Poor management skills can make your professional life harder no matter which industry you are in. It gets even more difficult to manage your precious time when you are a part of the music and entertainment industry that does not follow the traditional format of a job. As a music artist in the modern days, you might have to turn into a jack of all trades who is capable of performing all kinds of tasks like social media management, content management, promotion, publishing, and many others that go beyond just making good music.
The new-age music industry is constantly evolving with new emerging genres, sub-genres, and a huge amount of independent music artists who are rising to the top of success with their amazing musical contributions. Handling all of the tasks together while focusing on your creative craft is not an easy task and most of the rising artists these days are having a hard time handling all these aspects of creating a successful music career ahead. It is leading artists to avoid burnout and creative blocks which affect emerging artists more than established ones who already have a professional managing team.
Importance of Time Management for Modern Music Artists
Time management is not referred to just an organized to-do list but also its execution at the right time which makes the musicians able to carry on with their multiple tasks through a limited time. Time management is an essential skill for music artists as it helps them handle both, their creative and artistic creations along with business ventures and financial management.
• The Dual Nature of Modern Musicians
As mentioned before, the modern music industry is constantly is constantly evolving and so are the marketing and promotional trends for music. Even a few years back, people never heard of influencer marketing but now, influencers are helping artists go viral. Modern-day music artists are required to wear multiple hats, especially independent and emerging artists who do not have a huge budget to afford a professional team and are more likely to handle things alone. Other than creating good music, the artists also need to focus on other promotional aspects by playing the roles of marketers, social media managers, producers, and financial planners.
Managing the creative aspects of music making and handling its business obligations has instilled a dual nature in the artists which makes them a musical and a music promotion expert as well. Music artists are also required to focus on promotional administrative tasks which reduces the time for creative exploration. They also need to create a strong digital presence or else it can get very difficult to stand out among all the other talented music artists. In a nutshell, there is a lot of work!
• Why Time Management is Getting More Crucial?
Think of a situation where you have invested your blood sweat and numerous hours to create an amazing music album project but missed to embark on your promotional strategies and so, it is getting delayed to release. Effective time management can help to schedule the tasks effectively and it helps to save from potential pitfalls. With proper time management, music artists can find more time for productivity which can categorized with a certain time or duration allocated for each task such as brainstorming, songwriting, singing, or playing instruments.
Poor time-management skills can lead to severe burnout for music artists as they already have too much on their plates. In such situations, it is easy to get overwhelmed which stifles your creative essence. It also negatively influences your mental health and reduces your courage to juggle multiple tasks. That is why, a well-defined schedule for music artists is required to adapt to this fast-paced digital world. It helps to create a rhythm of balance that churns out both creative values and higher business revenues. It also helps to stay motivated and inspired for your next music project.
Balancing Creativity and Responsibilities of Business
Finding the right equilibrium between practical responsibilities and artistic values is crucial for all kinds of music artists as it helps to proceed with consistency in your musical career. Prioritization seems like an effective idea in this case as it helps to figure out which tasks you need to do first. Take a moment to shortlist all the important tasks you need to do and then rearrange them in a prioritized order so that you can easily know what you need to do first. This can help you focus on what truly matters first.
The creative tasks and administrative values are quite different than each other yet they need to go side-by-side which helps to create a successful path ahead for your music career. Create a daily routine for all kinds of tasks so that your brain can get easily used to it and get capable of switching from a creative artist to an administrative professional. It will help to retain your natural energy and later on, it can help to focus that concentrated energy into some creative work.
Effective Strategies for Time Management for Modern Music Artists
• Creating a Proper Schedule
Time management is next to impossible when you work as a music artist but without any certain schedule for it. It is always easier to get overwhelmed when you have a lot of tasks to do. However, when you have a weekly or daily schedule to follow and you are aware of when you will do the task and by when it will end; the situation stays under control and eliminates anxiety from the musician’s mind. It is also important to have a healthy work-life balance where you cultivate music but also make time to meet your friends. If you want to avoid burnout; you should better focus on your work-life balance.
