Break The Business Podcast

Hi Podcast Listeners! Thanks for downloading.In the first segment, Ryan and Dave talk about publishing administrators and the services they provide for artists. If you are an independent artist, having a publishing administrator is crucial. They make sure you get all the money to which you are entitled for the songs you write. Find out why you need one and how to pick the right one for you by listening here.In the second segment, Julia Pernicone from the publishing administration company SongTrust stops by. Julia is SongTrust's Publishing Operations Coordinator and is also a singer, songwriter, and artist manager. Julia provides further explanation on what a publishing administrator can do for artists and also gives great advice on how to find synch opportunities for your music. She is super knowledgeable and is a great interview You can follow her on Twitter at @heyimjulia, and you can find out more about SongTrust and SongTrust's education programs for artists by visiting www.songtrust.comIn the final segme

Hi Podcast Listeners!In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss The DIY Musician's Blog indie musician checklist, a list of foundational tasks that any successful indie artist-entrepreneur must complete. Ryan then adds a couple extra items of his own that are also important. If you can get everything done on this list, you will be in good shape to move your career forward.In the second segment, indie artist Jaymay stops by. Jaymay is a marvelous singer-songwriter who has performed on Late Night and whose songs have appeared on How I Met Your Mother. Jaymay talks to Ryan and Dave about her monster PledgeMusic campaign and her decision to release her PledgeMusic album "To Tell the Truth" in vinyl. Her story is an inspiring one and the adversity she has overcome to achieve what she has makes this interview one you do not want to miss. You can check out her PM campaign by visiting pledgemusic.com/jaymaymusic.In the final segment, Ryan and Dave cut loose with a couple fun game shows. Along the way, we learn the s

Hi Podcast listeners! Here is a special bonus episode of Ryan's speech at his author event for his book "Break the Business: Declaring Your Independence and Achieving True Success in the Music Industry." The event took place at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. In his speech, Ryan discusses the main themes of the book, including the problems with record deals; the resources artists can use to create, promote, distribute, and fund music on their own; and several guiding principles that indie artists can use to foster their career success. Ryan also takes questions from the audience. To help articulate his points along the way, he discusses the success stories of many indie artists, including Amanda Palmer, Ali Spagnola, Meri Amber, JP Kallio, Jonathann Mann, Jaymay, and more. Thanks to everyone for supporting the book! You can get a copy on Amazon or by visiting www.breakthebusiness.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi Podcast Listeners! Thanks for downloading this week. Our love for you knows no bounds.In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss Ryan's book launch event that happened this week at Books & Books and also talk about the recent findings from Research and Markets' Global Music Market Report. There is good news in that report for musicians everywhere, particularly for indie artists who are willing to hustle to make their careers a success.in the second segment, indie artist Omar Velasco stops by to discuss his latest album. Omar has been the guitarist for A Fine Frenzy but is now moving into solo work. For any artists out there who currently collaborate with others but are interested in doing some work on their own, Omar's insight will be valuable in helping you make that transition. In the final segment, Ryan and Dave discuss the recent Pokemon Go phenomenon and they play a round of "Dave's As Yet Untitled Game Show". Basically, Dave knows that Ryan had a good week with his author event and wants to dest

Hi Podcast Listeners! In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss the recent petition from over 180 superstar musicians and top music companies to have Congress get rid of the safe harbors under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It is a complicated area of law, but it is one about which indie artists MUST be informed. The safe harbor provisions, though certainly not perfect, attempt to strike a fair balance between the rights of copyright holders and the practical reality that platforms like YouTube cannot possibly police every single video that is uploaded to its site for copyright infringement. The safe harbors only make these platforms liable for infringement if they are notified by the copyright owner (it is a little more complicated than that, but that explanation will do for now). Without the safe harbors, platforms like YouTube would cease to exist. And that would spell doom for independent artists who depend on these platforms to distribute their content to the world. Download this episode and fin

