How to be a Music Maker Success Story

6 Fundamentals For Success in the Music business

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Do you want to make music? Well, the good news is that anyone can now make music. The only barrier to success is you. All you need are the right tools and the 3Ps.

The Dingazz Music website is a testament to taking ambition from an idea to reality. You can find out more about my story on the about page. One thing I have learnt on my journey is that you need to ask yourself certain questions and success will depend on your answers. However, if I can turn my ambition into reality then so can you.

Once upon a time, the idea of becoming an independent music maker would have been fantasy. However, technology has enabled consumers to listen to music in different ways and the creators of music can cut out the middlemen and have direct access to their fans.

The advent of Social Media has made it possible for singers and creators of music to market themselves on various platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. There are now thousands of digital and internet radio stations clamouring for new music of every possible genre.

Fans want music on demand and they want good new music. There is a market out there for your musical ideas. You just need to be able to turn it from an idea to a digital product. There are different skill sets required to achieve this and certain decisions need to be made and we’ll discuss this later.

The takeaway from this is that your dream of turning your song into a real product that you can unleash on the world is a reality if you start out with the key 6 points below. They will be the foundation for your success.

1. Have the right music maker mindset

I am sure that you have heard the phrase ‘It’s all in the mind’ but the truth of the matter is that to be successful, it is, all about the mindset.

I mentioned above the 3Ps. These are the foundation for success in any area.

PASSION

PREPARATION

PERSISTENCE

Whatever other assets you may have or not have with regard to fulfiling your musical ambitions the 3Ps will determine whether you succeed. I personally can say that without PERSISTENCE this article would not be here for you to read.

If you read any of the ‘how to be successful’ or motivational books out there, they will all emphasise this point about mindset so I won’t dwell on the research here.

The reason why it is so important is that it will decide whether you complete your musical journey. The downside of technology removing technical obstacles is that the relevant tasks will be your responsibility to fulfil. Unless you hit the jackpot very early, the journey can be a long one.

It takes persistence to continue when things aren’t going your way.

So spend time before you embark on your journey and ask yourself:

Do I really believe I can succeed
Do I really want this
Can I wait for as long as it takes to achieve success

If the answer to these questions is YES, YES, YES, then you really are on the road to somewhere special.

2. Evaluate your music maker skills

So you know you have what it takes to see it to the end. The next step is to evaluate. What I mean by this is look at all the elements you need to produce the finished product.

The modern-day singer/artist is not only a creator but the owner of a business. This is the approach that needs to be adopted as you cannot rely on one revenue stream in such times of change. Some of the things to evaluate are:

Do I have the level of skill needed
How will I acquire missing skills
What do I have that is different from the competition
Where will I produce my music
How much of the production will I do in house
What budget can I allocate to the project

The answers to these questions give you a picture of your undertaking, what lies ahead, who else you may need to assist you. It is important that you have this picture as this will enable you to set realistic goals. This last point is important BE REALISTIC.

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3. Increase your music making knowledge

Now that you have your goals set this is the time to do some research. None of us has the answers to everything (if you do you are wasting your time reading this article). Your goals could be achieved in different ways so this is the time to find out your options.

Whatever your goals it is highly unlikely that you are the first person to try, so put in some research.

Search the internet on the particular topic e.g. how to build a home studio
Join Facebook groups for your niche
Join forums ask questions
Reach out to fellow artists that may already have travelled your road (but be mindful their experience does not mean the same experience for you, positive or negative)
If you need to improve certain skills or need to outsource these skills. How are you going to achieve this?

It is important to evaluate your options as the wrong option could incur you needless expense or take longer than it should do to implement. Once you know how you will achieve your goals you are ready for the next step.

4. Create and implement your music making plan

This is the key to delivering the goals you previously set out. This doesn’t have to be on a special app or in a special format, a spreadsheet will do or a word document. It is the content that matters. It should contain a list of activities and tasks that will result in the completion of your object. See the example below.

Tasks (e.g. buy equipment, prepare studio space, finish writing songs)
Planned Completion (when can I realistically complete this task)
Completion date (when did I actually complete this task)
Person responsible ( me, another member of the band, a freelancer)
Budget (how much money can I set aside or find for this task)
Actual costs (how much did it actually cost me to complete this task)
Status (not started, started, over due, completed)

Alternatively, if you want a more visual reminder, write each activity on a post-it note with the same information as above and put them on a whiteboard or similar. You can group the tasks into ‘milestones’ or mini-goals e.g. prepare the studio with soundproofing, where the individual tasks were, clear out the spare room, buy soundproofing and install sounding proofing.

The key here is to stick to the plan. When you devise it make the dates and costs realistic. Don’t make the tasks large, make them small. It is amazing the lift it gives you when you can tick off tasks as complete. It is the best motivator and drives you toward success.

5. Review and Update your plan

Just like songwriting or composing you can start with an idea but by the end it is something different which is not a problem right? If you find during the implementation of your plan that, maybe, the goal has to change or you need to scale things down , then update your plan.

Things happen; the budgeted funds are not there; you become aware of a new option; something changes in your personal life. Don’t be afraid to change, but make sure you stick to the updated plan.

It is also important to review and update goals when events occur beyond your control. Delivery of equipment is delayed or damaged. Maybe certain streaming platforms change their requirements, flu season arrives early and key team/band members are not available.

These will be some of the many challenges to overcome so be flexible but keep your focus on your goals. The music industry is ever-changing so what seemed like a good idea at the start may not be the best option now. When an opportunity arises, those that take advantage early tend to reap greater rewards. So constant awareness of change can be a game-changer. Remember step 1 ‘Have the right mindset’.

6. Get your music production out there

You are now in the position to be able to create your own musical masterpiece. You wouldn’t think that this is where you would find a bottleneck. However, it is very common for the musical creation to stall at this point.

To build your reputation, brand and following, your music needs to be out there. Don’t take yourself too seriously because at the start no one else is. If you try and create perfection and take two years to fix that last 1% you may well be pleased but, your journey is going to be very long.

This is now a fast-moving world everything just a click away but, with an insatiable appetite for new music. Do the best you can with the resources you have but get your music out there!

You must mix and master your track to compete with the competition and have it accepted by most radio stations and the digital stores like iTunes, Spotify and Tidal. However, regular output is the key to gaining a following.

A quote that always motivates me is ‘Don’t die with your music still inside you’ get it out there! Don’t take tomorrow for granted.

Good Luck!