You’re probably checking out this page because you are dreaming of making a living from music, below we share some books, articles and video clips that have come to our attention, that might help with that dream.
If you’re proper on the Advice hype, THIS playlist is full of all the key topics that can help you start your musical career.
BOOKS
– All You Need To Know About The Music Business: Eighth edition by Donald S Passman – Probably the most ‘readable’ book on the industry side of the music industry, it is aimed at an American market but does have plenty of UK asides and insights too. Reading this before signing any deals (management or label) is probably the best investment you can make in your musical future.
– The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz – Taking on board feedback is critical to growth as a musician, the chapter in this book on not taking things personally will help you do that.
– Just For One Day: Adventures in Britpop by Louise Wener – An entertaining and most importantly honest insight into life in a band. This is an autobiography so the start is about her childhood (although you may find a lot of her stories about dreaming about being in a band resonant). It’s the second half of the book that will open your eyes and give you tips on what to be wary of, particularly when dealing with your US label! Louise’s band Sleeper sold over half a million albums and made NO money, they got proper screwed.
– Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden – A generally thoughtful, creative and inspiring book for anyone pursuing a career in the creative industries.
– Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday – In the creative industries, music especially – there is a lot of ego. Learning to overcome that, take on feedback, and develop your mindset will do nothing but benefit your musical career. This book explains why, how we can control our ego, and also points out some key musical figures as reference points.
– Six-Figure Musician – Fighting the myth that its impossible to make dollar as a musician, this book explains different concepts / strategies (with examples of execution) to get you them moneys.
– #AskGaryVee – Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about social media, and how to build a business / brand from it, can be found in this book.
ARTICLES
– How do I get on the Radio One Playlist? The Guardian dropped in on R1 HQ to find the answer, fascinating read.
– Who should I send my music to? And in what format? Great insights in this blog article from Tom Robinson.
– The six primary types of Spotify playlists that can feature your song.
– ‘Don’t Be Boring – A Musicians Guide to Branding’ – Whilst it may feel odd at the start of your career, building a clear brand identity is essential to building a fanbase. This article shares some interesting insights on how to do just that.
– How to build a fanbase – Another that kind of does what it says on the tin – Several unique, or well executed ideas on how you can start to build your fanbase.
VIDEO
– A two min video with thought-provoking insights from the Thirty Second to Mars frontman on record label deals, certainly old skool one. This clip is from the 2012 documentary ‘Artifact’ that Leto filmed about his struggles with the music industry.
– Dave Grohl’s South By Southwest (SXSW) 2013 Keynote Speech on his lessons learnt as a musician.
– Ed Sheeran on the importance of practice, both with gigs and writing, via a theory called the 10 000 Hour rule.
– Here is a vid of Malcolm Gladwell who codified the 10 000 theory, talking about it in the context of the ten years it took Fleetwood Mac to be successful.
– An interesting discussion between entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck, and rapper Kyle – on why you should be putting out as much content as possible in 2017.
– An in-depth conversation with Chance the Rapper’s manager, Pat Corcoran, on how he took Chance from early days, to signing a $500k deal with Apple Music. And the lessons learnt along the way.
– Seven tips on how to grow ORGANICALLY on Instagram in 2019 – once you’ve seen our intial videos on the basics, this guy shares some clever tips and tricks to help you boost those numbers, and engagement.
– Rapture – This is a Netflix exclusive, so no link, but ya can nick it off your ex. A series dedicated to the journey of some of the biggest rappers of the decade. Sharing both the strategies that helped build them, and the biggest lessons they learned.
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