I believe it’s important to know who we are and what we want as artists—these things help guide our decision-making process.
Every artist is a little different, and we each have different wants and goals.
Understanding those goals helps us to make better decisions about what we create and how we share it.
To that end, it seems to me there are generally three types of artists out there in the world, and each one has a different way of viewing music creation, marketing, and everything in between.
The Purist
It’s all about the music, man.
We’ve all heard it before, and, honestly, this is probably where 99% of us start—we just want to make music because we love it.
It’s certainly where I started.
This is a beautiful type of artist to be; making music without expectation, solely for the love of the art is a gift. There’s magic to it.
But if you’re a purist, then some of the decisions you make may not make a lot of sense to artists in the other two categories.
Choosing to release music only on certain formats or not even release it at all is an option here. And choosing to invest time and money into marketing it?
Probably not.
It’s important to remember that the other two types of artists may not necessarily be in it for the same reasons you are.
Sure, we all love music, but as a purist, the pursuit generally stops after creating something you love.
This attitude can especially showcase itself in how you think about marketing, branding, and all of the other things that come along with being an artist in today’s world.
I get a lot of purists in my comments on YouTube preaching “making music for music’s sake and not worrying about the rest”, and while I understand where they’re coming from, I’ve always taken the approach that they’re not necessarily running the same race as me and that’s ok.
So if you’re a purist, love what you do, and let the chips fall where they may.
The Dreamer
This type of artist is all about turning their passion into a full-blown business, getting a record deal, or simply finding a way to earn a living doing what they love.
It may be fame, it may be money, it may be one on a list of a thousand other things, but making music is just the start for this group.
To the dreamer, a good song is defined by its streaming numbers and sales, not the emotional satisfaction of having made it.
Sure, every artist wants to be emotionally satisfied by the process (we all get into this because we love it), but once the song is done, it becomes a product.
In many ways, I’m still in this category in that I do my best to remove all emotional attachment from my music once it’s out, but I’m now firmly outside of this category in that I’m not trying to “make it” anymore.
I spent 15 years touring professionally, and, for me, that season has passed. It was fun, but metrics are no longer as important on the other side of a successful career as a professional musician.
But if you’re a dreamer, and you’re still in that season, then push hard because you’re only going to get there if you’re willing to do the work.
The Hobbyist
I’d venture to say most of us reading this newsletter fall into this category.
Being a dreamer loses its luster the older we get. When I was 22, I was full of energy and ready to tour until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Now, at 38, I like sleeping in my own bed and seeing my kids in the morning. Making breakfast every day is a highlight for me.
But that doesn’t make me a purist. My business side is very much alive and well, and I despise creating music and releasing it into the void for no one to hear.
At this stage in my career, it’s no longer about making all the money or playing all the shows or doing all the cool things, but I do want to create work I enjoy and share it with others who enjoy it as well.
I suppose it’s sharing it that helps me retain a sense of purpose. For me, if no one hears it then I feel like I’m wasting my time a little bit.
From a marketing perspective, this means doing my best to create systems for gaining new fans and listeners without making the goal of “making it as an artist” my full-time pursuit.
If I can recoup some of my ad spend and have fun doing it, I win.
If I can profit, even better, but if not, that’s also cool.
I simply want to create music when I want to, market it when it comes out, and enjoy the process along the way without getting too hung up on the results.
The irony of all of this, of course, is that these three stages are cyclical—we all start as purists, turn into dreamers, and eventually become hobbyists, only to ultimately return to the purist form in the end.
Music is a funny thing.
So, which artist are you?
I believe it’s important to know who we are and what we want as artists—these things help guide our decision-making process.
Every artist is a little different, and we each have different wants and goals.
Understanding those goals helps us to make better decisions about what we create and how we share it.
To that end, it seems to me there are generally three types of artists out there in the world, and each one has a different way of viewing music creation, marketing, and everything in between.
The Purist
It’s all about the music, man.
We’ve all heard it before, and, honestly, this is probably where 99% of us start—we just want to make music because we love it.
It’s certainly where I started.
This is a beautiful type of artist to be; making music without expectation, solely for the love of the art is a gift. There’s magic to it.
But if you’re a purist, then some of the decisions you make may not make a lot of sense to artists in the other two categories.
Choosing to release music only on certain formats or not even release it at all is an option here. And choosing to invest time and money into marketing it?
Probably not.
It’s important to remember that the other two types of artists may not necessarily be in it for the same reasons you are.
Sure, we all love music, but as a purist, the pursuit generally stops after creating something you love.
This attitude can especially showcase itself in how you think about marketing, branding, and all of the other things that come along with being an artist in today’s world.
I get a lot of purists in my comments on YouTube preaching “making music for music’s sake and not worrying about the rest”, and while I understand where they’re coming from, I’ve always taken the approach that they’re not necessarily running the same race as me and that’s ok.
So if you’re a purist, love what you do, and let the chips fall where they may.
The Dreamer
This type of artist is all about turning their passion into a full-blown business, getting a record deal, or simply finding a way to earn a living doing what they love.
It may be fame, it may be money, it may be one on a list of a thousand other things, but making music is just the start for this group.
To the dreamer, a good song is defined by its streaming numbers and sales, not the emotional satisfaction of having made it.
Sure, every artist wants to be emotionally satisfied by the process (we all get into this because we love it), but once the song is done, it becomes a product.
In many ways, I’m still in this category in that I do my best to remove all emotional attachment from my music once it’s out, but I’m now firmly outside of this category in that I’m not trying to “make it” anymore.
