Practical Tips on Building a Loyal Following and Making a Living as a Musician
By Ari Herstand
Release date: December 6th, 2016
$29.95
Hardcover
Praise for How To Make It in the New Music Business:
“This is the single best book on the current music business. An absolute must-read for every musician.” -Derek Sivers, Sivers.org, founder of CD Baby
"Ari is at the front of the front. He gets it. I've read a hundred how-to-make-it-in-the-music-biz books, and this one is today's definitive, comprehensive manual." ―Jack Conte, 150+ million YouTube views, Pomplamoose, CEO of Patreon
“There is a great divide between what the young musician thinks being a rock star is and what actually working as a musician entails. Ari fills in the blanks with his light hearted yet blunt demeanor. He's the informed older brother most of us never got in this crazy, confusing industry.” -Andy Grammer, chart-topping singer/songwriter
"Incredibly valuable. Not just for musicians, but for entrepreneurs and anyone else wanting to succeed in the music business. Ari has written the ultimate guide on how to make it in the music business. Incredibly detailed yet fun to read, this is the book that generations of musicians will rely on to build their careers. One day, all these quotes will be replaced by quotes from A-list rock stars who got their start by reading this book.” - Philip Kaplan, CEO and founder of DistroKid, Fandalism
“Ari understands this space. He gives a tremendous amount of information. Anyone wanting to make music for a living should read this, period.” -Peter Hollens, 150+ million YouTube views
“How To Make It In The Music Business is the one book I wish I had when I started doing music 4 years ago. It is now the book I emphatically recommend to all my musician friends in any and every stage of their career. Ari, through his personal experience as a musician and research curated from industry experts, breaks down a myriad of topics and concepts that are crucial to independent music success. One of the best investments you can make if you are serious about your independent music career. It’s the new Bible for independent musicians.” -Gospel Lee, Billboard charting hip-hop artist
“There are few careers more difficult than being a professional musician, but How to Make It in the New Music Business will absolutely increase your chances of success. Ari Herstand is a fresh, emerging authority on a music industry that is just taking shape, and a fearless tour guide in a brand-new jungle. I highly recommend this for your music career.” -Paul Resnikoff, publisher, Digital Music News
“There are a lot of books that attempt to describe how to make and do ‘it’ in the music business. What sets Ari apart is his not only his insatiable curiosity, research and conclusions but also the fact that he is a musician that has actually done the very ‘it’ he writes about. Reading Ari’s book teaches you what the music industry actually is, not what others think it should be.” -Jeff Price, founder of TuneCore, Audiam
“No one has ever laid out a roadmap to a successful music career in today’s world as Ari has in his book. Covering things like proper etiquette when emailing promoters to getting your songs placed in film and TV, Ari expedites the sometimes tedious process of learning what it takes to be a professional musician. If you want to take your career seriously, read this book.” -Andrew Leib, artist manager
“Ari Herstand tackles the complexities of the music business in a way that any indie artist or songwriter can understand. He’s got deep sympathy for music creators who want to make a living from their art―and a ton of practical advice on how to do it.” -Etan Rosenbloom, director and deputy editor, Marketing & Communications, ASCAP
“At a time when everyone is complaining about how the music industry is not supporting artists, Ari offers hope in the form of practical, usable advice. I know that his DIY-with-a-team approach works, because he, like hundreds of others who follow a similar path, are living their dreams as working musicians.” -Bruce Houghton, Skyline Music/Hypebot.com
“Every time Ari Herstand writes about a topic in the music industry, he absolutely nails it. Plus, being a full-time musician himself, his insights are that much more valuable to aspiring artists. Couldn’t recommend this book highly enough.” -Dave Cool, director of Artist & Industry Outreach, Bandzoogle
“Ari is the first person I turn to for advice on anything music business related. It’s especially wonderful because his advice is coming from a place of actual experience. He’s living it.” -vōx, chart-topping artist
“Ari Herstand is a leader in the DIY music movement and has written the perfect recipe for success." -Patti Silverman, SF MusicTech Summit, SXSW
Forget everything you think you know about the odds of “making it” in the music industry. Today, odds mean nothing and success is not about lucky breaks. It’s about conquering social media, mastering the art of merchandising and simply working harder and being smarter than everyone else. We are living in the midst of an industry renaissance, one that has left the record companies desperately struggling to maintain their prominence, as a subculture of dedicated, DIY (do-it-yourself) musicians have taken over. These days talent is a given and success has to be earned.
