Is Your Music Organically Grown?

Grow your music career organically, with no dangerous additives

Photo Credit: uberculture

One major difference between the old and new music industries is how they approach career growth. There are two types of growth; Organic growth and Synthetic growth. One is natural, the other is not.

The old industry, the one of the Top 40 charts, and one hit wonders, not only employed Synthetic Growth. They lived off it. If you look at the recent RIAA court cases, you can clearly see how they still live off it.

The new industry, the one in which you as an artist are entering, lives and breathes on organic growth. And just like organic versus synthetic food, organically grown music sounds better.

For the sake of simplicity I’m going to employ the analogy of a plant in a garden. The plant is your career. How to treat is reflects its growth, health and flowering. The healthier a plant in this garden is, the better is flowerers, smells and the more likely it is to stand out from the others.

Organic Growth

Organic growth refers to growth the essentially creates itself. You plant the seed, and watch it grow. Add some water and sun when needed.

The prime example of organic growth is word of mouth marketing. This plays on the fact that good music spreads. If someone finds your music and falls in love, then it would take immense effort for them NOT to tell their friends.

Proud fans also foster organic growth. But you need to let them. Allowing a proud fan to wear you be it a t-shirt or sticker, or badge, you are allowing them to spread the word.

Finally the last, and perhaps most relevant ingredient to organic growth, is permission marketing. Every person that follows you (however they wish, not just facebook or twitter) is another leaf on your plant.

Synthetic Growth

Synthetic Growth refers to growth on the other hand, relies upon an outside catalyst to spur growth. Whilst it could survive on its own, it would not grow very tall. By adding artificial additives to the plant we can make it flourish and grow unnaturally big.

Some examples of synthetic additives include, mass media marketing and “blanket promotion”. In essence, the EXCLUSIVE use of a one-to-many artist-fan relationship provides a large dose of synthetic growth.

Synthetic growth, may sound good but it works very much like steroids. As soon as you stop, you wither away into a small shell of the fake fascade you used to be. What’s more, is that when people look at you they can see you for the empty talentless hack you are.

Organic Growth is the key to a healthy career. Plant the seeds and water your career with good music, good gigs and good marketing, and the rest will come.