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How do you access empowerment as an artist? How do you create and claim the opportunity that’s already yours? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:25 – The Renegade Musician bundle 01:24 – The starving artist stereotype 02:41 – The value of creativity 03:24 – So why do artists starve? 04:55 – What is a Renegade Musician? 06:49 – The Renegade Musician is a concept 07:59 – The Renegade Musician is a philosophy 09:49 – The Renegade Musician is an ideal 11:53 – The Renegade Musician is a movement 12:17 – Claiming your copy of The Renegade Musician Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. So, I’ve been sharing a little bit about The Renegade Musician digital magazine as of late. The product was good, but the concept was especially memorable. Which is why I developed it into a full eBook. And now I’ve bundled up the digital magazine and new eBook. You can purchase the bundle for $30 at Gum.co/RenegadeMusician as well as MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/renegade. It doesn’t matter much to me which link you purchase through. The Gumroad version mainly caters to my Twitter audience, but if you purchase through the Music Entrepreneur HQ link, you’ll be able to set up your account with Content Marketing Musician, where my top-tier courses and products live. I’ll be sharing more about the eBook in future episodes, but in this episode, I wanted to read the first two chapters for you. So, let’s get into it. Introduction Are you tired of the same old, same old? The starving artist stereotype has been perpetuated through the ages, and we even have tortured genius archetypes like Vincent van Gogh to point to whenever it’s convenient. People wrongfully assume he lived out a tragic, penniless life when in fact he was just an eccentric recluse who liked to paint. But it gives your parents and teachers more reason to say, “Becoming an artist is impractical. If a genius like van Gogh couldn’t do it, what chance do you have? Go to school, get good grades, and find a good job. That’s your path to security.” To be fair, if your parents or teachers are still saying that, they’re probably gen X or older. Millennials were born into a much different world, and intuitively, they have always known the flaws with the traditional model. They have always sought to do things their own way. Play by their own rules. Seek fulfillment outside the accepted norms. It’s plain to see where the old model has led. We see it in the eyes of those whose DNA we share. And we don’t necessarily like what we see. It’s all well and good to do things your own way, play by your own rules, and seek fulfillment on your own terms. But to do it right, requires a radical shift in perspective and approach. And it begins with thinking differently about creativity and music in general. The value of creativity is beyond any thoughts we entertain or conceive of in our daily lives. Creativity is crucial to a child’s development. It teaches them valuable problem-solving skills, and it can even aid in the development of social skills. Creativity is highly valued in the workplace. Business without creativity isn’t just boring. It has a way of being needlessly rigid and dogmatic. Self-important even. Business without creativity is stale and unappealing. Most importantly, creativity is divine. That may seem a bold statement, but if we were to entertain the notion that God himself created the world we occupy, then to create is a godly act. So, why do artists starve? Who’s responsible? You’re not going to like the answer. Are you ready? We are responsible. If a man is appointed king but refuses to take his throne, it leaves the people no choice but to appoint another man king. Give an inch, they’ll take a mile. As artists, we have given more inches than anyone would consider wise or prudent. When there are billions available in the industry, why do we settle for a few hundred? We must rise and take back our rightful place as royalty. There is no space for laziness, apathy, and self-righteousness. Not anymore. Because that is exactly what led to the situation, we have been facing in 2020 and 2021. It’s not a health crisis. It’s an identity crisis. You were not meant to live off the scraps left behind by the trailblazing warriors. You were meant to enjoy equal or even greater spoils. As artists, we have the numbers. And there is power in numbers. But we haven’t stood up and fought for what is rightfully ours. At the first sign of battle, we turn and run. “This battle is not ours to fight,” we say. Trying to get Spotify to pay us one cent per stream is not the fight. The fight is for equity in Spotify, because without our content, where would they be? We deserve equity, and we shouldn’t have to ask for it. We should consider a boycott if they refuse. And so, we need to shake off stereotypes. We need to stop giving an inch when others come to take a mile. We need to bear metaphorical arms and stand together. We need to be willing to become a new kind of musician – a Renegade Musician. What is a Renegade Musician? A renegade is someone who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles. What I seek to desert, betray, or disrupt, is not a specific organization or country. But the principles by which artists have operated for decades. Centuries, even. You and I know that we are so much more than just entertainers, though the value of an entertainer can easily be in the millions (just look at Hollywood). Author Matt Haig said: Music doesn’t get in. Music is already in. Music simply uncovers what is there, makes you feel emotions that you didn’t necessarily know you had inside you, and runs around waking them all up. A rebirth of sorts. Author and professor of neurology Oliver Sacks said: Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. Musicians aren’t just entertainers. We are also healers. The work we do is of greater importance than modern medicine because modern medicine has somehow forgotten what we’ve understood from decades and centuries of testable, observable, repeatable, evidence. It has become about dictates and rules, not about wellness and health. Anyone who says current circumstances have nothing to do with politics, hasn’t properly understood this distinction. Why should artists starve? For that matter, why should anyone starve when there is an overflowing abundance of supply for everyone who occupies our world? We don’t need to convince anyone of our value. We need to internalize it. We need to feel it and live it. Then we will command what we are worth. We all know that confidence carries with it an aura. And that is how we should carry ourselves. With a sense of confidence and sureness that precedes any fight over cents when we should be fighting for dollars. Welcome, Renegade Musician. The Renegade Musician is a concept. The American Dream is a concept. You know what it is, without explanation. I am a Canadian, and even I know what it means. But trying to explain it to someone outside of North America is sure to be an uphill battle. Where do you even start? You can’t just say “it’s about 1.93 kids, a golden retriever named Charlie, and a white picket fence.” That might be your dream, but it doesn’t do the concept any justice. You and I know that it’s about equality, opportunity, and the freedom to pursue and achieve your highest aspirations. A concept that’s well understood in Japan but is largely misunderstood and over-explained in English speaking countries is Ikigai. I grew up in Japan, so I know without a shadow of a doubt that Ikigai simply means “a reason to live (that shifts with priorities).” There are no accompanying Venn diagrams, or at the very least, there aren’t supposed to be. A Renegade Musician is a concept. Which is to say, it’s not easily explained, but one knows when they see one and when they are one. It’s a way of life. And this is better understood through the chapters that follow. The Renegade Musician is a philosophy. As with the arts, philosophy continues to be devalued over time. This has led to brainless compliance and blind acceptance of what is plainly illogical, harmful, and even dangerous. “Philosophy” has mostly fallen in the hands of loudmouthed charlatans and shills whose shotgun approach to business has somehow propelled them to guru status, when they themselves don’t even know what they stand for or what their methodology is anymore. Even they don’t seem to know or care that what they’re teaching is closer to mindset than method. It’s time to reclaim the vitality of philosophy, along with the arts. Why would we continue to quote Socrates through the millennia if his realizations were insignificant? Even Bill & Ted seemed to have some self-awareness in this regard. No one seems to be willing to have open discussions about life and possibilities anymore. And having hosted a TEDx style community in which we encouraged open philosophical discussion for a couple of years, I can honestly say apathy has gotten the better of the human spirit. We rarely attracted more than a few in attendance, and maybe 20+ on the odd night. Is it any wonder that politics have turned to dictates and orders, when it should stand for principles that protect and serve humanity, the everyman? Because right now it’s going in the opposite direction. Open discussions can lead to new realizations. It can lead to a fresh perspective. It can lead to a reasonable and meaningful compromise, and sometimes a better, improved way of doing things. The Renegade Musician is a philosophy. Because, as I said, philosophy should be made a priority again. And a new kind of musician needs to embrace a new philosophy. There’s no breakthrough available in clinging to the past, only in understanding it. The Renegade Musician is an ideal. Not an ideal as in, “oh, he’s so idealistic – that will never happen.” An ideal as in, “this is the way the world can be.” The fact that I would need to make this distinction just goes to show how little confidence we have in ourselves and how little trust we have in anyone making lofty promises. We have fallen for the lie that life is what happens to you, not what you make of it. We are preoccupied with the daily struggle of trying to make money and staying afloat financially, instead of living by the values we hold near and dear to our hearts. Living in alignment is a near impossible task when faced with mounting financial pressure from every direction. And this pressure is largely engineered, just that we’re too afraid to notice. If you say your number one value is your family, but yet you wake every morning at 6 AM to go to work and give the best part of your day to your job, then your number one value is work. I’m sorry, it’s reflected in your actions, even if your intentions say otherwise. It’s a harsh reality, but one worth facing. In a world with overflowing, unlimited abundance, the system is the issue. And we can’t usher in a new system, nay, a new era, without a unified front. Not a front built on unanimous, unquestioned agreement. A front built on diversity of beliefs, views, and perspectives. Artists have the power to change the world. No, not love. Artists. Because to create is divine. When we create, we express love and all that is by default. When we take the next step of connecting with our fans and add value to them, we do more for their lives than we can even imagine. When we share our music, lives are enriched. They are saved. They are offered the inspiration to carry on another day and the courage to face an uncertain tomorrow. No more lying down when we should be standing up for what’s right. We make a difference in people’s lives. We are entertainers but we are also healers. And the work we do should never be considered anything less than essential. Never. The Renegade Musician is a movement. Finally, and most importantly, the Renegade Musician is a movement. It makes no difference if it’s a concept, philosophy, or ideal unless musicians like you can take ownership and proudly self-identify as a Renegade Musician. But we’ll get there. Now it’s time to step out of the shadow of the old music career model to become a new kind of musician. So, if you’re ready to be empowered, you can claim your copy of The Renegade Musician at Gum.co/RenegadeMusician or MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/renegade. This has been episode 232 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 232 – The Renegade Musician eBook Preview appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Would you like to get your music streamed millions of times on Spotify? What if there was a proven step-by-step process you could follow to achieve that goal? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:25 – Owner of Fame Hackers Isabella Bedoya 01:34 – Approach to digital marketing and e-commerce 03:06 – Why Spotify? 04:50 – The importance of being fan-centric 08:16 – How do we go about finding our ideal fans? 11:30 – Why is it so important that artists optimize their brand to attract their ideal listeners? 13:50 – Getting the right kind of PR and playlisting 18:16 – Is maximizing your revenue as simple as growing your fan base? 20:35 – Sales funnels for musicians 22:09 – Who not how 24:02 – Can artists get millions of streams? 26:32 – What’s the last YouTube video Isabella watched? 27:02 – What’s Isabella’s daily routine like? 28:47 – What is the greatest challenge Isabella has overcome? 30:12 – What is the greatest victory Isabella has experienced? 31:00 – Are there any books that helped Isabella on her journey? 32:29 – The Renegade Musician Transcription: Coming soon. Closing Segment So, if you’re ready to be inspired and empowered, you’ll want to pick up a copy of my latest eBook, The Renegade Musician at Gum.co/RenegadeMusician. Usually, I charge $30 for this eBook. For the next 10 orders, you can get it for $10. So, head on over to Gum.co/RenegadeMusician to get your copy. This has been episode 231 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 231 – How to Get Millions of Streams on Spotify – with Isabella Bedoya of Fame Hackers appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

