DJ, Producer, and Songwriter Diplo offers some helpful insight into his interesting creative process as well as some of the insecurities that most artists grapple with as they enter “studio” mode. Check it out here. It is from The Creators Project series, which is definitely worth a look.

While Diplo is involved in numerous cool, fun projects, he is probably best known to date for his work with MIA and the track Paper Planes.

In today’s world,  everyone creates.  With A&R execs becoming relics of the past, it’s up to a microcosm of taste-makers and local communities to point out the good stuff amidst a sonic avalanche of mediocrity.

The good news is that moving your career forward isn’t dependent on the subjective whims of a few gatekeepers.  While this means you have to work harder than ever to make yourself known,  at least it’s now up to you.

Journalist Paul Rogers sums up the current situation well in his excellent LA Weekly article:  A&R Starmakers:  The Vanishing Gatekeepers.

Making decisions about recording and mixing options has always had the potential to bog a musician down with variables.    Even home-recording rough demos can now invite the use of multi-tracking, countless effects, plug-ins, mic choices, etc.  For an artist this often invites the opportunity to drown in options.  By obsessively reviewing variables that often do not contribute to the material, you are distracting yourself from an important objective:  finishing the song.

When considering any choice you make during the recording process, you can avoid missing the big picture and simplify things by asking yourself, “Does making this change in the recording improve the song?”   If the answer is no, obviously leave it out.  Importantly,  if you truly can’t decide whether it improves it or not, then the answer still is leave it out. Every sound on your recording, every arrangement decision, every vocal, every mix technique should propel the song forward.  Flourishes that are pleasant but not helpful only drag down the impact of the important elements of your song.

Tom Petty believes his pop anthem “Free Fallin’” was greatly improved when producer Jeff Lynne simply suggested he remove some pleasant but non-integral chords from the song.  The advice was valuable enough that Tom gave Jeff a co-writing credit.

Often the adage is true that less is more.

You create music, or at least you want to. It has been your passion for as long as you can remember and you can’t imagine life without it. Beyond your music’s immeasurable personal value, do you care how others respond? If so, is it possible for you to make a living from your music or at minimum generate some income?

You likely have a better chance of generating income from your musical creativity now more than ever. While much has been made of the collapse of the traditional music industry due to the digital distribution revolution, less has been said about the tremendous opportunities provided musicians and other artists by technological advances. Now you can record, mix, and master quality recordings for much less cost than a decade ago, and often using less workspace in your home or apartment than a small closet.  If you want to go from music as hobby (“I do what I do because that’s what I do and public response is irrelevant.”) to music as livelihood (“I do what I do and I’d like to make a living at it.”), start thinking about where your creative output – your music – exists relative to public interest.

For your music, you can save time, money, and frustration by being mindful of three things:

1. What is Your Music? Step outside your art and envision how others may perceive it. Ask the opinion of both people you respect and some that you don’t know well. Their perceptions may be surprising.
2. What is the Public Taste for Music? Be aware of the music that is around you beyond your own ‘comfort zone’ of taste. What are your fellow human beings responding to? Remember, you aren’t researching this to change how you create, rather you want to get a sense of whether your creativity has a potential audience.
3. How big is the Overlap of Your Music and Public Taste?

Perhaps you worry that the very act of asking yourself how your music is perceived may adversely affect your creativity and turn your unique vision into a pandering swirl of sonic mush. Eliminate this concern if it exists by considering these issues after you have created a song.  By applying such analysis with finished, or nearly finished, songs in this way you can protect your creative process.

Take a pen and paper and make a simple visual for yourself. Your estimate of the public’s taste will be a rough guess of course, but that’s fine. What is important now is the thought process.

A.     POPULAR MUSIC

The above image shows a large overlap that suggests broader  or mainstream potential for your music. If your hunch is correct you could have broad appeal and the potential income that goes with it. Keep in mind though that reaching a lot of people with your music can ultimately take a large investment of  time and money.  Still, there are ways to make this work.  We’ll address this in future postings.

B.     GENRE-SPECIFIC MUSIC

Image B show a smaller overlap representing a more genre specific or niche-oriented type of music. This smaller overlap area suggests perhaps lower income potential but you also probably won’t have a massive marketing expenditure either. You may be able to sustain a profitable career.

C.     OBSCURE MUSIC

Here we see minimal overlap. It is going to be tough to make a living doing this unless public trends change.  Still, you may be able to get some income by creatively (inexpensively) reaching those out in the world who identify with your music.  There  just may not be a big total pool of potential fans to draw from.  Ultimately,  maybe this shouldn’t matter anyway. The beauty and self-affirmation in creativity and expression for its own sake remains and you may be happier and more financially secure reaching 200 real fans versus spending too much money oversharing your music with people that won’t get it anyway. Enjoy and create!  Just don’t deplete your savings counting on monetary reward from your music.

Of possible interest: “For the Love of it: Amateurism and It’s Rivals”