How to release your music without a record label

In the past the only way an artist could release and sell a record was to sign to a label. The label would fund the recording, organise the photo shoot, design and print the albums and finally distribute them to retail stores country-wide. All of this before any marketing or promotion had taken place. However, …

Songwriting advice from a multi-platinum selling songwriter

Every song at its core is composed of 3 elements : Rhythm, Tempo and Melody. As a songwriter, these elements form the palette with which you create your masterpiece. What is so often overlooked by the new generation of "bedroom producers" is the significance of each of these elements and how important it is that each …

What do Apple & Drake have in common? And what can you learn from it?

It was in the early 1950s that the first description of a product lifecycle was published. Today it has become common practice for marketers to define the behaviour of a product in relation to the market. It’s effectiveness lies in it’s ability to allow marketers to predict changes and modify their strategy according to the …

The best advice I can give to up and coming artists

There’s a saying that “different roads often lead to the same destination”, which is true in the case of those trying to start a career in the music business. There are different motivations, circumstances, challenges, mistakes, influences and just down right lucky moments that contribute to an artist’s journey. I for one grew up with …

How to get your songs onto radio : Advice from a leading playlist compiler

Have you ever wondered how a radio station selects what songs to play, when to play them, and how often to play them? A lot of people may think it's random, or merely someone's personal preference, but the reality is far more complex. Licenses, day parts, clocks, playlist categories, rotation - a careful science in …

5 People every artist should know in the Music Industry

A lot happens behind the scenes in the music business that the general public are not exposed to. There is a world that operates behind the famous artists and brands. A world that keeps the business going day in and day out. Deals are made, licenses are done and contracts are negotiated to ensure money …

How to make a living as an Artist

As a young artist, musician, singer, producer, songwriter - the great expanse that is the music industry seems to be a daunting turbulent landscape of the unknown. Some believe a career in music too good to be true, some are too afraid to try and some give it a shot but give up before they …

Do You Need A Record Deal In 2017?

I have had the privilege of working for two of the leading Record Labels in South Africa during my time in the music industry, which has afforded me the opportunity to work with some extremely talented artists who have flourished and achieved great success, as well as others who have unfortunately fallen by the way side and …

Building Your Personal Brand : A Conversation With Roxy Burger

In a survey conducted by We Are Social earlier this year, it was revealed that out of the 3.17 billion internet users in the world, 2.3 billion are using it to access social media. Whether you are an aspiring personality, DJ, singer, actor, journalist, photographer or influencer, you NEED to create a presence online that will …

Writing an effective Artist Biography

Often one of the most overlooked promotional assets of an artist is their biography. There have been many instances where an artist has submitted a demo to me, or merely I have come across an artist's music that I've wanted to discover more about them, and there has been no information accessible to me on …