7 Tips For Growing Your Music Career While Working A Day Job

Because you're watching this video, we're going to make a couple of assumptions: You are an independent artist, and music is your passion. You also have a day job to put food on the table.

How do you balance your day job with your desire to move your music career forward? Can it even be done?

The answer is YES, if you are strategic about it. In today’s Indie Music Minute, Disc Makers CEO Tony van Veen offers 7 tips for how to drive your music career forward while holding down your day job (and maintaining balance with your family and other obligations).

Will it involve work? Yes. But, if your music really is important to you, you WILL have to put in the effort to get the results you seek. Check it out.

If you have tips for how to balance your music goals with the rest of your life – family, health, jobs – leave a comment under the video to share your experiences with other artists. Tony checks the comments frequently and responds.

LET'S CONNECT!

#indiemusicminute #independentartist #tips #dayjob #balance #worklifebalance #dreams #goals #planning #musiclicensing #holidaymusic #christmasalbum #music #musicbiz #independent #musicbusiness #physical #tip #protip #musiclife #strategy #CD #physicalmedia #tips #indiemusician #indieartist #musiclicensing #sync #spotify #streaming #promote #indiemusicminute #vinyl #concert #perform #livemusic #musicbiz

[fivechordmusic]

It only took me 30 years to understand this LOL Seriously though, YOUR music career starts when you commit. Commit to your instrument, commit to your sound, your voice, your words and your dream. Stay grounded, by this I mean, find people to work with that you can trust and share in the "emotionally charged roller-coaster world" of music & performance. Stay grounded, play inspired and rock on! And have a day planner !

[steveprottsman]

Regardless of our individual styles for growth and accomplishment, one thing I've found to be critical (and ultimately very rewarding) is to include the important people in our lives in our goals and implementation strategy. Not only is my wife and family very clear on what my goals are, they're very clear on what my plan is to attain them. Recently, I've cranked up my commitment to the woodshed (long story short ... 2-4 hrs /day). My wife knows exactly why I need that and is totally on board. Her support, in and of itself, is a gigantic motivator to get it done.

[annimax]

Suggestion for social: Plan to film a bunch of videos in one day, probably over the weekend when you have more time, but don't publish them all at once. Spread them out one at a time during your work week. Oh, and of course change shirts between videos.

[mayreimusic]

Well said. "We can only change the future." I started many things pretty late in my life, and so in music. But I can recognize that when I start something I don´t quit and I give my best. I´m totally committed to what I do, but I admit it´s very hard. Making and producing your own music from A to Z, editing your videos, managing your second project, your own label, your promo etc. is not easy at all. I try to set priorities in my life and find compromises. I´ve lost my job months ago, and despite living like worried in the limbo, I want to believe that it´s a blessing. It´s the right moment to find new opportunities, to adjust my to-do list everyday, to change perspective. Sounds masochist, but I like when life puts you in conditions where you have to test yourself. I have always dreamt of an independent work life. I hope I get there soon. My advice to other artists is to surround yourselves with supportive people, no naysaysers! Stay inspired and follow your nature, no matter what!

[RobinRowley]

Hi Tony, nice talk, thanks. I am a 76 year old Englishman, living on a pension in Belgium with my Flemish wife. I've been performing music since I was six years old. I recently came second in the Belgian 2020 "Voice Senior" and was seen by 1.2 million TV viewers. Sadly, it was Corona time here, so no gigs and now my fame has mostly worn off. I plan to go out busking in the new year to make some money and to sell some CD's of my own songs. I guess my main goal is to get more gigs and to try to get back on TV. That won't happen if I just stay home, so I'm going back on the streets. Sometimes you have to step back, in order to go forward. Wish me luck anyway. Cheers from Robin (Bob) Rowley.

[rgwilliamson]

Great advice.
At 56 years old, I now run my own business and set my own hours within reason. This gives me almost total control over my time, something that was a lot harder when i was younger and working for a company fulltime. I also keep my life obligations to a minimum which creates a more open schedule to work with.

[streetrockusa]

Being a new father, my time has been very limited but I feel its important to set aside some quiet time at the end of the day or at lunch, and break out a notepad and start writing out your artistic vision / goals, and then on another piece of paper write what you need to buy / or sell, a wishlist. Keep those 2 pages or type them into textfiles, and just open them up every week and think about if you can make any progress. I typically only have about 2 hours every night to work on music and related projects but if your patient and keep at it you'll eventually get there. Also there is something to be said about stripping things down to the essentials / cutting the crap and working with what you have. I'm not really at the level to make an album, but I can make videos for youtube that are helping me gain experience with everything. Its important to be aware of what your good at, but also what your weak at, need to improve on or find a workaround.

