Rules for young music artists

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Having played in my current band, Even Then, for almost fifteen years now, I’ve learned quite a lot in regard to what works vs what doesn’t vs what is downright embarrassing if you’re caught unaware. If you’re a solo artist or a band or thinking about starting, don’t use your lack of knowledge as an excuse to not try. What follows are some crucial steps of advice for both the technical and social aspects of working as an artist. Many of these tips will apply to solo performers as well, so everyone should pay attention. 

1. Have a Plan

Say you’re just starting out. What are you trying to do? Do you need to write songs? Do you have songs already? Maybe you’re a cover band, who play the hits in the weekend bar circuit. No matter which scenario, you need a plan. 

If you have your lineup assembled, you need to decide how many songs you need to do a show. An average set time for an entry-level band is about 25 minutes. If you’re playing typical three to five-minute songs, that’s about enough time for five songs. This should be your first goal then if you intend to play shows. 

Or maybe you want to record an album first, so you have something to promote yourself with. You don’t need to necessarily decide how many songs you need right away. However, there will be a time when you all must come to an agreement that you’re ready to record. Are you doing a full length? That usually includes anywhere from seven to twelve songs. Are you doing an EP? That usually consists of three to five songs. There may be exceptions if you’re a prog band with fifteen-minute numbers, but those are only occasional occurrences.  

2. Delegate (for bands)

Unless you’re a solo act, you need to all come to a solid agreement of who handles which duties. The roles don’t need to be static, but you don’t want people stepping on each other’s toes when it comes to duties. Perhaps one of you is the treasurer., another one handles booking, and another one is the primary songwriter. Have. Your. Roles. Defined. 

And I’m not saying that if one of you handles a certain department that others can’t weigh in with their opinions. You should always talk with your band before reaching a decision, unless they put their unquestioning faith in your competence. And that brings me to my next point… 

3. Communicate

Although it’s a cliché, I can’t stress this one enough. Failing to do this is one of the quickest routes to creating conflict in a group or solo artist. If you don’t all agree on something or you haven’t told everyone about a decision, then it may not be so pretty when the uninformed parties find out, especially if they don’t agree. And remember solo acts, this applies to promoters, managers, producers, or everyone else involved.

In my own band, this has happened in the past and it has lead to frustration and worst of all – distrust. And if there’s no trust then the band won’t be healthy.  

Another important part of communication is expression. I’m going to sound like a therapist, but you need to tell each other how you feel. Perhaps one of you feels that someone in the group isn’t being fair. Don’t let that frustration turn into resentment. Tell them about it. Don’t let your pride get in the way. It’ll only make things worse. 

4. Check Your Ego

You may think you have all of the best ideas for music videos or the image you want to convey but you should listen to others in your band as well as outsiders sometimes. Even if you’re the unquestionable leader, there is always room for input. No one is an island.  

Let’s be honest, even Prince and The Beatles had input from other parties, whether they came from within the band or the outside. Had it not been for Malcolm McLaren’s marketing techniques, the Sex Pistols wouldn’t be synonymous with the utterance of the word “punk” like they are today. 

Listen to your bandmates. Listen to your producer, or master engineer. 

And that reminds me… 

5. Your Mastering Engineer shouldn’t be your Producer

Unless you’re on a budget, you should get your recording mastered. And if you’re going to get your recording mastered, then the Producer shouldn’t be the same person as the Master Engineer. 

Why? Because the Producer has spent so much time listening to the songs and adjusting the levels, that they have developed a bias, or rather an immunity. Their ears have become compromised to the sound of the recording, essentially. 

A Mastering Engineer handles the final mixing duties for music. They adjust the levels through using high-end equipment to make sure that all factors of a mix are optimized and ready to become the final product.  

Mastering Engineers are a different breed from Producers, though there are Producers that wear both hats. Regardless, I recommend that every musician should use the best of both worlds and get a second opinion.