| By far the most important skill to have
| |
| | address too. Genuine business people
|
| if you wish to become successful with
| |
| | don't use their Hotmail, AOL, or Yahoo
|
| anything, is ATTITUDE. An old Chinese
| |
| | addresses for formal communications.Make
|
| proverb once said, "90% of the journey
| |
| | sure all your paperwork is in order.If
|
| towards success is over once you have
| |
| | you are planning on making an eventual
|
| stepped outside your front door." The
| |
| | living from your art, you will need to be
|
| reason many people fail, is because
| |
| | registered as a business or as a
|
| they'd rather stay in and watch the TV.Of
| |
| | self-employed sole trader. You need to
|
| course, that first step outside is a
| |
| | make sure your tax and income are all
|
| philosophical one. As a musician or
| |
| | accounted for, so you may have to buy
|
| songwriter, you spend the vast majority
| |
| | yourself an accounting package, or learn
|
| of your time being creative. If you think
| |
| | to use Excel Spreadsheets, or employ an
|
| that writing a great song, or playing an
| |
| | accountant. There is also a lot to learn
|
| instrument well, is the hardest part of
| |
| | about how copyright systems work and
|
| being a successful artist, you are
| |
| | whether you feel you need to form your
|
| wrong.Despite all the skills you need to
| |
| | own publishing company, record company,
|
| know and perfect in order to make your
| |
| | or register your copyrights with an
|
| music shine, these pale into
| |
| | agency. Much of this will depend on the
|
| insignificance compared with the hard
| |
| | laws of your home country.
|
| work and other skills you will need to
| |
| | Alternatively, you can sign a
|
| learn in order to record, market and sell
| |
| | non-exclusive deal with a small
|
| your art successfully.Fortunately, most
| |
| | independent label or publisher to handle
|
| creative people also seem to excel at
| |
| | all the music-related paperwork for
|
| other things. The term "Jack of all
| |
| | you.You need to either take the time to
|
| trades" could quite easily apply to most
| |
| | develop some basic web design skills, buy
|
| musicians or artists. After all, the
| |
| | ready-made templates, or employ someone
|
| first thing most artists have to learn,
| |
| | to design a site for you.Make sure your
|
| is how to find time for their art whilst
| |
| | logo and colour scheme is fluent
|
| running a home AND holding down a Day Job
| |
| | throughout your site, your stationery,
|
| in order to pay the bills! It is
| |
| | your CD artwork, and any other
|
| therefore not unusual to find musicians
| |
| | communications device, such as email.
|
| who are also Physicists, Engineers, IT
| |
| | Make sure your site includes some way of
|
| Professionals or Teachers, to name but a
| |
| | gathering a mailing list, such as a
|
| few.Most of these people are quite
| |
| | response form or a "double opt-in" form
|
| content to keep music as a hobby, at
| |
| | of registration.Plan a marketing
|
| least whilst bringing up a family.
| |
| | strategy.Marketing is all about finding
|
| However, we all get to a stage in our
| |
| | the right market for your product. This
|
| lives (usually once the kids have grown
| |
| | may involve a certain amount of consumer
|
| up and left home), where we want to cease
| |
| | research. This can be expensive, so use
|
| working for a "Living", and instead, work
| |
| | the Internet as much as possible to find
|
| for our own "Satisfaction".There are few
| |
| | groups of people who like similar music
|
| things in life more satisfying than being
| |
| | to yours. Try to find out other things
|
| admired for something we created. If our
| |
| | about these people so that you can get a
|
| creations also manage to influence
| |
| | clearer picture of who would be
|
| others, then it is even more
| |
| | interested in your music.Plan a
|
| rewarding.This "first step outside your
| |
| | promotional strategy.Gather contact lists
|
| front door" is taken when you decide to
| |
| | of magazines, local newspapers, TV and
|
| pause from the creative aspect (the
| |
| | radio stations. Plan an 8-week
|
| ideas), and take a positive step towards
| |
| | promotional strategy leading up to the
|
| learning new skills, or employing others
| |
| | release of your CD. Use any press, or
|
| who can do those things for you.There has
| |
| | airplay you get as a news item on your
|
| never been a better time in the history
| |
| | website. If you have some money to
|
| of mankind, to take those steps, either
| |
| | invest, plan a set of concert dates in
|
| by yourself, or with others who would
| |
| | local venues for dates close to any
|
| help you.--Where you used to have to pay
| |
| | publication dates. Plan a poster or
|
| for tutoring, or buy books, in order to
| |
| | postcard campaign. Contact local
|
| learn the techniques of songwriting, or
| |
| | charities, hospitals, schools and shops,
|
| playing an instrument, you can now find
| |
| | in fact anyone who might be prepared to
|
| scores of articles on the Internet (like
| |
| | play your CD in a public place. If you
|
| this one!) that will help you for