[DangerousDevilOfficial]

Tony, I actually have gotten to the point, I look forward to your videos! I don't think enough people do videos in the lane you do. So there are very few people who make these music business based videos. Keep up the good work. I am a point in my life, that my kids are grown. And I am now single. So I can finally work on music the last year or so at any time I have free time now. I love being able to do what I want for me for the first time in many years as much as I want. Other than my health issues, I am focused 100% on music now.

I really needed to hear to forgive myself right now. Because I have been extremely hard on myself recently. Probably too hard. But I have always been one of those people who wants to go 100 on everything I do. Managed to release 6 singles this year. Six music videos. And six lyric videos. All while having 4 surgeries this year. Pretty good I guess. But to me, I should have done better. So thanks for the forgiving ourselves reminder. I definately needed it!

[markpulsipher]

I do all my music stuff during my lunch break, vacation time, early in the morning or late at night.

[rogerbourne]

I've found that I'm better at different tasks at different times of day. 9 am is when I put together started songs or polish them. 3 hours there is enough or my brain stops working. After lunch it's a walk or exercise 30 minutes. Afternoon it's chores and mending things or repairs. Evening and into the night is when new inspiration might come which is usually 90% rejected after breakfast!!

[I_am_Screech]

I work a full time job at chick fil a today was a 10 hour shift because I close I’ve been producing for years but as of now I’m barely holding my financial life together trying to reach my goals of transitioning into independence as a 20 year old I’ve never really had anything handed to me and I remember many long nights with no food in the fridge I’ve come a long way from the bottom but I’ve sacrificed a lot of the creativity and opportunity to hone my craft which is music but I continue to do what I can when I can investing is a part time job itself and by the time I wake up go home and get my finances in check it’s time for bed I have a lady brother and a mother that I have to keep company I love them and it feels good to be missed but I never really have time to produce anymore I don’t see it as a bad thing at all but inside it’s what I really want to do as a career I haven’t dropped music in a year and I’m never at home but maybe once a week if that to even record music it’s really hard to market mix master write record and produce music even without a job and that’s what I try to do with all of these responsibilities it’s alot on my shoulders and I feel as if i shouldn’t feel this way because im blessed in alot of ways either way im sure alot of you are in the same boat as me in this comment section

[shadowsearcy]

THANK YOU, TONY, FOR TAKING THE TIME!!!

[dvdevine]

I’m glad that this video fell in my lap. Your words are sincere, thoughtful and timely. A “New year” and a “new gear” to shift into are on the horizon. It’s never too late to make a change but it’s reaffirming to hear from an outside perspective what I have been carrying inside for decades. This has provided myself and many others the push to make a commitment in ourselves and our passion. For this my hats off to you for doing this, thank you Tony!

[alexandreavelar]

NIce words. Time to forgive (myself) and MOVE. Even if it's one little inch every day.

[DofGrace]

Boy you hit the head on the nail. I work full time and right now is Christmas Rush so its even worse now, But this week end I gave to my granddaughter and my Mother so I plan to use next week a couple hours a day and the full week end to give to my music. I also do leading Worship at church, and I am rehearsing for a performance on the 3rd. I have recordings to make. Fans to email and Social Media posts to make. I also need to starts making some videos and submit more music to Taxi listings. I have a full plate for sure but I am determined to get it done. I will not lose hope because I am not a quitter. I persevere and press on. Its what I do,

[otusmedi]

I'm exactly in this situation, Is a hard hard hard i'm Happy. So...thanks for this

[angelajohnsonmusic]

Thank you for the reminder Tony. It's challenging as a mother to find balance with my job and my child. Music gets put on the back burner and I need to set aside more time. I think I can manage once a month at least to focus on my goals.

[lisadancinglight]

Thanks Tony for this inspiring video. Always good to reassess goals on this Path of Commitment. I have been riding the fence of career as an author, music educator, musician. yoga instructor, sound healer, mother, grandmother and friend. Family and friends have always been priority in my life. They feed my soul as much as music has over the past 40+ years. It has not been easy but also it has not been a hinderance as I continue to learn and grow in all aspects of my life. I am grateful for the service that you and CD Baby have provided me as a artist-composer. I have survived and paid the bills and my heart is full.❤🎶❤

[masonpm]

You always give great life advice Tony!

[xalliandix]

Thanks for sharing! This is definitely one of the hardest parts of being a musician. I’ve played 103 shows on the road this year, and that means I’ve left a lot at home for a decent percentage of the year. Plus working part time at home in between shows. It was a year of constantly flipping my sleep schedule, and ultimately I decided was not entirely realistic, so, next year I’m going do to fewer shows. It’s been a good year, but I’m gonna make some changes!