Stephanie G. Mathis Love is in the Air! Every market is stocked with candy-shaped hearts, and customers are snatching up teddy bears of all sizes. Valentine’s Day is a beautiful time of the year, and whether you want it or not, you’ll be overwhelmed by love.
To celebrate this year, we decided to give the whole thing a musical twist. Valentine’s DayDayn’t about your partner or lack thereof. It can also be about your band and how awesome it is that you’re a band.
Grab your favorite candy in a heart shape, and let’s snuggle up. Here are five reasons to love being an independent artist.
You are the one who gets to make all the decisions
Want to go on a tour in one month? Great! You can achieve that. You can do that. You do you. You are an independent artist. That is empowering.
You won’t waste time doing things that aren’t exciting. You don’t need to waste your time with people or situations that make you miserable.
Experiment with your heart’s desire
Do it if you are in a hardcore group and want to tour with rappers! I would love to see multi-genre concerts and tours. You can collaborate with a local coffee shop or an indie drum company.
It’s not necessary to wait until someone else approves your ideas. You can try them out and see what happens. It’s not a big deal if it doesn’t. Nothing was really lost. Continue experimenting and moving on to something else.
Guess who gets to keep all the money?
This one is pretty straightforward. Make sure your finances are in order and that you at least own your masters. You, Incorporated, are the sole owner of your company. All money earned from sales, tours, or merch goes directly to you.
The future is a mystery (and that’s exciting!)
It can be a bit scary to think of all the unknowns in the future. Try flipping that idea around. Not knowing what lies ahead also means you have the freedom to make it anything you want. It’s magical not to have someone else decide your plans.
When you sign, that’s not an option. You know what you’re getting when you sign on to a label. While this can be comforting, it’s also a bit boring.
You’re no longer wondering what will happen next. Instead, you’re going through the motions and following the rules. To survive, creativity needs risk and to be challenged. DIY might require a bit more work and scrappiness, but you will never get bored or compromise your creativity.
One Day, will not have Days of freedom, and you’ll regret it
In my early blogging days, I interviewed many signed artists. While they were generally grateful for the exposure they had received as a result of partnering with a record label, they consistently expressed nostalgia for independent days.
One band mentioned that they miss the days when they could just release one whenever they wanted and not have to incorporate it into a calculated marketing plan. They were surprised to learn that something so simple they had taken for granted required 10+ people’s approval, a series of analytics, and 25 other things to be done under the responsibility of an unknown team.
I can appreciate the benefits and appeal of having a brand behind you. And for many reasons, it is a great option. The days of labeling yourself to achieve success are over. Labels are no longer the solution to your perceived problems.
This Valentine’s Day, don’t worry about being alone. Embrace it! Never forget that you’re lucky to be an independent person in today’s world. The creative freedom that DIY brings is something to be cherished. Will you be my Valentine?
