Thanks to the electronic revolution, the music industry is changing. No longer do musicians and singers only need to rely on radio stations and big record companies to start building a fan base or having a successful music career. Forget about American Idol and Nashville Star, an artist can make a name for himself / herself first! Then you'll have the chips stacked in your favor when you are offered a recording contract and you'll be in a position to make a great deal.

American Idol and Nashville Star winners and runners-up are held to strict contracts and tightly controlled careers. We hear about very few of the winners with the exception of Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. There's been no better time to be an indie musician - making the music and money you want and deserve. So how can an artist move product when it seems that even the famous artists can't sell a blockbuster? How do you make a splash turn into a tidal wave when you're in such a big swimming pool? The answer: it's all about marketing. We have heard it time and time again and that's what it is. A rock packaged and sold as a rock is just a rock. But a rock packaged and marketed as a friend becomes a cultural phenomenon.

Here are just a few ideas to help:

• Use podcasts to broadcast your music.
• Make use of places like Myspace and other music sites.
• Do as many free concerts as you can and have plenty of merchandise to sell and a sign up list.
• Start calling your local radio stations offering to help them out in exchange for an interview and a plug of your CD. Many places aren't able to play your CD because they are programmed, but that won't stop them from a plug.
• Take advantage of every opportunity to share your music or goods with the world.

These are just a few ideas; you can come up with many more. The idea is to plug your music and then your CDs will start to fly out of your hands (providing it's a good representation of your work). The most important thing an artist can do is to network and market. It's all about perceived value.