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The New Music Industry: 6 Tips For Navigating the Business

Predicting the future of the music industry is as uncertain as guessing what Lady Gaga will wear to her next awards show. As impossible as it may seem to navigate, panelists at the DIY Business Association Conference in Brooklyn on Sunday provided advice to help musicians stand out.

The most invaluable takeaways during DIYBAC’s “New Music Industry” panel? Power is being put back into the hands of the creators, technologist Grant Neerings of DIY Media explained. However, with this power comes more obligations. While there are no set rules to follow, panelists offered six suggestions to making it in the music business.

1. Be open to opportunities.
Touring bassist and collaborator Gregory Jackson said being a reggae bass player was never his goal. When he went on an international tour with Burning Spear, he decided to leverage the opportunity, since he didn’t know how long it would last.

“What can I get out of this moment? Using media and the Internet, I was able to go out there and get product endorsements simply because I was the new bass player for a Grammy-winning band,” he said. “Think about how you can leverage whatever your presence is on the Web or wherever you’re gigging to get residual benefit out of that moment.”

For complete coverage of DIYBAC, visit Billboard Pro.