Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Bobby Borg
Kobalt Signs II from Gerammy-nominated Sleep Token
News broke this week that independent music publisher Kobalt has signed Sleep Token drummer II. "Known for his powerful yet nuanced drumming style and as a key songwriter of Sleep Token, II brings a unique blend of technical mastery and emotional depth that has become central to Sleep Token’s distinct sound and captivating live performances," reads a statement.
GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Opera Recording
The 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Opera Recording category. Take a listen to the nominated recordings below--who do you think will win? See the full list of nominees in every category here.
Tip Jar: Charting a Greener Course
Societal Trends: Music Reflecting a Changing World Let’s not forget that music is what weaves the world together. So, in the coming years 2025- 2030, what are some of the things that we can expect from societal trends in music? Inclusivity and Diversity Empowerment: Amplifying Underrepresented Voices The music industry of 2030 will be even more receptive to equity and inclusion, embracing artists from diverse backgrounds.
#Post Title #Separator #Site Title
By Bobby Borg and Britt Hastey (Excerpted from Personal Finance For Musicians with permission of Rowman & Littlefield) Invest! Invest! Invest! It’s time for musicians to make money and get rich quick. After all, the pandemic of 2020 still has everyone in a hole and nothing could be better than striking it big! Right? Perhaps! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The road to true wealth (measured in assets and liabilities) is a long process.
Music Connection Magazine
The Manager’s Playbook: Essential Roles and Realistic Paths For Musicians As musicians, we all ponder the role of personal managers, those guiding lights who can shape our journey. They navigate us toward our artistic vision while deftly handling the nitty-gritty of the music business. Picture them as our champions, hyping us to the right business contacts, unveiling hidden opportunities, securing sponsorships, and orchestrating epic tours.
Tip Jar: Money Management for Musicians
Everything You Need to Know There are tons of independent musicians who struggle with paying bills on time and building credit, and just as many artists who blow up and lose their fortunes in 10 years. This is why all musicians need to know something about money management. Bobby Borg, co-author of Personal Finance for Musicians, offers seven key take-aways. 1.
Expert Advice: Money Management For Musicians
There are tons of independent musicians who struggle with paying bills on time and building credit, and just as many artists who blow up and lose their fortunes in ten years. This is why all musicians need to know something about money management. Bobby Borg, co-author of Personal Finance for Musicians offers five key take-aways. 1.
20 Ways to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft and Fraud
By Bobby Borg and Britt Hastey Identity theft and fraud exists when a less than desirable person gets hold of your personal information, uses it to open new lines of credit, and racks up debt in your name. It also exists when someone uses your info to withdraw money from your existing financial accounts. While we could go on and on with examples of identity theft and fraud, the bottom line is that it can temporarily ruin your life and good credit standing—and seriously sidetrack your music career.
Borg: Media Mistakes Musicians Make
Musician/industry expert/author/professor Bobby Borg alerts all music-makers to the do's and don'ts of working with the media to promote your music. It is absolutely imperative to be prepared by improving your media chops. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFjT8k3hmqM
Borg: #1 Deadly Musician Mistake
Here again, from his video series of the worst mistakes that musicians are prone to make, musician/instructor/author Bobby Borg, author of Business Basics for Musicians, presents a clip that many of you can relate to. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fbFQe0dVsI&feature=youtu.be
Deadly Mistakes Musicians Make
Deadly Mistakes Musicians Make 4 !: The latest of episode of deadly mistakes musicians make.
Bobby Borg: Is Making a Music NFT Worth it?
Bobby Borg is a former major label, indie, and DIY recording and touring musician (with the rock groups Beggars & Thieves, Left For Dead, and Warrant), the author of several music business books (Music Marketing For The DIY Musician, Business Basics For Musicians and Introduction to Music Publishing For Musicians, and a professor of music industry studies (at USC Thornton School of Music).
Business Managers: Bills and Investments
We’ve all heard about musicians who hit it big, then ended up penniless. In one such infamous story, rapper MC Hammer, who was once reported in Forbes magazine as being worth $40 million, actually had to file for bankruptcy. If you don’t want this to happen to you, the assistance of a good business manager is crucial. In the early stages of your career, when you’re trying to get noticed and you’re making no money or just making ends meet, you’re probably not ready for a business manager.
Rejection Advice for Musicians: 3 Tips
Previous Story Tempe Band Gin Blossoms to Receive Honorary ... Next Story Spitfire Audio Releases RESONATE in Collaboration with Dame Evelyn ... Bobby Borg is the author of Music Marketing for The DIY Musician and Business Basics For Musicians, both in their Second Editions (2020). You can purchase Bobby Borg’s books and also sign up for his weekly free blog “Borg’s Blog” by visiting bobbyborg.com.
