There are a multitude of factors that affect your success in music but only a handful that truly matter.
If you spend any amount of time within the music marketing space online, you know how frequently it devolves into a feedback loop of negativity.
“Artists should be paid more!”
“AI music will destroy us all!”
“I can’t believe Spotify is screwing artists yet again!”
And though many of the common complaints are often rooted in truth, most of the time, the conversation doesn’t drive anyone toward solutions.
It’s complaining for the sake of complaining.
Furthermore, this vortex of negativity does nothing to build your career.
If anything, I would argue it actively detracts from success by putting people into a perpetually negative state of mind that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.
It’s a trap.
The sea of distraction
99% of all that we read, hear, or see online is fruitless.
The currency du jour is attention, and the game reflects that.
That’s why sensational content explodes while practical and relational content seem to struggle.
That’s not a hard and fast rule, mind you, but it is a general pattern that seems to repeat itself.
Within the music marketing space, you can see the news cycle at work.
Every time Spotify issues an update, there is a rush to be the first to cover it.
Anytime a distributor adjusts their terms and conditions, someone is there to dissect it and point out all the ways it’s bad for artists.
Even the newest bit of software designed to make the game just a little bit easier is thrown under the microscope and treated with disdain if it doesn’t live up to expectation on the first try.
Instead of searching for the benefits of these tools, we find ourselves fighting to be the first ones to figure out what’s wrong with them.
Cynicism is no way to live, and it breaks my heart to see so many artists fall victim to it.
So what can we do?
Building a successful career in music is no easy feat, but it is relatively straightforward.
First, you have to be talented.
Hard work beats talent every time, but if you don’t have any talent at all, no amount of work can cover the fact that you can’t carry a tune.
Sometimes our dreams need to be adjusted to match our gifts.
Look, I’ll never play in the NBA.
I accept that.
I’m just saying, know where your talents lie.
Second, yes, you do have to work hard, but you need to work hard at the right things.
Make great music, because nothing is more important than the song.
Release music consistently—you may not like it, but consistent output is part of the game.
Build a compelling visual identity.
Branding and visual recognition matter, I don’t care what anyone else says.
Connect with your audience.
AI will never, ever replace our natural, human desire to connect with others through our shared interests.
Music is meant for this.
And third, know where you’re headed.
Is your goal to build a record label via playlists and YouTube?
Or are you an artist that wants to tour the world playing shows?
Do you intend to sell merch?
Physical copies of your music?
Create a loose outline to determine where you want to go.
Then create goals, systems, and habits to get there.
The truth of it all
At the end of the day, the noise is not going to stop, but you get to decide whether or not you want to pay attention to it.
If you can ignore the 99% of the world that’s a distraction and, instead, focus your attention on the 1% that truly matters, you will win.
But you won’t just win the career game.
No, you will also win the game of fulfillment in your work and happiness in your life.
Because you won’t swim in a sea of negativity and cynicism.
Instead, you will sail on a ship of creativity and growth.
You can build the life you want by doing what you love and putting positivity into the world.
And that is something worth doing.
There are a multitude of factors that affect your success in music but only a handful that truly matter.
If you spend any amount of time within the music marketing space online, you know how frequently it devolves into a feedback loop of negativity.
“Artists should be paid more!”
“AI music will destroy us all!”
“I can’t believe Spotify is screwing artists yet again!”
And though many of the common complaints are often rooted in truth, most of the time, the conversation doesn’t drive anyone toward solutions.
It’s complaining for the sake of complaining.
Furthermore, this vortex of negativity does nothing to build your career.
If anything, I would argue it actively detracts from success by putting people into a perpetually negative state of mind that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.
It’s a trap.
The sea of distraction
99% of all that we read, hear, or see online is fruitless.
The currency du jour is attention, and the game reflects that.
That’s why sensational content explodes while practical and relational content seem to struggle.
That’s not a hard and fast rule, mind you, but it is a general pattern that seems to repeat itself.
Within the music marketing space, you can see the news cycle at work.
Every time Spotify issues an update, there is a rush to be the first to cover it.
Anytime a distributor adjusts their terms and conditions, someone is there to dissect it and point out all the ways it’s bad for artists.
Even the newest bit of software designed to make the game just a little bit easier is thrown under the microscope and treated with disdain if it doesn’t live up to expectation on the first try.
Instead of searching for the benefits of these tools, we find ourselves fighting to be the first ones to figure out what’s wrong with them.
Cynicism is no way to live, and it breaks my heart to see so many artists fall victim to it.
So what can we do?
Building a successful career in music is no easy feat, but it is relatively straightforward.
First, you have to be talented.
