"Success In The Music Industry" Formula 002

Know matter how many times a Dj plays your songs, if it's not good, you either end up annoying listeners, good music sells it self, many northern stations don't play Wiyaala or Rocky Dawuni songs yet they are conquering not only Ghana or Africa but the world. They say " bad news travels fast, than good news " in the music world it's the other way round, good music travels faster than light.My deepest appreciation goes to Mr Patrick Hess, father, entrepreneur, freelance writer, and goofball, and Tom Hess is a touring guitarist, recording artist and a former member of the band Rhapsody of Fire from 2010 until 2013. Hess also toured Europe and US with the band HolyHell,and recorded the album "Apocalypse" which landed on the charts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

FLEXIBILITY This is a loose term to simply mean remaining patient while your career is cooking. Sometimes an artist thinks they have the right song, right live show, right amount of fans, right venues, right advisors, some cash coming in, right amount of exposure, but nothing's happening. Nobody is calling to sign them or ask them to tour with a major artist. This is where flexibility comes in. It's what an artist needs to do to get over the hump of being a potential artist to being a widely known one. Sometimes flexibility means to temporarily stop pushing so hard and let the hard work permeate the music landscape for a little while. It's like taking the stew off the hot stove and letting it simmer while the ingredients intertwine and season. Sometimes it means stepping back 4 or 5 levels and playing a koko and koshie house and getting back to your roots. Sometimes it means taking a sabbatical and focusing on something else for a season (however long) to revive your perspective. Sometimes it means accepting an offer to play a gig you'd normally ignore. Sometimes it means recording a song you'd normally not do. Sometimes it means hiring a helper you don't think you need or can afford. Grinding in the music industry is physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult. Being flexible to break routine is important. Being able to adjust to do things differently from time to time is often the epiphany needed for that breakthrough you've always hoped for.

INDUSTRY TERMS AND PROCESSES If an artist is to ever truly succeed, the artist will at some point need to understand the moving parts of the music industry. Knowing how radio works, how to work in a studio environment with professionals, how live venues book artists, how royalties and revenue streams work, how a publishing deal works, etc. are all critical for an artist to truly understand if they are to be successful. It will avoid a ton of regret and starting over if you can gain as much knowledge as possible early on.

FINANCES / RESOURCES Sorry to say, but the fairy tale of being swept off your feet by a prince-charming record label is just that, a fairy tale. Even those who have been signed by a major label often realize they are paying in the long run and not just getting free money with their signing bonus. I was saddened to read that a hit band in the 90's, thus "The Goo-Goo Dolls", lost everything financially after selling over 2 million records in their first few years. Their lucrative deal with Warner Brothers had them so upside down financially, they never made a dime. Even without a sugar-daddy label to bolster your success, it takes serious, serious money and resources to launch and sustain a career. Money and calendar time are essential if you're going to want to get exposure and continue to develop. It's not just playing gigs or paying for studio time. It's also the endless need to constantly network with other artists and industry people so your reputation and skill can be discovered when the time is right. This takes money and time.

MENTORS / ADVISORS This is often overlooked or often taken too seriously by some artists. Listening to the advice of experienced artists can taint you or save you a ton of regrets. Who you align yourself with along the way can make a difference to the time needed to cook your career. It can also lead to a mentor focusing too much of one or two advices and ruining your career. It's a very necessary and very frustrating balance to have mentors and advisors. As an artist continues their process of becoming known, they will figure out personalities along the way and avoid the sharks and find the trustworthy allies who will help them succeed.

TIMING One of the most frustrating parts of being an artist today is understanding that timing is everything. No matter how much talent, charisma, good looks, or whatever other ingredient you may think is important, timing is the one thing that trumps everything. Market niche or the need for what an artist is making will dictate how much attention people give to the music being made.

DEMAND Much like any product in the free market, music has various levels of demand. The same applies to music. If an artist is serving a local area well, the demand may seem big. But on a larger scale, their product will likely get lost on the shelves of the consumer's favorite music store. Creating demand for your music is difficult and most artists get discouraged long before they make it from local celebrity into a national or international superstar .

FAN CONNECTION With social media today, this is easier than it has ever been. It's also a faster way to know how to hone your craft to please your fan base. Some artists are too stubborn to listen to fan demand because they are stuck in the artistic and creative world, but one truth is that in our reality-TV generation, fans want to know the person behind the artist now more than ever before. They want to know what's behind the song and that requires a tighter connection with fans. As an artist gets more popular, so does the need to create intentional fan moments. Publicists often take over this area at some point, but as long as social media is a viable path, an artist always has a pipeline directly to their fan base.

RECORD SALES & RADIO PLAY Sadly, the path to record sales and getting on radio or tv is like a vicious circle chase. It's often a chicken and the egg dilemma. It takes radio to get record sales. It takes record sales to get radio. It takes a lot of show dates to get exposure. to get legit fans. to which radio or tv station reaches.to which buy the music... which drives the SOUNDSCAN reports... which tells larger market radio or tv stations to take you serious, etc. This part of the process has never changed from the beginning. There are gatekeepers at major labels, smaller labels and in between that care about these two aspects more than anything else. They figure if you're selling records and on the radio, you must have all the other bases covered. It's a quick litmus test or spoon taste of your career to determine if they should consider mass marketing your music. Emerging artists know this all too well and it's a nightmare cycle to get stuck in. Even hitting radio doesn't equate record sales or visa-versa. It's complicated, but a vital matured lyrics and quality studio works makes success.

I'm sure my list could continue with words like passion, commitment, opportunity, networking, etc. There are a lot of adjectives and nouns we can add to the list to help define the keys to success. Depending on your end-game, success is something you should never declare for yourself. Never be satisfied with the level you're at for too long because it will disappear over time and you'll find yourself getting hungry again. just like the music industry requires. The appetite for good music and artists is insatiable. The ability for you to continue to adapt and adjust in the music industry is critical if you are to survive, and that may simply mean switching up the method you cook your stew and a few ingredients along the way