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Our collection of blogs highlighting our best tips for musicians.
Lucy from our photography partner, Splento, offers some great industry insights into why professional photography is such an important part of any musician’s promotional material. Whether you’re a classical cellist, a jazz pianist, or a blues singer, at some point in your career you’ll need great…
Ever wondered whether it’s worth the money to hire an accountant? Most musicians don’t learn much about accountancy while they’re in college, so it can make sense to hire a professional to keep your taxes in order. For the third instalment of this 3-part blog series on musician’s finances, I talked…
Ever wondered how to go about buying a house? Getting a mortgage can be tricky for freelance musicians – with variable incomes from sources that your bank may not recognise – but it’s definitely possible. For the first instalment of this 3-part blog series on musician’s finances, I talked to three…
Ever wondered how to go about saving for retirement? While there is a basic state pension in the UK, many musicians need to supplement it by making contributions to a private pension pot. For the second instalment of this 3-part blog series on musician’s finances, I talked to two financial experts,…
You’re on stage, about to play your solo. Your knees are shaking. Your palms are sweaty. You feel terrible – nervous, scared, already beating yourself up. You swear never to play in public again. Sound familiar? Performance anxiety happens to everyone at some point. While different people find…
In my blog A Musician’s Guide to PLI, I briefly mentioned the importance of PAT, or Portable Appliance Testing. This article explains PAT in more depth, including why it’s important and how to get it. 1. What is PAT? PAT is a procedure in which an electrician uses a combination of visual and…
It’s tax season and, for many musicians, that means a nightmare of trawling through piles of receipts to sort out expenses. To help you with your admin, I’ve had a look at the two most popular receipt apps that you can use to streamline your taxes. Imagine taking a photo of your receipt and…
Cellist and cruise ship veteran Cori Lint tells you everything you need to know to have a rewarding time sailing the seas and playing music.A few summers ago, with my cello performance degree collecting dust, I waited tables and tried to determine my next move. I wasn’t interested in pursuing an…
Encore’s latest guest blog is from Nicole Wilson, formerly a violinist with the London Symphony Orchestra and the founder of Musical Orbit, a revolutionary online music lesson platform. I still remember the terrifying moment when I graduated from the Royal Academy of Music. After four years of…
Encore’s latest guide to navigating the non-musical aspects of the industry covers Public Liability Insurance (PLI). Insurance is one of those things that most musicians are aware of but don’t quite understand how it works or where to get it. It can seem very easy to ignore – you’re busy…
You’re trying to get from Sheffield to Luton Airport but the train ticket is £90, which is a large chunk of your fee. But there’s nothing else you can do – you need to make this flight. But what if someone could tell you how to halve the price? Read on for Paula’s top UK […]
It’s every musician’s worst nightmare. One slip on wet leaves and suddenly your elbow is broken and you can’t work for six weeks. While a lucky few will be employed by an organisation with sick pay, most musicians are self-employed and simply don’t get paid if they can’t work. But there is help…
