Surviving Music Archives

The music industry as a whole is about to take time off, but there are still things you can do to keep your career on track for success.

The annual music industry slowdown is fast-approaching. From the third week in December through the first full week in January, music professionals everywhere will be given a rare chance to relax and reflect. The biggest companies in music will have a bare-bones staff to oversee any urgent matters that arise, but everyone else will be putting up away messages and putting their phones down. It’s going to be a challenge for some, but it is necessary.

But not everyone sees this period as a good thing. Professionals and full-time musicians may celebrate the brief pause, but aspiring pros and artists on the rise may find themselves frustrated by the lack of correspondence. Some will view the out of office messages they receive in response to their emails as another way of saying their efforts do not actually matter. A select few may even get angry at individuals who feel it is their right to take time away when everyone knows the gears of the entertainment business never stop turning.

If that describes you, do not worry. We have some survival tips to help get you through the holiday slowdown.

First and foremost, you need to relax. I know you may hate to hear that, but it is true. There is only so much you can do at this time of year. Accept that and make time to reflect on all you already accomplished over the last twelve months. Celebrate the highs, learn from the lows, and allow your brain time to decompress.

Second, rethink any plans you have to visit the major music cities before the end of the year. New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville are beautiful around the holidays, but if your goal of traveling is to connect with industry peers you may find yourself sorely disappointed. The holidays are for family and friends. Anyone fortunate enough to not work around this time of year is also not interested in setting meetings that will increase the workload they return to in January.

Third, in an effort to help you relax, take time to schedule your social media content through the end of the year. Social media is what people use to distract themselves from things they don’t enjoy. At the holidays, most people find themselves surrounded by family and friends doing everything they love. Social media will fade into background noise in the coming weeks, so don’t stress out about making the perfect posts or increasing engagement unless doing so is absolutely necessary (and let’s be honest, it is never necessary). Schedule what you need to say, check-in once or twice a day, and let it rest. Your fans will understand.

Finally, make a plan to succeed in the year ahead. You know everyone will be away until the second week of January, so use this time to refine your digital presence. After that, create a list of goals for the coming months, as well as a step-by-step plan to achieve them. Be as specific as possible.

If you need even more ideas and inspiration, follow us on YouTube. The industry may be taking a break, but our content is not.

Everyone in music works too much and has a million things they feel they must accomplish, but taking time to recover is just as important as getting ahead.

Movies and television based on the life of music professionals and the artists they support make the entertainment business seem like a nonstop party highlighted by epic highs and perilous lows. It’s true that there is a lot of fun to be had in this industry, as well as plenty of opportunities to cut loose, but work is work. Music professionals often put in 45-80 hour weeks, every week, for as long as they can convince their body to continue getting out of bed. It’s like the postal service motto about how no weather can stop the mail from being delivered, only without the exercise.

There are many professionals working in music today who are great at their jobs. These individuals are the movers and shakers of the industry. They pour every ounce of themselves into their daily tasks, exceed expectations, and quite often find themselves being praised for all they do on industry blogs. The entertainment business tells us to admire those professionals because they have the power to make dreams come true, but far too often celebrations of talent overlook one key to success that anyone who makes a lasting career out of music possesses: Avoiding Burnout.

If 100 people decided to pursue working in the music industry at the same time, how many would eventually have a career? Of those that make it, how many would last more than five years? Ten? Twenty?

These are questions I think about a lot. Having worked in music for a decade now, longer if you count unpaid work, I’ve lost count of how many friends and acquaintances have chosen to pursue other careers. Some feel they will never find stable employment, while others run themselves ragged trying to establish a presence in the industry.

Not long ago, a magazine Editor I had worked with for nearly six years abruptly exited his role. When I inquired as to why he stepped down his response was simple, “I’m just tired.”

Anyone who chooses to pursue a career in music is told from the day they make their desires known that success is a rarity guaranteed to no one. We are trained to believe music is a battleground where the hardest working people trample one another to uplift the most creative minds we can uncover. We are told to network, but also keep our cards close to our chest, and because of all this the stress involved in pursuing a music career can be downright overwhelming.

When you pour everything you have into something you’re passionate about results will happen. The problem is that no one is able to pour themselves entirely into their passion for as long as they have air in their lungs. Human beings did not evolve to be creatures of habit, living to work and working to live. To borrow a phrase from the band Switchfoot, “We were meant to live for so much more.”

But the music industry doesn’t recognize that. No business or industry does because businesses and industries exist to profit above all else. From a business perspective, time off equals time spent not making money, and who doesn’t want to make money?

Money is great, but it’s not everything. Your happiness and peace of mind are worth more than any paycheck could afford, but the need to realize that falls on the professional and not the people who employ them. If you allow it, working in music or any other industry will drain you of your passion, work you ragged, and keep you away from those you love. In a business as fickle as music, it’s hard for those working to feel strong enough to express a need for a break or vacation, but it’s something that must be done to ensure longterm success in this business.

With all that in mind, here are a few tips to help ease the burden of the nonstop pace of the music industry. The advice outlined below should be viewed as a treatment and not a cure. You need to get away from it all in order to remember why you gave a damn in the first place. Don’t lose hope.

1. Put a priority on face-to-face social contact with supportive people

Social media is a fantastic innovation, but all too often we confuse the connections the digital world provides with being a replacement for legitimate human contact. Too much time alone can cause legitimate sickness, sometimes with life-altering consequences.

2. Set a time each day when you completely disconnect from technology

You are addicted to technology. We all are, in fact, and because of this, our brains are rarely given a chance to decompress. Set aside a part of each day, even just 30 minutes, where you exist without the aide of a screen or device.

3. Move your body frequently—don’t sit for more than an hour

You don’t have to go to the gym, but it certainly won’t hurt. Physical activity increases the endorphins in your body, which in turn alleviates stress. Try to never go more than two-hours without fitting in physical activity of some kind. Take a walk. Try yoga. Be active.

4. Reduce your intake of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine

In other words, “control your high.” You may think you need these things to function or fit in, but too much of anything is not good for you. In some instances, as with cigarettes, any amount is not good for you. Try to limit mind/body altering substances so that your body does not have to work as hard to reset your system from day to day.

5. Get all the restful sleep that you need to feel your best

The average American adult currently gets just 6.7 hours of sleep per night. Medical studies have related a lack of sleep to health problems and cognitive impairment. With this in mind, try to get anywhere from 7-9 hours a night. If you cannot make that work, maybe carve out a cat nap in the afternoon.