Every artist in the music industry, kid starting a band, or manager of an act has asked themselves the question at some point in their careers. It's answer is the long-sought ‘magic solution’ to a problem as old as tunes themselves. If it could be quantified, packaged, and sold with a guarantee it would generate more cash than any hit record. But its magic isn’t in the process, it’s in the people.
At any given time some hopefuls somewhere are thinking, “We want this band to go places, to be more than a fun past time. We just want to _____________ (fill in the blank with 'travel, have a hit record, quit our jobs, get the ladies' etc.). We want to have success in the music industry, but how?” The question does in fact have an answer, one that's hidden in plain view.
Do It Yourself (DIY)
From bars to festivals, demos to box sets, pay-to-play to paid-to-play, artists in every stage of the journey have the same basic need: to play music and have people like it. This takes a number of intangibles like talent (to a lesser degree than the others), decent songs, intriguing identity, and luck. No article or advice can provide any of those. However, one can use the information found here as a guide through the process of developing a career independently.
Part of the process of music development is examining commitments, reviewing contracts and the pros and cons to representation, exploring the details of executing an album push, studying the intricacies of online promotion, merchandising, shows, tour circuits, getting 'lucky' and a lot more. The information here will give the reader a firm grasp of what it takes to build a solid career from the ground up, and be able to do it completely DIY. Then, just rinse and repeat!
The Big Fish in Music Management
Any established act with career questions should go ask Donald Passman, big fish in the industry pond and author of All You Need to Know About the Music Business. The information here is simply a checklist for the up and coming. One that’s been proven time and time again on dark highways with no sleep, in back alleys behind loud clubs, and over late nights of rock and ruin. Again, these articles won’t create talent for anyone, but it will help anyone create their own luck.
