What does it take to get a performing career off the ground? Talent is great, but there are loads of talented people who’ve never made a dime off their music. So what should you do if you want to make a living as a musician?

Radiohead says they aren’t going to repeat their name-your-price download experiment, along about the same time that Metallica decides this interwebs thingie maybe isn’t quite so bad. Where do you stand?

Do you have what it takes to be your own music producer? Or would you be better off hiring an outside producer?

In the last article, I took a look at the “1,000 True Fans” concept. This time, let’s examine some ways to implement the concept using social networking sites.

I came across an interesting article that claims musicians (and other artists, for that matter) can make a good living with only a relative handful of True Fans. Fascinating idea and well worth a closer look, IMO.

Dave Barry has proclaimed this the “Musical Product of the Millennium.” I think he was kidding. The name is priceless; if you play brass or double-reeds, the product might actually be useful.

The recent experiment by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and an earlier one by Radiohead have generated a lot of discussion, not just online, but in mainstream media as well. Do these ideas represent a new (non big-label dependent) success model for working musicians?

Gibson introduces a limited edition Les Paul guitar equipped with Powertune automatic robot tuning technology. Way cool!

If you’re a working musician, songwriter or audio producer, you’ll find plenty of helpful hints at this terrific resource we found.

What’s a great way to connect with your existing fans, attract new fans and sell CDs and other merchandise? (And have fun, too!) Playing out — gigging! But how to book more gigs? These books will help you learn what you need to do.