A couple of weeks ago I posted an article called Top 100 Music Blogs. So what’s the difference? That list focused more on actual music and reviews — geared toward music listeners. This list is for artists and industry professionals who want to stay on top of changes in the business, learn how to market their music, and discover the key players behind the scenes.

This list is not ranked by importance. It’s alphabetized for easy reference. There may be overlap with the previous list, but for the most part it’s completely different. Think of it as a music industry blog directory — the best of them.

Top 100 Music Industry Blogs

  1. AllAccess.com — One of the largest communities of radio and music industry people, built to keep both up to date. They also help major and independent labels with promotion and marketing.

  2. Andrew Dubber — Teaches music industry innovation at Birmingham City University. Director of Music Tech Fest, advisor to Bandcamp, founder of New Music Strategies, and author of books on digital music.

  3. Ari’s Take — Voted best music blog in L.A. by L.A. Weekly. Real-life experiences as a musician — Ari started the blog so he could send indie musicians to one place instead of answering the same questions repeatedly.

  4. ASCAP — The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers publishes a great blog on industry happenings, offering a backdoor view of Nashville, New York, and L.A.

  5. Austin Music Foundation — Doesn’t post often, but when they do it’s worth reading — marketing tips and panel recaps with solid advice for musicians.

  6. The Bandcamp Blog — From the platform that’s exploded as a competitor for musicians selling music online. More under-the-radar, indie-focused content.

  7. Bandzoogle — News on the changing industry and help for musicians building powerful websites.

  8. Bemuso — Great site for indie musicians with a clean layout and accessible writing.

  9. Berklee College of Music — Excellent information on networking and songwriting for new artists learning the ropes.

  10. BMI.com — Like ASCAP (both are performing rights organizations), a great way to keep up with music publishing on the ground floor.

  11. Bob Baker: Indie Music Promotion — Bob’s face pops up everywhere for a reason. Specializes in indie music promotion with genuinely useful content.

  12. Bobby Owsinski’s Big Picture — Focused on engineering and production. Even non-techy musicians benefit from understanding sound and communicating with engineers.

  13. Brash! — Keeps musicians informed on marketing techniques and what’s trending. Founded by Alexcina Brown.

  14. The Bulletproof Musician — Dr. Noa Kageyama (Juilliard and New World Symphony faculty) helps musicians with the performance side of a professional career.

  15. Buzzsonic — Adrian Fusiarski covers the international music industry, social media, and technology. Close to 50,000 page views per month.

  16. Complete Music Update — The biggest music news provider in the UK, covering industry news across all genres.

  17. Created Digital Music — Not for the digitally challenged — knobs, gadgets, and how-tos for electronic music producers and engineers.

  18. Crowdfunding for Musicians — Clyde Smith’s blog with tips and resources for crowdfunding (updated less frequently, but valuable).

  19. Cyber PR Music — Ariel Hyatt teaches creative people about PR, marketing, and social media. Founder of a successful PR firm, author, and international speaker (SXSW, CMJ, Social Media Week).

  20. The Daily Rind — Music news with daily industry highlights.

  21. Digital Cowboys — Owned by Dave Kusek, featuring a cool mini-series on the music business.

  22. Digital Music News — Music industry and technology news authority with daily snapshot emails for execs and enthusiasts.

  23. Digital Music Trends — Weekly panel-based podcast on digital music, startups, established tech companies, and marketing.

  24. Disc Makers Echoes — Tips on promotion, recording, and mastering.

  25. DIY Music Biz — (Not to be confused with DIY Musician.) Marketing, licensing, gear reviews, and everything in between for bootstrapping musicians.

  26. The DIY Musician — CD Baby’s blog with great indie tips on promotion and indie life.

  27. Dotted Music — Written by artists for artists, covering the digital era and helping your brand stand out.

  28. Evolver.Fm — Follows and analyzes the evolving music app world — a growing niche in the industry.

  29. Fieldwork Blog — Helps artists with social media strategies that build listening communities.

  30. The Fluence Blog — Geared toward electronic musicians, sharing stories of artists who rose through innovation.

  31. Forbes — Zack O’Malley Greenburg — Author of the Jay-Z biography Empire State of Mind, senior editor specializing in the music business.

  32. FutureMusic — Gear reviews, business news, and technologies in the industry.

  33. The Guardian (Music Industry) — Quality articles published once or twice a month with unique perspectives from varied writers.

  34. GoGirlsMusic — The oldest and largest group of indie women musicians online, empowering women to advance their careers.

  35. Grassrootsy — Grassroots marketing for independent musicians.

  36. Hip Hop Think Tank — Created by King Kenyatta to educate hip-hop artists and producers on the music industry.

  37. How to Run a Band — A podcast, blog, and vlog with practical advice for living your musical dreams.

  38. Hypebot — One of the majors in music industry blogging (also owns Music Think Tank). Rolling coverage of industry news.

  39. Intern Like a Rockstar — Regular posts from six media industry bloggers plus guest posts on getting started in the music business.

  40. Indie on the Move — Booking gigs and touring advice — from merch table sales to getting attention from labels and managers.

  41. Indie-Music.com — Music marketing and industry trends.

  42. Japan Music Marketing — Exploring the ins and outs of marketing your music in Japan.

  43. The Jazz Spotlight — Jazz clubs, festivals, tools, and resources across the music business.

  44. Kings of A&R — Industry tip sheet known for being first to spot up-and-coming artists.

  45. Last Stop Booking — Music business news and advice.

  46. The Lefsetz Letter — Bob Lefsetz tackles the industry’s biggest challenges — downloading, pricing, and protecting your songs.

