1. How To Make Your Music Career Highly Profitable
And Sustainable
BY: TOM HESS | POST A COMMENT | PRINT ARTICLE
If you hold the beliefthat it is ‘wrong’ to try to make moneywith your musical talents,do notread any further…simply
close this page now.
For those of you who have decided to continue reading….welcome.Factis, the majorityof musicians wantto have a
career in music.However,these musicians also doubttheir abilities to make good moneyin music,and fear that they
will not be able to supportthemselves.Unfortunately,these people end up pursuing non-music jobs where theywork
full time and despise everytime they go to clock in. This is all done out of the idea that a ‘normal job’ is safe and
secure,while a music related career is highlyrisky with little security. This is one of the very mostcommon
misconceptions thatI see ALL THE TIME while training musicians to succeed in their careers!
In truth, achieving great financial success while working on your music career is notas difficultas you mightthink. In
addition,you don’t need to be a big time rock star to make good moneyin the music business.However,in order to
become financiallyfree in your music career,you will need to take a very different approach than the one that is taken
by mostmusicians.You will need to approach your music career as both a “musical artist” AND as a businessman (or
woman).You mustrun your career as a business,where your primarygoal is to add as much value as possible to
your fans,other bands,music companyofficials,and other people in the business ofmusic.
Most musicians do notknow how to treat their music career in a professional,business-like manner.This is why so
many of these people struggle to make a lot of moneyin the music business.
To quickly test out your currentunderstanding ofwhatit takes to become successful in the music business,use this
musician’s assessmenttool about pursuing a successfulmusic career.
Besides notbeing prepared to achieve success in the business side ofmusic,manymusicians fail to make a decent
income in their careers because they make the following mistakes:
Not Taking The Time To Identify Your Market
Once you have become familiar with the value you have to give to the music industry,you will you need to find and
identify the people who you will give value to. For example,imagine thatyou were aboutto release your newest
record. Who are the people (fans) that would be waiting to buy your new music? Do you have a way to qu ickly and
easilycontact these people? If not, what action are you taking right now to build a listof your potential customers?
Now imagine thatyou were a session musician.Do you have an organized listof all your potential
customers/business partners such as musicians,recording studios,or bands? Whatare you going to do today to get
in touch with these people and show them how you can help them with your skills and talents?
One of the mostcommon mistakes made bymusicians is thatthey spend the time to create an album,increase their
musical skills,or work in another area of the music industry,but when it comes time to receive the payoff for their
hard work, they have greatdifficulty making any money. This happens because theyhave not taken the time to build

2. a database ofcustomers who are readyand willing to pay for the value that the musician is offering.Since this is
such a common issue,Ihave made this one of my main areas offocus while mentoring the musicians in myMusic
Careers Mentoring Program.
Additionally, musicians will make the mistake ofassuming thatonce they are signed with a music companythatthe
companywill take all the responsibilityto further their career. This is not true. The fact is,YOU are the one who will
need to take initiative in your music career in order to promote yourselfand make a better living. Work on building
your own listof customers and fans so thatyou are the one in control of this aspectof your career. This can be used
as a great tool to improve negotiations with future music business partners to make more moneyfor you (AND for
EVERYONE else involved).
Not Having Solid Goals And Ways To Reach Them
To earn a good living in the music industry,you MUST develop a specific plan for how you will reach your goals.If
you merelyfantasize about making a lot of money, this is not enough to make this goal a reality. Rather than
fantasizing,start working toward what you want to achieve by asking yourselfthe following questions:
1. What is your desired yearly income from your music career?
2. What are the sources ofmusical income thatwill make the amountin question 1 possible?
3. What action mustyou take to set up these sources ofincome? (Read this article on music industrycareer
development to find out more on this subject.)
4. How many ways can you ADD VALUE to your interactions with people in the music business? (Think of
every possibility!)
5. How many ways can you eliminate risk for other people in the music business?
After you have figured out your answers for each question above,you mustfocus on making every action you take in
your music career go toward achieving the exact goals you have made for yourself.
Most musicians looking to become successful in the music business are notsure whatthey mustdo to reach their
desired goals.If you are experiencing this as well,the bestsolution to this problem is to seek out training from a
professional who has shown other musicians how to earn a lot of m oneyin their careers.This way, you can avoid
making mistakes thatwill costyou significanttime and effort to fix.
Thinking That Popularity = Making A Lot Of Money In The Music Industry
Fact is,the majorityof musicians who are ‘making it’ in the mus ic industryare NOT rock stars.Being part of a popular
band does notmean that you will be earning a great living. The truth is that some musicians (who are very popular)
still work side jobs justto get by. By understanding this,you will be able to push ‘fame’ aside in order to focus on the
mosteffective ways to work toward your goal of making a good living in music.Of course it is possible to both be
famous AND make a lot of money in the music industry,however it is mostimportantatthis pointto focus your efforts
on the appropriate aspects ofyour goal.
Not Taking The Time To Set Up Various Music Related Sources Of Income
It is common for musicians to treat their music career in the same manner thatthey have treated any other job that
they have had. They expect a single paycheck at the end of an established period oftime from doing a “single”
activity. Unfortunately, this approach will NOT help you to achieve financial success in the music business.In order to
make a good living in your music career,you muststop thinking from the mindsetofobtaining a single sum ofmoney
as your main goal.Instead,you mustwork to build manydifferent sources ofmusical income thatgo into your bank
accounton an ongoing,residual basis.By taking this approach,it becomes much easier to make a lot of money from
music.In fact, musicians who use this method with save themselves time as well (because theydo not have to
continuallywork to get a paycheck). This enables them to have more freedom to pursue things such as writing music,

