THE MUSICIAN'S BUSINESS

One of the major trends that both characterized and dominated the global music industry at the turn of the millennium was the change from the “music business”, to the “musician’s business”. Musicians, like at the beginning of the commercialization of music are increasingly now in control of the business of music, the creative process and their musical destiny. The global proliferation of independent record companies (Indies) owned and run by musicians/artistes/music entrepreneurs attest to the reality of this development.
This means that musicians/artistes are now mastering the dynamics of the entire business process of music industry operations- record label management, music publishing, distribution, merchandising, promotion etc; an exclusive preserve once of sleazy suit and tie wearing lawyers and accountants etc. It means musicians/artistes are now the sole architect of their own destiny.
This however has placed an enormous responsibility on musicians/artistes to really understand the business they are in. It’s no longer an option for any serious minded musician/artiste desirous of a successful music career to learn how to professionalize, but ultimately a question of necessity or risk career failure (read, hunger). But if you are going to survive as a musician/artiste in this business, you will need to establish and maintain a competitive position, a well focused niche, and you must ultimately learn how to differentiate yourself from the crowd out there.
Professionalization for most musician/artiste is not a palatable topic because of their natural laid-back and casual inclination toward business matters. Professionalization means going an extra mile in terms of how business is conducted, cultivating higher standards of presentation and communication. It means dressing appropriately, arriving promptly for shows, developing communication skills, having nice letterhead, returning calls with courtesy, learning people skills, having a personal manager etc.
The reality for many musicians/artistes is that it takes a whole lot more than talent alone to succeed in the music and entertainment industry. Success in the music and entertainment industry now requires a fundamental knowledge and understanding of basic business administration/management skills, learning the core concepts of the music business (music production, marketing & promotion, distribution, publishing, record contracts etc) and the demands of the entertainment marketplace.
It therefore becomes highly imperative for musicians/artistes to understand the industry, its strengths and weaknesses, and its overall direction; it is only within the context of this understanding that you can effectively position yourself ahead of the competition and make plans for the achievement of your goals. The need, therefore for musicians/artistes to adopt a well defined and structured approach to the business handling of their music career can never be overstated. It is all about the musician’s business.