In uncertain times, it’s easy to get caught up in doing a lot of fancy, new things that might not yield results. But sometimes, the best thing you can do is get back to the basics. That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:31 – Creativity is all about the process 00:55 – Year one mindset 01:20 – Are you doing what you know you need to do? 02:05 – Are you still committed to learning? 03:10 – Do you have the right pieces in place? 04:22 – Are you making checklists and procedure documents? 05:30 – Are you taking care of yourself? 06:32 – Episode summary 06:56 – First-time coaching special Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. We need to be able to find joy in the process. Creativity is all about the process, and if we end up focusing on the results, we can rob ourselves from the joys of creating. Your creativity has a way of becoming a means to an end if all you care about are the results. Which is why I thought I would talk about getting back to the basics. I have found incredible value in adopting a year one mindset. And what that means is letting go of whatever has or hasn’t happened in the past. It means getting excited about the process again. So, here are some questions you can ask yourself to see whether you’re engaging in and focusing on the right things as you look to create and share your music in 2021. Are You Doing What You Know You Need to do? This might seem like an odd question, but it’s essential. If you know you’ve got a performance coming up, be it a live stream or otherwise, are you spending time preparing for that performance? Are you building out your website? Are you engaging your social media following? Are you sending out weekly email newsletters? This is all quite basic, and nowhere near as sexy as Clubhouse or Instagram. But doing what you know you need to do has a way of producing the results. Whereas experimenting with the latest social media platform can wait. Consider sitting with this question for a while. You will begin to see things you could be dedicating some time and effort to. Are You Still Committed to Learning? Are there gaps in your knowledge? Things you know you should learn, but have neglected? Things you keep avoiding? I’ve been watching my business coach’s old training videos, and I’ve come to see just how adept he is at things I have considered boring – things like keyword and competitive research, conversion tracking links, identifying business opportunities, profit and loss statements, and more. Now, as a musician you might not be actively thinking about those things. You might be trying to learn the Lydian mode, or trying to coordinate outfits with your band, or figuring out how to film your own music videos. The point is that we all have gaps in knowledge and oversights. There are things we avoid, things we don’t like, things we’re not good at. If these areas don’t have a direct impact on our careers, then we don’t necessarily need to put all our time into developing strengths in them. But if they are holding back our careers, we should be willing to revisit them. Because our next breakthrough might come from augmenting our weaknesses. Do You Have the Right Pieces in Place? You may have heard me talk about James Schramko’s Own The Racecourse methodology before. It’s a system for creating your own platform and growing it through the publishing of content. Well, for a long time, I’ve been doing a lot of the work myself, either because I was afraid to hire, or I just didn’t have enough revenue to be able to bring someone on the team. But I recently brought on a podcast editor, and this has shaved several hours of my week I can reallocate to other work or just relaxing and resting. And that’s when I started to see that the system works much better when you have the right pieces in place. I didn’t. I was trying to do it all myself. So, are there any apps you know you should buy but haven’t yet? Would you benefit from hiring a freelancer to handle your graphics? Could you delegate menial tasks to someone who would be willing to handle them for a small fee? The engine works much better when all the other parts also have what they need to operate, be it fluids, belts, batteries, or otherwise. I don’t understand cars that well. I just thought it was a good metaphor. Are You Making Checklists and Procedure Documents? Here’s one thing I know a lot of people find boring. But creating and following checklists or procedure documents allows you to do things more consistently and efficiently. I have a checklist for content syndication and distribution. So, whenever I publish a new post, I just follow that checklist, and I’m done getting my content out to a dozen or so platforms in 10 to 15 minutes. I wouldn’t be as consistent, let alone efficient, if I didn’t have that document. This kind of goes hand in hand with the last question, but it’s drilling a little deeper into the pieces. And each piece kind of needs its own checklists or procedures. And it also relates to what I said earlier about boring tasks, because to a creative, systems seem incredibly uncreative. You don’t need to systemize your songwriting. But maybe having a process for your new releases would cut down on a lot of planning, brainstorming, and thinking. If you have a procedure you can follow and depend on every time you release new music, you can speed up the process and be clear on what you need to do next. Are You Taking Care of Yourself? As I’ve said so many times before, your career or business doesn’t exist without you. In the car metaphor, you are the engine. And without the engine, the car can’t run. Kind of like how you need a liver to live. Nothing else works when you don’t work. And the cost of burnout can be significant in terms of time and money. Recovering from my last burnout took the better part of six months, and I still find that I need to moderate my workload and beware of overdoing work, caffeine, exercise, or otherwise. Are you feeding yourself quality fuel? Are you getting sleep and rest? Are you moving your body? Have a listen to episode 227 of the podcast with Yannick Tinguely if you haven’t already. He offers some great tips on taking care of your health and fitness. If you want to get back to the basics, you’ve got to always make sure you’re in good working order. You can’t perform at your best unless you’re looking after you. Episode Summary In summary, here are the questions Are you doing what you know you need to do? Are you still committed to learning? Do you have the right pieces in place? Are you making checklist and procedure documents? Are you taking care of yourself? If you’re already engaging in the basics, great. Otherwise, spend some time inside these questions. You will benefit from reflecting on them. So, if you need guidance on any of this, I have been a long-time musician and creative coach. I have a program called the First-Time Coaching Special, for people like you who have yet to work with me. It’s heavily discounted for newcomers. If you’d like to get started, simply go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Special. This has been episode 230 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 230 – Getting Back to the Basics appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

What did we learn in the series on what to do with your music in 2021? What new opportunities did we discover? And most importantly, what actions will you we be taking as result? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: Coming soon. Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. Well, I think we’re finally ready to bring this series on what to do with your music in 2021 to a close. I’ve touched on all the points I wanted to, which isn’t to say that I’ve laid out a comprehensive strategy from top to bottom. But those who understand the opportunities represented will be quick to jump on them, while plenty of others will sit by the sidelines doing nothing, trying nothing, changing nothing. If it were me, I would go out there and give everything my best shot, and this is not “do as I say, not as I do.” I’ve been publishing daily on Medium since July 28, 2020 and I’ve also been sharing my content far and wide – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Odysee, Mix, Pinterest, LinkedIn, VK, Brighteon.Social, Minds, MeWe, Gab, Parler, Telegram, Revue, and more. I’m also in my third month of publishing weekly on News Break. Maybe all this experimentation will go nowhere, but how will I know without even trying? As a musician and creative coach my daily life may look a little different than yours, and there might be a gap between some of the activities we engage in. But the point is that you’ve got to take the initiative and be willing to try. And I’m an independent musician just like you. Yes, I have other pursuits. But that doesn’t mean I care any less about music and don’t dedicate my share of thought, time, and energy to it. I play my guitar every single day, and I’m coming up with arrangements for songs I’ll be recording. I was recently asked to compose music for a short as well. Like I always say, there are plenty of opportunities out there. So, let’s review the main points covered in this series, and as I mentioned before, if you’d like me to turn this into a more detailed course, showing you the step-by-step of each part, just let me know. Part 1 In part 1 or episode 219 of the show, I talked about a way of thinking. And that way of thinking is to be fully self-expressed. Don’t hold back. Make the music you’ve always wanted to make. I also talked about making more music in general and making sure you’ve got your artist website set up. Part 2 In part 2 or episode 220 of the show, we looked at a mix of tools that can help you grow your online presence, share your music, get connected with other musicians and people in the industry, do competitive analysis, and more. There are a lot of great tools out there, and if you aren’t taking advantage of the latest tech, you could be missing out big time. I’ll be back to finish this reflection in just a moment, but first, here’s a special offer for you. Sellfy Setting up a website can be time-consuming. And the whole point of building a site is to get your music heard, appreciated, and hopefully, sold. Have you heard about Sellfy? This platform has been built with creatives in mind. It allows you to set up your own eCommerce store in minutes. It lets you sell digital products, physical goods like merch, and even subscriptions, all from just one place. If you’re tired of messing around with complicated website builders, this is the solution you need. Go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Sellfy that’s s-e-l-l-f-y to start your free trial. That’s MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Sellfy. We are an affiliate of Sellfy and if you purchase anything through our link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Part 3 In part 3 or episode 225 of the show, I shared about actionable data and insights, earning cryptocurrency, growing and engaging your email list, and more. Again, these are timely and relevant topics, especially if you know what’s going on in the world right now. Be proactive. Be an action taker and start preparing yourself for worst case scenarios. Part 4 In part 4 or episode 226 of the podcast, I covered what I would consider the crux of the matter. If you follow through and action parts one through three, what you’re left with are high-level opportunities – connecting with fans, networking, pursuing sync licensing and placements, or setting up a fan club or membership site. If you want to growth hack your way to the top, you could almost just pick one opportunity and go all in on it. Episode Summary With that, here’s today’s episode summary. We’ve already looked back on parts one through four of the series, so the main thing I want to leave you with is this: Even if you have the best ideas in the world, it makes no difference whatsoever unless you do something with them. And, this year, if all you do is sit back and watch as things unfold, you’re going to miss out. Now, I can’t motivate you. I can only inspire you. And I dedicate myself to that cause daily. If you’re not inspired after listening to this series, or if you have no idea what you’re going to be implementing in your music career, then go to my blog at DavidAndrewWiebe.com and find something that piques your interest. If you’re still not inspired after reading, then you and I probably aren’t the best match. So, if you’re ready to make the most of the opportunities available this year, but you’re not sure where to get started, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Special to sign up for your heavily discounted personalized coaching session with yours truly. There’s no commitment. Nothing scary about it. If you go to the link, you’ll be asked to enter your email, which unlocks a quick video. You can either purchase your coaching session then and there or come back to it later. Either way, I’ll follow up with you. So, go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Special to get started. This has been episode 229 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 229 – What to do with Your Music in 2021 Part 5 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

228 – Top 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ Posts of 2020 Each year, we look back on the year past and the content we’ve published. What stood out? What topics interested you most? What made an impression on you? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 0:28 – The simple joys of creating 0:40 – Possible course 1:03 – Top 10 posts from 2020 1:49 – Following Your Heart as an Artist – with Videographer & Musician João Filipe 2:52 – How to Start a Record Label with No Money 3:21 – Top 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ Posts of 2019 3:48 – Building Relationships to Grow Your Music Career – with Ty Frankel of Shut Down Media 4:33 – How to Use Data to Grow Your Music Career – with Ben Mendoza of Beatchain 5:03 – The IMDb of the Music Industry – with Vasja Veber of Viberate 5:38 – Things That Make You Go “Hmm…” About the Coronavirus 6:35 – Social Media Marketing for Musicians in 2020, 2021 & Beyond 7:49 – How to Become a Better Singer – with Matt Ramsey of Ramsey Voice Studio 8:29 – SoundCloud vs. Bandcamp 9:10 – New digital music magazine Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. Well, it feels great to be bringing you another episode. I’ve been getting back to the simple joys of creating lately, so it makes the task of putting together an episode for you a joy filled process. The series on what to do with your music in 2021 is only another one or two episodes away from being complete, and I might even turn it into a course if that’s something that interests you. Be sure to let me know. I didn’t plan on stretching out that series for as long as it has gone, but there have been more than a few things to cover this year, and I know there’s going to be a lot more to share with you throughout the year. It’s going to be quite exciting. But speaking of things that need to be completed, I haven’t shared the top 10 posts from 2020 yet, which is something we do each year. We’ve been doing things a little differently at Music Entrepreneur HQ this year – we’re actually putting a lot of effort into simplifying – so in 2021 we haven’t put as strong of a focus on the new year as we did in years past. Most of what we typically publish made it over to my website at DavidAndrewWiebe.com. Is this a welcome change? Or do you feel like you missed the new year content? You can let us know. Our contact page is easy to find – it’s at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/contact. And for quick and dirty communication, Twitter is always best. I’m @davidawiebe on Twitter. But with that, I’d like to reflect on the 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ posts of 2020. 10 – 181 – Following Your Heart as an Artist – with Videographer & Musician João Filipe It’s always great when we can highlight a listener, their journey, as well as some of the things they’ve been able to accomplish as result of tuning into the podcast and being part of the Music Entrepreneur HQ community. João is someone who’s gone onto become a music entrepreneur in his own right, as a videographer for Kscope. His journey is a transformative one, as he went from being a musician to a videographer for his favorite record label. In a way, those types of transformations are my favorite, because it’s like what I went through as well. People sometimes ask what to expect if they work with me or take advantage of my products. Well, episode 181 of the podcast is a good place to start. And by the way, if you’ve never worked with me before, I offer a product called the First-Time Coaching Special, which is the heavily discounted version of my one-on-one coaching program for newcomers. You can get started at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Special 9 – How to Start a Record Label with No Money There are always people looking for shortcuts. In this post, I focused more on the possibility of starting a label on the back of sweat equity and low-cost tech, as getting started with no money is mostly a pipe dream unless your plan is to get a loan and pay it back later. Even then, you need money. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and in this episode, I used my problem-solving skills to help future record label owners get started sooner rather than later. 8 – 179 – Top 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ Posts of 2019 Remarkable that we should see another top 10 make it into this list. But episode 179 of the podcast obviously drew some attention. With a mix of guest posters and podcast guests being featured, I think there is always a bit of a frenzy surrounding posts like these. So, thanks to all past contributors, as well as those who were a part of our content ecosystem last year. 7 – 207 – Building Relationships to Grow Your Music Career – with Ty Frankel of Shut Down Media I had a great conversation with Ty Frankel, and part of the interview was even edited down because we went off on a complete tangent about Japan and travel in the middle of it. Ty is a great guy. I don’t think the fullness of his knowledge or personality were reflected in this interview. I’ve since discovered that his Twitter personality is funny, direct, and a real hustler. When I think about it, he’s the one that ended up leading me down the Twitter money track, even though I don’t think Ty himself is a proponent of that. Either way, if you’d like to see what I mean, Ty is @THETYFRANKEL on Twitter. Absolutely worth a follow. 