Every hour of every day, there’s a talented musician somewhere on the planet who makes the decision to put their artistic side on the back burner in favor of a more stable career. Although they vow they will pursue music in their spare time, just this simple mindset shift could mean that writing songs and playing gigs will always take a back seat to almost everything else in life.
In a way, it hurts too much to do music when you make this decision because it reminds you of all the dreams you had and gives you the feeling of being a failure. Even the most committed musicians can be ground down to nothing after years of playing empty shows and sending out hundreds of demos with no reply. But once you start to recognize the common mistakes you’re making, you will be able to avoid them and get on with the real work of consistently creating music that your fans will appreciate.
Music Career Killer #1: Not working on your music every day
You can spend your whole life learning music marketing and still fail if you don’t have great music to promote, but you can suck at marketing and still do well if your music is on point. The ideal, though, is to find that perfect balance between marketing and music creation. Commit to working on your music skills for an hour a day, and do your marketing in any additional time that you can spare. It can help to make this into a little game, so every once in a while go back three months in time on your YouTube channel and see the kinds of songs you were writing then. Over that time period, you can really start to notice an improvement if you work on your music and songwriting daily.
Music Career Killer #4: Not selling anything
So many musicians drop the ball at this stage: they produce great music, but then feel bad and don’t ask people to take the next step to buy something. Or they do try and sell, but because they don’t feel comfortable, they get nervous and do a poor job of it. So if you don’t currently have anything for sale on your website, then don’t do anything else until you do. It can be as simple as a $5 per month subscription to get a song of the week delivered to their inbox.
Music Career Killer #8: Not taking at least one marketing action everyday
I’ve mentioned the importance of daily progress with your music, but just as important is the power of doing one thing per day that will get your music out into the world and in front of a targeted, interested fan. See, music marketing is like trying to push a car with your bare hands. At first it seems like it won’t budge, but then you start to get a little movement and before you know it, you’re going at a steady and predictable pace. Once in a while, you’ll come across a hill where you can sit back and let things roll, all you have to do is steer. But if you just start to push for five seconds then stop for a few days, then come back and try again for five minutes, you will never build up enough momentum and it will never get easy.
One of the biggest challenges that faces the modern DIY musician is consistency, because things will come up in your life that seem more fun or more important than working on your marketing.
But a little bit of focus on one really cool project can work like magic – all you need to do is remember why it’s important and why you decided to start learning music marketing in the first place. For me, it’s being able to work for myself and staying out of the rat race. I find that idea always allows me to refocus on what’s important.
Music Career Killer #12: Boring your fans and playing it safe
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen this happen. You go to a show and see a band rocking out some amazing tunes, but each time you see them, they just continue to play the same old set over and over again. The bottom line is that one set of good songs does not make a career. Make sure you write something new everyday, and the gems will come by default. You’ll be showing people considering an investment into your music (a fan, a record company) that you are making a commitment to being consistently productive now and in the future.
Music Career Killer #13: Playing every crap gig you get offered
When you first start out you might as well play every show that comes along because this is valuable experience, and can even save you some money on the practice room. This becomes a career killer, though, when you continue to play every bad show that comes along in the hopes that it might just convert one new fan. Playing to empty rooms with no pay not only sucks, but it’s also like a cancer to your career because it will destroy your enthusiasm. Next time you get offered a bad show, turn it down and spend the evening connecting working toward getting a killer show. One really good gig is worth a hundred empty venues.
Music Career Killer #20: Getting jealous of other musicians
Nobody feels great about getting jealous, but it’s natural right? You work your tail off for months to try and get hits to your site, and then you see another musician getting featured in the press and you know that in one day they are going to get more hits than you got in the last three months. I’m sure you may have felt something like this at some point.
