Introducing Indyish’s New Biz-Savvy Columnists

My mom has always told me: « do what you love and the money will follow. » Although it may seem like unusual parental advice, this line has served me well in terms of keeping my priorities straight. I’ve found that the artists in this network – and Indyish itself – share my philosophy, and one of the Indyish’s goals is to help make it a reality.

That said, there’s obviously more to it than plucking away and waiting for a lucky break. That’s why Indyish is launching the IndieBiz blog column, bringing together three experts who will offer guidance and resources to help our members maneuver the business side of the independent artist’s life.

We’re really excited to introduce this trio of creative and biz-savvy folks:

Dave Cool is the founder of Stand Alone Records, a label (or as he describes it an anti-label) founded on the tenet that artists don’t need to get signed to have a successful career. Last year he produced What Is Indie? a documentary that sheds some light on that elusive term through interviews with artists and experts in the indie music world.

Stand Alone Records offers artists coaching and tools to help them get in command of their careers, create business plans, release and market albums, manage projects, and write grant applications.

Nadine Benny and Natalie Riviere met at the John Molson School of Business and founded Mess.Montreal to help independent artists develop good business sense and to foster links between artists and industry players. They aim to empower artists by offering them services and guidance in terms of marketing, promotion, PR, event planning, translation, media relations, funding and more.

Beyond their involvement in Mess.Montreal, both Nadine and Natalie have worked with in all kinds of industry niches: advertising, artist management, event planning, on-line marketing booking, PR, makeup and so on, so they have all kinds of insights into how the industry cogs fit together and how indie artists can get them cranking. They will write a feature called In.Sight, to highlight examples of good and bad behaviour that they encounter among artists and industry types alike.

Dave, Nadine and Natalie will be contributing their insights to the blog on an about-weekly basis. You can find all their posts under the tag IndieBiz. As this column develops, please feel free to use the comments section to let us know if the info is useful and share your experience with the network.

Got expertise? If you have relevant experience in the indie arts business and would like to contribute to the IndieBiz column, please contact: editors at Indyish dot com.