3. touring and performing,or recording in the studio.In the end,it is importantto have income coming in from both your
active efforts and your pastefforts that you already took the time to set up (that continue to make you money).
Additionally, by approaching your music career in this manner,you will feel much more stable since you will not be
dependenton any single source ofincome to pay your bills.
Not Consistently Providing Additional Value To Other People In The Music Industry
To gain a solid understanding ofwhat“value” means when itapplies to the idea of making a living in the music
business,you mustpay close attention to the next sentence.Regardless ofwhatyou do in the music industry,
whether it be touring in a band,creating music in the studio,giving music instruction or working as a record producer,
the people in the music industry(including bands you play for, record labels,music students,etc.) mustdecide on
working together with you versus thousands ofmusicians competing for the same opportunity.If you don’twant to
blend in with the crowd and go unnoticed,you will need to gain the upper hand on your music competition bycreating
value that far exceeds that of whatmostmusicians are able to offer. This does NOT simplymean working on
developing your music skills!Developing trulyhigh value in your music career deals with manydifferent aspects of
your personal mindset,emotional stabilityunder stress,and abilityto work very hard on a consistentbas is.
If you wantto make a lot of moneyin your music career,you will need to make it 110% clear that you are the number
one choice when someone in the music industrymustchoose between you and your competitors.In fact, this must
be TOTALLY clear before anyone has even listened to one second of your music!
This may seem like a simple conceptas you are reading it rightnow. However, as simple as itmaybe, almostall
musicians DONOT build their music careers byacting on this basic principle.To find out how prepared you are to
use this idea in your won music career,fill out this assessmenton creating value as a musician.
By increasing your potential to create value (for all people involved) during any music related activity, you will be able
to quickly earn a lot of moneyin the music business.This is one of the main ideas Ifocus on while training musicians
to build highly successful music careers.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of musicians who think that making good moneyfrom their musical talents is “wrong” or “deceptive” in
some way. These people think that it is only importantto continue improving their musical skills.Although improving
as a musician is clearlyimportant,if you’d like to have the freedom to make music for a living, you will also need to
invest your time into improving upon the business side ofyour music career.This way you won’t need to work a dead
end ‘day job’ justto make ends meet.
There is no precise method for predicting every decision you will need to make in your music career to make more
money. However, by simplyavoiding the mistakes discussed in this article,you will be well on your way to making a
great living in the music business. Once you have gained more time due to the financial freedom you will obtain, you
will be able to focus more intenselyon creating the music you love.
If you have not yet checked out the music business assessments mentioned on this page about creatingvalue as a
musician and pursuing a successful music career,I suggestthatyou do this now.

4. Am I Ready To Pursue A Music Career?
You want to know if you are ready to pursue a career in music? Take this music career
assessment to find out. Please answer the questions below. Your score will be given to you
immediately and you will get a summary of your score which will also include useful ideas
and solutions designed to greatly improve YOUR music goals.
1. I have an empowering mindset for achieving success in all endeavors
Yes or No
2. I work to establish and spread a positive reputation as a musician and person
Yes or No
3. I have, or am acquiring, key credentials to establish myself as a professional
Yes or No
4. I understand the ways to leverage my credentials to maximum benefit
Yes or No
5. I have released my own music products or am at least preparing to do so
Yes or No
6. I am working to develop multiple streams of music income
Yes or No
7. I understand (or am studying) how the music industry works today (not only how the
business worked 5 years ago
Yes or No
8. I understand that my goals, plans and actions must be both diverse and congruent
Yes or No

