I understand why it seems important to help bands learn about business and marketing. More and more artists have to (or choose to) maintain more control over their affairs for a longer period of their career. The landscape of the industry is shifting and changing at a really rapid pace. The tools that independent musicians have access to today cause there to be more new music than ever before. Making your band stand out among the throngs of other bands all fighting for a share of the public’s attention seems like a major challenge. I get it.
But in reality, things are not as they seem. Yes, bands do need to learn about the music industry and the way it works, who to trust, the way deals are structured, how agents get paid, how to know who not to trust, publishing issues, etc. Those are all really important. But when it comes to applying brand-marketing tactics to independent musicians, ignoring product development is a huge, yet often-made mistake. Any marketer will tell you that in 2012, marketing begins at the product level. Creating a product that’s remarkable is the biggest challenge for a company and a great amount of resources are spent on it. Yes, there’s some Seth-isms in there, and if you’re a musician who wants to learn more about cutting edge business marketing, he’s a solid go-to. But if you’re in an unknown band and you’re scouring the internet for tips on how to make your music stand out in today’s crowded marketplace, consider this:
Cutting through the clutter is easy when you’re music is incredible.