Hi Podcast Listeners! Our interview with Star Trek Axanar fan film director Robert Meyer Burnett this week was really awesome. However, he also gave us a lot of great information and we did not have enough time in the episode to fit it all in. As a result, his interview in the episode is heavily edited. But since he was so great on the show, we are releasing the full, unedited version of the interview here as a separate download. If you are a Star Trek fan, you will really enjoy his insight. His comments on the recent #trekfanfilmguidelines are definitely worth a listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi Podcast Listeners! In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss the recent Stairway to Heaven copyright ruling and its effect on indie artists. The legal landscape is changing, and getting more confusing. Download this episode and get informed. In the second segment, indie singer-songwriter Bryan Frates drops by to talk about making website intro videos and innovative CD release strategies. In the final segment, Ryan and Dave get talk about the recent (and ridiculous) Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines created by CBS and Paramount with Star Trek Axanar director Robert Meyer Burnett. It is a really cool conversation with a very trek-knowledgeable individual. He was a great sport and a great interview and we had a really fun time with him.Thank you all very much for listening. Rate/review/subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Like Break the Business on Facebook. Follow Ryan @ryankair and Dave @metaldave85. And tell a friend about the show! Find out more about Ryan's book at www.breakthebusiness.com an

Hi Podcast Listeners! If you are in the South Florida area on July 7, Books & Books in Coral Gables is going to have an author event for Ryan's Break the Business book. It will be a great chance for you to meet Ryan and Dave and find out more about the book. We'd love to see you there! In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss the new Open Music Initiative being created by Berklee and MIT. It's goal: to create an IMDB-type database for every piece of music so that all content creators can be efficiently identified and fairly compensated for the royalties they deserve. If done correctly, the OMI could help level the playing field for indie artists and lead to significant shifts in the music industry. But there are problems with creating such a platform. First, it will be very hard to do. Many have tried and many have failed. Second, there is a danger of this platform falling into the wrong hands and becoming a tool to help music's one percent gain even more power. How do you help bring about the best pos

Hi Podcast Listeners!In the first segment, Ryan talks about recent rumors that Apple might be shuttering its iTunes download store in the next couple years. What does this mean for indie artists? How would a shift away from music downloading change the way that DIY musicians market their music recordings? Will music recordings cease to be a significant revenue stream for artists at all? What opportunities will come about from such a shift?In the second segment, Miami-based indie folk artist Keith Johns joins Ryan in the studio. Keith discusses his transition from physicist to musician and how he has been able to move his career forward in a secondary music market. If you are a musician trying to make it in a city that is not one of the major music centers, Keith's words would be useful for you to hear. You can check out Keith's awesome music (and get the scoop on his new album coming out in October) by visiting www.keithjohns.co. In the final segment, Ryan brings in his friends Evan and Elisa from the HoneyPl

Hi Podcast Listeners! In our first segment, Hollywood Reporter Senior Editor Eriq Gardner joins Ryan and Dave to discuss the ongoing litigation involving American Idol winner Phillip Phillips and his management company 19 Entertainment. The case serves as a prime example of the difficulties that artists can endure when trying to advocate for their rights against big entertainment companies.In the second segment, country pop artist Megan Golden joins the podcast. Megan is an indie artist and a college student at Belmont University. She gives a lot of great tips about balancing a music career with college studies and on creating an effective and engaging PledgeMusic campaign. You can support Megan's crowdfunding campaign for her new EP by visiting pledgemusic.com/megangolden. You can also visit http://thechristopprogram.com/woba-awards-2016.html to vote for her for Best Artist at the WOBA Awards.In the "D Block" segment. Ryan talks about his crazy adventure buying a new car and wonders why car dealers still try

