8 Key Reasons Why Music Projects Fail To Grow

📍 Eight reasons music projects don't grow.

Number one, inconsistent content offering. So something I see a lot is artists that are extremely talented, but they just don't post that often. So posting and having an ongoing stream of content is not just something that helps with fan engagement. It's also what a lot of the industry looks at. So often when a talent buyer is thinking about booking a show or a new artist, they'll go and they'll look at, you know, the different social platforms and see what the activity is like. So, how often is this artist posting? What kind of stuff are they posting? You know, what are they doing with their work now? And that will influence their buying choices. So think about it like this. You're going to the gym. And you're not going to the gym to stay healthy and stay toned. You're going to the gym to be a professional bodybuilder. That's what this is, is that you're trying to be a professional at your art. So if you're trying to be a professional bodybuilder, and you went to the gym one day a week, then you would get one day a week type results. If you're posting content one day a week, you're gonna get one day a week type results. If you went seven days a week, and spent multiple hours, and even maybe did two a days, then you would get seven days a week, two a day type results, marketing, content, putting out your work. When we're talking about awareness, it's the same as going to the gym. You get out what you put in. So I think that that's something that a lot of times artists or creative companies, that's what they struggle with is they struggle with being consistent with their content offering.

Number two, no real identity or point of view. So I think that that's really the thing that sets apart good artists from great artists is what's their identity and then what's their point of view. So you want an artist that whenever you see a piece of their work or you hear a piece of their work, you know that it's them. And how do you know that it's them? You know that it's them because there's a consistent point of view in how they're presenting things. It's not that they just like do the same movie or they do the same song over and over. It's always a different thing. But they have consistent spices, and consistent looks to how they're presenting things. That's the way that you know that it's them. And so artists that have a clear point of view, stand a better chance of success against artists that don't have a point of view. Now, what do I mean by a point of view? Point of view doesn't mean that you have to make the same genre of music. If you are a filmmaker, it doesn't mean that you make the same movies, you make different things, but stylistically you have fundamental things that are the same each time you do it. You have a recipe, you have a way that you cook. It doesn't mean that the food's the same. Like, it doesn't mean that you'd have the same genre or the same type of song and you're just using a template and just, you know, rinse and repeat. You can make any genre under the sun. But, if you're using the same ingredients, those different genres should have similarities, and there should be something about them that sounds the same, and there's a through line against the things that are being created. And once you have this identity, whether it's a sonic identity, a visual identity, a position, it makes it so much easier for the audience to understand what your thing is. And that's how audiences are using art, is that a lot of times it's that I'm having this kind of day, I want to go listen to this kind of thing. And if you have that particular flavor that they're after, it makes it so much easier to go and find you. But if the music is all over the place, and it's all good, but like, sonically, it just sounds like it's made by a bunch of different producers. Or visually, same thing, that it's like, oh, this looks like, you know, all these pieces of art are good, but there's not really a story or an identity here. It just makes it confusing for the audience. So the more clear that a brand can be with their identity, the better chance they have to grow and the better chance they have of success.

Number three, quality control issues. Is it good enough? So good is one of those terms that it means different things to different people. But great artists know what good is, and although, as an artist, every single day you're getting better, you're learning new things, you're developing new skills, your work is changing. But you know deep down what your best is, and you know deep down what good sounds like. Probably what brought you into making art in the first place was that you were a fan of other art, and you deemed that art to be good. Now, there are artists that, they'll make work, and they'll never put anything out because it's not at a standard. I think that's one side of the spectrum. But the other side of the spectrum is that you know deep down that something is not your best work, but yet you put it out anyway just because you need something out. And while number one was like having a consistent flow of content, you know, that's key, that the stuff that you're putting out, if it's not quality, it's not going to do anything. It's not going to bring more awareness to your project. It's not going to impact people the way that you want because likely, if it's not your best work and it's not really good in your eyes, that means it didn't impact you. And if it didn't impact you, it's not going to impact other people.

Number four. No real strategy or plan. So I think that a lot of times when you start making art, when you get in, in the beginning, you're just having fun. You're just there to play and experiment and see if you can actually make a thing. But then if you start building a business around your art, it changes the relationship with the art and with any other business, you'd need to have a strategy of how you're trying to grow that business, how you're trying to bring more awareness to the thing that you're presenting and in music, your product is your songs. So often what will happen is that artists, they just don't have a clear plan for what it is that they're trying to build and how they're trying to grow. They know that they want to, but they actually haven't gone through the process of sitting down and creating a plan in any other business. You would sit down maybe with the other people that are involved in the business, and you would take time to develop strategy and planning and have a vision for what it is that you're trying to build. For some reason in the arts, a lot of times it's a little bit more loose. Like it's like, I'll just create and then, you know, throw it out there and see what happens. And while I'm sure there's been many people out there that have had success with that particular model, it's not one that generally breeds growth. So having real strategy and having a real plan against how you're trying to grow your project is step number one of actually growing it.