Hard work beats talent every time, but if you don’t have any talent at all, no amount of work can cover the fact that you can’t carry a tune.
Sometimes our dreams need to be adjusted to match our gifts.
Look, I’ll never play in the NBA.
I accept that.
I’m just saying, know where your talents lie.
Second, yes, you do have to work hard, but you need to work hard at the right things.
Make great music, because nothing is more important than the song.
Release music consistently—you may not like it, but consistent output is part of the game.
Build a compelling visual identity.
Branding and visual recognition matter, I don’t care what anyone else says.
Connect with your audience.
AI will never, ever replace our natural, human desire to connect with others through our shared interests.
Music is meant for this.
And third, know where you’re headed.
Is your goal to build a record label via playlists and YouTube?
Or are you an artist that wants to tour the world playing shows?
Do you intend to sell merch?
Physical copies of your music?
Create a loose outline to determine where you want to go.
Then create goals, systems, and habits to get there.
The truth of it all
At the end of the day, the noise is not going to stop, but you get to decide whether or not you want to pay attention to it.
If you can ignore the 99% of the world that’s a distraction and, instead, focus your attention on the 1% that truly matters, you will win.
But you won’t just win the career game.
No, you will also win the game of fulfillment in your work and happiness in your life.
Because you won’t swim in a sea of negativity and cynicism.
Instead, you will sail on a ship of creativity and growth.
You can build the life you want by doing what you love and putting positivity into the world.
And that is something worth doing.
There are a multitude of factors that affect your success in music but only a handful that truly matter.
If you spend any amount of time within the music marketing space online, you know how frequently it devolves into a feedback loop of negativity.
“Artists should be paid more!”
“AI music will destroy us all!”
“I can’t believe Spotify is screwing artists yet again!”
And though many of the common complaints are often rooted in truth, most of the time, the conversation doesn’t drive anyone toward solutions.
It’s complaining for the sake of complaining.
Furthermore, this vortex of negativity does nothing to build your career.
If anything, I would argue it actively detracts from success by putting people into a perpetually negative state of mind that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.
It’s a trap.
The sea of distraction
99% of all that we read, hear, or see online is fruitless.
The currency du jour is attention, and the game reflects that.
That’s why sensational content explodes while practical and relational content seem to struggle.
That’s not a hard and fast rule, mind you, but it is a general pattern that seems to repeat itself.
Within the music marketing space, you can see the news cycle at work.
Every time Spotify issues an update, there is a rush to be the first to cover it.
Anytime a distributor adjusts their terms and conditions, someone is there to dissect it and point out all the ways it’s bad for artists.
Even the newest bit of software designed to make the game just a little bit easier is thrown under the microscope and treated with disdain if it doesn’t live up to expectation on the first try.
Instead of searching for the benefits of these tools, we find ourselves fighting to be the first ones to figure out what’s wrong with them.
Cynicism is no way to live, and it breaks my heart to see so many artists fall victim to it.
So what can we do?
Building a successful career in music is no easy feat, but it is relatively straightforward.
First, you have to be talented.
Hard work beats talent every time, but if you don’t have any talent at all, no amount of work can cover the fact that you can’t carry a tune.
Sometimes our dreams need to be adjusted to match our gifts.
Look, I’ll never play in the NBA.
I accept that.
I’m just saying, know where your talents lie.
Second, yes, you do have to work hard, but you need to work hard at the right things.
Make great music, because nothing is more important than the song.
Release music consistently—you may not like it, but consistent output is part of the game.
Build a compelling visual identity.
Branding and visual recognition matter, I don’t care what anyone else says.
Connect with your audience.
AI will never, ever replace our natural, human desire to connect with others through our shared interests.
Music is meant for this.
And third, know where you’re headed.
Is your goal to build a record label via playlists and YouTube?
Or are you an artist that wants to tour the world playing shows?
Do you intend to sell merch?
Physical copies of your music?
Create a loose outline to determine where you want to go.
Then create goals, systems, and habits to get there.
The truth of it all
At the end of the day, the noise is not going to stop, but you get to decide whether or not you want to pay attention to it.
If you can ignore the 99% of the world that’s a distraction and, instead, focus your attention on the 1% that truly matters, you will win.
But you won’t just win the career game.
No, you will also win the game of fulfillment in your work and happiness in your life.
Because you won’t swim in a sea of negativity and cynicism.
Instead, you will sail on a ship of creativity and growth.
You can build the life you want by doing what you love and putting positivity into the world.
And that is something worth doing.
Take the next step
Read the Newsletter: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Become a Client: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Take a Course: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Take the next step
Read the Newsletter: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Become a Client: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Take a Course: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Take the next step
Read the Newsletter: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Become a Client: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Take a Course: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.