The music industry has always given people the opportunity to listen to great artists of various genres. Great stars have emerged and allowed people to fulfill their dreams. However, it is not easy for artists to get their music to reach people in the first place.
Evan Price runs Artist Collective, a music development company designed to get artists “back into music.”
“We advise them on branding, content strategy, monetization, and marketing. We work with creatives from all over the world and guide them in creating a sustainable career. We call our clients ‘music industry entrepreneurs.’” Evan explains.
When he was 14, Evan created a music promotion company, which allowed him to discover that within the music industry he liked the business side more than the writing or performing.
“I learned everything I could about breaking an artist in the music industry; branding, copyrights, publishing, licensing, monetization, content, etc.I found my true passion for music branding and found myself building compelling brands with creatives. I started Artist Collective in 2013 to help independent artists gain the knowledge and foundation needed to create a sustainable career with their art.” Evan shares.
When he was a teenager, Evan was a drummer for some rock bands. He found creating music very liberating. He feels the same now when he helps artists build their own brands.
“My mother also played a big role in inspiring me to fully pursue this professionally. I was actively running a business from the age of 15-18, but still perplexed on what ‘I should be when I grow up.’ My logistical brain was of course thinking of Radiology (because of the money), or maybe Psychology (I was good at understanding people). My mom would laugh and say ‘you are already doing it, and you seem to love it, why not the music industry?’ She wasn’t wrong. And I am glad I got that push. Otherwise who knows what I would have been.” Evan says, and adds, “I aim to be that same inspiration to my clients and artists that see our content online.”
Currently, record labels have cut back on their artist development departments while refusing to support or nurture talented musicians. With more than 60,000 songs uploaded to Spotify every day, the industry is becoming saturated, resulting in artists confused about how to get their art out to audiences and find their audience.
“My company helps to fill that void. Independent musicians come to us for guidance on how to create profitable businesses with their music. We implement an infrastructure around their authentic passions and focus them on longevity.” Evan states.
Since he first got started, Evan’s biggest obstacle has been trying to do too much. He would offer too many services or products and try to solve too many problems. He needed to prioritize.
“It wasn’t until I embraced simplicity that I saw real growth in my business. By eliminating the goals that didn’t serve the big picture, I was able to make room and energy for those things that really helped move the needle.” He says.
Artist Collective is unlike any other music company. They are not focused on expensive do-it-yourself courses, or boosting vanity metrics like followers or stream count. They focus on 1-on-1 coaching. Evan believes this produces the biggest transformations for aspiring music entrepreneurs.
“I need to work directly with the artist in the trenches week in and week out to really help them scale. I want to fill the void that the record labels left by eliminating their artist development departments. With so many voices in this industry screaming to increase views and streaming numbers, I beg to differ because I believe in quality over quantity. By shifting your focus away from mass appeal, you can spend time nurturing the superfans. It is said that with just 1,000 superfans who truly care about an artist’s brand and spend $100 a year with them, an artist can create a 6 figure business.” Evan stresses.
Another thing that makes Evan unique is that he did not follow the money first, he led with his passion and built a business around that. In the near future, he wants to get his message out to more passionate artists to help them grow.
“My message encourages artists to cut the fat out of their business plans. Most of them do too much when they start out. I have a simple but effective strategy that allows them to do less and do it better.” He adds.
Learn more about Evan and Artist Collective here.