How being An Independent Musician Is About Art But Also Business!
Being a professional and independent musician encompasses various skillsets.
From learning how to deal with different persons on your team to negotiating contracts–it is more than being creative and producing art–you are a business.
After the studio work is done it’s time to get the product out to market. That’s where the real work beings by building a brand and letting people know how good your work is.
Here are four critical must have skills that you need as you grow your music brand:
1. An Independent Musician Needs to Be Euntrepnurieal Minded
A professional independent musician is an entrepreneur. Though everyone has different ambitions many want to live off of their music.
If this describes you, talent is only one part of the equation. Like any other business, you have to brand, get your product to market, and create a demand for it.
However, it’s not only about your success but also that of your team. Your manager, publishers, publicists, accountants–all depend on you.
Your success is their success and you need a team to grow. Remember you are more than just an artist–you are a business.
2. Independent Musicians Need to Master Content Marketing & Storytelling
Content marketing is imperative for any business or musician today. We now live in a digital age where consumers are glued to their smartphones.
Pictures, videos, and audio are what drives our attention. Thus, mobile technology has become an integral part of society.
Therefore it’s important to create a digital footprint for your brand. If somebody wants to find out more about you after hearing your music for the first time–they’ll likely Google you.
This is where brand storytelling and curation comes into play. Like traditional PR, you need to build a narrative to get fans engaged in your story.
There are hundreds of ways you can showcase who you are as an artist. It could be a weekly vlog or podcast, daily microblogging on Instagram, live streaming, etc.
Remember the internet is can be a crowded space. Branded content is like real estate. The more you have of it brings the likely hood of being seen more. Not only to your fans but also to the corporate world.
3. Diverse Your Streams of Income
Spotify, Apple Music, and if done right can create a great income. These are the necessary platforms to get exposure for your music in today’s music market.
However, it’s not an effective way to make money for most musicians.
This is where you need to tap into your entrepreneurial mind. You need to think of the possibilities of how you can create another avenue of income other than streaming.
It can come in the form of selling merchandise, events, affiliate marketing, synch licensing, and so on.
Ari Herstand, for example, is a prominent independent musician. He also does speaking engagements, writes books, and hosts seminars about the music business.
Herstand has diversified his brand into different opportunities where he leverages his skills. These are also opportunities to earn revenue by creating valuable services and products to the music community.
Whatever level you are on as a musician it could be a great idea to diversify your income. Brainstorm and explore what could work for you.
With the internet and we have many tools at our disposal. The main idea is to create sustainability or at least work toward it.
4. Don’t Network Just to Network, Have a Strategy
Networking is an essential tool you’ll need to get ahead in any industry. Having a strong network can be a game-changer and life-changing.
Whether you’re looking for a deal, pitching a song, or looking for investors–it’s imperative to spend a good amount of time looking to meet new people.
Nevertheless, you can create networking opportunities in a variety of ways. You can meet and connect with people on social media, events, referrals, etc.
Understanding who you want to target and curating lists of people you want to connect with is a great approach.
General networking is great and there is a place for it. Though out your career you’ll run into somebody who might be able to help you unexpectedly. On the other had it can also produce a waste of time.
It’s more effective to have a strategy when networking. Every artist has ambitions but they won’t be accomplished without goals. Also, we need people of different expertise to help us achieve them.
Thus, it’ll make it easier for you to put yourself in environments where you can find the people you need. Don’t network just to network all the time.
