How to Become a Successful Independent Artist or Songwriter

By far the most important skill to have if you wish tobusiness people don't use their Hotmail, AOL, or Yahoo
become successful with anything, is ATTITUDE. An oldaddresses for formal communications.Make sure all
Chinese proverb once said, "90% of the journeyyour paperwork is in order.If you are planning on
towards success is over once you have steppedmaking 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.Ofsole trader. You need to make sure your tax and
course, that first step outside is a philosophical one. Asincome are all accounted for, so you may have to buy
a musician or songwriter, you spend the vast majorityyourself an accounting package, or learn to use Excel
of your time being creative. If you think that writing aSpreadsheets, or employ an accountant. There is also
great song, or playing an instrument well, is the hardesta lot to learn about how copyright systems work and
part of being a successful artist, you arewhether you feel you need to form your own
wrong.Despite all the skills you need to know andpublishing company, record company, or register your
perfect in order to make your music shine, these palecopyrights with an agency. Much of this will depend on
into insignificance compared with the hard work andthe 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, mostor 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 tosome basic web design skills, buy ready-made
most musicians or artists. After all, the first thing mosttemplates, or employ someone to design a site for
artists have to learn, is how to find time for their artyou.Make sure your logo and colour scheme is fluent
whilst running a home AND holding down a Day Job inthroughout your site, your stationery, your CD artwork,
order to pay the bills! It is therefore not unusual to findand any other communications device, such as email.
musicians who are also Physicists, Engineers, ITMake sure your site includes some way of gathering a
Professionals or Teachers, to name but a few.Most ofmailing list, such as a response form or a "double
these people are quite content to keep music as aopt-in" form of registration.Plan a marketing
hobby, at least whilst bringing up a family. However, westrategy.Marketing is all about finding the right market
all get to a stage in our lives (usually once the kidsfor your product. This may involve a certain amount of
have grown up and left home), where we want toconsumer research. This can be expensive, so use the
cease working for a "Living", and instead, work for ourInternet as much as possible to find groups of people
own "Satisfaction".There are few things in life morewho like similar music to yours. Try to find out other
satisfying than being admired for something wethings about these people so that you can get a
created. If our creations also manage to influenceclearer picture of who would be interested in your
others, then it is even more rewarding.This "first stepmusic.Plan a promotional strategy.Gather contact lists
outside your front door" is taken when you decide toof magazines, local newspapers, TV and radio
pause from the creative aspect (the ideas), and take astations. Plan an 8-week promotional strategy leading
positive step towards learning new skills, or employingup to the release of your CD. Use any press, or airplay
others who can do those things for you.There hasyou get as a news item on your website. If you have
never been a better time in the history of mankind, tosome money to invest, plan a set of concert dates in
take those steps, either by yourself, or with otherslocal venues for dates close to any publication dates.
