Funnily enough, I was recently thinking a lot about my career direction in the industry. As luck would have it, the day after I was thinking about what my next steps were, I got an email from the wonderful Angela Mastrogiacomo from Muddy Paw PR, informing me of an awesome upcoming event.
It turns out that just as I was wondering where I could learn more about different opportunities in the industry, the perfect opportunity fell into my lap: the Music Launch Summit. This summit was created by Steve Palfreyman, who is also the founder of the Music Launch Hub, a subscriber only FB group dedicated to musicians and industry professionals helping each other, offering advice, and support. Essentially, it provides a safe space for music industry professionals to ask questions and collaborate.
The summit itself, which is currently wrapping up (September 13-30), was a free digital conference which brought 40+ professionals right to the homes of those attending. Each masterclass focused on both advice and actionable items, designed to help those like myself, who are maybe struggling with their next steps. For those interested, I'll be doing a full write up of my experience with the summit, which will go live in mid-October. Check back here for a link, or keep an eye on our social media.
I was lucky enough to get the connection from Angela to ask Steve himself a few questions about this phenomenal event, as well as some of his thoughts on the industry today. Check it out!
1. How will this conference be different from others within the industry?
Right now we’re sharing the type of information usually found when you sit down
one on one with an expert. All the master classes have been heavily focused on
the big pain points all of us artists feel as we find our way through the music
industry. I love physical conferences just as much as I do listening to podcasts.
The difference I wanted to bring here was a more personal element, which is why
most sessions are video based. I also wanted to make sure that every question
would get an actionable answer and I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to do
that. All the guests have so much insight and they’re distilling their knowledge
down into ideas you can action immediately.
2. How did this conference come to be? What gave you the idea to do it, why do you think
it’s important, and how did you get so many people together to make this happen?
It came from wanting a more close-knit global music industry. Which is a huge
idea in itself, this Summit is just day one of trying to make that happen. We all
have such similar obstacles to overcome, no matter where we are in the world.
And we’re all closer to where we want to be than I think we realize. I wanted to
bring the type of inspiration & ideas I’ve been so lucky to consume at major
conferences around the world into the homes of any artist who wants them. It’s
all stemmed from years of reflecting on how I can use what I’m good at outside of
my music to help others.
3. You’ve said you believe the music industry is shifting. Can you go into that in more
detail? What do you think is changing and how do you think it will have an effect on
artists?
We’re in the middle of it and we’ve kind of been handed a pretty stagnant
industry. Classically, change comes from the top down. We’re all in a position
now where we have the tools to build careers in our own right. The big challenge
isn’t whether you can find that manager or that label deal. The challenge now is
having the knowledge and guts to build your own career. It’s a really tough
environment because there’s no one-size solution. The more we team up the
more shot we all have of sustaining our music making.
4. What is the best career advice you were given when you were coming up through the
ranks?
Focus small and see it through. It came from outside the industry actually. I had a
business coach a few years ago who walked me through the process of
launching my own personal brand. What I learned there made me realize that
there is so much we can take from what works outside of music and apply it to
our careers. I also realized that trying to do a million things at once would always
end up with lackluster results. The smaller we focus, the better a chance we have
of making an impact. It’s no different really launching this Summit as it is a music
release.
5. What is the main takeaway you want people to have after attending the conference?
I want them to try something out that they wouldn’t have otherwise tried. That
and to open up. I really believe all of us can learn a lot from each other if we see
each other as peers. What we learn and what we share define what we achieve.
Taking action is the final piece of the puzzle so that we can keep refining, not just
for ourselves and for everyone else around us to. I hope everyone picks at least
one idea they love and they try it out, that’s where the real progress begins.
Follow along with more information below!
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