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 10
Essential Tips for Making
a
Living with Your Music
by Christopher Knab - Fourfront
Media & Music -
2008
Back to The Academy
Top
10 Lists are a favorite hobby
of our society. It’s a fun way
to keep up the illusion of the
simplicity of things in a complex
world. So...why not a Top Ten
List on the subject of Making
A Living From Your Music? The
following list highlights 10
habits you should develop if
you want to make a living some
day, just from your music. Remember
that there are a million ways
to get to any intended destination.
From my observations over the
years, this list of professional
habits are shared my most successful
musicians who truly have what
it takes to succeed in this
totally unpredictable business
of music.
1.
Find ways to get ordinary people
who love music, to love your
music.
We
live in a time when everybody
and their sister can and does
make their own music. That doesn’t
mean however that your music
has what it takes for record
labels to invest their money
and time developing, promoting,
and marketing that music. Try
your music out on music fans
like you solicit opinions from
A&R Rep. These talent scouts
of the music business are always
following tips they hear from
their street connections. But
remember, your music must truly
stand out in some significant,
original, dynamic, and creative
way. 95% of the independently
produced CDs out there contain
regurgitated ideas that were
ripped off from some other more
gifted musicians. Prove to the
industry that ordinary music
fans in your city love your
music. You can find this out
by giving away samples of
your music on the street, or outside a musc venue where an artist similar to your music style is playing. (Be sure to have your contact information on the CD or flashdrive or whatever your music is on.) Also, put songs
on
your website, your MySpace page, or any of the newer social networking sites. The fact is that If people love something
they let other people know about
it. So, you can find out quickly
if your music has what it takes
by bringing
your music to the people.
2.
Play live often and don’t worry
(at first) about getting
paid for every gig.
You
can always tell the difference
between a musician who is in
it for the money, and a musician
who is in it for the music.
The dedicated musician can’t
not play music every chance
they get. Money-focused musicians
whine about the fact that they
can’t get club gigs that pay
anything. If you really think
that you can make your living
solely as a musician in the
first three to four years of
your career, you are headed
for a breakdown and disappointment.
Think about it...almost every
legendary, gifted musician who
has made a mark on our culture
has been a musician who struggled
long and hard at their craft,
and...never gave up. Eat determination
for breakfast! Go out there
and play on the streets if you
have to, play at schools, fairs,
festivals, do benefits to help
other people and organizations.
Offer your services to non-
profits, charities, church groups,
and any other companies or organizations
you can think of. Hang out at
clubs, look for jamming possibilities,
or start your own jam sessions.
Look around your city or town,
and you will see many places
and venues where musicians can
play. As you establish yourself
and more and more people show
up at your shows, the paid gigs
will increase. Remember... play
live, and then after you play
live, play live again, that’s
what musicians are supposed
to do.
3.
Know your instrument inside-out.
One
of the curious developments
of the late 1970’s was the huge
increase in garage bands, punk
bands, rappers, and ‘do-it yourselfers’,
who just picked up an instrument,
or started to sing with some
friends, and 6 months later
recorded a record and began
to play live. Some great music,
and new directions in music,
came out of that situation.
But now, 30 odd years later,
the novelty of hearing amateurish
thrashings has gotten a bit
dull.
Prior
to late 70’s, more often than
not, the music that is our heritage
was made by musicians who, from
the time they took up their
instrument, worshipped at the
feet of some master bluesman,
jazz player, folk legend, songwriter,
or whatever. The habit of these
inspired musicians was an appetite
for perfection. A need to be
not just ‘good enough’, but
GREAT. Why settle for less.
Whatever developing stage you
are at, go beyond it, re-commit
yourself to your instrument
or voice. Take lessons, or better
yet, sit yourself down at your
CD player and choose a favorite
guitar player’s record, and
listen closely to what they
are playing. then re-play it,
and re-play it again. Challenge
yourself to go beyond your limitations.
