What's the Deal? Life is Crazy
Want to start a record label in the midst of a hectic family life and create music at the same time? The problem standing in your way is not having enough time to get everything that you want to get done completed. Since you don't have much time it means you will have to be more discipline in order to stay on a tight schedule while utilizing minimal amounts of time available to hit each goal. While this is frustrating remember you are not in a race with anyone. Everything happens in due time for you as long as you stay focused and consistent. Here's the thing, you shouldn't be in this position when the time is actually available for you. You just have to figure out when to take that time to get the tasks accomplished
I understand because I had to do the exact thing you’re talking about. It’s tough but rewarding at the same time when it pays off. This is how I built the show and I allowed myself time to work on it daily after work. In the beginning, I gave it 1-2 hours during the week, and on the weekends and I gave it 5-6 hours tops.
With that being said let me help you balance this situation. Let’s hop in.
Be mindful of your time.
As a musician, you're likely going to be in a situation where you're trying to balance your career with other aspects of life. This can be anything from taking care of yourself and your family, going to school, or even just having fun. The good news is that there are ways for you to make sure that your time is used effectively so that you can get the most out of it while still doing what needs to be done.
The first step in this process is understanding what goal you need to accomplish each day and week. Ideally, this will come from making a schedule that has all of your responsibilities and goals on it—these could include practicing music, working on an album release, or building your record label in 60 days. Once these have been identified, it's important for them not only to be written down but also prioritized as well; some tasks may be more important than others depending on their importance and urgency so it's always a good practice when starting something new by figuring out which piece should go first when given limited resources like time or money.
Realistically you will only have about 10 - 15 hours a week to give to your music career or record label in the beginning process so you'll have to use that time wisely. This is why I recommend spending 1-2 hours a day during the weekdays after the family has settled in the house and 5 hours on a weekend split between Saturday and Sunday. Yes, you will be working every day so get used to it because in the fast-paced music industry you will be doing some type of work every day anyway.
Family and social life
As you start to juggle your music career with other aspects of your life, it's important to make time for family and friends. You don't want to alienate them because in many cases they will be your first support system. Make sure you're setting aside time for them every week so that they know they are important to you, but also make sure they understand that your music and new career are important to you as well.
It's also important that you have a strong support system of fellow artists, helping hands, or managers who can help take some pressure off your shoulders when things get busy. You can't do everything at once, so prioritize what needs doing most urgently first and then move on from there. Family is always top priority, but if there is an opportunity that comes along which would benefit both yourself and the label as well (i.e., a tour or festival), then it might be worth taking on some extra work if it means being able to spend more time with your loved ones later on down the road!
Never let anyone silence your dreams.
As a music producer or artist, you may encounter people who say you can't do it. They don't believe in your dreams or they want to take advantage of your situation. No matter what anyone says, remember:
Nobody knows what you're capable of unless they see your vision for themselves and anyone who cannot see your vision was not a part of it in the first place.
Don't let other people's negativity stop your goals from coming true.
Be sure that the things holding you back are worth letting go of—but don't let them stop you from pursuing all of your passions!
"Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. ...
All right.
You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it." - Christopher Gardner (Pursuit of Happyness)
Being a musician is not just about the music, it’s about the business.
Being a musician is not just about the music, it’s about the business. It's about networking and connecting with industry professionals who can help you achieve your goals. It’s about marketing, branding, and positioning your brand in the best way possible so that it stands out from the competition. It’s also about networking with other artists that are in your market, as well as other labels in your genre to create mutually beneficial relationships.
The key to success in any business is relationships. Relationships out weight money any given day.
With all this being said in addition to your time and your personal family you'll need to create a music industry family around you! So, you're going to need to allot some time to network in the industry and mixers, shows, and functions. Now while networking strategically is another topic for another day. Pick out one day a month, in the beginning, to get this done locally and one day a week to email the people that you need at the immediate moment to introduce yourself and form a relationship.
Automation
Automation is a great way to save time. Many of the tasks you have to do every day as an artist can be done in advance, so you can focus on other things that are more important. Automation tools include:
Texting Software, like super phone or community, can be really helpful when you need to keep in contact with industry connections.
Social media scheduling software will come in handy later down the line when you start marketing.
Art creation tools like Canva will supercharge your social media and graphics needs so you don't have to start from ground zero.
Email automation tools like Boomerang, Gmass, Streak, and Google meet (Gmail only), allow you to really supercharge the way you connect with people in the industry online.
Be true to yourself and don’t compare your achievements to others.
One of the biggest things that can hold you back is comparing your achievements to others. Don’t let this happen, and don’t let anyone else try to compare you to someone else either. Yes, you may belong to several interest groups by default via the creator of this universe but that doesn't mean that you aren't unique within those groups.
Your only limitation is yourself—there is nothing stopping you from creating the life and career that makes YOU happy!
You've got work to do
Start to list out your priorities
Schedule them based on your 2-hour-a-day schedule
Grab the 60-day record label executive edition to help you build your record label structure
Start networking with industry professionals once a month in the physical and weekly online
Grab some automation software to speed up the process
Make it known to everybody that this is happening and you’re coming in hot!
If you need help with any of this you can always book a call with me on the site.
At the end of the day
At the end of the day if you keep knocking your tasks down a day in 2-hour increments then in 90 days you will have deposited 180 hours of dedicated time to your career. You’ll be way ahead of the sporadic creator and you enter the music game with a bang rather than a drip. You don't want to be the sporadic person who just does some things here and there. This causes you to fizzle out and possibly postpone everything until you feel inspired again. You don't want to be that person trust me!
All in All
Balance was the key to this whole blog now you know how to balance your work music and DIY record label a lot easier than before. Lastly, you become the next artist to look out for due to your dedication. Word to Nipsey Hussle.
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