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Major media outlets aren’t exclusive to major-label sounds anymore, but it’s still not typical for those sites to bet on brand-new or largely unheard-of artists and bands – no matter how compelling their music may be.

And while playlist culture and social media have become integral to music discovery, dedicated music lovers are still looking to independent music blogs as guides through uncharted sonic territory. Blogs are still touting vast readerships and breaking emerging artists – and the best of them are undoubtedly being read by writers and editors of those powerhouse music sites, too.

We’ve rounded up seven blogs that are both consistent in churning out stellar content and remain open to receiving submissions from independent artists and bands. Genre-wise, there’s a bit of everything here, and within each site there’s often multiple ways to get featured – good luck!

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Many songwriters around the world have heard the same frustrating phrase at one point in their career from music publishers: “It's a great song, but I can't use it right now.” Or, even worse – simply, “Pass.” So, why do publishers so often say no?

For a writer, it can be difficult not to take it personally – but there are a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with you (or even, at times, the song itself). Here are four examples of possible causes preventing you from getting a music publishing deal.

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Any show you're able to play is a great show, right? Especially if you're a young band struggling for exposure, you're likely to jump at the chance to play any show no matter what type of venue it's in. But is that place you're playing really the best for you? Will it aid your future success? And will it make your band look and sound phenomenal?

Consider these five things the next time you're searching for the perfect music venue for your band.

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As someone who has always been a little camera shy, I completely understand the resistance to embracing all that Facebook Live has to offer. I mean, for one thing, it’s live, so you can’t edit it to perfection. (Did I mention this is also a major plus?)

Second, you can feel a little silly talking to an audience you can’t see and hoping (trusting) they’ll interact with you either as the broadcast goes out live or when they watch the replay. Tip: Many people tend to watch and comment on replays, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a huge turnout straight away.

But the fact remains that as Facebook continues to push Live to its users, the potential for growing your audience and engaging fans becomes all the more important. Because we know it can be a little nerve-wracking, here are a five ways to get started.

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With record sales sliding and streaming payments still not quite adding up to a reasonable living for many artists, it often falls to touring to pay the bills. Sadly, though, even that doesn’t always work out. Performing live can be one of the most reliable ways to pad your bank account, but if you’re just starting out, you won’t be grabbing large advances and selling out shows (yet).

You need to work your way up to that level of success, and sometimes, that might mean playing for free, even though that means forgoing a portion of your primary source of income. It can be a hard realization, but the good news is that there are a few instances when standing onstage and entertaining a crowd for free can be worth it. Here are four of them.