Last week, I had the opportunity to interview KeV Atomic, the lead for the band Atomic Honey. Here at Amused Now headquarters, we were super excited, because we’ve been following Atomic Honey for the last year and a half. The band has released a wide range of music, which is why they appeal to a wide audience.  With David Bowie is a major influence, how can they go wrong? Always busy producing new songs, Atomic Honey recently released a new album called “Operation: Moondust” and a new EP called “Just Press Play.” KeV is a big literature fan. He describes “Operation: Moondust” as a mellow journey, where they convey stories through songwriting. After the album released, they made “Just Press Play” for their hard rock fans. We asked KeV how he gets his message out to his fans. Twitter is his social media vehicle of choice. He likes that Twitter allows for open dialog. According to KeV, Twitter is “like a never-ending interview.” He does not like Facebook, because he feels it is not setup well for responding to posts. KeV believes the standards for artists have changed. It’s a lot more than just making music. Fans expect to interact with their favorite artists. KeV uses Twitmusic to post songs for his most dedicated fans. These may be concept songs that never make it into an album. He uses Twitmusic to “let people know where we’re at musically at any given time” and to keep people interested between albums. Atomic Honey has albums on iTunes, Amazon, ReverbNation and CD Baby. KeV doesn’t recommend one site over any other. His idea is to “flood the internet, then roll with as much music as you can.” He sees a lot of artists trying to promote the...

Damien Cripps, Indie musician, has the heart of a poet, the soul of a musician and the mind of a lawyer. He is all three ~ I was delighted to discover in our interview this Saturday. We are social media buddies going way back. We hadn’t Skyped in a long while, neither had I seen him online until lately. So he surprised me with the lawyer part! He took a hiatus from his online time, kept up his music and went to law school. He’s now moonlighting as a lawyer during the day and playing his music in the evenings and on weekends. That sounds like Damien. His passion is and always will be his music. We talked about a conversation we had a few years back about Indie musicians and I asked him how they had changed the face of the music business. He explained that Indie musicians had not changed so very much, but the internet changed everything. Suddenly, the Indie musician’s voice became much louder in the mix. He is”noisier” as Damien put it and not to be ignored. There is more music out there, and the large bands with the big names are forced to go out on tour. The audiences win out all the way. There is more music, but often musicians give their music away for free. We talked about Amused Now and our plans to make it easier for musicians to be paid online for their music and to gain exposure. The power of the business, Damien maintains, is always the music and it will find a way. Even with Social Media and the tremendous tools it gives the musician to get the word out, the music is the ultimate engager, not the friendly persona of the...

Is there anything fun about being a starving artist? Not really. If truth be told, maybe you’re not starving, but I bet entertainment is not your full-time gig. You’ve probably tried lots of ways to get noticed in hopes of being discovered.  Hopefully, you’ve made some money along the way, so you can keep investing in your creative future. Here are some suggestions to help turn free into paid: 1. Tell your fans how they can help A website is the best way to communicate with your fans, and you can customize it with information that jumpstarts your career. If you cannot afford your own website, take advantage of what’s free, build a business Facebook page or Word Press blog. Make sure your website tells your fans how they can pay to support you by including: Schedule of your upcoming gigs and personal appearances. Links to your paid content, where you sell your music, books, films and fan gear. If you are a member of multiple projects, include links to those sites too. The best way to contact you for paying gigs and appearances or to buy more content. At minimum, include an email address. 2. Lead fans to your paid content Turn free into paid. Research popular websites that specialize in selling your type of entertainment, be it music, books or films. Choose a site that you can afford. Keep the content fresh. Now link your free content to your paid content. At minimum, free content should link to your website which links to your paid content. 3. Get  their contact information Never miss an opportunity to get your fan’s contact information. Sign up for an email service like Mail Chimp or Constant Contact. Your website you ask your fans to join your email list. Take...

Welcome to the Amused Now Blog, the first step in my online journey to help artists make a living doing what they love. The world is full of talented artists. I want to provide the opportunity for talented artists to sell their art for profit, so the world has the opportunity to experience their creations. I understand. I create fine art and I live with a family of musicians. My husband is a world-class singer and electric bass player. My son plays bass violin in the oldest youth orchestra in the United States. I’m working to change the paradigm that expects artists to give away their art for free in hopes of becoming famous at some unknown future date. The internet provides an excellent method for artists to take the control of their destiny, distribute their artwork and promote themselves. Later this year, I plan to soft-launch the Amused Now marketplace: Storefronts for distributing digital entertainment, starting with music, films and eBooks. Pricing that allows independent artists to recoup their production expenses. Talent scouts that spotlight exceptional talent through hosted videos (imagine YouTube meets MTV). This Amused Now Blog is about artists helping artists with business and promotional advice. I plan to outline tips and techniques that help turn hobbies and dreams into profitable businesses. Our audience and fans will support us if we offer them the opportunity. Join me on this exciting journey: Spread the word to other artists. Participate and leave comments. Share your knowledge by offering to guest blog. As more artists make it on their own, it paves the way for even more artists to make it too. How cool is that? Cynthia Kahn @Amused_Now YouTube Facebook...