Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the age of mobile everything.

If you don’t think this new era affects your job as an indie musician, think again. Selling your music online means keeping up with technology, especially in the mobile arena (since everyone, even first graders, has a smartphone these days). Mobile usage is skyrocketing, and it’s time to equip your band.

Follow these 4 tips to prepare yourselves for the mobile user:

1.  Your website: Your website needs to be ready for access from mobile devices. Studies estimate there will be 1.7 billion mobile Internet users in 2013; that’s about a quarter of the world’s population. Your fans should be able to access your website from anywhere, even if they’re not at a computer. If your website is hosted by WordPress, you can install a mobile plugin to make your website mobile-friendly in about a minute. Otherwise, try using a tool like bMobilized, which converts your website into a HTML5-enabled mobile site instantly.

2.  Your app: When artists develop mobile apps, fans can listen to your songs, watch videos and check out your pics in one convenient location. Depending on how you develop your app, they can even connect with your other fans. The design and capabilities of your app are endless, so make it one you’re proud of!

3.  Your content: Since mobile users access your website from a relatively small screen, your content needs to be highly engaging and easy to read or they’ll move on. Make your content genuinely interesting and engaging so users visit your site and remain there, then share it with their friends!

4.  Your music: If it isn’t already, get your music online as soon as humanly possible. According to a study by Juniper Research in England, the number of mobile users who pay to access music catalogues on their mobile devices will reach 178 million by 2015. If your music isn’t available to these sites, you’re missing an opportunity to spread your music and make money. Selling music online is only possible if it’s uploaded. Record your sound and spread it!