Top Blog Posts of 2019

And just like that – 2019 is almost over! Whether you’ve been an avid reader of the Symphonic blog the whole year or just discovered it this week, we hope that you’ve gained some valuable knowledge to help you thrive as an independent artist or label. Our goal always has been and always will be to help empower indie music.

At the end of every year, we like to gather and share our top performing blog posts. Check ’em out!

Here’s our Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019:

1. Five Brands That Partner With Musicians

Sponsorships, partnerships, influencer ads, these can all feel like elusive opportunities for musicians, but make perfect sense for both parties. Established musicians see high engagement rates and follower counts across social media platforms and have the perfect audience that many brands spend all their time trying to penetrate. These audiences are made up of attentive consumers of different demographics, interested in updates and personalized information.

According to MusicWatch,

• 51% of Twitter users use it to follow or get updates from music artists and bands
• 56% of Instagram users are viewing and engaging with posts from artists and bands.

Of the top five categories of celebrities or public figures followed, music artists and bands lead the way with 57% across all platforms. These figures should convince any brand that musician partnerships are the best way to advertise online, and many brands have already tapped into this incredible market.

For some reason, it’s pretty hard to figure out which brands actively accept partnerships with musicians. So, here are five companies that do. Some even dedicate an entire team to working with interested artists or bands.

2. 5 Reasons Every Musician Should Be Using Twitch

I know what you’re thinking – for some it’s “What’s Twitch?” and for the rest it’s “Isn’t that for gamers?”

That’s what I usually hear from people when I talk to them about Twitch. And yes, it’s a livestream platform mostly where gamers play games live for other gamers, but there is a very vibrant creative arts community on Twitch and music is a big part of it.

You may have livestreamed a little already on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. Maybe you’ve done a show on ConcertWindow or StageIt. As with those, on Twitch you’ll perform live, the audience will post comments to the chat, and you’ll respond verbally to the comments. Pretty basic so far.

Here’s why live-streaming on Twitch is next level.

3. Best Times to Post on Social Media

Let’s face it: it’s no longer enough to simply post on social media when you randomly feel like it. With the wavering algorithms within platforms and a consistently growing knowledge base of how people consume social media, some strategy needs to come into play when making posts.

Here’s a cheat sheet of the best times to post on the top social media platforms.

4. Music Business Facebook Groups You Should Join

One of the most underutilized tools for networking in this industry is Facebook Groups. Tons of music industry related groups out there are actively sharing knowledge within communities of like minded individuals just like you. In these groups, you can ask for support, get advice, inquire about job opportunities and so much more.

Remember: It’s all about who you know.

Grow your network with these Music Biz Facebook Groups.

5. How to Decide Where to Promote Your Music on Social Media

Sometimes it can feel impossible to decide which direction to focus your efforts.

Do you pay attention to hashtags and Stories, making Instagram your number one priority? Or do you play into Facebook’s preference for live videos and native content? Or maybe you think Twitter is the direction to go, with its wit and fast-paced narratives.

You’ll need to ask yourself three questions.

6. The Best Music Industry Newsletters

Newsletters serve as one of the easiest ways to stay up to date on the industry without doing anything other than reading your email.

Make sure you’re following the best email newsletters in the music industry to stay ahead of the game and learn from the experts.

Check out these industry newsletters to stay in the know.

7. Every Artist Manager Should Master These Skills

When you say the words “music manager”, I no longer have any idea what you’re talking about. Because the thing is, the role of music management has changed so much over the last 5-10 years—this is especially true for managers that work with emerging artists. The roles are constantly varying. Some managers will also take on the role of publicist, while others take on booking, and others simply manage, while outsourcing the rest. It’s a total mixed bag and each person is different, which means each band can choose a manager based solely off their own needs.

Although we’ll be focusing on the skills young managers need to master to work with emerging artists, the reality is that this guide is going to be helpful no matter who you’re working with, whether they’re huge national acts or the emerging indie ones.

These skills will carry you through your career and help you become the best manager possible.

8. How Are Musicians Using Facebook Groups?

All too often, artists underestimate the power and versatility that Facebook Groups provide for those who want to connect with their fans directly. Not only are these groups a great way to stay connected, but they also engage your followers in a more personal way, promote meaningful interactions between everyone in the group and these connections will help grow your following.

So, we asked 4 artists about their experiences with Facebook Groups, and they only had good things to say.

Here are their experiences with it.

9. 5 Strategies to Land a Sponsorship as a Musician

It’s kind of the dream, isn’t it? You’re playing stadium tours, meeting with thousands of new fans a night and rocking free gear while getting paid by your favorite companies to play their instruments or wear their shirts.

But what if I told you that you don’t have to be a mega-star to land a sponsorship deal? That even as an indie artist with a modest following, you could create sponsorship opportunities and begin to build those relationships and even make a little money as you grow your career?

Here’s how to land sponsorships.

10. What do Stylists do for Musicians?

We talked to Jocelyn Simone and Chelsey Pickthorn of We Color Live to find out what makes a great stylist, how to find one, the perks of the craft and more.

Wanna stay in the know on a weekly basis? Sign up for the Symphonic newsletter.