  47. Living On Gigging — Cheryl B. Engelhardt (CBE Music LLC) shares resources via In the Key of Success for musicians and creative careers. Speaker at SXSW and dozens of colleges.

  48. Madalyn Sklar — Founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, ranked #3 Social Media Power Influencer in Houston. Speaker at SXSW, Folk Alliance, and NARIP.

  49. Mayo Music — Interview series studying successful artists step by step.

  50. MicControl — Social media marketing for independent musicians with 1,000+ registered members.

  51. Michael Brandvold — Music industry consultant with clients from Gene Simmons to Madonna. Speaker at SXSW, California Music Industry Summit, and NARM.

  52. Midemblog — Music business, composer-focused tech posts, brands, and industry news.

  53. Musformation — DIY for the new music business.

  54. Music 3.0 Music Industry Blog — Bobby Owsinski publishes Monday through Friday on the changing industry and social media’s effects.

  55. Music & Copyright’s Blog — 20 years of expertise covering global copyright, legal issues, and exclusive data.

  56. Music Biz Academy — Business fundamentals from copyright to taxes to shopping for a record deal.

  57. Music Biz Blogs — Aggregate resource for following multiple blogs and picking headlines.

  58. Music Biz Cast — Tips and lessons from those who’ve been there.

  59. Music Business Association — Non-profit promoting music sales with leadership, resources, and trend insights.

  60. Music Business and Trend Mongering — Berklee’s blog by Mike King, director of marketing at Berklee Music.

  61. Music Business Blog by Jason Feinberg — Tips and advice on surviving the new music industry.

  62. Music Consultant — Develops new and established artists, helping them find their path.

  63. Music Clout — Artist toolbox with industry contacts, articles, and teaching videos.

  64. Music Globalization — Entertainment attorney working with Grammy winners, labels, and indie musicians from 34 countries.

  65. Musicians Unleashed — Building profitable music careers through interviews with industry professionals.

  66. Music Industry Blog by Mark Mulligan — Analyzing the industry’s journey through the digital era for over ten years. Co-founder of MIDiA Consulting.

  67. Music Industry Blueprint — Rick Barker, former manager of Taylor Swift. Consultant to Sony Music Nashville and Big Machine Records.

  68. Music Industry How To — Shaun Letang’s resource on promotion, fan building, and earning from your passion.

  69. Music Industry News Network — Global news across all music industries with scannable headlines.

  70. Music Machinery — Cool analytics and data for marketing, including when listeners skip songs at 5, 10, and 30 seconds.

  71. Music Marketing Manifesto — Advanced strategies for selling music online.

  72. Music Radar — They have a great detailed article called “How to Promote Your Band Online”.

  73. Music Row — Nashville institution sharing marketing ideas and key players on the row.

  74. The Music Spring — Weekly Google Hangout panel hosted by Lee Safar on new thinking in the music industry.

  75. Music Think Tank — Collaborative blog where you can join discussions, submit guest posts, and promote your band.

  76. Musician Wages — Tips for musicians earning a living at their craft.

  77. Music Week — Writing about the industry for 50 years — news, data, analysis, and opinion.

  78. Music X-Ray — Business-side blog; main site gives exposure to up-and-coming artists.

  79. NAMM — National Association of Music Merchants online press room with global industry knowledge.

  80. Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) — Active in Nashville’s music scene, advocates for songwriters’ rights.

  81. New Artist Model — Online music business school for indies with practical articles.

  82. Next Big Sound — Measures daily listening and buying decisions worldwide.

  83. Nekst — Nashville-based blog on songwriters, publishers, and technology’s impact.

  84. OneRPM — Tumblr blog with indie advice, including YouTube optimization.

  85. Passive Promotion — Unique music promotion and mixing tips.

  86. Praverb — For the DIY recording artist with compiled resources for up-and-comers.

  87. Prescription PR — Music industry PR advice.

  88. RapRehab — Helping artists turn music into self-sustaining revenue streams.

  89. Renegade Producer — Information to improve your music and its business side.

  90. ReverbNation Blog — Designed for indie musicians alongside the well-known EPK platform.

  91. Seeds of Music — Weekly interview show on selling music and growing your fan base authentically.

  92. Signed Record Label — Useful posts from Facebook pages to studio time to music in Japanese video games.

  93. Sivers.org — Derek Sivers built CD Baby. Self-development advice plus his PDF “How to Call Attention to Your Music.”

  94. SongSplits Blog — Helps songwriters prove ownership and get paid in New York City.

  95. SonicBids — The EPK site with a blog offering indie musician insights.

  96. Synchblog — Licensing and sync advice.

  97. Taxi — Helping songwriters and artists keep 100% from record, publishing, film, and TV deals.

  98. The Tennessean — Nashville’s newspaper with a readership deeply embedded in the music industry.

  99. The Trichordist — “Artists for an ethical and sustainable internet.”

  100. Unsigned Band Promotion — Continually finding new ways for artists to get noticed.

Additional Resources

Conclusion

Above is a list of the top 100 music industry blogs on the internet today, alphabetized for easy reference. Each site brings something unique — whether marketing, news, or how-to guides.

What top 100 list would you like to see next? Let us know.

Thank you for being here! If you’d like to connect with Sarah Popejoy, reach out at sarahpopejoy@gmail.com.