10 Mistakes Music Artists Make

For the last 6 years I have reviewed music professionally. It's a hobby of mine. Some would call it a labor of love. The truth is the only time it feels like "labor" is when the music is consistently bad. Actually, it's not bad, it's just "ok" - which is not good enough in a competitive marketplace. But every now and then I receive outstanding projects; they are the ones that give me the incentive to continue critiquing.

After monitoring the careers of some of the artists I've reviewed over the years, I've noticed some common mistakes that artists make which prevent or limit their success. They are listed below in descending order:

10. FAILING TO CREATE MERCHANDISING OPPORTUNITIES
I did a music panel earlier this year entitled Succeeding As A Music Artist Without Failing As A Business Person and one of my guests, Mr. Gary Platt, who is the co-founder of The Recording Workshop, Full Sail University, and Ex'pression College, was vehement about artists creating and selling merchandise in this digital era. I concur. CD sales are negligible at this point so if you are going to sell product, you may want to start thinking about designing t-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers, coasters, calendars, or some product other than, or in addition to your CDs to sell at shows and on your website.

An act that I consulted with, Mastema , has a searing and erotic brand of rock and a sexy logo. They have been consistently selling g-string underwear and other sensual apparel to their female constituency for years. Remember, fans literally want a piece of you, and in this day and age they expect it. Choose appropriate merchandising opportunities that reinforce and promote your brand when you make your offering.

9. NOT ESTABLISHING THEIR BRAND
If you don't know your brand you can't reinforce or promote it. It's not enough to be "very talented" or "good" these days. Differentiation is the key to your success and will enable you to stand out in a marketplace that's over saturated with music artists. What makes you different? What do you have to offer that others don't? What do you stand for in terms of values, philosophies, and ideas? What causes do you stand behind? Can you answer these questions? More importantly your fans should be able to answer these questions if you've branded yourself correctly. Investigate your core values and build your brand around them. People need to know what you can deliver and what they can expect from you.

8. MAKING A CD BEFORE THEY ARE READY
Many artists impulsively record a CD simply because they feel that it's what they are supposed to do. Consider this: every writer does not write books; many are capable, but find and develop their skill in other outlets. Writing a book requires planning, discipline, concentration, and conceptualization. Creating a meaningful CD project should be the same way.

There are two things that music artists should absolutely