Let me start from the beginnin', at the top of the list

For many independent rappers, the actual administrative side of the music business can be a lot harder to appreciate and understand than the music side of things. 

For many independent hip hop artists today, the concept of getting involved with a major record label is steadily losing its appeal.

Whether you’re an independent artist grinding it out on your own or a rapper signed to a major label, it’s absolutely important that you understand what a 360 record deal entails. 

For any independent hip-hop artist trying to strike out there on their own, the differences between success and failure can be rather slim.

It’s the question all hip-hop artists ask themselves when they’re breaking into the rap game – should I stay independent or sign to a major label?

You might have noticed over the last few years that there has been a continually growing number of independent artists making good money by using YouTube as their primary source of income. 

In an era where music income from CD sales (29%) and digital download sales (34%) are declining and streaming sales (34%) are increasing, it is crucial that an independent artist covers all their bases.

As any independent hip-hop artist (or major one for that matter) would know, setting up strong distribution channels for your music is absolutely fundamental to success in the indie rap game.  In between creating the music and promoting the music…

One of the most important aspects of being an independent hip-hop artist is being able to leverage all the tools and resources you have to their maximum potential in promoting yourself.

Pandora has been around for ages, and for any independent hip-hop artist it’s probably been on your to-do list now for quite some time.

You may a few years ago that Dr. Dre recently became the richest hip hop artist in the world after Apple acquired Beats Electronics for US$3.2 billion. With this sale, Dre effectively cemented his legacy as the most successful hip-hop…

Whether you’re an independent or major label artist, one thing is clear: getting your music on Spotify is an absolute priority.

So you have Facebook fan page. That’s great, fantastic. You’ve got your own YouTube channel where you upload all your music videos. Congratulations. You also post on Twitter, stunt on Instagram, stream on SoundCloud and do all this other great stuff…

For many years, YouTube has been a hugely important part of the music industry as it finally provided independent artists across the world with a chance to advertise themselves shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the biggest artists in their…

For any artist today, one of the most important features that you can have is a quality Spotify profile. Spotify for Artists makes it very easy for you to set this all up, but you then need to…

As an independent rapper or producer trying to promote your music and brand online, you probably have a pretty good idea on which social networks you need to be on – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. 

As we’ve talked about time and time again, touring is the single most important revenue channel for all independent hip-hop artists grinding today. Take a look at the top indie rappers in the game today – from veterans…

As we’ve said many times before, if you’re an independent hip-hop artist grinding it out by yourself, chances are you won’t be making much money from pure music sales – downloads, streaming or otherwise.

For independent hip-hop artists, one of the most important things you need to do is learn how to plan a tour. Launching a successful tour depends on thorough preparation and maximising every opportunity you have to leave a…

True artists stand the test of time and are consistent in everything they do – dropping quality content, touring, engaging with fans – it’s what separates the successful independent artists from the rest of the pack.

For most independent artists busy with creating music and getting it out there in front of people, copyright is an underrated aspect of the rap game that tends to get severely neglected. 

As an independent artist, you’ve already got plenty of things to worry about: building your fanbase, expanding your brand, promoting your music (after you create it of course) and then hitting the road to go tour.

As independent hip hop artists grinding hard on your music, having a steady source of income can make the difference between success and failure.

For any musician, being able to make a living from their talent is one of the most important and desirable goals they can achieve. For an independent hip hop artist, though, the challenges to make that happen can…

The independent route is a tough, long grind, no doubt about it. Ask any independent artist going through their journey right now.

As independent hip-hop artists grinding with no label money backing you and limited resources; you need to be super efficient when it comes to promoting your music and brand independently. 

One of the biggest problems independent hip hop artists have always faced is the lack of steady cash flow.

As independent artists working hard on making music, it’s easy to neglect other integral aspects that will lead to your success such as marketing your music, promoting your brand, networking with the right people and plenty more. One…

When you are first starting out and trying to make your name as an independent hip hop artist you will find that the burden of doing it all on your own can quickly become apparent.

As an independent artist you are constantly relying on other people to back you up and give you the support that you need in terms of taking on the stuff that you can’t handle yourself.

For plenty of independent hip hop artists out there, the whole online and digital world can be a bit overwhelming. 

As an independent hip hop artist grinding hard, there are plenty of things for you to focus on – whether it’s engaging with your fans online, worrying that your music publishing is straight, trying to book your own live shows; there’s just…

For any independent artists out there, one of the most confusing parts of being in the music business today is likely to be the radio promotion side of things. How important is it for an independent artist to…

For independent hip hop artists, one of the constant pains of your career will be getting consistent cash flow. You’re not a major label artist so you won’t have the benefits of having a corporation backing you with…

In music, one of the most important parts of an artists’ successes – or failures – stems from brand identity. The artists who tend to have fleeting levels of success are those who deviate from the people who…

There is no doubt in my mind that we’re in the golden age of independent music. No longer does an artist need to drop a hot single and sell half a million records to be successful.

In the world of independent hip-hop, there’s a tendency to believe that independence is literal. Everyone who works within the industry should fully understand and appreciate that you don’t need to do everything yourself.

Without doubt, one of the most challenging parts of modern music is the legal side of things.

With the rise of digital platforms, streaming services, easy access to music production tools, music business knowledgeand global connectivity, independent artists have more power now than ever to create music they love, build a fanbase around the world and…

As independent artists, you’re in danger of constantly comparing yourself with artists on major labels with millions of dollars behind them, funding professional studios, marketing budgets, radio placements, promotion on Spotify playlistsand plenty more initiatives.