The "so called" Business of Music
A lot of people ask me for tips and advice in the music biz. Here's my tip : 1) Take anything you hear or anybody tells you with a grain of salt. 2) In the presence of lawyers and promoters, HIDE your wallet, lock the doors, pull the shades and run for cover !
I wish I knew the black and white answer how to "succeed" in the music biz, but the fact is that artistic, popular and commercial success don't necessarily go hand in hand and the same rules don't necessarily work the same for everybody. To make things more difficult, various forms of promotion in themselves can be quite affordable, but if they're not coordinated, they won't work... For example, a radio campaign is virtually useless unless your CD is available and being pushed in the stores... yet, both cost money. If you do one without the other, you'll get the props by having a CD charting on the radio, yet quickly learn without people being bombarded by print ads and displays, it may not effect sales... At the same time, even if you invest $10,000 in promotions, how sure is it that you'll be able to sell enough CDs to break even... ? Well, talk to many of the promoters and many will be very upfront with you... maybe its unlikely, but they'll tell you that it will open doors. And yes, its true, in the music business, your "name" is what you're worth... but in reality, I there's a clever balancing act involved between putting out and getting back... in the end, its a game you don't want to play on your own unless you really know what you're doing and really have the money to spend until you're at the point you can get it back. - - Still, if beyond props making a living is important to you, be advised: there are safer and more sound markets to invest. Take the slot machines of Atlantic City for example.
So what's my advice ? Well, I think the most important thing to do is *not* to play the "I wanna be a star"/who's gonna discover me ? game, but rather think of your music as a business. Its a business you have to invest in, and sometimes take losses (in the short term) but eventually it has to put you in the black... the question is, how can you get in the black without spinning the roulette wheel ? - - The answer is to look within yourself. Sure, you're a musician, but what other skills do you have ? Your best bet is to combine those skills with your music and use them to enhance your ability to deliver and sell a product. Right now, I'd say, sit down... take a look at yourself and your life and business experiences... If you haven't had many yet, then think about what you might need to learn and study so you that extra skill needed to bring your music to life... and in doing so, be creative. My books and formerly my Jazz club were a good example... I like people, I like writing... I like bringing people together, and I find it more rewarding to develop and promote my creative space using the skills I have. Through that, I was able to take my musical skills, promote myself, and make some money.
This is just one approach though... I remember one artist (a sculptor) who came up with a rather unique idea. Rather than simply teaching art or selling her works, somehow she was inspired to create a program called "Vision Thru Art" - - a sculpting program for the blind... (*Actually, she was Laura Goodman, the mother of the mayor of Las Vegas.) Other musicians have created programs for poor inner city students. Of course, beyond "causes" making money is o.k. too... musicians can try to corner markets and provide entertainment services in industries they know, get involved in multi-media marketing, those with adequate experience and equipment can offer their technical and production skills. There are endless limits to how you can take the music you love with the skills you already have and turn it into a special way of making a living (or even barely getting by yet being happy !)
Ultimately, the answer is "making it" isn't so much seeking commercial success... that's fine (bet on red !).... the answer is looking at yourself and your art as a product and thinking of ways you can offer it to the public, not only in itself but as an integrated product represening the total you ! ! ! After that its developing appropriate skills, musical, business and promotional, then doing the one thing I was guilty of not doing enough of in the past: Getting yourself out there. --Its all about NETWORKING. The more you network, the more resources you have... you then take those resources and use them. It's that simple.
In the end, if you want to ask me the best way to be a musician and make a million dollars, I'll answer you: Marry a millionaire. But if you want to ask me the best way to have personally driven chances for success in the music business, I'll answer it a bit differently -- Know what you're selling, and who you need to connect with to sell it, and remember, it may not necessarily be CDs or have anything to do with music at first!
By the way, here are a few skills I've developed on a personal level that if I ever opened up my own musical conservatory, insisted were taught. (Jazz musician Byard Lancaster once told me that when people come to him for lessons, the first thing he teaches them aren't scales or chords, but how to do business.)
Misc. Skills --
As I put in hours a day in practice, I also put time into these skills as well, none of which I would consider myself a master of (I'm a musician first and formost), but of which having basic knowledge allows me to better understand the team process that is involved in creating music, as well as be able to support myself in some situations I'd have to outsource very expensive projects. (Aside from direct study, is simply getting knowledge from people I know who are involved in fields related to the services above simply by talking with them and interviewing them. Most truly professional individuals don't mind having their brains picked, so long as it is done in a way that let's them talk about what is most important to them!
