How to sell merch as an independent musician without breaking the bank
How to sell merch as an independent musician without breaking the bank

Struggling to afford merch as an independent musician? Printful's on-demand printing lets you create custom t-shirts, phone cases, and more for your fans - without upfront costs! Learn how to design, sell, and profit from merch that fuels your music career.

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Musician GuideMatt DerdaMusician merch, print on demand, sell merch without breaking the bank, independent musician guide, independent musicians, musicians guide, musician guide, band merch, canva, printful, squarespace, shipify, affiliaten, affiliate, printful affiliate, easy band merch
Indie music stream teams hurt more than they help
Indie music stream teams hurt more than they help

As an independent musician, it can be tempting to join stream teams to grow your plays and make some easy revenue. For those that don’t know, stream teams are when someone puts a bunch of indie artists on a playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music and they all stream it often to drive up their plays. However, it's important to understand that participating in these teams can do more harm than good. Here’s some reasons why this can be harmful and some ways that might be a better approach to getting plays.

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Matt DerdaIndie Music Marketing, Indie Music Guidance, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Streaming Music, Indie Artist Help, Indie Music, Indie Music Playlists, The Replacements, Paul Westerberg, The Vandoliers, Shovels & Rope, Shovels and Rope, Folk Rock, Drive-by Truckers, Beyonce, The Beatles, Stream Teams, Stream Teams hurt, Spotify plays, Spotify Platlists
Music Eddie Vedder Taught Me - Part 1
Music Eddie Vedder Taught Me - Part 1

A lot of my musical influences have been introduced to me by Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam. Here’s some of the artists I have learned from EV & PJ with some examples for your listening pleasure.

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Matt DerdaMusic Eddie Vedder Taught Me, Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam, Crowded House, Neil Finn, Split Enz, Cat Power, Chan Marhsall, Dead Moon, Fred Cole, Touring Band 2000, Pearl Jam stories, Eddie Vedder stories, Shawn Kemp, Seattle SuperSonics, Grunge, Grunge Music
New single 'Moonshine' available on all streaming platforms
New single 'Moonshine' available on all streaming platforms

Moonshine is a Southern Rock anthem that tells the story of a bootlegger from Eastern Kentucky driving fast, breaking the law and risking it all. Hard hitting guitar riffs and emotional vocal melodies make this song a barn burner and crowd favorite. The song is best described as a combination of Southern roots and blue collar Chicago grit. In other words, it's like bourbon and Old Style.

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Matt DerdaAmericana song, Americana music, southern rock music, new music release, Moonshine, alt country, outlaw country, outlaw country artist, indie music, chicago bands, chicago music scene, queer eye, joey greene, Folk Rock, old style, bourbon, Bourbon and Old Style, bootlegger, kentucky, spotify, bandcamp, apple music, amazon music, youtube, hard hitting guitar riffsComment
Law Office Pub 9/24 with Nick Leet, Jeremy Porter and the Embryos
Law Office Pub 9/24 with Nick Leet, Jeremy Porter and the Embryos

We’re playing an incredible show with Nick Leet of High On Stress, Jeremy Porter and The Embryos at Law Office Pub on Friday, September 24 in Yorkville, IL.

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Matt DerdaHigh On Stress, Jeremy Porter and the Tucos, The Replacements, thehighwatts, The Embryos, Nick Leet, Figure Eight Podcast, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Local H, Soul Asylum, Minneapolis Bands, Chicago Bands, Law Office Pub, Yorkville, Paul Westerberg, Chicago Musicians, Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price, Folk Rock, New West, Peter Jesperson