5 Music Business Tips From Female Entrepreneurs

After appearing as the only woman in "30 Pieces of Advice From Music Industry Entrepreneurs," Ariel Hyatt decided to forefront women in the industry with "51 Female Music Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Advice (Part 1)." I'm not sure what Part 2 will bring but Hyatt is soliciting additional participants.

"51 Female Music Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Advice (Part 1)" is a proactive response to the very real issue of female visibility in the music industry. Lots of women are hard at work but don't wind up as the usual suspects sought out by the press.

Just as I reduced "30 Pieces of Advice" to "5 Tips For Musicians From Music Industry Entrepreneurs," I've taken five great tips from this extensive list that should encourage your interest in finding out more.

5 Music Business Tips From Female Entrepreneurs

"Don't let anyone put you in a box."

"By definition, being an entrepreneur means charting new territory, originating cutting-edge products and executing in ways others will resist. Don't let anyone put you in a box – not your co-workers, not your investors, and certainly not yourself."

Ann E. Greenberg, Founder & CEO, Sceneplay

"Fix a real problem and tell a story."

"It's tempting, especially in media, to build things just because the idea is cool or because you want to look cool, but that's probably not going to stand up as a way to make money. Find a real problem people have, fix it and then tell a good story. Most people aren't going to care about what you're doing unless they can relate to it and stories are the easiest and cheapest way to do that."

Brittney Bean, Co-Founder, Songdrop

"My advice is to be very patient with the music industry."

"It moves very slowly. You also have to know exactly what you want, try to be very specific. You will get the right answers only if you ask the right questions…People see through you like you are a glass of water in this industry. It's a world of smoke and mirrors, so if you are down to earth and straight to the point, people will really appreciate it, like a breath of fresh air."

Katy Walker, Owner, Unemployable Music

"Provide your clients the personable engagement, care and top quality service that you expect for yourself."

"In an era of texting, IM, emails, etc., the personal connection is still the most valuable. You won't build your business by doing one-off jobs. Treat your clients in such a way that they'll continue to return year after year."

Lisa Brigantino, President, Hidden Pond Productions, Inc.

"Always put your committed fans first, and reward them for their commitment."

"Launching a new product? Give your core fans (or clients) first shot at buying it, or better still, give them an advance purchase discount (or other value add). Reward repeat costumers, and find ways to let them know how much you appreciate them. Consumer loyalty is…the safety net that can get you through lean times, and the engine that drives a key component of any marketing campaign (and which can't be bought): word of mouth."

Vickie Starr, Owner of Girlie Action Media & Marketing

Read more and get info on participating in the next edition.

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Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.