Indie Band Survival Guide Blog

DigiMusicBids is like the eBay of the music industry! On this site you can bid on or offer musical instruments, business services, and more.

Post a request for anything you need: things like studio time, graphic design for your website, or publicity help. Then others will submit bids to win your business. You get to browse their profiles, read feedback from previous users, and select the winner you want. After you have worked with them, leave feedback for future users.

If you check out DigiMusicBids we want to know if you were able to find professional music help that fit in your budget. Leave a comment and a site rating here.

How can musician stay in the news cycle? How can musicians make money with music? What should bands do with a marketing budget?  All of these questions are tackled and more in an interview with Randy at the website Musformation. It’s worth checking out.

We’ve shown you how to run a PR campaign here. Now you need a way to track your results and keep contact information organized. Click here to learn how to track PR campaigns with a spreadsheet.

Check out a handful of the newest links added to the Indie Guide:

DigiMusicBids: an online auction site for artist services

CaptainCrawl: a music blog index

Brady Cases: custom guitar cases and more

Firefly Productions: a London based video production company

Musicians Page: musicians for hire and forum

Getting played on podcasts makes your music available to groups of potential new fans! Click here to learn how to get played on podcasts.

If you find yourself stuck in a songwriting rut, using the same chords and rhythms, try this randomizing method to make new progressions and patterns. Click here to learn how to write songs randomly with a deck of cards.

In order to share your music online you need to encode MP3s and then find a place that will host the files. Click here to learn how to find music hosting sites.

Twitter is huge; millions of people are using it to microblog about daily activities and to find the latest news and music. Click here to learn how to use Twitter as a musician.

Today’s Useful Link is a special treat for all the Linux users out there who also work with music.

Linux Sound is a huge directory of links to all kinds of Linux software and hardware for making, recording, and editing music. On the left-hand column you will see the many categories like loop making software and file converters,  each filled with a ton of links listed alphabetically. Most of the software listed is even free — or at least includes a free demo — and most of the samples are royalty-free.

If you use Linux and check out Linux Sound, we want to know if it helped you find great music software. Leave a comment and a site rating here.

Medtech Wristbands is a supplier of many types of customizable wristbands from paper to plastic and silicone varieties.

Make special VIP bracelets to give out at your live events. If you throw your own shows or do house concerts, you can give these out at the door as proof of paid admission. Prices start at as little as $17 for a batch of 500 wristbands, and this site has daily specials. You can print your band name on silicone bands (think LiveStrong bracelets) and sell them at your merch table too.

There are lots of possibilities, and if you give Medtech Wristbands a try, we want to hear all about it. Leave a comment and a site rating here.