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6 Apps That Are Helping New Musicians Succeed

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While we see hundreds of music apps on the play stores and app stores for music-lovers to listen to and download their favorite songs, there aren’t many for budding artists and musicians.

These are the people who might be looking to connect with other music artists and succeed in their music careers.

However, in the recent past, new apps made their way into app stores for musicians to connect with each other in same vicinities, find local musicians and discover new spaces to display their music. Succeeding as a musician in a highly competitive world is no joke. But there’s a ray of hope for newbie musicians now.

Here are our 6 favorite apps that are helping new musicians succeed and get in touch with their contemporaries:

 

1. Jambro

Referred to as a ‘Tinder for musicians’, the app’s goal is to be the best possible solution for musicians at a time when quite often they are not given due worth, respect and opportunities.

Since one of the major obstacles musicians face is the lack of space to get together and play music, the founders of Jambro decided to help musicians get over this major obstacle. The makers of this app spoke about the vision behind Jambro and said that they want local musicians to get out of their comfort zones and get together as a community that loves and creates music.

Jambro is easy to use – whether you are a guitarist, singer or pianist, all you need to do is search the app to find other musicians in your vicinity.

 

2. BandFriend

This app presents a new way to local musicians to collaborate by providing them with a great opportunity to jam together, come up with a new band or even have study sessions together.

The app detects your location and subsequently shows you possible matches who share your skills, interests and favorite music styles. Even if you are new to learning an instrument and are an upcoming budding artist, the app still lets you connect with others to study and learn the instrument together.

BandFriend also has SoundCloud and YouTube integration which lets the musicians show off their talent online and also watch videos and listen to songs by other artists in an attempt to help them find the perfect match.

 

3. GigTown

Providing musicians with an opportunity to market themselves for free on a broader stage, GigTown brings musicians, venues and party planners together. The real power and strength of this app is in its ability to connect musicians, fans and venues in a brilliant manner.

Moreover, with the option to search musician profiles, this app is a great way to establish connections beyond the already established world of music. The app allows musicians to upload audio tracks, video performances and personal information, which besides helping them promote themselves, also connects them with other artists who share similar interests.

 

4. Musicr

If you are looking for awesome musicians to jam out with, this app will help you do just that. Musicr is designed to bring local musicians together for the love of music.

Users of the app simply fill a profile that showcases their interests and proficiency and the instruments that they like to play. Musicians can then search for people with similar music interests and connect with them, form a band together, practice with each other and also share music tricks and tips.

 

5. Indaba Music

This app is more like an online community that brings musicians, the general public publishers, and radio stations, together It is a wonderful platform for new and old musicians to collaborate, work on music recordings, and interact with music professionals and fans alike.

Users of this app can also add new tracks or work on existing ones in an attempt to make music with people all around the world who share similar interests.

 

6. Sonicbids

This is more of an interactive open space for musicians and promoters to help them get together, collaborate and come up with jamming sessions and gigs. It also allows budding musicians to get more gigs, attain industry exposure and network with other musicians. Sonicbids helps other people find talent on this platform, get in touch with those musicians and advertise playing opportunities. Additionally, independent musicians can also connect with promoters and music-loving audience to expand their music careers.

The music industry is growing industry which is in the process of expanding and reaching out to an ever-increasing audience. While these apps and platforms are definitely helping new musicians succeed in what they love and gain exposure, an underlying reason for the growth of this industry is music’s positive effect on brain health.  

 

Author Bio

Kamil Riaz Kara is an HR Professional and Inbound Marketer. He has completed his Masters in Administrative Science from the University of Karachi. Currently, he is writing on mental health, fitness and lifestyle. Visit his company blog and check the latest post on Online Dementia Test.

 

 

 

Seven Dos and Don’ts When Forming a Band

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Seven Dos and Don’ts When Forming a Band

Not everyone is lucky enough to go to high school with their musically inclined buddies or meet compatible musicians while attending college.  Sometimes, a musician must actively recruit members for a band.

It doesn’t matter if you form a band organically or through planned machinations.  What matters is finding like-minded musicians and getting the most out of your experience.

There are probably as many ways to form a band as there are bands.  Regardless of how you put your group together, there are some dos and don’ts that you might want to consider.  Below are seven tips for artists looking to form a band.