6 – 197 – How to Use Data to Grow Your Music Career – with Ben Mendoza of Beatchain I believe Ben Mendoza was one of the first to come on the podcast to share about how musicians could take advantage of data in a concrete way to grow their music careers. And Beatchain is an incredibly powerful tool. If you haven’t started an account and connected your various social profiles yet, go and do it now. You’ve got to see it to believe it. And don’t forget to have a listen to this episode on how data can transform your music career. 5 – 180 – The IMDb of the Music Industry – with Vasja Veber of Viberate There are a lot of new platforms showing promise, and Viberate is one of those that has been going through massive growth. Whether you’re seeking artists, festivals, or venues, Viberate has probably got them in their database, and if you can’t find something, you could consider contributing to their platform. They’ve even got charts for artists in a variety of categories, as well as guides, webinars, and tutorials on a mix of topics. As with Beatchain, Viberate is also a great place to access actionable data for your music career. 4 – 185 – Things That Make You Go “Hmm…” About the Coronavirus So, apparently a lot of people resonated with my candid thoughts on the pandemic, or they were at least curious to hear what I had to say about current events. That isn’t to say this was an insanely controversial episode. I know for a fact there are people saying far crazier things about what’s happening in the world right now. It seems like lockdowns are making everyone a little crazy, and some even think we’re in the Biblical end times. Look, if it’s getting talked about on my show, chances are, it’s not the end times yet. The Bible you’re referring to says, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” If you’re anticipating it, it’s not coming. Please get back to the basics of taking care of yourself. Exercise, go for walks, meditate, eat well, and sleep plenty. Find some meaningful work and hobbies to engage in. Watch your screen time. Turn off the news and leave it off. I promise you’ll start to feel better. 3 – 203 – Social Media Marketing for Musicians in 2020, 2021 & Beyond No surprise that social media was a strong focus for musicians in 2020, and it’s one of the reasons I always return to the topic. This episode covers some of the high-level things that are best to keep in view when taking advantage of social media as an artist. Our stance on social media at Music Entrepreneur HQ, as well as the results we derive from it, haven’t changed much at all in the last few years. But there is a lot you can do with it if you use it the right way. What has changed in 2020 and 2021 is the sheer number of platforms now available, and it’s quite stunning – Telegram, Clubhouse, Parler, Gab, Minds, MeWe, Odysee, and many, many others. Some of these aren’t even new, mind you. Personally, I’m focusing on Twitter and Medium as my traffic channels, but I have been experimenting far and wide with a variety of platforms, so I’ll need to get into that in a future episode. And, if I’m being honest, my personal stance on social media has also changed somewhat in the last few months. I got disillusioned with social media years ago, but now I’m getting back into experimenting to see what works. 2 – 198 – How to Become a Better Singer – with Matt Ramsey of Ramsey Voice Studio Matt Ramsey found himself at the top of this chart last year, and here he is again at number two. He didn’t quite make it to number one this time, but I think this is more than enough reason to catch up with him again this year, and I think this time we’ll discuss business methodology. I mean, we’ve got to keep to the theme, right? Either way, Matt and I had a great conversation in this episode, and it helps that him and I met beforehand. As well, his audience is quite engaged, so many of them discovered The New Music Industry Podcast for the first time through this episode, and that’s something we always like to see. 1 – SoundCloud vs. Bandcamp Evidently, plenty of musicians are interested in figuring out the differences between SoundCloud and Bandcamp. I’m not going to lie when I say that in my research I found and specifically targeted this keyword, because I knew we could rank for it, but I’ve received some great feedback on this piece. As a summary, what I can say for sure is that both platforms have their uses, so which you choose is going to depend on a lot of factors, like whether you’re trying to get your music heard or trying to get it sold. In some cases, you’ll probably end up using both SoundCloud and Bandcamp, just for different reasons. Let me know if you’d like to hear a future episode on SoundCloud or Bandcamp or both. Maybe I could get someone from their camps to be on the show. Closing Segment So, if you enjoyed this episode, and you’re ready to learn more about everything we do at Music Entrepreneur HQ, you should claim your copy of The Renegade Musician right away. It’s our new digital magazine for the month of March, and until the end of the month, it’s pay what you want. But there isn’t much time left, so head on over to Gum.co/RenegadeMusician to get your copy. This has been episode 228 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 228 – Top 10 Music Entrepreneur HQ Posts of 2020 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

How do you take care of your health and fitness as a musician? How do you make sure you’re always performing at your best? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:23 – Health and fitness expert Yannick Tinguely 04:21 – Injuries you can sustain as a musician 07:08 – Getting into shape as a musician 09:37 – What sort of results have you gotten for yourself? 12:25 – Tips for making your performance better 18:26 – The iceberg diagram 18:52 – Adrenal fatigue and anxiety 19:58 – Best protein to consume as a musician 23:18 – Listening to your body 25:54 – A musician’s recovery routine 29:06 – Tips for maintaining balance 32:25 – Good health and fitness advice for musicians 37:36 – Overworking yourself 39:44 – Are there any books that have helped you on your journey? 43:31 – Next steps to improve their fitness and health 46:34 – Final thoughts 47:17 – Exciting new magazine Transcription: Coming soon. Closing Segment Are you feeling pumped up yet? Then why not get pumped up some more? I just published the first issue of our first digital magazine called The Renegade Musician, and right now it’s pay what you want. This offer only lasts until the end of March, so if you’re ready, head on over to gum.co/RenegadeMusician to claim your copy. That’s gum dot c-o slash Renegade Musician. This has been episode 227 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 227 – How to Take Care of Yourself & Perform at Your Best – with Yannick Tinguely appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Trying to figure out how to nurture your fan base? Looking for music business models that work better than Spotify algorithm exploits? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:26 – What to do with your music in 2021 summary 00:49 – Interview with Vasja Veber correction 01:04 – Connect with everyone who comes through your doors 01:48 – Network far and wide 03:11 – Pursue sync licensing and placements 04:22 – Set up a fan club or membership site 05:24 – Stop whining 06:13 – Episode summary 06:54 – New exciting course Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. I’m back with part 4 of what to do with your music in 2021. In part 1, I talked about strategy and mindset. In part 2, I talked about tools to help you set up your website, promote your music, and do competitive analysis with. In part 3, we looked at analytics, cryptocurrency, and growing your list. Part 4 is where you’ll start to see a lot of it come together. Now, before I get to that, I made a bit of an error in the last episode. I said that my interview with Vasja Veber was 198 when it was actually 180. Not sure what I was thinking there, but there you go. Either way, we made sure to correct it in the show notes. Let’s get into part 4. 1. Connect with Everyone Who Come Through Your Doors In the past, you may have let your welcome series do the work for you. Or maybe you waited for new fans to comment on a Facebook post to engage with them. But let’s be more proactive about connecting with people in 2021. They aren’t a number, nor are they an email address. When someone joins your list, celebrate them! If they buy something from you, send them a personal thanks and maybe even send them a “thank-you” note via snail mail. We’re basically talking about customer service here. And when people have a good experience with you, they tend to think of you when they need something, and even tell their friends. We can’t just hope and pray that people are going to stay engaged with us after they’ve joined our community. We’ve got to be proactive about learning more about them and interacting with them. You’ve got to love on your fans. 2. Network Far & Wide Did you know that employee referrals are the top source for hires? What that means is that knowing the right people makes all the difference. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. So many people want to work their way straight to the top, and unfortunately, it generally doesn’t work that way. You need to start with your local scene and get to know the movers and shakers. Even in a city like Calgary, where I used to live, there were successful songwriters who I ended up connecting with. Might they know a thing or two about writing great songs? Would they know some people of influence? Could they co-write with me or introduce me to a manager, producer, or label? You bet they could! But I’m not counting on that. My prerogative is to build an authentic friendship with them. And maybe next time they need an opening act or need a lead guitarist to play on their project, they’ll think of me. But I need to stay top of mind with them if I have any hope of getting the call. So, whether it’s sending “thank-you” notes, sharing an interesting article with them, going to their workshops, or otherwise, I’d better show up when I can. Despite lockdowns, now is the best time to expand your network, and it doesn’t matter what platforms you’re using to do it. I like Twitter a lot. It’s instant and easy, and there are so many smart people on the platform. But you pick what works for you. If you’d like to go deeper into networking, have a listen to: Episode 149 of the podcast with Brian Bob Young 3. Pursue Sync Licensing & Placements In part 1 of this series, I talked about making more music. Well, if you want to pursue sync licensing and placement opportunities, then you’re going to need to get used to cranking out the tunes. The upside potential of getting your music into media is amazing, and you don’t even need a fan base to make an independent income at it. Now, you might read something online about how to get into this part of the industry, and come away feeling like it’s much too complex, nerve wracking, or high stakes. Look, I need you to focus. Get started, get going, and adjust as you go. Don’t worry about the details so much. That’s going to paralyze you. If you want to earn a real independent income in music, get off Spotify and give this area of your career some serious attention. Create accounts with ReverbNation, Musicxray, SonicBids, and Rumblefish. You’re going to figure out whether those platforms work for you relatively quickly. And to be honest, licensing and placements largely comes down to relationship, which goes back to my last point. If you’d like to learn more about licensing and placements, have a listen to: Episode 19 of the podcast with Helen Austin Episode 211 of the podcast with Adam McInnis 4. Set Up a Fan Club or Membership Site There has never been a better time to set up a fan club or membership site. The technology is better and easier than it’s ever been. Look, chances are, you’re not going to make thousands of dollars on Spotify. And it’s so much easier to do with a membership site. If you had 30 people paying you $100 per month, just like that, you’d be making $3,000 per month. If that seems out of reach for you, then get 300 people paying you $10 per month. The economics of it still make more sense than Spotify! If you’re not tech savvy and you’re just getting started, then take advantage of a free platform like Patreon to set up your membership. If you’re looking for a flexible platform you can do just about anything with, check out 10XPro. Go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/10XPro to learn more. We are an affiliate of 10XPro, and if you purchase through our link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. If you’d like to learn more about membership sites, check out: Episode 41 on membership sites Episode 214 with Sarah Beth Perry 5. Stop Whining Look, we all get rejected. We will all go through tough times. I understand this as well as anyone. But don’t let your emotions spiral into prolonged pity parties. Some people won’t answer your emails. Some people will say “no.” Others will berate you for daring to email them. It’s just how it is. It’s not your fault, you’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got. Mistakes will be made. Don’t expect others to do what you aren’t willing to do for yourself. Anything you can do yourself you should do yourself, or you will feel disempowered in your music career. Making it in music has never been easy, and it will require a tough mindset. If you need more help in this regard, have a listen to: Episode 216 of the podcast on offense Episode Summary So, here’s today’s episode summary: Be more proactive in connecting with your fans. Make a lasting impression on them. Network far and wide. Show up, show your face, and get in front of the people who can open doors. Stop hiding behind your computer screen. Look into licensing and placement opportunities. Begin submitting your music to relevant projects. Set up a fan club or membership site. It might not work, but you won’t know unless you give it a try, and recurring income is amazing when you can get it going. Stop whining. We all experience rejection. We all go through tough times. It’s about what you do with those experience that counts. Learn from your mistakes and fail forward. So, if you’re tired of doing dozens of things that don’t grow your music career… If you’re fed up with a stagnant, dwindling, or disengaged fan base… If you’re sick of not earning the income you deserve from your music… Head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass to learn all about how my latest course can help you. That’s MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass. This has been episode 226 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 226 – What to do with Your Music in 2021 Part 4 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

