After earning a music degree, Brandon Shaw was forced to answer the question, "Now what?" As a bass player who doesn't write original music, the path to a music career seemed unclear for him (for me? This feels weird to write in third person). Then Brandon discovered the world of Freelance Musicians... yeah, this is weird, how bout I just talk normal? What's up. It's me, Brandon, the guy that wrote the book you're reading about. If you're like me, you've studied music, you love it, and you'd like to make a career out of it, but you don't know where to start. Maybe you've read some other music business books but they don't really apply to what you do as a musician because you don't write music and you aren't trying to be an artist. If that's the case, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! In this book I explore the world of Freelance Musicians. I break down everything I've learned over the past 10+ years, plus I interview 10 musicians who do a wide variety of things under the umbrella of music. We dive into the specifics of their work, their advice, and their lives. They may not be household names, but they're everywhere: musicians making an honest living by doing something that they love. The musicians interviewed in this book have worked with people like Mariah Carey, Andy Grammer, Idina Menzel, Macklemore, Aloe Blacc, St. Vincent, Avicci, Adam Lambert, Nik West, Jason Mraz, Adam Lambert, Gavin DeGraw, Fifth Harmony, Colbie Caillat, Cody Simpson, Daredevil on Netflix, Michael Buble, Kanye West, Kurt Elling, Conan, Hillary Duff, P!nk, and more! "From beginner to seasoned pro, Startup Musician has something for everyone. This is the practical advice you need to take your career to the next level. With a perfect blend of humor and education, Startup Musician is easy to pick up and hard to put down. Highly recommended!" - David Maemone (Keys - Gavin DeGraw, Fifth Harmony) "There's no guide on how to build a successful career in music. However Brandon's practically and knack in explaining the process is about as close as you'll get to a guide." - Eman (Drums - Andy Grammer, Cody Simpson) "Brandon has a very unique way on combining humor with a passion for inspiring this generation of musicians and the next. I've found this book to be very insightful, informative and entertaining." - Markay Fairley (Keys - Nas) "This book touches on not only practical gig things, but also the musician's mindset. we are NOT the gig that we play and the attention we get by ASSOCIATION from that gig is not who we really are when the big lights turn off. The old boss said it best.....BE HUMBLE!" - John Whitt (Keys - Kendrick Lamar, Miguel) "Brandon's writing is knowledgeable, practical and hilarious, but what's most impressive is who Brandon is: a full time musician (bassist, DJ, music director, writer etc...), husband, father and friend. Take a week out of your life to learn from someone who's living the dream." -David Brunelle (Guitar - JJ Lin, Fifth Harmony)

(Berklee Guide). Take charge of your music career with crucial do-it-yourself strategies. If you are an independent musician, producer, studio owner, or label, you should own this book! Written by Peter Spellman, Director of the Career Development Center at Berklee College of Music, this guide will teach you everything you need to know to become a success in the music business. Filled with empowering tips and resources for self-managed musicians, you will learn to: create a goals-driven plan to help you fulfill your musical passions; multiply the power of every gig you play using 15 proven methods; turbo-charge your social media strategy; get radio airplay online and offline; protect your creative works; keep your career organized and growing, using the best low-cost practices; and more!

"I'd recommend this book to anyone, whether beginner or expert." --From the Foreword by Peter Buck of R.E.M. "Because everything is explained so concisely, you spend less time wading through pages and more time recording music." --Sound on Sound magazine "An excellent book for any engineer or home recordist just getting into Pro Tools." --Tape Op magazine

Reboot your entrepreneurial spirit and excel in the digital age The days of being locked into a single career for life are long gone. It's time to reinvent yourself, transform your life and work the new economy for everything it's worth. With the industrial age quickly vanishing in the rearview mirror, Think Like a Startup is your instruction manual for hacking your mind and acquiring the skills to take control of your life and fortunes in the digital age. Inspirational, subversive, and with a wealth of insightful guidance, Think Like a Startup will help you to break from a lifetime of legacy programming and take full advantage of the technology revolution.

The music industry offers the opportunity to pursue a career as either a creative (artist, producer, songwriter, etc.) or as a music business "logician" (artist manager, agent, entertainment attorney, venue manager, etc.). Though both vocational paths are integral to the industry’s success, the work of calling songs into existence or entertaining an audience differs from the administrative aspects of the business, such as operating an entertainment company. And while the daily activities of creatives may differ from those of the music business logician, the music industry careerist may sense a call to Career Duality, to work on both sides of the industry as a Career Dualist, a concept this book introduces, defines, and explores in the context of the music industry. This new volume speaks to the dilemma experienced by those struggling with career decisions involving whether to work in the industry using their analytical abilities, or to work as a creative, or to do both. The potential financial challenges encountered in working in the industry as an emerging artist may necessitate maintaining a second and simultaneous occupation (possibly outside the industry) that offers economic survival. However, this is not Career Duality. Likewise, attending to the business affairs that impact all creatives is not Career Duality. Rather, Career Duality involves the deliberate pursuit of a dual career as both a music industry creative and music business logician, which is stimulated by the drive to express dual proclivities that are simultaneously artistic and analytical. By offering a Career Duality model and other constructs, examining research on careers, calling, authenticity and related concepts, and providing profiles of music industry dualists, this book takes readers on a journey of self-exploration and offers insights and recommendations for charting an authentic career path. This is a practical examination for not only music industry professionals and the entertainment industry, but for individuals interested in expressing both the analytical and artistic self in the context of career.

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.