Why Being An Independent Artist Is Better Than You Might Think

Why Being An Independent Artist Is Better Than You Might Think - Label Or Independent? Pt. 2 of 6

Рет қаралды 3,355

Күн бұрын

Welcome to part 2 of our video series exploring the benefits and drawbacks of being signed to a major label vs. an indie label vs. remaining an independent artist. If you missed part 1 you can watch it here: • “Can You Make Me An In...
Today, we start our in-depth exploration with a look at the pros and cons of being (and staying) an independent artist. Why start here when you already know what it’s like to be an independent artist? Because Disc Makers CEO Tony van Veen believes that many artists wish so fervently to be signed to a label that they just look at the downsides of being independent and don’t appreciate the many advantages.
We hope you’ll join us for today’s video, where Tony discusses 4 drawbacks to being an independent artist and 8 advantages.
You may just gain a new appreciation of your independence.
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Пікірлер: 26

@OZKÄRSTALIN 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video Tony!! You are my mentor with all your videos, I'm pretty sure that all the musicians that are watching your videos feels the same way. Thanks Tony, God bless you.

@BrianCampbell303 2 жыл бұрын

A lot of this wonderful access to "innumerable fans" that you speak of is akin to putting your name in the phone book (remember those? Hey, I'm already dating myself!) and hoping people (the right people) come across your number and call. And since so many can afford to get their names in that phone book, that phone book becomes vast indeed. How to make your number stand out? Yes, there are innumerable things you can do, but since so many others are doing them, well, the experience can soon feel like a sisyphus pushing a very huge rock up an endless-seeming hill. The secret to keeping your sanity is enjoying every push of that rock, every inch you push it, choosing very carefully (well, not too carefully - let's say playfully) when and how to push it, not thinking too much about that hill and how enormous it seems... making sure a fair enough portion of what you do is what you love to do that got you into this strange pursuit to begin with. And if you can bend your mind around that, and bend your body around that, you're a zen master of the music business...woops! that phrase seems as antiquated as the "phone book" - oh, let's not call it a business, let's call it a domain! You can be king of your domain...

@tonyvv 2 жыл бұрын

Good points Brian. Creating demand for your music, getting the word out, is what it's all about. It's also the hardest thing for an artist to do, and it's like hand to hand combat... you do it a fan or two at a time. Many artists give up along the way, because it takes longer than they think it should. But all that said, the fact that I can hear about a new artist and INSTANTLY listen to their music is a total game changer for artists, and that was enabled by the streaming companies.

@BrianCampbell303 2 жыл бұрын

@@tonyvv , that's a good point. It would be nice though if a fairer share of the profits from streaming went to the artists, or as they like to call them, "content creators". Right now the lion's share, as in the rest of the gig economy, goes to the owners of the platforms. To change things will require legislation/regulation, and it doesn't seem to be coming any time soon. As for myself, though, I do it primarily for the joy of it, come what may - and I do my best to keep my eye on that prize.

@andycontreras3534 2 жыл бұрын

So well said and so true. Thanks Tony!

@kernjames 2 жыл бұрын

You really nailed it Tony.

@melissadsings 2 жыл бұрын

Another advantage, you can live wherever you want and don't have to move to a city! I am a country girl at heart and although I love to visit cities I wouldn't want to live in one.

@shitface8083 2 жыл бұрын

Great Info Thanks, The company I signed with had a clause in the contract that said they owned my Physical make up. Just telling you for fun.

@Brigid 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video (and series). I was always told I should be signed, but this is giving me confidence. I don't mind the hard work actually.

@KikoJonesUSA 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video. One thing that stuck with me was... Access to so many viable platforms and the possibility of reaching innumerable fans is a wonderful advantage we have in the present day. But the age old question remains: How do we reach those potential fans? How do we make them aware of our music on all those platforms at our disposal? Back in the day, if you were unsigned you could have your album in every record store that would carry it. But how did you let people know it was in the store? If you had a prior relationship with them, great. But new folks? Same as now-how do you steer people to Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, etc out of the blue? The more things change...

