I recently did a show where I only earned $75. It was for one hour on a weeknight at an apartment community. For a solo/duo set, I normally charge $100 or more per hour and I have a two hour minimum. Instead of earning $200, I earned $75 for the night. But I took a […]
Author: Anitra Jay
Anitra Jay is an acoustic soul singer-songwriter based in Eureka Springs, AR. She tours regularly up and down the US from Vermont to Texas and everywhere in between. Her music is a sultry down to earth blend of soul, pop, and gospel. After being laid off from her job in 2007, Anitra decided to pursue a career in music. She took her educational experiences in Public Relations and her professional background in marketing and applied it full force to her music. She's found significant success in establishing a lasting fanbase using her special brand of marketing techniques which she shares freely with other artists. In addition to being a full-time performer, Anitra runs TheCraftyMusician.com, a blog for indie artists sharing actionable tips and advice on how to promote, develop, establish a fanbase, and more. Her passion is to inspire other musicians and build a community of like-minded independent artists to encourage and promote successful careers in the arts. She appeared on HGTV's Tiny House Hunters in May of 2017 to share her music story and her Tiny House Journey with the world. Join Anitra on YouTube where she shares weekly DIY tips and secrets to move your music career forward.
How to Support Independent Music [Infographic]
Supporting Independent music is very important! It helps keep money in the community, and it helps to support an ongoing local arts scene. A thriving local arts scene empowers members of the community in relationships, networking, business, family, and education. [bctt tweet=”It’s not hard to support independent music, it just takes a little time and a […]
25 Offline Promotion Ideas for Indie Artists
Whether on social media or through an e-mail newsletter, you can launch an entire online marketing campaign with just a few mouse clicks. Online marketing has become incredibly easy and affordable. However, the tried and true offline tactics of marketing are still equally effective especially for musicians. Most independent artists rely solely on online marketing […]
The Crafty Musician Presents a Valentine’s Day Playlist
I recently wrote a post about cross-promoting ideas where independent artists can and should work together to get more exposure. One idea was to host a mixtape where other artists would lend you their songs and you all release the mixtape to your audiences. The mixtape is about a specific theme which makes it relevant […]
How to Write a Captivating Artist Bio
Your bio is what everyone reads when they want to learn more about you. It’s where journalists and bloggers get material for their articles, and it’s how potential fans get to know you. You also use it to pitch yourself to venues, music sites, and other important opportunities. Needless to say, your artist bio is […]
Get New Fans by Cross-Promoting with other Artists
Competing for gigs with other artists is a real issue to contend with because there’s only so many stages on any given night. However, there’s no such thing as competing for fans. A fan who likes rock music will appreciate MANY independent rock artists, not just one. If your business model is geared to establishing a […]
Boomerang: Not Your Grandma’s Way to Book Shows
It takes excellent organizational skills to keep track of your booking efforts, fan outreach e-mails, and any other pertinent e-mails you need to keep up with. I’ve tried paper logs and spreadsheet logs on my computer, but I think I may have come across something even better. Boomerang! It’s just what the title alludes to. […]
Win Super Fans with This Easy 3-Minute Exercise
I’ve been doing some soul searching lately on my music career and how I can get to the next level. A friend sent me an article about the benefits of having true fans who will support you emotionally, physically, and financially wherever you go and with whatever you do as an artist. The article confirmed […]
Are You Competing or Winning? There is a Difference
Being an independent artist does not have to be a big competition with other independent artists. I realize that a venue can only book a certain number of acts per night and only one person can win a contest. So in some cases such as these, it is clearly a competition. However, I’m referring to […]
SEO – Get Your Music on the First Page of Search Engines
I ended up on the first page of google’s search engine one day after writing a post for my music blog. I wrote the post with the intention of ranking for a particular set of key words. I was pleasantly surprised that it showed up at the top of search results soon after! Putting together a website is the […]
How to Promote a Show on Facebook
When I lived in Charlotte, I hosted an event series where I invited 3 other singer/songwriters and a poet to join me on stage for an in the round concert. I hosted the show every other month at a venue. The venue didn’t have a huge built-in audience, so it was our responsibility to get […]