| |
| | want local record stores to stock your
|
| free.--Where you used to have to save up
| |
| | CD, you will also need barcodes and
|
| a considerable amount of money to pay
| |
| | counter display boxes. Use the mailing
|
| studio costs and hire session musicians
| |
| | list you have been gathering from your
|
| to make a decent demo recording, you can
| |
| | site to promote any news to your fans
|
| now find all the necessary tools, and
| |
| | with a regular newsletter. Offer free
|
| even the musicians, on the Internet who
| |
| | tickets to gigs, or run competitions for
|
| would help you for little or no cost at
| |
| | free CDs. Use your fans as extra
|
| all.--Where you needed to sign a record
| |
| | leverage to increase the momentum of your
|
| deal in order to be able to afford a
| |
| | promotional campaigns.Don't under-sell
|
| producer and a master quality studio, you
| |
| | yourself.Make sure that any music you
|
| can now buy your own PC and some music
| |
| | decide to give away as a promotional MP3
|
| software, and collaborate with a producer
| |
| | is different in some way to the music you
|
| online, who will give you the capability
| |
| | are selling. E.G. It will either be an
|
| to make radio-ready recordings.--Where
| |
| | early un-mastered mix (demo), or a
|
| you needed a record company with a huge
| |
| | different mix, or a song you are never
|
| advertising budget to market and sell
| |
| | going to release for sale. Otherwise,
|
| your recordings, you can now (with some
| |
| | make sure all samples you make of your
|
| hard work), market and sell your CDs to
| |
| | records, are either short clips, or
|
| the Whole World for next to
| |
| | low-fi mono samples. The price you set
|
| nothing.---------------------------------
| |
| | for your releases should never be too far
|
| ----------------------------------The
| |
| | below that of major record company
|
| Music Industry doesn't like the changes
| |
| | releases. Your price tells your customer
|
| that the Internet has brought to the
| |
| | what "stage" you are at in the business.
|
| business. Digital media can be freely
| |
| | Price yourself too cheap and you are more
|
| copied by anyone with a PC, anywhere in
| |
| | likely to lose customers because they
|
| the World. No longer do the record
| |
| | will automatically assume you are an
|
| companies just have to worry about the CD
| |
| | "amateur".Make yourself and your CD
|
| pirates who manufacture illegal copies to
| |
| | easily accessible to your fans.Always
|
| sell on the black market; they also have
| |
| | answer any emails promptly. Check your
|
| to now worry about every PC-literate man,
| |
| | emails at least once a day and reply to
|
| woman and child, making their own copies
| |
| | any new enquiries immediately. The
|
| too! This has led the music industry into
| |
| | average time expected by most people for
|
| a perpetual fight against filesharers
| |
| | a response by email is 12-24 hours. Do
|
| (making enemies of many consumers in the
| |
| | not SPAM. Make sure you only send bulk
|
| process), instead of embracing the
| |
| | emails to people who have opted into your
|
| business advantages that the Internet
| |
| | mailing list, and if anyone wants to opt
|
| brings to us.The Music Industry still
| |
| | out, make sure you delete them straight
|
| believes that 8-16 year-olds buy most of
| |
| | away (not several weeks and 10
|
| the records, so they are still catering
| |
| | disgruntled emails later!). To contact
|
| primarily for that market. Recent
| |
| | businesses, you will need to write
|
| industry figures are telling a different
| |
| | individually and personally to each of
|
| story, and the secret is the "Baby
| |
| | them. Always use a business "signature"
|
| Boomers".Yes ... The same people who
| |
| | with your artistic or business name,
|
| created the above market perception in
| |
| | slogan, web site address, and possibly
|
| the 70's by buying the largest proportion
| |
| | your telephone number, on every email you
|
| of records ever, whilst they were
| |
| | send. If you have released a CD, make
|
| teenagers, have now grown up! The
| |
| | sure you add the link to that too! If
|
| largest age group to buy CDs TODAY, at
| |
| | you have had your CDs duplicated
|
| 26% of the population, are over 45. Not
| |
| | professionally and are barcoded, you can
|
| only that, but they still like the same
| |
| | also expand from selling them in internet
|
| kinds of music as they did then. So
| |
| | stores such as iTunes, Amazon, and
|
| there is no need to change your art to
| |
| | CDbaby, to high street stores. You must
|
| fit today's teenybopper market if you
| |
| | also sell them from your own site or at
|
| aren't that way inclined.Now that we know
| |
| | least provide links to the stores where
|
| the secret, we also know that the next
| |
| | they are available.Never stop
|
| big thing in music, isn't going to be
| |
| | "Networking"Carry your business cards
|
| another form of Hip-hop, Techno, or
| |
| | with you at all times. At every
|
| R'n'B; but a return to real music, such
| |
| | conversational opportunity, if someone
|
| as was made during the 60's and 70's.
