Part 2... 25 Things I wish I knew before creating a music career
Back again, with some more reflections on things I wish I knew before creating a music career. In this blog, I will be covering finance, Music Production, Reproductive labour, Accessibility and the Ps
“Counternarratives newseltter aims to support Black, PoC or Neurodivergent backgrounds who don’t have access to the bank of “Mom and Dad” with their own artistic journeys as share my own journey. I hope that as you continue reading this that you take up space and create counternarratives against any self-doubt, pressure or shame.
Back again, with some more reflections on things I wish I knew before creating a music career. In this blog, I will be covering finance, Music Production, Reproductive labour, Accessibility and the Psychology of live music.
1. “There’s a whole lot of money in this Mother**uc**r” but for who ?
I remember watching the TLC documentary on BET and seeing the re-enactment of the the 1996 Grammy Award Winning Ceremony - where in unison TLC member shared “WE ARE AS BROKE AS WE CAN BE”. Bear in mind they had sold 10 million records. T-Boyz explains that a mixture of taxes and costs of producing records are the main culprits.
This example demonstrated to me early on that “multiple streams” of income and Legal advocacy in contracts are necessary to have financial resilience.
According to Serve and Protect CU Financial resilience is your ability to withstand life events that impact your income or assets. It is the longer term approach to your relationship with money. If an unexpected expense were to arise, having the financial means to deal with it means you are financially resilient.
I am an independent artists who had a career before joining the music industry Funding, Scholarships, my savings and freelance work have helped me pay rent bills, pay for studio time, rehearsals spaces, DAW software and more.
One of the things, I wish I first did when starting a music career was to create a business plan of all of the expenses to produce, distribute create brand architecture and also pay myself …. as girl got to live. It can be quite hard to do this, as Artists we don’t see our art as inherently a commodity but an explicit demonstration of our authentic selves.
But to fund our dreams, we ultimately need to know the costs.
Financial costs of being a singer-songwriter…..
Producer Fees
Mixing Engineer Fee
Mastering Fee
Studio Fee
Distributor Fee
Creative Assets Fee e.g music video…
PR Costs
Travel costs
Artist Development Fees.. Dance Classes, Vocal Coaches
Sessions and Band Musician Fees
Content creation e.g ad spend
Living expenses
Touring costs
Manager + Lawyer Commission
Taxes + Pensions..
I don’t share these things as way to scare anyone also starting their journey. Emily White's “How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and collect all revenues” (also recommended course reading on the WRD) has given me the confidence to be more financial savvy. In the book she covers, how to collect royalties, making merchandise, touring in a financial sustainable way and more.
In 2021 UK Music Industry Generated £4 Billion, in 2019 UK Music Industry Generated £5.8 Million. Although financially the Industry isn’t as big as it used to be (Cost of Living Closing venues, impact of Covid-19), the size is still quite big.
However who’s got the money to fund a music career during a recession/Cozzie Lives ?
Securing your creative practice via funding opportunities, using relationships equity or self-funding is challenging in theses times.
Here are some avenues that you could explore if you are starting out.
Funding with Mina, Help Musicians and Youth Music are great place to start looking for funding. If you have access needs, some grants such Develop Your Creative Practice and Youth Music also have grant support to support your application process and delivery. ps. I will be sharing how I did this via the next newsletter
Relationship Equity in Music is where people trade skills and time via agreements or reputation built in reciprocal ways. PJ Morton shares on R&B money how he built relationship equity via sharing his craftsmanship to support other artists as he developed his solo career.
Self-funding aka money generated from working in part-time, agency, brand-partnerships, crowdfunding or full-time roles to save for your own passion projects.
Even with these avenues being able to stay financially afloat, has required me to work alongside studying and creating.
I started this point asking for who ? According to Black Lives in Music Report in 2021
Black creators with music qualifications earned £1,463 in a month compared to the £1,936 earned by White creators. Black women with qualifications earned £1,187 in a month (Learn more)
Some of the reasons for the pay disparity could be explained by Misognyior. During the recent Parliamentary inquiry into Misogyny within the music industry; Women in CTRL & Why Not Her Collective “shared that when women songwriters do have hits, they are often still second-billing, or not even credited” (Music Ally). Songwriters require creditation as way to generate incomes as they are usually not given an up-right fee. Campaigns like credits due are pushing changes for these practices.
One side of finances is how you handle money but another side is how others value or de-value you. That’s why it’s important not to be an island but to connect and support your support system.
2. How to work with Producers
The art of production is being able to see the whole art piece and the details. A beat-maker may provide a canvas to start on but don’t expect them to finish. A producer can also be both a beat maker as well, but how do you know you got the perfect match ?
Working with a producer can be such a fun experience if you have mutually developed a language. Most of the producers, I have worked with are friends. I got to know them via conversations, partying and jamming together.
