“Your Music and People” by Derek Sivers

Getting your work to the world by being creative, considerate, resourceful, and connected — some amazing advice from a musician & entrepreneur.

Published in

Amateur Book Reviews

13 min readMar 9, 2021

After reading “Anything You Want” and “Hell yeah or No”, I could not stop reading Derek Sivers’s third book “Your music and people”.

Though the title includes “music”, I feel like I could apply similar hacks in my own field, work and life.

This is a book about “a philosophy of getting your work to the world by being creative, considerate, resourceful, and connected.”

Book info:

ISBN: 9781988575018
Date read: 2021–02–25
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10

Art doesn’t end at the edge of the canvas.

The way you present your art, and what people know about it, completely changes how they perceive it.
Your creative decisions continue all the way to the end. Every step so far has been a creative expansion of your original idea.
“The way you communicate with the world”, “How you make your music available”, “The stories you tell about your music and yourself” —
These are all the continuation of your creation.
Marketing is the final extension of your art.
A creative description also suggests that your work will be creative, too.

2. Business is creative.

Turning off your creativity — trying to play it safe — is the worst thing you could do.
So loosen up! Get confident, creative, playful, and experimental. Break the rules. Try some things that nobody else has done.
Think of how comfortable you are on your instrument — improvising, experimenting, and having fun with it. Now be that comfortable when marketing. Improvise. Experiment. And have fun with it!
Norms are for businesses without personality.
Pour your personality and philosophy into the way you do business. People actually appreciate it when you do things in a surprising way. It shows you care more than most — that you’re putting your self into this — that you’re not just in it for the money.

3. This is only a test. See what happens.

Everything usually feels so serious — like if you make one mistake, it’ll all end in disaster. But really everything you do is just a test: an experiment to see what happens.
It’s actually impossible to fail if your only mission was to see what happens!
“This is a test. This is only a test.” There is no downside. Try everything!

4. Restriction will set you free.

If you’re feeling stuck with marketing, give yourself restrictions.
Whenever you’re feeling uninspired or unmotivated, use creative restrictions to set you free.

5. Make mystery: make people wonder.

Don’t be so plain or obvious that there’s nothing left to wonder. But don’t be so cryptic that they give up.
Give just enough to make them curious. Let them search for explanations, clues, or context.
Once something is explained, it stops captivating your curiosity.
Once people start wondering, they can’t stand not knowing.
Make up a curious answer to common questions. Make people curious,

6. The way you communicate with people is part of your art.

For people who have never heard your music, it’s the start of your art!
Set the tone. Pull in those people who love that kind of thing. Proudly alienate those that don’t.
Be different. Show who you are. It gives people’s lives more variety, too.

7. “Marketing” just means being considerate.

Marketing means making it easy for people to notice you, relate to you, remember you, and tell their friends about you.
Marketing means listening for what people need, and creating something surprisingly tailored for them.
Marketing means getting to know people, making a deeper connection, and keeping in touch.
All of these are just considerate — looking at things from the other person’s point of view, and doing what’s best for them.
Just find creative ways to be considerate. That’s the best marketing.
The essence of marketing is looking at everything from the other person’s point of view. Turn the spotlight on your audience. And get ready to listen.
Don’t promote until people can take action.

8. Constantly ask what they really want.

Before I interact with people, I ask myself this question: “What do they really want?”
Like if I’m writing someone an email, I ask, “Why are they really reading this email?”
If I’m about to perform a show, I ask, “What are they really hoping to get from a night out at a concert?”
Thinking of everything from the other person’s point of view is one of the best things you can do in life.

9. Don’t try to sound big.

When communicating with your fans and contacts, don’t try to sound bigger than you are.
Don’t appear flawless. Show a charming flaw. Confidence attracts, but vulnerability endears.
Definitely don’t use corporate-speak to try to sound like you’re a big business. It comes across as fake, insecure, or spam.
Your fans are your friends. Speak to them like real people. Be weird. Prove you’re a real person. Write every post or email as if it was from you to your best friend.
People have grown deaf to the bland language of big business. It all sounds like contrived posturing. It has no personality — no voice.

10. Considerate communication

First, prepare the most succinct version of your reason for contacting someone. Make it so short that if the person only has 30 seconds to talk, you could communicate your point, ask your question, and get the answer.
With real-time communication, like text or phone, just start by asking if they have time. If they do, then take the time to get personal, be a friend, and have a good conversation. But if they don’t, then just use the short version.
With non-real-time communication, like email, assume you’ve only got ten seconds. Edit your emails down to a few sentences. But always give a link to more information, so they can check it out if they have time. And include your other contact information, in case they prefer a longer conversation about it. Then, if they reply and ask, you can give the extra information you left out before.

11. Touch as many senses you touch in someone, the more they’ll remember you.

Have some great photos that you use next to any text.
Make a video for every song.
Be a guest on every video-show you can.
At your live shows, burn incense or hug every person there, or…
Keep aiming for the most sensory way to reach your audience.

