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You've got big dreams of going on the road – so what's holding you back? The answer, of course, is money.

Unless you're especially established, money is always an issue, and tours can be expensive. You'll probably need a van or bus, money for meals and gas, not to mention hotels. So how do you even get the ball rolling? Fortunately, we're here to help! Here are three ways you can fund your next tour.

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By now, social media has become important and widespread enough that everyone understands what hashtags are what that they do, but there are still plenty of people who don’t fully grasp what they should and should not be doing when it comes to the Instagram add-ons.

Here’s a quick look at five things you might not be doing quite right with hashtags on Instagram, how you can be better, and why any of this matters at all.

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Sometimes being a musician can feel like an arms race – there's always new gear, new software, and new instruments coming out. While sometimes the changes are incremental (you might be able to get away for a couple of years without upgrading certain things, for instance), sometimes you can miss a lot.

It's good to remember that although great gear is important – depending what you do, maybe quite important – it can't substitute for great musicianship. If you can't play guitar, a $5,000 instrument isn't going to suddenly make you sound better.

That being said, here's a quick list of five of the latest and greatest products we've seen emerging onto the scene for 2019!

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I know some writers who clutch their notebooks to their chests when they meet a fellow artist or who refuse to even play their songs out for fear they'll be stolen. Perhaps they've heard horror stories or had bad experiences themselves.

For the most part, however, it isn't necessary to be quite this protective of your music – the vast majority of fellow artists you come across are honest with no interest in ripping you (or anyone else) off. At least, in my experience.

That being said, there's no reason not to protect yourself and your work properly in this day and age. Read on for how to copyright music in 2019.

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These days, streaming is king, and while many artists who aren’t ruling the charts aren’t happy about that, there’s no getting around the fact that platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have taken over. Millions of people listen to billions of songs on those sites, and as a result, sales have dwindled.

Both digital sales and purchases of physical music (CDs, at least) continue to tumble year after year, and it’s harder than ever to convince fans to shell out even just a few bucks to own a collection of songs when they can listen for free online.

So, if you want to continue to sell music, and perhaps even up your shipments, look no further than your own website, which is where many of your most ardent supporters will look to buy whatever you’re offering.