Don’t Do It! Common Musician Mistakes

When nurturing a grow industry career, what you don’t do can often be just as important as what you do do. Here, we detail a few all-too-common mistakes and pitfalls every musician should be careful to avoid.

Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix

Watch your career soar by adjusting your behavior to avoid these common mistakes musicians often make.

Look around online, and you’re bound to find people telling you what to do to get ahead. Everyone tells you to “do this” and “do that,” but what about the stuff you should avoid? Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered.

You can do everything the experts claim will help you get ahead and never see your career progress because of bad behaviors. These actions are common in the industry, which feeds into a pattern of poor decision making that typically increases as musicians age.

But today we’re making a change. Rather than focusing on the DOs of music business success, we’re going to highlight some of the DON’Ts. Including:

• DON’T pay for access to contact lists.
• DON’T spam your music and merch online under the guise of ‘content.’
• DON’T be the kind of person who views themselves as someone others exist to help and serve.

In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell breaks down common mistakes musicians make on their way to the top. The actions covered touch on marketing, networking, and responsibility. With a few simple changes, you can overcome these hazards and lead a kinder, more productive life.

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James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement at Haulix and host of the company’s podcast, Inside Music. He is also a public speaker known for promoting careers in the entertainment industry, as well as an entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, Nu Sound, and Under The Gun Review, among other popular outlets.