5. 9. I understand the importance of good professional relationships and a strong network of
musicians and partners
Yes or No
10. I am actively working to expand and nurture my current network/partnerships
Yes or No
11. I understand the advantages and disadvantages of self-released recordings vs. being
signed to a record label
Yes or No
12. I understand the difference between working "on" my career and working "in" it
Yes or No
13. I continually work to improve my musical skills
Yes or No
14. I continually work to expand my musical experience
Yes or No
15. I have a successful mentor to help me begin, grow and sustain a successful long-term
music career
Yes or No

6. What Does The Music Industry Look For In You?
If you can honestly answer “yes” to all of these questions, you must be well on your way to
becoming an unstoppable force in the music industry! Where do you stand?
Note: This survey assumes that your music abilities and the quality and marketability of your
music are already at a high enough level to even enter the music industry on a professional
level. The purpose of this survey is for you to take inventory of “other” (overlooked or less
obvious) elements that music companies look for in artists beyond the “art” itself. It is a given
that your musical skills must be at a pro level.
1. I can get along well with people in high-pressure situations over long periods of time.
Yes or No
2. My artisticimage isconsistentwith(andreflective of) mymusic
Yes or No
3. I have experiencerecordingina“real”studioandcan playTIGHT!
Yes or No
4. I am able tothinkclearlyandfunctionwell instressful conditions suchaslongrecordingsessions
Yes or No
5. My schedule isflexibleenoughandfinancial situationisstable enoughtoallow me totake advantage
of all musiccareeropportunitiesthatIwant to be involvedin
Yes or No

7. 6. I have touringexperience (atleastona regional level)
Yes or No
7. I can handle the pressuresof success(don’tanswerthisone tooquickly!)
Yes or No
8. I have an “accessible database”of myloyal fansand I take actionto grow thislistona consistentbasis
Yes or No
9. When I approacha company inthe musicbusiness,Ialwaysthinkintermsof a mutuallybeneficial
partnership.
Yes or No
10. I am aware of the thingsI can do to become more valuable tothe companiesIwanttopartnerwith.
Yes or No
11. I am aware of the potential risksthatIcan presenttocompaniesthatwill make themunlikelyto
wantto partner withme
Yes or No
12. I alreadyhave myownfinishedrecord.
Yes or No

8. 13. I use alcohol and/ordrugs:
Notat all
A little
A moderate amount
Alot
14. I do nothave any pendinglegal problemsorissues.
Yes or No
15. The musiccompanieswill nothave tospendresourcesoncorrectinga reputationaboutme thatis
inconsistentwiththe imagethattheyandI seektoput forward.
Yes or No
16. I am psychologicallyandemotionallystable.
Yes or No

9. Take the Test
by Tom Hess
If you consider yourself to be pessimistic person, do yourself a favor, - don’t waste your
time reading another word.
In my Music Careers Mentoring Program, I ask my students (those I mentor) to take a very
special test in one of the first few sessions. It’s an eye-opening experience for everyone
who goes through this (I’ll share this valuable test with you in a few moments).
Before my own professional music career began I had been spinning my wheels for years,
unaware of why I was not yet a pro, even though my guitar playing and composition skills
were already highly developed. There was something missing that had prevented me from
getting the big success I was after. The biggest problem was that I wasn’t even aware of
what was missing. Years passed and a great mentor came into my life who told me,
“Reasons come first, answers come second”. This one statement had a profound impact on
me as I began to develop my career. It became clear what it was I needed to do (get clear
and conscious about the real reasons behind what it was I wanted). Prior to that revelation I
was basically clueless about “how” I would ever develop and sustain a great career in the
music industry as a recording artist and internationally touring guitarist. Once I had clarity
of purpose, I was able to move toward my goals much more effectively.
On the surface, it may seem too simple or too obvious how one can define one’s purpose
and reasons behind an ultimate goal. I assure you it is not as simple as it seems (as I will
show you soon). I asked and answered a series of questions for myself, which eventually
led me to the “true” path of success. 95% of my goal has been realized and I continue to
work towards the attainment of the remaining 5%. With this new insight, I began to turn
my attention towards my music students (especially towards the career-minded musicians I
mentor) and am happy to say the results have been great for them and very rewarding for
me.
All right, so if you have read this far I’ll assume you are still with me, optimistic and open
minded. Please get a piece of paper and something to write with. (Do NOT try to take this
test in your head). You will get a lot more out of this, if you can see your answers written
on paper.
1. Write down your goals (for now, let’s stick with purely musical related goals).
2. Look at your written goals and choose one that is most important to you (this is
probably one of your long term goals).
3. Now that you know your most important goal, imagine that you now have it. What
does this give you that you did not have before? (write it down)
4. So now that you have that, what will that give you that you did not have before?
Write this down.
5. Now that you have this, what will this give you that you did not have before? Write
your answer down.
6. Ok, so now you have another thing that you did not have before. What will
this other thing give you that you did not have before? Whatever that is write it
down.

