The NoteSpire Music Artist Impact Archive

It’s been a minute, but the Artist Impact Podcast is back - and this time, hosts Nate Miller and Paul Gibbs are here with something BIG! In this episode, Nate and Paul introduce the Artist Amplifier Community, a brand-new space created to help Christian indie artists grow their reach, strengthen their faith, and find real support along the journey. They share the heart behind this new initiative,...

Success. We all hope for it. We all aspire to achieve it in some fashion. But what does it mean to become a successful independent musician? And how do we get there?  Welcome to a new series of episodes as we unpack these concepts, questions, and yes, some helpful answers along the way, as we dive into this fascinating yet elusive topic we all call "Success". 

Cassettes are back? From its meteoric rise in 1963, surpassing the popularity and portability of vinyl, to its eventual demise at the hands of the mighty CD, the little audio cassette has had an interesting and historical impact on the music industry. Suddenly, after all these years, there's a steady and undeniable resurgence in popularity of this once great listening format. Believe it or not, ca...

This episode features singer and recording artist Dennise Nichole Dittman talking about her musical journey from a young girl singing in churches to a 16-year career as an opera singer to her current work as a Christian musician. Along the way, she discusses how performing music has changed over the years and how she finally found fulfillment after leaving secular music for a Christian music minis...

Technology has truly leveled the playing field for the independent artist. What used to be costly, time-consuming, and difficult (recording your own music) is now largely accessible to the masses. But if you've spent time, energy, and money on recording, producing, mixing, mastering, and distributing your music and still feel like you're not getting the results, or the response, you had hoped for,...

Being a DIY musician with a DAY job can be challenging. Balancing work life, family, bills, and a whole host of other responsibilities can make it tough to pursue your musical career. In this episode we discuss some practical tips for juggling all of those challenges without sacrificing your dreams. 

With over 2.35 billion users and counting, Instagram is one of the premiere social media platforms for independent musicians to engage with fans, connect with fellow musicians, and promote their music around the world. Whether your brand new to the platform or have been using it for a while, let's dive into some of the key features and benefits of this powerful tool for musicians. 

We're back with some more social media tips for independent artists! Check out Episode #66 for the first part of this discussion and follow along here to learn how you can take more simple, yet effective steps to jump start or improve your online presence and reach. 

We've all been there. We have a brand-new song or album ready for release and we can't wait to share it with the whole wide world. But then, once it's out there, suddenly we get hit with a sinking feeling. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's depression. Maybe it's a combination of things. But the feelings are real and seem to hit every one of us at some point in our careers. What causes these "post-produc...

While the quantity and types of songs you choose to perform may vary from venue to venue, spending just a little bit of time beforehand to select just the right songs and the appropriate order can go a long way towards ensuring your success as an independent Christian musician. In today's competitive music landscape, taking the time to think through your set first can elevate your live performance...

We all know social media is an important tool for promoting ourselves as musicians these days. But how do we make the most of these digital platforms and what can we do right now to improve our artistic brands online? Explore that subject with us on this episode of the Artist Impact podcast. 

It's a new year. 2024! And along with it comes the opportunity for massive potential growth for us as musicians and artists. But successful growth doesn't happen by accident. It takes serious and intentional dedication to our craft and ourselves. Let's talk about some real, concrete strategies to help you set smart and achievable goals this calendar year. It's a worthwhile journey. Let's dive in! 

On this episode host Paul Gibbs talks about Christmas songs, public domain, choosing songs to put on your next project, and some fun facts and trivia about some of the wonderful songs that are such a huge part of our Christmas season!

For many of us it's a constant struggle and source of frustration. Trying to balance and make time for two probably very different, but very important things in our lives. Music and The Day Job. Both are "have to's", but maybe for different reasons. We have to work to pay the bills. We have to make music because, well, we just have to. We can't not do it.  In this episode we explore some ways to t...

Everyone's a critic. And if you've been at this business for any length of time, you know this firsthand. Anytime you put yourself out there, or your art, you open yourself up to the real potential for criticism, whether it's constructive or not. But this shouldn't stop us from expressing ourselves or sharing the important things we've been inspired to create. So, how do we handle real criticism a...

Memorizing your music can free you up from being tied to a chart or score, encourage fluidity in your playing and performance, lead to greater and more natural improvisation, and give you a general boost in confidence. So, why don't we all do it? And how can we get better at memorizing our music? Let's discuss this interesting subject on this episode of the Artist Impact podcast. 

To Cover Or Not To Cover - That Is The Question! Or, do both? There's no wrong answer to the question of whether to include other people's songs in your repertoire, but whatever you choose, there are things to consider.  Cover songs can really help you connect with a larger, wider audience. And there have been cover songs that have "out shined" the originals, like "Twist And Shout" (Beatles, '63,...

Are you struggling to stay motivated and inspired as an independent Christian musician or artist? All of us, as creatives, go through dry spells, from time to time, where just can't seem to keep moving forward. What do we do in those instances? And, are there any practical steps we can take to stay the course as we seek to grow in the development and use of our God-given musical talents? Let's dis...

As musicians, we want our songs to be, well, perfect. And we start out feeling great about the music - the lyrics are meaningful, the arrangement is awesome, the instrumentation is spot on. But somewhere along the way, the good feeling starts to fade. The newness wears off. It just doesn't sound as good as it did when we started.  And we starting thinking about it.  And thinking about it some more...

"​The Josie Music Awards is the premiere music event within the independent music industry, recognizing and celebrating excellence globally.  The JMAs honor exceptional talent, hard work, growth, and outstanding bodies of work, and contributions to those who inspire us, encourage us, and shape the culture of the global independent music industry." In this special Episode of the NoteSpire Music Art...

BMI (or Broadcast Music, Inc.) moves to a for-profit business model for the first time since their founding in 1939 and the music industry is abuzz with responses, both positive and not so positive, from industry leaders, such as ASCAP, as well as the very song-writers and publishers registered to the popular U.S. PRO. What does this mean to the artists and creators who are members of BMI and what...

We all have things in our lives that we "could do", "should do", or "want to do". But the things that take priority and usually get done, are the things we "have to" do. But unfortunately for many music artists, their music doesn't fall into that category. Which may be why you aren't reaching your goals (if you have any goals) or making progress in your music career. Do you have to make music? Or...

Feeling stuck in your music career? Can't get our of the rut you're in? Especially in music, it's easy to get to a place where our creativity just seems to dry up and we lose the energy and motivation to keep going. But there's good news - it's not about you! (we know, you've heard that before!) It's not even about your music!  In this episode, we discuss ways we can get out of our rut by focusing...

So, you've written a well-crafted song, there's no mistakes and no room for improvement, but it still doesn't hit. Why? In this episode, we discuss the number one mistake most artists and writers make. We give highlights from this year's 2023 BMI Christian Music Awards. And there's more Christian music trivia!  2023 BMI Christian Awards (bmi-doc-prod-bmidotcom.azurewebsites.net)  

How do I write a Hit Song? Is there a sure-fire way to guarantee success? And, if not, what are the steps can I take to ensure the best chances of success with my musical creations? All this and more, including Christian music trivia and a review of the NEXG2 Smart Audio Loop Guitar by Enya Music, on this episode of the Artist Impact Podcast!