All You Need to Know About the Music Business: 10th Edition

You can get free, basic data from Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, and Spotify Artist Insights. And when you get that data, it can put your booking strategy on steroids—for example, you’ll be able to see where your fans are clustered, so you can strategically target those markets rather than just booking gigs in East Bumbleton and hoping the fa

But if they dazzle you, be even more cautious—charming crooks are the most dangerous!

A word about what kind of music to make. It’s simple—you make the music that moves your soul.

As we discussed on page 15, a direct relationship with fans is the next generation of marketing, and young artists are proving savvier in this area than a lot of established companies.

Speaking of marrying creativity and business, I’ve discovered that a rock star and a brain surgeon have something in common. It’s not that either one would be particularly good at the other’s job (and I’m not sure which crossover would produce the more disastrous results), but rather that each one is capable of performing his craft brilliantly, and

As always, make sure you get a good vibe from whoever you’re hiring.

I personally like young managers a lot. If they’re bright and motivated, I’ve seen their energy overcome the lack of experience and political clout with superb results. And to help you understand why, let me give you the Passman Treatise on Managers’ Careers. Managers’ careers go something like this:

At any rate, every major manager was a nobody at one time. While I don’t suggest that a superstar take on an inexperienced manager, I do think many new artists are well advised to hire a bright, aggressive young manager. Obviously, you shouldn’t do this if you have the opportunity to go with an established manager who is (or has someone in his or h

SO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN YOU PICK A BUSINESS MANAGER!