How do you collect and act on the right data and insights to grow your music career? How can you start earning cryptocurrency as a musician? How do you grow your list, stay connected to your fans, and boost engagement? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:32 – More tools to maximize your opportunities in 2021 01:10 – Beatchain 01:57 – Viberate: IMDb of the music industry 02:44 – LBRY and Odysee 04:00 – ConvertKit: Connect with your audience 04:52 – Leadpages: Lead capture and sales funnels 05:49 – Episode summary 06:26 – Exciting new course Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. We’re finally ready to pick up where we left off with the series on what to do with your music in 2021. In part 1, I covered some high-level strategy and mindset. In part 2, we looked at tools to help you share your music far and wide. And, today, we’re going to be looking at more tools that will help you develop your strategy, connect with your fans, and grow your list. The important thing to remember is that a tool itself doesn’t have the ability to make you successful. It’s more the mindset shift and empowerment that comes from using a tool that makes all the difference. Does that make sense? So, here are several more tools, apps, and websites that will help you maximize your opportunities in 2021. 1. Beatchain Now, it’s entirely possible you’ve heard a lot of talk about data in the music industry already. But while some data is useful, much of it isn’t. Amid all the noise and fluff, I find Beatchain to be a breath of fresh air. All you’ve got to do to get started is to sign up for a free account, connect your social media profiles, and Beatchain does the rest. It will show you where your fans are located, which of your social media posts are performing the best, identify related artists (there might be some collaboration opportunities there), which playlists you’re on, and more. You can upgrade to premium to gain access to more actionable data, like which playlists you could be on. There are a ton of tools on the inside, and honestly, you just have to see it all for yourself. If you’d like to learn more about Beatchain, have a listen to: Episode 197 of the podcast with Ben Mendoza 2. Viberate Viberate (that’s v-i-b-e-r-a-t-e) is like the IMDb of the music industry, with a database of artists, venues, festivals, events, and more. The first thing you should do is see whether an artist profile already exists for you on Viberate. And if it doesn’t, create one! That’s what I did. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to find how many networks, online stores, and streaming apps you can link up. Viberate, like Beatchain, gives you access to actionable data. If I’m not mistaken, you can even help build out the platform by setting up artist profiles and earn cryptocurrency. Anyway, this is another promising platform and one you need to see to believe. If you’d like to learn more about Viberate, have a listen to: Episode 198 of the podcast with Vasja Veber 3. LBRY/Odysee If you’re a YouTube power user, then LBRY and Odysee are platforms you should absolutely know about. YouTube is great for exposure. You can get your videos in front of a bigger audience. But where LBRY and Odysee shine are with monetization. Now, Odysee has been built on top of LBRY, and there’s no need to sign up with both. Odysee has a few add-ons that make the overall experience a little more like YouTube. The reason I’m excited about Odysee is because it’s a decentralized free speech video sharing platform. Your channel is monetized the moment it’s created. I have earned over 300 LBRY credits so far, and that’s just from messing around with it, not even treating it like a business. And that’s equal to a little over $50, though LBC does tend to fluctuate in value a lot. Again, YouTube is still bigger, and in some ways it’s easier to get more exposure there. But if you want to monetize your work, I will argue that it would be worth adding Odysee to your portfolio and upload your videos there too. If I’m not mistaken, if you already have over 300 subscribers on your channel, you can sync up your channel with Odysee without having to manually upload all your videos. If you’re ready to get signed up with LBRY, just go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/LBRY. That’s l-b-r-y. 4. ConvertKit I’ve had some questions recently regarding the best email service providers for musicians. Look, there are a lot of ESPs out there, and most of them are going to do the trick. It’s just that they all vary in complexity, functionality, and price. If you’re just getting started today, then Mailchimp is fine. It’s free to get started with them, but at some point, as your email list continues to grow, you’re going to end up paying something anyway. I think ConvertKit is the best option for creatives, because it’s been built specifically with creators in mind. It’s free to use up to 1,000 subscribers, and they even offer great support and free courses you can take to level up your email game. This is just a personal endorsement, not a paid endorsement for ConvertKit. I’m not an affiliate with them either, although I will probably be signing up with them. Just go to ConvertKit.com if you want to learn more. That’s c-o-n-v-e-r-t-k-i-t.com. 5. Leadpages ConvertKit is perfect for designing and sending emails, as well as nurturing and engaging your fans. But what about collecting email addresses? Look, you can put an email capture form on your website and hope and pray. Sometimes, this does work. But many times, you want to give something away for free in exchange for an email address, right? It tends to work better than just asking for someone’s email. Leadpages is jam packed with tools to help you capture emails, and they make it easy for you to give something away for free in exchange for an email address. You can even build complex lead capture and sales funnels with their tool if that’s something you’re doing. Leadpages isn’t necessarily cheap. But they make it super easy for you to build high-converting landing pages, pop-ups, alert bars, opt-in texts, trigger links and more. If you’d like to learn more, go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Leadpages. We are an affiliate of Leadpages, and if you purchase through our link, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Episode Summary Alright, so here’s today’s episode summary: Beatchain gives you actionable insights into your music career and furnishes you with multiple growth tools. If your artist profile isn’t already on Viberate, claim it now, link up your destinations, check out the analytics, and help build out the platform if you want to earn some crypto. Get on Odysee right away to start earning more from your creativity. ConvertKit is quite simply the best ESP for creatives. If you want to collect more email addresses faster, take advantage of Leadpages. They’ve got all the conversion tools you need. If you’re ready to make 2021 your year, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass to learn about my latest course, the Entrepreneurial Essentials for Musicians Masterclass. If you feel like you’ve tried everything, your fan base isn’t growing, the riches and fame you were promised were all just a big joke, and you’ve been on the verge of giving up, this course is for you. Head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass to get started. This has been episode 225 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 225 – What to do with Your Music in 2021 Part 3 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Do you make beats and instrumentals? Are you a mixing and mastering engineer looking for clients? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 0:25 – Your questions answered 0:48 – Marketing your beats, instrumentals, mixing and mastering services online 4:43 – Approaching new artists professionally 6:27 – Pre-qualifying before selling anything 7:28 – Building connections and networking 8:48 – Exciting new course Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. Today, I had a few questions from Kevin that I was looking to answer. I think he might have asked these over a month ago, but here we are. I’m going to make sure to send this episode over to him when it’s done. But I figured if he has these questions, then there’s going to be other people out there wondering about these same things. So, here are my answers. His first question was, how do I market my beats, instrumentals, and other services like mixing and mastering online and increase first time and returning customers? Now, Kevin, if you haven’t done this already, set up a professional looking website. My recommendation is to take advantage of a hosting company like SiteGround. That’s our favorite. You can go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/SiteGround if you’d like to support us. You don’t necessarily have to obsess over design. Simple is often better than complex these days. But just pick a really nice theme and customise it until it looks and feels right to you. You’ll also want to showcase your portfolio. So, show samples of your beats or instrumentals. You don’t have to give everything away but you want to make sure that people can get a sense of what you’re capable of on your website. The number one thing to prioritize on your website is the collection of emails. I would suggest experimenting with a simple capture form, as well as with a lead magnet. People sometimes like to access something for free that will be valuable to them in exchange for their email. Sometimes won’t even give you their email without that extra step. There’s a great book called Magnetic Marketing that really explains this process in detail, although you don’t necessarily need to access that resources. The point is, if you have something your audience wants and you’re giving it away, they’re more likely to give you their email address as well. And if you have their email, you can follow up with them in your weekly newsletters. So, make sure to establish that routine of creating weekly newsletters with content. We’ll get to content in a moment but that’s another important piece. If you’re using a payment processor on your website, then you also want to make sure that you can collect emails and people’s contact information so you can follow up with them. Your existing customers always make for your best customers so encouraging repeat business is just a matter of following up with them oftentimes. Now, getting in front of your audience consistently can be a little more complicated and can certainly take some work, but I’m going to help you try to fast track that process. So, I would recommend committing to a content strategy. Once per week you should be publishing a blog post or a podcast episode or a video. Now, you should choose one channel. Don’t try to do them all. I’m going to suggest here that you take advantage of video for a couple of reasons. Videos are great, especially on social media. Showing your face can build trust with your audience. Now, you definitely don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. I’m going to suggest that you don’t. I would just think about the most common questions you’ve been asked and then address those in your videos. If it helps, you can also think about the questions you wish people would ask. Be sure to add a call to action at the end of your videos, whether it’s, “visit my website,” “check out my rates,” or “here are some of my beats.” All that beautifully created content is all for naught if you can’t get people in the door. The other great thing about video is that you can distribute them across various social media channels. You can put them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Those are the main channels I would recommend. Those are where you’re going to get the most traction, and you’re going to see the most people engaging. You can also publish your videos or embed your videos on your blog. That’s recommended as well. Now, this strategy does require some time and effort. So, don’t go into it thinking that it’s somehow going to be easy but it can be quite effective. Platforms like Twitter have some limitations. They only allow videos of up to two minutes and 20 seconds, but that might be a reason or a bit of an incentive to keep your videos short. People in social media tend to like short, punchy content anyway. Kevin’s second question was, how do I professionally approach small artists on Instagram or through email? Now, you’re probably aware already that artists are generally budget conscious and don’t want to be sold to. So, you’re dealing with a bit of a price sensitive audience. That said, I still see some ways you can approach this. I think it’d be good to think of this in terms of qualification. Not them qualifying you, but you qualifying them to make sure they’re a good fit. Now, you’re going to want to approach artists differently depending on the services that you are looking to sell. So, let’s talk about your beats and instrumentals first. I’d imagine your target audience is vocalist, rappers, and people who don’t play instruments, because most musicians don’t need beats or instrumentals. So, you want to start off saying something along the lines of, “Hey, I listened to your stuff. It’s quite good. Would you be interested in collaborating?” Now, just so you know, this is not a bait and switch. We’re not going to turn around later and say, “You need to pay for my services.” That’s not it at all. But there is a strategy behind this. So, your goal at this point is just to get them in the door, not to sell them. And when you get a yes, then we’re going to small scale project with them to show them what you can do. Now, I realise this is time intensive but there’s different ways to leverage this. You could just do one of these per month, film the whole thing, and then share that content on your various channels. If the artist has a good experience with you, they’re going to tell their friends and you’re making a video, which should also help you generate a lot of new leads. Now, let’s look at your mixing and mastering services. The first question you should be asking is not whether they need your mixing or mastering services. Your first question should be, are you working on a new release right now? That’s going to pre-qualify them, right? There’s a whole process to this. We want to pre-qualify them before we try to sell them anything. And remember that people love to talk about themselves. So, if they are working on something, then ask them a few questions about their project and why they’re excited about it before advancing the conversation. Now, after you’ve had a few exchanges, don’t go on too long, maybe five messages or so, send them to your website, where they can see your rates. Now, you can still keep this relatively low pressure and just say something along the lines of, “I’d love it if you keep me in mind for future projects. Here’s my website. Sign up for the free email list while you’re there for some free tips.” Let your website do the rest. In that way you can keep following up with valuable content on a weekly basis. Kevin’s third question was how do I network and build connections? How do I utilize them to get major placements and work with larger artists? Well, here’s the harsh reality, Kevin. The less you’re willing to invest, the lower the quality of the connection is ultimately going to be. You really get what you pay for. For a lot of reasons, there’s no easy way to break into the mainstream without having paid a price because the artists who’ve gone before you have all paid a price to be where they’re at. If you don’t have a TAXI subscription, that’ll be a great place to start. I know it’s not cheap but if you want to make better quality connections, that’s going to be a serious consideration. They have an annual convention called the Road Rally. And for obvious reasons, it’s virtual right now. But you want to make sure you’re attending all free days. Show up early, stay late, and chat with as many people as you can. Not with the intention of selling but with the intention of curating connections and establishing relationships, friendships even. I’d be surprised if you didn’t generate a few prospects or leads out of that. Now, I can’t say for sure and I can’t guarantee anything but I have a feeling TAXI is pretty much exactly what you’ve been looking for. Especially if you’re looking to work with major artists or get major placements, so I would recommend looking into it. If you can’t afford it right now, see if you can save up for it. The post 224 – Your Questions Answered Part 2 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