Getting The Gig: How To Be A “Working” Musician
Not everyone is destined to be a singer-songwriter, or a composer, or a longtime member of a band. Some of us are born with a special gift for wailing on our instrument, knocking people out with our dexterity, virtuosity and “feel.” And that sort of talent and skill can lead to a vibrant career as an in-demand session musician or as a traveling sideman. So, how does one go about getting that gig—and gigs for years, even decades, to come? In short: you’d better have some skills to pay the bills.
Product Innovation: 38 Ways to Monetize One Song
By Bobby Borg & Michael Eames In a world where money keeps our bills paid and our bellies full, it’s always smart to have as many ways as possible to expand your revenue streams and generate income. In this chapter from their recently released book Introduction to Music Publishing for Musicians, Borg & Eames show you 38 different ways to monetize one of your songs. They range from the obvious to the obscure.
Tip Jar: How to Run a Successful Rehearsal
Rehearsals are important to the functioning of every band. They are where you craft your best songs and put together your most spectacular live performance sets. But there is so much more to rehearsals than meets the eye. Let’s take a closer look. Schedule Rehearsals and Meetings Once you have your rehearsal space in order, you need a specific practice schedule.
Pitching Your Music Like a Pro
What follows are 14 tips to help you improve your pitching game. Bobby Borg and Michael Eames, co-authors of the new book Introduction to Music Publishing for Musicians, discuss everything from making sure your music is really ready to pitch, to having an attorney available who can help. There are a lot of tips to take in, so grab that yellow highlighter pen, and let’s get to work.
How to get the gig: Submission, research, and audition tips
Musician, author, educator, and music industry consultant Bobby Borg talks with Barry Squire about how to submit, research and conduct yourself when you’re trying to land a big audition and get the gig. Adapted from the video, “How to Audition and Get the Gig – 3 Musician Tips.” In this video interview, Bobby Borg sits with LA-based musician referral expert, A&R consultant, and live music producer Barry Squire about getting a big gig by planning for and landing the audition.
The Complete DIY Marketing Process
In my 20 years of teaching and consulting, I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard a young musician say, “I just do what I do, and if anyone likes it, they’ll buy it.” My reply? “Congratulations, you’re a true artist.” But as you get a little older and your responsibilities increase with school loans, mortgages, and even kids, this attitude carries a significant amount of risk, especially when you don’t have other sources of income to take care of life’s basic necessities.
Pursuing a Career in the New Music Industry: Tips for DIY Success
Let there be no mistake—pursuing a career in the music industry in the 2020s may look easy, but it is highly competitive. The successful musicians you see today in the media—getting millions of hits on YouTube, performing in front of large audiences at the coolest music festivals, or getting streamed on popular playlists—represent only a minuscule percentage of all the musicians in, or trying to break into, the music business today.
Copyright Infringement In Plain Language
Canadian poet, novelist, and teacher Margaret Atwood once said, “Human beings make art, that’s just what we do.” Atwood’s statement beautifully captures the natural inclination for self-expression, collaboration, and communication. But how well do you think the author’s statement would hold up in a world where art could be legally used by everyone at his or her own discretion for free? It wouldn’t. And that is exactly why there are copyright laws.
Set Up & Pitch Your Own Publishing Company for Film/TV Placements and More
Many artists dream of getting into a publishing contract with an established music publisher. After all, music publishers offer advances, hook you up with co-writes, plug your songs, collect all the money, and even help fight infringement cases. But one thing that many artists fail to understand is that publishing deals don’t grow on trees.
Running Successful Band Rehearsals From A to Z
Rehearsals are important to the functioning of every band. Rehearsals are where you craft your best songs and put together your most spectacular live performance sets. But successful rehearsals require more than just making sure that all of the band members show up on time, come to the rehearsals prepared, and refrain from noodling on their instruments.
Personal Managers: Roles and Options
The Role of a Personal Manager in Your Career By strict definition, a personal manager advises and counsels artists in all aspects of the music business. This may include artist development, project management, touring, contracts and income streams, and so much more.
Put Together a Complete and Integrated Online Promotion Plan
Online promotion is the art and science of utilizing the web and its many tools to communicate with your audience and get them to care about you (i.e., recommend you, tell a friend or make a purchase).
Measure Your Music Marketing To Double Your Effectiveness
By Bobby Borg from the Sonicbids Blog. A student recently approached me with a complaint that only six people showed up to his live performance. He sent out an email to 1,000 names, posted on a few social networks, and told his friends and family. Feeling like a "promotion loser" (his words), he was ready to call it quits. But after using some basic analytical tools, we quickly discovered that fewer than 10 people even opened his email.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Bobby
Contact Bobby, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack