What should one be doing to advance their career? How should they be spending their time as a music entrepreneur?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I reflect back on 2017 and talk about 10 things I did to move my career forward.

Download the PDF Transcription

Podcast Highlights:

00:14 – What does the life of a music entrepreneur look like?

00:37 – Is entrepreneurship about smarts?

01:18 – 10 things I did in 2017 as a music entrepreneur

01:38 – Songwriting

02:21 – Recording and releasing music

03:01 – Performing

03:22 – Blogging and writing

03:54 – Podcasting

04:14 – Making videos

04:36 – Organizing events

05:04 – Coaching

05:27 – Crowdfunding

05:49 – Miscellaneous

06:43 – How did you spend your time in 2017?

06:52 – The new eBook

Transcription:

What does the life of a music entrepreneur look like? Well, if you've listened to the stories of those that have been on my podcast, you're probably starting to get a bit of an idea.

Whether it's Bob Baker, James Moore, Ross Barber, Eddie Meehan, Christopher Sutton, John Petrocelli, DeCarlos Garrison, Ian Temple, or Melina Krumova, you should be starting to see the dedication and effort required to be in business.

It isn't necessarily about smarts because I've interviewed several people with successful businesses that weren't the sharpest people I've ever met. I'm not calling them out and I'm not referring to anyone I've had on my show, but it made me realize that simplicity is a good thing.

I tend to analyze and think things through a lot and I also get distracted by shiny objects easily, so I could probably learn a thing or two from the 100+ entrepreneurs I've interviewed over the years.

"But you're the music entrepreneur D.A.", you might be saying.

But the way I want you to look at it is that you are the music entrepreneur. I'm looking to empower you with the tools and mindset necessary to go and make your dreams happen.

I'm here to empower you with the tools and mindset necessary to go and make your dreams happen.Share on X

So, I wanted to share about 10 things I did in 2017. I don't share this to brag or even draw attention to myself.

Rather, I share this with you to give you a sense of what a music entrepreneur could be doing with their time. This may also shed some light on possible revenue streams for you. So, let's get into it.

1. I Wrote Songs

Each year I'm inspired to write new songs as events unfold in my life and I tap into inspiration. I have a lot of songs in my archives already, so I don't necessarily make it a point to write a certain number of songs in a year these days (I once wrote 365 songs in a year). My time is mostly taken up by other things, but I still enjoy the process.

Writing a song doesn't always lead to immediate income but when you think about it, a song has a lot of long-tail value.

You can record and sell the song. You can perform it at your shows. You may even be able to get other artists to cover it or find licensing opportunities for it. It's a good idea to research the individual revenue streams connected to writing a song because there might be more than you even realize

2. I Recorded and Released Music

I released two new singles as a solo artist in 2017 – one called "Waves", and another called "Your Eyes Give it Away." You may not know this, but I also released one new single under a pseudonym, Compuxor. The single is called "Christmas Surf."

This was created for the third installment of Wommy Saves Xmas, a series I've been part of for three years and have done some voice acting for.

I also demoed several other songs that I never released but I'm going to keep working on those until I'm satisfied and release them when they're ready.

3. I Performed

Performance is the reason I got into music and it remains one of the top reasons I stay in it. I performed with Long John Lev, Adrenalize and a Nigerian band.