The Music Entrepreneur Triangle: You’ll be Lost Without This

The Music Entrepreneur Triangle: You’ll be Lost Without This

by | Apr 12, 2023 | Music

Looking to become a music entrepreneur? There are a few different models that work. But the most well-worn path is encapsulated in what follows – the Music Entrepreneur Triangle. Understand this and you will have cleared a path for your ultimate success.

Work

For famous music entrepreneurs like Dr. Dre, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and others, it all started with their music. Music is the foundation on which all other opportunities were layered on top.

The temptation might be to diversify too early, diluting your focus on the work that matters most. But this hinders progress. You’ve got to become known for something first and prioritize this above all else.

What many don’t understand is the goal of the work, which is to elevate your celebrity status. And it’s much easier to become known for one thing than it is to become known for many things, which is where identifying what’s unique about you and focusing on that makes the greatest difference.

What many don’t understand is the goal of the work, which is to elevate your celebrity status. Click To Tweet

We’ll be exploring what it means to be a celebrity and why that matters in a moment.

Chiefly, to become known, you must work, and you must become known for your work.

People love to point to what they assume to be exceptions, like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian. The commonality that is often overlooked is how in both cases, sex tapes were used either intentionally, or unwittingly, to solidify their celebrity status. Make no mistake – the sex tape was the work. That is one way to become famous, yes, but is it the most desirable? If fame is your only desire, then perhaps it is.  But dovetailing that into a music career is another matter entirely.

While Hilton may have had a brief stint as a singer, everyone knew she didn’t have a bright future as a pop star. Failing in such a public way doesn’t leave a lot of room for a comeback. And in case you think I missed it, I must point out that neither Hilton nor Kardashian are music entrepreneurs specifically, though they are indeed entrepreneurial.

Celebrity Status

To beat a dead horse, the goal of your work is to become known. Becoming known will swing the doors of opportunity wide open.

Becoming known will swing the doors of opportunity wide open. Click To Tweet

Becoming consumed with income too early is a mistake and may prevent you from doing everything you can do to grow your notoriety. Working on your passion on nights and weekends is the furthest thing from glamorous, but it’s what’s required here. A foundation of financial solvency empowers one to continue to do the work that matters most to them. An earning is made 9 – 5, a killing is made on evenings and weekends.

But let’s be clear about one thing – you don’t need to be an A-list celeb to command the opportunities or attention you desire (and you may not desire much attention at all). There are over eight billion people on this green earth. You want to be known, most of all, by the audience you want to attract, and 1,000 true fans is enough.

On your way to becoming a celebrity is the wrong time to discern who your art is for, however. You should have had at least an inkling of who your audience is before even beginning the work. Only then does the axiom “ready, fire, aim” make any sense.

Your work contributes to your celebrity status, but in many cases it’s not enough. You need to seek out every opportunity to be interviewed, spotlighted, profiled, or reviewed. Pitch weekly if not daily.

And if you’re taking it seriously, don’t become too reliant on bloggers, podcasters, journalists, or anyone else to cover you. Take on writing press releases, guest posts, articles, and columns for blogs, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and more, online, and off.

Diversification

Starting your own brand of headphones, or fragrances, or clothing lines becomes possible and far more viable once you’ve established the other two sides of the music entrepreneur triangle – work and celebrity status.

Now that you’ve achieved a degree of fame, it’s not important that you focus on being known for one thing anymore. Most people will continue to remember you most for one or two things, no matter where you take your career from here. You’re ready to go forth and try your hand at other ventures, which can sometimes take off rapidly thanks to your celebrity status.

I won’t beat around the bush. Being a celebrity has its perks. A lot of money will flow your way merely for doing what you’re told to do when you’re told to do it.

But when do you get to work on whatever you want? When you’ve achieved your celebrity status. Tattoo that on your mind, and remember, even then, that mishaps do occur. And mistakes are lambasted more critically in the public eye than in the privacy of your grassroots fan base. In business dealings, best take your advice from people who know what they’re talking about.

