Here, in his own words, Higginbottom shares the seven key lessons he’s learned during his long career in the music business. There is no easy way to talk about value and music, so I’m just going to propose a few images. Consider the listener who isn’t a fan, doesn’t follow, “like,” or buy, doesn’t know or talk about you, but is moved by your music and taps along in the car.
This is an industry where every artist’s business is set up differently, there’s not much transparency, and there’s a damaging myth that you’re rich once a few people know your name. The family mega-wealth kids are everywhere — and there’s no stopping them. Even with comparison being the death of joy, you’re still going to do it, so be aware that a lot of people in music aren’t reliant on income from music.
Negotiating is essential to advocating for yourself. It’s not something that comes easy to most musicians, though. And there are often lawyers and managers around to do it for you when the hype is on. Perhaps at the start, we are too easily seduced by the attention and promises; certainly, there doesn’t seem to be much duty of care to educate new artists before they sign deals and agreements. Always explore the options, and don’t ignore your gut when signatures are required.
But we aren’t there anymore, and haven’t been for a long time. Assuming you uphold your own reasonable, but not impossibly high, standards, consistent output will bring stability and artistic satisfaction. Putting out a dud track isn’t going to ruin anything; every great artist does it. And if you really want to do this for 40 years, you should get into the idea of failing gloriously. Focus on your imagination; chasing exposure and attention will mess with you.
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