Why the new “Exclusivity” craze is meaningless.

[DesireInspires]

I believe it would be very difficult to succeed in this business without a true desire to continually improve your craft and every other skill needed to be a successful composer.

Marvelous insight from a true professional.

[crs7string]

@Mike,

It strikes me that you are trying to control some of the aspects of composing for media that we have nearly no control of, and that is our music being used and we eventually get paid.

We can "influence" that outcome by producing a large quantity of quality tracks. The "large quantity" part of that equation takes many years to create. I am of the opinion that quality emerges out of the quantity. (assuming one is working to improve their skills and tools)

Steven Pressfield's mantra of "do the work" is, IMO, the best strategy. Getting sidetracked by focusing in on your pay day is, I believe, the completely wrong strategy.

I had an example of having "no control of the outcome" recently show up on my BMI statement.
By way of a TAXI forward, I signed a bunch of tracks with a library in late 2009. On my last statement was a royalty for nearly $150 for a placement of one of the tracks.

The placement was in Japan!!!

So three years later, I am being paid by a placement that occurred half way around the world.

Which part of this story did I have any direct control - "doing the work".

Chuck

BTW I spend a lot of time on the subject of focusing on what you can control and letting everything else go at my little session at the Rally on Sunday.

[guitaroboe]

I think Chuck nailed the issue on the head.
You gotta do the work and then get your music out there-that is the ONLY part we can control.
Everything else just sidetracks us away.

BTW Chuck's classes at the rally are a 'must attend'.

regards to all

Adonis

[DesireInspires]

We can "influence" that outcome by producing a large quantity of quality tracks. The "large quantity" part of that equation takes many years to create. I am of the opinion that quality emerges out of the quantity. (assuming one is working to improve their skills and tools)

Wise words are being spoken here.

[mikeymike2000]

@Chuck,

I will check out your session for sure!

I appreciate what you and everyone else are saying and I do agree with what everyone is saying but my disconnect here is that my outlook comes from a non-musical business standpoint. - I am a real estate guy for the most part and what everyone is saying about the business of composition goes against everything I know to profit outside of music.

Hopefully I can get a better outlook about this at the rally. I do not discount what anyone here is saying to me, you have all been doing this longer and are farther along that I. It just baffles me to take the approach of just putting stuff out there and forgetting about it.

The way I look at it would be like Apple making a new iProduct and then not really telling anyone about it just hoping people find it and buy it when it is on the shelf mixed in with all the other electronics.

I agree there is not any time for this but to put it on the back burner, seemingly forever, also seems like it is similar to chasing your trail.

My mind is open and I welcome all conversations at the rally. Not sure if I come off the wrong way here. Sometimes words on a page without knowing the personality behind them can be confusing. All I am trying to say is there is a disconnect here that is not making sense to me as a business. If I were to open up any other business as a sole proprietor I would never just make products and hope people find them at the swap meet. - that said I look forward to meeting everyone next week and hope to talk and learn as much as possible about this topic. For me it is the #1 question I have.

[mazz]

As a real estate guy, you don't typically sell one house a day, it takes a while to sell one and if you are the listing agent, you have to market it, have open houses, etc. to get a listing you have to generate that business relationship with the listing party. It's pretty much a relationship business just like ours is. You don't walk in the first day as a newbie agent and instantly develop a clientele, it takes time and work to get that first sale. You never know if that person you meet today is going to buy or list a house with you 3 or 5 years down the line after you forgot where or when you even met them! That's kind of like writing a piece and forgetting about it only to have it pay you later.

I don't see how the basic energy of doing business is that much different from one to the other. Sure the mechanics are different, the products, the procedure, etc, but bottom line, you have to develop a career in any business from the ground up.

Sure this is a wacky business but if you need money quick then even real estate is probably not the best either! LOL!

[mikeymike2000]

Thanks, Mazz!

That is a really good point. Maybe this is starting to make a little more sense after all.

-Doh!

[DesireInspires]

The Road Rally will open your eyes and positively change your perspective, Mike.

[crs7string]

@Mike,

Any business has a process to follow to go from an idea, to a product, to the marketplace and eventually a transaction.

In real estate the process would go from a finding an owner to list a property with you, to preparing the property to sell, to announcing the listing so interested buyers show up to "kick the tires".

Eventually, the process results in a transaction. But, not every time with every prospect that looks at the property.

The key to having frequent and regular transactions is having as many properties as you can listed and many prospects "kicking the tires".

Over time, a predictable "closing ratio" emerges. And, a predictable "sales cycle" emerges. (ie. on average it takes 90 days to go from a listing to a closing)

It seems to me, the only parts of this equation a real estate agent has control of is getting as many listings and interested buyers as they possibly can gather. (quantity and quality of each increases the potential for success)

In the business of producing music for media, a composer has control of getting as many tracks and as many interested buyers as they possibly can gather. (quantity and quality of each increases the potential for success)

I do know for sure, that trying too hard to "close the deal" does not work. Being pleasantly persistent and easy to deal with does work.

Each and every "business process" has it's own "sales cycle" and a set of things you can control and a set of things you can't control.

To paraphrase an old line, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him buy a house".

All of the successful folks I have gotten to know thru TAXI "do the work" and control the parts of the process they can control and let the rest go. Emotionally, one is much healthier taking this approach.

See you next week.

Chuck

[mikeymike2000]

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