The music industry is full of snake oil salesperson types who will swear they know exactly what you need to do in order to succeed. If you get bad vibes from someone trying to sell you a scheme to launch you to the top of the charts, listen to your gut. Check with your friends, mentors, and other musicians in your local community to get some background on anyone you’re considering doing business with. That being said, there are some generally accepted truths out there that just aren’t true anymore. In this article, your boy, James Shotwell, tries to debunk a few of them:

• All you need is one great song – maybe back in the day when only the rare few could even record or put out a record, but today, you need to create great music and figure out how to market yourself to stand out from the noise.
• You need to be on every social media platform – you don’t need to be on social media at all. Believe that and you’ll free yourself from a ton of stress. Shotwell recommends you try on social media platforms to find your audience and delete accounts if the platform doesn’t resonate with you.
• You need to tour – there are tons of artists putting out music and getting noticed without touring. While touring can be lucrative, it may not be the right fit for you.

There is no one size fits all solution for finding success in the music business. Anyone telling you otherwise is a liar, an idiot, and/or trying to sell you something. Put the time and effort in to improve yourself as an artist and a business person and build habits and processes that enable you to enjoy pursuing your dreams every day. Do that consistently and the trials and tribulations you go through will empower you with the lessons you need to learn to find success your way.

Please visit Haulix Daily to view the full article by James Shotwell.