Notes for independent artists on planning, presenting and releasing music.https://ummonte.com/https://ummonte.com/blog/the-one-sheet-isnt-a-short-epk/https://ummonte.com/blog/the-one-sheet-isnt-a-short-epk/A one-sheet isn't a shrunk-down EPK. It answers a narrower question: is this worth thirty more seconds? Here's why the order matters.Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/it-sounds-great-on-your-headphones/https://ummonte.com/blog/it-sounds-great-on-your-headphones/A mix that only survives in the room where it was made is not ready. Four checks that catch it before the release date locks.Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/you-dont-need-a-new-identity/https://ummonte.com/blog/you-dont-need-a-new-identity/Most artists already have an identity, it just never got noticed, named, or used on purpose. Five places to look for it yourself, before hiring anyone.Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/presence-or-release-a-straight-answer/https://ummonte.com/blog/presence-or-release-a-straight-answer/Two packages, two different questions. What Presence and Release each include, who each one is for, and how to tell which one your project needs first.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/your-music-moved-on-your-photos-didnt/https://ummonte.com/blog/your-music-moved-on-your-photos-didnt/The sound evolves every week in rehearsal. The images wait for the next album. Here's why that gap costs more than it looks, and how to tell when it's time to close it.Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/consistency-over-volume/https://ummonte.com/blog/consistency-over-volume/The answer to growing as an artist isn't posting more. It's a system that runs without you living on the app every day.Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/stop-posting-more-start-building-a-system/https://ummonte.com/blog/stop-posting-more-start-building-a-system/The default advice treats the feed like the whole job. Here's what changed when we stopped chasing volume and started building a system instead.Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/nobody-has-time-to-learn-color-grading/https://ummonte.com/blog/nobody-has-time-to-learn-color-grading/The content that builds an artist's world isn't the one big video a year. It's everything in between, made fast and mostly alone.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/how-to-write-a-press-release-for-your-music/https://ummonte.com/blog/how-to-write-a-press-release-for-your-music/One page, six parts, and no adjective you can't prove. A practical guide, with a free template.Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/an-epk-is-not-a-pdf/https://ummonte.com/blog/an-epk-is-not-a-pdf/A PDF is a container. An EPK is what goes inside, and it can take almost any format.Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/the-boring-thing-that-saved-my-art/https://ummonte.com/blog/the-boring-thing-that-saved-my-art/A sticky note with three things on it changed how I make things.Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/the-song-was-ready-the-rest-wasnt/https://ummonte.com/blog/the-song-was-ready-the-rest-wasnt/Talent gets you to the door. Order, timing and being ready get you through it.Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://ummonte.com/blog/canary-in-motion/https://ummonte.com/blog/canary-in-motion/From a jazz house in Pai to a rebuilt session in Bali, a look back at seven projects with Canary.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT