June 2020 has come and gone, and now it’s time for a life update!
It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change. – Miles Davis
I’m not sure what your experience of lock-down has been like, but for me, I felt like time stopped for the better part of three months.
So, it’s hard to believe that summer is already upon us.
I’m sure this will be a different kind of summer for musicians and music entrepreneurs, but I do hope you find time to enjoy the season.
With that, I’d like to introduce the first ever issue of Flashes.
What is Life Update?
Many entrepreneurs create and publish income reports on their websites. I did this for a while too.
As I discovered, there are both pros and cons to sharing your income reports publicly, though I typically got a positive response from readers like you.
But there were some technical flaws with my income reports, and being somewhat of a perfectionist, I didn’t want to continue on with them – at least not without rethinking my approach.
I had given some thought to publishing more comprehensive business reports. I also tried monthly updates for a while.
But nothing stuck.
Life Update, therefore, is the latest incarnation of monthly updates.
It’s not an income report per se. But it features a lot of the same elements you might expect to find in an income report.
I will be sharing my experiences from the past month, new music, new content and products, other projects and undertakings, and more.
So, let’s get into the first ever Flashes for June 2020.
June 2020 at a Glance
After three months in Calgary, AB, I knew I would be returning to my basement suite in Abbotsford, BC in June 2020.
So, “transition” became a major theme (thus the Miles Davis quote).
This year, of course, has been full of changes, many of which were ushered in by the pandemic. And, if I had to venture a guess, there’s probably going to be a lot more changes to come.
So far as working from home is concerned, not much changed for me during lock-down.
But of course, I had to cancel my travel plans. I did not make it out to Harrison Hot Springs, Mexico, Vancouver Island, or otherwise. And, at this point, future travel plans are tentative, too.
It does, however, feel good to be back in Abbotsford. I’ve benefited a great deal from changing my environment and think it’s important to do every few months.
At the end of the month, feeling a little burnt out and frustrated (mostly due to poor diet and too much caffeine), I chose to take a bit of a break upon my return. And, I’m already starting to feel better.
In the meantime, I did recognize a considerable pain point for me, and I’m looking at spending July and August addressing it.
My mastermind group feels my business has all the pieces in place already, just that I haven’t been able to organize them in a meaningful way yet.
Similarly, I have felt for a while that I must be missing one or two things that would make all the difference, and I want to dig into that.
New Music in June 2020
I have been working on a new track for a new side project.
My partner and I decided to put together a comedic new wave track (or, shall we say 80s pop music track).
Whether Devo, Duran Duran, The Cure or otherwise, I have always been fond of the genre. So, this was a fun project for me to take on.
We even recorded the vocals in my car!
I’m still in the process of mixing, as I don’t have the vocals “seated” where I want them just yet, but I’m basically one session away from completion.
So, I don’t have any new music to announce as of yet. But at least I have something to talk about.
New Blog Posts in June 2020
Not many blog posts were published on Music Entrepreneur HQ in June, although this is partly because we’ve changed how we approach content.
I’ve addressed this in detail on the podcast, but the truth is we publish at least 29 pieces of content per month and it all stems from the weekly podcast.
Regardless, I published more blog posts on my personal website in June, partly because I wanted to work it into my overall strategy.
So, here I’ll be sharing relevant posts from both Music Entrepreneur HQ and my website.
KatKwo Shares About Her Happy Vibe Music
This short and sweet Music Entrepreneur HQ exclusive interview features KatKwo, a cosplayer who also enjoys making music.
How to Create Systems as a Creative
As a musician, you are an entrepreneur, though it’s entirely possible you’ve yet to recognize it.
As an entrepreneur, you’ll find yourself wearing many hats. As tasks begin to add up and your team grows, you will discover the critical importance of systems.
But approaching systems just like an entrepreneur does might not serve you.
So, in this post, I share some of my discoveries and what has worked for me.
Alternative to Bandcamp, Nimbit & Gumroad?
At Music Entrepreneur HQ, we recently added a new affiliate partner (more on this later).
I like to think of it as an alternative to Bandcamp, Nimbit and Gumroad myself, though there’s nothing wrong with using it in tandem with any of these platforms.
In this blog post, I share my thoughts on this eCommerce platform designed specifically for creators.