What’s the right way to look at building a music career? How do you make sure that you create long-term results for yourself? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Download the PDF transcription Podcast Highlights: 00:26 – Exciting new course (now available) 00:53 – Christopher Sutton’s masterclass introduction 05:05 – Entrepreneurial essentials for musicians 05:29 – A musician is a small business owner 07:35 – A statement that could change your life 10:37 – Adopting a long-term mindset 13:55 – What can you accomplish in 10 years? 16:44 – Episode summary Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. What you’re about to hear is a segment of my course, the Entrepreneurial Essentials for Musicians Masterclass. You can find it at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass. The price goes up every week, so if you’d like to save a bit of money, head on over there sooner rather than later. It’s MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass. Enjoy this segment from the Entrepreneurial Essentials for Musicians Masterclass. This is Christopher Sutton, director of Musical U, a community dedicated to teaching musicians the inner skills that grant them the confidence they need to improvise, perform, and more. We LOVE what Musical U is up to! Christopher Sutton: Hello and welcome. We are live. Sorry for the short delay and thank you for your patience, we were fighting some technical gremlins. Technology is incredible when it works and incredibly annoying when it doesn’t. Thanks for bearing with us. Sorry to be starting a little bit late. I guarantee it will be worth your while waiting a few minutes. Very welcome. Very warm welcome to you all here today, whether you are a Musical U fan or even a Musical U member, if we have any members give a shout out in the chat box. I’m sure we have a few who have come along. Today we are joined by a very special guest. I am delighted to say we have David Andrew Wiebe, author of The New Music Industry and The Essential Guide to Music Entrepreneurship. David say hello. David Andrew Wiebe: Hello everybody. Christopher: David is the man behind The Music Entrepreneur HQ website, which is a fantastic blog and also hosts a podcast, and he is himself a guitarist and songwriter based in Canada, but he’s really made a name for himself online with his writing on modern music entrepreneurship and what it means to try and make a living with music in this day and age. I recently grabbed a copy of David’s new book, which I highly recommend. It’s The Essential Guide to Music Entrepreneurship and I just totally loved the way he talks about this topic of entrepreneurship. If you’ve come along today, then I know that that word entrepreneurship didn’t totally put you off, which is good, but I know that a lot of people assume a lot of things about it, and so I hope you’ve come today with an open mind because what I love so much about David’s book was that it wasn’t kind of the traditional just how to make money or how to make a business kind of entrepreneurship teaching. He really goes into the mindset, and the habits that make for success in life in general, to be honest. It’s definitely framed as entrepreneurship, but there is a ton packed in there that’s useful for any musician whether you consider yourself an entrepreneur or not. So I was super excited to have David come and present this masterclass for Musical U members and anyone who’s joining us live today, because this is stuff that will help you transform your success in any musical endeavor, I think. In a minute I’m going to hand over to David to share his insights with you, and before we do, I’ll just explain the structure of today’s call. In a second I’ll hand over to David and then at the end of his presentation we’re going to do some Q&A. So you should be seeing a chat box on your screen live chat thing, so if you’re watching Musical U, I think it’ll appear to the right hand side of the video. If you’re watching on the public website, I think it might be below, and if you’re watching on YouTube it’ll be wherever YouTube decided to put it today, but look around and you should see a white live chat box. Please don’t be shy. Do say hello. We’ve had a bunch of people saying helloin there already, which is fantastic. I will give a few shout outs to Glenn from Minnesota, [Meddy 00:02:51] from Europe, Scott from Texas, USA. You look familiar, Scott, maybe from a previous masterclass. Peter Pool from the Netherlands, Jamie from San Francisco, Maximiliano from Venezuela. Terrific crowd here from all around the world today. You’re all very welcome, Stephanie and Jim as well, and that MC Nick, you’re all very welcome. Thank you for joining us today, and I can see we have a ton more tuned in live that haven’t yet said hello in the chat. So if you’re feeling shy, or you haven’t said hello yet, please do say a quick hello and tell us where you’re from or what instrument you play, and we’d love to hear from you. That live chat will be running throughout today’s session. So please do use it. You can make comments, and you can ask questions. If it’s a certain type of question, I might throw it at David and interrupt him midstream, but most likely I will be holding them back until the end of his presentation and then we’ll have some time for Q&A at the end. That’s it for me, without any further ado, I will hand over to our speaker and presenter today, David Andrew Wiebe. Thank you David. David: Thank you so much for the great introduction, Christopher. I will say that Christopher has quickly become one of my favorite human beings even in the few interactions that we’ve had. He’s such a kind and wonderful person and so it’s a real honor, and a pleasure to be presenting here a masterclass for Musical U, which I would definitely recommend checking out. Today, of course, we’ll talking about entrepreneurial essentials for musicians and I’m going to be covering the basics here, so do not be intimidated. Can everybody see the slides okay? Christopher: Yep. Showing up well. David: Okay, perfect. Yeah, so don’t be intimidated. I think any information that I share with you today is totally applicable, and I am going to have a little challenge for you later on if you choose to accept it, so as an introduction to this material, a musician is effectively a small business owner, whether they know it or not. When you’re first getting started, no one knows who you are or what you’re about. They don’t know what you sound like. They don’t know what kind of music you play, basically, you have to begin creating your fan base, but if you want to sell your music, first you must record it, then publish it and then market it to your prospects, or at least that’s the traditional way of thinking about it. I’m going to present a different way of thinking about that whole process. If you want to book gigs, of course you must approach venues and event organizers and strike up a deal, which can be nerve wracking and pretty scary at first. When you begin reaching out, you realize a lot of people are friendlier than you might expect them to be, but when you’re … It’s easy to conjure up in your mind images of failure or rejection as you’re going about that process. So similarly, a small business owner doesn’t have customers when first getting started and no one knows who they are or what they offer, what kind of products or services they have for them. Maybe their immediate friends or partners or affiliates might know something about what they’re offering, but most people don’t know who they are, what they’re up to, especially if they’re new to the entrepreneurship. So a small business owner must determine what their product or service is going to be and then market it to their target audience. Similarly, musicians must market their music to their target audience, which if you’re just starting to make music, you have no idea who that is, and you may take a while to decide on a direction whether that’s country music for people that live on farms, or rock music for people that love city life or things like that. So if you understand the core fundamentals of running a small business, I believe that you’ll achieve more in your music career, that’s certainly been the case for me. There’s a lot of stuff that I really didn’t know, especially mindset wise, and that’s some of the stuff that we’re going to be talking about today. So even if your only goal right now is to learn an instrument, this information could change the way you think about practice, and the rate at which you progress, and that’s what we’re going to look at today. If you understand the core fundamentals of running a small business, you'll achieve more in your music career,Click To Tweet This is the statement that absolutely changed my life. Employees work for money and other people, entrepreneurs have money and people work for them. I believe I first heard it from Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. When I first heard it, I was getting into a business model called network marketing, but it ultimately led me down the path of creating The Music Entrepreneur HQ and that’s because I realized the value in what I was learning and how pertinent it was to building a music career. I got an education, what I was missing, which was primary mindset, and I’ll be covering a lot of that here. I had been pursuing a music career for over 10 years at that point without any major success, and gradually I began to realize why that was. I was missing a lot of keys to getting to where I want it to go and so many bands that I joined and participated in and been a part of had ended up breaking up usually within a year to a year and a half, and that’s going to happen to you too if you choose to go that route with being in a band. The key point there is that you can’t give up. You have to keep looking for people, and you’ve got to be the one with the vision and hold on to that vision and continually find people who can support you in making that vision a reality, but you might be asking yourself, how do I apply this to my situation because that seems kind of intimidating, right? You maybe don’t have employees, and you may not even have a lot of money right now. So how exactly can you put this into practice sooner rather than later? Well, it’s quite simple. You might be familiar with music distribution services such as CD Baby, DistroKid or Ditto Music, and what they do for you is they get your music out into various online stores as well as streaming platforms like Spotify or iTunes, or Apple Music, or Deezer or what have you. So when you’re paying them, you’re effectively paying them to get your music out to online stores and streaming sites. You didn’t have to do anything, you just handed them over a little of money, and they did the rest of the work for you. If that’s something you’ve already done, congratulations, you’re on your way to becoming an entrepreneur. You just had money and people work for you. Similarly, if you decided to join the musical youth community, and you’re effectively delegating a portion of your practice to them and improvement, you’re paying for some of the accountability that’s going to come from the people in the forums, and some of the steps we’ll have you take such as setting goals, so you can outsource a portion of your practice time by joining a community like Musical U and that’s in my mind, entrepreneurial. Christopher: David, sorry to interrupt, just a quick question from Scott in the audience. Could you say again the names of the companies you mentioned there? David: Okay, so the music distribution companies, some of the ones that I’ve used and have had experience with are CD baby, DistroKid, D-I-S-T-R-O-K-I-D and Ditto Music, which I believe is a UK company, D-I-T-T-O Music. Christopher: Perfect. Thank you. David: All right. Okay. So next, adopting a long-term mindset. I’ve taught hundreds of guitar, bass, ukulele and piano students through the years and that just happens as you continue to follow that path of being a music instructor. People come and go, you work for different studios, you teach people in their homes, and over the time that number of people just continues to add up, so it’s been hundreds of students to this point. The difference between someone who stuck with it, and this is what I’ve noticed, and improved versus someone who rarely practiced and didn’t improve, was a love of music. That’s not something I can foster in you. It wasn’t something I was able to foster in any of my students. They had to foster it within themselves. So here’s a little challenge, if you can’t list your favorite artists off the top of your head, you might be in trouble. You may not be as passionate or have as much of a love of music that you need to be able to improve on your instrument, and so what I would do is I would develop a genuine interest in music and begin to follow your impulses. Get a magazine subscription or join an online community, or begin reading about the artists that fascinate you and pitch your interest. This is exactly what I did. For instance, when I first started playing guitar, I was listening to quite a bit of rap and hip hop music and one of my favorite groups at the time was The Beastie Boys and you might know Adam Yauch or MCA. He talked about how he’d become obsessed with Jimi Hendrix at different points in his career and I found that intriguing, so it wasn’t long before I started listening to Jimi Hendrix and then learning his songs on guitar. But none of that would’ve happened if I didn’t pick up the guitar to begin with and I didn’t have a teacher helping me along and show me how to play guitar, but as I began to follow that track, I started developing a love for classic rock and rock music in general. Of course the blues too was pretty significant, because in a way Jimi Hendrix was kind of a blues player, depends who you ask. Some people say he was more rock, or funkadelia or psychedelia and what have you, but that was definitely at the core of his playing, was blues. So I started going down that path as well. So your love of music will carry you through any disillusionment or setbacks you might experience in trying to learn an instrument. Like I talked about, most of my bands that I’ve been a part of broke up within a year to a year and a half. Those were at times pretty heartbreaking experiences because I could see us going somewhere. There’s one band called Angels Breaking Silence, we were getting the types of gigs that I hadn’t been getting in any other group or even solo such as camp gigs and skate park gigs and outdoor gigs and things like that, to where I thought, “There’s real potential here. We just have to keep honing our craft and make some great [inaudible 00:13:07] shows,” but unfortunately, people in the band had different ideas. So there’s something to be said for vetting the people you work with, but until you have some of those experiences, sometimes it’s hard to know what people are looking for, so it is going to be a little bit of trial and error and hunting around for the right people. Now, many people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years. That’s kind of classic Tony Robbins, but it is very true. Don’t think about what you can do today or in a year, keep at it and begin thinking about what’s possible, three years, five years, seven years, or even 10 years down the line, and then work daily towards the achievement of what you envisioned in your mind. The mind is a very powerful tool we’re ever capable of visualizing and seeing a future for ourselves, and so utilize that. Take advantage of that. There is something magical about that number, 10 years, just look at the Beatles, Metallica, or even Billy Talent. It took them 10 years to break through in their careers, as it’s often been said, every overnight success has been 10 years in the making. If it even took the best bands that long to get to where they want to go, why would it be any different for you and I? So no matter what it is you’re looking to accomplish and you don’t need to aspire to be the Beatles or Metallica or Billy Talent, you can start at whatever level that you want your career to be, or even just learning an instrument, whatever level, but think about what feels good tomorrow, not just today, and that helps you make long term decisions around that. Now we’re going to talk a little bit about taking responsibility for your own growth. Unfortunately, I think it’s something that a lot of people don’t do. What we want to do here is let go of any expectations others may have for you. So having taught hundreds of students, I’ve met many parents that had unrealistic expectations. Some thought their child should be virtuoso so after four lessons, that’s like a month worth of lessons, half an hour each, whether they had spent any time practicing or not. Isn’t that absolutely ridiculous? It doesn’t happen that way. Now I understand you might watch movies like August Rush and think to yourself, “Gosh, if he can be that good in six months, I should be just as good and I’m not [inaudible 00:15:40].” Well, that may be possible for you. I’m not going to stop you from trying, but for most people that’s just not realistic. It’s actually going to take many, many years to master your craft. One of my favorite guitarists is Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme and he grew up in a musical family and all his brothers played music, and he’s known as one of the world’s best guitarists now, but he says at the time he was the absolute worst in his family. He said it took him a long time and it was really hard for him to get good at guitar, but look what happened when he stuck with the process. So practice does make a huge difference. You just heard a segment from the Entrepreneurial Essentials for Musicians Masterclass. