The 8 Worst Mistakes That Musicians Make – Part 1

28 Sep The 8 Worst Mistakes That Musicians Make – Part 1

We can’t deny, we get frustrated watching musicians making the same mistakes over and over again, when it comes to their business and brand.

So to help keep you out of harm’s way, read on for an overview of 8 of the most common mistakes of all, which have the potential to cause chaos for you and your career:

1. Prioritising listeners before fans:

This might seem like a good idea on the surface – the more people that have heard you, the better. Right? Wrong. There is a difference between gaining listeners and gaining fans, and you should focus entirely on the latter. Efficiently gaining fans who want to invest time and money in your music is more important for growth than simply bumping up the number of people that have heard you.

2. Ignoring your fans:

Leading on from the previous point, focus on improving the quality of content you provide your fans with, NOT just on reaching new fans. It’s important to understand that you need to retain as many existing fans as you can. How? By providing them with content that they want to see and engaging them with regular interaction. Most importantly of all, by producing good music consistently. That is, after all, the main reason why your fans follow you.

3. Not getting help:

You don’t know everything. Nobody does. Not even us! This business has been around for a long time; long before you got involved. Read books, get advice from people who work in the industry and keep studying every aspect of your craft. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can bypass a lot of the problems you’re likely to run into, simply by asking people who have already been in and dealt with situations like yours.

Remember:

 Time is worth more than money. You can always earn more money, but you have a limited amount of time. Don’t waste it. If you don’t know something, or need specific help, don’t be afraid to pay somebody to help you deal with whatever obstacle you face. Don’t let anything stop you from having all the knowledge and know-how you need to obtain the success you aspire to achieve.

4. Not enough depth in your music relationships:

There’s an old expression; “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” In music, this is often modified to, “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.” The truth is, it’s not about either. The most important aspect of connections within the music industry is the depth of the current relationships you have now and will develop in the future. You don’t want to simply know people or be known – you want people who know you to have a real, deep connection with you so that you are always on the top of their mind.

Ask yourself, “What can I do right now to deepen my existing relationships on an on-going basis?”