| |
| | happens to mention music, or gigs, make
|
| However, we'll be creating it with modern
| |
| | sure you advertise yourself as an
|
| tools on a Home computer DAW (Digital
| |
| | independent artist. If you have a modern
|
| Audio Workstation) system, instead of in
| |
| | mobile phone or MP3 player, make sure
|
| a multimillion pound studio complex!So,
| |
| | your latest CD is on it! You never know
|
| whilst the Music Industry is still
| |
| | who you'll bump into in the supermarket.
|
| hesitating by trying to shun the new
| |
| | The first thing someone will ask when you
|
| digital era in favour of antiquated
| |
| | mention you are a recording artist is
|
| business models, hardware in the form of
| |
| | "What kind of music do you play?" If you
|
| CDs, and markets that still only cover
| |
| | have your MP3 player with you, you won't
|
| limited territories; we can now jump
| |
| | even have to answer! (This is always a
|
| ahead of them onto a more level playing
| |
| | difficult question for an artist). You
|
| field, find our own markets, and sell to
| |
| | can just play it to them! Also make sure
|
| the Whole World with only a simple
| |
| | you frequent all the music-related
|
| website!Sounds easy, doesn't it? ...
| |
| | newsgroups, forums, bulletin boards, MP3
|
| Well, that is the first hurdle you will
| |
| | sites, chat rooms etc. at every
|
| face. So many musicians think it is
| |
| | opportunity.Finally, my "Promotional Tip
|
| easy, that there are millions already
| |
| | of the Week"Familiarise yourself with all
|
| doing it! So to be successful you will
| |
| | the P2P filesharing systems that the
|
| need, like any other business, a proper
| |
| | music business hates so much. You can
|
| business plan.CONCLUSIONThe road to being
| |
| | use them to your advantage. Make ads or
|
| a successful independent musician, begins
| |
| | lo-fi samples of your music or CD and
|
| with ATTITUDE.You need to find enough
| |
| | label them like this...
|
| time in your schedule to drop the guitar
| |
| |
|
| & scoresheet and use your creative
| |
| | John_Mckeon_Friends_SoundsLike_Simon_&_Ga
|
| energies towards developing a proper
| |
| | rfunkel.mp3
|
| BUSINESS PLAN. This means taking a step
| |
| | Make copies labelled with every
|
| back and listening to your music through
| |
| | well-known artist you think you sound
|
| Joe Public's ears. You need to think up
| |
| | like, and keep all the files in your
|
| a business name, logo, and short slogan
| |
| | shared folder. Then, whenever you are
|
| that encompasses what you are, and what
| |
| | logged onto the service and someone
|
| your music is trying to say to
| |
| | searches for music by these well-known
|
| people.Register your business "name" by
| |
| | artists, your music will be on their list
|
| buying a domain name that suits you as
| |
| | of
|
| soon as possible.Pages on free MP3 sites
| |
| | results!---------------------------------
|
| and Free domains do not give you a
| |
| | -----------------------------------Lynn
|
| professional image. You MUST have your
| |
| | Monk has experienced over 30 years in the
|
| own site, or at least something that
| |
| | music business as a musician, concert
|
| offers you a unique look and features of
| |
| | sound & lighting engineer, DJ and record
|
| your own. If you want people to find
| |
| | producer; and is now the proprietor of
|
| your music unique & special, then you
| |
| | Wobbly Music. An indie record company
|
| also need an image that is unique and
| |
| | dedicated to supporting the "Mature
|
| special. That goes for your email
| |
| | Independent Artist".
|
