Today, Can You Be A Recording Artist After 30?
One of the most difficult things I had to do as an A&R executive pass on a great artist that I knew could be huge just because they were past the age of 30. It was heartbreaking for them and for me yet I was keenly aware that the system was totally geared to fulfill the youth market, it was a visual MTV age and if you didn’t fit in…you didn’t get in. Thankfully, today that is no longer the case. The majors pipeline has shrunken down to an unrecognizable size…for the most part they are not developing or breaking many new artists and radio is no longer the medium of choice to do so. What this means is that the “age factor” has been tossed out the window and along with it, breaking an artist on MTV and radio has become redundant. You see, now for the first time in decades…IT’S NOT ABOUT AGE ANYMORE, IT’S ABOUT CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE.
Why Has The Business Changed?
The introduction of “1’s” and “0’s” forever changed the way we consume our music. The process was slow, but with the advent of digital reproduction, broadband becoming affordable by the masses as well as music becoming a mobile commodity, fans who had an insatiable appetite for discovering new music and re-connecting with old favorites, no longer had to wait for their “hit” station to play it. They weren’t forced to buy an album that mostly contained only the one great song which gave way to the option of streaming their music, downloading and yes…stealing it. This ushered in the “e-music” age and along with it, made it possible for fans to just enjoy music regardless of age.
What Are The Opportunities Today If You Are Over 30?
What would you like to say, sing about, write about or create? It’s all there for you today. The walls and barriers have crashed down like the Berlin Wall. The gate keepers lost the keys to the castle and it’s anyone’s game today. The internet’s connection with people worldwide has given birth to virtually any style of music and we are witnessing a pyridine shift from the major’s mass marketing of a few artists that we are told “to like”, to a massive array of “niche” music and style that today we “decide” to like. What this means is that for the first time in decades, the world is your stage and you have been set free to create anything your mind can imagine.
What Kind Of Advice Would You Give Someone Who Wanted To Jump In After 30?
The same advice I would give anyone desiring to become a commercial artist. The way music is and will be discovered and distributed will constantly change with technology but great music is and always will be about a great song and a great performance. So today, whether you 20, 50 or 100 it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that you learn the fundamentals of songwriting and recording and take the necessary steps to (1) Indentify your audience (2) Refine your songs and define your style to reach that audience (3) Make the best recordings you can make (4) Develop a fan base even if it you do it one fan at a time. (5) Make sure you can play your music live, people will expect to hear the same quality live that you present to them in your recordings. (5) Use the net as your stepping off point and spread the word in as many places and sites as your fingers can take you to. Then… have a blast.
Summary
As it has been said, music is the soundtrack of our lives. It’s never going away. If you are serious about becoming an artist after the age of 30 today…there are no “barriers” or “rights of entry”. You can create anything you can imagine and if it’s good, it will find an audience. Remember this…the largest segment of today’s population are “baby boomers”. That’s important for you to consider. They will still buy music if it is presented to them. Case in point was the success of adult artist Josh Groban who had one of last year’s biggest albums. Finally…IT’S NOT ABOUT AGE…IT’S ABOUT CONNECTION. Go for it, there has never been a time like this to make it happen.
