Hey there,

How are you balancing technology and wellness in your music career these days? Is there such a need? Well, I’ve been exploring both fronts and want to share some insights with you.

Before I dive in, I want to acknowledge that Liner Notes has been rather technology-focused lately. This won’t be my continued focus moving forward. I’ll instead cover a mix of topics for you.

Reading time: 4 minutes 👓

This edition will cover AI tools for musicians and how to stay healthy on the road. How’s that for a transition to mixing things up?

AI Tools for Independent Musicians: A Brief Overview

The landscape of AI tools for musicians has evolved rapidly, moving beyond novelty to offer practical solutions for specific challenges independent artists face. These tools can reduce costs associated with outsourcing technical tasks and free up time for the creative aspects that require human touch.

AI tools are most effective when viewed as collaborative rather than replacement technologies. They can analyze, detect problems, and suggest corrections with remarkable speed, but lack the contextual understanding and creative vision that makes music meaningful.

A Few Helpful AI Tools to Explore

Music Production​
Platforms like LANDR offer automated mastering at a fraction of professional costs. While not matching top-tier mastering engineers, these tools produce decent results for straightforward tracks.

Visual Content Creation​
​Canva’s Magic Studio can generate custom graphics with minimal design skills, helping independent musicians create better social media content.

Email Management​
Services like Kit (formerly ConvertKit) now offer AI-assisted templates specifically for musician announcements, making it easier to stay in touch with fans.

Want a more detailed breakdown of AI tools, including specific recommendations for different skill levels and implementation strategies? Liner Notes Insider subscribers receive comprehensive guides and resources for integrating these tools effectively.

From Digital to Physical: Staying Healthy on the Road

The irony of starting this series on staying healthy on the road is that I’m recovering from a flu-like bug (day 10). Getting this sick reminds me of a time in 2015 when I didn’t heed the advice I’m about to share with you.

On an otherwise good Summer day, I came down with a flu-like bug with two back-to-back gigs just a few days away. A day or two into this particular illness, I got a request to fill in on drums for another show the same week. My better judgment told me to decline this request, but my good friend pleaded. His band had just come off a streak of cancellations and was concerned about losing their good standing with a venue.

With too little time to prepare for all three shows and against my wife’s wishes, I went out to play the first show. After that first show, I could feel something was very wrong inside my chest and I was exhausted. My illness had grown worse. I went out to play the second of the three shows. After this show, the principal band member told me he appreciated my going above the call of duty. We had another show scheduled for the next night, but he told me not to worry about it.

The end of the story is that I contracted pneumonia which took me more than a month to recover from.

I made some terrible decisions that led to pneumonia. And not to be dramatic, but those decisions could have cost me my life, had I not been lucky and otherwise healthy.

The Musician’s Health Mindset

Many of us unknowingly shorten our lives by making bad choices that lead to long-term health consequences. Musicians have something that can work to their advantage (or disadvantage) – their supporters. Knowing people depend on and look forward to your performances is motivating, but this can work in two directions.

The starting mindset should be this – what decision will best serve me, my family, friends, and supporters? Remember that we can only serve others after caring for ourselves.

Over the next few editions of Liner Notes, I’ll be sharing tips on three key areas for musicians’ health:

1. Exercise basics - Simple routines you can do anywhere
2. Nutrition on the go - Finding healthy options while touring
3. Mindfulness practices - Beyond traditional meditation

A Quick Resource to Start

For those interested in exploring mindfulness without diving straight into meditation, check out Tara Brach’s free guided meditations: Guided meditations by Tara Brach​

Recommended Reading

​Top 70+ AI Plugins and Tools for Music Producers in 2024​

​6 AI-powered plugins that can help you make music​

Liner Notes Insider subscribers receive my comprehensive Touring Wellness Checklist, plus detailed guides for each of these health topics complete with implementation strategies and resources.

Want more detailed guides and resources?

​Upgrade to Liner Notes Insider to access premium content including:

- Comprehensive Touring Wellness Checklist
- Detailed AI tool implementation guides
- Exclusive resources for musicians

As a Liner Notes Insider, you'll also get:

• Deep-dive analysis and actionable strategies from extensive industry research
• Expert interview breakdowns with step-by-step implementation guides
• Access to my curated resource library and tools
• Monthly Q&A sessions for personalized guidance
• Priority access to special events and workshops
• First look at new resources and research findings

Questions, thoughts, complaints? Just hit reply to reach me directly! I'd love to hear from you. 📥

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Affiliate Partner Resources

Shout-out to Bandzoogle

Bandzoogle has everything you need to promote and sell your music, keep your supporters informed, and sell merch. Bandzoogle also has EPK templates, crowd funding templates, email and social features for staying connecting with fans, and more.

Visit Bandzoogle.com and use promo-code R O B O N Z O to get 15% off your first year!

Kit – Email Marketing for Musicians

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email marketing and audience building software that helps musicians like you turn your passion into a full-time career by connecting you to your fans faster. Start a free trial.

Peace, love and more cowbell,
Robonzo
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