Hi Podcast Listeners! Thanks for joining us this week.In the first segment, Ryan and Dave talk about indie music star Kina Grannis' harrowing story touring in Indonesia and the lessons that all artists can learn from her misadventure. You can find out more about Kina's story by visiting www.kinagrannis.com (and get some of her music while you are there because Kina is awesome!). In the second segment, one of our favorite guests The Droids stop by. They are a husband-and-wife synth-rock duo. Their music is great, they do a lot of cool things in their career, and they LOVE talking about sci-fi and their awesome eight-year-old daughter Riley. Ryan and Dave then do a rapid-fire segment where they have the Droids quickly answer alternating music advice and parenting advice questions. It is a blast. You can find out more about this awesome duo by checking out www.thedroids.bandcamp.com. They also have a new Patreon page that you can find at www.patreon.com/thedroids. In the final segment, Dave subjects Ryan to a ne

Hi Podcast Listeners! The BTB Podcast has moved into its new studio starting with this episode. We hope you enjoy the improved digs.In the first segment, Ryan and Dave talk about the new studio and then discuss the recent controversy involving Kesha's Billboard Music Awards performance. Kesha is currently involved in a lawsuit with her record producer Dr. Luke. Kesha has accused the producer of sexually assaulting her and is trying to get her recording agreement with him terminated. This week, Dr. Luke originally prohibited Kesha from performing at the BBMA's, but eventually changed his mind and approved her appearance. While many are cheering about Kesha being back on the air, Ryan is wondering why Dr. Luke should even have a contractual right to keep her from performing in the first place. In the second segment, musician/blogger/podcaster/marketing professional Chris Robley joins the show. He talks about his latest album ("The Great Make Believer") and his work at CD Baby, and he also gives tips for artist

Hi Podcast Listeners! In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss the "poor man's copyright" myth (and an SonicBids article on the subject by music lawyer Erin M. Jacobson) and why it is important for indie artists to register their music. A lot of great law tips are presented in a fun way. In the second segment, indie singer-songwriter and friend-of-the-show Mary Jennings stops by to talk about her latest remix album, her pregnancy, and her own feelings on copyrights. Mary is always a great interview and she gives a lot of awesome tips. In the final segment, Ryan and CanaDave play a round of "Canadian Town or Hoser Talk." It is one of the most popular segments on the show. Enjoy!Thank you all very much for listening. Rate/review/subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Like Break the Business on Facebook. Follow Ryan @ryankair and Dave @metaldave85. And tell a friend about the show! Find out more about Ryan's book at www.breakthebusiness.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat

Hi Podcast listeners! Ryan is getting married today, but that did not stop us bringing you a fantastic episode. After talking about some wedding stuff, Ryan and Dave interview Grammy award-winning indie musician Tim Kubart. Last February, Tim won the Grammy for Best Children's Album for his 2015 release "Home". He talks to R & D about his experience making an award-winning album in his "tiny apartment." He also talks about what it means to him that the five Grammy nominees in his category were all indie musicians. Tim also talks about his experiences as a member of YouTube sensation Postmodern Jukebox (on tour now!) and his work hosting "The Sunny Side Up Show" on the Sprout Network. It was a pleasure to have such a fantastic indie musician on the show. You should definitely check out his inspiring interview. You can find out more about all of the amazing things Tim is doing by checking out timkubart.com and postmodernjukebox.com.Thank you all very much for listening. Rate/review/subscribe to the Podcast

Hi Everyone! In the first segment, Dave and Ryan talk about the lawsuit between metal band Five Finger Death Punch and their record label. The suit underscores one of the most troubling aspects of record deals--that labels have full control over when artists get to release their art to the public. Listen to Ryan and Dave discuss the implications that this case has for indie artists everywhere. In the second segment, Ryan and Dave are joined by indie artist Daria Musk. Daria became an overnight music sensation in 2011 when her online concerts on Google+ made her music popular all over the world. Since her big break, she has given two TED talks, been featured in Rolling Stone, Huffington Post, and Billboard, and has consulted for a number of tech and entertainment firms. Daria's story is awesome and she has a lot of great tips for indies on how to succeed on online concert platforms.In the final segment, Ryan and Dave play a round of "Dave's As Yet Untitled Game Show." Ryan's wedding is coming up in a week, and

