I say this in a tone of a mother breaking some hard facts to her child. The only difference is, that it's a previous radio DJ telling artists. So I'm going to be blunt and give you the real...
What are you in the music business for if you don't learn about the business?
I was looking at the sales online for various book topics. One of them was the music business. I couldn't believe with the amount of people who are trying despirately to break into the music scene, that there are so little people buying books on how to navigate it. The music game is highly saturated with both talented and untalented people. You would think that with the amount of competition there is, that people would take a little time to educate themselves before wasting so much time, energy, and money on it.
For those in the music business aimlessly wandering, I have an important news flash:
If you can't handle what I say in this blog, you will never be able to handle this music, entertainment and indie artist biz... One of the BIGGEST misconceptions of the music biz - "All I have to do is be talented and someone big will find out about me and they will take care of all the business and I will get paid for making music and performing." Those who think this are seriously mistaken. The music business is real live BUSINESS... Just like a restaurant, lawn service, retail store, etc. Talent needs to be there for the business to be really successful... just like a restaurant with good food... or lawn care with great service, or a store with great clothes.... but those things can't be successful on their own- The business side must be handled before they are successful. 80% of the business side is marketing, marketing, marketing! And then there is all of the people you must hire or contract out to handle your marketing, pictures,videos, graphics, publishing, copyrighting, beats, mixing, mastering, album press up, shirts, venues, performances, dealing with promoters, publicists, managers, traveling, touring, meetings... and let's not forget that you should get educated on the biz so you don't get screwed over.
Just like any business, professionalism is a must... Music about the streets or partying, and the music business are two separate things. So don't be arrogant.. nobody wants to work with an ignorant arrogant person who may be talented, but knows nothing about business or how to be professional. No one can explain the biz to you in an hour, day, week, month or even a year... This is something you will have to learn on your own. No one is going to "save" you... you can't ride someone's coat tail to the top... the big wigs are very familiar with jock riders and they will use you to their advantage, then chew you up and spit you out or they will ignore you completely! You must learn the game, and do it for yourself so you will have something to offer when you actually sit at the big corporate desk of a record label.... but by then, you might decide to stay independent because you studied and got educated and realized what kind of asset you really are and that the label is trying to rip you off.
There is no need to get mad at the next person's success or try to pull them down... it won't work if they are handling their business right, and if you're busy trying to pull someone else down, instead of building yourself up, what's that going to do for you?
So I'm just saying, get educated, read some books, and make sure you're handling your business right -
More information is yet to come to give you helpful tips for success in the music and entertainment biz. This is just the beginning.
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