We are not shift workers…<\/p>\n
We can\u2019t passively<\/em> clock in and eagerly<\/em> clock out, EXPECTING a pay-check just for showing up.<\/p>\n Because IF we do, then that\u2019s what is going to happen.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll become shift workers, and no-one can say or tell you that you didn\u2019t do your job<\/em>…<\/p>\n I don\u2019t have any issues of any kind with “shift work” or “shift workers…” I used to be one, but one thing i\u2019m certain of – is it is NOT the mentality for success in the new music industry.<\/p>\n No One Owes Us Anything<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyones talking about the Amanda Palmer Kerfuffle…<\/p>\n Look… All she\u2019s doing is creating more opportunity, and modeling what can be done today. Good for her!<\/p>\n Good for US!<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have anything to do with her not offering to pay the musicians. She doesn\u2019t OWE them anything.<\/p>\n It is the BUSINESS of the artists and bands that she invited, to CREATIVELY design and maximize the exposure and promotional opportunity from the event.<\/p>\n It is ALSO their<\/em> responsibility to handle negotiations.<\/p>\n This is the thing with us musicians and artists…<\/p>\n We don\u2019t take CONTROL of our business, and become content with LETTING THINGS BE the way SOMEONE ELSE says they should be.<\/p>\n O, it must be a \u201csign…\u201d<\/p>\n Bullshit.<\/p>\n Go and GET IT. Fuck what it LOOKS like the \u201cworld is telling you…\u201d<\/p>\n No one is going to give anything to you. That is the unfairly<\/em> fair reality that the majority of us have to deal with.<\/p>\n SOME people will by default have a nice, smooth, almost perfectly sequenced path of development through some \u201cstandard\u201d musical career carnival ride…<\/p>\n That\u2019s great, but most of us WON\u2019T, and that is a good thing. It\u2019s what makes success taste that much sweeter.<\/p>\n The people who float through a \u201ccookie cutter career path\u201d aren\u2019t the ones YOU want to try and be like, or learn from, anyway.<\/p>\n You Gotta Handle Biznazz<\/strong><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t know how to handle business in the new music business, you simply won\u2019t exist past any level of mediocrity.<\/p>\n That\u2019s NOT what the music industry is about.<\/p>\n If they\u2019re ARE people in society who can and will stand up, splash around, live fully, and inspire others by WHAT they have to say… It\u2019s INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS!<\/p>\n Please please please, i beg of you…<\/p>\n Do NOT fall into this \u201cWell, i\u2019m entitled to my appropriate rations of beans and rice\u201d mentality.<\/p>\n It\u2019s career and passion suicide.<\/p>\n Why didn\u2019t someone UP the antie, and come back to Amanda and say… Ok, well, let\u2019s work something out, i can provide you with x more fans at your show, as well as promotion of your <\/em>new album to MY 10,000 fans…<\/p>\n So therefore, I believe I am worth \u201cX\u201c to perform at your concert event.<\/p>\n All she can say is… NO.<\/p>\n You can still have fun with it, don\u2019t look at is as you trying to \u201dget over on her,\u201c look at it as you just taking care of YOUR business<\/em>.<\/p>\n If it doesn\u2019t work, then design some other <\/em>way to take advantage of the show to grow your fan-base and make more sales.<\/p>\n If you are asking the question of, should you give your music away… You are missing the point.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about testing models, creating a strategy, and CREATIVELY executing until you find something that works…<\/p>\n Throw a bunch of stuff on the wall and see what sticks.<\/p>\n You also need to be doing your best to utilize all you have, to do ALL you can, where you are.<\/p>\n You Need a STRATEGY<\/strong><\/p>\n You need a focused plan of action.<\/p>\n I know we musicians have something against that word \u201cstrategy\u201d for some reason, but it really is going to be the difference that makes or breaks careers in the future.<\/p>\n Musicians, just like Authors, at least for the full extent of ours and our children\u2019s lifetime, need whats known as a PLATFORM.<\/p>\n It is without question the single biggest asset you will ever own, and it is something no one can ever take away from you….<\/p>\n But you can certainly screw yourself by not building one, and\/or by not valuing and adding to their lives in some meaningful way.<\/p>\n Should you give your music away for free?<\/p>\n Maybe. But I hope you see that this isn\u2019t a question someone else can answer for you.<\/p>\n You need to be testing all kinds of things, and figuring out what works for you to live and fulfill your purpose and goals as an artist or band…<\/p>\n What are those? Do you have any?<\/p>\n In terms of business, which is a much more simple question to answer…<\/p>\n …If you give away a digital download in exchange for an email address, is that worth it?<\/p>\n How valuable is that new person who is now willing to at least \u201ctolerate\u201d what you have to say, and potentially even be excited about you and what you are doing?<\/p>\n Every year, how much is that new fan worth financially to your business?<\/p>\n Over 5 years, how much is that new fan worth?<\/p>\n Since the attention of, and your relationship-with fans is monumentally more valuable than a one time 99 cent sale…<\/p>\n For me, there is ZERO QUESTION what is more valuable…<\/p>\n I would easily PAY $1,000, right now, to give away ALL my songs to 10,000 people who subscribed to my email list, and were interested in me and my music.<\/p>\n Again, it\u2019s about building a PLATFORM, and then developing a relationship with your audience. Your music is the expression of who you are, what you have to say, and what you stand for or represent.<\/p>\n The people who nail that, will never have any problem finding or keeping fans… and the people who do THAT – will never have funding or money problems so long as they have enough savvy to understand that for a business to work, they need to make a profit.<\/p>\n I.E. The value<\/em> they create, creates value<\/em> for the stakeholders. In this case –> the Band\/Artist.<\/p>\n Creativity needs to be applied to both the expression and creation of your music, as well as to the marketing and business management side.<\/p>\n Amanda Palmer already understands this, you need to build an audience, or you need to get in front of other peoples audiences…<\/p>\n But when you do that, you need to have some at least BASIC strategy of how this is going to help you grow your tribe and expand your reach in some way, otherwise you are missing the whole opportunity.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not about, nor has it ever been about the \u201cmeasly sum\u201d of whatever payment these bands might have made to play at her show, it\u2019s about HOW can we LEVERAGE this opportunity, (another word we don\u2019t particularly like) You\u2019ve got to give it a little more thought, otherwise you\u2019ll be like the guys talking about how the \u201cglory days\u201d are gone and all the songs on the radio suck…<\/p>\n Be that as it may, that\u2019s COMPLETELY missing the MASSIVE opportunity staring at you-right in front of your face.<\/p>\n So should you give your music away for free?<\/p>\n You tell me.<\/p>\n If you have to ask someone else, then you are missing the boat completely.<\/p>\n You are in control, the strategy, the reasoning, the numbers, these are a part of your responsibility.<\/p>\n Please spend some time asking yourself some specific questions to pin YOUR answer to this one down-like the MusicPreneur you are!<\/p>\n Be Your Best, P.S. And for god\u2019s sake, if you haven\u2019t signed up yet, it\u2019s FREE, you become a PART OF THE CLUB, girls like you more and money pops out of your printer… So go and\u00a0<\/span>DO IT ALREADY!<\/a><\/span>\u00a0
\nto not completely BLOW this amazing chance we have to play in front of this incredible and large group of people!<\/p>\n
\nJamie<\/p>\n![\"icon_smile-2012-09-27-18-07.gif\"](\"https:\/\/jamieleger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/icon_smile-2012-09-27-18-07.gif\"){kind=icon}
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