Artist and Best-Selling Author Artist Ari Herstand Teams Up With Fender For Fender Artist Playbook
The pandemic changed the way a lot of fields operate, and that included the music industry. Established musician, artist, bestselling author, and host of the New Music Business podcast, Ari Herstand has recently teamed up with Fender and released the Fender’s Artist Playbook. Up- and coming artists can learn from a resource that is an asset to learning how to navigate the ever-changing shifts in the music industry. We spoke with Ari about the Fender Artist Playbook and why it’s a tool musicians need.
Thanks to resources like TikTok, live streaming, and other digital platforms it would appear that “making it” in the industry has become easier. What myth about using these tools would you like to debunk?
First off, let's get some clarity on what "making it" actually means. The final question I ask everyone on the New Music Business podcast is "what does it mean to you to make it in the new music business." From Grammy winners to artist managers to music supervisors and agents, nearly everyone says something to the extent of merely making a living doing what you love. So if "making it" is simply that, then, yes, absolutely it has become to make a living doing music these days than ever before. Primarily because no longer is there just one way to structure a music career. There are as many ways to make a music career happen in the New Music Business as there are musicians.
Now when it comes to the new digital platforms, the biggest myth is that going viral equals a career. We can point to countless viral acts over the past decade on various platforms that have to sustainable career to speak of. Getting one viral hit doesn't equal a career. Creating a sustainable career requires laying the groundwork to be able to monetize your fans (and music) for years to come.
How did this partnership with Fender come about and how has it played a role in launching “The Fender Artist Playbook”?
Fender and I have been talking about partnering on an education initiative for quite awhile. We were about to launch something before the pandemic, but when that hit, we pivoted. I co-founded the Uncancelled Music Festival to help independent music venues and artists whose tours had been cancelled get by and brought Fender into to support those efforts. Now that things have leveled off a bit, we thought this was a great time to support the musician community by offering valuable resources that will help empower them with knowledge, focus, guidance and direction.
I have appreciated the initiatives that Fender has implemented recently like the Fender Next program which ushers in the next wave of musicians pushing guitar forward and how they support musicians with educational resources (oftentimes which has very little to do with selling gear). And I have spent my career with my blog, Ari's Take, the book How To Make It in the New Music Business, the New Music Business podcast, and now Ari's Take Academy, finding ways to best equip musicians with the education they need to create sustainable careers.
We align with our values of educating and empowering musicians.
What were some of the challenges faced in the process of putting together “The Fender Artist Playbook”?
Things change very quickly in the new music business. So, if you're reading this and it's 2022, put it down. It's outdated. This Fender Artist Playbook is meant to be read, right now, in this moment, 2021. Now get to work.
When the mentality has shifted from “get-rich-quick” to “get-famous-quick” what do artists need to understand about building their brand?
First off, time to break that mentality. You think you want to be famous? Why? Because you think that will bring you happiness? You think that will help you create a sustainable career? If you're in music to become famous, you should just throw in the towel now. There are a lot easier ways to become famous than a music career.
Building your brand is a different story. We are our own publicists, marketers, labels and managers these days (at least at the start) and to communicate a message to the world that fans can easily grasp it has to be done in a way that is graspable. These days, it's primarily done through images and videos on Instagram, TikTok and of course still YouTube - but even on livestreams and at your shows. First and foremost you need to understand who you are as an artist and what your Artist Statement is. What are you about? Why should people become fans of you? People don't become fans of artists because of one great song, they become fans of artists because of who they are and what they stand for. Make that your guiding light when figuring out your 'brand.'
Would you recommend music schools use “The Fender Artist Playbook”, if so why?
The Fender Artist Playbook is the most current, up-to-date resource on the music industry as it is in this moment of 2021. Period.
What is something “The Fender Artist Playbook” offers that isn’t already common knowledge?
The 15 point release checklist is something that everyone, no matter what stage of their career they are in, is helpful when releasing music to make sure you don't forget crucial steps.
Thank you to Ari for the wonderful interview! Click here to learn more about Fender. Ari Herstand is the author of the #1 best-selling music business book, How To Make It in the New Music Business, the founder and CEO of Ari's Take, the host of the New Music Business podcast, head funkmaster in Brassroots District, and a Los Angeles based musician. Follow Ari's Take on TikTok for more tips: @aris.take
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