How artists can reframe their career mindset

Pursuing a career as a musician can be challenging, rewarding, and full of ups and downs. While it’s important to never lose sight of the artistry and the motivation to create art in the first place, it’s also important to approach certain elements of your career like a business to give yourself the best shot at success.

Don’t shoot the messenger but there’s a reason it’s called the music business and not the music “hobby”! Whether you’re an artist, manager, or someone with another role in the music business, creating a sustainable, prosperous, and long career as a musician takes a balance of creativity and business savvy.

For clarity, this newsletter doesn’t suggest treating the motivation and intention behind your art as a business or treating your art as simply something that falls on a P&L - your art should be purposeful, meaningful, and created for the right reasons. This newsletter simply suggests a framework for thinking to build around the art that you’re proud of making.

This newsletter covers:

• 8 ways to approach treating your music career like a business (in no particular order)

Let’s dive in ⬇️ 

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Everything starts with the music and making the absolute best possible art you’re capable of. Something you’re proud of and excited to share. Creating music is a very sacred and special experience - however, when thinking about how to market that music, build a fanbase, and grow your career, it can be helpful sometimes to approach that part of your career from the perspective of how to market and grow a product.

If artists want to earn a living, they’re not just making music and creating art - they’re running their own businesses.

If you want to build a fanbase and earn a living as a musician, you’re essentially trying to figure out a way to get your music (aka your product) in front of people so they can support it.

For example, when Apple rolls out a new product (for example a new iPhone) there’s an entire campaign around supporting that product - out-of-home marketing, their annual presentation, social media advertising, content, etc. They are doing everything they can to raise awareness, as opposed to just releasing it and hoping people discover or stumble upon it.