• Find Effective Tools for Time Management
In this age of AI, there are no shortages of digital tools that can help you save more time. There are plenty of effective apps for time management and task handling such as Asana, Trello, Todoist, and many others which can help musicians set deadlines and create tasks as well as help to visualize the workflow and the progress. There are also many scheduling apps such as Google Calendar which are great for organizing meetings, gigs, and other music sessions with proper reminders. It is also important to set reminders for deadlines so that you can always execute tasks before the deadline arrives. You might think that it will not help you much but these small nudges can also make a huge impact.
• Role of Routine and Discipline
Developing a sense of discipline gets easier with a daily routine where you do the tasks with consistency and it is vital for any kind of music artist whether a singer, a rapper, or a music producer. Regularity helps to avoid decision fatigue and it can greatly reduce indecisiveness among music artists; allowing them to lock in with a commitment to their craft. Repetitive tasks help to improve habituate productivity where you can constantly nourish your skills of singing and songwriting. You will grow gradually every day and try to focus on the progress and small victories that can keep you motivated and stay in the groove.
• Procrastination and Distractions
Procrastination is something that can occur at any moment and it happens even more when you are engaged in some creative project. This causes some potential distractions which can lead to unfinished projects even if you have embarked on them with complete motivation. To deal with this problem, you can try to break down a big project into smaller chunks that are easier to handle and manageable to execute. The whole song-making process and the administrative work should be divided into small portions that do not overwhelm the artist. That is why limiting your distractions is highly important.
• Be in the Moment of Setbacks
Learn to accept rejection and setbacks in the continuous process that might have gone smoothly. Just because something happened does not mean you will have to shut down the whole project. Trust yourself and trust the process and you will eventually reach your goal. It is okay to feel impatient and it will enhance your hunger for success but it is never okay to give up just because you faced some challenges on your musical journey. Life is uncertain and a music artist needs to be flexible. Only a creative person like music artists can channel their deep emotions through your music and if something hurts you or makes you feel made, turn it into a song rather than quitting it. Always be adaptable and learn new things that make you more skillful for every situation that arrives.
• Healthy Work-life Balance
A healthy work-life balance is required for every professional even for a music artist who is making music to make a living. Being a professional in the creative industry can sometimes blur the line between professional life and personal life and that is where you need to draw some boundaries. Having downtime is not a luxury but a necessity to go back to creative flow again. Just like you need to focus on your professional responsibilities, you should also prioritize the things you love, your hobbies, spending time with family or friends, or anything that offers you positive energy to go on. Self-care is an integral part of creativity and productivity and when you take ample care of yourself, it will reflect through the superiority of your work. When you have a clear mind and a creative psyche; there are fewer chances of having a creative block. Besides, you need inspiration to proceed with your musical creations and that cannot be done if you are completely invested in work and have no time to listen to other artist’s work.
• Setting Better Goals
What kind of goals you set for yourself is going to make or break you in your career. While there is no problem in having a high ambition with a winning mentality, it can be a little daunting if you expect yourself to become a star or celebrity music artist from your first release. Some of the most popular music artists these days did not achieve the place they are in right now from their debut projects. It requires a huge amount of patience and consistency in your craft to climb the ladder of success. Success can be both long-term and short-term. If only one of your songs goes viral and nobody listens to your other tracks it can be considered a short-term success that is not going to last long. However, if you grow your fan base gradually and organically; they are more likely to support you loyally as they have seen your growth.
• Put the Phone Down!
Oh Yes! Doom scrolling through the screen of your phone is the most unproductive task that everyone enjoys doing. Besides, the influence of social media and the internet cannot be denied when it comes to music artists and their ways of reaching out to listeners. While you need to stay updated about the music industry and other artists through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, you also need to declutter your mind from so much information by keeping your phone down for a while. Practice this downtime on a daily basis to focus on other creative tasks. It will help you create a zone that is completely free of distraction.
Final Thoughts
A lot of people will tell you that life is short and there is no time to rest but it is not that true if you understand mental and physical well-being that directly improves your creativity and productivity. Other than just making music, also make time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate yourself which can improve your creative flow exponentially. It is recommended to get advice from veteran music artists who have gracefully handled it.
