It's a basic economic principle: as price increases, demand decreases. But that's the beginner's guide, and it doesn't take psychological components into account.  Because sometimes, when you raise the price - or simply attach a price tag at all - demand actually increases.  And so does the perception of quality. 

It makes sense. Charge a little more and create some value to your music. You must however, be very comfortable with your new pricing point otherwise it wont work for you.

Researchers in Holland have drawn links between loud music, pot smoking and 'inconsistent condom use'

WTF? So it's official, then: there really is a link between sex, drugs and rock'n'roll.

Playing mobile games with your friends just got a little more vocal. Sing Something is like a combination of Draw Something and Karaoke — it’s a social singing game that has you sing a song from a selected category, and your friends try to guess what tune you were trying to belt out.

Alright everybody... strap yourself in because it's time for mobile Karaoke!!! Actually it looks like a bit of fun :)

A recent study from a researcher at NC State University in Raleigh found connections between increased filesharing of leaked albums and increased sales of those albums. The findings were a bit limited but it correlates nicely with an overview of filesharing research conducted by Drew Wilson at ZeroPaid. Wilson took a close look at nineteen academic studies of filesharing that, taken as a whole, suggest industry adaptation may be the most productive path forward.

We all need to get used to the fact that file sharing is now a way of life in this new music industry - Get Used To It!

Amanda is a singer songwriter, painter, author and all around rock n’ roll warrior. In my opinion she is hands down the most interesting independent artist out there, on a number of fronts, and if you’re not familiar with her you should go sign up for her mailing list right now.

The Amanda Palmer/Kickstarter juggernaut just keeps on getting bigger and bigger. This is what happens when you build your fanbase over many years through constant touring and being approachable to your fans... one at a time :)

Michael Jackson was on to something when he sang that "A-B-C" is "simple as 'Do Re Mi.'" Music helps kids remember basic facts such as the order of letters in the alphabet, partly because songs tap into fundamental systems in our brains that are sensitive to melody and beat.

That's not all: when you play music, you are exercising your brain in a unique way.

Great article about the power that music has to actually change you physically :)

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you'll most likely be familiar with Amanda Palmer's impressive KickStarter campaign (she's raised over $750,000 through the crowd-funding platform). At risk of being 'one more to add to the list', I want to focus on what we can learn from her and what the success of her campaign suggests to me about how music fans are showing cravings for exclusivity.

Yes they are...

LinkedIn is considered the non-sexy, sleeping giant of social networks. It keeps a low profile, perhaps due to the professional nature of its users. Nonetheless, LinkedIn continues to exert a powerful influence on connected job seekers, brands, recruiters and industries.

I use this and it has a large uptake of subscribers through the global music industry. Well worth having a look :)

Having previously written about ConcertsInYourHome and Slowbizz.com, I was interested in finding out more about HouseConcertsAustralia. I interviewed founder Lisa J. Aston by email and, in addition to sharing more about the network, she also included some tips for folks interested in starting their own house concert network and for artists interested in arranging tours through such networks.

House Concerts are definitely the way to go. I'm a proud member of this organisation and so should you :)

In a move that could potentially shift the favoritism of artists towards one music subscription service, Rdio is working on a plan to pay artists for bringing their service new subscribers, according to Billboard. This could be a good move to gain the endorsement of artists. But more importantly for Rdio, it could help them address their growing need for more subscribers, as their market share lands somewhere behind larger players such as Spotify and Rhapsody.

Hmmm, interesting. Artists become the affiliate marketer for Rdio. Must look into this a little bit more :)

G’day Australia. Kia Ora New Zealand. Spotify here.

Hmmm, must have a bit of a play around with this :)

A new academic paper by a researcher from the North Carolina State University has examined the link between BitTorrent downloads and music album sales. Contrary to what’s often claimed by the major record labels, the paper concludes that there is absolutely no evidence that unauthorized downloads negatively impact sales. Instead, the research finds that more piracy directly leads to more album sales.

Just what I thought... A little bit of piracy from time to time is good for you :)

Music education has become a core part of any school curriculum, simply because the benefits of engaging in music are too good to ignore. Time and time again, music lessons have been proven to strengthen children’s ability in reading, maths and verbal intelligence, and now – their ability to empathise.

Yes! Music should be one of the first things that kids need to be exposed to at school. It really sets them up for the rest of their lives :)

Taking the step to becoming a proactive, marketing-savvy, social musician can mean the difference between success and failure. Yes, it is that cut and dry, and yes, it is that simple.

However, before you dive right in and just start marketing your music to anyone and everyone you can, there are a few different things that you’ll to consider and have prepped and ready to go.

Great article by the guys from my favourite podcast... CD Baby DIY Musicians Podcast :)

When you are looking to find your personal answers and direction when you ask how to get in the music industry, you need to realize that one size does not fit all. One approach is not right and just because it worked for one person, the circumstances, music industry contacts, connections, budgets and many other elements could be worlds different.

There are many different roads leading to the same destination but the destination may vary slightly depending on the individual :)

Although Twitter’s been around for quite a while now (since 2006, if my memory serves me correctly), it’s still not fully understood – or used to maximum effect – by a lot of bands and musicians.

I'm still trying to work Twitter out myself. I use it to broadcast what I've put on my blogs. Seems to work fine for me :)

MTV gave up on music ages ago, and only a handful of young bands make money selling records. Has music just become a 'soundtrack' to other activities?

A good question in which this article provides a good answer :)

The big mistake that the industry continues to make is that too many are thinking of music in terms of social engagement, when it is actually a deeply personal experience.

The huge success of Amanda Palmers Kickstarter campaign, which has so far raised over half a million dollars, exemplifies this point. People are willing to shell out on music when they feel a personal connection to it.

The very power of music is its ability to create in all of us a unique and personally emotional attachment to it :)

What is it that holds unsigned artists back from achieving the widespread recognition that’s all too often reserved for the signed artist? Is it the advances poured from the pockets of record labels? Is it the connections that labels facilitate? The reality is that whatever it is, unsigned musicians might be better off without it.

These days major labels are becoming less and less relevent. You can provide yourself with your own music career, you just need to get creative :)

Artists tend to be creative people. We write music, create dazzling visions of art, and express sentiments in the most unique ways. However, when it comes to promoting our art, something else happens. For one reason or the other, most artists fail to express any creativity in their business endeavors.

Here are five easy (non-internet) ways that you could promote your band. I hope that more than anything else, they get your brain going and inspire you to create ideas that work specifically for your art.

Great article pointing out some "thinking out of the box" ways of promoting your music. Just click on the musicthinktank.com link to find out more :)