But if you just make a little mindset shift, you can get a new perspective on the success of others. When you see another musician doing something cool like getting played on the radio, getting signed, or getting press, think to yourself, “Cool, that means I have the opportunity to do the same thing, because this guy has just uncovered another opportunity for me to market my own music.” If you go as far as to track other musicians who have a similar fan base to your own using Google Alerts, you can get daily updates offering new opportunities for you to connect with people who will be open to what you do because they just featured something similar. This follow up approach is something I call the “slip stream,” because you get to ride on the wave of the work done by other musicians and PR companies and it can take a lot of the guess work out of your marketing.
Ninja image via Shutterstock.com.
Click to get your free download of the Music Career Killers! white paper and read all 20 “killers.” The mission of the Music Marketing Classroom is to empower musicians to create a sustainable income, even with a modest music career, and teaches a simple four-step marketing philosophy to achieve that goal. Learn more at MusicMarketingClassroom.com.
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Oh, and another one: Stay the heck away from the drugs. I know too many people who spent more time getting “inspired” than practicing and it showed. You need the focus and disipline to succeed.
This one definitely should’ve been on the list. Sometimes people forget “pro” stands for professional. Peak efficiency and peak proficiency means no hallucinogens. I wont work with people who “need” drugs to create. Because Art is unconventional and its forefathers of our modern era (enlightenment etc.) led such abstract lives people use this today to justify a blatant lack of drive, passion and discipline. How does killing brain cells (via stimulants, hallucinagens, depressants etc.) help you think, write and perform better?
#13 Crapy gigs or what you may think is a crapy gig may be the deal breaker. The crapy gig one is full of crap. As a past artist and having worked for the majors and distribution for years #13 is full of crap. Don’t buy it.
I whole heartedly agree with #13
I think it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you are merely a working cover band or similar, being picky can create a vibe of exclusivity- leading to bigger paychecks if the band is good.
But if you are an independent artist trying to be “discovered”, playing everywhere, all the time is the best way to make contacts, be heard, etc.
If playing a backyard party lead to meeting “Uncle Clive Davis”, you would not be disappointed.
I am confused…one “pro” says play out often and many times now #13 says don’t play out every gig you get. I disagree even some of the “big” shows are “crappy”. It is what you make it! If you put on a good performance, I don’t care where it is, “Bob’s Pub” or the Civic Theater, people will notice. And as soon as you lose sight of that you might as well stay home and play to the mirror! I do every kind of show possible and some of the best shows have been at those so called”crappy” gigs. Keep music live!!! and Live your music!
Thank you.
Respectfully,
-Jeff Varga
I have always been told to play every gig that comes my way. I ended up with a very good contact that appeared at a “crappy” gig. I am glad I played that night. Carole
i say, play out as often as you like. if your all having fun and making a buck go for it. a free show will not kill you but crappy gig burn out might. practice every day. if practicing gets boring invite a few friends youll be amazed at what they can do for you. remember its all about the drums o sorry, the music,friends and having a good time. if your missing any of these simple ingredients fix it. lifes short play hard. push yourselfs. thats what good band members do.
i don’t feel #13 is a bad point. it’s more of a psychological problem than anything. if small crowds and less money kill your dreams, that’s on you. one point every musician should accept if they really want a career is that not every artist is gonna make it big. some will go on to start a trend, make millions and inspire new upcoming talent. others will live on in the underground but if music is your passion, that wont ruin anything for u. marketing really is the key to a successful music career. that’s been what’s held me back for so long, i never took it seriously. once i started performing at house parties and promoted myself by showing up where people wanted me to perform at, i jumped from 2,000 plays to 21,000 plays. people talk. you have to be involved with other musicians and other people in general, not competing against everyone and just showing off what u can do alone. if you really want to make it, form a group and spread the responsibility of getting the music heard/noticed. otherwise, have fun in front of that mirror.
Not so much is this a music career killer but I offer this more as a corollary, a possible career booster.
Every day, when you leave your abode, you enter a world seen only through your eyes. If you set your mind to “song radar,” you will be pleasantly surprised at how many ideas will begin to materialize as you move among people, talk to people, even drive in traffic.
No, these ideas won’t all be dissing a crazy f’ed up world. Some will actually emerge as song potential about people showing kindness, patience, innovation, maybe even a little love. It’s the stuff we see that we don’t put to music that kills our career. Life is full of music. Every day is a new song.