 

Do Be Professional

Being a musician conjures up images of licentious groupies and wild partying.  In reality, it’s a lot of hard work.  Being in a band is like starting a business with one or more partners.  That means you’ll need to show up on time, be prepared, and stay sober—that includes the formation process.  You can be wild and crazy on stage, but before and after, you should act like a professional.

 

Do Know What You Want

Before starting a band make sure you know what kind of music you want to play and what type of career you’re hoping to achieve.  This will help you find like-minded musicians.  When discussing your project with others, be clear and honest about goals and expectations.  You’re going to encounter plenty of personal issues while in a band.  Don’t let simple misunderstandings be one of them.

 

Do Consider More Than Just Talent

You’re going to spend a lot time with your bandmates.  Do you really want to hang out with a bunch of jerks?  Sure, you want musicians with talent, but don’t let that be your only deciding factor.  Before joining forces with another musician, get to know them a little to see if you’ll enjoy their company.  You’ll still have conflicts, but it will make being in a band much more enjoyable.

 

Do Get a Dedicated Email Address

Perhaps you’re going to find musicians on the internet.  Perhaps you’re going to find them at jam sessions, local music gigs, or record stores.  Whatever method you choose, consider getting a dedicated email address that you can give to potential bandmates.  This prevents someone of dubious character from having your personal email address.

 

Don’t Be in a Hurry

You’re probably very excited to form a band, but be patient.  Don’t necessarily pick the first musicians that come along.  It may take weeks, or months, to find like-minded musicians you’re comfortable with, but when you do, the wait will have been worth it.  

 

Don’t Pouch Musicians from Other Bands

Some music industry insiders recommend pouching musicians.  You attend a gig, find a musician you like, and steal him or her away from their current group.  The problem with pouching is the musician you steal is likely to be stolen from you.  If they’re not loyal to their old band, why will they be loyal to their new band?  A better route is to occasionally check in with the musician to see if they’re still in a band or let them know that you’d like to work with them in the future.  If the fates are kind, you’ll be jamming in no time and without burning a single bridge.

 

Don’t Stop Practicing

Throughout the process of forming a band, don’t neglect your chops.  It will be easier to recruit like-minded musicians if you’re constantly improving your skills and challenging your musical abilities.  It will also show potential members that you’re serious about music and forming a band.

 

BIO

Bert Gordon is a writer living in Vancouver, Washington.  He has been writing about music and the music industry for nearly a decade.  You can read more of his articles at Clickitticket.

 

 

 

How to Improve Your Singing Voice with Karaoke Machines

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Karaoke machines. The wonder machines. They can make a timid person go all the way and release stress from within. It is fun, to say the least. However, it can also be disappointing at the same time, especially if you feel that no matter how you try, you can’t seem to get the right notes to sing a song clearly.

 

Well, there is good news for you! Anybody can learn to sing with karaoke machines. What it takes is practice, patience, and some singing tips that will bring out the diva in you.

 

What You Need to Do

 

It may seem a cliché, but practice really does a lot of things. If you are currently practicing now, practice some more. Sing anywhere, try different kind of songs. Sing anytime you can. In this way, your vocal chords get the training that they deserve. At the same time, you can discover the kind of songs that will match your vocals. The more you practice, the more you can expect your singing to improve.

 

This works well if you have your own best karaoke machine at home. Before facing an audience of friends or family, you can practice on your own. Some even find it effective to record their own voice while singing songs, listening to it afterwards to assess themselves. The more you practice a certain song, the better prepared you will be when you finally need to sing with other people.

 

Professional Tips

 

Your karaoke singing skills can also be taken to the next level with some tips. The goal here is to create a space within your body, allowing the songs to just effortless flow out. How is it possible?

 

You might have heard this before. Breathe using your diaphragm. This is done by filling your lungs up with as much as air you can. Afterwards, feel that certain space right below your ribs as it fills up with air. That space is the diaphragm. This should be expanded to bring in more air to sing well.

 

Another tip is to allow your soft palate, or that part of the upper mouth just in front of the throat, to rise. This will allow your throat to open up. This will allow for more space for your voice and sound to flow out completely, and with melody. The next tip is easy to follow. Allow your mouth to open up wide as you sing. This may take practice, but when you get used to it, the rest will follow.

 

If you feel that practicing alone is not enough, you may want to take some voice lessons, or have someone privately help you with this.

 

Practice with Patience

 

The most important thing here is never giving up with your goal. Singing is part of our daily lives. You have your favorite songs. Even without a karaoke machine, you can sing. Singing well is another story, however.

 

Hitting the right notes and feeling confident when singing with karaoke machines take some patience along with practice. If you feel that you cannot do it, it does not mean that you can no longer do it some other time. Some self-confessed karaoke divas admit failing a lot of times, but because they did not stop practicing, they started building up confidence.

 

After all, nobody needs to be perfect when it comes to singing with karaoke machines. What you need to work on is your confidence. Along with applying the tips mentioned above, you can feel better when singing along with a group of friends. This is the most important thing, after all.

 

Author bio:

Tereza is a passionate writer and Chief Editor at Top10Suggest. She tells the completely honest story of her personal experience. She shares useful strategies that actually work and help others.

 

 

 

9 Tips for Making Money Online from Your Music

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Today, I’d like to share with you some practical tips for making money online from your music. The stereotype of ordinary musicians being constantly broke is still floating around. This by itself is bad enough, but what’s worse is how much it discourages young musicians from fully pursuing their creative dreams.

 

The truth is that not only is it possible to make money from music, but the technology we have now means that making money online from your music is so much easier than it ever has been in the past.

 

Licensing

Creating music for use in soundtracks is a great way to turn instrumentals and music that doesn’t fit your usual genre into an extra source of income. Indie music licensing is growing more and more as film, tv and commercial producers are looking further afield.

Tutorials

If you’ve been spending years or even decades mastering your instrument, why not show others how to get to where you are now? All you need is a good quality camera and a microphone, which you may already have. Both are relatively inexpensive. Plus, with ad revenue from sites such as Youtube.com they can quickly pay for themselves.

 

Ghostwriting

Much like being in a supermarket, music can be a ‘cash or credit’ situation. You can either take credit for your work, or take cash. Once you’ve developed a bit of a following you can take both, but it’s nice to know you can start getting paid very quickly by writing music for others to perform. This is incredibly common in the music industry, and many of the biggest music stars actively use ghostwriters.

 

Mastering

Finding somebody who can master a track or even an entire album is easier than ever thanks to websites such as Fiverr and other platforms that allow people with different skill sets to collaborate. By mastering music for a fee, you can make a very healthy income and build a formidable skill set at the same time.

 

Digital Sales

This can either be through your own website, or through a third-party such as iTunes. Be aware that third party retailers will take a commission of the total price, which can be quite high.

 

To get the most exposure, make sure you gather a few favourable reviews from friends, family and anybody else you can persuade. This will dramatically increase your chances of selling online to people who may have never heard of you before.

 

High quality artwork

I know, I know. You’re a musician so why should you care about how the album looks? However, you’re missing a great opportunity to show off your band’s aesthetic with a visual representation as well as having a bit of fun. High quality, interesting artwork is also much more likely to catch somebody’s eye as they flick through all of the music available to them – so it translates to more sales and downloads too.

 

Crowdfunding

You don’t have to work 8 hours a day at a job you don’t want just to fund your music, nor do you have to persuade a record company. Instead, take your music public from day one and encourage others to chip in to help take it from a concept to a polished album or single. Online crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter or Gofundme are excellent for this.

 

Podcasting

Doing guest appearances on internet radio shows and podcasts is a great way to boost your profile. Just like a normal radio show, being part of an interview or doing a live performance is a great way to reach a massive audience without having the hassle of building one from scratch. Be sure to let the listeners know where they can find your music online for download or streaming.

 

Micro-producing

Instead of creating whole tracks, create tiny snippets of music. This can be in the form of loops, sound effects and samples. Developing new content for other music producers is much more exciting now thanks to user-to-user online marketplaces being supported by DAW developers. You can get in on the action in tons of different ways. Everything from programming brand new VSTs to making presets.

 

By now you should be feeling much more confident about having a career in the music industry. Whoever told you that you can’t make money online from your music was wrong.

 

Author bio:

Zac Green is chief editor of popular music blog ZingInstruments.com. He believes that music isn’t just a thing you do – it’s a mindset, an attitude, a way of life.

