35 Tips for Self-Management as a Musician

Many musicians want to create great music and make a lot of money. However, few possess the skills required to successfully promote, market and manage their music as a business. Therefore, here are 35 tips on how to get the business rolling.

1. Know what you value most in your music and honor those values.

2. Set up your music career as a business; in partnership with someone else or as a sole proprietorship and ensure that you keep proper records of everything.

3. Decide on what level of success you want to achieve and evaluate your business and creative skills.

4. Set out definite goals and a clear career plan.

5. Once you have set the goals, define a clear strategy to achieve these goals.

6. Remember that achieving success is the journey and the trip. You should also define what you are going to do once you get there.

7. Do not waste time. Killing time is killing success.

8. Do not let a day go by without doing something that fits in to your success plan.

9. Stay focused. Everything you do should be in accordance with your plan.

10. Make contacts with people in the music business and get regular feedback regarding your music.

11. Keep learning and stay informed. Read books, articles, magazines regarding music.

12. Organize your office space and make sure it is a healthy environment to work in.

13. Communication skills are extremely important in the music business, so practice as often as you can.

14. Make sure any promises you have made are kept and follow up with on them.

15. Create a web page and promote it aggressively, using all the tools you can get your hands on.

16. Join and support other musicians and music associations.

17. You are not the only musician doing this, so find unique networking opportunities among peers.

18. Be willing to let go and learn.

19. If something does not work, stop doing it.

20. Make sure to take some time off and rest.

21. Keep your physical self in good health; eat healthy.

22. Identify who your most important friends and supporters are. Do not forget them and be encouraged by them.

23. At least once a year study something new.

24. Take breaks on a regular basis. This will help your creative cycle.

25. Seek inspiration whenever possible.

26. Be humble, grateful and do not let success get to your head.

27. Do not blame other people for your problems.

28. Take advice only from those who have earned it.

29. If there is a task that you cannot or do not want to do, Do not do it. Hire someone who is good at doing those tasks.

30. Find out what your personal work rhythms are and stick to them.

31. Nurture your relationships with fans and communicate with them whenever possible.

32. Only use attorneys, booking agents and publicists with music business backgrounds

33. Unexpected things may happen at any time. Therefore be ready for it.

34. Do not follow trends. Observe them and learn from them.

35. Realize that promoting, performing and marketing in non-traditional ways is easier than trying to act like a superstar.