#94: How to Be a Successful Musician with Jenny Powers

Perhaps this is no surprise to you, but the music industry is COMPLEX. There's a lot that goes into things behind the scenes, beyond just a catchy hook (though that part is kind of important, too). What does it take to be a successful musician?

Jenny Powers is the founder of Blue Avenue Music Group, an artist, management, marketing, and label services provider. She created her company after seeing the challenges artists face within the wildly confusing business parts of the music industry—and now she's helping these artists get the money they deserve.

We're talking all about these elements to a successful music career, from the boring unsexy stuff like setting up your performing rights organization (PRO) info to cool merch ideas. All of it ties back to Blue Avenue Music's principle: Be Creative, Be Artistic, and Be Valued as a human and artist. Now let's get to that success!

Highlights of our conversation include:

  • What it was like growing up in a house filled with music and how it’s shaped Jenny’s life. (4:15)

  • How musicians can focus more on building their fanbases — plus the very first thing Blue Avenue Music does for musicians. (6:54)

  • The types of content that performs the best for musicians and what’s essential to have as part of your promotion. (9:20)

  • A blueprint for success for artists releasing a new song or album. (13:41)

  • Jenny shares her worst moment while running a business. (18:12)

  • The odd history of reporting sales in the music industry, plus the most unusual types of merch Jenny has come across. (21:18)

  • Jenny’s work with ArtistHub, how the platform has evolved over the years, and what’s coming up! (25:32)

  • Trends and predictions for the future of the music industry. (29:48)

  • Jenny’s top three keys to a successful life. (31:57)

Where to find Jenny Powers:

Check out Blue Avenue Music here.

Follow Jenny on Instagram and Twitter

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#95: Step Up Your Digital Communication with Sam George

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#93: Writing Advice, Cooking Tips,and the Power of Travel with Dr. Pamela Gurley