Business strategy for new musicians

Wired just published a great series of articles on the state of the music business and how artists can make money in today’s digital world. Of all of David Byrne’s survival strategies, the only one that appeals to me is doing everything independently. As David illustrates, if you have a direct connection with fans, you can make more releasing an album on your own than many major artists make by releasing through a major label. So the record industry being broken is actually good news for musician-DIYers with a little bit of talent and gumption.

I relish the thought of hiring creative people directly to help me design videos and album artwork to go with my music. I keep a bookmark folder of producers who I’d love to collaborate with in the future. I know how to setup a music downloading service (backed by Amazon web services) that scales; there’s no need for me to give Itunes 30%.

I also know I still need a hook. I still need great music that really affects people. I need great videos that thrill the imagination. I need to tour with my buddies and do impromptu roadside concerts out of a Volkswagen Bus. I need to release an epic HD DVD of the touring, the videos, etc. I must design and sell awesome shirts and hoodies and stickers. I have to create a story, a theme that runs through the music and the videos. And the crazy thing is, I know it’s now possible to do this independently. If I have a little bit of money, I can record my songs myself. If I have a little more, I can hire great people directly to help me with videos, art, and more.

I love how the theme of independence is running rampant through the startup world and music industry alike. I love how cheaply great new art can be made. There are many people that would be overwhelmed by handling all of this on their own, but for Internet geeks, nothing seems that hard anymore.

I wonder if an independent band could reach tens of millions of people by releasing brilliant product online? I suspect the success of such a venture revolves around creating a direct relationship with your fans. But I sense that’s it’s totally possible. Man, I can’t wait to try this out. First, I’ve got to bring my startups to life and then I can invest some money and time into my own epic independent music release. In the mean time, I’m writing new songs with my friends at night after long days of coding.

It’s a good life, and I can’t complain.