Monday 15 August 2011

Join the dots for DIY musician success

Topspin
I love this post on Music Think Tank - an interview with Ian Rogers, CEO of Topspin, in which he talks about how DIY artists (or middle class musicians) can achieve success.

What I like the most is that it sets out the truism for almost all indie artists that the journey to success is a succession of baby steps, linking improvements in your music with an expanding network of fans and influencers (each a true 'publisher' of your work in the modern definition of the word).

The point is that from a PR perspective you have to be practical in answering the question: what are you destined for? The one thing I have learned is IT JUST TAKES A LONG TIME. It never happens overnight. You want to be Metric? Are you prepared to starve and take a mortgage on your home for 5-6 years plus? Because you are not doing it in the next 12 months. You have to come to terms with the fact that it will take three to four records to get from where you are. People dismiss the first four years or so that it took Bon Iver to break. Even the Mumford & Sons record; that thing came out in 2009 and really only broke here in the U.S. in the beginning of this year. A lot of people think they will release a record and it’s going to be huge. I don’t think that ever happens. Not anymore.

Read this piece.

It should give you hope and guidance!

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