Yesterday, I talked briefly about the controlled opposition jerks who were making a complete mockery of my profession.
What is controlled opposition?
It’s those who offer some factual information about a topic but cake it with obvious lies so anyone who might look into the subject are turned off and want to run the other way (from the tinfoil hat wearing psychos).
It doesn’t help my case one bit. If anything, it makes people assume I’m also a tinfoil hat wearing weirdo by association.
So, let me debunk a few myths about music entrepreneurship right here and now, once and for all…
Myth #1: Music Entrepreneurship is Boring
No way!
I’m a digital nomad. Last October, I picked up and moved out of Calgary (with whatever would fit in my car) without knowing whether I’d even have a place to stay 10 hours out west.
But I did eventually arrive in Abbotsford, and when I did, a rental unit was there waiting for me.
I proceeded to explore the surrounding area:
Hope, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley City, Surrey, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, Blaine and Seattle, WA. I even made it down to a mastermind retreat in Silverthorne, CO last December.
I set my own schedule, I wake up when I want, I eat at some amazing restaurants, I choose which projects I want to take on (including musical projects).
I still hustle some days, because I’m either taking a course, or I’m launching a new product. And, while growth isn’t always easy, it’s incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.
Does that sound boring to you? Fudge off!
You can make music entrepreneurship whatever you want it to be, and that’s the greatest benefit of all.
Myth #2: Music Entrepreneurship is Irrelevant to Me/Musicians
Wrong.
When I was first getting started, there was a bit of a difference between music entrepreneurship and musician entrepreneurship. Today? Virtually none!
Look, digital marketing, social media, smartphones… all that stuff is awesome. You should embrace it sooner rather than later if you want to make it anywhere as a musician.
The thing that people consistently miss is music entrepreneurship is a level above that. It’s about getting the mindset and structures in place to make your life easier, generate more revenue, build a team, spend more time in your genius zone, turn your passion into a viable living, thriving, and even killing.
Competing with other musicians without having a hot clue about the business side of things is going to be like climbing your personal Mount Everest.
Business is usually where musicians fall short, and never reach their full potential because of it.
Myth #3: Music Entrepreneurship Won’t Benefit Me
Okay, so let me ask you something…
Have you ever wanted to book more gigs for your act?
Obviously, right?
Well, to use a business-oriented term, booking is all about “negotiation”. Most musicians go into it thinking it’s all about a calendar (you can come in on this date, but not this one). That’s not true.
You can book gigs in venues that normally don’t host music. You can turn a profit from a gig where there’s no guarantee. You can book a show on a day the venue doesn’t typically book gigs. You can get on the bill for a show at a venue that’s notoriously difficult if not impossible to book.
How? By treating your career like a business.
How do I know? Because I’ve done it! I’ve talked about all these experiences elsewhere (Music Entrepreneur HQ, Music Industry How To, DIY Musician Blog, etc.).
This is just one example of where seeing your art as a business makes a difference. I could sit here all day talking about it, because I love it and am passionate about it.
Also, if you think none of the people I’ve interviewed for my blog or podcast have benefited from my efforts, why don’t you go ask them?
Myth #4: Music Entrepreneurship is Complicated & Difficult
That’s exactly what the controlled opposition want you to think. So, they try to turn you off from ever delving in and investing in your growth.
I invest in my growth all the time.
I’m currently wrapping up a free 21-day personal development course, a $100 30-day marketing course (incredible value), and I’ve got a $800 personal development course coming up in October.
I’m putting $197 USD a month into some new software to build my own course platform. And I’m looking at putting another $97 USD per month into a different piece of software to promote my offers.
I could go on but let’s get back to debunking this stupid myth.
The most complicated part of a music career is the music. Think about it. It involves bringing an idea to life, writing, arranging, rehearsing, spending time making demos (pre-production), booking time to go into the studio, nailing your parts, mixing, editing, producing, mastering, design, replication (if you’re creating physical copies), distribution…
We all get used to the process, but when you stop and think about it, this is the most harrowing part of all.
Once you’ve got your music, the hard part is done. You can move onto marketing, playing live, booking a tour, and so on.
Music entrepreneurship is only going to undergird these efforts. It’s going to give you a solid foundation to stand on. When you don’t have that foundation, you fall through the cracks and injure yourself on the way down.
You feel frustrated when social media posts don’t “land” with your audience.
You feel rejected when a reviewer doesn’t listen to your music.
You feel dejected when you call up a tour stop, and they tell you “no way.”
Am I right?
But if you had the skills to navigate these areas, if you knew what to expect going into different business scenarios, if you could see things from the perspective of reviewers, publicists and venue owners, if you could turn negative situations into positive ones, if you could negotiate powerfully and turn a “no” into a “yes”…
Don’t you think you’d do better in music?
I know you would, because I’ve done it!
Now that you understand the benefits of music entrepreneurship…
I’m going to invite you to learn more about The Music Entrepreneur Code now.
