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This article was written by Chris Scheidies at Sweetwater. Over the next few months, we’re publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often!
As a creative person this may be a hard article to read. The ideas presented within took many years of denial, blood, sweat, and tears before I accepted them. But when I did, I found my music career and income rose considerably. As creative folks, we want the art to speak for itself. The truth is: if you are a musician or trying to make money with your art, then you are a business and must think and position yourself as such.
Be Cool
The music business is often about who you know and what those people think of you. Example: When you meet someone for the first time and they only want to talk about themselves, do you find them likable? Of course not. As human beings, WE like to talk about OURSELVES. This is true of anyone, including promoters, label executives, whomever. So, I have a challenge for you. The next time you meet someone from the industry, find out as much as you can about them, their dreams, struggles, and desires. You will likely learn a thing or two – then watch the floodgates of opportunities open. You may find the people at your shows are musicians as well, and you could learn a few things from them. Even if they are not, try and find out as much as you can about everyone you meet as opposed to telling them how great your group is. In other words, be cool to hang out with.
Professionalism
Do you get to the gig early? Do you start on time? Do you return phone calls promptly? I know a very famous, highly successful musician, who is also a multimillionaire, and he always starts his gigs one minute early. Yeah, that’s right – he is on stage performing one minute before expected. Not five minutes late and then another half an hour of set up. EARLY! It’s no wonder he has found such success. The person setting up the gig and paying you is your customer and you should treat them as such. This is how you are going to fund your future, so show your customers appreciation instead of attitude. Any musician with an ego is in danger of being perceived as a joke because there are 10 people waiting in line to take their place. That’s why connections and people skills matter so much. Follow Dale Carnegie’s rules: “Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.” Be a problem-solver with your peers and band. Your band will love you and life will be more peaceful. For example, one thing that drove me nuts as a “front of house” engineer was when I would do the sound for a talent show and would hear a band complain afterward, “Man, that monitor mix sucked!” Hmmm…I was not on stage. I was at the FOH position. Did you speak up and tell me when I could have done something about it, rather than badmouth me after the fact?
Get It Out There
Another thing that I find amazing is how unwilling some people are to get their music out. If you are an unknown artist you should be getting your music out there in any way possible. Many artists are so worried about getting their music stolen that no one ever hears it. I hate to say it, but songs are a dime a dozen these days. This is the marketing part of your music “business” – get your product in front of as many people as possible. Put your songs on Myspace and allow people to download and trade them. Collaborate with everyone you can. Get your songs on any compilation possible, regardless of the paycheck. I was recently commissioned to produce a hip-hop record with guest emcees. This album will be out on international release on a smaller label. It was like pulling teeth to find emcees for the project. These completely unknown groups with zero records under their belt were demanding millions, or would say, “Let’s work together!” and then we never heard from them again.
Market, Market, Market
No one knows who you are, it’s your job to tell them (just not in a way that conflicts with the “Be Cool” section above). Do you have a monthly newsletter so your fans can connect or reconnect with you? Are you in communication with the people that are paying your way to do this or further your music career?
It’s Sales
The last point, and one that drives every business, is sales. When you are trying to convince a club owner to let you or your band play – that is sales. When you have a merchandise table and hope that people buy CDs – that is sales. Consider reading some books or studying sales techniques. You don’t have to become a cheesy high-pressure salesperson, but there are things that work and things that don’t. Finding out what works can help you avoid missing out on a lot of sales and income.
At the end of the day none of this is really new information. A lot of it is just the golden rule. Think about it before you practice the next time. You should be improving not only as a musician, but also in how you treat people around you. Read some books on sales, marketing, and personal relationships. Understanding these things will take you far. Think of any truly successful person and you will find they are excellent at one or more of these things. For further reading see “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and anything by Zig Ziglar.
Chris Scheidies was a full-time musician turned studio engineer turned video/visual effects monkey. A true geek, he has worked in some sort of tech/creative industry for almost two decades. He is fascinated by business and entrepreneurship. He currently runs several web sites about pro audio and Linux as well as a Reason help site. He is also currently employed as a Sweetwater Sales engineer and can be reached at 800-222-4700 ext. 1388 or emailed at chris_scheidies@sweetwater.com.
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