Most indie bands would love to be able to add a passive revenue stream to their work. Why not do that with your old music? As a fan of indie music, I occasionally get frustrated when I come across an accomplished indie band, and I can’t find anything but their current material available. I always try to get a feel…

Here are a few sample tax and legal issues that indie bands in the US will have to worry about, and where you can find more information: Taxes – If you make any money at all from your music (payments for gigs, CD sales, merch sales, etc.), you’re required to report the income to the IRS, no matter how small…

In this week’s article, I’d like to continue discussing taxes as they apply to indie musicians. Last week I talked about the US self-employment tax. This week, it’s tax deductions. You should review the following list of possible tax deductions for musicians (in the US), and decide if itemizing your deductions and including them will save you more money than…

If you’ve read any of the past music industry articles on The Indie Files, you’ve likely heard me say time and time again that if you’re trying to make money as an indie musician or band, you’re most likely legally in business (whether you intend to be or not). Being in business has its benefits (like bigger tax deductions for…

When you work as a solo musician, or in a band, and you’re trying to make money, you’re essentially working as a freelancer. So, is that freelance work (your music) a business or a hobby in the eyes of the IRS? Either way, your income is still supposed to be reported to the IRS, but having your music classified as…

Follow these 7 simple steps to set your band apart from all of the other indie acts around: 1. Pass out business cards. – Get band business cards printed professionally, NOT the print-at-home variety! Make them colorful, eye-catching, and include important information, like a contact name and phone number, the band’s name, logo and preferably location, an e-mail address, and…

Consider these 5 places when deciding where to sell your music online: Your Band’s Website There’s no better place to sell your music than on your own web site, simply because you’ll have a higher profit margin and keep traffic on your site longer. CDBaby.com CDBaby is one of the most popular methods for indie artists to release their work…

Most musicians are aware of the best web sites, magazines and other traditional resources for musicians. But there’s a lot more out there! Here are some worthwhile resources you may not know about: Media Directories – Media Directories are used by PR and Marketing professionals on a regular basis, but many bands don’t even know they exist! By using them,…

It’s every musician’s dream to be able to quit working 9 to 5, quit answering to someone else, and to finally make some “real” money with their music. Most of these musicians tend to think of themselves as artists first and professionals second. With that mentality, it’s no wonder most never make it in the music business – key word…