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Watching Music Biz On YouTube Can Help Your Career [Video]

It’s no secret that succeeding in entertainment is difficult for everyone regardless of their goals, but Music Biz is here to help.

Do you dream of performing on stage for sold-out audiences or helping up and coming musicians get their shot at fame? If so, then you probably know how difficult it is to achieve your goals. We can’t make your fantasies a reality, and nobody who claims they can are worthy of your trust. However, we are firm believers in our ability to provide you with the tools and information you need to become a working industry professional. Our YouTube channel, Music Biz, simplifies the complex entertainment industry with weekly videos to help you navigate and understand the business of music. 

You may be thinking, “Who do these people think they are? How do I know that they have any knowledge of the industry, let alone advice for people like me?”

These are great questions. Many people promote books, workshops, conferences, and other so-called “learning opportunities” that are trying to make money with the promise of making your dreams come true. The fact you want to know more about us before listening to our advice shows you’re more discerning than the average dreamer, which is a necessary skill to have if you want to succeed in music.

In the simplest terms, the Music Biz team is a group of career music professionals who have worked in many business areas. We are experienced musicians, publicists, managers, tour assistants, journalists, venue owners, label owners, promotions experts, and tech workers. We have more than four decades of combined experience, and we’re making our knowledge available to you, our audience, for free.

We hope you’ll subscribe to our channel. If you’re still on the fence, please allow Music Biz host James Shotwell to tell you more about his journey in the entertainment industry:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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Inside Music Podcast #177: Scotter Ward (Cold)

After nearly a decade away, Scooter Ward and Cold are back with their most personal album to date.

Scooter Ward has spent the better part of three decades making music that has changed the lives of countless rock fans around the world. He has topped rock charts around the world, toured everywhere you can name, and influenced a generation of musicians to share their truth with unflinching honesty.

In recent years, however, Ward and Cold retreated from the spotlight to spend more time with family when it mattered most. Having long drawn from his life, he knew he needed time to live before he could create again. Through that experience, he gained a new perspective on life, and that only fueled his passion for music.

Now, Ward is back in the rock spotlight for the first new Cold album in eight years. The band is tighter than ever, and Ward credits the growth the group has experienced to the lessons learned during his time away from the road. In this episode of Inside Music, Scooter recounts why he had to go home, and how the events that transpired there pushed him to create perhaps his most powerful record to date. He also shares his recent experiences in the mountains of Pennsylvania where Cold is hard at work preparing for their long-awaited US headlining tour.

Cold’s new album, The Things We Can’t Stop, arrives September 13.

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Industry News News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #174: Bad Wolves (Tommy Vext)

Bad Wolves frontman Tommy Vext stops by Inside Music to discuss his career in music and much more.

Tommy Vext is no stranger to the world of music. A twenty-year veteran to touring and recording, Tommy reached a new level of success in 2018 when his band, Bad Wolves, topped charts around the world with a cover of The Cranberries’ hit song, “Zombie.” The exposure, coupled with a relentless touring schedule opening for some of rock’s biggest names, has given Bad Wolves a lot of attention in a relatively small amount of time. The band is gearing up to release their Sophomore record this fall, but expectations are already high, and they’re likely to rise further before the album arrives in October.

But how Tommy find himself in this position? How did a former fan and venue security guard reach the heights of rock and roll success with only one album? And furthermore, where will he go from here?

On this episode of Inside Music, Tommy Vext sits down with host James Shotwell hours before taking the stage in West Michigan to share his journey in entertainment. Tommy tells James about his early singing career, his time as a security guard at the iconic Key Club in Los Angeles, and how he found himself helping other musicians live a sober lifestyle. The pair also discuss Bad Wolves’ new record, Bad Wolves Nation, and the expectations the band has for their future in rock.

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Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #162: Who is this guy?

Host James Shotwell shares his origin story in this unique, solo episode of Inside Music.

Everyone starts somewhere. A select few are born into the world with a clear path to the entertainment industry, but most begin at rock bottom with nothing to lose and no idea how to get ahead. That was the case for Inside Music host James Shotwell, who has been working in music for the better part of the last decade. James hails from a tiny town in the Midwest well over an hour from the nearest city, but through years of work and focused effort he found a place in entertainment to call his own.

Beginning when he was fourteen, James Shotwell pursued work in the music business with reckless abandon. He played in bands, booked shows, promoted record labels, and constantly drove his parents crazy through his obsession with alternative music. When he reached college, James pursued his work further, launching a website and participating in college radio. He may not have been the best student, but he was determined to work harder than anyone he knew to get ahead.

But making it isn’t the same as having a career. James has had nearly a dozen roles in music. He’s been a talent buyer, a street team member, a radio host, an artist manager, a publicist, a tour manager, and a journalist, among other things. Each role has given him a greater understanding of how music works, and through his current job at Haulix he has been sharing the lessons learned in the industry with anyone that is willing to listen.

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell foregoes the traditional show format in hopes of giving listeners more insight into who he is and where he comes from. Over the course of twenty minutes, James recounts his career and the motivating factors that lead him to a life in entertainment. You can enjoy the program below.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/162-who-is-this-guy

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News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #157: Memphis May Fire (Matty Mullins)

Memphis May Fire is evolving in a way that challenges longtime fans, and vocalist Matty Mullins is here to tell us all about it.

It seems like everyone in alternative music that rose to prominence around 2010 is trying hard to be someone other than the person they’ve been the last decade. From labels and publicists working behind the scenes to sign talent outside their comfort zone to established artists taking their sound in new directions, anyone who wants to continue working in music is scrambling to adapt to the changing nature of the industry.

