May 21, 2015

Not getting the gig?

 
"Not getting a gig you’re pining over can be incredibly frustrating. It’s especially disheartening when you can’t figure out why you’ve been turned down, whether you never received a response or simply got a blunt nope." 

Check out this great article posted on the Tunecore Blog and get proactive by studying these three reasons you might be denied a gig.

Check it out here:
http://www.tunecore.com/blog/2015/05/top-3-reasons-you-arent-getting-the-gig.html

Planning a Summer tour?


Planning a Summer tour? Check out this great new article from our friends at CD BABY with helpful, "tweet-sized" tips for the touring DIY band!

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/05/touring-tips-for-diy-musicians

May 15, 2015

Radio Airplay Top 10 Songs (Week 19 2015)

Top 10 Airplay Songs (Week 19 2015)

Top Band on Jango This Week
The Dreadnoughts - Sleep is for the Weak
Top Band on Jango This Week
Lizzy Mandell - Isaac's Song
Top Band on Jango This Week
Official Drex - Voodoo Love
Top Band on Jango This Week
Sooper Vega - I WIll Go Ft. Micki Consiglio
Top Band on Jango This Week
Rome Clientel - Dirt Disciples - Heartless
Top Band on Jango This Week
DJ Kane - Vemos Que Vemos
Top Band on Jango This Week
Todd Threet - Get Your Hillbilly On
Top Band on Jango This Week
Zach Dylan - This Old Truck
Top Band on Jango This Week
Light Up The Darkness - Legend
Top Band on Jango This Week
Not Another Playne Jayne - Just As Well

Song Submissions Have Re-Opened


TO ALL RADIO AIRPLAY MEMBERS
UNSIGNED ONLY IS REOPENING ENTRIES FOR THREE WEEKS
(MAY 13-JUNE 3) FOR THREE SPECIAL PROMOTIONS
TO ENTER, CLICK HERE
Unsigned Only is reopening entries for three very special promotions, so if you missed the deadline and still want to enter, or if you want to enter more songs, you still have a chance to participate in this year's Unsigned Only Music Competition. Each week will offer a different promotion and bring unique opportunities and benefits to entrants. Additionally, every entrant will also be entered into the overall competition and have the chance for their music to be heard by a high-profile panel of judges (see below). All entries must be original music for these promotions. You are welcome to enter any of these promotions or all of them. This will be your last chance to enter Unsigned Only this year, so enter now and take advantage of these great opportunities.

UNSIGNED ONLY'S TRIPLE PLAY PROMOTION
May 13-19
GET PLAYED WITH
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
You've got a great song or album, so now what do you do? If you want to easily sell it online via iTunes, Spotify, etc., then this promotion is made for you. Ten finalists and one overall winner will be selected and will win free online distribution (and more), courtesy of Symphonic Distribution. Moreover, everyone who enters this promotion will have an initial Symphonic Distribution setup fee waived.

May 20-26
GET SEEN WITH YOUR VIDEO PERFORMANCE
Here's your chance to submit a video to Unsigned Only. You can enter a professionally produced video or even a video made on a Smart Phone or other device by sending us the link to a streaming site. Have fun with this and send us your video of any original song. We can't wait to see what you send us! Finalists will have their videos placed on a Zuus.com channel, and one overall winner will have their video featured on their homepage and also win a GoPro HERO3, courtesy of Unsigned Only.


May 27-June 3
GET PUBLISHED
WITH YOUR SONGS
We all know how important publishing is to an artist - it is one of the major sources of revenue, but it is so difficult to get your music heard by publishing companies. Unsigned Only is offering you the opportunity to have your songs heard by established, high-profile publishers. Ten finalists will be selected, and their songs will be made available online to a group of over 1,000 publishers. One overall winner will also get to directly speak to and network with at least five publishers, all from well-known respected music publishing companies, including SONY/ATV, Atlas Music Publishing, Disney Music Group, BMG, and more.


Click here to see a list of all the prizes for the Triple Play promotion.

Click here for more information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. All entrants will also receive 100 free spins, per entry, to your Radio Airplay account whether you are a new or existing Radio Airplay member.

Center Stage - Josh and Lauren Travers

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Meet the newest Center Stage artist, Josh and Lauren TraversJosh and Lauren married in 2010 and have over 30 years of combined worship leading experience in churches and other groups. (They started young!)