As I am self-managed, I have to maintain professional relationships for my music production. When it comes to producers its integral that we both maintain boundaries - e.g x life event happen I am out of commission for y weeks, I have this commitment.
Studying the fundamental of project management and exploring creative leadership, has helped me to communicate my ideas and support the goals I want to achieve. Here are a few thing, I do in the music production process..
My writing style is quite reflective and requires time for me to understand what I want to convey. I might come up with lyrics or melody and share a voice note of the brief with my producer. Alternatively I ask the producer for a brief about how they felt during the making process of the beat.
Making reference playlists of songs or vocal moments that help me describe what I would like to convey
I trust the producers intuition and whilst self-advocating - for example I think this shaker would sound nice with this or this rhythm
Collectively reflect does my voice feel comfortable in this key, pitch or BPM ? - as I would need to sing this live.
Create demos and think about how it sonically fits with other music
Learning how to use Logic Pro via YouTube and Community Music Tuesday Free- Drop-ins has helped me to explore production for myself. It’s been useful to make demos such as Tidal that I recorded in my bedroom and sent over to Banks, who layered the takes in such a beautiful way.
3. Reproductive Labour
Santigold opened up and shared her experiences of economic and mental health struggles to the Rolling Stones Magazine in October 2022. Santigold had to stop touring because of the pressures.
You’re asking me to leave my children for weeks and weeks on end and come home with no money to even pay the babysitter? Or my rent?” And so they’re like, “We’re going to make it work. … Well, we got this festival to anchor in.”
Santigold
Women Caregivers usually have the brunt of reproductive labour ensuring children are bathed, cleaned, doing well at school… which are usually unpaid as reproductive labour isn’t valued in our economy. On top of this the Childcare costs have sky-rocketed so much that according to Pregnant Then Screwed “a staggering 3 in 4 mothers (76%) who pay for childcare, say it no longer makes financial sense for them to work.” in the UK.
People who want children or have children really have to consider sooo much financially and mentally what they can and can’t give up.
I would love to see how Entertainment Lawyers arguing for Parents during legal contracts with record labours. Are there reproductive labour clauses that give contracted (or signed) musician the same protection as Employed Parents who get paid parental leave ?
Organisations such as Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PIPA) are supporting parents during their career progression through advocacy and support. But if parents and carers 'far more likely to leave the music industry' according to PIPA Survey, we are not only restricting the expression of Parents and Carers who make the music but the audience who could deeply connect to their stories via their music.
Conversations about the broken Talent Pipeline for gender equity need to also engage Reproductive Labour in my opinion.
4. Accessibility
I am asthmatic. Basically my airways are inflamed making it me hard to breathe if I haven’t either correctly managed my asthma with inhalers or my asthma has been triggered. Last year, I remember walking out of a club as the steam and lack ventilation was triggering my asthma so badly.
Musicians also have access needs to some are visible and some aren’t.
Social model of disability argues that moving barriers for participation enables neurodivergent and disabled people be included.
As the Charity Scope describes “Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having accessible toilets. Or they can be caused by people's attitudes to difference, like assuming disabled people can't do certain things.”.
I remember the day, I was assessed as Dyslexic being told I would have to continuously self-advocate. But it helps when co-conspirators understand access justice by….
Understanding people’s access needs and providing accommodation, for example I do this by sharing my own access template.
People working in operational, design and event planning roles are crucial for facilitate space for neurodivergent and disabled people to participate. Equality Human Rights Commission has a guide on this !
Don’t just do the reading on the experiences of Disabled and Neurodivergent People but put it into practice through reflection and accountability
5. Anxious but Brave
Do you get anxious before you perform ?
“YES”, “Sometimes”, “Maybe”, “No”….
A few months ago, I shared on TikTok how I am learning to engage with anxiety the feeling not the diagnoses via the Artist’s Way and Reframing via the 3cs.
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Performing live can be all-consuming at times but it can also be exiting. You can exchange emotions, feelings vibes in such a unique and tangible way.
As part of my course, we attended Festival Congress by the Association of Independent Musician. At the Festival, I learned how festival organisers and business’ tap-into people’s psychology by engaging with values such a Climate Emergency to Rent-a-Sex Chalet to charitable giving.
People don’t just go for the music but the experience. But to be ready hit the stage you have to think like an Athlete.
So yeah, girl I have to slow down with drinking and smoking but not only that better connecting with my body via learning.
I love listing to audiobooks and I recently discovered Andrew Byrne written of the Singing Athlete. Bryce shares in the video below how the Venus Nerve is not only connected to managing anxiety by lowering your heart-rate but also to partial control of your diaphragm.
Live music is beautiful to be part of but to take part you have to brave. Are you comfortable in your own skin, story and style ? ( I ask myself tooo)
Practicing being brave is liking lifting weights. You gradually get better but learning great technique or having gym buddies can support your muscle growth.
Thank you so much for reading this so far. My next instalment, I will be sharing how I applied for the Next Gen Youth Music Fund and how you could too….