22 Reasons Why Musicians Get Stuck and the Solutions to Getting on Track

 

I wanted to write a blog that would really help musicians get unstuck. Sometimes realizing where you are stuck is the key to breaking through. All of this information comes from my decades of experience helping artists create successful careers as well as being one myself. I got signed at 40 just when I thought the dream was over. Anything is possible. I hope this helps you breakthrough to your dream. Be sure to check out the free offer to help you build your career at the bottom of this post. For private inquiries to work with me and transform your career and get a first time discount, reach out to info@caricole.com with a note that you read this blog and are inquiring about setting up a private session.

1. Too much time building content on social media for free (no real return on investment).

Social media platforms have everyone focused on creating content for their platforms in exchange for numbers – and the hope of popularity. Because these numbers are visible, we value them more than growing our own list. See #2. If these platforms go away, so do your followers.

I know artists with millions of followers on IG or Tiktok who are not millionaires or even in the 5 figures.

Ari’s Take posted on IG the other day and nailed it: “The mailing list remains the best way to communicate with fans. All the contacts on your email list, you own. All your followers on social platforms, you rent”.

Solution: Don’t let social media take over your life, or worse, steal time from creating great music which is why people become fans in the first place.

a. Have only 1 profile per platform.
b. Batch your social media content. Create all your content (12-13 posts per month, 3x week) in 2-3 days – visuals and post copy. Plan the post schedule. Done.
c. Focus on 1 or 2 platforms at the most.

2. Not building your list.

Almost every time I mention growing the “list” – most artists quizzically respond with “what list?” Your email list. Your email list is still the number one way to communicate with your audience. People that are willing to give you their email in exchange for your offer are people who will potentially support your career. If 5% of your list buy from you – then to have 1000 true fans you need a list size of 20,000. This should be your number one focus. Point to your free offer and make it juicy.

Solution: Spend a small amount of money on boosted posts and ads driving your audience to get your free offer on your website to grow your own list. See #4.

3. No email list opt-in on your website.

Be sure to have an email opt-in on your website. The example below is from one of my favorite bands The Sweeplings. This page is the first page you see when you go to their website. It’s called a “squeeze page”. A squeeze page directs people to ONE thing — to join the list (or get your free offer) — instead of all the clickable options on your main website home page. This is proven to increase conversions.

EXAMPLE:

Solution: Create a squeeze page with your free offer incentive to join the list. See #4. Or just add an email opt-in to your home page.

Tip: Your email list opt-in should be visible on your website on all pages above the fold whenever possible. This is proven to grow your email list.

4. No free offer on your website.

Often times when I visit an indie artists site there is no free offer. Without a juicy free offer it is less likely people will opt-in to your list.

Solution: Most free offers for musicians is a free EP or even a free LP. If you don’t have that, then bundle some singles and favorite covers. The more the merrier. People are less likely to give you their email address for one song, but 3+ will work. A full EP or LP is the ticket to really growing your list if you have it. And it sounds good in ads and boosted posts. Maybe add “for a limited time” in small print. If you put that too up front it looks too salesy and music fans are turned off by that.

5. Not putting out music on a high enough level.

Numbers don’t lie. People like good music. If your music is not getting on playlists or engaging with people it’s usually that the quality of the music from the songs to the production or vocals that are missing that something special. Or you live in a cave with no internet :).

Solution:

• Write 3x the number of songs you need and pick the cherries. Strong songs are the foundation of every artists success.
• Do A&R to detail the sound + direction of your record – to create a “sound” that will make you stand out.
• Do vocal arrangements for your songs. All big records use vocal arrangers.
• Produce broadcast quality productions. Nothing less will get you where you want to go.

We help you sound better with all of these aspects at our label services company. Best for artists that have experience in the industry. Apply here: ccvm.co.

6. Sporadic communication.

Overdoing it on social media expecting mad results and then burning out, giving up and disappearing. Or putting out a newsletter every once in a while. This doesn’t build trust.

Solution: Stay consistent. Don’t over give. Keep it simple. Slow and steady wins the race.

7. Monthly newsletter.

So many artists don’t send out a consistent monthly newsletter. They only communicate when they have new music. This doesn’t build a relationship.

Solution: Send out a monthly newsletter – the same day and time of the month. Make it valuable for your audience. Never miss it. Slow and steady wins the race.

8. A community or membership.

Once you have at least 500 people on your list it’s time to create a community. Communities behind a pay wall (like Pateron) are a great way to connect with your audience, give them special VIP content and a monthly event where you host a giveaway and sell product / merch. When you know how to make stuff that people want to buy, this is a great way to bringin consistent revenue. See #9.

