031 – Can You Still X in 2024? Yes, You Can!

Everywhere you look, so-called “experts” are talking about how you can or can’t do this or that in 2023 or 2024. But do those gurus know what they’re talking about? In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares why nothing is obsolete, and how you can still blaze a personal music career trail in 2024. Sponsors: Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.” Highlights: 00:17 – You’re getting hooked by misleading titles 00:54 – Can you still do XYZ in 2024? The answer is… 01:17 – Popular genres change 02:20 – Take success into your own hands 02:49 – Stay on a growth path 03:27 – Don’t be lazy Transcript: Have you ever seen those videos with titles like  “Can you still sell music in 2023?” And “Can you still start a band in 2023?” Well, here's the dirty secret, right? Those videos get made because you keep watching them, plain and simple. Those are titles to grab you. Those are hooks to grab you and draw you into the conversation. Is that wrong? No, of course not. I'm throwing hooks out there all the time to see what resonates with people and what you connect with, so I can continue to draw attention for my business. It's what a responsible business owner and content creator would do. But if you're really wondering if you can still do XYZ in 2023, the answer is almost invariably, “Yes.” The only problem is most people aren't willing to do the looking. They aren't willing to reinvent and innovate and pioneer and think of new ways of making it happen. Can you start a band in 2023? Why the hell not? Of course, you can start a band in 2023. Now, some people will say, “Well, you know, pop is the predominant genre” and blah, blah, blah. Yeah, maybe that's true. Top 40 music may be dominated by electronic music, trap, pop, and whatever else is hip right now. But what history has shown repeatedly is popular genres change. They change at a moment's notice, and you never know what's going to be big next. By the time you've jumped on a trend, it's too late. You're behind the trend by that point. Popular genres change.Share on X Look at the 80s, right? Hair metal, which I prefer to call 80s metal or 80s hard rock… That was huge in the 80s. Of course, there was stuff like synth-pop that was very popular in the 80s as well. But as it began to shift to the 90s, what was the predominant sound? Grunge, right? We all know that this shift happened and continues to happen. And then in the early 2000s, what happened? Nu metal. And yeah, again, rock may not be in mainstream consciousness in the same way it was in the 90s. But that in no way foretells your success or failure as a band. Don't listen to people who are saying otherwise. You should be the one to take charge, take leadership, be an entrepreneur, and figure out a model that's going to work. Is it going to take a long time? Will you need to blaze some trails? I did. It did take me a long time and I did have to blaze some trails, but I'm finally figuring out a working model for me. So, you can figure out a working model for you too. But it might require that you plug into materials like these and listen to them, take courses, educate yourself, and keep on that personal growth path. Read books. Go outside of your regular influences, your network, the books you normally read, and the movies you usually watch. Start to challenge yourself and bring your attention to new things and different things. The only reason you stay stuck in anything is because you bring your attention to the same things every single day. As you bring your attention to new places, new things, and new people, you will begin to see new opportunities. Don't be lazy. Don't be like these people who are like, “Can you still get streaming royalties from Spotify?” Yes, yes, and yes. As long as Spotify exists, you can make streaming royalties on Spotify. I'm not promising a specific number. I'm not promising you're going to make a living there. But can you still make royalties on Spotify? Hell yeah. Don't think that way. It's lazy. Start to think in terms of “How we can innovate, pioneer, and create a model that works for us.” Think in terms of how to innovate, pioneer, and create a model that works for you.Share on X