Daylle’s New Adventure: I’ve wanted to add to this blog all week but have been too busy on my Indie Music National Book Tour. From September through November 21st I’ll be driving across the country and back to educate musicians about how to empower themselves, with many things they can do to develop their careers.

Since I wrote the first editions of The Real Deal: How to Get Signed to a Record Label and Start & Run Your Own Record Label, both published by Billboard Books, the music industry has changed dramatically. That’s why I rewrote the updated editions of each almost from scratch.

In my new book, I Don’t Need a Record Deal! Your Survival Guide for the Indie Music Revolution, my recommendation is to stop chasing deals and put all your energy into finding ways to make money through music. Record labels no longer do artist development. Talent is often secondary to the potential of the artist to sell records. Artists who develop a musical career independently will be in a much better position to attract a record deal that will advance their careers. Or, they may end up preferring to continue cultivating the DIY ethic and do it themselves.

I’m not against record deals. I am against being desperate for one, and, accepting a bad deal because it’s better than nothing. In my research, I discovered many opportunities for making money from musical talent. Isn’t making a musical income better than waiting for someone to give you a career? It is VERY possible to earn a full time living from music. I’ve talked to enough musicians who are doing it to know that it can be done. It begins with polishing your talent and a accepting that you’ll have to work hard.

People ask me what does *indie* mean? I include all music, no matter what the genre, that’s being marketed independently. Whether you’re doing rock, jazz, hip hop, classical and everything in between, you’re an indie if you’re unsigned and developing your career.

I refer to the indie music revolution because artists are waking up to the fact that they don’t need a record deal to have a career. Actually, indie artists have a better chance of developing a career that sustains long term than if they put their careers into the hands of record labels. The Internet has helped to level the playing field. Another big factor is that music lovers are noticing that some of the best music comes from indie artists so the market is growing. So there are more opportunities than ever before. The next post will chronicle the 3-month Indie Music National Book Tour that I'm currently making.