The Producer Files Issue #17
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In this issue (#17) of The Producer Files:
ϟ Discussion: A discussion around consistency and how to measure it for better business results ($25k label project)
ϟ Celebrate: Dark Label inks deal with Grammy-winning producer Alex Niceforo (Demi Lovato, John Legend) as a consulting client.
ϟ Plus our recs (recommendations) of the week!
DISCUSSION: The love/hate relationship with being consistent as a music producer.
Consistency is one of the ‘buzz’ words that is drilled into our heads to the point of exhaustion. Most of us have a love/hate relationship with consistency.
On one hand, we know that being consistent will solve most of our business problems. On the other hand, it sometimes feels impossible.
I can relate and that's why I want to share how I approach consistency with the producers in our network in hopes that it will help you too.
The first thing to know is that yes… Consistency does solve many business problems for producers. Very rarely have I seen a producer with consistent actions on the front-end, not have consistent income on the back-end.
It's simple, but not always easy.
As humans, we love making things more complex than they are, but it really is simple. Most of you reading this newsletter probably know what you should be doing to grow your production business and career, but have more of an issue around being consistent with it.
For example, we have a producer here at Dark Label named Jesse who is still in his first year of being full-time but consistently puts wins on the board. Here's some proof of course…
He's also currently locking down a $25k label project which is an exciting milestone this early on.
I like having Jesse around because he sets a high bar for our other members when it comes to being consistent and they get a lot of value out of that.
There's a quick tip for you… I've found that being around people who are consistent does make me more consistent.
During a group mastermind at Dark Label we were discussing “consistency” and here was my 2 cents…
Consistency doesn't mean perfection…
Consistency comes down to the speed at which you can get back on track after you get knocked out of your routine (which will 100% happen).
The problem is that many of us will break our routine (including me) and instead of getting back on it immediately, we ponder and feel guilty about breaking our routine which ends up wasting energy. Then we feel guilty about wasting the energy lol.
The practice here is that each time you get out of your routine try to shorten the time it takes for you to get back on. I recommend that you track this.
At first it may take a few weeks, but with practice you can get it down to a day and then you've exponentially increased your growth curve.
The most dangerous part of not being consistent is that we never give ourselves a chance to actually get good at the skill we're trying to acquire or reap the benefits of momentum.
Instead of looking at consistency as an off/on switch, I look at it as a percentage:
“I was only 20% consistent this week instead of 80%. I will try to be 50% next week".
This prevents the dreadful feeling of starting over every time which is really just a narrative we make up in our own heads.
You aren't starting over.
If I spend 6 months losing 30 pounds and I get off my routine for 30 days and gain 10 pounds… Sure that's a bummer, but I am not technically “starting over”. I've still lost 20 pounds which means I'm closer to my goal than I was 7 months ago.
The point is that you are not completely undoing the progress you've made.
When we do the on/off switch thing it just gives us an excuse to stay "off" longer, but we mitigate that risk when we rate ourselves using a percentage instead.
Hope that helps.
NEW: Dark Label inks consulting deal with Grammy-winning producer.
Alex Niceforo is a GRAMMY winning, multi-platinum music producer based in Los Angeles. In his 15 year career, he's written and produced songs for Demi Lovato, John Legend, Britney Spears, Yungblud, Maren Morris, Anne-Marie, and many more. Alex joined Dark Label to expand the digital realm of his business as a producer and explore all of the opportunities that this new era has to offer.
Recs of the week
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Recs of the week 〰️
That's all folks! Thanks for reading The Producer Files and when you're ready, feel free to reach out to us…
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