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to get the whole thing, you’re going to want to head over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Masterclass. This has been episode 223 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 223 – Entrepreneurial Essentials for Musicians Masterclass Preview appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Have you ever thought about leaving your day job to pursue your passion? What are you willing to do to create the life you love through music? That’s what we’re going to be looking at this episode in The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:27 – Jonathan Barwick of Fierce Deity 02:24 – Investing in yourself and your career 03:56 – Heartbreak and breakthrough 07:04 – Playing major supporting spots that went nowhere 12:43 – Taking chances in life 17:45 – How did Jonathon’s perspective change over the years? 23:43 – The parallels between education and the music industry 25:39 – Sex, drugs, and rock and roll 26:50 – Fierce Deity 33:03 – Passion and success 37:16 – Traveling and appreciating life 40:55 – Arriving at the starting line of your life passed 30 43:11 – Security blanket 44:46 – Jonathon’s vision and music production 53:44 – The way people use smartphones and social media 57:44 – Closing thoughts Transcription: Coming soon. Conclusion Did you enjoy this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast? Well, there’s a lot more where this came from. And you don’t want to miss out on another episode, right? Then take a moment to head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/join to get on the email list. While there, you can download the guide that interests you most from the eBook library, alright? So, take a second and head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/join to get your free guide and join the email list. This has been episode 222 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 222 – Taking the Path Less Traveled – with Jonathon Barwick of Fierce Deity appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Things have been kind of interesting as of late. But that doesn’t mean you should feel down and like it’s all coming to an end. If you’re feeling discouraged or unmotivated right now, have a listen to this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast to get pumped up! Podcast Highlights: 00:17 – David’s purpose 01:57 – Interrupting the current series 02:50 – There has never been a better time to express yourself creatively 03:59 – Don’t be a lone wolf 04:56 – Concluding thoughts Transcription: Coming soon. The post 221 – Stay Encouraged, Stay Inspired appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Tools aren’t everything when it comes to growing your music career. But if you aren’t aware of the opportunities available, you are almost certainly missing out. In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, we look at what more you can do with your music in 2021. Download the PDF transcription Podcast Highlights: 00:29 – Tools to use to promote and share your music in 2021 00:48 – Web hosting: SiteGround 01:17 – Sharing: Songwhip 01:47 – Social network: Drooble 02:28 – Live streaming: StreamYard 02:50 – Influencer marketing: TribeFluence 03:22 – Audience insights: SparkToro 04:11 – Multimedia distribution: Repurpose 04:42 – Old standbys 05:05 – Episode summary Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. And we’re ready to pick up where we left off with part 1 of this series on what to do with your music in 2021. In part 1, I covered some high-level mindset and strategic things, and in this episode, I focus on tools. And I can almost guarantee there are some you haven’t even heard of and will appreciate big time. So, let’s dive right in. 1. SiteGround In the last episode, I talked about setting up your WordPress site but didn’t even mention where to go to do that. My top recommendation is SiteGround. Their hosting is affordable and easy to use, their customer support is great, and sites on their servers load fast. So, if this is the direction you’d like to go in, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/SiteGround. We are an affiliate of SiteGround, and if you purchase anything through our link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. 2. Songwhip You can share your music, or you can share your music with Songwhip. I’d recommend getting acquainted with Songwhip. Using this free app, you can easily create music links to every platform, be it Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon, or otherwise. This comes in especially handy when you don’t know which platforms your fans like to use, or when you want to make sure the recipient can find your music on all platforms. Check out Songwhip at Songwhip.com. Learn it. Use it. Benefit from it. 3. Drooble Drooble is a social network that’s been developed specifically with musicians in mind. Let’s face it – now that we’re stuck inside, it’s never been more crucial to get connected and to collaborate, so it would be worth signing up for this reason alone. But Drooble has also got some amazing features in the form of song reviews, EPKs, radio broadcast, and more. I’ve checked out some of these tools, and they’re great. Even if you’ve already got an EPK or electronic press kit, who cares? Set up another one with Drooble and A/B test it alongside your other EPK. If you’d like to learn more about Drooble, you can have a listen to episode 82 of the podcast with Melina Krumova. 4. StreamYard There are many tools you can use to stream your live shows or Q&A sessions. My favorite is StreamYard. With StreamYard, you can stream to Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Periscope, and Twitch all at once. It costs a bit of money if you want to stream to more than one profile, but it’s super easy to use. Create maximum coverage for your live streams with StreamYard. 5. TribeFluence You are the CEO of your music business. And it’s important to recognize you don’t need to build your audience from scratch. Chances are, someone already has built your audience for you. All you’ve got to do is work your way in or buy your way in. You are the CEO of your music business. And it’s important to recognize you don’t need to build your audience from scratch.Click To Tweet TribeFluence gives you easy access to social media influencers at a nominal rate. If you’ve got a message to share, and you want to get it seen by more people, you can easily buy your way in using TribeFluence. If you’d like to learn more, you can listen to episode 113 of the podcast with Johnny Vieira. 6. SparkToro I often suggest – and have even helped – multiple musicians find their audience online. This was typically done with a mix of tools like Alexa, SimilarWeb, Facebook Insights, and others. And these are still great tools to use. But a recent discovery that I rather like is SparkToro. With SparkToro, you can learn more about your audience based on what they frequently talk about, what words they use in their social media profile, who they follow on social media, what websites they visit, or what hashtags they use. Basically, if you’re ever lost, and only have a couple of data points on your audience, you could easily find out more about them using SparkToro. You could also use it to further flesh out your audience profile. When it comes to target audiences, the more you know about them, the better, so check out SparkToro. They let you do a few searches for free. 7. Repurpose If you’ve got video or podcast content you’d like to slice up and repurpose, you probably won’t find a better tool for the job than Repurpose. I like to use it to turn podcast content into videos or video clips. But there’s so much more you can do with videos, since you can turn videos into clips, audio content, and more. If you’d like, you can support us through our affiliate link at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Repurpose. 8. More Tools Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others can still work if you’re using them the right way. If you’re just going there to post and creep on others, good luck. But if you’re going there to actively engage an audience, create discussions, and collect more data points on your target audience, you’re going to see results. Anyway, if anything else comes up tool wise, I will be sure to mention it later in this series. But that’s what I’ve got for now. Episode Summary Here’s today’s episode summary: SiteGround is the perfect place to start a new website. It’s affordable, fast, and easy to use. Songwhip is perfect for creating music links that allow users to listen to your music on their favorite platform. Drooble is a social network for musicians with added functionality that makes it especially appealing. StreamYard is basically the best streaming service available, and it allows you to stream across all the popular social networks and streaming sites. TribeFluence is a great tool for spreading your messages through influencers for a nominal fee. SparkToro allows you to learn more about your audience with ease. With Repurpose, you can take your multimedia content, create clips with it, and even syndicate and distribute it across popular social media. Old standbys can still work. Just make sure you’re being disciplined and intentional with your use. Conclusion If you’re ready to find even more tools that will help you take your music beyond in 2021, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join to download your free guide and join the email list. As a subscriber, you get access to even more bonuses. So, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join and grab your free, value-adding guide now. This has been episode 220 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 220 – What to do with Your Music in 2021 Part 2 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

2021 is here. Are you ready to crush it? Are you aware of all the opportunities available? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Download the PDF transcription Podcast Highlights: 00:26 – David’s new Twitter thread 00:59 – No live music in 2021? 01:29 – No more holding back 02:41 – Get into the publishing habit 04:30 – Grow your online presence 06:06 – Episode summary 06:46 – Closing thoughts Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. Happy New Year! So, I wanted to get into what to do with your music in 2021. I even posted a thread on Twitter detailing some of my thoughts on this. I had 13 some odd points in that thread, and the truth is, I probably have more to share. So, I thought I would break this up into a multi-part series. That way, you can listen to each episode and action a few steps before you listen to the next in the series. I’ve got at least a dozen tips, probably more. So, this will likely be a four- to five-part series. We’ll see how it comes together. But let’s get into this because there’s a lot to cover. Preface I wanted to preface all this by saying that, while I don’t have a crystal ball, I’m starting to get the sense that live music may not be making much of a return in 2021. Now, anything can happen. So, I’m not writing off the possibility that things will get better soon. Trust me when I say I miss live music as much as you do right now. I would love just to go to a concert, never mind playing my own. But we’ve also got to be realistic. Which is why I’ve identified multiple things you can do with your music this year, even if you’re stuck inside. 1. Don’t Hold Back My number one tip for music makers in 2021 is to stop holding back. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to say with your music, but have never gotten around to saying, now’s the time to bring your ideas to life. Whether it’s declaring love, protesting current events, sharing your innermost beliefs with your fans, whatever you feel you need to say, get it off your chest as soon as possible. Just pretend like you’re on borrowed time and you’ll be in the right spirit. Also, don’t hold back in your marketing, networking, outreach, or any other area of your career. Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how amazing we all have it here in the digital age. You can interact with high level executives on Twitter. You can read the stories of successful musicians on blogs. You can take advantage of the latest apps and tools to share your music. Now’s the time to get back in the game and leverage all the connections, resources, and tools at your fingertips. Don’t cower in fear. Don’t bury your head in the sand. Don’t give up on your dreams. Get up, get going, and don’t hold back! For more inspiration in this regard, have a listen to: Episode 73 of the podcast with DeCarlos Garrison Episode 108 with Jules Schroeder Episode 122 with Richard “Younglord” Frierson Episode 135 with Matt Starr 2.  Make More Music Let go of perfectionism. Learn to identify when your music is “good enough” and get comfortable publishing it as is. As artists, it’s easy to obsess over every little detail. And I get that many experts out there are saying there’s no excuse for bad quality production. But when we think like that, we end up handcuffing ourselves to limitations, because we think we’re going to have to spend a fortune on every new release. It’s never been easier or cheaper to set up a home studio and put together a quality recording. And even if that doesn’t interest you, there are so many other ways to get your project off the ground. You can find a friend who’s looking to bolster their portfolio and pay them in beer and pizza. You can start a crowdfunding campaign. And maybe, if you just asked your parents nicely, they’d be willing to fund your next release as well. But if production were all that mattered, I’m not sure Helen Austin, who I interviewed in episode 19 of the podcast, would have a successful career. And it might sound crazy, but in my catalog, the album that repeatedly gets the most praise from others is Fire Your God. Which is bizarre to me because it’s basically a collection of lo-fi basement demos. And that has me looking at the possibility of releasing more music in that vein, as opposed to the pristine production heard on my No Escape EP. I’m not the only one, either. People love to listen to Rivers Cuomo and John Frusciante’s lo-fi demos. I’m going to tell you right now, if you don’t make more music, executing against this series is going to prove difficult. Because you need more product. Not that music is the only product you can create. There was time, not too long ago, when music was basically reduced to a form of content marketing. It drew people into the brand and lifestyle, so that you could sell them a T-shirt. But if you want to get into some of the things I’ll be talking about later in the series, you’ll regret not putting more energy into your music. For more inspiration, check out: My interview with Jack Conte on the blog at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com 3. Set Up Your Website It’s amazing to me that in 2020, artists still miss the point of websites and blogs and come up with completely illogical, ineffective ways of thinking about and using them. If you’ve been listening to me for a while, then you probably know by now that a Facebook page, SoundCloud profile, or free Wix website is just unacceptable. You need to buy hosting and a domain name and build on WordPress. At the very least, sign up