12. Life is like high school.

When you’re in high school, it’s all about popularity, cliques, and being cool.
When you go to college, the focus shifts to academic achievement. Many people get out of college thinking the world will be like that — like the harder you work, the more you’ll be rewarded. But it’s not.
Life is like high school. It’s all about how you come across, how social you are, what scene you’re in, being likeable, and being cool.
You can make this work in your favour. You can practice your social skills and be the kind of person that people like to help.
People want someone to look up to. Someone who’s not of their normal boring world. Someone who’s being who they wish they could be, if they had the courage.
It takes some extra effort to look and act cool instead of normal, but it’s considerate and part of your art.

13. Get personal

People send business to people they like. It’s all more personal than I had expected.
Don’t always be selling yourself. That keeps people at a distance from you, because it shows you’re not friends.
The initial contact usually happens for professional reasons. Even if it starts professional, get personal as soon as possible. Be a friend. That’s how things are done.

14. Don’t be afraid to ask for favours.

People like doing favours! They’ll gladly show off their knowledge.
Contact everyone you know and ask. Friends of friends will know how to get everything you want in life.
Some people have time on their hands and would rather help you do something interesting instead of watching TV. Need help doing promotion? Need help getting equipment to a show? Just ask them!
By making them feel important, connected, and needed, you’ll be doing them a favour, too.

15. Small gifts go a long way.

As you climb the ladder of success, giving a gift may go a long way and be remembered for years.
Get presents for the people you’ve met that are probably under-appreciated.
Be generous. You’re going to see the same faces for years to come.

16. Repeatedly follow up to show you care.

Someone doesn’t reply, so you assume they must be swamped in work. You wait a week, and contact them again. If still no reply, you feel sympathy that they must be really overwhelmed. You wait a week, and try again. If still no reply, you try to reach them a different way.
Overwhelmed people don’t have time for all the random first-contacts. Patience and persistence separate you from the rest, and show how much you care.

17. Pedestals prevent friendship.

If I would have known who he was in advance, I never would have had a real conversation with him. I would have been awkward and self-conscious, trying to promote myself. But because I didn’t know, I could connect on a personal level, and be a real friend.
So beware of putting people on a pedestal. It can prevent a real friendship.

18. Overcome the fear of rejection by constantly exposing yourself to it.

Start with rejection therapy, but once you get into any of these places, your credibility sets you apart from the rest, and opens more doors. You can even re-approach the places that rejected you before.

19. Get specific.

When you’re feeling stuck or unmotivated, figure out your next step. Write down every detail you know.
A life coach told me that most of his job is just helping people get specific. Once they turn a vague goal into a list of specific steps, it’s easy to take action.

20. You don’t get extreme results without extreme actions.

Extreme talent requires extreme practice — training like an Olympic athlete.
Extreme success requires extreme focus — saying no to distractions and leisure.
Extreme fame requires extreme ambition — taking the spotlight and its pressure.
When you are not practicing, someone somewhere is practicing. And when you meet him, he will win.
Throw yourself into this entirely. Find what you love and let it kill you.

21. Use the tricks that worked on you.

Ask yourself why a certain headline or photo or article caught your attention.
Was it something about the opening sentence? Was it a curious tidbit about the singer’s background? What was it exactly that intrigued you?
Analyze that. Use that. Adapt those techniques to write a headline or article about your music.
This also helps you get into the mindset of seeing yourself from others’ point of view.

22. Proudly exclude most people

We love when someone hates the same thing we hate — especially if that thing is popular.
We’re drawn to the confidence of someone who is not trying to please anyone. We admire a strong, defiant stand.
You can use this to attract your future fans.
You can say, “Don’t listen to this if you’re happy with your life.” Then people who hate all that happy crap will be intrigued.
Most musicians are trying to please everyone. So when you’re not, it suggests that you’ve got the talent to back up your confidence.
You can be like the doorman of your exclusive club. Maybe you refuse anyone who is over 30, or under 50. Maybe you refuse anyone wearing a suit, or anyone without a tattoo.
There are some cool people around the world that would like your music.
Loudly reject 99%. It signals who you are. When someone in your target 1% hears you proudly excluding the rest, they’ll be drawn to you.
Make sure they can find you. You want the passionate fans of your niche, not the casual fans of mainstream.

23. It’s more interesting for the audience if you’re the opposite of normal.

Push your outer boundaries. Show your weirdness. Bring out all your quirks. The worlds need that.
Be identifiable, so that people who want you can find you in the crowd.
Most people try to imitate current trends and styles. So I suggest you boldly declare that you are something totally un-trendy — the opposite of what everyone else is trying to be.
It’s supply and demand. The more people do something, the less valuable it is. So do what others aren’t doing.
Look at what your competitors are doing, then vow not to do that. Don’t try to beat them at their game. Play a completely different game. Be radically opposite. Don’t be associated with them in any way. Be so different that people don’t even think to compare you.
Don’t compete. Be completely different.