The Florida natives recently moved to the Knoxville, Tennessee area near the Great Smoky Mountains. Along with worship and songwriting, they have also been involved in youth ministry for most of their adult lives. 
The couple and their two dogs, Junebug and Javier, just welcomed the newest member of the Travers family, Lily. She was born July 2014. You can read more about their vision by visiting their blog at www.joshandlaurentravers.com


Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence..
We are a stripped down folk inspired worship band with some pop rock influence


What inspires you to make music?
Life and faith.  We have strong beliefs and it reflects in our music.  Our songs are birthed out of experience and there's always a life story connected to them.


What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
I love the freedom in the industry right now.  It's by far the best time to be a DIY musician.  No one will hand it to you, but you can go and get it.  There are so many resources to help in the process too, like Radio Airplay.  Connecting with fans worldwide has never been easier.


What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
Time and money.  We operate with zero cushion, so our day jobs support us.  Right now it's all about the love.


What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
"Cutting Edge" by Delirious?  The title was fitting for me when I heard it.  As a 12 year old it opened my mind with possibility.


Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why- Living or dead.
1. Eric Clapton- his music is so raw and accessible.  My finger style picking is definitely influenced by him.  He just turned 70 and his stuff is still amazing.
2. Gabriel Wilson- he's a producer now, but when he played in Rock and Roll Worship Circus years ago I saw worship music that transcended the ordinary cookie cutter sound I was used to.  He pushed me to broaden my scope.
3. My dad.  He bought me my first guitar and taught me my first 4 chords.  I still remember the progression.


Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.
Our first full length album "Always Yours" was released this past December.  The whole album was recorded in a bedroom in Knoxville, Tennessee by 3 musicians and 2 singers on a total budget of $3000 for everything.   Like everything, from equipment, mastering, even Chik Fil A sandwiches during long sessions.  It's not perfect by any means, but I'm still amazed at what we were able to accomplish with so little.


What is your ideal or target audience?
Our target audience is people who like Christian music but are looking for a less produced, more organic feel.  There's not 5 guitar parts and 3 pianos with loops going on.  We can do it all live.  What you see is what you get.


Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process..
We write and arrange all our music.  The main way I write songs is by inspiration.  I keep my iPhone voice recorder handy when a melody line or a riff idea strikes me.  It literally happens any time, day or night.  Then when I can carve out some time I sift through the ideas and craft a song around one of them I like.  The other way is simply to play progressions on my guitar and sing.  I'm not too worried about perfect pitch or even exactly what I'm gonna say, just want to flow and see what happens.  In every session usually there are one or two cool things to work with to get a song started.


What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
I love how Radio AirPlay makes it easy to connect with the fans that like the music.  I can drop them a Facebook message or invite them to our website.  I've even sold some music directly from the radio play, and I've only been signed up a little over 3 months!  For a modest budget (as low as $10 a month) you can essentially advertise around the world.


Do you have an interesting story you’d like to share with our readers?
We have some friends in Florida who I would consider super fans.  Every time we played, they were there.  They would even have us over for dinner and I would bring my guitar and play a few songs.  After we moved to Tennessee we have stayed in touch and we genuinely consider them friends.  Unfortunately Brian and Dana (names changed) have recently very serious health problems.  This past year Brian had his leg amputated below the knee due to a diabetes related infection.  Dana, just a few weeks ago had major surgery to remove a softball sizes tumor from her neck.  They asked me to keep them in their prayers.  Dana also let me know she would be bringing a boom box to the hospital with our music in it.  A few days after the surgery I called to see how everything went.  Dana was still weak, but recovering nicely.  Brian told me, "Josh, nothing else could calm her down before surgery, but when we started playing your music, she relaxed and was able to go into the operating room."  I was floored.  I honestly never expected our music to help someone through surgery.  She even tried to bring the music in the operating room but the surgeon wouldn't let her.


"You Are With Me" lyric video


Center Stage - Boy + Kite



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We’re excited to announce the newest Center Stage artist, Boy + Kite (“Boy Plus Kite”). 

Formed in 2009 when Darvin Jones and Beth Puorro met while lounging in a hot tub, of all places. Wrapped in bathrobes and discussing band break-ups, Jones and Puorro realized a mutual connection and point of view that would eventually lead to the creation of “Go Fly”, Boy + Kite’s 2011 debut album. Since the release of “Go Fly,”  the band has been flying, opening up for acts such as Ume, An Horse, Quiet Company and The Toadies, as well as playing at SXSW 2012 and the Center of the Universe Festival in Toronto, Canada. 

