Building your music marketing team using freelancers [Amber Horsburgh]

As an impartial artist, what your team seems to be like is solely as much as you, supplying you with an choice to construct from the bottom up by hiring for whichever positions swimsuit your wants most. Here, we provide a four-step information to hiring freelancers.Guest put up from Amber HorsburghThere are not any guidelines for the way your team ought to look.Aside from a lawyer, you may make it as much as praise precisely how you’re employed. As somebody who’s freelanced for various labels, administration corporations, and artists instantly I’ve seen how various groups are. No supervisor? No issues. 4 managers? Cool!With the completely different financing choices exterior a standard label deal and entry to a worldwide market by means of the web, artists can construct their team nonetheless they need. Meaning, extra alternative for inventive professionals to work on a contract or challenge foundation.You, because the artist, won’t want all of the companies given by your distribution’s artist companies team otherwise you would possibly need to construct your circle of relatives. If so, you’ll depend on freelancers. I’ve been a freelancer, I’ve employed dozens on behalf of managers/labels and I’ve linked lots of of freelancers with artists. This is a 4-step information for artists hiring freelancers for the primary time.1. Scope a challenge primarily based on outputs, not outcomes. The scope of labor is the settlement each events enter that outlines the work that shall be carried out. An end result is the end result that occurs from the work of the freelancer. I.e.: Increase Instagram followers from 0 – 2,000 in 6 weeks.An output is a product created by the freelancer that contributes to the general challenge. I.e.: Create 15 Instagram posts per week together with 5 posts, 7 Stories, 3 Reels.If you’re considering this sounds bent, that is why outputs are extra essential than outcomes:You need the scope of your relationship to be crystal clear. When you begin working collectively and expectations change say, the challenge goes higher than anticipated and also you obtain 2,000 followers in 3 days as moderately than 6 weeks on account of a viral combine and never from direct work of the freelancer you then don’t need to pay for work not accomplished. On the flip facet, if the outcomes aren’t achieved on account of points exterior the freelancer’s management, it’s good to pay them for his or her work and experience in good religion. A scope detailed with clear outputs will reduce threat on each side. You, because the artist, know precisely the place the freelancer matches into your total marketing wants. The freelancer has a transparent course on how they add worth to your challenge to allow them to get cracking on execution.You need to be on board with their technique. The freelancer is appearing on your behalf so that you need to be sure that their finest foot is ahead. Back to our instagram instance, if the end result was to develop the account by 2,000 followers in 6 weeks you then would possibly get a technique again that’s to purchase a bunch of cheap followers that yield no engagement nor streams. You wouldn’t be on board with this technique nonetheless, they’ve delivered on the end result so the work is accomplished. Instead, if the output was to create 15 Instagram posts per week together with 5 posts, 7 Stories, 3 Reels, then they’re using a rigorous content material technique with a purpose to obtain your total challenge aim on rising the Instagram following.You can terminate the engagement simpler. If you’re not pleased with the work as soon as the challenge has commenced or accomplished you’ll be able to have an goal dialog about the best way to terminate. If you’ve scoped to ship outcomes you then’ll end up in an emotional finger-pointing match. What could also be a transparent sequence of occasions in your thoughts could also be solely completely different to that of the freelancer.Instead, you probably have an output scoped challenge you have got a guidelines of what was and was not delivered on the challenge. 2. Research your finest fitI used to rent one of the best freelancer I might afford considering their genius would construct every thing in my/artists head. After many failed relationships, I spotted you’re shopping for an individual’s context, relationships, expertise and style. Your concept will take a unique form upon execution –The shade palette you had in thoughts, the styling, content material concepts, and partnerships will enter the world branded by the individuals you’re working with. So, I now rent freelancers primarily based solely on their earlier work, not a lot their experience.If you’re courting a music video director then visualize your self in considered one of their earlier movies as a result of that’s what it’s going to appear to be. The refined cues you might not choose up on like digital camera angles, efficiency, lighting, enhancing pace will all apply to your challenge.The finest match shall be somebody who’s portfolio you flick by means of and see your picture proper there with it.Places you’ll be able to go to search out freelancers:Friends and different artist friends. Find artists whose work you want and dig into the credit. If it’s a music video you’re after then YouTube descriptions normally listing all the team on set. If it’s photographers then they’re normally credited on press pics. Trawl artists’ instagram pages and search for BTS and see who’s tagged within the pic.Put a name out on your socials for individuals to tag freelancers in a selected space. People in your community usually tend to need to show you how to than straight chilly emails.Ask entrepreneurs. I’m requested rather a lot about once I tackle new shoppers, for now my consideration is 100% on the members of my on-line program – the School of Deep Cuts. I’ve compiled a listing of freelancers in my community on this spreadsheet that you just’re free to contact. Their collective expertise span campaigns for Doja Cat, The xx, Lil Nas X, Rex Orange County, David Bowie and Jorja Smith. Just inform them you had been referred by Amber Horsburgh’s music freelancer rolodex.3. Draft a transparent, detailed temporaryYou’ll want a short. This doc is completely different to your scope of labor detailing outputs. The temporary tells the freelancer why they’ve been employed with background from you as to what the issue is and the way you count on marketing will clear up it.The temporary is vital to working relationship. A great temporary means you’ll be able to: Hit the bottom working. It minimizes the freelancer’s studying curve to allow them to get cracking on the work as quickly as you start collectively. Otherwise, you’ll waste treasured weeks educating them on what you need. Inspires concepts. Provides a doc that retains you aligned on why everyone seems to be right here. When initiatives get chaotic, as they inevitably do, the temporary provides all events clear instruction of why they’re there.If you don’t have a briefing template, I present one in my upcoming course, the School of Deep Cuts, which is opening for enrollment within the coming weeks that you just’re welcome to seize.4. Know the place everybody matchesNo one cares about your challenge as a lot as you do, even in case you pay them. You should be in management over all points of your marketing. If you know the way every space works and the way they interrelate then who precisely you’re searching for to outsource.One factor that drove me nuts when freelancing is that this silver bullet mentality of shoppers. You’re usually employed to repair every thing but, you have got entry to solely a slither of the challenge. Freelancers are introduced on as a result of there’s a gap within the team, they will’t repair that gap except you’ll be able to clearly determine what it’s.What I imply by that is, no-one can ship you outcomes in case you’re anticipating them to “repair marketing” or “develop the fanbase” or “make it look higher”. These requests are too broad. There are interrelated disciplines at play and completely different issues required to “develop the fanbase”. You have to understand how you’re going to develop it, then you’ll be able to rent one of the best match to do it. E.g.: digital advertisements, content material marketing and group administration will develop the fanbase, however, except the basics of every space of marketing you gained’t know who to rent to finest show you how to obtain your objectives.Once the basics of launch planning you’re empowered in your marketing selections figuring out you’ve acquired the plan. There’s nothing worse than making an attempt to handle different individuals in a challenge the place you your self don’t actually know what’s occurring.I educate the basics of launch planning within the School of Deep Cuts, which is open for enrollment within the subsequent few weeks. So, if you wish to get clearer on launch planning be sure to’re on the listing to get updates.Wrapping it upIf you’re able to get exterior assist from a professional be sure that to set them up for achievement by getting your self prepped. Understand the basics of music marketing and launch planning with a purpose to know precisely who you’re searching for, the place to search out them and what you need them to do. No one cares as a lot as you achieve this take the reigns, get in management and propel your challenge to the place it deserves to go.For extra articles like this, subscribe to the e-newsletter. Owen Davie on 04/16/2021 in D.I.Y. | Permalink | Comments (1)