Matty Mullins has seen and experienced a lot since entering the industry in 2007. The vocalist of Memphis May Fire, Mullins and his bandmates exploded onto the metalcore circuit with a series of strong early releases that quickly gained a devoted global following, which the band has since maintained through relentless touring and recording. Their most recent efforts find the group entering the world of active rock, and as Mullins will explain on our podcast, that decision comes with a lot of unexpected challenges.

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell calls Memphis May Fire frontman Matty Mullins for a conversation on growth in the entertainment business. Mullins and his band have been road warriors for over a decade now, and all the while they have carved a unique place for themselves in the world of music. The band’s latest release, Broken, finds the group entering the world of active rock with their hearts on their sleeve. It’s a move that did not come easily for the band, but as Mullins explains, it’s what they needed, and above all, it’s what they wanted.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/157-memphis-may-fire

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Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #155: The Maine

John O’Callaghan, the vocalist for a band called The Maine, is appearing for the first time on a podcast called Inside Music.

The idea of community is at the heart of every great music career. Be it something cultivated by the artist(s) themselves or by their fans at large, having a sense of community can help give any career longevity. People love to feel as though they belong, and few bands in the alternative community have done a better job of making people feel welcome in the world than a group from Arizona known as The Maine.

For over a decade now, The Maine has been a band that straddled the line between pop and rock with sugary-sweet melodies and lyricism that isn’t afraid to address the darker side of life. Their seventh studio album, You Are OK (out March 29), is no exception. Every song on the record is bursting with hopefulness in spite of reality. It’s a collection of tracks that dare to acknowledge the mental abyss that drags down so many and demands we fight to resist its call. You Are OK is the album the world needs right now, and The Maine is the only group that could deliver it.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls The Maine vocalist John O’Callaghan to discuss his band’s latest album. John tells James about the creation of the record, as well as his band’s participation in the upcoming Sad Summer traveling music festival. From there, the conversation turns to longevity in the industry and how other artists can follow in the steps of The Maine.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/155-the-maine-john-ocallaghan

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News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #149: Demon Hunter (Ryan Clark)

Demon Hunter frontman Ryan Clark discusses music, art, and maintaining fan engagement without exhausting yourself on our latest podcast.

The number of metal bands who existed at the dawn of the millennium that continue to succeed today is smaller with each passing year. Blame it on changing trends or evolving tastes, it seems maintaining a career in the heavier career of music is a tricky proposition that only a select few ever achieve. Demon Hunter is one of the lucky ones, and today we’re going to talk about how they survived while others fell to the wayside.

Long before Patreon became the most popular way to support artists on a monthly basis, Demon Hunter was running a digital fan club. That service is still in existence today, and as Vocalist Ryan Clark explains during our latest podcast, it has played a significant role in keeping the band relevant. Demon Hunter does not tour as often as many of their peers, nor do they release new music on the standard 12-18 month album cycle. The band does what they want, when they want, and their fans support them every step of the way. 

Inside Music has always focused on the business of music and how it impacts the lives of those who commit to making a career in it, but this episode feels special. Clark and his bandmates in Demon Hunter have found a way to break from the norm while maintaining a large following that has backed the group for nearly two decades. He doesn’t reveal all the secrets to that success during our chat, but he offers enough to help others struggling to build a community out of their following get further ahead. Check it out:

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/149-demon-hunter-ryan-clark

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Demon Hunter will release two new albums, War and Peace, this March through Solid State Records. You can stream the group’s latest material below:

You can subscribe to Inside Music on iTunes, as well as all major podcast platforms.

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News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #141: Nü Echo Media PR (Cait McMahon)

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Nü Echo Media PR and Nü Sound Online founder Cait McMahon to discuss her journey through the music industry. Cait’s began her life in the Florida Keys, but a move to North Carolina at sixteen set her on a path her earlier self could have never imagined. From writing about the band’s poised for success, to becoming one of the leading publicists in alternative music, Cait has made her passion her career through hard work, confidence, and just a bit of luck.

Cait’s current roster includes the band Yung Judas, who hail from Canada with a hypnotic take on rock and roll that blends elements of 80s punk with a more modern alternative sound. The group is the first international client Cait has worked with, and their latest single leads us to believe they have big things on the horizon in 2019. Take a listen:

You can stream Cait’s appearance on Inside Music below. The conversation is a must-hear for anyone interested in music publicity or establishing a name for yourself in the music business.

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Inside Music is a show about life in the music industry. Through interviews with artists and professionals alike, we aspire to paint a vivid, honest portrait of the music business. You can find Inside Music on iTunes and Youtube, as well as all major podcast platforms.

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News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #140: FiXT Records

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell chats with FiXT Records co-founder James Rhodes about his label’s big plans for 2019. Rhodes talks about the FiXT approach to finding and recruiting talent, as well as the role FiXT plays in developing talent during an age when many argue record labels are no longer necessary. The discussion continues with talk of social media tactics, the benefits of multi-album deals versus single releases, and what trends we expect to see in the business as the year carries on.

In other news, Inside Music is now available on YouTube! Click here to stream the latest episode on our official channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes, as well as any other podcast streaming service.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/140-fixt-records-james-rhodes

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Inside Music Podcast #139: Born of Osiris (Lee McKinney)

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Lee McKinney from Born of Osiris to discuss his group’s upcoming album, The Simulation (out January 11). Lee tells James about the long road to the album’s release, as well as how the group found the themes that run throughout the record. Lee also details how Born Of Osiris has continued to thrive in an era when many claim rock is dead and offers insight into what the future may hold.

In other news, Inside Music is now available on YouTube! Click here to stream the latest episode on our official channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes, as well as any other podcast streaming service.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/139-born-of-osiris-lee-mckinney

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