Hi Podcast listeners! This week, musician and entrepreneur Derek Webb stops by to talk about his platform Noisetrade. Noisetrade is a music distribution platform in which artists offer free downloads of their content in exchange for receiving the downloaders' e-mail addresses. Ryan's conversation with Derek covers the Noisetrade platform and also discusses the role that an indie artist's recorded content plays in moving their moving their career forward. Is recorded music a product, or is it a marketing tool? Is it a revenue stream, or is it a loss leader to help create fan engagement? Could this answer be different for each artist? It is an interesting conversation, and it is an important conversation for indie artists. And it is a conversation that you can have by downloading this week's episode. You can find out more about Noisetrade by going to www.noisetrade.com.Thank you all very much for listening. Rate/review/subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Like Break the Business on Facebook. Follo

Hi Podcast Listeners!This week, Ryan talks about some of the big changes coming both in his personal and podcasting life over the next few weeks. In addition to getting a new spouse and a new house, you the listener will eventually get to enjoy your favorite music business podcast from a brand new studio, which Ryan is currently building. Stay tuned! Ryan and Dave also discuss how artists can use subscription models as a way to release content and merchandise will also assuring a steady stream of income for the artist. Download this week's episode to find out more about how to use this innovative business model to your advantage as an artist. We also get pretty silly on this week's episode. Dave brings back one of our most popular segments: Dave's Metal Minute. And DMM has a surprise guest this week! Thank you all very much for listening. Rate/review/subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Like Break the Business on Facebook. Follow Ryan @ryankair and Dave @dkaye1027. And tell a friend about the sh

Hi listeners! This week, we are joined by one of our favorite guests, Meri Amber. She is a terrific "geek pop" singer songwriter and we have a blast every time we have her on. This week, she joins us to discuss her latest album, the 90s-inspired "Retro Sherbet." She also gives us some great tips during the interview on how to blog effectively as an indie artist and offers us a window into her recording process. And in a Break the Business Podcast first, we have our guest stay on for an additional segment to talk about 90s pop culture with us. Since Meri is a 90s expert (as demonstrated by her tremendous album), we have her declare what is the "Ultimate 90s Thing" by choosing from sixteen different options in a single elimination tournament. Did your favorite 90s thing make the cut? Download this week's episode and find out. And along the way, you will learn a lot about how to move your indie career forward from one of the most insightful and creative artists going right now. You can find out more about Meri

Hi podcast listeners! In the first segment, Ryan and Dave discuss a couple terrific articles that indie artist and blogger Chris Robley wrote recently. One was about indie singer-songwriter Daniel Anderson, who was able to have a successful release of his latest album by selling copies door-to-door. Find out how Anderson was able to mix old-school and new-school marketing methods to earn an unexpected hit LP. The second article discussed how Chris Robley was able to make a great music video for his song "Anonymous" without spending any money. There are a lot of great lessons for artists to learn from Robley's articles.In the second segment, indie alt rock artist Matthew Mayfield stops by. He talks about achieving career success after leaving major label life. He also shares how he was able to fund his latest EP "Wild Eyes" in a truly unique way. We also play a song from the "Wild Eyes" release that Ryan absolutely loved. In the final segment, we bring back the fan-favorite "Dave The Ultimate Arbiter" segment.

Hi Podcast Listeners! This week Ryan and Dave talk about the changes to Twitter's feed. There is an algorithm now, and artists will need to change their tweeting accordingly to be successful on the platform. They also talk about artist managers and a Pledge Music article on the importance of building "super fans."In the second segment, country pop indie sensation Alayna stops by. She talks about her monster crowdfunding campaign for her latest EP and how she works to keep her fans engaged with her music. She also gives some great insight on how she organizes her daily and weekly schedule to achieve significant career success. Find out more about Alayna by visiting alaynasmusic.com.In the final segment, Dave and Ryan play two game shows. First, they play "Canadian Town or Hoser Talk," where Dave gives phrases to Ryan and he has to say whether it is the actual name of a Canadian town or not. It is harder for Ryan than Ryan initially thought it would be. After that, Ryan and Dave bring back everyone's favorite g