How To Get Your Song On A Spotify Playlist by Ari Herstand: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/06/21/spotify-playlists/ Welcome to another week of the ManageMental podcast with Blasko and Mike Mowery. In this episode the hosts tackle details every artist needs to understand about Spotify before trying to get on a Spotify Playlist. From the article: Streams are not equivalent to downloads or sales. When someone bought a song or an album it was because they were a fan of that song or artist. Fa...
Aug 21, 2017•35 min•Ep. 32
“7 Real World Skills to Master Before You Graduate From College” by Catherine Conlan https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/7-real-world-skills-to-master-before-you-graduate-from-college In this week’s episode Blasko and Mike go over essential tips to help you master social skills that will help you navigate networking in the industry. How to network: Learn how to shake a hand, make strong eye contact and dress well for a business event. Attending networking events can help you connect wi...
Aug 10, 2017•36 min•Ep. 31
If you pay attention to the podcast space, there are a lot of podcasts who use the 4th of July weekend to take a bit of a break from producing an episode that week to recap what has occurred during the first part of the year. We didn’t do that! We hard charged through the holiday and still found a way to bring you an episode. But now, as we roll into the first week of August, we want to recap the episodes we’ve done thus far. This will allow us to reflect on and appreciate all that we’ve covered...
Aug 07, 2017•47 min•Ep. 30
Blasko and Mike take on a big question this week from listener and aspiring manager, Kyle, on what it takes to be an artist manager, tune in for everything you need to know. My name is Kyle and I’m an aspiring artist manager and new listener to the manage mental podcast. I’ve spent the last 10 years in the music industry, having founded and ran a band that became semi-successful and signed with a record label and did tons of touring. Since the band folded I have even built a recording studio and...
Jul 31, 2017•43 min•Ep. 29
Article: 5 Strategies That Guarantee Success Author: Johnny Dwinell https://musicclout.com/contents/article-353-5-strategies-that-guarantee-success.aspx?utm_source=Music+Clout&utm_campaign=1ce3bd5872-5_Strategies_That_Guarantee_Success2_21_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4bb296eccb-1ce3bd5872-279502041 Mike and Blasko are back at it this week dropping music industry knowledge like you’ve never heard before! In the last episode the hosts discussed ways to kill a music career, now the...
Jul 24, 2017•34 min•Ep. 28
Looking for insight on the best way to self-release your music? Join Mike Mowery’s webinars Release It Right on July 22nd and Unleash It Right, which includes the Release It Right webinar on July 22nd PLUS an additional, advanced, class on July 29th. Learn the tips and tricks that has helped Mike launch independent releases onto the Billboard charts. Sign up now at www.outerloopcoaching.com and use the discount code MENTALPOD5! Here’s what former Outerloop Coaching students have had to say: "Mik...
Jul 20, 2017•1 hr 7 min
Article: “17 Ways To Kill A Music Career” by Paul Resnikoff https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2014/06/09/17-ways-kill-music-career/ Blasko and Mike pick their top 5 ways to kill a music career (out of Resnikoff’s 17). Follow along as they discuss the following points: 1) Relying on a label, manager or anyone besides yourself to build your career. Even with a label deal, bands can find themselves de-prioritized, or flat-out ignored. But these days, labels rarely sign bands that aren’t successfully...
Jul 16, 2017•33 min•Ep. 27
https://www.musicclout.com/contents/article-377-defining-success-and-how-to-achieve-it-with-a-career-in-music.aspx In this episode Blasko and Mike tackle the subjects presented in Carlos Castillo’s article “Defining Success and How To Achieve It with A Career In Music”. Follow along as they show you the ropes from personal experiences and give context to the article, to help you define your own success. The first requirement for being successful in anything is to define what success means to you...
Jul 10, 2017•31 min•Ep. 26
Blasko and Mike get into more listener questions based on the costs associated with being in a touring band. This week the question comes from new listener David Woolfall who writes: “I just discovered your podcast via an ad on the Lead Singer Syndrome podcast. I’ve listened through maybe half of the podcasts so far and they’re great! I am not in the music industry at all just an interested spectator. I have questions related to money… I would love for you to give an example of a small band inco...
Jun 28, 2017•36 min•Ep. 25
“Record Deal Red Flags” by Byron Pascoe: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/10-record-deal-red-flags.html Mr. Pascoe is a Canadian Entertainment Lawyer with Edwards PC, Creative Law and can be reached at [email protected] This week Blasko and Mike tackle the warning signs that you may see in a record deal. That first record deal can seem very rewarding on the surface, but in reality it might just be a total nightmare. Entertainment attorney Byron Pascoe’s article “Record Deal Red Flags”...
