BUSINESS GUIDE

FOR STARTING MUSICIANS

HOW TO FINANCE YOUR DREAMS

WITHOUT SELLING YOUR SOUL

SEE ALSO OUR OTHER GUIDES Home Video Creation Guide Home Recording Guide

Modern technology and the internet have made it a very exciting time to be a musician.
It is now easier than ever to record, distribute, and gain a fan base for your music using online resources.

Where the major record labels once had all the power,
now a musician can take the control of their musical career into their own hands.

Below is a work in progress of online and technology resources for the modern musician.
These are all free unless otherwise noted.

Note: Underground Web World does not endorse and does not have any financial connection
to any of the services or products offered below.
This information is presented purely as a service to our readers.

FUNDRAISING SITES

If you can build up a fan base interested in your work, they may also be interested in funding your work.

GoFundMe

Patreon

Indiegogo
Kickstarter

Here are some sites specifically focused on music industry

BeatBread (official site)

Indify (official site)

Cash App Studios (official site)

A New Crop Of Funders Are Helping Indie Artists Take Off On Their Own Terms (Billboard, 10-25-21)

Need Investors for Your Indie Project? How Indify Helps Break DIY Artists (Billboard, 6-7-22)

BUSINESS RESOURCES

As a musician, it's essential to treat your work as a business.
Here are some business resources to get started:

Sole Proprietorship or LLC? Two things worth looking into when looking into the business aspects of your career are
Sole Proprietorships and Limited Liability Companies. Both offer different advantages and disadvantages.
These articles help define and decide what works best for you as a musician.

Information on LLC's
Information on Sole Proprietorships

LinkedIn Online business network used to connect with professionals.

DISTRIBUTION AND SALES

(Note: Some of these do require payment or percentage of royalties)

These are online services that distribute your music to customers.
No record company or warehouses of stock required, the internet is an infinite marketplace.

STREAMING SERVICES (PAID AND FREE)

Spotify
iTunes
Amazon

iHeartRadio
Pandora
Soundcloud
Tidal

SERVICES SPECIALIZING IN MUSIC SALES
FOR INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS

CD Baby
Bandcamp
TuneCore
Songcast

ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Online music communities are a great way to expand an artist's fan base.
These websites allow you to upload and stream your music,
along with supporting, communicating with, and discovering other musicians.
This is one of the most effective ways of online marketing.

Facebook
Twitter
Youtube

Reverbnation
Soundcloud

GUIDES

Indie Band Survival Guide
Tunecore guides