with Bandzoogle, because they have an easy-to-use interface that even non techies can figure out. I know that event organizers or A&R reps might feel differently, but if I’m working on a marketing campaign with a band, I could care less what their social media following is. I would still leverage it, especially if they had an engaged following. But I would be far more concerned with how their email list is doing. That’s what I care about. Your website is the best place to build your email list. There’s no substitute, except for maybe a tool like Leadpages, which I also like a lot. But then you also want to sell your music, don’t you? It just so happens that your website is the best place to do that. And that’s not all… In building awareness and exposure, sharing updates, getting people out to shows, growing your email list, expanding your social media following, and even selling your music, there is simply no better tool than your website, especially if you keep it updated. Make your website the definitive destination for everything to do with you and your music. There’s just no excuse anymore. You’re a professional now. You are the CEO of your music business. Get cracking on this. For more inspiration, have a listen to: Episode 3 of the podcast with Ross Barber Episode Summary Here’s today’s episode summary. Don’t hold back. Now’s the time to move forward with all those crazy ideas you’ve been dreaming about. You’re on borrowed time. Go and do everything you’ve always wanted to do with your music now! Make more music. There are many ways to leverage your content and having more of it opens the door to more opportunities. Learn to recognize when your music is “good enough” and get into the publishing habit! Get your website set up. You’re a pro now. And if you’re taking your music seriously, and you want others to take you seriously, buy hosting and a custom domain. Start populating your website with fresh content every week. Conclusion If you’re ready to make 2021 your year, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join to pick up your free guide. We’ve got a few to choose from, so take your pick. How to Earn Real Money from Your Music might be a good one based on the contents of this episode. Again, go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join to get your free guide now. This has been episode 219 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 219 – What to do with Your Music in 2021 Part 1 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

A significant part of building a music career is facing things that are outside of your comfort zone. So, how can you keep rising to new levels without losing momentum? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Download the PDF transcription Podcast Highlights: 00:30 – A new distinction 00:47 – What is unfamiliar? What is uncomfortable? 01:10 – How to think about unfamiliar 03:55 – How to think about uncomfortable 05:50 – Episode summary 07:03 – Thoughts on today’s episode? 07:24 – Final thoughts Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. I recently stumbled on a distinction I wanted to share with you. I think it will prove beneficial in your creative efforts. Today, we’re going to be looking at the difference between “unfamiliar” and “uncomfortable.” And while the difference might seem subtle, it’s critical if you want to perform at your highest level. The Difference Between “Unfamiliar” & “Uncomfortable” Unfamiliar is when you’re treading into unknown territory. Uncomfortable is when you don’t know how to act in a situation. You can certainly feel uncomfortable when something is unfamiliar, and you can also feel unfamiliar when something is uncomfortable. But when you see that the two don’t need to be collapsed onto each other, you’ll be better equipped to deal with the challenges that arise in your music career. Unfamiliar When something is unfamiliar, it means you’ve probably never experienced it before. You haven’t been in that situation. So, you don’t know what to expect. If you’re trying to get your website set up, but have no idea how to use WordPress, you would be unfamiliar with WordPress. It would be strange to say you’re uncomfortable with WordPress at this stage, because you haven’t even used it yet. You know as well as I do that you can become comfortable with anything if you just spend enough time with it. When something is unfamiliar, the learning curve seems the steepest. But it’s also where the most learning tends to happen. When I was teaching guitar, I always found it amazing how I could take a student from not knowing how to play guitar to teaching them finger exercises, scales, and a few basic songs in a matter of a few lessons. If the student were especially attentive, they could pick all that up in one half-hour lesson! So, unfamiliarity is not bad. But you must recognize your human tendency to avoid what’s unfamiliar. You may say, “networking is so hard,” when you’ve never attended a networking event. It’s unfamiliar, and until you’re used to introducing yourself, talking about yourself in a compelling away, and listening to others as they share, it’s going to seem daunting. Go to enough of these events, and you will get the hang of it. No need to be scared. You’re just unfamiliar. Uncomfortable is when you’ve done it once or twice, and you have a better sense of what to expect, and what you’re expecting is the worst, which is human. Procrastination often stems from what’s unfamiliar too. You don’t touch it, because you have no idea how, and you have some strange expectation of yourself that you should already know how. When it comes to anything unfamiliar, you need to give yourself some grace. Have no expectations. Make mistakes. When I don’t know how to do something the right way, I find tremendous value in making all the mistakes upfront. It helps me avoid those mistakes in the future. If you’re messing around with new software, click on everything and see what it does. If you’re trying to install new pickups in your guitar, watch some YouTube videos to get a better idea how it’s done. Learning and gaining new skills is always valuable. You have no idea how many ways it might end up benefiting your music career long term. Trust me when I say you can leverage everything you learn to multiply your productivity, output, and influence. At 15, I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life performing. Sure, I’ve written and published plenty of music, but I’ve also written five books, something I would not have even expected of myself at 15. When something is unfamiliar, it just means it’s something to be learned. If we don’t learn, we stagnate. See the unfamiliar as an opportunity to learn, not as an excuse to run away. Uncomfortable Uncomfortable denotes familiarity. Meaning, you’ve been in a situation before, and you know it’s uncomfortable. Now, you can certainly walk into any situation, and know whether it’s uncomfortable to you in a short amount of time. So, you can transition from unfamiliar to uncomfortable relatively quickly. The good news is whatever seems uncomfortable to you doesn’t need to stay that way forever. When you were first learning how to swim or ride a bike, no doubt it was uncomfortable to you. But as you kept at it, eventually it became comfortable. Some of you may have never learned to swim or ride a bike, so another example would be learning to sing or play an instrument. Since you’re teaching your body to do things it’s never done before, of course it’s uncomfortable. But with practice, you got better. Many of the things we need to do to grow our careers will seem difficult at first. You know how asking someone out can feel quite uncomfortable, especially if it’s your first time asking? Much of what we need to do in the music business is kind of like that. You’ve got to introduce yourself, make connections, compliment others, follow up, risk rejection and failure, make bold requests, send out demos, book gigs, reach out to radio stations, submit our music to bloggers, and more. It will be uncomfortable at first. And because it doesn’t feel good, you won’t feel like putting yourself through it. But maybe the reason it feels uncomfortable is because you haven’t been doing enough of it. I would challenge you to send 10 emails to people in the music business today to introduce yourself. One of those 10 can be me. Then I’ll also know you’ve listened to this episode. My email is david@dawcast.com. Remember – if swimming, riding a bike, or learning an instrument can eventually become comfortable, so can creating connections, promotion, building a team, and so on. You just need practice! Episode Summary Here’s today’s episode summary: There’s a difference between “unfamiliar” and “uncomfortable” and distinguishing the two can help you overcome inertia, laziness, stagnation, ruts, and so on, and get into action. To overcome challenges, you need to be in action. Unfamiliar is when you’re treading into unknown territory. You might feel anxious, just as anyone would feel anxious going bungee jumping or skydiving for the first time. But to say that you’re uncomfortable is not quite true, because that would mean you have experience. Give yourself grace when you’re facing something unfamiliar. Don’t have any expectations for yourself or how you’ll do. Just go into it, make mistakes, and figure things out as you go. Uncomfortable is when you don’t know how to act in a situation. But we all know from experience that we can gain confidence with repeated exposure to similar situations, be it asking someone out, networking events, playing a gig, or otherwise. If discomfort is holding you back, spend more time in those situations instead of avoiding them. Start practicing and be intentional about the process. Feedback As always, I look forward to hearing from you. I already shared my email in today’s episode, so feel free to reach out and share. What did you get out of today’s episode? Did you find it helpful? What has your experience of unfamiliar and uncomfortable been like? Did you find this distinction helpful? Is there an unfamiliar or uncomfortable experience you’d be willing to share with me and other listeners? Let me know! Conclusion If you’re ready to tread out into the unfamiliar and begin embracing the uncomfortable, then head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join and grab the guide that interests you most. I’m confident you will find something that appeals to you personally, whether it’s growing your Spotify following or increasing your subs on YouTube. Again, go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join to get your free guide and get added to our email list. This has been episode 218 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 218 – Unfamiliar vs. Uncomfortable appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Is talking about music like dancing around architecture? It is a waste of time to look at what it takes to be a modern music maker? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Podcast Highlights: 00:27 – Introduction 00:50 – Rant 03:46 – Closing thoughts Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. While I was writing my November Life Update, I ended up going on a bit of a rant. And I thought this would be worthy of sharing everywhere, including the podcast. I’ll probably put this in video form as well, and maybe I’ll recite it elsewhere. But for now, here it is in podcast form, and this is simply titled: Don’t Make Me Laugh. [The full transcription for the rant is available in the Life Update: November 2020 post – simply scroll down until you see the “Don’t Make Me Laugh” header.] If you think music is worth talking about, show that you care by heading over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join and pick up your free guide. We’ve got several to choose from, and they’re all high quality. Again, go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join to download your gift and join the insider’s circle. This has been episode 217 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 217 – Why Talk About Music? appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Is constant rejection and criticism getting you down? Does it seem like others go out of their way to offend you? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast. Download the PDF transcription Podcast Highlights: 00:26 – Sensitivity and offense 01:16 – Don’t take it so personally! 02:32 – Get a second, third, and fourth opinion 04:11 – Use negative feedback to improve 06:31 – You can only feel offended inside 07:41 – Episode summary Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. Today I wanted to share about sensitivity and offense. Because as artists we always seem to base our value or outlook on what someone else thinks or says. At the outset, let me tell you that you’ll never know what anyone else is thinking unless you ask them. It’s impossible. So, everything you’re thinking is probably based on a story you’ve constructed in your head, and you’ve either got to a) ask that person what they’re thinking, or b) let go and be complete with it to move forward. But being butthurt over everything is so common and so counterproductive that it can end up wasting a lot of precious time. It can easily ruin your life and your career. So, let’s talk about this. Interpreting the Comments of Others The first thing I want to get into is how we interpret the comments of others. Because we would never feel rejected or criticized if not for things others have said. 1. Ask Yourself Whether the Comment was About You So, it’s been my observation that as creatives we’ll often enter conversations not informing others of our intention. But we’ll steer the conversation in such a way that we’ll get the answer we think we want. We do this without establishing any context, so the person we’re talking to isn’t even sure of our intentions. It’s like a girl asking a guy “is there anyone in your life you think is worth fighting for right now?” What she’s really asking is whether she’s worth fighting for. But that’s not what she asked. So, she will interpret the answer “no” as meaning she’s not worthwhile, or she will interpret the answer “yes” as meaning he has a girlfriend already. Either way, she’ll take it negatively. By the way, I’m using the pronoun “she” here, but guys are just as likely to ask ambiguous, leading questions like this, so don’t take this in a sexist direction. So, the first thing to understand is that in a conversation like this, whatever response you get, it was not about you. Because you did not ask about you, you asked generally. It takes courage to ask what another honestly thinks about you, but it’s not worth the offense if you haven’t done the hard work of asking about yourself specifically. Before you take anything personally, first ask yourself whether it was said about you. 2. Don’t Take What One Person Says as Final You’ve probably heard stories of people who got a diagnosis from a doctor. But they were compelled to get a second, and a third, and a fourth opinion, because either they did not trust what they were being told or thought there might be another way to combat their illness. Yet, what I see all the time is artists taking one person’s opinion as final. They’ll hear “you’re too young, you’re too old, you’re too fat, you’re too skinny, you’re not experienced enough, you’re too experienced, your music’s not good enough, you’re not marketable, you’re not our style” or some variation thereof and take it personally. First, just as I said in point one, we’ve got to check to ensure this comment was said specifically about us, right? But beyond that, no matter the authority of the individual, if it’s just one opinion, it’s just one opinion. So, one booking agent or publicist or promoter rejected you. What does that mean? It means you were rejected by one agent, one publicist, or one promoter. And it doesn’t even mean that, because if you create something better and come back to them later, they might still give you a “yes.” And as already suggested, you’d be better off getting a second, and third, and fourth opinion. Because who knows? The right opportunity might be with Jessica rather than Mike. Mike may not have taken a liking to you, but maybe your music floats