Top music consultant Shaun Letang has very helpfully compiled a list of the best tools for musicians. Of course it is up to you to choose the methods which suit your band most, depending on what stage your musical career is at.
You can read the full article here, or check out the vital tools from the key categories below:
General Tools
- Computer/laptop. It may sound obvious, but it’s a crucial tool for the business side of your music career, and for recordings when you don't have access to a studio.
- Good internet connection. There’s no point having a computer if you can’t reach anyone on it.
- Smartphone. Functioning as a mini computer, a smartphone is an ideal way of giving fans the very latest information and cool pictures to keep them engaged and interested.
- Odesk. An online database of freelancers to help you with things like artwork or production.
Songwriting tools
- A notepad is essential.
- Smartphones and tablets are also good. You can get lyric writing apps, and you can also make small recordings of ideas to be worked on later.
Music Production equipment
- A computer with music production software (DAW) is crucial. See our post on DAWs for more info on good music production software.
- A condensor mic is also a very good idea!
Marketing tools
- A professional website. This provides a central channel for fans to access all your other social media profiles, videos, and of course your store!
- Hootsuite. A useful social media management tool, with both free and paid options.
- Aweber. An email marketing tool which helps you contact your mailing lists and website visitors efficiently.
- Social media accounts. As every musician knows, there’s a lot of power in Facebook, Twitter (check out Tweet For A Track and Tweet Adder) and YouTube! SoundCloud is also very useful.
Equipment for making music videos
1. Video equipment: camcorder, editing software, green screen.
Music distribution
1. There are many companies which offer this service. For more info on our distribution, click here.
Artwork
1. Companies like Odesk or 99 designs are recommended by Shaun Letang. Make sure that the images you use are professional, unpixelated, and reflect your music and the image you want to portray.
All of these tools can help to get you started, or give you a boost if you are not sure how to progress with your musical career. Feel free to share your own tips and user experiences with us!
