BTTV BLOG

The way things have shape-shifted in the past few years leaves many to wonder what exactly makes up an true “indie” band. Not that the particular label of “indie” scores huge points or puts more green in your pocket. All the same, it’s a good question to ask as it can steer a bit of strategy helping bands to make wise decisions one what they need to do, when and where they fit in the social strata. Hypebot talks to director Dave Cool whose made a doc looking at this in detail.

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Recently, I spoke with Dave Cool, who is director and producer of the documentary film “What is INDIE? A look into the World of Independent Musicians.” In it, he chronicles the experience of being an indie artist in the music industry and strives to define and challenge the term “indie” itself. In part one of this interview segment, Cool talks about differentiating between the different levels of what it means to be an indie artist, his plans to film another documentary, and whether or not file-sharing takes artistic control away from artists, if ever, they had any at all.

Has your understanding of what it means to be “indie” changed?

Dave: You know, it’s kind of funny, after all of the work put into the film to reach the conclusion that it did, I actually don’t fully agree with it! If I were to define it myself, an indie artist is an unsigned artist, plain and simple. There are so many nuances, but if I had to define it quickly, that’s what I would say, although everyone has their own interpretation which is totally valid, as I documented in the film.

Read more @  hypebot

Hey BTTV’ers new and old!

It’s time for a crash course on how to get the most out of BTTV by hosting bands and/or getting out on tour.

Fill Out Your BTTV Profile COMPLETELY!

This is important for both Bands and Hosts. Provide as munch info as you can. Everyone needs to be able to find a little background info on each other by looking at a full profile and checking out your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or your band’s website.

There’s a big trust factor going on with BTTV, so everyone needs to chip in.

Get Local: Ask questions…

Through BTTV you can gather a ton local info that you wouldn’t get without using the site. Use this to your advantage.

Reach out to people in other cities. They may not be able to host you, but they may know a bunch about their city and music scene. Ask questions, see who knows who, find out who books what and you might just end up playing a great show to a large crowd and sell a bunch of merch that you otherwise wouldn’t have.

Grow Your Fanbase Through True Human Interaction

Touring and touring smart is great way to grow a sustainable fan base that will show up the next time you come to town. Hit the road and save money any way you can. Also use tools that are out there (Bandize, Topspin and Band Metrics) to do more with less. BTTV is just one piece in the cheap touring puzzle.

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