@tonyvv 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, that was always -- and remains to this day -- THE big challenge for every artist: how to get the world to learn about them and listen to (and love) their music. THAT is where the rubber hits the road. It's done through some magical combination of talent, hustle, grit, creativity, hard work, and persistence... adding a fan at a time.

@KikoJonesUSA 2 жыл бұрын

@@tonyvv: Yes, but the frustrating thing is, there's no formula. If you ask them or read about their beginnings, every established artist has a different story regarding their trajectory: hustled, networked, played live like crazy for years; OR got signed after their second show; OR an A&R guy went to see another artist but showed up early and instead signed the band before the one he came to see; OR they managed to get a song placed in a high profile situation and that kickstarts the whole thing; OR a friend of a friend of a friend got their demo to a big time manager; a viral video; etc. etc. etc. Unlike other careers music doesn't have a 'do this, then that, and if those two work out go for this and if that doesn't work out that's it' process. You can do everything "right" and not go anywhere OR you can be rejected by everyone in the biz until somebody finally figures out that FOREIGNER actually has potential, and...

@tonyvv 2 жыл бұрын

@@KikoJonesUSA True... There's ALWAYS a degree of luck or serendipity involved with making it big in music. That said, you CAN improve your odds by hustling, being talented, marketing, networking, and playing live like crazy for years. There's just not a guarantee. If you do ALL those things, but only one misses the boat (e.g. wrong networking approach, or not enough networking) you drastically reduce your chances of something good happening.

@LindaMckenziemusic 2 жыл бұрын

Always enjoy your videos Tony ... thanks for keeping it real

@Reidar5537 2 жыл бұрын

to the point as always, thanks a bunch, Tony !

@juanreyrock 2 жыл бұрын

Cool Video, Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Gracias

@danielbellaire8960 2 жыл бұрын

COOL!

@brendanandcheryl 2 жыл бұрын

Everyone needs more cowbell!! Great posts. Hey, another thing is that businesses that also represent other artists and need to keep pushing new artists will inevitably move away from a focus on you to focusing on others. As your own boss, you control the narrative and can keep pushing just yourself (and maybe a few friends) for your whole career. Not an expert but that's what jumps to mind. cheers

@tonyvv 2 жыл бұрын

Great point! Being your own boss means no one has more skin in the game than you do!

@brendanandcheryl 2 жыл бұрын

@@tonyvv I have no beef with any labels, but imagine you go on Shark Tank with a product and Mr Wonderful says: OK, here's the deal, I'm going to own your intellectual property, lend you the money to make and sell the product, if I decide to sell the product keep all the revenue until I recoup the loan, and then if I decide to sell your product more, which I might not, I will keep most of the revenue, and by the way did I mention that I now own your IP? Really??? Anyway thanks for the opportunity to yak.

@tonyvv 2 жыл бұрын

@@brendanandcheryl Yes, that's how the game works... Unless you choose to stay independent and decide not to play THAT game.

@rogocomposer 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Tony. These videos are coming at just the right moment for me. My music is mostly instrumental and that makes it very difficult to find outlets and fans. Unfortunately all the promotional tools seem to be geared towards more popular genres and I always just lose patience and have no clue where to turn for help. I always imagined a label might be able to help, but it's hard to get a foot in the door when you're not known. I'd be happy to try going indie all the way, but would love advice on how to promote yourself if you're releasing non-pop genres.

@tonyvv 2 жыл бұрын

Believe it or not, non-pop genres are no harder than pop genres... it's just that the upside is generally smaller because the niche is smaller. That has as an advantage that it's likely a less crowded market space, and so it MAY be easier to gain a level of name recognition. All the tips that apply to building share as a popular music artist also apply to non-pop (whatever you actually mean by that...). Great compositions, engaging performances (if you perform live), strong social and email marketing all move you forward if you just continue to release music on a fairly regular basis. (Now, if you DON'T want to perform live, then it gets a LOT harder, because performing is so essential to both building a fanbase and generating artist revenue.)

@tylervarnell 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome

@GuillermoCuellarTrovAutor Жыл бұрын

Not all the money... There are a few steps that drags your gross incomes. An for an independent artist, these "shares" put them all together is A LOT OF MONEY going to other pockets. 😕😕