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by Ari Herstand
Premium summary · Opens in the app · 30 min read
Every musician has heard the same advice at some point: just focus on the music and everything else will fall into place. It is a romantic idea, and it is also completely wrong. The history of the music industry is littered with brilliant artists who never found an audience, not because their songs were weak, but because they never learned how the business worked. They waited for a record label to discover them, for a manager to save them, for someone else to handle the unglamorous work of build
**Author:** Ari Herstand
**Estimated Reading Time:** 45 minutes
**What You'll Learn:** How to build a sustainable music career by treating your artistry as a business, developing multiple income streams, building genuine fan relationships, and navigating the complex world of royalties, licensing, and digital platforms.
**Who This Book Is For:** Independent musicians, songwriters, producers, managers, and anyone who wants to understand how the modern music industry actually works. Whether you are just starting out or have been grinding for years, this book provides a practical roadmap for turning your passion into a profession.
Every musician has heard the same advice at some point: just focus on the music and everything else will fall into place. It is a romantic idea, and it is also completely wrong. The history of the music industry is littered with brilliant artists who never found an audience, not because their songs were weak, but because they never learned how the business worked. They waited for a record label to discover them, for a manager to save them, for someone else to handle the unglamorous work of building a career. And while they waited, less talented but more business-savvy artists passed them by. Ari Herstand wrote this book because he lived both sides of that equation. He spent years as a touring singer-songwriter, playing hundreds of shows, sleeping on couches, and driving through the night to make the next gig. He also spent years studying the industry from the inside, learning how royalties actually get collected, how licensing deals are structured, how social media algorithms reward certain behaviors, and how independent artists can build sustainable careers without waiting for permission from gatekeepers. The result is a book that treats the music business not as a mysterious black box, but as a set of learnable skills. The problem this book addresses is simple: most musicians are operating with outdated assumptions. They believe that record sales matter, that radio play is the goal, that a major label deal is the finish line. But the industry has changed dramatically. Recorded music has become a marketing tool rather than a product. Streaming pays fractions of a penny per play. The real money comes from live performance, merchandise, licensing, and direct fan support. Artists who understand this shift can thrive. Artists who ignore it will struggle regardless of their talent. Why does this topic matter? Because music is not just a hobby for millions of people. It is their identity, their purpose, their reason for getting up in the morning. And too many of those people are being told that their dreams are unrealistic, that they should get a real job, that the odds are stacked against them. The odds are stacked…
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Get the complete summary in the appSplit your time equally between music and business.
Build your email list. It is your most valuable asset.
Focus on depth of fan engagement, not breadth of reach.
Develop multiple revenue streams to create stability.
Treat your live show as a product that deserves careful design.
Build genuine relationships through collaboration and networking.
"How To Make It in the New Music Business" is a strong fit if you want practical ideas around music, business, self help, especially themes like split your time equally between music and business; build your email list. it is your most valuable asset. The MinuteRead summary distills these concepts into a focused read, whether you're deciding whether to buy the book or applying its lessons at work.
Motivated to help readers with you must split your time equally between the music and the business, Ari Herstand wrote “How To Make It in the New Music Business” to package those ideas for a fast, focused read. In “How To Make It in the New Music Business”, Ari Herstand focuses on you must split your time equally between the music and the business. Through “How To Make It in the New Music Business”, Ari Herstand distills the core ideas on music into lessons readers can absorb in a single short s…
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