I’m going to this place, can you set up some meetings for me?

I get this from my own bands as well as professionals around me. It seems kind of easy to just share your network and help someone out, but it’s not. I used to do that, and it is an idea of that yes you can work as a group sharing things.
The problem that arouses is that in many cases it’s personal contacts. It’s a personal relationship. In the bottom, you actually put your personal brand on the line by doing this. In some cases when I have done it the person screws up the relationship because they say the wrong things or ask for the wrong stuff in the meeting.

One example long ago was when I got a really big Japanese label to Sweden. They were in Stockholm and an artist had nagged me to meet them. I didn’t have time to take that meeting so I let the artist go by themselves. Then after that meeting, the label was a bit weird to talk to. Of course, the artist had been totally crazy and just went into the meeting demanding tours and stuff in Japan thinking that everything was easy to demand. In the end, it took me two years to get the trust back from the Japanese company.

Sure you can get my network, but I rather do the introduction when you are around. that is my principle right now. Then, of course, the people I have a super connection too I can give you.

And the problem is that networks are personal. You can easy her stories how an artist gets signed to a label and a month later that person leaves the company and the artist is stuck in limbo since the contacts that should be used for that artist went the person that was leaving.

Then you have to give something back. I built up a network for the past twenty years and paid quite much to get into things to get this. Sure I want to help you out but it is a give and takes. So for an artist, it’s harder, they usually don’t have much to give. Sure we are in the same boat and try to push your music forward. It’s better though if you go for your own network and we use both then you tapping into mine so we both have the same.

Another thing is also that music professionals talk differently when they speak to an artist. They don’t want to be rude so they really just be positive to all that your a saying. When you are in other terms you get a whole other story from them.

This is also why artists can’t really do showcases by themselves. First, they are too busy playing and do what they should do. On the other side, it’s hard for them to pick up your contacts and also know how to work them.

I get the contacts are a tool, a tool that you don’t borrow out just like that.

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