Caleb J. Murphy

Should You Ask Your Fans To Invest* In Your Music?

September 30, 2022

Asking your fans for money can feel awkward. It’s like, “I can’t seem to make money on my own, so I’m asking you to give me some.” That’s how it feels anyway. Maybe that’s just me. Either way, in this artic... Read More...

Are Music Videos Worth It for Indie Musicians?

Caleb J. Murphy

September 16, 2022

Photo credit: KAL VISUALS This article is for the indie musician who’s trying to turn music into their career. If you’re ready to do both the creative side and the business side of things, this post is for ... Read More...

How To Record Vocals at Home (for Beginners)

Caleb J. Murphy

September 9, 2022

Most indie artists are recording music from their bedrooms. It’s amazing we have that opportunity, but it also requires knowing more about how to properly record. And the quality of the vocals is one of the... Read More...

How To Grow Your Music Career While Working a Day Job

Caleb J. Murphy

August 29, 2022

Photo created with DALL-E Most indie musicians work a day job (yay, capitalism). And it can be frustrating trying to balance your passion with your paycheck. We don’t talk about it enough. So here are four ... Read More...

On Mastering Music: Should You Hire a Mastering Engineer or Use Automated Mastering?

Caleb J. Murphy

August 22, 2022

Photo generated by DALL-E Mastering music is the final stage before you release your songs to the world. You need to master every song you release – it improves the sound quality and increases the loudness ... Read More...

How Much Do Songwriters Make?

Caleb J. Murphy

August 12, 2022

Photo credit: Priscilla Du Preez I’m not going to pretend it’s easy to make a living as a songwriter. But it is definitely possible. In today's world, you’ll need to be many different things – not just a so... Read More...

On Streaming Payouts: Is a User-Centric Payment System Better for Indie Musicians?

Caleb J. Murphy

August 2, 2022

Photo credit: Sara Kurfeß People have been debating whether streaming platforms should change their method for paying streaming royalties to artists. This is driven by the desire to see fairer streaming pay... Read More...

Albums vs. Singles: Which Makes More Sense for Indie Artists?

Caleb J. Murphy

July 18, 2022

Photo credit: Jamakassi Are albums dead? Are singles the new way to build your music career? The "albums vs. singles" debate is one that's been going on for a while. So let’s break it down and look at the p... Read More...

The New Way To Promote Your Next Song (According to Success Stories)

Caleb J. Murphy

July 8, 2022

Photo credit: @felipepelaquim Gone are the days of hyping your release before it’s out, at least for indie artists with a smaller fan base. People have shorter attention spans nowadays, so if you hype the r... Read More...

TikTok’s Best: Music Career Tips

Caleb J. Murphy

June 24, 2022

This is the third installment in a series of posts about TikTok’s best tips for indie musicians. There’s so much helpful content for musicians on TikTok, and this series is me sharing the best content I’ve ... Read More...

TikTok’s Best: Songwriting Tips

Caleb J. Murphy

June 17, 2022

This is the second installment in a series of posts about TikTok’s best tips for indie musicians. TikTok is full of amazing content for musicians, and I want to share the content I’ve come across. I already... Read More...

TikTok’s Best: Music Production Tips

Caleb J. Murphy

June 10, 2022

This is the first installment in a series of posts about TikTok’s best tips for indie musicians. If you don’t know already, TikTok is an ocean of amazing content for producers, songwriters, and musicians wh... Read More...

Artist Branding Isn't Selling Out Anymore — But What's the New Balance?

Unauthorized Music Usage on TikTok Can Cost Brands Big — But There’s a Way to Avoid Expensive Licensing Headaches

Sync Licensing Is Evolving — Now There’s a Comprehensive Analysis of the Music Industry’s Most Exciting Segment

How Sync Licensing Helped Musicians Thrive When Live Music Was Paused

Kate Bush Thanks Stranger Things Fans for Giving ‘Running Up That Hill’ a New Lease on Life

Here’s How Apple Has Dominated Sync Licensing for Two Decades Running

The Methodology Behind Great Sync: A Breakdown for Brands, Content Creators and Supervisors

Spotify Is Riddled With Fake Streams — Or Is It? Our Latest Podcast

Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music Are Only Getting Bigger — Which Is Great News for Niche Streaming Platforms

Meet the Artist Who Is Literally Saving His Fans’ Lives — Our Latest Podcast

How to Game the Billboard Charts (And Why You Shouldn’t)

Stop Chasing Playlists and Start Building a Music Career — Our Latest Podcast

‘Bone Conduction’ Headphones Don’t Go Over Your Ears — But Still Transmit Sound to Your Inner Cochlea

Now That the Music Modernization Act Has Passed, Who’s Gonna Run the Damn Thing?

Should You Ask Your Fans To Invest* In Your Music?

Are Music Videos Worth It for Indie Musicians?

How To Record Vocals at Home (for Beginners)

How To Grow Your Music Career While Working a Day Job

On Mastering Music: Should You Hire a Mastering Engineer or Use Automated Mastering?

How Much Do Songwriters Make?

Albums vs. Singles: Which Makes More Sense for Indie Artists?

The New Way To Promote Your Next Song (According to Success Stories)

TikTok’s Best: Music Career Tips

TikTok’s Best: Songwriting Tips

TikTok’s Best: Music Production Tips

Author Caleb J. Murphy