The alternative is learning from those before us, using their experience to tell us where to cross to avoid being taken by the rough rapids of this business. The next two episodes we dive into the waters with Storm Gloor and explore the hidden gems, these survival tactics, that we can take with us from the data of one hit wonders.

We all have been warned about the importance of contracts in our careers as musicians and I’m going to guess most of us have suffered the consequences of not heeding those warnings more than once. And yet, I’m also going to guess, somehow, many of us STILL don’t get a contract for many gigs we play. Even a simple one, as todays guest states, could protect you from not getting paid or help you get your gear replaced when the drunk guy spills his beer and falls on it.

We all have been warned about the importance of contracts in our careers as musicians and I’m going to guess most of us have suffered the consequences of not heeding those warnings more than once. And yet, I’m also going to guess, somehow, many of us STILL don’t get a contract for many gigs we play. Even a simple one, as todays guest states, could protect you from not getting paid or help you get your gear replaced when the drunk guy spills his beer and falls on it.

We were so lucky to get some time with Aimee Giese and pick her brain on some really great ideas and tactics that musicians and bands can be doing everyday, quickly and for little or no cost. Little things that can build great results. We also cover when it’s time to hire a PR person, what an impactful EPK looks like and some important advice on sowing the seeds of relationships with music business professionals.

We are going to help define what the Right of Publicity really is and how all of us, as musicians, need to be aware of how it functions in this business. Similar to a snake in your community garden, it protects your assets from varmints but at the same time can bit you if you sample from your neighbors crop without permission.

Life is about relationships...and the music business is a people business. All the talk about the newest technology for creating music, all the AI and the hottest, newest platforms for sharing and finding music, when it comes down to the difference, the true tip the scale difference of a knockout, ass kicking successful career or not, the music business is still a people business.

Keeping your focus is an easy thing to say and can be the hardest thing to do. For whatever the reason, this is especially true for many musicians. Like when you walk into a target just to grab Kleenex and leave with 20 items. And not even useful things like cleaners, but a random sign that says “home” burned in old looking wood from their magnolia home collection. I like that show. Do you like that show?

There is a community in every area of our existence. It can stem from family history, location, interests, belief or ambition. Community is the center of every successful civilization and movement in human history. It’s in every city, town and village from Iceland to Italy and in every successful festival, band and genre of music. T

There’s a market and audience for anything thanks to the World Wide Web. Like your aunt or aunt, who keeps selling out of her kitten pattern wall quilts on Etsy. Or That 70s psychedelia resurgence band that is killing it on YouTube with their focus on a heavy saturation of envelope filters or is it envelope filters?

As predictable as a Hollywood movie ending, when someone thinks “musician” as a career choice they think; hard life, temporary, dreamer, low-income...As artists we think; all or nothing, complete sacrifice, poor until rich, make or break and often end up accepting a low-income career mindset. Well, we are here to change that, the shift must start with the way we think as musicians and money. Money doesn’t think. What gives money meaning and emotion is humanity, it’s us.

Sometimes looking too far in front of us in great detail can be taxing on the brain. But like a 30minute jam of “you enjoy myself” by the band Phish, we don’t really need to know ALL the details as much as we need to rely on the road map of a planned route and markers we’ve created to keep us on track. This can assure we will nail the climactic payoff at the end and arrive at our desired destination.

We must remember, whether we signed up for this reality or not, if we are to pursue greatness in our art we must simultaneously accept that we must create a financial plan that will allow us to sustain such a noble cause. Just as muscles burn during your 116th push up, as you reach humbling milestones in your life; whether it be your 3th album, 30th birthday or 300th wedding performance, dreams too can burn.

The only word more uncomfortable to a musician then “sell out” might be the word “budget”. But whether you are recording death metal in your parents basement or getting a million views on YouTube for your Christina Aguilera cover performances, you are not immune to needing a budget. Tracking your monthly expenses; what monies come in and where your money is going, is a fundamental part of any well oiled music business.

As musicians, we can often feel at a loss with where to start when structuring our business. It can be overwhelming with the amount to know and trying to figure out what our business should look like. This episode is for the musician trying to do it smart from the start or trying to restructure an unorganized idea.

Back In episode 2 we discussed the basics to get you started with doing livestream performances and today we will deep dive into the advanced tactics of livestreaming and tackle things like sponsors without letting you drown in the sea of options. We cast off on all that bass in this episode 7.

We are stuck in our homes...everything’s closed or cancelled...which means we have more time than we did before, let’s not let that go to waste! This week well will discuss ways to Use this downtime to build your business, brand and musical biceps giving you actionable steps to put into your life right now

How are you promoting your teaching business? What are you charging? What types of software are available to you? We’ll answer these questions along with giving you a number of lesson tips to help make sure you are successful.

Today we will help those who have never taught an online lesson with getting started right now. We’ll discuss types of instruction from live, pre-recorded, group/class and one on one.

We are going to address 3 more ways to create income so you can keep your focus on music long term and not have to take a job at your in-laws hardware store. Busking, selling your old merch and songwriter for hire…

If you are a hard working musician stuck in this pandemic like us you are probably really missing playing live. And like many, you may have turned to the internet to get your fix and find some income by performing a livestream performance.