I spent 15 years touring professionally, and, for me, that season has passed. It was fun, but metrics are no longer as important on the other side of a successful career as a professional musician.
But if you’re a dreamer, and you’re still in that season, then push hard because you’re only going to get there if you’re willing to do the work.
The Hobbyist
I’d venture to say most of us reading this newsletter fall into this category.
Being a dreamer loses its luster the older we get. When I was 22, I was full of energy and ready to tour until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Now, at 38, I like sleeping in my own bed and seeing my kids in the morning. Making breakfast every day is a highlight for me.
But that doesn’t make me a purist. My business side is very much alive and well, and I despise creating music and releasing it into the void for no one to hear.
At this stage in my career, it’s no longer about making all the money or playing all the shows or doing all the cool things, but I do want to create work I enjoy and share it with others who enjoy it as well.
I suppose it’s sharing it that helps me retain a sense of purpose. For me, if no one hears it then I feel like I’m wasting my time a little bit.
From a marketing perspective, this means doing my best to create systems for gaining new fans and listeners without making the goal of “making it as an artist” my full-time pursuit.
If I can recoup some of my ad spend and have fun doing it, I win.
If I can profit, even better, but if not, that’s also cool.
I simply want to create music when I want to, market it when it comes out, and enjoy the process along the way without getting too hung up on the results.
The irony of all of this, of course, is that these three stages are cyclical—we all start as purists, turn into dreamers, and eventually become hobbyists, only to ultimately return to the purist form in the end.
Music is a funny thing.
So, which artist are you?
I believe it’s important to know who we are and what we want as artists—these things help guide our decision-making process.
Every artist is a little different, and we each have different wants and goals.
Understanding those goals helps us to make better decisions about what we create and how we share it.
To that end, it seems to me there are generally three types of artists out there in the world, and each one has a different way of viewing music creation, marketing, and everything in between.
The Purist
It’s all about the music, man.
We’ve all heard it before, and, honestly, this is probably where 99% of us start—we just want to make music because we love it.
It’s certainly where I started.
This is a beautiful type of artist to be; making music without expectation, solely for the love of the art is a gift. There’s magic to it.
But if you’re a purist, then some of the decisions you make may not make a lot of sense to artists in the other two categories.
Choosing to release music only on certain formats or not even release it at all is an option here. And choosing to invest time and money into marketing it?
Probably not.
It’s important to remember that the other two types of artists may not necessarily be in it for the same reasons you are.
Sure, we all love music, but as a purist, the pursuit generally stops after creating something you love.
This attitude can especially showcase itself in how you think about marketing, branding, and all of the other things that come along with being an artist in today’s world.
I get a lot of purists in my comments on YouTube preaching “making music for music’s sake and not worrying about the rest”, and while I understand where they’re coming from, I’ve always taken the approach that they’re not necessarily running the same race as me and that’s ok.
So if you’re a purist, love what you do, and let the chips fall where they may.
The Dreamer
This type of artist is all about turning their passion into a full-blown business, getting a record deal, or simply finding a way to earn a living doing what they love.
It may be fame, it may be money, it may be one on a list of a thousand other things, but making music is just the start for this group.
To the dreamer, a good song is defined by its streaming numbers and sales, not the emotional satisfaction of having made it.
Sure, every artist wants to be emotionally satisfied by the process (we all get into this because we love it), but once the song is done, it becomes a product.
In many ways, I’m still in this category in that I do my best to remove all emotional attachment from my music once it’s out, but I’m now firmly outside of this category in that I’m not trying to “make it” anymore.
I spent 15 years touring professionally, and, for me, that season has passed. It was fun, but metrics are no longer as important on the other side of a successful career as a professional musician.
But if you’re a dreamer, and you’re still in that season, then push hard because you’re only going to get there if you’re willing to do the work.
The Hobbyist
I’d venture to say most of us reading this newsletter fall into this category.
Being a dreamer loses its luster the older we get. When I was 22, I was full of energy and ready to tour until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Now, at 38, I like sleeping in my own bed and seeing my kids in the morning. Making breakfast every day is a highlight for me.
But that doesn’t make me a purist. My business side is very much alive and well, and I despise creating music and releasing it into the void for no one to hear.
At this stage in my career, it’s no longer about making all the money or playing all the shows or doing all the cool things, but I do want to create work I enjoy and share it with others who enjoy it as well.
I suppose it’s sharing it that helps me retain a sense of purpose. For me, if no one hears it then I feel like I’m wasting my time a little bit.
From a marketing perspective, this means doing my best to create systems for gaining new fans and listeners without making the goal of “making it as an artist” my full-time pursuit.
If I can recoup some of my ad spend and have fun doing it, I win.
If I can profit, even better, but if not, that’s also cool.
I simply want to create music when I want to, market it when it comes out, and enjoy the process along the way without getting too hung up on the results.
The irony of all of this, of course, is that these three stages are cyclical—we all start as purists, turn into dreamers, and eventually become hobbyists, only to ultimately return to the purist form in the end.
Music is a funny thing.
So, which artist are you?
Whenever you're ready, there are four ways I can help you:
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Join our growing network of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs by receiving The One Thing directly to your inbox every week.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
The Spotify Traffic Accelerator: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Become a DuPree X Artist: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Whenever you're ready, there are four ways I can help you:
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Join our growing network of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs by receiving The One Thing directly to your inbox every week.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
The Spotify Traffic Accelerator: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Become a DuPree X Artist: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Whenever you're ready, there are four ways I can help you:
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Join our growing network of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs by receiving The One Thing directly to your inbox every week.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
The Spotify Traffic Accelerator: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Become a DuPree X Artist: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.