Customer Reviews

The Indie Band Survival Guide: The Complete Manual for the Do-It-Yourself Musician

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow! This books speaks to so many audiences. If you are a musician, someone who loves music, an information technologist, a marketeer, or perhaps a sociologist who wants to understand why the Internet profoundly changes society, this book is for you. Did I mention the book also covers the intellectual property rights and issues surrounding the music industry? Written in a rational, concise manner, the authors cite sources and experience backing up their conclusions and recommendations and then follow up with step-by-step instructions on how to navigate your indie band to success.

The book does exactly what the author set out to accomplish. It is a compilation of knowledge and useful tips, usually spread out all over the internet, for all us small bands trying to take the next steps to a more professional level.

Everything is presented in a logical order and progresses from band promotion, gigs, experience and then into recording, production and music distribution, from CD (yuck) to digital

I'm the author of a book that competes (in a way) with this book and I have to say I am totally into "The Indie Band Survival Guide." It has a very fresh view of what it's like to be in an indie band -- so fresh that it should be called "Indie Band 2.0." It throughly analyzes the revenue streams for indie bands in this post-music biz blowdown era and provides lots and lots of realistic and helpful info.

I bought this book to aid in helping me get my band up and running. I was pleasantly surprised at the thoroughness of the topics and the author's insights on each. Real world experience pays dividends and the author really makes his case. I give this book 5 stars for content and delivery. My only gripe is the lack of an index. I am using highlighters and Post-It notes and have kind of created my own. Easily a third of the book deals with internet topics and should be very helpful to those musicians who are not web designers. And while this book provides a comprehensive look at the world of indie band business and details what you need to consider, it does not provide the legal underpinnings of that business. I would strongly recommend 2 other books to complement this one. The first is "Music Law" by Richard Stim, an indispensable legal guide that explains copyrights and many other legal issues surrounding the music business. The second is "All You Need to Know About the Music Business" by Donald Passman. This book details just about every way a musician can get screwed by the music industry and how to avoid or at least deal with it. All three books complement each other beautifully. Highly recommended!

Have you ever read a "How To" book and it wasn't much of a "how to" at all? I've been duped before. I picked up a book once on writing lyrics and it read more like a playlist of songs that have good lyrics, not how to actually construct a good lyric yourself. Just copy what others are doing! This book, however, is the opposite. I was almost expecting a simple run down of the obvious. "Make sure you have a MySpace profile and some pretty pictures!" I was pleasantly surprised when it went in to ULTRA DETAIL as to how to do something they just told you to do. If they recommend a way of doing things, they take the time to list websites to help and the actual way to do-it-yourself. What a novel concept!

I also found that it is incredibly up-to-date, it makes mention of current trends including Twitter, etc. It isn't written from the perspective of a couple of old dodgers just kicking around horror stories from the music biz. That's a book anyone could have written. This has REAL TIPS. This is coming from someone who can be incredibly jaded sometimes, especially in the subject of music and musicians.

I have to be honest and mention that I am only half way through but I wanted to give my opinion now before I forgot. Already it is pretty indispensable for me just starting my first serious band right now. I can only hope the second half is as good. I read through the first part last night and should be done by tomorrow.

If you are looking for a real way to get your music in front of people buy this book now! Again, in all caps, BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!!

I've read tons of music business books over the years and this one put a new spin on it for me. The Indie Band Survival Guide is the go-to Guide for the basics and beyond. It's written in a way that even a beginner can understand and packed FULL of information that even seasoned musicians will find interesting. New perspectives from authors that understand indie music and the indie way of life! In addition to this book, I recommend reading Tour:Smart by Martin Atkins. The 2 book combined will most certainly give you the advantage over everyone else!

WAY TO GO INDIE BAND SURVIVAL GUIDE!

I'm an attorney AND musician, and this book was a treasure-trove of information. Its website recommendations had me reaching for pen and paper over and over. I read it like a bible. Filled with new information, the two authors are very generous with their help. It's clear they really want to help new artists. For an indie in this world of downloads, this book will pave the way for a successful career. It's eminently practical, filled with helpful examples from their many contacts in the industry. Great book!

I needed some info about Indie Bands. I chose this book and I'm glad, for I've found it very helpful. Don't hesitate and buy it!

Full of common sense advice and plenty of resources. Great examples from the school of hard knocks and plenty of great ideas for dealing with an unpredictable business. I put my copy in my guitar case when I finished reading it. I'm sure I will read it again.

Well written and organized, answering a lot of the questions for the novice musician as well as the seasoned veteran who wants to take the next step with a career in music.