Who knows, maybe you will fall
into some new territory, wherein
you will find yourself, your
‘sound’, and increase your chance
to stand out from all the mediocrity
that is your competition. Believe
it or not, record labels love
to hear innovative, accessible
new sounds. Actually in their
heart of hearts, that is what
they are really hoping to hear
on every new demo they get, and
from every new act they go see
at a live venue. You see...in
the business of music, when
we hear something new, original,
and accessible to people, we
can then invest in you with
more security, believing that
if we put our ‘label brand’
on you, with our talents of
promotion and marketing coming
to the front, then we ‘have
something’, and your music becomes
our music, and we work together
to broaden you audience appeal.
It’s kinda like a partnership
...something about ‘Art and
Commerce’...they can work together
you know?!
4.
Protect your investment...register
your songs for proper copyright
protection.
I
never cease to be amazed how
few artists are willing to spend
a few bucks to register their songs
with the Copyright office. By
the way, these folks are often
the same folks who complain
about not getting paid to perform
their unknown music. All I know
is that when an inventor comes
up with some new product that
they think will appeal to a
certain type of customer, the
first thing they do is file
for a patent on their invention.
The same reaction to protecting
songs should be there for any
serious songwriter. If you really
intend to work hard and develop
your career as a musician who
writes your own songs, don’t
wait too long to take care of
this simple, but essential task.
If you really believe in your
unique and original music then
take the time to learn the basics
of copyright protection. From
the Internet to the library,
there a number of easy ways
to learn what it takes to file
for copyright protection. Do
it now! Go to www.copyright.gov
and follow their
links on Copyright registration
information.
5.
Design and write your promotional
materials so they stand out.
The
topic of designing and writing
effective promotional materials;
bios, fact sheets, cover letters,
quote sheets etc. is a lengthy
one to say the least. As far
as some tips that can help musicians
promote their careers, and contribute
to their getting any deal offers,
is to make the promo materials
as compelling, and informative
as possible. Take the time to
inventory any accomplishments,
positive reviews, training and
awards, past sales, and live
appearance highlights; and organize
them into professional written
bios etc. Having done that,
time also needs to be taken
to research who to send the
materials to, and to ask each
potential recipient what type
of information they would like
to have sent to them. No ‘generic’
kits should ever be sent out
to any gatekeepers in the music
business.
6.
Know the labels and music publishers
you hope to be signed to.
If
you were applying for a job
with a certain company of corporation,
wouldn’t you take some time
to ask questions about their
stability as a business, their
reputation in the industry,
and the executives background
and experience? The same is
true when shopping for a record
deal. Some musicians get so
excited when a certain label
approaches them with a recording
contract, or a publishing company
offers to sign them. Being approached
for a deal is a compliment and
recognition by a label or publisher
that a musician’s music is attractive
to them. But, to rush ahead
without taking the time to learn
a few things about them is foolish
indeed. How have they done with
your particular genre of music?
What specific ‘points’ are they
offering you? Who runs the label
or publishing company? What
is their reputation in the music
business? How do you like them
as people? These and other questions
can be crucial in making an
unemotional decision about an
arrangement that could make
or break your career.
7.
Have your own ‘Entertainment
Law Attorney’ to represent you.
The
business of getting signed to
any deal in the music business
has always had, has now, and
will always have, the involvement
of entertainment law attorneys.
No jokes will be inserted here,
because any relationship between
a musician, a record label,
a publisher, a merchandiser
etc. will come down to two attorneys
hashing out the contract for
the musician and the respective
companies. It should be pointed
out here that when all is said
in done with the ‘courting’
process, the musician is never
present during the actual negotiations.
The musicians attorney and the
music company’s attorney meet,
talk over the phone, and fax
their offers and counter-offers
amongst themselves. This fact
serves to remind you that choosing
a reputable, ethical, well respected
entertainment law attorney
is an absolute necessity
for any serious musician who
wishes to fight the good fight
in the legal arena.
8.
Choose a well-connected and
respected personal manager.
Self-management
is always a valid option in
the developing stages of establishing
your career as a musician. Much
can be learned by taking on
the jobs of securing gigs, getting
some publicity, planning tours,
dealing with personal issues
that arise within the band,
and schmoozing with A&R
Reps and various other label
and publishing personnel. However,
there comes a time, usually
when the daily tasks of doing
the business of being a band
takes up too much time, and
it is at this time that the
services of a good manager can
be very useful. I have always
felt that if any musician or
band has worked hard to establish
their career, and achieved a
modicum of success, they will
have a better chance to ‘attract’
the services of a professional,
well-connected and respected
manager.
