Are you crafting a career in the music industry that makes you feel personally fulfilled, or are you following generalized advice that may not apply to your unique goals and interests? Social media is inundated with conflicting advice (from both legitimate and questionable sources) on how to succeed in the industry, but information overload can make it difficult to take action. Not every strategy will work the same way for every artist, and it can be difficult to filter through and choose the strategies that will work for you. Too many artists feel overwhelmed by everything they think they “should” do to move their careers forward, and they don’t stop to consider whether certain career moves are the right fit for their goals and their brand. If you feel lost and unsure about your next big career moves in the music industry, here are 4 tips to help you cut through the noise and chart your own course:
- Add a music lawyer to your team–not just any lawyer. Like other areas of law, music law is a complex, quickly-evolving field. It combines elements of copyright, trademark, business, and employment law, and applies those elements to laws and standards that impact the music industry. Because the music industry involves such a unique intersection of various laws and industry standards, you need a specialist on your team who understands these nuances in depth. A music lawyer can help you take proactive steps to protect your music career as it develops, and help you work through the complexities of the industry in ways that other lawyers, who specialize in different areas, cannot.
- Protect your relationships with well-drafted contracts. You want team members who understand your goals, support your vision, strategize with you, and stay with you for the long haul. Contracts can seem formal and intimidating, but getting your arrangements in writing will help you avoid the confusion and frustration that jeopardizes relationships. You and your contractors want to know your payment terms, scope of work, deliverables, and other arrangements as clearly as possible. When these terms are unclear because they are decided orally (and therefore remembered inaccurately) or written without consideration for the relevant laws at play, resentment builds and relationships break down. Clear contracts are an investment in the longevity of your relationships and your career.
- Define your unique brand identity and protect it with trademarks. The more you stand out with recognizable, unique branding, the easier it will be to obtain a federal trademark registration. When evaluating your trademark application, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) wants to see evidence that the brand associated with your name and/or logo is original enough to stand out in the marketplace and avoid confusion with other brands. Memorable music, imagery, and a creative name will improve your chances at obtaining a federally-registered trademark, because it will show the USPTO that you are filling your own niche and not seeking to infringe on other artists’ trademarks. Note that this applies only to US-based artists; trademark laws and the protections they offer will differ in other countries.
- Watch out for “team members” who do not have your interests at heart. A major label or a well-known manager might get you high-status connections and name recognition, but will those particular connections get you any closer to achieving your goals? Status alone does not guarantee that your major label or celebrity manager will know how to meet you at your current level and take you to the next, because strategies that work for high-level artists may not work the same way for mid-level and beginner artists. Worse, these team members may not invest the same individualized attention into your career that they invest into their more established artists. When considering whether to work with a label, manager, or other team member, thoroughly research their career histories and discuss your goals and interests with them in depth. This will help you decide whether these team members share your vision and have the resources to implement it. Networking with the right team members, instead of focusing solely on measures of perceived status, will push you further in the long run.
Ready to invest in the longevity of your music career? Contact us at randy@randyojedalaw.com and let’s develop your strategy.