Tokyo Japan 2005 (revised 2012)
I wish I knew the black and white answer how to "succeed" in the music biz, but the fact is that artistic, popular and commercial success don't necessarily go hand in hand and the same rules don't necessarily work the same for everybody. To make things more difficult, various forms of promotion in themselves can be quite affordable, but if they're not coordinated, they won't work... For example, a radio campaign is virtually useless unless your CD is available and being pushed in the stores... yet, both cost money. If you do one without the other, you'll get the props by having a CD charting on the radio, yet quickly learn without people being bombarded by print ads and displays, it may not effect sales... At the same time, even if you invest $10,000 in promotions, how sure is it that you'll be able to sell enough CDs to break even... ? Well, talk to many of the promoters and many will be very upfront with you... maybe its unlikely, but they'll tell you that it will open doors. And yes, its true, in the music business, your "name" is what you're worth... but in reality, I there's a clever balancing act involved between putting out and getting back... in the end, its a game you don't want to play on your own unless you really know what you're doing and really have the money to spend until you're at the point you can get it back. - - Still, if beyond props making a living is important to you, be advised: there are safer and more sound markets to invest. Take the slot machines of Atlantic City for example.
So what's my advice ? Well, I think the most important thing to do is *not* to play the "I wanna be a star"/who's gonna discover me ? game, but rather think of your music as a business. Its a business you have to invest in, and sometimes take losses (in the short term) but eventually it has to put you in the black... the question is, how can you get in the black without spinning the roulette wheel ? - - The answer is to look within yourself. Sure, you're a musician, but what other skills do you have ? Your best bet is to combine those skills with your music and use them to enhance your ability to deliver and sell a product. Right now, I'd say, sit down... take a look at yourself and your life and business experiences... If you haven't had many yet, then think about what you might need to learn and study so you that extra skill needed to bring your music to life... and in doing so, be creative. My books and formerly my Jazz club were a good example... I like people, I like writing... I like bringing people together, and I find it more rewarding to develop and promote my creative space using the skills I have. Through that, I was able to take my musical skills, promote myself, and make some money.
This is just one approach though... I remember one artist (a sculptor) who came up with a rather unique idea. Rather than simply teaching art or selling her works, somehow she was inspired to create a program called "Vision Thru Art" - - a sculpting program for the blind... (*Actually, she was Laura Goodman, the mother of the mayor of Las Vegas.) Other musicians have created programs for poor inner city students. Of course, beyond "causes" making money is o.k. too... musicians can try to corner markets and provide entertainment services in industries they know, get involved in multi-media marketing, those with adequate experience and equipment can offer their technical and production skills. There are endless limits to how you can take the music you love with the skills you already have and turn it into a special way of making a living (or even barely getting by yet being happy !)
Ultimately, the answer is "making it" isn't so much seeking commercial success... that's fine (bet on red !).... the answer is looking at yourself and your art as a product and thinking of ways you can offer it to the public, not only in itself but as an integrated product represening the total you ! ! ! After that its developing appropriate skills, musical, business and promotional, then doing the one thing I was guilty of not doing enough of in the past: Getting yourself out there. --Its all about NETWORKING. The more you network, the more resources you have... you then take those resources and use them. It's that simple.
In the end, if you want to ask me the best way to be a musician and make a million dollars, I'll answer you: Marry a millionaire. But if you want to ask me the best way to have personally driven chances for success in the music business, I'll answer it a bit differently -- Know what you're selling, and who you need to connect with to sell it, and remember, it may not necessarily be CDs or have anything to do with music at first!
By the way, here are a few skills I've developed on a personal level that if I ever opened up my own musical conservatory, insisted were taught. (Jazz musician Byard Lancaster once told me that when people come to him for lessons, the first thing he teaches them aren't scales or chords, but how to do business.)
Misc. Skills --
- Graphic design (basic design theory and how to use Illustrator on a basic level.)
- Web Design (how to design a basic website.) <-- I designed this one myself!
- Social media -- how to use in order to promote. (I've reached the point in life that I don't take musicians who can't use social media too seriously.)
- Foreign language --> Japanese (still working on it!)
- Marketing theory (basic) and basic advertising theory.
- Management theory (basic)
- Engineering theory and how to use LOGIC (to better communicate with members of my production teams!)
- Copywriting Ad Design and basic lay out theory. (Was fortunate to teach English to students an numerous top level advertising agencies in Japan!)
As I put in hours a day in practice, I also put time into these skills as well, none of which I would consider myself a master of (I'm a musician first and formost), but of which having basic knowledge allows me to better understand the team process that is involved in creating music, as well as be able to support myself in some situations I'd have to outsource very expensive projects. (Aside from direct study, is simply getting knowledge from people I know who are involved in fields related to the services above simply by talking with them and interviewing them. Most truly professional individuals don't mind having their brains picked, so long as it is done in a way that let's them talk about what is most important to them!
Tokyo Japan 2005 (revised 2012)