Using The Lean Start Up Method For Music Promotion?

The Lean Start Up Method was first proposed in 2008 by Eric Ries the author of The Lean Startup, using his personal experiences adapting lean management principles to high-tech startup companies. The methodology is in short a way to present an idea/hypothesis to the end consumer to find the “minimum viable product” (MVP) before starting to develop a product or servie to find if there’s actually a need for the product that the end consumer is actually willing to pay for. The method has been expanded to apply to any individual, team, or company looking to introduce new products or services into the market. But how about music?

A recent course have been added to Udemy showing how to implement Lean Start Up methods into building a music career while building a fanbase. There haven’t been much content about this subject but some have touched on it such as Ryan Tanaka, Matt Shadetek and George Howard. Giving examples on how Demo’s could be called the “MVP” but often takes way to long and to much resources to be called the Lean Method. Matt gives the examples when often UK rappers made “dubplates” pressed singles to radio DJ’s to find out if it was a hit or not. That way knowing if it’s worth persuing pressing or releasing the new single.

Now with Live streaming and direct feedback with social media whould this be the new way to create music and engage with fans?

8 Soft Skills Musicians Have That Employers Want

When people study music, they learn much more than simply how to sing or play an instrument. Most of us can’t become professional musicians as adults, but the time spent on music adds up to much more than “just a hobby.” Musicians gain a number of soft skills that are helpful in any type of career. As opposed to hard skills, which consist of specific knowledge and skills needed for a given job, soft skills are equally important abilities that allow you to interact well with others and complete work successfully, and they’re in high demand.

Having soft skills makes you more competitive in the job market and increases your chances of success in any position — even if you’re self-employed! Whether you end up in a music-related career or not, you will be more prepared to tackle future employment challenges by having these 8 soft skills learned through music.

Click to read more ...

Being A Star - Between Diva Behavior And Imposter Syndrome

For people, being a star means that you are in the spotlights, that others notice you, that you are famous. We admire you, you inspire us. All the admiration does something to you and your ego. Your ego is blown up big way! Like a balloon. That’s how people with an imposter syndrome experience it. They still feel the same as they were before they became famous. They are anxious all the time, anxious that others might call them a fraud, that others deflate the balloon. The other side of the medal is, when you think that you have a right to all privileges that you get because of your fame. Often you don’t even know the name of the people surrounding you. You don’t seem to care, as long as they put you in the center of all attention. In psychology they call it ‘diva-behavior’.

Click to read more ...

Simple Growth Hacks That Are Necessary For Building A Solid Music Career

As the great Louis Armstrong once said, “Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them.” Despite the challenges of the industry, you should never stop trying to find ways to keep making good music and growing your career.

My take on this topic is not just based on inspirational quotes and fancy sayings. It comes from having been involved in music as a marketer and entrepreneur.

Over the past few years, I have worn several hats on the business side of music, from managing upcoming artists to starting companies. My experience has given me an insider’s perspective into how different people approach their careers and the little things some people do differently (or don’t do), which sometimes makes the difference.

Click to read more ...

Seven Steps Musicians Take In The Wrong Order – Why Many Music Careers Fail

There are many musicians trying to make it who do the right things, but at the wrong time and in the incorrect order. They often do things in their career based off of misinformation, fear or the advice of people who have never succeeded in music.

Click to read more ...

The 5 Worst Things About Being A Musician Around The Holidays

You might have noticed it’s December and everyone is full of cheer.  But the winter holidays aren’t just about decorations and egg nog.  When you’re a musician, there are also some pretty annoying sides to this time of year.  Here’s our rundown of your worst holiday moments as a musician.

Click to read more ...

The Difference Between Talent And Success In Music

This artice originally appeared on the Sonicbids Blog

Even without seeing his full face, it’s a fair assumption that the man pictured above is none other than Bono from U2. Say what you will about the man, but it’s hard to deny his success. The quest to finding success like Bono’s – or any other famous musician, for that matter – is a difficult one. The reasoning behind this is because the definition of success is different for many people.

Click to read more ...

A Day In The Life Of A Full-Time Musician

This post was written by Joy Ike ​and originally appeared on the Bandzoogle Blog.​

If you ask any full-time artist, they’ll probably admit that their daily schedule is an ever-changing, overwhelming wild beast that can’t be tamed.

As someone who has been living as a full-time artist for the last 8 years, I’ve established somewhat of a routine, but it’s constantly changing based on outside factors, how I feel, or a last-minute gig opportunity that completely derails my to-do list for the day.

Click to read more ...

Why Overcoming Your Music Career Competition Is Easy To Do [INFOGRAPHIC]

Take this very short music industry pop quiz:

True/false: To get the same opportunities you want in the music biz you must make it past massive levels of competition.

True/false: To make it in music, you need to overcome endless competition.

Both of these statements are completely false!

The music business really isn’t filled with tons of competition. Music companies are in dire need of new musicians to offer great contracts to, but have a hard time finding such musicians. You read that right.

Click to read more ...

7 Ways To Keep Yourself Interested In Practice

I’m a huge advocate for practicing your instrument. And as someone who loves practicing, I am well aware that keeping a regular practice schedule is exceedingly difficult.

It’s so easy for the business side of music to take priority over your practice, because frankly the practice always seems like it can wait and some other things simply can’t. It further complicates things when you have a job, if you’re on the road, or occasionally have to deal with, you know, life!

That being said, I am a big believer in regular practice because I think it has real benefits for your music career and your mental health.

Click to read more ...

Six Fun Jobs To Consider If You Have A Passion For Music

One thing many people have a great passion for is music. However, you don’t have to limit music to your hobby. There are actually many very well paying jobs that allow a person to user their love of music to make a living. Having a music career doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. You can make it a reality. Below are six great examples of music careers.

Click to read more ...

The One Thing You Already Have That Will Ensure Your Music Career Success (If You Allow It)

What one thing is the key factor for your success in the music industry?

Answer: Your type of mindset. Regardless of what you do, every choice you make and action you have performed up until now has been determined by the type of mindset you’ve built for yourself.

The most popular and successful professional musicians were not born with amazing skills or more potential than everyone else. They have a separate kind of mindset that causes them to take different actions and get better results.

Click to read more ...

DIY Musicians: Trying To Do Everything Is Hurting Your Chances of Success

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids Blog

Pretty much every indie musician I’ve talked to has two big problems: there’s just too much to do, and despite putting a lot of time and effort into their career, they feel stagnant, like they’re not making any progress.

In this article, we’re going to solve these two problems with one stone. If you want to go further, I have a time management and productivity ebook as well as a goal-setting ebook that you can download for free to keep the momentum going in your music career.

Click to read more ...

The Scary “S” Word: Redefining Success As A Musician

Too often, our first instinct when measuring “success” is by the amount of money that’s in your bank account. One year Joe Shmo is making 30K annually, and the next year he gets a raise to 45k. Now he’s more successful, right? However, in music you’ll notice that unlike most other professional fields, “success” is a far more intangible and complicated concept to measure.

Click to read more ...