When I first started my business, I knew what to expect. Long hours and late nights, spreadsheets and crunching numbers, and a lot of hustle. When bands start their music careers, though, odds are they aren’t thinking that their job description is going to include anything other than practice, playing out, and honing their craft. But with so many artists trying to break out and make it, you can’t afford to be a band without a business plan.
So how do you balance artist integrity with being a business? The first step is to accept that your band is a business, and you need to start treating it like one. After that, it’s about a little bit of flexibility, and a lot of acceptance.
Compromise is hard. No one wants to feel like they’re abandoning their beliefs or settling. But you can’t get so hung up on your ideals that you allow great opportunities to pass you by.
This is an industry that requires give and take. So if you’re handed an opportunity to open for a band that you personally don’t enjoy, but that holds a captive fanbase that you think would enjoy your music, take it. If you’re offered a great show opportunity but you have personal plans that night, reschedule your personal plans.
The bottom line is that you have to separate your personal feelings from your business decisions, and make sure you aren’t letting personal hang-ups get in the way of what’s best for your business growth. Don’t let your pride get in the way of your success.
While personal gripes don’t always have a place, there are certain beliefs that you should keep in mind when making career decisions. For instance, is your band heavily environmental? Then you might not want to accept an opportunity to have your song play in the background of a gas-guzzling SUV commercial.
Think about the type of image you want to convey, and be consistent. You may think your fans aren’t always paying attention, but trust me, if you start getting wishy-washy on your beliefs and branding, your fans will notice.
This is a hard pill to swallow, but the sooner you accept that your dreams will not look exactly as you imagined, the sooner you can move towards crafting a future you can be proud of.
When you first started out, you may have dreamed of being scooped up by a label and being entirely hands-off with the business side of things. But in today’s DIY world, dreams like that don’t always come to fruition. And you have to accept that just because your present may not be exactly how you’d hoped, doesn’t mean it can’t still be pretty amazing. Don’t get so blindsided by what you’re missing that you forget to enjoy what you’re experiencing.
For example, you may not be a world-famous musician in the next five years, but you know what you may be? A professional musician who makes a living doing what you love. And maybe once you reach that point, you can focus on increasing your popularity over the next few years, and working towards your stretch goals.
Every good business owner knows that the key to success (not to mention happiness) lies in working with the curveballs you're thrown, rather than against them.
Never, ever – no matter how good the opportunity seems – work with people who don’t believe in what you do. Choose a team that not only believes in your music, but in you as a person. Surround yourself with go-getters who inspire you and challenge you, and you’ll see your creativity thrive.
[The First 3 Behind-the-Scenes People You Need on Your Band's Team]
This isn’t just an essential part of being a business, but of being a creative. As such, most of us are easily influenced by the people and situations we surround ourselves with. By choosing the right people, we make good decisions not only business wise, but creatively.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, accept that you can do this. Accept that you have what it takes to make your dreams come true. We’re all our own worst enemy when it comes to our passion, but just remember that with a little compromise, some careful planning, and a lot of hustle, your dream isn't so impossible. In fact, it's pretty doable. Go make it happen.
Angela Mastrogiacomo is the owner of Muddy Paw Public Relations and music blog Infectious Magazine. She has founded several chapters of the international music industry meetup Balanced Breakfast, which currently operates in nine cities across the US and Canada.
Muddy Paw specializes in working with up-and-coming artists on personalized campaigns designed to bring their careers to the next level. To date, Muddy Paw has secured placements on sites such as Noisey, AbsolutePunk, Substream, and many more.