10. 7. Continue going through this process of asking yourself, “What will having this give
me that I did not have before?” Ask yourself this question as many times as it takes
until you have refined your series of answers down to the most fundamental answer
– to the point where you can not refine your answers any further.
8. When you have that final answer, THIS IS WHAT YOU DESIRE MORE THAN
ANYTHING ELSE. THIS IS YOUR TRUE GOAL.
If all of this seems confusing to you, here is an example to illustrate how this works. Let’s
say your biggest goal is to be wealthy. Following the steps above, it may have looked
something like this:
1. Question: Write down your goals or things you want to achieve.
Answer: I want to be wealthy.
2. Question: What does this give me that I did not have before?
Answer: It would allow me to stop worrying about having enough money to pay for
my expenses.
3. Question: So now that I would be able to stop worrying about paying for my
expenses, what will thatgive me that I did not have before?
Answer: It would give me the ability to buy whatever I want and do whatever I want.
4. Question: Now that you have the ability to buy and do what I want, what will this
give me that I did not have before?
Answer: Freedom!
5. Question: Ok, so now you have this new freedom, what will you do with it that you
are not doing or experiencing now?
Answer: I wouldn’t have to work and could spend more time with the people I care
about.
You can see in this case, what this person desires more than anything else is to spend more
quality time with people he/she cares about most. The wealth (money) was simply the
vehicle (method) that this person chose to use, but the heart of the matter is time, not
money. And the real obstacle isn’t a lack of money or time, it was a perceived lack of
freedom to spend more time with people without making big sacrifices to do so.
Although becoming wealthy is a perfectly good vehicle (method) to use, it may not be the
most effective vehicle for all people. Perhaps there are better, easier and faster ways to
reach the true goal of spending more time with people. And perhaps a perceived lack of
freedom is not the real obstacle at all. There are many other possibilities that may be more
valid reasons for why this person has not reached the true goal yet.
If you have separate goals related to music such as pursuing a career in music, go through
the same list of questions again and really dig down deep to find out what it REALLY is that
you want. You should discover that your ultimate final answers are deep human emotional
needs, not external material things. Getting these needs met may have nothing to do with
music and in fact you might be able to get your real needs met by doing something else
outside of music all together.

11. Now look back at your original answers when you took the test and consider your present
situation. Consider these four things.
1. Is what you really want different than what you first stated your original goal was?
Notice how different it is. Can you see that your original stated goal was probably a
“vehicle” and not a real goal.
2. Consider that what might have seemed like your primary obstacle might not really be
your real obstacle.
3. Notice that your old strategy (if you had one) may be ineffective in getting what you
really want because it was focused on a vehicle only and not the deeper goal.
4. Are you on the right path?
Take the time: I cannot overemphasize the point enough to really dig deep, so take your
time and don’t rush through this assignment, because doing so may literally save you
a lifetime of regret. In the corporate world, it’s common to hear stories of highly successful
business men and women, who sacrifice many things in life to climb the corporate ladder.
After many years, they reach the top and finally are able to see the view of things with a
broader perspective of their efforts and all that they have worked so hard for. The tragedy
for some is that the ladder they climbed was leaning against the wrong wall and it is only in
the end of their career (or life) that they finally realize it with great regret.
That is part of the reason why I have my music careers students go through this test. It is
designed to allow some people to discover for themselves that maybe a music career is
not really what they need or want in life. It is such an eye opening experience for them
since 5 minutes before going through this process, they thought they were sure they
wanted a music career. So obviously those people should not go any further in the pursuit
of a career in music and instead should change paths toward what really matters in their
life. It would be a shame to climb the wrong ladder.
...However, for those that do discover that a music career really is for them, new
possibilities, opportunities and powers are born and strengthened from their own clarity of
purpose and certainty of destiny. Because of this, their chances of success go up 10,000%!
Go far beyond your music: Putting music aside for a few moments, I have one final
request. Consider ALL aspects of your life: your relationships with your family, friends,
teachers (if you are a student), your employer (if you work), career goals, personal goals,
your creator (if you are spiritual or religious) etc.
Go through the entire series of questions I gave you in the test above. Notice that in some
areas you might already be on the right path to personal fulfillment, happiness and success.
With other things you may find yourself on the wrong path. It’s a whole lot easier to get
what you really want when you have total clarity about what that really is based on the
“reasons” of why you want it. It’s extremely difficult to hit a target you can’t see.
I wish you the best.......really.