12 Uncomfortable Truths About A Career in the Music Business

Here are 12 tips to help you in your journey as a musician.

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Building a career in music is tough, but if it’s where your heart truly lies, if it’s the place where you feel called to share your gifts with the world, there are few things more rewarding than seeing your passion come to life.

As a full-time musician for nearly 15 years, here are 12 things I have learned along the way that will help you no matter where you are in your journey.

1. No one can do it for you:

I can’t tell you how many artists I see that want the “secret” or the “hack”. Do you want to know the secret? It’s this: work.

2. Small gains are the biggest wins:

Incremental progress is the name of the game, and the biggest unlock is showing up every single day for a long period of time.

3. It takes time:

Success in music doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re lucky, it will only take a few years, but for most of us, it will take much more than that.

4. When in doubt, release more music:

Music is content, and content is a volume game. More will always be better than perfect.

5. There is no “right way”:

Every one of us is on a different path. You can look to other artists and creators for inspiration and guidance, but your results will vary.

6. You can’t control the numbers:

Impatience with action, patience with results.

7. Ads are not the whole game:

Running paid ads to promote your music is a force multiplier for your output, not a replacement for doing the work altogether.

8. Your marketing budget matters:

And on the ad front, this one is probably the toughest pill to swallow: the more money you have to spend, the better your results are going to be.

9. Music is only the beginning:

Very few artists make all their money from music alone. If anything, making music serves as a springboard for building an audience and creating additional revenue streams.

10. Start by selling your time:

Producing, mixing, ghostwriting, marketing, graphic design, etc.—these are all great ways to supplement your primary source of income by doing something you love within the field of music.

11. Build assets long-term:

Selling your time is faster, but selling products is better.

12: And lastly, fame doesn’t equal success:

If you’re here for fame, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Instead of fame, focus on joy, value, and purpose. Find the thing you love to do so much that you’d do it for free and then figure out a way to make it sustain your lifestyle.

That’s success and will make you far richer than fame ever could.

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro
0:41 - The Monday Marketer
1:01 - No one can do it for you
1:37 - Small gains are the biggest win
2:06 - It takes time
2:50 - When in doubt, release more music
3:14 - There is no “right way”
3:52 - You can’t control the numbers
4:31 - Ads are not the whole game
5:14 - Your marketing budget matters
6:01 - Music is only the beginning
7:14 - Start by selling your time
8:15 - Build assets long-term
9:08 - Fame doesn’t equal success
10:01 - TL;DR
10:51 - What do you think?
11:18 - Outro

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Connect with me:

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The following are platforms, products, and services I use and recommend. Some are affiliate links (some not), which means you can use them to support the channel at no additional cost to you (but it could make a big difference to me).

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Music Distribution:

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Have questions about the video or have an idea for another topic you'd like for me to cover? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for watching!

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#musicmarketing #musicbusiness #musicpromotion

[maeLstroo]

Thank you so much, for a beginning artist, this video is gonna help me so much. Please keep doing what you're doing, your my inspiration c:

[adriendelasalle]

One of your best videos! Gold infos here!

[sb]

Great stuff as always, Tom. Keep it coming.

[Faradaymusic]

This video should be mandatory for anyone trying to do this as a career path.

[Anthony-Monkey]

don't give up, if you give up all things are useless :)

[solxgamingx]

This video came along as I was just re-watching videos of yours and Andrew Southworth’s, thanks again Tom!

[cicelybrown]

Hi Tom it's cicely I'm watching your video right now

[celiainsidemusic]

I'mma keep going, Tom! 🥲 just dropped a music vid if TDIII nation wants to peep :)

[NeutrlNumbr]

Great vid. Definitely needed this. Any chance you could make a transparent video breaking down your income sources from music?