Jun 26, 2017•38 min•Ep. 24
Reference Article: https://bandzoogle.com/blog/social-media-marketing-for-musicians-how-to-get-more-fans-on-instagram Mike and Blasko tackle basic marketing strategies on Instagram for musicians. Follow along as they go through each point with real world examples and in-depth details so you can make your own account stand out from the crowd. Pick a Username Pick something easy and predictable. All of your social media handles should make sense together. Don’t add numbers, symbols, or underscores...
Jun 19, 2017•34 min•Ep. 23
Bonus Episode: This week Mike is filling in for Blasko as the host with the most and is joined by his Outerloop Coaching partner, Paul. In this episode Mike and Paul cover some highlights from the first Outerloop Coaching webinar Sixty Days to Signable, and talk about the new classes they are launching this week: Release It Right and Unleash It Right. The Release It Right webinar will take place on July 22nd at 2pm EDT and cover the best strategies to help participants successfully release music...
Jun 12, 2017•26 min
Oh Lorde, pray leaving your manager wasn't a mistake http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/may/19/oh-lorde-pray-leaving-your-manager-wasnt-a-mistake 5 Types of Artists Good Managers Will Never Work With http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/index.php?encoreId=508&articleId=50915 This Is What Managers Think It Takes To Be Successful In Music In 2015 http://www.thefader.com/2015/01/08/9-managers-explain-how-to-win-music-in-2015 What Does A Manager Actually Do? - @patthemanager https://ww...
Jun 05, 2017•29 min•Ep. 22
Article:http://www.mattblick.com/2014/11/naming-your-band-in-10-easy-steps.html This week Blasko and Mike dive into tips on naming your band inspired by songwriter Matt Blick's article "10 Easy Steps to Naming Your Band". Follow along as they go through each point with real world experiences and lay out the best advice for naming your band. Email any questions or comments to [email protected] Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloo...
May 25, 2017•30 min•Ep. 21
Part 2 of our “The Big Question” seires - How Do Bands Break Out and Become Famous? Here is the article by Matt O'Dowd, Band Dude, Songwriter, and Composer https://www.quora.com/How-do-bands-break-out-and-become-famous Be extremely good at marketing and relationships. Some ways to achieve this: Become friends with people involved in music. Bookers, band dudes, bar owners, journalists, and music fans. Friends will help each other out, come out to shows, make introductions. Emailing Mp3s to strang...
May 22, 2017•27 min•Ep. 20
Article: https://www.quora.com/How-do-bands-break-out-and-become-famous How does a band break and become famous? We all know there is no simple answer to this. However successful people do have habitual similarities that have been theorized as the foundation for their success. So... it stands to reason that perhaps there are reoccurring themes and actions that can be found in successful bands that can be reverse engineered for a new generation. So… How do Bands break out and Become Famous? Accor...
May 12, 2017•28 min•Ep. 19
This episode is dedicated to answering questions from you, the listeners. Blasko and Mike tackle the following questions, submitted via email, with great detail and real world examples. From Jesse: “My question is if you could explain the different types of record label deals for bands. I work with a few bands that have been approached to sign 360 deals. Please explain the difference in some deals you know of for artists.” From Cat: “I have been fortunate to find myself in a lot of songwriting w...
May 07, 2017•32 min•Ep. 18
Article: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/04/the-art-of-using-cover-songs-to-grow-your-audience.html Dave Kusek is the founder of the New Artist Model, an online music business school for independent musicians, performers, recording artists, producers, managers, and songwriters. He is also the founder of Berklee Online, co-author of The Future of Music, and a member of the team who brought midi to the market. In this episode Mike and Blasko explore the points laid out by Dave Kusek in his art...
May 01, 2017•33 min•Ep. 17
This episode is inspired by 60 Days to Signable student Jeremy Miller who writes: “I met Mike briefly at Launch Music Conference and I’m really excited for the 60 Days to Signable class coming up. I’ve noticed a lot of different “music business help” sources contradict others, and I hear a lot of different opinions on the state of the scene/industry and how to get “big” with your music. I get it, different tactics work for different people and like I’ve heard Mike say, that there’s exceptions to...
Apr 25, 2017•38 min•Ep. 16
Ghost Lawsuit http://www.metalinjection.net/metal-crimes/the-entire-ghost-lawsuit-document-leaks-more-info-on-why-former-nameless-ghouls-are-suing-papa-emeritus Do We Need A Band Agreement? https://www.thebalance.com/do-we-need-a-band-contract-2460671 This week, we take on the topic of band agreements, suggested by listener Eric Peterson, who also happens to be Mike’s neighbor! We encourage you to email any questions or comments to [email protected] Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blask...
