Building your music career: 2 major takeaways from the Fender playbook
Electric guitar leading maker Fender teamed up with musician, writer, and strategist Air Herstand to create a digital book for artists.
Released on July 28th, 2021, the Fender Artist Playbook is a free resource with tips and strategies to manage your own career in music, or plan the release of a single, EP, or album. You can find a download link at the end of this post.
The playbook is divided into four parts: Social Media; Livestreaming; Release Strategy; and Digital Marketing.
As the author of How To Make It in the New Music, creator of Ari’s Take (a website where he hosts a blog, a podcast, and courses on the music industry), and more, Herstand is a known name amongst independent musicians. Not only he is one, but he also combines his experience in music, marketing, and business strategies, to create content for other artists trying to navigate the complex world of the music business. Herstand signs the playbook for Fender.
The playbook features insightful takes on the effects of the pandemic in the music world, but it also covers evergreen topics and things that every artist can benefit from, anytime and anywhere.
Here’s two of them:
There is no formula to “make it” in the music industry
With so many possible avenues to pursue in the new music business, there are no clear pathways to success. Every artist is different. Every artist has different strengths and weaknesses. Every artist has different dreams and desires. There is no one way to make a music career happen. So! You need to make your way happen, in the way that only you can.
— Ari Herstand, Fender Playbook for Artists
Unlike many careers, there is no established path to becoming a successful artist — or at least not only one path. Every artist that ever “made it” will tell a different story of how they did it.
For example, in 2020, with the rise of TikTok, Clubhouse, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and live streaming, many artists found or created a platform in ways that could have never happened years ago — simply because, some of these tools didn’t even exist yet.
An artist has to make peace with the fact that there is no magical formula to “get there” (and even the idea of “getting there” can be subjective too). But, by setting smart goals, you can find a way — or, even better, you can find your way.
Be specific about your goals, and be professional
Herstand writes that a musician should start by setting smart goals. A smart goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timebound.
“I want to make a living with music” is not a SMART goal. Sure, we all do. But that kind of ‘goal’ gives you no guidance. An example of a SMART goal is: “I want to play a sold out show at the Echo in 6 months.”
— Ari Herstand, Fender Playbook for Artists
Once you have defined your goals, Herstand suggests having a checklist for your release plans (for singles, albums, EPs, etc). It must include things such as:
- registering your publishing;
- registering your copyrights;
- picking your distribution company;
- creating a folder of assets;
- clearing licenses;
- rebranding your socials and website;
- engaging your mailing list;
- and more.
As Herstand writes, you can save money by handling some of these things by yourself, while you can also “save yourself from the headache” by working with specialized companies.
No matter the chosen approach, it’s important to be professional and get to know the business side of the music industry, so you won’t leave money on the table.
Most songwriters think registering with their PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS, SOCAN, etc) is enough to get their publishing royalties. And most songwriters are wrong.
— Ari Herstand, Fender Playbook for Artists
The Fender playbook features deep and up-to-date insights and commentary for any musician managing their catalog, their marketing, and more.
Read the Fender Playbook for Artists here.
……………………………………………………………………………………
All texts and images property of Fender were used with permission.
This blog post is published for informational purposes only and is not intended to promote any of the brands or services here mentioned. The use of the information from this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship, as this blog post does not consist of or replace legal advice neither business consultancy services.
3Três Consultoria e Criação (Consulting & Creative) specializes in the intersection of creative, Intellectual Property Law, and communication services.
Contact us at: contato@3trescc.com