In 2008, Ari Herstand boldly turned in his green Starbucks apron to his manager, determined to make a living off his craft as a singer/songwriter. Almost a decade later, he has become a founding member of the new DIY movement and a self-sustaining musician, all without the help of a major label. Now, drawing from years of experience, Herstand has written the definitive guide for other like-minded artists, the ones who want to forge their own path and not follow the traditional markers of success, like record sales, hits on the radio or the amount of your label advance. Incredibly comprehensive and brutally honest throughout, How to Make It in the New Music Business covers every facet of the "new" business, including how to:
Build a grass-roots fan base―and understand the modern fan
Book a profitable tour, and tips for playing live, such as opening vs. headlining etiquette, and putting on a memorable show
Become popular on YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud
Get songs placed in film and television
Earn royalties you didn’t know existed and reach your crowdfunding goals
Musicians will not only be introduced to all the tools available today but will be shown how to effectively leverage them to actually make money. More important, they will develop the mindset to be aware of new advancements both online and in the real world and always stay in tune with a constantly evolving landscape.
There has never been a better time to be an independent musician. Today, fans can communicate with their idols by simply picking up their phones, artists are able to produce studio-worthy content from their basement and albums are funded not by "record men" but by generous, engaged supporters. As result,How to Make It in the New Music Business is a must-have guide for anyone hoping to navigate the increasingly complex yet advantageous landscape that is the modern music industry.
Foreword by Derek Sivers:
SINCE THE 1980S, I’VE READ EVERY PUBLISHED BOOK ABOUT THE MUSIC business. Every single one. And there have been some good ones. But never before have I seen one book that sums it up so perfectly and
helpfully as Ari Herstand’s How to Make It in the New Music Business. It’s so brilliant I feel like doing personal house calls to every musician on earth to make sure they read it.
Now let’s clarify a term: The music business is different than the musician business. The music business is covered by Billboard magazine, and talks about label executives moving from Warner to EMI, or this year’s top-grossing stadium tours by classic rock acts from the 1970s. You don’t care about that. The musician business is how you make a successful living from your music. That’s what you care about.
Even the better music business books are usually written by consultants, executives, lawyers and journalists. Well intentioned, but missing one crucial thing: knowing what it’s like to be you—to pour your soul into a song, the terrifying excitement of uploading it for the world to hear, the disgusting discomfort of self-promotion, the devastating disappointment of an indifferent world.
Ah, but Ari gets it. He’s you. He’s out there promoting his own music right now. He’s sharing lessons he learned firsthand. (And lucky for you, he’s keeping this book focused on you and your success, not his.)
They say the best teacher is someone who’s just learned it themselves, because they still remember what it’s like to not know, and how to explain it in a way that gets you from here to there.
I’ve never met Ari and I’ve never even heard his music, but I’m a superfan of what he’s done on ArisTake.com and now this book. Because I’m a superfan of musicians getting successful, and I think this book is the best in the world right now at helping you do that.
Ari Herstand Bio:
Most musicians now know Ari Herstand (pronounced Ar*ee Her*stand) as the guy who has helped them fly with their instruments, book national tours, get songs placed on TV and make more money with their music career - without the help of a label. Herstand’s music business advice blog, Ari’s Take, was nominated by the LA Weekly as the best music blog in Los Angeles and has become a go-to resource for DIY musicians worldwide.
He will be releasing the preeminent book on the new music industry entitled, How To Make it In The New Music Business (Norton/Liveright Publishing), December 2016.
Ari Herstand is a DIY musician who has played over 600 shows around the country, has opened for or toured with Ben Folds, Cake, Matt Nathanson, The Milk Carton Kids and Ron Pope, has performed on Ellen, and has had his music featured in countless TV shows, commercials and films. He currently fronts the funk band Brassroots District and is a member of the acoustic trio Young Canyon.
Herstand is a staff writer for Digital Music News and has also written for many of the top musician trade magazines and websites including Music Connection Magazine, American Songwriter, Playback Magazine, CD Baby, Tunecore, Reverbnation, Roland, Discmakers, ASCAP, Hypebot and others. He has been a featured speaker at SF MusicTech, SXSW, ASCAP Music Expo, CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference and in music business classrooms worldwide.
As an actor, he has co-starred in TV shows including Transparent, Aquarius, Mad Men, 2 Broke Girls, The Fosters, Sam & Cat and Touch.
