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