This is a crazy time we are living in. Right now, with coronavirus (COVID-19) sweeping the nation, unprecedented steps are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Bars and restaurants are closing, major concerts and tours are being cancelled, schools are going remote, sports cease to exist. But if you are a musician, you might be looking at this going “what do I do now?” Especially if you get much of your income and fanbase growth through playing live.

First, accept that this sucks.

It’s impossible to just pretend like everything is fine. It feels like our world is being turned upside down and inside out. People are HOARDING TOILET PAPER! It’s absolute insanity. So take a moment and a deep breath to acknowledge the situation, because you need to let that process occur before you can move forward.

With that out of the way, it’s time to get the creative juices cranking for all the ways which you can benefit with this time you’ll be isolated from others. This isn’t the time to loaf, this is the time to get ahead while everyone else is in a reaction mode. Take a look at the below list and see if any of this is appealing to you.

#1 Write Music

This may seem obvious, but now that you have extensive time to yourself create something new. There are plenty of bizarre things occurring right now that can serve as inspiration for the next hit song. Maybe it will be dark ballad about the world falling apart, maybe it will be a tongue-in-cheek story of trying to find the last package of toilet paper in the world, maybe you will reflect on your relationships and write about their importance when we all feel so isolated. Whatever it is, get those juices flowing and create that next hit song.

Bonus: Find someone new to collaborate with in writing and maybe a new project will be born.

#2 “Remote” Performances

The one saving grace in all this mess is that the internet has given us all an incredible platform to reach others even when we can’t be there in person. Embrace this capability by putting on a live performance in your basement / living room and transmitting it to the world. Perhaps even as a true live event via the Facebook or YouTube live streaming capabilities. You can go elaborate with mics on everything running through a mixer (extra points for a fog machine) or maybe just stripped down with acoustic instruments and your phone to record. Just make sure you do the appropriate marketing, just like you would for a live venue, and get everyone to tune in.

Bonus: Get your Venmo or CashApp link on the screen somewhere so that you can collect tips just like in a real live venue.

#3 Start a Patreon

When something this disruptive happens it can often be a time to re-evaluate how we approach our music career. If you are regularly releasing new music or creating videos for others to consume it might be time to start a Patreon so that others can directly contribute to the creation of your art. As long as you are diligent about staying on a schedule this can be a new way to grow your musical ambitions outside of the traditional “record / release / perform” cycle. It may seem like no-one wants to pay for music, but there are tons of people out there who love to support independent artists. Give them a way to support you and during these challenging times they may be more inclined to support in a new way.

Bonus: Create new “on-demand” merch through an online platform like Shopify and see if it gains any traction.

#4 Build Your Online Presence

It’s hard to stay up to date with social media, but now that you are stuck in one place (with very little to do) it can be a great time to clean this part up. If you are creating something new through ideas #1-3 then be sure to get this in front of everyone you possibly can. Maybe even do some research on how to make more engaging content for the social media platform that you use. Be sure not to overwhelm yourself and focus on a single platform that your fanbase tends to use. Perhaps even run a short ad campaign to get more followers to your account. This is relevant now because with people under “social distancing” I can imagine they will spend a very large amount of time scrolling through their apps over the coming weeks. Go reach them now.

Bonus: Offer your followers the unique opportunity to do a house show or private party. It can be a way to engage smaller groups of followers and gain new fans.

#5 Record and Release Music

I save this one for last because all of the other ideas are free or cheap to implement. So start with some of those and be diligent. But the truth is that you need to release new music to continue growing over time. If there is a break in your schedule and you have some time to get into the recording studio then this may be perfect to get your next release (or several) ready to go. Then once all this blows over you will be able to hit the ground running with promoting your music and playing live anywhere you can think of. If you need someone to produce or mix and master your next record feel free to contact me and we will discuss how I can help you reach your goals.

Bonus: Make a promotion plan for getting your song on playlists, radio, podcasts, review sites. Figure out all the appropriate contact information and draft some words to send via e-mail when the time comes.

This is only a start.

I’m sure you can come up with another half-dozen ways that you can push forward your music career. Take this opportunity to move forward and grow, learn, and create! I look forward to hearing what comes out of this crazy time.

What to do when the gig / tour gets cancelled