Do you ever feel like a fraud? Do you fear that someday, someone will call your bluff? You’re not alone. Studies show that up to 82[1] % of the population experience feelings of not being good enough no matter how much they have actually achieved. So, how do we challenge these feelings in ourselves and others? Read on.
Read MoreWith artificial intelligence tools becoming more popular, the question question arrises of AI’s role within the arts and whether it can truly replace musicians, writers, and illustrators. If the next radio hit, catchy jingle, or best-selling album is just a few prompts away, are we wasting our time still making music the old-fashioned way?
Read MoreTwo stories that have been in my conversations as of late are that of the feature article in MetalSucks "L.A. Band Threatin Faked a Fanbase To Land a European Tour No One Attended,"and Bobby Owsinski’s article "Artists Gaining Fake Spotify Plays From Unexpected Source."Two stories about less than honest approaches to trying to obtain success in music.
For those that are not aware of these stories, according to the media front man of Threatin, Jared Eames (AKA Jared Threatin), invented his own record label, management company, and PR company, paid for fake followers, and then sold the hoax to venues in Europe in order to book a tour of Europe.
Read MoreWhen you throw yourself into the unknown, the feeling of commitment to the action is visceral. It’s what wholehearted commitment feels like. It’s the feeling you get when your feet have left the dock and your body has not yet hit the water, yet your mind has already accepted the impact. In my perception of reality, the water is always there to catch me. I live by the idea that life begins at the end of my comfort zone and that I will always adapt. Taking action can be hard and uncomfortable — you have to believe that you will always adjust and that manifesting something you don’t currently have will come only through taking new actions.
Read MoreI was recently interviewed by Darian Hogan at Music Supervision Central. See below:
Canadian-born global music entrepreneur Aaron Bethune has just released his new text, entitled Musicpreneur. The book serves as an invaluable music-industry resource that “relates to left and right brain thinkers alike, hopefully connecting the two.”
An album and documentary that I co-produced is now available on Stingray Quello. Here is how it came about:
In April of 2016, Steve Azar became the first artist to record a full-length studio album at the legendary Mississippi landmark, Club Ebony. A long time in the making, and his first record in 5 years, Steve cut 13 new original tracks. The club, now belonging to the B.B. King Museum, was turned into a recording studio capturing the rich history and vibe of the room and in turn creating inspirational performances on the record. The album, Down At The Liquor Store, was made with the participation of The Kings Men, a group of musicians who backed B.B. King, Elvis Presley and other musical Kings. The combination of Steve's Delta songwriting approach and the band's musical background has created a unique and soulful sound. Down At The Liquor Store is an authentic Delta Soul record.
Read MoreJames interviewed me for his Musicpreneur Podcast. In fact, he interviewed me for Episode 1 which was quite the honour.
"Here’s a brief outline of this interview with Aaron. Aaron tells the story of turning back a mere 200 meters from the summit of the highest mountain in South America and how this is an allegory for defining success as a MusicPreneur. This decision to turn back led to Aaron saving the life of a fellow…"
James Newcomb
Read MoreAfter Aaron discovered that the key to everything Steve had been doing was the state of Mississippi, they turned it into a series of mind-blowing opportunities. From helping the state to improve its public transportation system, to becoming the first Music & Culture Ambassador of Mississippi (the title didn’t even exist before), recording an album and filming a documentary with BB King’s band in a legendary venue – these are just some of the events which the dedication and creative thinking led Steve and Aaron to.
Read MoreA little while back I was interviewed by Casino Gobbet from Yahoo Brazil. The original article is in Portuguese and can be viewed here.
I really enjoyed the questions Casino had and I thought you may find interesting reading our conversation.
Cassaino Gobbet: The consumption of music certainly hasn’t decreased, but revenue streams are. Is that correct?
Aaron Bethune: That is correct, however it would also depend on what you are counting as revenue streams. Physical sales have decreased while streaming services are gaining members rapidly and paid subscribers are also increasing. Vinyl is making a resurgence. Certainly none of these revenue streams can take the place of the record sales of say ten years ago. That being said there are far more opportunities than ever before to find creative ways to monetize music and the music experience. So in that regard I would say that at least when it comes to new available revenue streams the opportunities are increasing.
Read MoreA globetrotter from an early age, Montreal native Aaron Bethune found a passion in music at a young age. After a life altering experience just a few hundred meters short of the Cerro Aconcagua summit, Bethune was inspired to actualize his dreams to get involved in the music business. He is the founder of PlayItLoudMusic, using his expertise in music and business to become a creative consultant, mentor artists, and license music for public use.
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