Blog
Strategy guides, game news, music industry insights, and developer diaries.
Music Genres Explained: A Map of Sound (and How They Sell)
Music genres explained without the snobbery: what defines a genre, the major families, and how the label you pick shapes your audience and your money.
How Does the Music Industry Actually Work? A Plain-English Guide
How does the music industry work, really? Here is the whole machine in plain English: the players, where the money flows, and how a song reaches a fan.
What Does a Band Manager Actually Do? The Role, Explained
Everyone pictures the band on stage. So what does a band manager do all day? Here is the honest, unglamorous, weirdly powerful job, explained.
Is There a Football Manager for Music?
Football Manager fans keep asking for a music version. Does it exist? Here is the closest thing, and why the comparison fits so well.
Booking Your First Shows: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Bands
Learning how to book gigs is the real first milestone for any new band. Here is a step-by-step guide to landing, promoting and playing your first show.
How Streaming Payouts Really Work (and Why They Are So Small)
Everyone knows streaming pays badly, but how streaming payouts work is stranger than a tiny rate per play. Here is where your streaming penny really goes.
How to Write a Hit Song (and What 'Song Quality' Really Means)
How to write a hit song is not luck. Here is the real anatomy of a hit, why quality is multi-factor, and how a song goes from demo to release.
Rising Star 2 and Beyond: Free Band-Management Alternatives
Looking for a Rising Star 2 alternative? Here are the best free band-management games, including a multiplayer one you can start in your browser today.
How to Grow a Fanbase From Zero: 9 Tactics That Actually Work
The first thousand fans are the hardest to get. Here are nine honest tactics for growing a fanbase from scratch, on stage or in a game.
Understanding Management Time: Your Most Valuable Resource
MT drives everything in Road to Headliner. Master MT efficiency with chain bonuses, pacing strategies, and the 48-hour rule.
From Garage to Festival: A Beginner's Complete Roadmap
Your first two weeks in Road to Headliner, step by step. From band creation to your first charting song.
How Real Band Management Inspired Our Game Design
From recording studios to touring economics - the real music industry mechanics that power Road to Headliner.
The Economics of Running a Band: In-Game vs. Real Life
Revenue, costs, and the financial realities of band management - comparing Road to Headliner to the real music industry.
Behind the Music: How We Built the Song Quality Algorithm
A developer diary on designing fair, exciting, and strategic song quality mechanics with deterministic RNG.
Top 10 Mistakes New Managers Make (And How to Avoid Them)
Every experienced manager has made these mistakes. Learn from their failures and climb the leaderboard faster.
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