The Story Behind 170 Music Career Tips
Just two weeks ago, we added a new eBook to our product stable called 170 Music Career Tips.
I’ll be talking more about this later, so not much needs to be said here.
This blog post tells the story, in detail, how the eBook came to be.
New Podcast Episodes in June 2020
Support the podcast on Patreon
We only managed to publish three episodes in June (not the usual four).
I had the fourth episode ready to go, but I got a little too ambitious with too many pieces of content, so I ended up having to delay it.
Aside from that, it’s been a great month for podcasting, and I would highly recommend listening to these episodes:
193 – How to Master Email Marketing – with Cheryl B. Engelhardt of In The Key Of Success
Cheryl B. Engelhardt and I met at the DIY Musician Conference last year, and I was thinking about having her on my show.
Of course, she beat me to the punch, and her people ended up reaching out to mine first.
I was more than happy to accommodate an interview and knew Cheryl would have plenty of great tips to share.
She didn’t disappoint.
194 – Hi, I’m David Andrew Wiebe
I first started podcasting about the music business in 2009.
I took a break from podcasting around 2015 but got back into it by the following year.
The podcast I started in 2016, The New Music Industry Podcast, is still going.
The thing is, I realized I never really introduced myself.
So, in this episode of the podcast, I share a little bit about who I am and what I’m up to.
195 – When is an Artist Ready for a Booking Agent? – with Jack Forman of BiCoastal Productions
Many artists dream of handing off menial tasks to their team.
But timing is of critical importance, especially when it comes to working with a booking agent.
In this episode of the podcast, I got BiCoastal Productions’ Jack Forman to weigh in on this issue.
Products in June 2020
The products page is perhaps the most underutilized resource on Music Entrepreneur HQ.
But so far as I’m concerned, it packs the most value.
Yes, there are eBooks, books, courses, and other recommended tools you can buy, but you can also access free guides, reports and reviews from our product pages.
So, if I were you, I would bookmark the page and keep a close eye on new offers. We’ve added quite a few as of late.
Below you will find new offers you can take advantage of, as well as other products we continue to support.
New: The Music Entrepreneur Code & Companion Course
I spent a lot of time teasing the release of The Music Entrepreneur Code.
And, now, it’s been around for over a month.
It made the best-seller list on Amazon and I’ve received nothing but positive feedback on it.
What is it? It’s a compilation of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned about being a music entrepreneur.
Why did I put it together? Because when I took a close look at the resources available to music entrepreneurs, most were academic and overwhelming in scope. I wanted to put together something that was fluff and B.S. free. More digestible.
Who’s it for? Those who fit one of three descriptions:
- You’re looking to take a business-based approach to your music career. But you have no idea where to start, and anything you read or watch on the topic doesn’t help you achieve clarity. This only leaves you feeling more confused and frustrated.
- You’re in the midst of growing your music career. But you have too much on your plate and don’t know what to prioritize. Because you’re running around like a headless chicken, you’re exhausted, and you’ve lost sight of your goal.
- You’re already making six-figures in your music career. But you know how important it is to stay motivated, current, and optimized. You could use a refresher on important business concepts to keep your business lean and mean.
Oh, and for your information. You can’t get access to the companion course unless you buy the book.
Learn more about this offer here
New: 170 Music Career Tips to Help You Grow Your Following, Promote Your Music & Increase Your Income
I’ve talked at length about how this eBook came together in The Story Behind…, so I’ll keep this part short.
What is it? Over the course of 18 weeks, I ran a newsletter called Music Career Tips Weekly. I collected all the newsletters and compiled them in this eBook.
Why did I put it together? I wanted to give subscribers access to all the content, much of which they may have missed out on (the list was growing as I was sending out content every week).
Who is it for? Those who fit one of two descriptions:
- You were subscribed to Music Career Tips Weekly but didn’t receive all the content. You missed out on valuable tips and resources you could be putting to use in your career right away. You’re also interested in preserving the memories.
- You missed out on Music Career Tips Weekly. You’d like to get access to the tips and resources others were raving about. And, you’re looking for a quick read with practical steps you can take right away.
