Music as a business model is perhaps, the most appealing opportunity for young people and especially those leaving education to look for employment. However, it eludes most people. Many people will consider that music is a pipe dream. Therefore, they end up working in some office job that does not match their passion.

As a music blogger, music as a business for me is something that I choose to do. I have found that I don’t have the pressures on me that most people face. It is normally, “Get a job doing this or else…”. Well, that is not me. As a music graduate from the University of West London, my careers officer knows how important it is for me to get a job doing something that matches my passion. Therefore, she is allowing me to follow music as a career path.

If you are in business, it is vital to build a business plan. A business plan enables you to know where you have come from, where you are now and where you want to go in the future. This document will enable you to know the exact aspects of your business that you should be focusing on.

Half the Battle is That You Need to Know How to Make Good Music

If you know how to write good music, you are on your way to success. Many artists write poor quality music and rely on expletives to drive success. Children go for this kind of music because of the shock factor. They find it shocking and therefore, it is amusing too. In my own youth, I would have found it amusing. I remember being turned on by people like Samantha Fox when she performed Touch Me. The sex-factor is what drove that song. Madonna is another artist who has relied on sex to find the popularity and generate sales. Therefore, if you are either as sexy as Madonna or as crude as Beyonce, you will do well.

On the other hand, if you have the skills to make good music and not music that relies on sex and expletives, you will be appreciated by all people.

Music as a Business: How to Start a Record Label With no Money

Another option for adopting music as a business opportunity is as a record label. Several years ago, I tried this. Needless to say, I threw a lot of money at it and didn’t understand why or how it would pay off. However, I do now. I promote my music for next to nothing these days. I don’t run a label any more, but as a production music artist and as a producer with We Make Dance Music, I know how to market my own music for very little money. If you want to run your own label, then marketing someone else’s music is just as easy as marketing your own. How would you do it for your own music? Well, do the same for another artist or band. It’s as easy as that.

If you want to learn how you can market your own music for next to nothing, please click the box below. If I had this experience and knowledge in the past, I would be a lot better off…

Music as a Business: How Do Record Labels Work?

In the past record labels would pay the artist some money when they signed the contract. This would have typically equated to 50% and then the other 50% upon release of an album or whatever is agreed upon in the contract.

Nowadays, labels charge the artist for inclusion on their books. They also charge for vinyl, merchandise, etc. If you want your music to be available on vinyl, a record would typically cost an additional $30 to the $50 you have paid them initially.

Therefore, it is now much better for the artist to be independent of a contract. The artist is then free to make their own decisions. They can release new publications as and when they choose and they can work for the markets they choose.

How do Music Artists Make Money Independently?

The independent artist can shape and mould their own success through various websites and opportunities to be found online. I have written about these in my book, The Complete Guide to Music Marketing.

The complete Guide to Music Marketing is a free book that you can download for free. However, if you make any purchases from the links in it, I will make a commission. This will help me to continue with my blog and teach you more about music marketing.

What are your thoughts on the options of being independent or working with a label? Have you had much experience of record labels? What is your experience of working as an indpendent musician? Please leave any and all thoughts in the comments section below.