9. Selling to your audience. Merch and cool unique products.

Social media has us all giving away our content for free. While it’s a great way to promote, your free stuff should lead to your paid stuff. Creating merch and cool unique products that are a fit for your artist brand and message is a great way to supplement your income.

Merch and live performance (touring) are still #1 in terms of making a living in music. There is a reason for that. People love live music and they love buying momentums from that concert and having items from the artist.

One of the artists I work with is also a visual artist. Her music and artist brand is about helping people with their mental health. As someone who struggles with herself, she creates drawings around the subject of mental health. Her top selling print is of a person who struggles with being bi-polar.

Solution: Make a list of potential unique merch or products that you can create that would be a fit for your artist brand and message? Don’t rush this. Spend time thinking it through. Come consult with me, I love helping artists create products that are a perfect fit for them – and that sell.

Inquire at info@caricole.com with “Artist Product Line inquiry” in the subject line.

10. Making a living now – not waiting to become rich and famous.

Artists are a bit beat up by the music business stealing all their money (that’s a whole ‘nother conversation) – and in general having a hard time making money from their music. With the advent of social media now more than ever music seems free or almost free. However, there are ways to make money from your music right now that you may not be thinking of.

Solution: 2 new ideas for bringing in money now, not once you’ve “made it.”

• Livestream on Twitch or YouTube for tips (one of the artists I work with Livestreams 4x a week and makes $2500 per month + revenue from merch).
• Merch: Create on demand merch that is printed or created without a huge up front layout of cash. For those with a community – partner with a small boutique company to make more exclusive merch for your VIP’ers.
• Example: Partner with a local candle company to make an essential oil candle with a message on it that fits your brand and your audience.
• Example: Partner with a young jeweler to have a piece of jewelry made for your highend community VIP’ers.

Click here for more information on how to make a living making music: The 9 Steps to a Successful Musician Roadmap and Making A Living Making Music.

11. Your listener avatar.

Knowing your listener is essential in order to market your music to them. Knowing who they are, what their taste is, what they buy, where they hang out on and offline, and what they are into helps you speak directly to them and make products that they want.

Solution: Your listeners are basically versions of you :). A really quick and efficient way to profile your listener is to profile yourself. Answer all of those categories above to get started.

To market anything well you need:

1. The right product
2. The right message
3. The right audience

And I would add — the right strategy.

The marketing message and your visuals are the #1 reason someone either listens to your music or opts in to your offer. Offers don’t sell themselves, you have to market them. Even if they are free. Your marketing message should be aligned with your artist vision and message. It should all fit neatly under one roof.

I have helped thousands of artists find their message and brand and create real success with their music. It’s something I am passionate about doing. I want to see artists be successful. If you want more of my guidance – the very best place to start for free is this 6 week artist development program that is changing artists lives – and its available right here for free (for a limited time).

Solution: Write out your artist mission statement. Include what you are passionate about helping people with. Build your message around that. Pepper your message into everything you do and all of the content you create.

13. Releasing singles.

There was a strategy about 7 years ago that started for indie musicians to release singles. The goal was to stay current in people’s minds during the year instead of waiting for an EP or LP release and to help grow your audience. However, releasing one single at a time ends up backfiring because you don’t have a body of work that people can sink their teeth into which inevitably works against you.

Solution: Releasing a single or two now and then is perfectly fine, but every 1-3 years release and EP or LP. If you already have several singles and an EP out (7 songs) – it’s time for an LP (10+songs).

14. Too DIY. Trying to do it everything by yourself.

The indie world has been good to artists in some ways, and not good in other ways. Having the ability to put out your own music is a blessing and a curse. You can spend a lot of money and get nowhere. Because marketing is an art. It’s hard to do well.

But trying to do everything DIY is risky. There is no way that any human being, no matter how smart you are, can build (or should build) a business completely by themselves. It’s virtually impossible to be the expert in everything and it’s easy to miss critical components that will shoot your project in the foot. It will also take you 10x longer to go the DIY route.

Solution: When you have gotten your project to where you want it, run it by an inner circle of experts who are skilled at being sure no stone is left unturned. Whether it’s a few changes to your product, your message or your strategy, you’ll want to get the best guidance to be sure that you’ll get a return on your investment.

15. Operating in a vacuum without any outside feedback or guidance.

Similar to #14 above, operating in a vacuum on your projects without any feedback could cost your project. At a certain point if you are too isolated in your own head and you have no one being a mirror for you, or challenging you to go deeper and go farther it can be really hard to find the key ingredients in your music, your message or your artist brand identity.

Solution: Start here.

16. Upper limit problem.

It’s not unusual to have limits to the success you think you can achieve. Usually handed down in families there is a “level of success” that has a cap on it. Often unconscious to you, it dictates how far you think you can go. Truth is, anything is possible. Artists have risen from poverty to great success. Artist Bruno Mars is a great example of someone who was homeless and became a household name and Grammy-winning artist. The biggest limits we experience are often in our own minds.