24. Stay in touch with hundreds of people.

Every person you’ve ever met has the potential to help you.
If you keep in touch and stay on their mind, there’s a good chance an opportunity will come your way.
So you need to make a simple automatic system to keep in touch without relying on your memory:

A list: Very important people. Contact every three weeks.
B list: Important people. Contact every two months.
C list: Most people. Contact every six months.
D list: Demoted people. Contact once a year, to make sure you still have their correct info.

When you contact each person, just find out how they’re doing. See if you can help them in any way.
This regular contact should be unselfish, and sincerely caring how they are. Don’t ask a favour unless you’ve been in touch recently. It’s a little insulting to contact someone you haven’t talked with in a long time, just to ask a favour.
Most people are so bad at keeping in touch that they will really appreciate you doing it. And when you make this a habit, it’s easy to stay in touch with hundreds or thousands of people.
It takes effort to meet people. So once you’ve met someone, get the most out of the relationship for both of you. Keep in touch.

25. Meet three new people every week.

Have a real conversation — something more than text on a screen. Ask questions, get to know them, and make a personal connection. Learn what they’re looking for, and how you can help them.
The number of people you meet will determine your success.

26. Every breakthrough comes from someone you know.

When you come to an opportunity through a connection, you have an advantage. You’re not anonymous. You’ve already passed through a filter, and passed a test. You’re treated special because it’s a personal referral.
Take some of that searching time, and spend it on keeping in touch with your existing contacts.
But when you find an opportunity, don’t just toss your music in with the rest. Get to know the people behind it. Set yourself apart. Get personal. And now this is someone you know.

27. Include everyone in your success.

As you get more successful, share that success with those who helped you years ago.
When you are famous, return the favors. Reach out to contact them, and invite them into your new world. (Don’t wait for them to ask.)

28. How to attend a conference.

Be an interesting listener and got interested in them.
Come up with one interesting sentence that says what you do- including a curious bit that will make them ask a follow-up question.
Leave room for them to ask something! If they don’t, change the subject back to them.
Don’t push your stuff on someone who isn’t asking for it. It’s the biggest turn-off of all.
Real business is done in the follow-up, not the conference itself.
They’ll remember you as very interesting. Then they’ll find out you’re also very talented.

29. Money:

Money is nothing more than a neutral exchange of value. If people give you money, it’s proof that you’re giving them something valuable in return.
You can choose 1. Focus on making your art more valuable to others. 2. Accept your music as personal and precious to only you. Get your money elsewhere.
Whatever you’re selling, emphasize the meaning of it, not the price.
When you’re offering something for free, don’t forget that there are lots of people that like to pay! Appeal to this side of people, giving them a reason to pay that feels good. Tell them what their payment will support. Show them how much you appreciate the purchase. It will actually make them happy to give you money.
The higher the price, the more they value it. It’s considerate to charge more for your work. People will appreciate it more, and get better results.

30. Move to the big city.

It shows that you’re in the game. It shows you’re serious. It has a serious energy, because the stakes are high. It’s not casual. It’s not a place for a comfortable work/life balance. It’s fueled by ambition.
Living in the big city, and being where everything is happening, will help your career the most. Being anywhere else won’t hurt you, but it won’t help.

31. Nobody knows the future, so focus on what doesn’t change.

Writing lots of songs increases your chances of writing a hit. You can’t know which song will be a hit. So write as many songs as you can.
Instead of predicting the future, focus your time and energy on the fundamentals. The unpredictable changes around them are just the details.

Others:

When things aren’t working, be smarter, not louder.
It’s just people inside the machine.
Getting “solicited” through an existing contact is the best way to get through the gates. See things from their point of views.
Show success before asking for help.
Unless your work is great, everything else (e.g. marketing) is moot.
Never forget you have a choice.
Be creative, rebellious, determined and unstoppable. Asking for help, but not waiting for help.
Just contact someone who’s there, and ask how to get there. Call the destination, and ask for direction.
The only thing stopping you from great success is yourself. This is both scary and exciting. But at least you’re in control.
You can flip anything in your favour. It’s easier for you to replace a broken system and never feel helpless again.
If you’re not happy with the way things are, don’t just complain. Go make things how they should be.
Be remarkably unusual, and aim for those people who have headed to the edges.
Relationships are reciprocal. You need to give to receive. Get to know them, ask questions, listen, learn what they love, learn what they want. Figure out what you can do for them.
Nobody knows the future, so focus on what doesn’t change.

If you like the philosophy of Derek Sivers like I do, check out my other two reading notes of Derek Sivers’ books “Anything you want” and “Hell yeah or no”. Hope you can find some amazing answers to your life questions as well in there:

Reading notes of “Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur” by Derek Sivers

I feel a little bit lost in my life before I encountered this book.

medium.com

My 26 takeaways from Book “Hell yeah or No” by Derek Sivers about making things happen

Thoughts around what’s worth doing, fixing faulty thinking, and making things happen.