Number five. Unwillingness to try new things or new paths stuck in old habits. So this is something that I see a lot is that artists, they get very comfortable in the way that they've always done things. So what I was talking about before about having an identity and having, you know, your secret sauce is great and it makes it easy for the audience to understand. But what can happen is, is that the way that you cook, the way that you create, it starts to become habitual and the business itself becomes very habitual and the world is always changing. It's always updating, it's always adapting, so you as an artist also have to change and adapt with the times. It doesn't mean that you change your point of view. It doesn't mean that you change your position. It just means that you have to be willing to take your art into the new world. There's a lot of people right now that are looking at AI and they're turning their nose up at it. And then there's other artists that are embracing it. It doesn't really matter where you land, but we're headed that way. That is what the future looks like. And so you're going to exist in a world where there's going to be a lot of people that are utilizing AI to make their art. Now whether or not you use it is up to you, but I think the awareness around the things that are happening and being willing to try new paths and take new routes. It's something that it's so black and white of what I see with different artists that the ones that are willing to adapt and change, those are the ones that last in the long term and the ones that don't, unfortunately, those artists may not be as active currently because they didn't find a way to adapt into the new times. So often, just by having the willingness to adapt and change with the new world allows you to grow faster because you're malleable and flexible with anything that comes down the path.

Number six, discipline. So from my vantage point, it's so clear, the artists that are successful and same with companies usually have a high level of discipline. That discipline varies from artist to artist or company to company, but it is something that all of them have. That there is a consistency to how they do things. How you do anything is how you do everything. It doesn't feel loose, and everybody has a different way that they operate in terms of their discipline, but it's very clear, and it's very much a part of their ethos. So for me, when I got into music, I kind of got into it thinking that it was going to be a little bit more relaxed, that it was a lifestyle that was a creative person, that, you know, especially being a DJ, it was stay up late, wake up late, you know, make music during the day. But what I learned quickly was that if I wanted to grow my artist business, that I was going to have to have a level of discipline around how I did things. It was going to need to be consistent, it was going to need to be structured, and it would need to have some type of regiment around it. And once I had that discipline, I started noticing it in other artists and other companies, that it was something that, oh this is what they always do, this is their practice, this is their regiment. And when you have that, it becomes a habit. And when you have a habit, it then starts to lead to different kinds of results because you're doing it so much. So very often what I see is that there's not a lack of talent or a lack of creativity with an artist or a company. It's usually that they haven't found that structure, that conviction, and that discipline around the thing that they're trying to do.

Number seven, no vision. Very often I've encountered artists that are wildly talented, but they actually haven't taken the time to map out their vision. It doesn't mean that they don't have a rough idea of, you know, some dream that they have or something that they want to do. But it's not super clear, and when it's not super clear, it makes it really difficult to map and plan what you should be doing. So very often, you're doing things, and you're maybe being efficient in what you're doing, or you're being productive, but you're actually not driving towards anything because you don't know what to be driving towards. So, without having a clear vision, it's almost impossible to grow. Because where would you grow to? So I think if you want to grow your artist project, the number one thing that you should define is what's the vision and what are you trying to grow towards?

Number eight, approach, thinking about it the wrong way. So I think once you have your vision and you know clearly what it is that you're trying to do, the next step is thinking about the game. So what is the game that you're playing? Is this a game that you're trying to create a body of work and you're trying to create a legacy around your art? Is this a game of revenue that you're trying to build a business and you're trying to drive revenue into that business? Is this a game of awareness that you just want people to hear your music and, you know, hopefully be impacted the way that you were impacted whenever you first heard it? It's defining the game. I think what happens is a lot of times artists they'll get in and they'll think, oh, I'm trying to do this thing. And there are other artists that are doing that thing. I'm just going to do it the way that they're doing it, but they may be playing a different game than you actually want to be playing. If they're playing a game of business, but you're playing a game of legacy, then you're playing two completely different games. So if you were a legacy driven artists, but you were approaching it in the way that an artist that was more entrepreneurial or business driven around their art, then you would be approaching it the wrong way. Even though you may have all the other qualities of the things that I talked about today, you ultimately might struggle with growth because you're actually not aligned to the game that you're playing.

These eight issues are things that I've seen over and over again in my 15 years working in the industry. And there's no doubt in my mind that if an artist was able to figure out all of them, that they would have high levels of success. But even if they were to figure out half, it would lead them incredible results. So if you're trying to grow your music project, I would look at these different areas and see if any of the things that I talked about today resonate with you. And if they do, the good news is, is that all of these things are fixable. And that's generally what I'm doing with Colt is that when I'm working with clients, I'm assessing these different issues, finding out what's at the root of those issues, and then creating plans to offset those issues to then move the brand into ascension and into growth. So I hope this video is helpful for you and you don't leave here thinking that you found all these new problems and issues with your project, but hopefully just by hearing some of these different issues and things that I've seen, then you can do your own audit with your brand and then maybe address some of those issues and then from there, move your brand into ascension mode. Thanks for watching. See you next time.

Ever wonder how to truly cut through the noise and get your music to a broader audience? The Cult Creatives is a niche agency servicing the communities and brands surrounding the spaces of music and fashion. Our unique backgrounds with some of the largest music and fashion brands in the world gives us a unique perspective on how to connect creatives with their audiences. We offer a variety of services including creative direction, design, photography, videography, and strategy. Head to thecultcreatives.com to learn more. The Cult Creatives. Not to be replicated. But if you try, we wouldn't blame you.