I’m a gigging musician. It takes a lot of effort to get gigs and keep my gigging calendar full. I spend hours each week calling venues, researching gigging opportunities, sending out emails, following up with people I’ve reached out to and advancing shows. People don’t realize that gigging is not just showing up at your […]
Category: General Business
15 Positive Ways Musicians Can Improve Their Chance of Getting Gigs
For this post, we welcome Guest Contributor, Dipanshu Mphapatra; self-taught guitarist who has played over 100 live performance gigs and counting. Dipanshu runs music-industry blog – Pick Up The Guitar. For more information about Dipanshu, see his full bio below. It’s no surprise that the music industry is one of the most competitive industries to […]
30 Positive Affirmations for Musicians
Musicians tend to be very temperamental souls. I know because I am one. My moods can swing from happy and positive to anger/worry and despair in a very short time span. I have trouble with being confident, having faith in my abilities, dealing with rejection, and more. Over the years, I’ve learned to cope by […]
How to Start a Music Career With No Money
Starting a career in music can be a very daunting experience. Unless you’ve shadowed musicians or gone to school for music/business, you really have no tools at your disposal to launch a successful career. You’re just starting from scratch and winging it. The cool thing is…there’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with that. I started from scratch. […]
My Experience Auditioning for America’s Got Talent
On our way to the convention center, I remember saying to myself, “You can do this.” I was sweating, my heart was racing, and I wasn’t sure that when it counted if any sound would actually come out of my mouth. I walked into a huge room. There were large windows that reached the ceiling. […]
How to Write a Business Plan for Musicians
Creative entrepreneurs have a responsibility to themselves (and their families where applicable) to make good financial decisions for their present and their future. Whether you’re full-time, part-time, or aspiring; being financially savvy is both good for business and good for your overall morale. However, for musicians, it’s way too easy to get distracted with making […]
How to Prepare a Profit and Loss Statement for Musicians
There are a number of financial documents a business should have to monitor finances and make informed financial decisions. One of those documents is the Profit and Loss Statement. In this post, we’ll cover the Profit and Loss Statement for musicians.
The Musician’s Practical Guide for Dealing With Rejection
I once had a music reviewer say “please, no more acoustic music!” I’m an acoustic soul-singer/songwriter. That was a punch to the gut! The constant cycle of calling, emailing, pitching, inquiring and getting either no answer or a flat-out “no” is simply depressing. And please, let’s not even talk about some of our fellow musicians […]
7 Reasons to Start Your Own Music Label
For this post, we welcome Guest Contributor, Nick Sadler; author of “The Label Machine.” Nick has produced, remixed, and toured as the artist Mobscene and co-founded Never Say Die Records, and Disciple Recordings, two of the most successful independent record labels in the rise of the modern electronic music movement. For more information about Nick, […]
5 Tricks That Convert Visitors to Subscribers on Your Musician Website
The musician’s mailing list is his/her key to direct marketing to their fanbase. Without this valuable tool, musicians are missing out on having direct access to their fans. This means you’re having to rely on social media and other third-party platforms to reach your fans. Unfortunately, these platforms carry strict guidelines, algorithms, and actual censorship […]
Music Business Guide: 4 Critical Business Elements Every Musician Should Address
Doing music is about way more than just playing a few tunes and melodies. There are so many hats a musician has to wear to keep business moving in the right direction, it could make your head spin. Being in business for yourself creates its own set of challenges, but it’s incredibly rewarding if you […]