I have this deep belief that even if as musicians we aren’t out to make it a full time job, it’s still important to treat it like your business. At the end of the day, it all has to start with making music for the passion and the joy behind it, to bring something beautiful to the world. Even when your main goal is just to have people listen to the music you make, you still have to treat your band or your music like a business. Otherwise, how will people get to hear everything you create?!
If you are in it for the long haul, you truly need to act like it’s a business from day one and it really is an even longer way to the top if you want to rock and roll now. It takes a seriously long term commitment to growing - as an artist, your social platforms, your fanbase, and of course, financially. It’s certainly not an easy road so I can’t pretend that it is. But it starts with strategy and planning just like any business starts with.
It seems to me that many times, people don’t know exactly where they want to go with is, which isn’t a problem, but having some sort of idea of the direction is a good place to start. So consider, do you want your music to be more of a passion project, or do you want to really push and make this a full time thing?
I see it a lot that artists wish they were at. A certain place with their band, or closer to the goal at least. Whether that is where they’re playing or their monthly listeners or their social following. For a lot of artists, I hate to say it but it’s easy to see why it’s not as far as you may hope for. A lot is that the work isn’t being put in on the back end to keep yourself top of mind with your fans, new stuff isn’t coming out… maybe you’ve been playing small. And it’s okay if that is happening too. Honestly, it can be so hard to keep on top of everything for your band/ your business and it can get overwhelming at times not knowing where to start.
So that is why it is so important to get serious and clear about what direction you want to go. If you just set out on a journey with no idea of where you want to go, well you probably won’t get that far and you’ll be wondering how you ended up in one place vs another!
What do you want to get out of your music? Do you want to be the next Rolling Stones? Do you want to play underground gigs only? Maybe you want to anonymously release music and really cool beats - like a Banksy of music. Why not? But if you haven’t set yourself some intention, it’s not too likely to come to fruition.
We also of course always take some financial risk when making music or touring, and that’s okay, but knowing and anticipating these costs will help you plan for the future as well. And remember, there are ways that you can get things done without massive budgets!
At the end of the day, there is no right answer of what you want to have your heart set on for your future. This isn’t about how we will make you the biggest band or more corporate than Kiss, but it does matter that you know where you’re planning to go, so you can set yourself up to do it right! And remember, these goals can always shift too. You can ALWAYS move the target!
I can however promise that if you start out thinking like a business, it will set you apart from the rest as you look at the big picture instead of starting off thinking and playing small. Have you been seeing opportunity in everything the crosses your path, thinking about your band as a brand, seeing potential in everything for content and expansion, considering expenses vs income (hey and that can be a thin thin line), and what is meaningful exposure or not.
The temptation may be there to be on every social platform available, but you really don’t have to be. You should be where your fans are and get really good at those before you branch out. I also don’t think you need to trend chase for virality, what you do need and people love - is authenticity. So really step into who you are and lean on that to connect. This will become easier and easier with practice and the more you get out there and do it. So be strategic on where you want to be seen, to play, and who you’d like to work with plus everything in between!
I want to know what you’ve pulled out of before deciding it wasn’t right for you as an artist or what did you lean further into that just made sense!
I can’t wait to hear what’s been working and what hasn’t been!
If you want to talk more about getting set up like a business and planning for your future, let’s chat!
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