This course shares practical tips and strategies to help you take your first step into launching your career as a musical artist. We’ll cover everything from developing your unique identity as an artist and how to lead a band all the way to planning and recording your first independent record with the help of crowdfunding. The course curriculum is modeled from the real-world experience of Leah Waldo (also known as the emerging country artist, Elisa Smith) and features interviews with industry executives, artists, producers, and engineers — all designed to help you navigate the music industry.
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This course can be applied to multiple Specializations or Professional Certificates programs.
Completing this course will count towards your learning in any of the following programs:
What You Will Learn
- Describe and discuss your identity, vision, and intention and identify strategies to balance the management of the band and the creation of the music
- Develop your musical brand, build and leverage a network of industry professionals, and discuss the benefits of partnering with other brands
- Develop a vision for a recording project and engage in a professional conversation with producers
- Plan, design, and launch a crowdfunding campaign
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Welcome!
Welcome to Navigate the Music Business! Before you begin the course, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.
Your Foundation
In this lesson, we will begin to lay the foundation for who you are as an artist and a leader. We'll discuss the importance of having a strong sense of your identity, vision, and intention and we'll also how leverage your natural skills as a musician, like intuition and collaboration, to work for you as an entrepreneur. Finally, we'll discuss how to become a better band leader.
WEEK 2
Your Brand
Now that you have a strong foundation (your IVI), we'll discuss building your brand and your fanbase. We'll go over tips for building a presence on social media and how to connect to your fans and potential business partners on a personal level by learning how to network effectively. Finally, we'll discuss the trend of artist-brand partnerships and why a brand partnership might be a smart move for independent artists.
WEEK 3
Your Record
In this lesson, we'll focus on planning your recording project, whether it's a full length album or an EP. We'll discuss the role of the producer and the very special relationship that exists between producers and musicians. We'll also discuss how to cast a vision for your project by choosing the right songs, feel, and instrumentation. Finally, we'll learn how to set up a simple recording budget so you can keep track how much your project will cost.
WEEK 4
Your Money
The majority of this lesson will focus on planning, launching, and managing a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding is a great way to gain support for your music, but running a campaign requires careful planning and preparation. We'll also share a some tips on how to turn your band into a sustainable business.
Your Career
Congratulations! You've made it through the course content and now it's time to put what you've learned into practice for your final project.
