World Music Lab 🐸 SURVIVAL GUIDE

Your pathway to strive and become visible to your community of fans and supporters.

Apr 05, 2025

🌟 Hello!

Next week, I’ll be speaking on a discussion panel at Budapest Ritmo, titled: “Survival Guide to (World) Music: Making Music Visible.” I’m not quite sure yet how I’ll contribute to the discussion. For sure I’ll refer to today’s oversaturated landscape, where visibility isn’t just about posting content and being online— and more about building meaningful presence. For independent and world music artists, that means thinking beyond the stage, developing a clear identity, and nurturing a community that grows with you.

In this context, community building is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of a resilient music career. It is to your community you want to be visible first, and it starts with bringing people into your world, turning passive listeners into active supporters. These early connections form the roots of your audience, and from there, you grow a strong, organic presence that fuels long-term opportunities within the music, cultural, and creative industries.

Here’s a closer look at the fundamentals: mindset, audience, branding, storytelling, offers, and a tailored business model.

🎯 1. Mindset: The Artist-Entrepreneur Shift

Your music is your passion. But the moment you decide to make it your livelihood, you’re also stepping into the role of entrepreneur. That means embracing responsibility for your career—learning how to strategise, plan, and take consistent action.

💡Homework:
Write down 3 roles you already play besides being an artist (e.g. content creator, tour manager, marketer). Then, write 1 new role you want to grow into this year and one action you can take this week to learn more about it (e.g. watch a video, read an article, ask a peer).

🫶 2. Audience: Your Circle of Trust

You don’t need “everyone”—you need the right people. Define your core audience: who they are, where they hang out, what they care about. Then, slowly engage them with authenticity.

💡Homework:
Create a simple audience persona: name them, describe their age, values, music tastes, what problems or dreams they have, and where you’d find them online or offline. Bonus: ask 3 current fans what they love most about your music.

🌟 3. Brand: More Than Music

Your brand is the emotional connection people feel when they think about you. It’s shaped by your visuals, tone, values, lifestyle, and message—not just your music.

💡Homework:
Make a Pinterest mood board (or Canva/Google Doc) with visuals, colors, quotes, photos, and images that reflect who you are and how you want to be perceived as an artist. This will become the foundation for your brand identity.

📖 4. Storytelling: Connection at 360°

Fans don’t just want songs—they want stories. They want to know who you are, what moves you, and how they’re part of the journey. Storytelling builds trust and loyalty.

💡Homework:
Write a short post or record a 2 or 3-minute video where you share a meaningful story to present yourself . Post it on your preferred platform. Don’t aim for perfection—aim for connection.

📦 5. Marketing Mix: Your Creative Offer Engine

To sustain your career, you need offers—things people can buy, book, or support. These offers evolve, but the key is to start testing early and learn what works.

💡Homework:
List 3 things you could offer right now (e.g. merch, private online concert, workshop). Choose 1 and try offering it to your followers this month, even if it's just a limited pilot test.

🧩 6. Business Model: Your Map and Compass

You need more than dreams—you need a structure. Your business model helps you clarify your goals, structure your income streams, and organise your work sustainably.

💡Homework:
Sketch your basic business model on one sheet using this formula:
What you offer → Who it’s for → How you reach them → How you get paid.
Even a simple draft will help connect the dots.

🌱 Conclusion

When artists integrate these elements, they unlock a pathway to not just survive, but thrive. They build careers rooted in authenticity and sustained by strategy. They create value for others while staying true to themselves - without compromising their values, vision, or voice.

Want help applying this approach to your own journey? Let's talk.