who would help you.--Where you used to have to payPlan a poster or postcard campaign. Contact local
for tutoring, or buy books, in order to learn thecharities, hospitals, schools and shops, in fact anyone
techniques of songwriting, or playing an instrument, youwho might be prepared to play your CD in a public
can now find scores of articles on the Internet (like thisplace. If you want local record stores to stock your
one!) that will help you for free.--Where you used toCD, you will also need barcodes and counter display
have to save up a considerable amount of money toboxes. Use the mailing list you have been gathering
pay studio costs and hire session musicians to make afrom your site to promote any news to your fans with
decent demo recording, you can now find all thea regular newsletter. Offer free tickets to gigs, or run
necessary tools, and even the musicians, on thecompetitions for free CDs. Use your fans as extra
Internet who would help you for little or no cost atleverage to increase the momentum of your
all.--Where you needed to sign a record deal in orderpromotional campaigns.Don't under-sell yourself.Make
to be able to afford a producer and a master qualitysure that any music you decide to give away as a
studio, you can now buy your own PC and somepromotional 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-readyun-mastered mix (demo), or a different mix, or a song
recordings.--Where you needed a record companyyou are never going to release for sale. Otherwise,
with a huge advertising budget to market and sell yourmake 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 nextyou set for your releases should never be too far
tobelow that of major record company releases. Your
--The Music Industry doesn't like the changes that theprice tells your customer what "stage" you are at in
Internet has brought to the business. Digital media canthe business. Price yourself too cheap and you are
be freely copied by anyone with a PC, anywhere inmore likely to lose customers because they will
the World. No longer do the record companies justautomatically assume you are an "amateur".Make
have to worry about the CD pirates who manufactureyourself and your CD easily accessible to your
illegal copies to sell on the black market; they also havefans.Always answer any emails promptly. Check your
to now worry about every PC-literate man, womanemails at least once a day and reply to any new
and child, making their own copies too! This has led theenquiries immediately. The average time expected by
music industry into a perpetual fight against filesharersmost 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 thatpeople who have opted into your mailing list, and if
the Internet brings to us.The Music Industry still believesanyone wants to opt out, make sure you delete them
that 8-16 year-olds buy most of the records, so theystraight away (not several weeks and 10 disgruntled
are still catering primarily for that market. Recentemails later!). To contact businesses, you will need to
industry figures are telling a different story, and thewrite individually and personally to each of them.
secret is the "Baby Boomers".Yes ... The same peopleAlways use a business "signature" with your artistic or
who created the above market perception in the 70'sbusiness name, slogan, web site address, and possibly
by buying the largest proportion of records ever, whilstyour telephone number, on every email you send. If
they were teenagers, have now grown up! Theyou have released a CD, make sure you add the link
largest age group to buy CDs TODAY, at 26% of theto that too! If you have had your CDs duplicated
population, are over 45. Not only that, but they still likeprofessionally and are barcoded, you can also expand
the same kinds of music as they did then. So there isfrom selling them in internet stores such as iTunes,
no need to change your art to fit today's teenybopperAmazon, and CDbaby, to high street stores. You must
market if you aren't that way inclined.Now that wealso sell them from your own site or at least provide
know the secret, we also know that the next big thinglinks 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 astimes. At every conversational opportunity, if someone
was made during the 60's and 70's. However, we'll behappens to mention music, or gigs, make sure you
creating it with modern tools on a Home computeradvertise yourself as an independent artist. If you have
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) system, instead of ina modern mobile phone or MP3 player, make sure
a multimillion pound studio complex!So, whilst the Musicyour latest CD is on it! You never know who you'll
Industry is still hesitating by trying to shun the new digitalbump into in the supermarket. The first thing someone
era in favour of antiquated business models, hardwarewill 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 themMP3 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 simplecan just play it to them! Also make sure you frequent
website!Sounds easy, doesn't it? ... Well, that is the firstall 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 beopportunity.Finally, my "Promotional Tip of the
successful you will need, like any other business, aWeek"Familiarise yourself with all the P2P filesharing
proper business plan.CONCLUSIONThe road to beingsystems that the music business hates so much. You
a successful independent musician, begins withcan use them to your advantage. Make ads or lo-fi
ATTITUDE.You need to find enough time in yoursamples of your music or CD and label them like this...
schedule to drop the guitar & scoresheet and use your
creative energies towards developing a properel.mp3
BUSINESS PLAN. This means taking a step back andMake copies labelled with every well-known artist you
listening to your music through Joe Public's ears. Youthink you sound like, and keep all the files in your
need to think up a business name, logo, and shortshared folder. Then, whenever you are logged onto
slogan that encompasses what you are, and whatthe service and someone searches for music by
your music is trying to say to people.Register yourthese well-known artists, your music will be on their list
business "name" by buying a domain name that suitsof
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 somethingengineer, DJ and record producer; and is now the
that offers you a unique look and features of yourproprietor 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 andArtist".
special. That goes for your email address too. Genuine