Musicians Tip Jar
Musicians Talking About Music and Money
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SEASON ONE
Episode 30
The Good, The Bad and The Unwritten
We believe repetition works for remembering things, because by repeating things you’re more likely to remember them and that is why we repeat things. I’m your host Chris Webb joined by my co-host and the musician who repeats all his best jokes, Dave Tamkin. Quote: “At the end, someone or something always gives up. It is either you give up and quit or the obstacle or failure gives up and makes way for your success to come through.” -Idowu Koyenikan
Episode 29
Musicians and Perfectionism
When learning to get really good at something such as an instrument or songwriting. Practice makes perfect is often what we say. We are striving for perfection in order to bring out the best we possibly can in ourselves as artists. But in business, being a perfectionist can often slow down your ability to grow. As your music business grows, you eventually will have too many things that need attending that you simply cannot do alone and be forced to release some control, even if you still believe you can do it best.
Episode 28
Ways for Musicians to Start Investing
“Someone is sitting in the shade of a tree today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” -Warren Buffett There is one thing most older people say about their investments is that they wish they had started sooner. And that’s what we focus on today, giving everyone here access and an introduction into some very simple options to get your investment funding started.
Episode 27
Tips from the Pros
We live in a very material world, and we are all material girls. We want it now. But the greatest success stories in life never happen that way. They require a much deeper dedication to building something of value. There is plenty of time to scale up your lifestyle after your number one hit single or at least when you get that first six figure year from your music business.
Episode 26
Follow Your Passions and Book Like a Pro with Jared Judge of BookLive
It’s true that the more we can learn from others in our community the better. Especially from those who are not only willing to share their stories but also help prevent others from making the same mistakes. This show has always been about having those conversations, about having people in our corner to set us up for success and prosperity. We are excited to share Jared Judge’s story and resulting solution, Booklive Pro
Episode 25
How Much Musicians Should Charge and What They're Worth
“How much do you usually charge?” We all have to face this question in our music business. It’s a question that despite its frequency, We still hesitate to answer or at least it feels like it is an answer we are still not sure of. There are always variables that make the correct number change but today we are going to help you know your numbers and create a rate guide.
Episode 24
Myths About Musicians and Money
We are all familiar with doubt in our lives, sometimes it is obvious, other times it’s hidden in our self-sabotage. It can be action or inaction. It can also spread like a virus through false belief and inaccurate ideas or myths. Well, we are here to offer a cure, and no, it’s not more cowbell.
Episode 23
Ten Money Conversations to Have with Fellow Musicians
Let’s talk about where we are at with money and 10 money convos to have with your fellow musicians Nearly 70% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. 25% of Americans have no savings at all. The average U.S. household owes $7,149 in credit card debt. 40% of Americans spend up to half of their income servicing debt. Less than 1/3 of Americans use a budget.
Episode 22
The Hidden Gems of Knowledge in One Hit Wonders with Storm Gloor - Part 2
Some of the most valuable lessons in life often come the hard way or at least it can feel hard to accept them. Even when we know these lessons to be true, we resist their reality as we want a different one. Sometimes our resistance is capable of changing the outcome and sometimes it is just swimming up stream.
Episode 21
The Hidden Gems of Knowledge in One Hit Wonders with Storm Gloor - Part 1
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.
Episode 20
Contracts are Cool with Dave Ratner - Part 2
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. Today our guest, Dave Ratner, covers the basics of understanding the value and terms in basic performance and royalty contracts so that you can protect your fanny when the red flags are fling.
Episode 19
Contracts are Cool with Dave Ratner - Part 1
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. Today our guest, Dave Ratner, covers the basics of understanding the value and terms in basic performance and royalty contracts so that you can protect your fanny when the red flags are fling.
Episode 18
Musician's Guide to Farming the Little Things with Aimee Giese
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.
Episode 17
Right of Publicity with Stan Soocher
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.
Episode 16
Music Business is a People Business
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.
Episode 15
Keep Your Focus
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?
Episode 14
Power of Community
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. Today we are going to break down the power of community so you can harness it in your efforts to spread your Italo house music or whatever your vibe is to the world and bring in the Dinero.
Episode 13
You and Your Niche
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? You can’t let the semantics of how you define yourself block your game of putting your uniqueness out there. Tomato or tomato it’s still what’s in the sauce that matters. Your uniqueness is your secret sauce.
Episode 12
The Musician’s Money Mindset
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.
Episode 11
Widespread Plan It
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.
Episode 10
Don't Inhale the Burnout
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.
Episode 9
Budgeting, Don’t Fear the Repo
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.
Episode 8
Building a Solid Music Business Foundation
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.
Episode 7
Advanced Live Streaming
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.
Episode 6
Mid-Terms
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
Episode 5
Teaching (Part 2)
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.
Episode 4
Teaching (Part 1)
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.
Episode 3
Busk/Sell/Write
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…
Episode 2
Live Stream Performances
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.
Episode 1
Intros and Hook
Welcome to Musicians Tip Jar, where we talk about musicians and money. We want to take the mystery out of how a musician can make money beyond performing every night of their life. We will show you how it is not a magic trick when musicians get steady cash flow from their business...
Musicians Tip Jar
Make your ass kicking sound a kickass asset