Kalimba is an Underserved Growth Market

Kalimba is an Underserved Growth Market

by | Mar 15, 2023 | Music

Here’s a viable business idea on a silver platter. If you’ve been waiting for a music business opportunity, take this one.

There are people looking for kalimba instructors and kalimba sheet music. I just received an email from one such individual today.

The problem?

  • While there is plenty of kalimba music in tablature form, some people simply do not want to read kalimba music that way. They’d prefer something closer to standard notation.
  • Some of the available music features accidentals (sharps and flats) or notes that fall outside of the instrument’s range that cannot be played on all kalimba types.
  • There are people looking for instructors in their locality or online who can serve them in their specific time zone (e.g., UK).

You know the market. You know the problem. Now, go and conquer. Let me know how it goes.

It’s Time to Drop the Masks

It’s Time to Drop the Masks

by | Mar 14, 2023 | Music

I’ve been staring at a lot of recording studio sites lately and I noticed something.

With all the mention of COVID policies and Instagram photos showing staff wearing masks, it looks like some sites haven’t been updated since 2020. Which is probably the case.

I understand how busy it can get. Probably the only reason I find time enough to keep all my sites updated is because content is my main source of revenue.

But it’s high time you took new photos and showed your wonderful staff without masks. Even if they are still wearing masks inside the facility during work hours.

I never treated the pandemic as though it were a meme and can’t understand those who do, either.

Look, I’m not here to pass judgment. I fundamentally disagree with the notion that masks are “warm,” “cute,” or “fun,” but you’re entitled to your opinion.

What I’m saying is – let me see the faces of your wonderful staff. Photographing them with masks is mostly pointless. I can’t identify them. I can only see their eyes, maybe their hair. There’s no sense of connection created, and that’s the whole point of photos. If you’re not going to take profile shots without masks, you may as well not even take them.

People connect with people. They don’t connect with studio setups or gear lists. So, if you want to create a connection with your prospects and customers online, show your beautiful faces.

If you want to create a connection with your prospects and customers online, show your beautiful faces. Click To Tweet
Music Isn’t “Fun”

Music Isn’t “Fun”

by | Mar 9, 2023 | Music

The projects I take on are often perceived as “fun” or “glamorous,” presumably because they are usually related to music, creativity, performance, or entertainment in some capacity.

But music is not any less work than anything else. You cannot get good at it without treating it like a full-time job, or at the very least, a very serious part-time job.

No one in their right mind says, “after my 9 – 6, I’m going to go home, have supper, and practice my guitar for six hours.” But these are the very virtuosos you see on YouTube, some not even famous. What they’re doing requires an immense amount of focus, dedication, and hard work.

You can’t go to the clubs, hang out with friends, or lay on the beach if you’re practicing guitar six hours per night. Once you’ve paid your dues at the day job, the only thing waiting for you at home is a music stand, your practice material, and maybe a notebook to jot your ideas down.

And if you’ve ever heard a musician practice… oh boy. It looks like playing something the wrong way, repeatedly, for hours, sometimes days (or weeks, or months, or years) on end, until you can finally play it correctly. Talk about agony.

Just because something appears “fun” doesn’t mean it takes any less work. It’s usually the opposite. If you want to become a master of your craft, you can’t let anything get in the way of your commitment. And if you want to stand out in a profession others consider “fun” and “easy,” you can bet you’ve got your work cut out for you.

My projects get done because I take them seriously, just as any entrepreneur would. I no longer think about whether I’m passionate about what I do. I decide to be passionate about what I do, simply because I’m doing it.

Come spend a week with me some time. Then you can be the judge of whether what I do is any fun.

I’ve made a commitment to creating the life I love through my creativity. And that means doing whatever it takes. If I have fun along the way, I count it as a bonus. But it doesn’t mean I don’t encounter challenges or go through an array or emotions as I’m doing it (I’ve simply found that being emotional about everything wastes precious energy). I’m human. I go through everything you can imagine me going through.

An unreasonable commitment to showing up and doing the work is what has gotten me to where I am. Without integrity in what I do, I would not even enjoy the humble success I have today. And I am nothing if not a work in progress when it comes to integrity.