The band hit the Top 10 Charts on KUT 90.5 in Austin, TX.  Their first follow up to their full length “Go Fly” is the EP “We Can Go Anywhere We Want,” which is a 5-song charmer full of dreamy, ghost-pop, glistening and pulsing at the same time. The EP demonstrates a new depth and maturity departing from their first breakthrough album. In December 2013, Darvin Jones suffered a traumatic head injury and spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital. With a broken synapse, Jones wasn’t sure he would ever play again. Fortunately, things have only gotten better for Jones and Boy+Kite in 2014. The band recorded two new singles at Public Hi-fi Studios in Austin, which are expected to be released in June. Boy + Kite now consists of Darvin Jones (vocalist/lead guitarist), Beth Puorro (vocalist/guitarist), Giuseppe Ponti (bassist), and Marc Henry (drummer).






Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence
A melodic mix of melodies and vocals that has an atmospheric pop quality that is accessible but different.


What inspires you to make music?
Being able to take a listener on an emotional journey within a song, we like to use a lot of dynamics and melodies to grab an emotion and keep interest. Also being able to entertain a crowd and feel the energy in the room, when all of us are on, it can be show worth going to.


What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Right now we just came out with a new EP called blueprint. We are so happy with these songs and it shows our growth. I think writing Blueprint and recording it together has excited us the most recently.


What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
Not being 20 and juggling regular life with practice, shows and the road. Remember you are married to the other members of your band and that can cause the biggest challenges if everyone is not on the same page or as we go throughout the obstacles of life.


What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
So many to list but since this is Beth writing I am going to give you mine and it sounds nothing like our music- Miles Davis Kind of Blue.


Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why- Living or dead. Miles davis- because ..well cause he is an amazing musician and brings the emotion when he plays.
The Pixies- life changing and paved a way for the kind of music we make.
Radiohead-  because they are so very good at melodies and weaving guitars together in such a complementary way.


Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?
Yes our new album Blueprint- you can purchase it on itunes and many other digital outlets
What is your ideal or target audience?
I would say the indie alternative listener that likes a sound that stimulates with a side of pop.


Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
Oh yes! all of them. Darvin and Beth usually come up with different melodies and get together separately to work out the bones of the song. They separately work on lyrics and vocal melody  When the entire band gets together, Giuseppe always adds a melodic tasteful bass part and Marc always nails the perfect drum part for the mood of the song. Vocally it becomes a mix of Darvin and Beth ideas and usually it makes for a interesting and harmonious mix of vocal melodies and ideas.


What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
We really like all the fans that like and comment on our songs- it means the world to us.


May 14, 2015

Balance your music and work



"Balancing a day job with a music career can be tricky on so many levels, especially when you’re so serious about your music – you want to be dedicating 100 percent of your time to it, but you need some way to pay the bills until you can get there." Check out this great new article from our friends at Tunecore, with helpful advice for independent artists juggling jobs with their passion while building their music careers!

http://www.tunecore.com/blog/2015/04/how-to-balance-your-day-job-with-your-music-career.html

Why unsigned artists should worry...



"Even in 2015, unsigned musicians are still releasing their music and asking “where’s my money?” right out of the gate. It’s extremely important that every artist look deeply into this question." Learn more about the subject in this insightful article recently posted on the MTT Blog.

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/why-unsigned-musicians-should-worry-about-popularity-not-mon.html

May 13, 2015

Common Musician Mistakes on Instagram



Instagram and Twitter are terrific tools to connect bands and artists with their fans -- but some artists and bands can make mistakes when it comes to social media photo-sharing. 

Check out this great new article from our friends at CDbaby, about what mistakes to avoid and how to best utilize Instagram to maximize your music promotion!

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/05/7-common-mistakes-musicians-make-on-instagram/

May 7, 2015

6 Things You'll Learn Recording


"Anticipation is building. You’re taking one gigantic leap toward indie-stardom just by booking the studio space. But are you really ready to record your album? MTT Discusses 6 Things You'll Learn Recording An Album That Nobody Will Tell You" Learn more here!

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/6-things-youll-learn-recording-an-album-that-nobody-will-tel.html

How to design a logo



"A logo is a huge selling point of your career. It gives fans a graphic representation of who you are. Your logo will be put on your albums, merch, website, EPK – everywhere!"

Check out this helpful article from our friends at CDBABY with tips on how you can design a great band/artist logo.

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/04/how-to-design-an-instantly-recognizable-band-logo/