I have been a roadie, techie, and mostly a music professional for most of my adult life. I toured with bands as a manager and as a musician and this is the voibe I can offer. U2, no matter where they play and what they say, have a quality commitment that isn’t unlike any successful Corporation or firm I have been honored to be a part of. The thing I see in the success and failure of the bands, companies, and performers I have been blessed to know in my life have a common denominator in the consistency and quality areas of the overall personality you portray. EX: If drinking changes your outlook or behavior to something even your family doesn’t appreciate, don;t do it while your working or in the presence of the fans you are or just have worked for. Be on-time and always friendly and consistent in your attitude and associations and the ones that call you back are the ones that are genuine and the ones that don;t are either not interested in your product or need a reminder that you are what you say you are and play what you say you play. I feel that any gig you play, with the right pre-cursor and follow-up meet and greet, will just be considered the “ones that are good” and the ones where you changed the product without any warning will inadvertently become the “bad.” Expectations versus what you deliver, if they are markedly different, will be perceived as bad by those who give the bad voibe and provide the negativity based on an inconsistent show a failed marketing strategy or just plain disrespectful performance tactics delivered at any venue or gig. Be quality minded and don’t always believe “you get what you inspect, not what you expect” or play different to one than you would 100 as it will be perceived as less than high quality and the seed for future negativity the constant micro-management or oversight methods drive the formulate for No Quality as opposed to Total Quality in any performance. Put people in charge of delegated tasks with the interest in and vision synchronous with your ultimate goal and relate how their success means your success together. Most people, if they feel appreciated and an integral part of the TEAM will do a phenomenal job, yeah for you, but also for themselves Besides that, part of our goal as performers is to have fun. Try to convey your enjoyment in your performance and what you say to an audience encourage others to do the same, its contagious and it works! I witnessed countless remarks from Bono of U2 when directed to an audience like they are his personal friend and confidant, really gets them interested in everything else he might say from that point forward. And it is always something positive – or at least carries a positive and personal or “christian” message that is based on care, not dare! Rock On! v/r, drdave
I think people need top stop thinking of the music/ent industry as if this is still the 80s or 90s, and realise that there are tons of people that have made it by traditional, & non-traditional means. Yes, i know of some people that went as far as sleeping in their car, or sleeping on people’s couch year after year until they got their break.
But i also have met some people that did all of those things and it ruined them for life, never doing music again, with no one caring about them, and still no big break.
And some people have worked a 9-5, and after taking longer, things worked out the way they wanted. The important thing Ive found to be true, is that working smarter not harder is what brings you success. Look at some of the people that have actually started a successful ent career because of YouTube.
Im not saying YT is the new answer, im just saying that people went about achieving their goals in a smarter way that’s relevant to the 21st century, rather than what the “rules” have always been. Networking with the right people is invaluable, but knowing that you will have to spend money as an investment into your career wisely if you really want to go somewhere.
As well you have to admit that the USA just doesn’t respect the arts in general as they used to. So you have to have the mentality of broadnenig your horizons, rather than emphasizing on just one thing.
Perfect example, look at film composers. For many years a composer in the industry was told that you have to seriously focus on just tv, or film, or advertising. Now in this day and time, it’s not uncommon to see composers working in all of those industries at the time, including producing songs for label artists, and remixes.
This was very informative thanks
Great points! Working on music every day is essential to maintain momentum in making music and in marketing.
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Crappy gigs build character, and more importantly keep your chops up. The one thing it lacks is gaining notoriety. But I’ve done many to which that 1 gained fan turns into 50 more simply by way of word of mouth. I agree with transferring energy toward bigger and better, however one missed opportunity can also result in the loss of 50 potential future fans. Don’t do things for the money or the magnitude. Do them for the passion and those said things will follow suit.
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Awesome article. Good reminder and great food for thought.
I’ll be in Paris looking for opportunities 5/5-5/20.
Anybody w connects, holler at your girl.
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