Five reasons you will fail in the music business

These are five of the top reasons why you will fail at a music career. It may sound like it is coming off a little harsh. That’s because it is.

Too many musicians put too much energy and effort into talking about why things have not happened or why things are not working for them. Everyone has reasons, justifications and rationale to explain why they are failing, yet these same artists do not take the steps to problem solve, change direction, learn, educate or empower themselves with the knowledge and the tools to change the path.

Egos are a sensitive thing and musicians, as well as other artists, are very sensitive. Add stubbornness and delusions of grandeur to ego and you get a failure trifecta. The music industry has changed. It is not what it was twenty five years ago and, hell, it is vastly different than what it was even five years ago.

It’s the musician’s responsibility to learn the industry and the changes that are currently happening. Then formulate a clear understanding of what has to happen in order to ensure success. You must have problem solving skills. You must have the tools and patience to do the drudge work. You must watch for mistakes and missteps just as you watch for opportunities and new avenues. It is crucial to make corrections to keep yourself on the path to success.

Here are five of the top reasons or excuses for failure that I hear all too often. I’ve listed the reasons why they are bad and a way to look at them in a different light.

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Brain Grenade Entertainment announces the release of D.a. Thompson’s CD “Disclaimer” and Seattle Release Party on August 18th, 2009.

Seattle, WA, July 21st, 2009/BGE. Brain Grenade Entertainment (BGE) proudly announces the release date and CD Release Party for D.a. Thompson’s new extended play album titled “Disclaimer” on Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 at Galerias in Seattle, Washington. The first single off of D.a. Thompson’s EP is entitled, “Just you and me.”

Disclaimer is a piano driven pop/rock/funk extended play album with fun arrangements and relatable lyrics. The EP delivers memorable hooks with hints of such artists as Billy Joel, Tears For Fears, and Jason Mraz. Disclaimer was produced by Loren Weisman, mixed by Scott Ross and mastered by Mark Alan Miller in a total of 110 hours over 13 sessions in the month of June 2009. 25 percent of this EP’s sales are being donated to artists working with Brain Grenade Entertainment in the FSRP program.

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But it makes sense to me...

There are a lot of musicians who want to artistically stretch people’s minds. They want to make people think and really dive deeply into the meanings of their songs, their name, their image and different underlying elements, thinking that this will add a hip or cool edge to their image. The problem is that this can lead to flat out confusion or, worse, become a deterrent, keeping people away from the music instead of drawing them closer. 

Don’t get me wrong: mind stretching and creativity are great things, but think about them as a later step rather than the first. Make it something that fans will have to dig into and avoid confusing the new listener. Wild stories, confusing bios, songs that make no sense or tie into the more experimental side of you can be red lights for many people to not want to dig deeper. For example, if you are a grunge/industrial type band with fast loops, dirty guitars and in-your-face samples with brash harmonies and powerful hooks, the first sample song on your site should reflect that.  

Get over yourself.

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Pretending to be more than you are - Lying in marketing.

You need to professionally present yourself, your music and your career. Your recording, promotion, marketing as all your soliciting materials and legal materials need to be done the right way. A strong professional package and promotional presence goes a very long way while a fake or weak presence will hurt you more than you know. Too many bands out there are trying to paint a picture they can't live up to and it is hurting much more than helping them.

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