There's an expression that I've always loved that
says "luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet". This
has always rung true to me and this adage is particularly relevant to the music
business. There's often times an element of luck and timing involved in
the music business. For example, sometimes nothing is propelling your
career forward for months or years and then suddenly someone who heard your
music and liked it gets into the hands of a major supervisor and you have exactly
what they're looking for at that time. Or maybe a music supervisor is
perusing soundcloud looking for music his latest film project, comes across
your page, and signs your music to his feature film. I've known
songwriters who have experienced both of these situations.
In the above examples, these were really lucky
breaks. At least in the sense that the writers involved didn't directly
initiate contact with the interested parties. Of course they had produced
great music, promoted and marketed it and made great efforts to let people know
about. But ultimately success came to them through indirect channels.
So if luck is such a big element of succeeding in
the music business, what are musicians to do? I think this is one of the
biggest challenges of being a professional musician, just dealing with the
uncertainty of it all. Fortunately though, I think there are a lot of
things you can do to become "lucky" more often.
If luck really is what happens when preparation and
opportunity meet then this implies two very specific areas that you can focus
on:
1) Preparation - The preparation category includes everything pertaining to your
music. The songs you write. Your production. Your
performances and vocals. Your CD artwork. Your packaging.
How you come across and communicate to others. How educated and
knowledgeable about the industry you're working in. Do you know how sync
contracts work for example? Do you know how publishing works? Are
you easy to do business with?
All of these elements are important and combined
they paint a picture of just how prepared you are to successfully meet
opportunities that either you find or present themselves to you. The more of
these elements you have mastered, the more "lucky" you're going to be.
2) Opportunity - The other half of the luck equation is opportunity.
Sometimes opportunities present themselves in big ways, such as in the
case of musicians who have a "lucky break" that moves them forward
dramatically. But opportunities can be sought out, you don't have to wait
for them to come to you. And more than likely they will be a series of
small opportunities that gradually leads to bigger and bigger opportunities.
Sure, there are stories about musicians who get really luck really fast,
but more often quote on quote "big breaks" are preceded by years and
years of very gradual success and hard work.
In the context of the music licensing business, you
can seek opporunities out. Research different companies and find out what
their needs are. Call supervisors and ask them what projects they are
working on. You don't have to wait for opportunities to come to you!
Here are a few resources that will help you
increase your "luck" and help you move closer to your goals:
2014 Music Licensing
Business Directory - The most comprehensive directory of contact
information for the TV and Film markets on the planet. Period. Over
2,600 up to date listings for music supervisors, publishers, music libraries
and video game companies.
More info:
http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/2014-music-licensing-directory.php
How To Make Money With
Stock Music Libraries -This is a brand new course led by Canadian based musician Aaron Saloman
and faciliated by Aaron Davison. Learn specific techniques for making
money with stock and production music libraries. 100 minute audio course and bonus material.
More Info:
http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/stock-music-course.php
An Insider's Guide To
Music Licensng - This new 202 page ebook by How To License Your Music.com founder Aaron
Davison includes his best thoughts and ideas about how to get your
music in TV and Films. Learn how the business works and the steps you
need to take to get your music licensed.
More info:
http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/a-songwriters-guide-to-music-licensing.php
For a complete list of products and services we
offer:
http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/a-songwriters-guide-to-music-licensing.php
Happy Songwriting!
Aaron Davison
