Why Treating Your Music Like a Business is Key to Building a Career

Many artists love the creative process. They live for the thrill of writing, producing and performing their music. But often, the administrative and business side of being an artist gets left behind—despite the desire for a successful career. It’s a common complaint: “I just want to make music!” But here’s the truth: If you want to earn money from your music, you need to treat it like a business. Running your career requires the same approach as any small independent venture. This isn’t meant to discourage creativity; rather, it’s about finding a balance so your art can actually support you financially.

If you’re serious about a music career, you need to understand that it comes with a set of responsibilities beyond the studio. Much like an entrepreneur starting a new business, you’ll need to wear multiple hats to build momentum and see results. Let’s break down the different roles and tasks you’ll need to embrace.

1. The CEO Mindset: Vision and Strategy

At the core of every small business is a leader who oversees the entire operation and ensures all parts work toward a common goal. As an artist, you need to adopt this mindset. You are the CEO of your brand. It’s your job to decide what kind of career you want to have, where you want to go, and how you’ll get there.

Ask yourself:

• What is my long-term goal?
• What type of artist do I want to be known as?
• What are the values of my brand?

Answering these questions helps create a roadmap for your career, allowing you to make decisions that align with your vision. Like any other business, having a strategy means you’re proactive rather than reactive.

2. Marketing and Promotion: Spreading the Word

Small businesses spend significant time marketing their products. Similarly, as an artist, promoting your music is critical. You need to create awareness and connect with your audience. But here’s the catch: no one will care about your music unless you make them care.

This means being active on social media, developing a content strategy, running email campaigns, and possibly even managing paid ads. It also involves understanding how platforms like Spotify, YouTube, Tiktok and Instagram work, learning algorithms, and optimising your content to reach more people.

Marketing yourself can feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s essential to build a fan base. Think of it as an opportunity to directly connect with your audience in ways that were never possible before. Because it is. Social media provides a FREE platform for you to promote yourself to anyone anywhere in the world. Ok, time is money, but the cost of time spent working on your socials is marginal compared to the cost of actual touring. Remember those days when artists releasing albums had to do multi-country promo tours so people knew they existed? Imagine the cost of that! (those with the budget still do it…)

A few months ago I was having a chat about this with Mark Adams from Blinding Talent and he made a great analogy which I won’t be able to replicate because my memory is a sieve these days but hopefully I can convey the message. Basically, your career is your home. How big your home is going to be depends on how many bricks you lay. And social media and anything else marketing-related are some of those various bricks you need in order to build your career home. I think people regularly forget that businesses don’t grow overnight. They see artists who come seemingly out of nowhere with a big hit but don’t think to check how long and how much it took them to get to that place.

3. Finances: Managing the Money

Like any entrepreneur, you need to keep track of your finances. This includes budgeting for your projects, tracking income and understanding royalties. You should know where your money comes from and where it’s going. Not only will this keep your career afloat, but it’ll also help you avoid the trap of spending without thought.

Consider tools that can assist you in managing your finances, such as budgeting apps or even hiring a part-time accountant once your income reaches a certain threshold. Proper financial management allows you to reinvest in yourself and your music—whether that’s in better equipment, marketing or collaborating with other professionals.

4. Networking and Building Relationships and Community

Networking is another critical aspect of running any business. For artists, this means building relationships with producers, songwriters, other musicians, labels and, most importantly, fans. The more connections you have, the more opportunities will come your way.

Attend industry events, collaborate with other artists and don’t underestimate the value of personal relationships. Often, who you know can be just as important as what you know.

Remember, businesses grow through word-of-mouth and partnerships. In the same way, music careers often flourish when the right people advocate for you or when you join forces with the right collaborators.

But more than that, ask yourself: are you supporting your peers or just asking them to support you? It’s paramount to build communities and collaborate with other artists alike not to mention the true joy and reward of seeing your music gang growing together.

5. Administration and Legal: Keeping the Paperwork in Check

While not glamorous, the administrative side of a music career is essential. Contracts, licensing, royalties, copyright and intellectual property are all part of the job. Ignoring these things can lead to serious consequences, from losing out on money to legal disputes.

It’s crucial to know the basics of music law or have someone who can handle this for you. Every small business has to deal with paperwork and legal matters—it’s the same for you as an artist. If you’re unsure, consult with a lawyer to ensure that everything from your contracts to your rights are protected.

6. Product Development: The Music Itself

Finally, there’s the actual product: your music. This is the heart of your business, but it’s only one part. You need to consistently refine your craft, stay inspired, and evolve your sound.

Take the time to develop your sound, but also balance that with regular output. Consistency helps build an audience over time. Set realistic deadlines and treat your releases with the same discipline as launching a new product in any other industry would require.

Balancing Art and Business

Being an artist means more than creating music—it means building a brand, managing your career and connecting with your audience. Yes, it requires effort, organisation and juggling many roles, but that’s the price of turning your passion into a profession.

Treat your music like any other small business and success will follow. It may not always feel natural at first, but the more you invest in the business side, the more time and freedom you’ll eventually have to focus on the music itself.

Think of the long-term gains: by building a sustainable career, you’ll have the opportunity to do what you love for years to come. Just like any entrepreneur, your success lies in your ability to balance the creative with the practical, the art with the business. The rewards, though, will be worth the effort.

Don’t forget: YOU are the CEO of your career! Work with teams who understand your art and will work WITH you, not FOR you. Do no leave your career in the hands of others – I don’t mean this to say you shouldn’t trust people, not at all. What I mean is that, it doesn’t matter how much work others put in, YOU are the brand and it’s ultimately up to YOU to show up and decide who you are as an artist. Without the artist, there’s just so much the team can do.