Managers
who do this job for a living
can only take on clients that
generate income. Making money
as a personal manager is no
easy task, and many upcoming
artists forget that if any moneys
are to be generated from their
music, it can takes years for
the flow of that income to be
reliably there. So, as a band
develops self-management, or
gets help from intern/student
manager-wannabees, can help
pave the road for professional
management.
Over
the years I have heard several
horror stories about ‘managers’
that approach upcoming acts
and say that for X amount of
dollars, they can do such and
such for the artist. No... this
is not the way legit personal
managers work. Well-connected
and respected personal managers
get paid a negotiated fee for
their services (get it in writing)
for any and all business transactions
they are responsible for (15%-20%)
over a particular contract period.
Please Note...No musicians should ever pay
a fee to a so-called ‘manager’
who will not do any work UNLESS
they are paid up front. Flim-Flam
men and women still abound in
this business... be forewarned.
One
of the most important jobs of
a manager is to secure recording
and publishing contracts for
their clients, this is why it
is so essential to choose well
connected and well respected
managers. The music business
is a ‘relationship’ business.
Who know who, and who can get
to know who, and who did what
successfully for who is what
this management game is all
about. Choose carefully those
people who will be representing
you in any business dealings.
9.
Don’t take advice from anyone
unless you know that they know
what they are talking about.
At
the beginning of this article
I stated that there are a million
ways to do something, and that
these 10 tips were just my comments
from years of dealing with the
business itself and musicians.
Everybody has their own list
of Do’s and Don’ts and the only
real value they have is that
they present you with ‘opinions’
about what to do to get established
as a musician.
To
be quite candid, the best rules
in the music business comes
from the experience of building
your own career; learning from
your own interactions with the
gatekeepers at labels, the media,
management, and booking companies
as to what is right or wrong
for you. For every Do or Don’t
there is an exception to a so-called
‘rule’. As I reflect on the
advice I sought out and listened
to over the years, the most
valid tips came from people
who walked the walk, and talked
the talk. If you feel that the
source you have contacted knows
what they are talking about,
and has had first hand experience
doing what you want to learn
about, that is the only feedback
that might stand up over time.
Choose carefully.
10.
Musician...Educate Thyself!
If you want a record deal, learn
what a record deal is, and learn
something about the business
of music.
Naïve
or mis-informed musicians are
a menace to themselves. Enough
already! Over the decades there
have been countless stories
of musicians who were ripped
off by their record labels and
music publishing companies.
Why? Exploitation was the name
of the game way back when, and regretfully it hasn't gone away.
Keeping musicians in the dark
can still be standard business practice for many sleave-balls who are in this busienss.
However, you can't be a naive artist these days, so any any musician who
signs a record contract (and
learns later what he or she
signed) have only themselves
to blame.
)
Today there are dozens of
outstanding books available
on every conceivable topic related
to the business of music. They
can be found in bookstores,
libraries, and through the Internet.
In addition, there are many
schools that now offer 2- 4
year programs on the business
of music. Seminars, and workshops
are available on a year round
basis in most major American
cities. Consultants, Attorneys,
and Business Organizations are
all around and so it is only
myth, superstition, stubbornness,
and immaturity that stand in
the way of any musician making
a commitment to educating themselves
about the business that exists
to exploit their music.
I
cannot stress how important
I feel this issue is.
Educating yourself is THE most important suggestion I can make to help you have a chance at success.
If you won't learn about the business side of this industry, do you really expect the professionals you encounter to sit down and teach you? Get Real!
Please...spend
some time and money educating
yourselves about the music business, . A few hours now, can protect
your future forever!
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Christopher Knab is an independent music business consultant based in Seattle, Washington. He
is available for private consultations on promoting and marketing independent music, and can be reached at 206-282-6116
or by email at: Chris@Knab.com
Chris Knab's new book, 'Music Is Your Business'
is available NOW from the Music Biz Academy bookstore.
Visit the FourFront Media and
Music website for more information on the business of music from
Christopher Knab.
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