Inside the Playbook: Mike Caren on Why Most Artists Fail Before They Ever Become Great

Mike Caren breaks down what actually creates longevity in the music business.This clip is about building a career the right way: bringing value instead of extracting it, thinking long term, preparing before chasing opportunity, and developing the habits that lead to real greatness. Mike also touches on confidence, artist development, smart collaboration, and the importance of understanding music publishing and songwriting royalties.Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.If you’re earning publishing income, make sure you’re collecting all of it. KOSIGN, powered by Kobalt, offers direct global publishing collections and real-time royalty transparency in a flexible, artist-friendly format. It’s highly selective, but free to apply here: https://bit.ly/4b438pjListen to the full episode here -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2UnV1d2ltTCO1rfjqhTKc4?si=seltDGQ-RvWE9fwshY-f3wWatch the Episodes On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybookTimestamps:00:00 Value First Mindset00:34 Longevity Over Hype02:58 Preparation Beats Opportunity04:02 Superstar Myth Reality04:29 Publishing Royalties Break05:20 Cosign Win Win Model07:35 Traits of Long Term Thinkers09:39 Mentorship Asking Questions11:49 A&R Practice and Confidence15:36 Habits of Elite Artists17:04 Chasing More vs Mastery19:09 Yin Yang Collaborations19:50 Staying Fresh Closing