cashapp

Cashapp is easy to use, has low fees, and instant transfer/payment options. Meaning, if someone sends a payment, you see it in your CashApp wallet almost instantly. From there, you can withdraw it to your bank account or use it to invest in cryptocurrency.

They’ve also made it harder for dishonest buyers to request refunds.

 

Email Marketing (Subscription Services)

Aweber

Aweber offers affordable monthly plans and stability. The customer support is amazing and will walk you through anything and everything you need to know step by step. Great integration with other social media mediums. Awesome spam protection – meaning your message will land in your client’s inbox!

MailChimp

MailChimp, another leading email marketing platform, offers comprehensive tools to help music creatives easily connect with their fanbase. You can do everything from simple campaigns for your music releases to specific audience segmentation. They also offer support if you need help setting up promos.

Lastly, there is a free option you can use if you have an email list that doesn’t go over 2,000. This is plenty to start with.

 

Productivity Tools

  • Dropbox – My favorite file-sharing service. I use it for transferring project files back and forth between clients and business partners alike. Free accounts have access to 2 gigs of space.
  • Evernote – It’s like bookmarking, but more powerful. It’s available for Mac/PC, IOS, and Android.
  • FreeMind – I use this application for organizing my ideas. All my thoughts, stick notes, and Evernote clips get combined and organized into a neatly organized MindMap.

 

Logos Graphic Design

  • 99 Designs – I love this company. You submit an idea with a description of what you want, and graphic designers battle it out; you pick the winner.

 

Diy Video Production

(What I’m using now)

1. Canon t3i

Great DSLR camera, this is currently what I’m using for my youtube and video tutorials

2. 50mm Lens

This should have been the stock lens offered with the T3i. It’s very sharp and gives a nice blurred background, and doesn’t break the bank.

3. SoftBox (Lighting)

Just one of these can light a small room and provide enough light for shooting videos. Make sure you’re using CFLs and not standard lightbulbs. CFLs run much cooler and have a longer lifespan.

4. H1 Zoom

A portable audio recorder that also doubles as a USB microphone. It’s simple to use, cheap, offers good audio, and runs for 10 hours on 1 AA battery.

5. Tascam DR40

Similar to the H1 Zoom, but has onboard preamps, which allow me to improve my audio recording by using external mics. My mic of choice to use with this handheld recorder is the Rode Ntg1

(What I was using)

  • Vado 3rd Gen – I used for my early YouTube Videos – Great in low light situations, 1 mic input
  • Bloggie Touch – The video quality is very good, crystal clear in good light, and has autofocus
  • Kodak Zi10 – Good video camera, especially in well-lit environments –  1080p, mic input
  • Work Lights – These work wonders, especially if you’re on a budget. 3-4 of these and some CFLs, and you’re in business

 

Video Editing Tools

Screenflow – (Mac Users) This is the application I use for both screen recording and video editing. I do have FinalCut Pro, but it’s overkill for what I’m doing, especially when I need to create videos fast!

 

Music Production Tutorials

(Still building, links will change)

  • WinkSound – Largest FREE tutorial resource I know of online. They have tips on every piece of software on the market and they listen to their fans
  • Maschine Tutorials – The original Maschine Tutorial hub. They’ve been ahead of the pack since day 1
  • Maschine Masters – Fast-growing resource for Maschine users. Great community, great tutorials

 

Disc Makers – Disc Manufacturing

Disc Makers is the nation’s leading independent CD & DVD manufacturer, offering a wide variety of products and services, including CD & DVD duplication, CD & DVD replication, and custom disc packaging for independent musicians, filmmakers, and businesses.

The company’s state-of-the-art facilities are outfitted with the latest graphic, printing, and CD & DVD replication equipment and products, as well as in-house studios for mastering and post-production, DVD and CD-ROM multimedia authoring, and award-winning graphic design.

Disc Makers also offers a variety of additional services, including download cards, posters, custom USB Flash drives, music distribution, and their Disc Makers’ Echoes Blog, which offers free tools, professional advice, and great industry insight for independent artists.