Jessica’s boat. And remember. You’re not talking to labels or agents or managers. You’re talking to real people just like you. If what you’ve got is compelling enough, it’s bound to be for somebody. If you’ve got fans, then you already know your music is for somebody, and it’s all about finding more people like that! 3. Turn Negative Comments into Fuel to Improve Okay, so there are basically three possibilities here. One is that a someone said something relatively general that you took offense to. Two is that someone gave you a general expert opinion but wasn’t necessarily addressing you specifically. The last possibility is you receive a direct comment from someone influential. I see a lot of artists butthurt over this because they were told one thing by someone, like “you’re not going to make it” or “you’re too old” or “you’re the wrong sex, so you’re going to be mistreated” or whatever. And the first problem is we often interpret things incorrectly. Neuroscience expert Dr. Joe Dispenza often says we don’t even remember 50% of our pasts correctly. And as artists, we tend to remember the feeling of events rather than the contents of them. So, even when a negative comment is aimed at us directly, there’s still the chance that we’ll take it the wrong way and make something out of it that was never intended. The next thing is we don’t confirm the state of the person saying these things. So, we just examine the content of what’s being said, rather than getting a sense of whether that person was having a bad day, whether they were having troubles at home, if they’d just received some bad news of their own, or whatever. Hurting people hurt people, and if you were to reflect on your own past, you’d probably see that you’ve said things that were hurtful to another, intentional or not. And quite likely, you weren’t in the best space when you did it. Finally, the problem is we end up taking whatever was said as gospel, which is connected to an earlier point. We think because one person told us it was going to go badly for us, that this is the inevitable outcome. Supposedly, there are nearly eight billion people on earth. I have not confirmed it for myself, but I cannot even fathom that number. The sentiment here is that your opportunities are basically unlimited. So, even if it’s Max Martin, or Dr. Luke, or Diddy, or Timbaland telling you “this is the way it is,” it’s premature. Even if they do tell you “you’re not going to make it,” they’re just waiting for you to use that as fuel to prove them wrong. Because they’re never going to work with anyone that doesn’t get up after being knocked down. And trust me, they’ve probably been knocked down more than anyone else. It’s how they got to where they are. So, you can give up, or you can use what was said as fuel to better yourself and your music. Your Offense is Your Own to Deal with Another important point is that your offense is your own to deal with. Meaning even if someone else intended for their comments to be hurtful or offensive, how you take it is entirely up to you. Artists get so butthurt over what someone else says that they let one comment ruin their day, or week, or month. What’s interesting is that whoever said those things to you is probably over it, doesn’t remember it, and is busy working on themselves and their project. So, it seems foolish to let something like that hold you back. Because you could be doing the same thing – getting over it, forgetting it, and getting busy working on your own projects. Remember. Someone else can control what they say. But they cannot control how you feel about it. Ever. And it’s up to you to do the investigative work necessary to know what their intention was if you want to find out. Couples who want to stay together need to do this all the time. You can say, “when you said X, it made me feel Y.” And that can open a meaningful discussion about the intention behind the message. Try not to make your offense someone else’s responsibility. Because it isn’t. Whatever you’re feeling is inside you, and it can’t be found within someone else. So, only you have the power to do something about it. Episode Summary Alright, to summarize today’s episode: Don’t worry about generalized comments and advice. Generalized advice might apply to 60 to 80% of people, but it might not apply to you. If you want to know how someone really feels about you, ask them directly. Don’t beat around the bush. Don’t take anything as final. Assuming your heart is still beating in your chest, there are always opportunities. Yes, you may need to pivot. You may need to adjust your goals. But that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve success on your own terms. Shift your paradigm and keep going. Use it all as fuel. Sometimes offense is intentional. Or, at the very least, you may be tested by others in the industry. Use it all as fuel to improve, to get better, to become the best version of yourself. My friend Chris Naish did exactly that when he got a scathing review from a journalist, but years later got a positive review from the same journalist who admitted defeat. Don’t blame anyone else for your feelings. Victim mentality is unproductive. Recognize that whatever you’re feeling is within you and that’s only because you gave your own power over to it. Remember – you can be butthurt, or you can keep making progress in your music career. The choice is yours. You can be butthurt if you want, but the only thing it can do is stop you dead in your tracks and rob you of time, joy, and fulfillment. Better to reframe, use it as fuel, and begin moving in a productive direction, even if you have to pivot and adjust course slightly. If you’re ready to stop being butthurt over everything and want to grow your music career and fan base, head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/join to grab your free guide from our eBook library. You’re sure to find something of interest to you there, and if this episode resonated with you, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the Music Career Success Checklist. This has been episode 216 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 216 – Stop Being so ButtHurt Over Everything appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

What if you could turn your love of music into a career? What if working with your favorite artists and bands was just a project away? That’s what we’re looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast where I chat with professional marketing consultant Michael Brandvold. Podcast Highlights: 00:28 – Every day is Monday with Michael Brandvold 01:54 – Michael shares his epic story 22:21 – KISS School of Marketing 25:49 – Branding in music 28:37 – Music Biz Weekly and what Michael has learned from podcasting 36:29 – Michael’s perspective on prioritization and productivity 38:32 – Embracing the music business 40:37 – Michael on the importance of pivoting 45:07 – Has Michael created the life he loves through music? 48:34 – Having a front row mentality 50:18 – What’s the last YouTube video Michael watched? 51:11 – What is Michael’s daily routine like? 55:19 – What is the greatest challenge Michael has overcome? 57:49 – The greatest victory Michael has experienced 1:00:21 – Messages of encouragement 1:01:25 – Michael’s recommended resources 1:03:10 – Taking inspiration from parallel industries 1:03:50 – Closing thoughts Transcription: Coming soon. Closing Segments Are you ready to begin creating the life you love through music? Check out our new eBook library at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/join to grab your free guide and get the latest updates regarding new blog posts, podcast episodes, and videos. I look forward to connecting with you. This has been episode 215 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 215 – From KISS Fan to Professional Marketing Consultant – with Michael Brandvold appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Do you wish you could do a better job of engaging your fans? Have you ever thought about starting a fan club? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, featuring Sarah Beth Perry of With the Band. Podcast Highlights: 00:27 – Our special guest, Sarah Beth Perry of With the Band 02:11 – How and why was With the Band created? 05:41 – What is Fan Crews? 11:20 – Fan clubs – an opportunity many artists are missing 13:35 – What else is happening with With the Band? 15:48 – What was the last YouTube video Sarah watched? 16:22 – What is Sarah’s daily routine like? 18:02 – What’s the greatest challenge Sarah has overcome? 21:54 – What is Sarah’s greatest victory? 23:59 – How can listeners collaborate with high profile artists or clients? 26:01 – What pain points does Sarah have as a music entrepreneur? 27:56 – Sarah’s recommended books 33:10 – Closing thoughts Transcription: Coming soon. Closing Segment We have a fast-growing library of free guides you can access in exchange for your email address at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join. One such guide I will highlight now is How to Make Money on Spotify, which will help you maximize your streaming earnings. Yes, you will be added to my email list once you’ve signed up for your guide. The thing is, I have some special promotions to share with you once you’re inside, and if you’ve been looking for answers to your music career questions, I don’t think you’re going to want to miss out on this. So, again, find a guide that appeals to you at MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join. This has been episode 214 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 214 – Engage Your Fans – with Sarah Beth Perry of With the Band appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.

Have you ever found yourself in a frustration cycle as a musician? Do you feel like thinking more and doing more for your career just leads to more frustration? In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I share some of my biggest takeaways from my two-week break in Vernon, BC. Download the PDF transcription Podcast Highlights: 00:18 – Going on break 01:01 – Things work better when you stop? 02:45 – Are you overselling yourself? 03:58 – Life is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal 04:40 – How will you restart your engines? Transcription: Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. I know I went AWOL for three weeks, but I’m finally back to deliver another batch of killer podcast episodes. So, at the beginning of November, I went on break. This happened a little later than expected, but it was still very timely, as I wrapped up my trip to Vernon just before local lockdowns started up again. And I wasn’t ready to get back into the swing of things the moment I came back, so three weeks went by without a new episode or for that matter, any new content on the website. I needed time to recharge the batteries, and as you may already know, I worked myself to exhaustion at the beginning of September, which is nowhere near as fun as it sounds. Yes, it has taken nearly three months to recover in full, and I know for a fact I’m much better now, but I’m not at 100% yet. But here’s the funny part. Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you leave something alone, it starts working better? If you ever find yourself in a frustration cycle, then taking more actions isn’t the solution. In that space, your actions just lead to more frustration, and even if something is working, you tend not to notice it. Sheep come out in wolves’ clothing as it were. So, the best thing you can often do to release all that pent-up energy is to stop. And that sounds completely counter-intuitive in our hustle culture obsessed with working hard, 16-hour days, fake it until you make it, “take my free webinar now” crowd. Here’s the goofy thing about it – I tried all that. I tried the 16-hour per day hustle. And it didn’t work for me. It just got me caught in a frustration cycle, like I said. These cycles are also known as pendulums. When a pendulum gains momentum, it keeps swinging and rotating harder and faster, until you find yourself caught in its grips, unable to escape. It’s still possible to interrupt that pendulum, but not without taking different actions. If you stop for long enough, and don’t resist, though, the pendulum will begin to dissolve, and you can start over from a fresh space. Maybe the 16-hour days work for Tony Robbins, or Russell Brunson, or Gary Vaynerchuk. And by the way, I’m not comparing myself to any of these guys. I’m not in the same niche, and I’m not the same type of marketer either. I’ve always been a little more on the side of a transparent marketer, sharing my blunders and stories, my numbers, and I’ve even touched on my personal matters several times. I know you’re supposed to bring your best self to your content, which is what I strive to do. And my delivery of the content has changed considerably over time. But I think we can easily oversell ourselves too. No one’s really talking about that. They just keep talking about the fact that you’re not posting enough, you’re not showing up enough, you’re not selling enough. Again, this hasn’t been my experience. My experience has been that the harder I try to prop myself up, the less things work. Because I’m trying to say, “look at me, look at what I’ve done, I’m amazing.” And it produces the opposite result. All it does is further envelope me in the shadows of obscurity. When I think about all the times, I’ve tried to prop myself up, I’ve come from a space of wanting something. And when you want something, you just attract more of the same. Wanting leads to more wanting. Wanting leads to more wanting.Click To Tweet Maybe others are able to come from a different space when they’re selling themselves. Maybe they genuinely see it as giving. There’s nothing wrong with that. What works for others may not work for you. But you’ve got to know what space you’re coming from. Because whatever that is, you’re going to attract more of it. To me, giving and being generous is showing up and recording a podcast episode. It’s showing up and writing a blog post. It’s giving away free, high-quality guides that can help you in various areas of your music career. It’s all about creating the life you love through music. My story has always been one of progression. I went from working five jobs to working completely from home in 2016. Then I created my location independence last year in 2019 and moved from Calgary to Abbotsford. And now I travel and explore as I’m able, which isn’t much, and I mostly spend time writing content for music industry websites, but the point is that it was all created gradually. And that’s where I am. But I can see further now. And I want to give generously and profit generously. And I believe I have been able to do that. I’ve been doing that all along. There isn’t necessarily more to give, just that I keep showing up to give, which I don’t need to do. I do it because I know what’s possible for others. So, as you look to restart your engines for 2021, you might consider taking a break. Stopping and reflecting. Thinking about any pendulums that might have you caught in their grips. Finding a new space to move into mentally and emotionally. The world, sadly, isn’t going back to any sense of normalcy for a while. So, pivoting, rethinking your direction and strategy, and making the most of the time and resources available would be wise. Every time you stop, even if it’s only a day or two, you will come away with more clarity. Your vision will expand. You’ll see some things you never saw before, and then you’ll be able to act on what matters to you. Your purpose will not come to you in a flash. It will unfold gradually. And sometimes we need to stop for it to unfold, so we can see further. If you’re ready to figure out what to focus on in 2021 and beyond… If you’re looking to expand your music income… If marketing is something you struggle with and need to develop… Then head on over to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/Join and grab your free guide. This has been episode 213 of The New Music Industry Podcast. I’m David Andrew Wiebe, and I look forward to seeing you on the stages of the world. The post 213 – Restarting Your Engines for 2021 appeared first on Music Entrepreneur HQ.