Unsigned Artists

It's funny how people just don't understand the idea of music professionals giving up their advice to help the career of independent musicians. Why should they listen to our advice, after all we're not famous. Of course we're not, our work is done away from the spotlight, away from the public eye and that is how it should be, but many of our clients and businesses are doing well.

I was reading a comment on the MySpace homepage of Bandit A&R Newsletter which said "Its an interesting concept, but I'm always dubious of these pay-for-this-bible kinda things." And I asked myself why? Why should a person be dubious about helpful and important contact information? Could it be that the information is a lie? Could it be that the product doesn't even exist and we professionals are trying to scam you for a few lousy bucks? I don't think so. There are far easier ways to scam people if that is how we wanted to be.

I personally work with marketing in music. It's very fulfilling and works! To me it's amazing how many artists and bands turn their backs on or ignore completely marketing. Marketing is an integral part of your music career, you wear a certain type of clothing, that's marketing, you have a certain type of sound, is also marketing, you promote your band or ask for your music to be heard is also marketing (albeit simple).

David Hooper, director of Kathode Ray Music told an interesting story of an old woman who, after hearing a young man playing a violin said, "Oh! I wish I could play like that!" The young man replied, "No you don't, because if you did you would have learned to play years ago!". The point of the story is true. If we want something bad enough, we must learn how to and commit ourselves to it.

Of course you may be a musician just as a hobby, and there's nothing wrong in that. You will have hours of fun in your bedroom creating your home recordings and showing them to your mates. That's cool if that's what you want to do.

But if you are considering being an independent professional, earning money to live from your music, you need to take the bull by the horns and be proactive. You must know about the whole business and not just a part of it. It's like you making the following mathematical equation:

2 + ? = ?

You know the first part (your music) but you're missing the rest, so you will never find the right answer in the end.

The cold, hard truth is:

If you are not prepared to take care of your business, then who will? If you are not prepared to invest in your business, then who will? Being famous is not a right, it's a reward. Nobody in business will give you a free ride, it's up to you to take up the reigns and get to the next level. Then, and maybe then someone will start to take notice of you.

Success

Steve Allen

Steve Allen is consultant and music producer. Author of "Marketing Your Music – Success Strategies", "Personal Management in the Music Industry" and "Street Teams – Expand your Fan Base" http://www.marketingyourmusic.net

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