What is Going on Here?

Here we are in the land of “Best music apps for Facebook”, “2011’s Best Music Start-Ups”, “Creating a Powerhouse Website”, and so on and so on; yet there are so many artists still aimlessly drifting around as if we are still in the 90s.  Please someone tell me what is going on here? Does it not make sense to think that what you’re doing does not make sense anymore? Today there are artists still fighting to get a record deal, yet they haven’t sold a single song, no strong online or offline presence, mundane social media activity, no knowledge of the available technology and programs, but in 2011 they want a record deal. It’s a joke. We have to get to a place where we’re serious about the industry that we chose to sustain and in return it sustains us.  You can’t expect fans to make the transition in supporting a non-major label driven music industry, if you haven’t made a transition yourself.

This new music industry is not for everyone with musical abilities. You don’t see non-professional athletes showing up to arenas like they’re supposed to be there. Maybe singing at your local YMCA is where you need to be, because this industry is for professionals. Major labels will continue to do what it is that they’re doing, disregard them. As a professional in this new music industry you are already swamped, and this can very much happen without even talking about your music. Fans don’t even just want to be fans anymore; they want to be friend-fans so you have to deal with that. Some dude in Rhode Island just launched a new music app, so now you got to learn about that. Facebook goes ahead and changes its rules again, so now you got to go learn about that. CEO of JumpKickstarterMusic.fm just did an interview with Ian Rogers, so now you got to go and watch that. Now that all of this non-your-music related information is digested, you have to go and create your music, but you can’t even sell it because everyone is telling you as an indie artist, you have to give away your music for free in order to get fans. And this is not even the half of it. I repeat this new music industry is for professionals only.  If you’re not excited about this new music industry, then it’s not for you. Scale back to what you’re comfortable with and enjoy that. This is a very unique period in the music business right now, and its going to continue to be unique. You can either evolve with it or waste everything fighting against it.

Here are a few tips in operating in this new music industry:

Purpose
This will be your fuel on your journey as an artist. 

Fans
They are #1 on your list. Identify them, connect with them, build with them, then find more.

Team
It is impossible for you to do this alone. Find other professionals and let them do what they do best.

Work Hard
You don’t have to work hard to be the best, but you should work hard to be YOUR best.

Enjoy
You are doing what you have chosen to do, it would be a waste to forget to enjoy it.

Recommit
It is always wise to remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. Your next best step is determined by how you respond.



Taurean Casey is Founder of Music Assistant Now
Music Assistant Now | Major Label Services for Independent Artists