Solution: Read The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks.

17. Not believing in yourself enough.

Being an artist is a fascinating blend of confidence and insecurity. You need both in doses and hopefully in equal balance. Once you are past the initial phase of development and are a good performer, singer and songwriter, any persistent self-doubt usually comes from some trauma to one’s self worth along the way. Working on yourself through therapy, and therapeutic techniques like EMDR, IFS and Somatic Experiencing are great tools for healing. Working with us in our programs are extremely helpful for artists who struggle with confidence. Our programs help you feel more confident about your music and career.

Solution: I created the 7 Musician Mindset Meditations to help you bolster your self-worth, one for each day of the week. You can get them inside of Step Up here.

For more help read my blog on radiating your inner confidence here.

18. Make Your Touring Schedule fit your lifestyle.

Not touring became a thing because of Covid. And so Livestreaming was born as an alternative way to perform for your fans when you couldn’t play live (see #10). So Livestreaming is a great way to reach fans when you are not “on tour” or if you don’t want to tour at all. But be sure you Livestream on YouTube or Twitch – or platforms where you can collect tips.

But live touring is still king of revenue. Now that live music is back, you don’t have to be a road warrior ninja, there are lots of ways to do this! It’s important as musician, even if you are a Mom with a busy schedule, a recluse, or just hate traveling — to still find ways to bring your music to the people! Live performance is not only valuable, it is still the #1 breadwinner in bringing home the bacon.

Solution: Plan some live shows where your fans are. Look at your IG, Tiktok or Spotify Insights. Go to them – or just play local and build an audience near home where you can drive or take a quick flight to.

Many musicians who don’t like to tour so much, play 25-50 gigs a year. That’s 2 to 4ish times per month. Or batch them all in small tours of 5 shows per week in 3 week stints. 15 shows per tour over 3 weeks 2x per year. Lots of options! And be sure to play venues that pay. Put on your manager’s hat! Also be sure to submit your set list to your PRO to receive your performance royalty income from each show + sell merch and unique products that people can only get from you at your shows. Merch and concerts are still #1 in revenue for artists. And heck, maybe you’re one of the road warriors and want to live on the road! All the power to you! The truth is, with more options to play local and livestream, as well as make up for revenue in other ways, you can carve the touring schedule that fits your lifestyle.

19. Representing yourself in all business matters.

If you have a lot going on that requires business help, you should think about getting a manager or someone to represent you. Often the first step before a manager is to get an assistant. I always recommend looking for someone who majored in music business. They can help with all of the music business stuff you need help with! Then once you are making an income of $50,000+ it’s time to look for a manager.

Solution: Contact a university with good music business management programs like Northeastern or Drexel in the U.S. – or the equivalent in your country. They have programs to help alumni get placed in jobs.

20. Latching on to trends in business.

Here are 3 examples of trends that I see artists jumping on because it worked for one or two other artists. Those success stories like Justin Bieber being found on YouTube by Scooter Braun and such – can happen but they are the exception not the rule. You can waste valuable time barking up the wrong tree. Growing a career in music is a really exciting venture, but it has within it a lot of detailed and personalization based on genre and the specific talents of each artist. And knowing what move to make at what juncture is critical. Hopping on generic trends may hurt more than help.

• YouTube covers: is the way to grow your following. (way oversaturated now)
• Music licensing: is the ticket to income. This is harder than it seems and not everyone has super licensable music or the right connections or ability – or interest – in building business relationships like this.
• Social media: i.e.: Facebook and YouTube Ads, Reels, etc.

Solution: Start by knowing how the business works and building a plan for your career. Get our 52 Week Plan inside Module 5 of our free program here.

21. Music + Business.

There are two components to being successful in music. Music + the music business. Musicians are experts in music. You train for years – a decade and some, to be a viable music artist in the industry. This is where your talent is.

The marketing and business side of the industry — even if you have a knack for it — even if you studied it, its a whole different aspect of your career.

Solution: Train. Study. Learn from others. Grow. Put yourself in communities of artists to learn from. Learn from mentors. Get guidance from experts. You’ll jump ahead so much faster.

22. Not building a plan and knowing how to grow opportunities.

Solution: To get started upleveling your music and building your artist brand, join our 6 week artist development program Step Up to the Spotlight where I discuss all of this and more. Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to invest in yourself and live the dream!

Join over 20,000 artists who are building successful careers in music! For a short while, I am keeping this program free to all artists – to give them the opportunity to have nothing in the way of reaching their success. However – you need to do one thing. Click here to join.