So you've decided to be an independent artist! congratulations on starting up your small business!. It is essential to have the right mindset straight off the bat. Artists are generally very creative people so when it comes to the business side of music, we often sweep that under the carpet and, by doing so, we significantly reduce the chances of making a profit much less a sustainable living income. 

To be successful in the music industry, you must conduct your music dealings as a business, meaning that you will have to split your time between being creative and becoming business savvy. 

There are many benefits to being self-employed, aside from getting to be your own boss, there are many financial benefits, especially at tax time, which is why you need to be organised and structure your career as a business. Unfortunately, a lot of artists, including myself, think they can depend on just releasing their art. We don't often consider timelines, planning, expenses, income,...

If I really, truly did have a dollar for every single time someone told me that they could make me famous, then I would have been famous by the tender age of 20, But alas, here I am, successful yes, but no Keith Urban or P!nk. I have been promised everything from being the next Britney Spears, to signing with a major record label when I was a teenager, oh and my favourite, a spot on The Ellen Show. These days I carry myself with a confidence that just tells those people not to try it on me, it won't end well. 

So what about you? Is it different for you? Will it happen to you? Well, it's not entirely impossible, it's just really, highly unlikely. I'm not saying don't follow up on any leads you're given (that's if they give you more than just their word) all I am saying is, don't get too excited, don't be pessimistic, just put your realist hat on for a moment and ask yourself, ok have I really hit the jackpot and found someone that can launch me into the stratosphere? As I said,...

You can choose to be impacted or impactful, but just remember, every choice we make has consequences, good or bad. 

We all know that it is a difficult time in life at the moment, for the entire world, but if you choose to stop, give up, not move forward and choose the negative path or mindset, then this will have an impact on your brand.

People are looking for positives, people want to laugh, they want to have fun, be entertained, that's why we use social media. You have a unique position to be able to share any message you have to an audience through your social media platforms. Choose wisely! You will be remembered for what you share, remembered for your attitude and remembered for your actions during the COVID-19. You will be remembered by your supporters/fans, friends, family and your industry!. I cannot stress enough that you are being watched! Social media can be very dangerous if you don't use it well, it can have severe...

With the current crisis, we are all facing, especially within the music industry, NOW is when you ABSOLUTELY need social media! I will be creating an episode very soon around ways we can stay pro-active and keep out heads above water in this unprecedented time. 

Social Media platforms are our own dedicated space on the internet, our own little part of the world where we can build and grow a loyal community of supporters. Sure with the algorithms always changing, it can be challenging, but business as a whole is challenging and perhaps more challenging then it has ever been in the time you and I have been alive.

Make the most of the social media opportunity; it's not something we have always had available. It creates more opportunities for those who are willing to work on it. Stay consistent and produce valuable content for your supporters, they will appreciate it, and it will grow their trust and loyalty for your brand.

There are a few DO's and DON'Ts when it...

Consistency really is key! Key to what? I guess if you think about it, consistency is key to success in everything and maybe that is why it is so hard to stay consistent, no matter what your goals are. 

We often wait until motivation strikes to work on our goals, then once motivation is done, we take a long break, and it's this lack of consistency that interrupts our workflow and in the long run, leads to unfulfillment in goals and our lives. 

BUT! Did you know that if you practice being consistent, then it eventually becomes a habit, once something is a habit, it becomes easy!. 

One of my favourite books is called "The Power Of Habit" it changed my perspective on consistency, motivation and procrastination. 

There are a few ways to ensure that you are successful in creating consistency within your music business.

Let's talk about them! 

We live in the world of instant gratification where we can have just about anything we want .... now! but can we really have a successful, sustainable career overnight? 

If you want a long and prosperous career as an artist then it is important to grow and develop your career over time. Wanting everything right now, to feel instantly gratified will lead you to lose sight of the overall goal, which is to have a successful career for as long as possible.

Instant gratification makes us feel good, at the time, it's a bit like shovelling down a bunch of fast and fatty feel-good food, it's great in the moment but isn't great for us in the long run. We don't want our career to be the fast, feel-good now food, we want to maintain healthy growth.

I have included 3 tips to help you grow organically... let's find out what they are!

As a creative person myself, I know all too well that most creative people want to focus on creating, they don't want to know about budgets, marketing, sales figures, tax and all of the business responsibilities.

If you're marketing your music and you plan on making a profit from it, then you are running a business! You must treat your career as a business because if you don't, you won't succeed.

Work on changing your mindset, you aren't just an artist, you have a career,
you run a business. Make time for yourself to work on and grow your business, create a schedule and dedicate time to completing tasks that will enhance the growth of your business.

I talk about all of this and more in the video, let's break down why we call it a business and why it is imperative to the success of your career that we start to grow and function as a business!

Let's discuss the side of being an artist nobody wants to talk about!