3 ideas to help Musicians grow without grinding to get there

This one is for all the musicians out there who spend the majority of their time committed to grinding out gigs, getting shows, making music, etc. Here’s how to do less but still accomplish more and start thriving.

by David Andrew Wiebe from Bandzoogle

Are you out there grinding it out for your music, gig after gig?

I respect and admire anyone with a work ethic. But as the axiom goes, if you’re not working smarter, you’re only working harder.

Of course, if you knew how to work smarter, you probably would have done it already, right?

So, let’s look at how you can stop the grind, give yourself some breathing room, and start thriving in your music career.

Limit the number of appearances you make

“Wait, what? Are you telling me to sacrifice my gig income?!”

I know, this will seem counterintuitive. Some may even call it a hot take. After all, for many artists, performing is their livelihood, and without gigs, the struggle for income could be very real indeed.

But there is a con to making so many appearances in your local market – you burn people out! Unless your fans bring other people out, at some point, you will see your audience stagnate and dwindle. And let’s face it: venues don’t like that, either.

Think of it this way: there’s something special about going to see your favorite artist once or twice per year, isn’t there? If your thought is, “Oh, I can see them any time I want,” then you’re far less likely to make a point of going out.

So, instead of adding fuel to the fire by grinding it out in your local scene, commit to holding a few incredible events per year in stellar venues. This accomplishes two things:

• It creates scarcity. If people can’t come out to see you every weekend (or any day of the week), they are more likely to commit to buying tickets (even if expensive) for your one-offs.
• You can create an event, not just a gig. You can get more people to come out, create and sell exclusive products and merchandise, increase your income, and leave your fans feeling buzzed about the next show.

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Of course, if you still need the gig money, you can keep performing at a variety of venues, preferably under the radar, or at a distance.

This model may not work for every artist, but sometimes being less available truly is the path to increased freedom.

Create offers, not commodities

Most musicians have resigned to playing gigs and selling T-shirts to earn an income. The problem is that even this is getting to be a tougher proposition than ever!

The cost of gas, lodging, and food alone makes touring more prohibitive, forcing musicians to scale down their backline to tour as solo artists, duos, or trios.

But all these attempts at optimization are coming from a mistaken notion, mainly that gigs and merch are the only ways to earn an income from music.

Not only is it possible to create other revenue streams, but if you hope to make the most of every bit of attention you’re getting, I’d admonish you to create an offer, and if possible, multiple offers.

After all, if you’re doing what everyone else is doing and expecting different results, isn’t that insanity?

Okay, but what does an offer look like and how is it different from a commodity?

Think of it this way: a commodity is something you can buy at a store, like toothpaste. Big deal. There are many brands of toothpaste, and there certainly isn’t a shortage of it. Chances are once you’ve committed to a brand; you’re going to stick with it.

(Remember, this is how most listeners and venues are thinking about you.)

But what if the local store had a special oral care bundle with toothpaste, an electric toothbrush with two brush replacements, floss, mouthwash, three packs of gum, and a 90-day supply of Cal-Mag? Didn’t the perceived value of that toothbrush just go up in your mind?

Best of all, what if the entire bundle was available for the cost of the toothbrush and brush replacements? Wouldn’t that make you want to rush out and get it?

Are you starting to see how this works? Offers are compelling!

The exciting news is using this same approach, you can even begin selling your music again. I know because I just did it at one of my events!

Think of what you might include in your offer(s). Here are some ideas:

• CD and digital download of your latest release
• Acoustic, vocal, electronic versions or remixes
• T-shirts, hats, stickers, or any combination of merch
• Behind-the-scenes or “making of” footage
• Edited live performance footage
• Commentaries
• Lyric sheets, lead sheets, sheet music, or guitar tab books

And if you aren’t thinking this way right now, start thinking this way. Start capturing all your ideas and thoughts on video. Document the journey. Always be thinking in terms of “What else can be created?” Brainstorm with your band. This will form the foundation of your offers.

Create a celebrity effect around you

Have you ever noticed how people are completely irrational about celebrities?

Like if J-Lo is wearing a dazzling pair of shoes, suddenly everyone wants to run out and buy them?

You’re probably asking yourself, “Okay, but what has that got to do with me?”

Well, from small, local businesses to enterprise-level organizations, what marketers have found is that celebrity representatives, endorsements, testimonials, etc. all work. Or, in today’s vernacular, influencer marketing is fire. 

And in either case, it’s not as expensive as it seems.

First and foremost, though, this is about creating a celebrity effect around you. How do you do that? Well, if you watch enough celebrities in motion, you will see the same trends, like:

• Getting articles published
• Writing a book
• Giving interviews
• Being seen with other notable people
• Appearing at major industry conferences
• Setting up a carefully crafted and attractive EPK

Remember, though, that the goal isn’t to become so famous that you can’t walk the streets. Your goal is to create a celebrity effect with the audience you’re looking to appeal to. 

So, the better acquainted you are with your audience, the better the chance that you’ll know what publications to appear in, what events to go to, who to be seen with, and so on.

As implied earlier, though, if you can’t see yourself being disciplined enough to write a book or monthly column, you can still hire celebrities and influencers to make you look like a superstar, at least to your audience. And that’s what matters.

Bonus tip: Commit to finding better ways

Harsh truth: oftentimes, artists who feel resigned to creating a mediocre income from music simply aren’t asking enough questions. Further, they aren’t asking the right questions.

Having come this far into this article, I think you’re starting to see what those questions might be.

But the problem is unless we train ourselves to think this way consistently, we’ll keep falling back into habitual patterns. Thatt’s human nature; we’ll have one breakthrough, and then stagnate indefinitely until someone presents us with another provocative question.

What you need is a resource to help you on this journey, and I want to invite you to pick up your free copy of the Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook. This guide will act as a constant resource on your journey to thriving in your music career. If you’re ready to stop grinding, click on the link above to grab your copy now.

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Award-winning composer, best-selling author, and long-time podcaster David Andrew Wiebe is the founder of Content Marketing Musician. His eighth self-published book is the Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook, a thorough resource for artists looking to accomplish more in their careers, build a fan base, and create the life they love through music.