New Year, New You, am I right?! At least, that’s what it felt like a few weeks ago when you were still in full planning mode, psyched about the New Year, and ready to tackle everything on your to-do list and then some. 

But now, as we get deeper into the day-to-day of the new year, that magic is starting to wear off. You’re still motivated to do all the things you set out to do just a few weeks ago, but you seem to have suddenly lost the time, energy, and clarity on how to make that happen.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This post-holiday slog hits all of us. It’s easy with the promise of a new year to get all hyped up on our greatest dreams and ambitions but the truth is, when things get back to “normal” and we’re back in the post-holiday day-to-day, it can be really difficult to have that follow through.

But, don’t fret! There are a few easy ways to get yourself out of this funk before it’s too late.

Playlists are something serious musicians can’t afford not to care about or pay attention to in today’s music industry. You probably already knew that though, unless you just got rescued from an island in the middle of the ocean that had no internet. Things like conventional radio and licensing placements can still be hugely influential in music, but playlists are becoming so popular that many seasoned music industry professionals worry the listening format is pushing out traditional albums. By now, most of us have heard of success stories in music where artists get featured on huge playlists and become hugely successful shortly after. But the truth is that playlists are still new as listening formats, and they work much better for some artists than others.

Whether it’s sending music to a local venue in hopes of landing an opening spot at a big show or reaching out to blogs and playlists in an effort to get featured, pitching music is an integral part of making progress as an unestablished artist. It’s also an incredibly frustrating experience for many musicians who always seem to be pitching their work but never see the results they’re looking for. It makes perfect sense why so many musicians loathe writing pitches when most, if not all of them, usually end up getting sucked down into a digital black hole in which messages never return. The good news is that there are things we can do as artists to drastically increase our chances of catching the attention of music journalists and curators.

Most of the time, it comes down to remembering one very important thing: empathy. 

I’ve got some news for you that might be hard to believe if you’re a musician hard at work in 2019. CDs are not a thing of the past. Far from it, actually. Believe it or not, there’s a couple of occasions in music where downloads and sending out links to stream your music simply won’t suffice. Technology has massively transformed the way the music industry operates, but there are a few things that have managed to weather the changes so far, and CDs is one of them. Here are three instances where you’ll need to duplicate CDs in your music career:

Earning money, winning over fans, and wowing critics are all reasonable things for an artist to strive for in music. Everyone who makes music seriously has different opinions of what it means to be successful, but we’re all the same in the way we create, share, and perform music with certain goals in mind. But there’s a point for many musicians when zooming in too close on success can actually hurt a music career. When does striving for success become harmful in music?

Serious musicians are always looking for ways to get better at what they do, whether they write music or perform and record professionally. Without thinking about it, some make an effort to buy the most expensive instruments and equipment they can in an effort to be the best at what they do in music. But while performing and recording with quality gear is essential, there comes a point where money can’t deliver the sort of results these musicians are really after. Here’s why:

It can be easy to fall into the trap of believing that not being signed to a label or having access to expensive instruments and equipment is keeping us from realizing our potential in music. It’s often easier to blame things outside of ourselves for our inability to achieve what we want to through music than to take a deep, unflinching look inward at what we need to change to be better. A truth that could apply to most of us is that money, better equipment, and recognition can’t help us in our quest to make great music nearly as much as time can. 

Usually, the ideas explored through music are viewed as more dangerous than the act of music-making itself. But being a serious musician actually does come with some serious health risks. Some are unexpected, but all are preventable. There are plenty of things we can do as musicians to write, record, perform, and tour in ways that are as healthy as possible. Here are three health risks to watch out for: