How To Avoid Common Music Biz Myths

This week Blasko and Mike dissect the Hypebot article ‘5 Myths of Making it in the Music Industry’ and chat about some music business myths that could be detrimental to your career. Tune in to hear what the dynamic duo has to say. This is gonna be killer, so let’s get mental! In this industry it can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the information being blasted at us 24/7. Do this, don’t do that. This works, that doesn’t. It can be tough to know which advice to follow, and which to stay far away from. There are a few myths that I see bands still living by, despite any proof they actually work. Here they are: If your music is good enough, the labels/managers/festivals will find you. Labels want to see strong proof that you’re actually marketable (IE: you’ll make them money) before “taking a chance” on you, which means before they’re even remotely interested you need to have proven yourself through engaging social media pages, successful tours, fans that are willing to support you, etc. Once you’ve done all of that, then people start paying attention. I don’t need social media. Just saying that you know you’re not good at social media doesn’t make it ok. If you’re not good at it, either figure it out or hire someone to help you. I know this is tough to hear, but great music simply isn’t enough. Complaining about how it should be and neglecting the business side out of confusion or defiance won’t change that—it will only hurt your career. You can be totally DIY forever. At some point you have to stop saying “we don’t have any money” and start thinking “how do we come up with this money?” Because while you can DIY a lot of things for a long time with enough dedication, it’s eventually going to become unsustainable—especially if you don’t actually know how to do the thing that you’re trying to DIY. Your hustle should be 24/7. There is a LOT of value in having a strong work ethic, discipline, and the desire to hustle for your art, or anything else for that matter. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the most important pieces of becoming successful, is the ability to work through the tough times and have enough grit and passion that you can see past the sucky stage and to the light at the end of the tunnel. But there’s a myth in this industry that you must work 24/7 to reach your dreams, and what this so often does is not create success stories, but instead, create burnout. Suffice to say there’s a balance between hustling and working smart, and just running yourself into the ground. You can do it alone. Just knowing you’re surrounded by others who are there to help, and likewise, being someone who can help others in their time of need is what makes this industry so special. It can be so cutthroat out there, that having these little pockets of support can really make a huge difference, especially when you’re feeling lost or unclear on next steps. Having a support team, people who have your back, who want to see you succeed—it’s the most affirming feeling. People want to help you—so let them. Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands and use PCMANAGEMENTAL for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching’s got you covered, head over to www.outerloopcoaching.com. We want to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to email any questions or comments to [email protected] Find Blasko on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313 Find Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloop ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices