Being A Musical Artist Is A Business: I Just Do Music…..Ummm…No

Welcome to Blonde Intelligence with me, Ms. Roni, where I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. I have observed, when speaking with many independent artists and even some that are signed to labels, phrases that totally eliminate the business side of their craft. Phrases such as: “I’m just an artist, I just do music, I just show up, Ion worry bout none of that”….. This week I wanted to do a little musing about at least learning a tanch about the industry as an artist. “Tanch” is Southern for a lil bit, a smidgen. You know like from the Players Club (1998)…”Did you at least pinch the bitch”….. One thing that I learned from listening to interviews with professional artists is mainly two common themes. One is “I didn’t learn the business”, the other, “I had to learn the business”.

I have always studied for projects and if I can do the task myself, I will and If I can’t I will pay someone else to do it. But you better believe that I will know if you’re using the wrong kind of screws in my shower pan. As an artist, things like types of royalties, master recordings, publishing, copyright, distribution, transferring distribution, etc. should be of working knowledge. Having this working knowledge will protect you against being taken advantage of. I remember I had contacted a promoter and before I could even say anything beyond hello, he hit me with my partner and I would need to be flown out to meet with the artist, hotel…etc.