STAR
Focuses on the single.
JOURNEYMAN
Focuses on the body of work.
STAR
Goes for immediate success.
JOURNEYMAN
Thinks about the long haul.
STAR
Says yes to everything.
JOURNEYMAN
Is worried about their credibility. Only says yes if it enhances the long term career.
STAR
Does privates.
JOURNEYMAN
Does privates, if they can get the work. Everybody’s beholden to the rich people with bucks.
STAR
Does sponsorship deal with anybody who comes to the table.
JOURNEYMAN
Does sponsorship deal only with a like-minded company.
STAR
Views tour as a way to clean up monetarily.
JOURNEYMAN
Views tour as a way to bond with fans.
STAR
Doesn’t bitch about success, is grateful they have it.
JOURNEYMAN
Complains the game is stacked against them, can’t stop complaining about streaming payouts and Ticketmaster. This works for no one, best to do the work and be glad anybody is paying attention.
STAR
Signs with major label. It’s the only entity that can generate that kind of heat and publicity.
JOURNEYMAN
Is fluent financially. Knows reality is more important than image. Doesn’t sign with major label unless it needs radio and publicity, neither of which pay many dividends unless you’re in the Top Forty. Better to keep one’s options open and take the lion’s share of the revenue. Ownership is everything if you’re playing for the long haul.
STAR
Sees music as a stepping stone to something else, it’s all about the Benjamins
JOURNEYMAN
Sees themselves as a musician.
STAR
Spends a lot on recording. 1% makes a difference between a stiff and a hit.
JOURNEYMAN
Spends little on recording, it’s about catching lightning in a bottle.
STAR
Has a rigid, pre-programmed stage show.
JOURNEYMAN
Has a fluid stage show built on unexpected surprises, every night is different, which is why the audience needs to go more than once.
STAR
Has flashy clip for single on YouTube.
JOURNEYMAN
Has lyric video on YouTube, but has tons of live clips.
STAR
Speaks one to many.
JOURNEYMAN
Speaks one to one. It’s amazing how much one single fan can catapult your career. You don’t know who these people are, keep in contact to get lucky.
STAR
Has his label look at the Spotify data.
JOURNEYMAN
Looks at their own Spotify data. Data is everything, it tells you what is reacting, where it’s reacting, which tells you where to focus your efforts, tour and…
STAR
Goes from track to track.
JOURNEYMAN
Puts out a plethora of material. It’s about creating a body of work that someone can explore if they’re interested. Might put it out as albums, but this is a bad course if there’s only one album every year or more, best to put out a continuous stream of music.
STAR
Is shooting for the moon.
JOURNEYMAN
Is bunting, to get lucky.
STAR
Headlines the festival and then is forgotten.
JOURNEYMAN
Plays every festival it can, year after year, honing its live act hoping to infect people.
STAR
Plays to the last row.
JOURNEYMAN
Plays to the front row.
STAR
Has a famous manager, who oftentimes manages multiple acts..
JOURNEYMAN
Has a manager most people have never heard of who works 24/7 managing this one act, maybe one more.
STAR
Has an agent who promises movie and TV roles.
JOURNEYMAN
Doesn’t care about movies and TV, has an agent who cannot only get gigs, but thinks about the career.
STAR
Makes a splash and is then forgotten.
JOURNEYMAN
Sneaks up on you, is hiding in plain sight, and then goes supernova.
~~~
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