Learn more about this offer here
More Books & Courses
We continue to support and promote the following books and courses, most of which will be updated over the course of the next six months:
- The New Music Industry: Adapting, Growing, and Thriving in The Information Age
- The Essential Guide to Music Entrepreneurship: 2018 Edition
- The Essential Guide to Creative Entrepreneurship: Making and Selling Your Neon Yellow Tiger
- Start Your Year the Right Way: Goal-Setting, Planning & Achieving Big in Your Music Entrepreneurship Career
More eBooks
We continue to support and promote a couple of eBooks as well (170 Music Career Tips is the latest addition). They are as follows:
- 62 Exercises, Drills, Solos and Tips for Guitarists
- How to Record, Promote & Sell Your New Music release – Single, EP, or Album
Affiliates in June 2020
Affiliate marketing is a significant part of what we do at Music Entrepreneur HQ.
But we don’t just promote anything and everything.
We audit, assess and evaluate every tool, app or book before adding it to our list of recommended products.
If we’re recommending it, we understand and use it ourselves.
New Affiliate Partner: Sellfy
The latest addition on our recommended tools list is Sellfy, an eCommerce platform for creators.
With Sellfy, you can get up and running fast and begin selling anything and everything – digital and physical products, and even memberships.
I have personal experience with the platform, and even made some money using it.
If you’re not looking to mess around with complicated software and want to start selling within minutes, I think you’ll love Sellfy.
More Affiliate Partners
The number of offers we promote over time has certainly increased. But that isn’t to say we haven’t ditched providers who didn’t measure up, because we have!
At this point in time, these are the products that we have the greatest enthusiasm about and continue to promote:
The best online training and community available for those looking to learn, play, and master their instrument.
A platform that allows you to create an app and monetize your music like you never have before.
Get Nashville musicians to play on your next release, quickly and easily.
Record Label In a Box is one of the best products out there for getting your independent record label up and running. It just so happens that Ditto Music is a great music distribution service too.
The absolute best web hosting for beginners and even seasoned pros. Easy to use, fast, quality service.
Great web hosting for advanced users. One of the fastest out there, but a little technical to use.
Offering the best premium WordPress themes available.
Crowdsource your next design project and get exactly what you need for your logo, business cards, posters or otherwise.
The best landing page builder available, and frankly the most powerful tool out there for building your email list.
Easily repurpose your video and audio content to distribute across major social media platforms.
eBook creation has never been simpler with Designrr, an app that gives you access to tons of templates and the ability to export to PDF.
Fully featured artist management solution that gives you the ability to manage your artists with ease.
Medium in June 2020
I’ve shared a little bit about writing for Medium before, and while it’s not at the forefront of our efforts, it has never faded from sight either.
I still make a small amount of money from Medium every single month and continue to syndicate my content to the platform for additional traffic.
Sometimes, I still write something exclusively for Medium, though that is rare.
Either way, we’re still plugging away at it, so I thought I would share what we’re up to.
New Publication: Music Business Training
I started a brand-new publication called Music Business Training on Medium.
Publications can help you organize your stories and even add writers or other people’s stories to them.
Since at least half of my posts on Medium are music business related, I figured it would make sense to centralize them in one convenient place.
I would love for you to follow the publication. Just click on the link below:
Follow the Music Business Training publication
I Need Your Help
In addition to music business related posts, I’ve also published quite a few personal development and spirituality related posts on Medium.
I’d like to put all of these into a publication as well.
The only issue is that I’m not sure what to call the publication yet.
So, if you have any ideas, please share them in the comments below.
June 2020, Conclusion
June was a great month overall.
And, while I did experience some frustration, ultimately it led me to the point of investing in myself again. There’s no such thing as a throwaway.
There’s no such thing as a throwaway. Click To TweetThe fun part is that it might mean revamping my content strategy once more.
I already put a lot of muscle into this, but as I said earlier, I know I’m missing one or two things to take my business to the next level.
I’m ready to move forward, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to level up.
How was June 2020 for you? What did you create or discover?
Let me know in the comments below.
- 296 – Investing in Yourself to Grow Your Music Career - May 26, 2023
- Moog 70th Anniversary & The Return of the Minimoog Model D - May 23, 2023
- 295 – Setting the Foundation for Your Music Career - May 19, 2023