Apr 17, 2017•32 min•Ep. 15
Blasko and Mike take on the subject of VIP Meet and Greets, requested by listener Jason Buggle. VIP packages are sold in addition to a show ticket and includes a number of perks. These packages have become almost somewhat of a necessity to assist in reducing expenses of touring while providing an additional stream of income to the bands. What are the values of VIPs? What kind of experience should fans expect from a VIP? Why do VIPs exist? Do fans want it? What makes a VIP experience worth it? Fi...
Apr 10, 2017•34 min•Ep. 14
Blasko interviews Mike for an in-depth look into Outerloop Coaching’s webinar course "Sixty Days to Signable". The webinar is 8 weeks long and each course brings something new to the table, students will learn from real-life experiences, and have access to Mike and his team to answer questions throughout program. At the end of the 8-week course students will be able to walk away with new knowledge and resources to allow them to project their careers within the music industry. Sign up for Sixty D...
Apr 06, 2017•17 min
Article: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/03/how-to-run-a-successful-crowdfunding-campaign-10-tips.html Author: Leah Waldo is the Curriculum Manager for massive open online courses at Berklee Online. She is a Berklee College of Music alumna and received her Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We’re digging in to the subject of crowd funding and tips on how to successfully run one. Mike most recently had great success with the Darkest Hour crowdfund campaign an...
Apr 03, 2017•36 min•Ep. 13
Article: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2014/05/28/myths/ Author: Bob Lefsetz In the last episode we talked more about record labels and how to score that elusive “deal". This week we dig into some music business mythology. Blasko uncovered an article written by the ever so controversial Mr. Bob Lefsetz simply titled “Myths” on his Lefsetz Letter Blog. We discuss each point in detail from myth to reality. Sales count.It’s no longer whether someone buys your album, but whether they listen to it, th...
Mar 27, 2017•36 min•Ep. 12
Article: http://music3point0.com/2017/02/23/4-things-record-deal/ Author: http://www.bobbyowsinski.com Bands tend to think that the holy grail is scoring a record deal. I imagine a lot of that thought process comes from the need for validation of their art. There is nothing wrong with that but in this digital age a recording contract is not necessarily the end game. Many a career has been established at the hands of many independent artists for many years. But nothing can change the fact that wh...
Mar 20, 2017•30 min•Ep. 11
In this episode, we answer a question from long time listener, Wade. He voiced some concerns regarding PR and Publicists and specifically when is a good time to hire one and what can they do to further your career. Below are the questions we cover: "My band is currently building a package to launch very soon. We all have a lot of experience but this is the birth of this band. We just finished our EP, built a website, set up an online shopping store, acquired thousands of followers across the big...
Mar 13, 2017•30 min•Ep. 10
We were recently contacted by a music biz colleague, Attorney Mark Kesten. He voiced some concerns regarding issues that he encounters with a lot of young bands feeling misinformed about when and why and how to hire an attorney. We even call our good friend Los Angeles-based music attorney Eric German to weigh in on today's topic. This was the basis of Mark’s email to us… "I check out a good number of music industry podcasts and find that, for the most part, nobody speaks about the role an attor...
Mar 06, 2017•41 min•Ep. 9
“15 Very Quick and Helpful Things You Can Do To Help Your Music Career” by Sari Delmar for MusicThinkTank.com is the basis for this episode's discussion. http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/15-very-quick-and-simple-things-you-can-do-to-help-your-musi.html We encourage you to send in any questions / comments you may have for us and the podcast and you can email me at [email protected]. Follow Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @Blasko1313 Follow Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop Get...
Feb 27, 2017•36 min•Ep. 8
In this episode we reference the article on Music Think Tank written by Simon Tam: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/6-ways-to-get-more-people-to-your-shows.html Do you sometimes feel that your band’s draw is languishing? Are you tired of seeing the same people at your shows and want to play to a new crowd, even in your hometown? If you’re like most musicians, you know that you absolutely can do better, that you have more fans out there than who actually show up at at the venue, and despite alw...
Feb 20, 2017•30 min•Ep. 7
Article: Is your band REALLY ready to be on a record label? By Shan Dan Horan http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/is_your_band_really_ready_to_be_on_a_record_label If you’re currently grinding it out in a basement or garage somewhere, chances are “being signed” is on your list of long-term goals. But, we offer a reality check: Are you actually ready to be in a partnership with a record label? 1. Is your music not just good, but great? With the advent of the internet, music has become so unive...
Feb 13, 2017•37 min•Ep. 6
