How To Create A Game Plan That WILL Lead To Success
Published: Mon, 07/19/10
Hi ,
When working towards a goal I like to create steps that I can systematically follow that I know will eventually lead to my desired outcome, or at the very least get me much closer to my intended goal. I think this approach is particularly valuable in the context of music licensing, and the music business in general, where a certain amount of rejection is inevitable. Last week I discussed the concept of how success tends to build on itself. Today let's take a look at how you can start to achieve initial success that will lead to greater and greater degrees of success as your move forward.
I don't talk a lot about the subjective nature of music and songwriting, because, well, it's subjective and sort of hard to write about. But let's assume for the sake of this discussion that your songwriting skills are fairly developed and your writing and producing material that's on par with what is considered mainstream and marketable. And between you and me, this shouldn't be that hard, but that's a whole other discussion!
Anyway, so you've written some songs that you feel really good about and you're continuing to evolve as an artist. Now what? Well this is where developing a solid game plan comes in. It's incredibly easy to get sidetracked in this business for a couple reasons: Number one, you need to be really self motivated to pursue music as a profession. A lot of musicians I know seem to lack this trait, which is ironic considering how challenging the profession can be. Number two, because of the nature of the business you will most likely face some rejection along the way. This can be hard for a lot of musicians who tend to be a little overly sensitive to begin with. Again it's easy to let a couple rejections slow you down or even cause you to throw in the towel entirely. Don't be one of those artists! I know the business can be challenging but overcoming the obstacles that present themselves is very rewarding and can actually be sort of fun, depending on how you look at things.
But let's get back to coming up with a solid game plan. I like developing strategies that are big picture oriented and that compensate for my own emotional reactivity. What do I mean by that? Well for example in the past I would sometimes get very discouraged by every little perceived rejection that would occur. I would send some of my music to one person for example, and if they didn't immediately like it I would get discouraged and really question whether or not I was "good enough" to pursue music professionally. Now I feel sort of silly even typing that last sentence because it's so clear now that that attitude was probably my biggest obstacle at that point in my career.
I often times have people who write me wanting me to give them feedback on whether or not their music is good enough to pursue music licensing before they buy my materials. I understand their logic but I think it's flawed. Here's why: if you want someone else to validate your decision to pursue writing songs professionally you're probably in the wrong business. Why? Because YOU have to decide that your on the right path. Not me! I understand wanting feedback but I tend to not respond to these inquiries. I hate the idea of someone not pursuing their dream just because I didn't happen to like their music!
Ok, let's get back to that game plan I was talking about. So YOU have decided that music licensing or some other related goal is something you're going to pursue and you're also able to keep your emotions in check as you move forward. Next you need to develop a strategy that you can implement and take actions toward each and every day. One of the ideas I talk about in my program, The A-Z Of Music Licensing, as well as my latest online master class, is something I call the 90 day challenge. The idea is simple, you submit your music to one new company in the music licensing industry every day for 90 days. It's so easy to put off moving forward, but when you start approaching things systematically like this you will begin to achieve small successes that will inspire you to keep going forward. Then you will start to see the kind of momentum building that I wrote about last week.
For a comprehensive list of companies and people working in the music licensing business, check out How To License Your Music.com's TV and Film Music Business Directory. Get your music to over 500 supervisors, publishers and more with this valuable industry resource. Visit 
For a comprehensive program about HOW to get your music in TV and Films, how the business works, how publishing deals work, etc... check out my program The A To Z Of Music Licensing 2.0. This recently updated program includes the 2010 TV and Film directory mentioned above, as well as a how to audio program, A Songwriter's Guide To Music Licensing ebook, several audio interviews, including the recent interview I did with John Buckman of Magnatune, sample contracts and much more! Visit http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/programol.htmlFor a complete list of my products and services visit my product page: http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/productpage
Happy Songwriting!
Aaron Davison
Aaron Davison