Ironically, when I was 24 and trying to “make it” in the music business, I remember thinking I was getting old. When I was 30, living in Nashville, producing bands and artists I didn’t give it a second thought.
Now I’m in my 40s, the music landscape has changed so much in the last 10 years that “making it” in the new music industry looks completely different than the more traditional view of success.
I don’t really think about it these days, especially because I’m making music for different reasons (more on that later). Yes the grey hair in the beard plays tricks with what remaining vanity is lurking around but I soon shut that voice down.
Getting A Record Deal
If you’re reading this post you might be from a generation where “making it” was all about getting a record deal.
Truth is, getting signed to a label these days isn’t nearly as important (if at all) as it once was. The gatekeepers aren’t really there any more. Yes they might stand there trying to shoo people away from the fence they put up around the industry years ago. But that fence has long been pushed over.
If we’re thinking “the music business”, artists and bands have complete access to potential paying fans. So it’s not so much a question of am I too old, but rather what do you want to achieve by releasing music?
Why Are You Releasing Music?
Seems like a straightforward question. But having a definitive answer actually helps you align your actions with your stated goal. You need to be specific.
If I say I’m releasing music for fun and don’t really care about who hears it then I can’t be upset when I have less than 50 monthly listeners on Spotify.
If I say I’m releasing music and I want to gather 1500 people who care about the music, buy merch and genuinely connect with the music. I can’t get upset because my song hasn’t got 1M streams (it might one day of course).
If I’m the same musician wanting to gather 1500 true fans, then I need to take the sorts of actions which seek out and attract those fans. I need to show up in a way for them that draws them in and makes them part of my tribe.
The Takeaway: Am I too old to release music? No, you’re not. But you need to define your why. Have a reason for releasing and then build a strategy around that reason to achieve specific goals.
Those goals can shift of course but the main thing is DON’T get distracted by the vanity metrics or non-essentials. If you’re a little older you should have some wisdom from your years. That is actually much more of an advantage than you think. Use it.
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