 

 

 

How to Maintain Your Piano Properly

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If you enjoy playing music or listening to others play, owning a piano can be a great privilege. Proper maintenance will help make the instrument last and keep it sounding good for years.

On the other hand, neglect could considerably shorten the lifespan of the instrument. How can you keep your piano looking and sounding great? Here are some piano maintenance tips for artists. Let’s explore now!

 

Choose an ideal location

 Pianos are sensitive to extreme temperatures and high humidity. Since it is mainly made from wood, the instrument is highly susceptible to humidity changes. The wood expands and shrinks with fluctuations in humidity.

This, in turn, changes the tension on the strings and could make the device go out of tune. In extreme cases of humidity changes, the soundboard can warp. This makes the entire instrument collapse calling for a major rebuilding or even replacement.

Keeping the instrument in a controlled environment is necessary. Ensure that you maintain consistent levels of temperature and humidity in the room where you store the device. Humidity can be controlled using a humidifier during winter and a dehumidifier during summer.

The ideal temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ideal humidity is 42%. Avoid placing the instrument next to high traffic doors, fireplaces, heaters and air conditioning units. Such areas tend to have inconsistent temperature and humidity levels.

 

Proper storage

When not in use, it is advisable to keep the piano covered. Covering the instrument prevents accumulation of dirt on the keys. Some pianos come complete with a cover. However, if you don’t have a ready-made cover, you can always source one from a local store or online.

It is advisable to uncover the piano at times to enhance air circulation. This will help prevent the growth of mold, as this could have detrimental effects. Pianos with ivory keys need some exposure to light to prevent the keys from turning yellow. 

 

Ensure that you keep liquids very far from the instrument. Spillages are a leading cause of piano damages. Damages resulting from liquid spillages tend to be irreversible. Abstain from drinking while playing music. You may accidentally spill your drink and ruin your treasured music box!

 

Proper handling

While in use, a piano should be properly handled. Avoid leaning too heavily on it; this could exert undue pressure on the keys. Do not use the instrument as a shelf by placing too many items on it.

Avoid putting books and other stationery on the piano. Don’t allow your pets to climb on the instrument. This could leave some unpleasant claw marks ruining the natural appeal of the device. Pet hair and fur could also adversely affect the device’s sensors and other components. 

 

Always ensure that the piano is properly plugged into a power source. Often, many electronics malfunction due to improper plugging and faulty electrical outlets. Musical instruments are no exception.

Avoid plugging the device into an overloaded power outlet alongside other gadgets. This could interfere with the overall performance of the piano and also result in its destruction. 

 

Regular cleaning

You may not be able to completely prevent dust from accumulating on the piano. It is, therefore, necessary to clean the instrument regularly. Instead of using water, use a clean, dry cloth. If you happen to use a damp cloth, ensure that the piano is dried immediately.

Aerosol cleaners and other cleaners that contain silicone and solvents should not be used. Check the manufacturer’s notes to learn about the acceptable cleaning methods. Always wash and dry your hands before touching the piano. This helps curb transfer of dirt from your hands to the instrument.

 

Frequent tuning

A piano’s international pitch standard is A-440 cycles per second. The instrument gets out of tune especially when it is not in use. This makes it unpleasant to play and listen to.

Regular tuning will help you reap the best sound from the piano. It is recommended to have domestic pianos tuned at least once every six months. Tuning is also recommended right before the instrument is played.

Avoid do-it-yourself tuning; instead, get a professional technician to tune the instrument. It takes skill and expertise to restore the device to its proper pitch. Technicians may either use electronic tuning devices or aural techniques.

 

Identify the right technician

A piano is a lifetime investment. Your objective should be to make it last as long as possible. Regular maintenance by a qualified technician will enhance the life of the instrument.

Besides tuning, other necessary maintenance procedures include voicing and regulation. In the case of significant damages, you will need restoration and rebuilding services. A good technician will walk with you all the way.

 

Conclusion

Above all, as an independent musician, keep playing your piano! This will help keep all the moving parts in good condition. It will also help you identify any problem that may arise at an earlier stage.

 

What do you think about this guide? Please leave your comment below.

 

Author Bio

I’m Alex Frank who has worked sound technology industry for ten years now. Today, I am an affiliate blogger who likes to educate my audience more about audio technology. Visit Music Instruments Center to find all information about music that you need.

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