It’s funny how life is cyclical.
Over the last couple of years, a lot of people have been asking me things like..
I remember just a few years before that, when I was cranking songs out from my home studio and making 5 figures a month, and all of my musician friends started to ask me similar questions…
(I’m starting to notice a pattern here, and I'm HERE for it.)
And so as you know, that’s why I built From Voice Memo 2 Demo, then Write Like a Boss, Beatmaking for Songwriters, and Home Studio Boss. All of those programs perfectly outlined my journey from struggling songwriter to pro producer.
After just a couple years of making those programs, Produce Like a Boss grew into an empire full of some...
I still remember the first time I went out in public carrying a guitar case.
I was 14 years old and I was taking a bus to meet up with a friend.
As I walked onto the bus, I couldn't help but notice people staring at me.
Some of them smiled, some of them nodded, most looked at my curiously, as though I was an interesting...
Now, I knew that I had JUST learned how to play guitar, and I really wasn't very good yet…
But to my surprise, as people asked me who I was and what I did, the words "I'm a guitar player" just fell out of my mouth.
It was the first time I said the words "I'm a guitar player"...
...and while it felt a little audacious in the moment for a girl that only knew 2 Jewel Songs, and a quarter of "Stairway to Heaven", it also felt really good to say.
"I'm a guitar player".
As I said it, I felt an identity shift inside of me - which came with a major boost in confidence.
I was no longer "aspiring"...
Do you know what I think our collective Achilles heel is as musicians?
Let me explain…
We are hustlers. We are grinders.
I mean, if you added up the total hours we spent practicing in our bedroom, you could probably build, launch, and land the Mars Rover in the same amount of time.
We know this career isn’t easy, and we’re willing to put in the work.
But…
I can’t tell you how many times an artist has said to me…
“I just need to get better at guitar before I can make my tracks sound great…”
…so they spend endless hours working on their guitar chops instead of simply outsourcing it to a guy who lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps guitar.
Which would then allow that artist to focus on their zone of genius.
Or how many times...
The rules for writing advertising music are often not spoken about.
I’m not sure if it’s because gatekeepers want to keep new musicians out of the industry or if musicians are worried about losing out on work if they share their secrets.
But whatever the reason may be, today my goal is to demystify the process for everyone and teach you the need-to-know info about making music for ads so that you can get your track to the front of the line and land your music in the commercial of your dreams.
And trust me, I did not come by this knowledge easily.
Believe it or not, it actually took me 8 years to land my first ad.
It took me 8 years of workshopping my music and pining after every “No” to understand what would truly get me to stand out amongst the rest.
Then, in Year 8, it finally clicked.
It started with a National...
Have you ever wanted to monetize your skills as a musician but struggle with how to actually get paid to do what you love?
If so, you aren’t alone.
For years I did everything from playing bar gigs, to touring, to busking on the streets, trying to make it as a “full-time” musician.
The challenge with going full time as a musician is most creatives only focus on one side of the coin (making the music), and completely ignore the other side (the business)
But the problem with that is…
Luckily, I’ve discovered the solution to this problem....
I know, it sounds too good to be true, but once I realized I didn’t even have to leave my house to make...
Patrick Clark has been a working musician for nearly a decade. He used to make his living performing at bars, restaurants, weddings etc. On average, he would perform close to 200 shows a year and earn about $30,000 doing so.
When the pandemic hit, he, like many musicians, lost almost all of his income and he realized he was going to have to diversify his income streams. This also just so happened to be when he discovered Produce Like A Boss and started developing his production chops.
Patrick spent the last couple of years dipping his toe into music production but recently took the plunge and went all in. He just graduated from our Home Studio Boss VIP program in August and...
That's not including the income he generated from live performances, royalties, and the various other income streams from his music career. That is pure Home Studio Boss Profit!
Patrick is such an advocate for the systems we teach that he has actually joined our team here at P.LAB. Whenever he's...
If trying to turn music into your front hustle makes you feel like this guy…
Example of how working harder doesn’t = more value
Don’t worry, I’ve been in your exact shoes, and it’s not your fault.
There’s a mainstream “story” that’s been fed to us for years that paints the picture of the starving artist who works a crap job and suffers for their art until some Record Label big wig comes to the rescue, funds their entire career, and makes them a star.
We’ve been indoctrinated to believe that some gatekeeper is going to let us into the cool kids club, give us some sort of “deal”, and that’s when we'll finally “make it”.
Even when you go to music school, while you might get an amazing education teaching you theoretical principles, they fail to teach you how to actually make money as a musician.
So, it’s no wonder there are so many artists starving for their art.
All...
You know what really grinds my gears?
When people spread misinformation about how to monetize your career as a producer.
So, today I want to clear up some of the biggest myths and misunderstandings that people, unfortunately, believe when it comes to going pro as a producer.
You might have heard one or more of these myths around the internet or from friends who aren't experts…
But I'm here to tell you, they're nothing more than words that people use to hold themselves back (and sometimes people use them as an excuse to never take action!)
First of all, that 10,000-hour rule is so misrepresented that even Malcolm Gladwell (the creator of the idea) has said he's tried to distance himself from it.
The reality is that, yes, 10,000 hours, on average, is the time it takes to master any one skill set.
However, there is an entire spectrum of work that you can get as a producer before...
Whenever I meet somebody new, the conversation usually goes a little something like this….
Them: So what do you do?
Me: I’m a musician.
Them: Oh that’s nice! What do you do for work?
Me: I’m a pro musician
Them: I mean what’s your actual job that pays the bills?
Me: I’m a pro musician that makes a living producing from my home studio for various projects for film/tv/commercials, and for clients all over the world.
Them: {Looks at me confused}
Whether it’s my fiance’s parents, somebody I’m meeting at a public place, or new acquaintances , nobody really comprehends that there’s an entire industry of professional musicians that not only make a great living, but that we’re doing it from our home studios…
…and that we’re quite possibly the very people behind some of the TV shows, commercials, and...
This might sound crazy but…
I truly believe that in this day and age, having a home studio is just as important as having strings on your guitar.
And I think the pandemic showed us that working from home is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Which is why right now is the best time ever to build your home studio and start your production company.
1) A Financially Smart Move for Music Producers
Starting your production company is now more cost effective than ever before.
If you have a laptop, you could build a functioning home studio for under $1000 and be production-ready in a weekend!
I love the saying “use what you got until what you got pays for what you want”
Case in point: My first home studio consisted of a used interface ($300), a used mic ($200), and a wonky used...
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