Music Business Hacks

Latest Episodes:

#336 - How to Make Better Decisions Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

In business school, we were always taught different business making models to help make the best decision possible. However, I realized that many musicians (even those in music college) don't get that same opportunity. Today, I wanted to go over some of the most popular tools used by business owners and how you can apply that same mindset to your music business decision making.

Resources:

Top 5 Decision Making Models from Management eBooks (free article)

Decision Making Models and Biases from ToughNickel

The Netflix Decision Making Model via Forbes

#335 - The Number One Reason Why Fans Will Buy Something Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

If you have a tough time selling physical copies of your music, tickets to your show, or other merchandise, then need to understand why fans choose to buy something or not. A recent survey revealed some interesting results. Here's how you can learn from that.

#334 - Making it Rain Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Have you ever thought about the phrase "Make it rain" and what it actually means? Rain isn't any one thing, but rather, a collection of many little things. True success isn't experienced as a windfall or singular event - it's the combination of many concentrated, persistence, and consistent things.

Related Episodes:

Episode #8: SMARTER Goals

#333 - Weekly Recap: Take a Look at Yourself Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

In today's weekly recap, I wanted to focus on using self-awareness to solve problems or overcome barriers in your music career. Is your problem your problem? What solutions open up when we started figuring out the right root causes for things we're struggling with?

Episodes:

Episode #327 - Hidden Opportunities at Shows Episode #328- When to Fire Yourself Episode #329 - 6 Habits That Will Extend The Life of Your Music Career Episode #330 - How to Have More Effective Meetings Episode #331 - Getting More People to Shows: What Kind of Problem Do You Have? Episode #332 - INTERVIEW: Peter Lin on Jazz, Music Business Hacks, and Culture

#332 - INTERVIEW: Peter Lin on Jazz, Music Business Hacks, and Culture Jul 22, 2019

Show notes

ABOUT PETER LIN:

Taiwanese-American trombonist Peter Lin is a young and creative musician active on the New Jersey and New York scene. A graduate of the esteemed jazz programs of William Paterson University (undergraduate) and Rutgers University (graduate), Peter studied with jazz trombone legends such as Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Robin Eubanks, Steve Davis, & Frank Lacy. He has performed with many notable artists including Slide Hampton, Winard Harper, Charli Persip, Valerie Ponomarev, JD Allen, & Radam Schwartz. Peter is also an established educator, holding a prestigious faculty position at Melissa Walker & Christian McBride’s non-profit organization, Jazz House Kids. His first record, With Respect, featured arrangements of classic Chinese and Taiwanese songs, which peaked at #3 on the NACC Charts and #4 on the RMR Charts. His second album, New Age Old Ways, features eight of his original compositions along with an original comic book with illustrations by Kelly Lin.

RESOURCES:

Books Recommended: Blues People by Leeroi Jones Notes and Tones: Musician-to-Musician Interviews by Arthur Taylor The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey Podcasts discussed: Rock the Boat Now in Color

#331 - Getting More People to Shows: What Kind of Problem Do You Have? Jul 22, 2019

Show notes

When it comes to music business books, articles, and podcasts about selling more tickets to your shows, most only focus on one piece of the puzzle: awareness. However, no amount of letting people know about your performance will solve the problem if they don't actually care. In today's episode, I cover a more healthy framework to consider when overcoming problems: by solving the ones you actually have.

#330 - How to Have More Effective Meetings Jul 21, 2019

Show notes

In the world of music business, meetings are extremely common: whether they are industry gatherings, pitches to potential partners, or regular sit-downs with your band, it is important to know how you can make the most of your time as well as make sure that there's proper follow up in the form of an action plan. Today is all about music business meeting best practices.

#329 - 6 Habits That Will Extend the Life of Your Music Career Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

This morning, I came across an article from Inc.com that discussed habits that can extend your life by 12-14 years. They're not too different than habits we've discussed in previous episodes for your own health but it got me thinking: what are the habits that can help extend the life of a musician's career?

Related Episodes:

Episode #5: How to Stay Healthy on Tour

Episode #122: The Importance of Mental Health

#328 - When to Fire Yourself Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

Many businesses that experience some success eventually find themselves growing stagnant. It's no different with artists and the music business: at some point, you might find that the key to reaching new heights in your career is learning to let go.

Related Episodes:

Episode #37: Band manager, publicist, booking agent, lawyer: who to hire and when?

Episode #247: The World's Worst Manager

#327 - Hidden Opportunities at Shows Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

How do you make the most of your time at a show? What are you doing before you perform and how can you optimize that time to make more fans, get more sponsors, and make the show even more engaging?

Related Episodes:

Episode #43: Why Every Musician Should Have a Post-Show Game Plan

Books:

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Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court

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