BACON BLOODY BACON: Matt Bacon on Music Business Networking


So I’ve written about this before, but it’s always worth revisiting – networking – one of the great mysteries and struggles of the music business. The better you are at it the more you can get out of your music career. I know that to a lot of people it seems inherently scummy, but it isn’t and it doesn’t have to be. Rather, networking is something that should happen organically and which can lead to really exciting collaborations between you and other people involved in the music biz. Figuring out how you are going to proceed and grow your network, of course, is the biggest challenge we all face. In this article, I wanted to break down a few core ideas to help facilitate your networking experience.

Not Being Annoying

This is the big one. If people think you are annoying or a punisher then they aren’t going to want to work with you. However, if you are cool and bringing something of merit to your community then people are going to further engage with you. Always let the other person talk about themselves, and if you are meeting someone for the first time try to make your intro brief and be sure to give the other person an out. When I meet someone at a higher level than me who I merely want to make aware of my existence I try to just hammer out a “I’m Matt Bacon from Dropout Media, we are connected through X, didn’t want to bother you, just wanted to be able to put a face to a name!” This sort of thing gives the other person an out and also makes it clear both who you are and what you are about. Having a 1-2 sentence intro, and then a thirty-second‘ elevator pitch’ is essential to show you aren’t there to waste their time or be annoying.

Bringing Value To The Other Person

The other key when meeting new people is thinking about how you are going to bring them value. This doesn’t mean, ‘How you are going to do something they can pay you for.’ What it means is ‘how can I help this person?’ are they looking to meet someone? Are they lost? Or do you maybe have a drink ticket you can give them? It’s all about helping the people around you in a way that is meaningful and not grossly self-serving. I think a lot of people view bringing value as something that is always business-related. Honestly, though, the highest level connection I made this year was because I sent someone a screen-cap of the running order of the festival we were attending. It was that simple. It made them see I was a nice and helpful guy and meant we hung out and had cool conversations for the rest of the weekend.

Knowing What You Want

I think a lot of folks try to meet new people with the goal of ‘expanding their network’ but without any sort of end target in sight. You need to know what you want from someone when you are meeting them. This can mean anything from being signed to their agency to simply being invited to their parties. After all, sometimes it’s not a question of who you know, but rather who you can get into a room within a social situation. That is sometimes all it takes to get a real connection that turns into something much more meaningful. If you can present yourself clearly and then make it clear what you are trying to get out of a given relationship then you are going to much more quickly advance in the industry. No one wants someone who is confused and incapable of expressing their goals.

Building the Relationship

This is the hard part and the thing that takes time. The final key to any relationship in the music industry is being present. If you are there and are out ensuring that your relationships are continuing to grow then stuff will start to happen for you. The thing is it’s going to take a lot of years and a lot of growth. You need to continually be out there being helpful and engaging. Remember that the people doing this full time REALLY want to be here because if you are smart enough to do music full time you probably are being underpaid. To build relationships you need to show up, and then show up again. And the show up again. It’s going to take a long ass time – but that’s a key part to getting to that next level and building the relationships you are going to need to make your music career grow.

So yes, networking can be hard, but it can also be very rewarding. You need to be taking the time to engage with the people around you and show that you are a serious individual in this community who is excited to be contributing and helping those around us. The music business is unforgiving and requires longevity. Having that longevity and that willingness to succeed will take a while, but it is always worth it if you are delivering great music.

MATT BACON

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Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and journalist specializing in the world of heavy metal. Having worked with everyone from Glam Rock icon Phil Collen of Def Leppard, to post Black Metal titans Alcest, by way of legendary thrashers Exhorder as well as labels including Prophecy Productions and Ripple Music, he has dedicated his life to helping young bands develop. Having started his own blog at the age of 14 he views his career in artist development as ‘a hobby that got out of hand’. In 2015 he formed Dropout Media in order to better support the artists he loves. We sit here now, years later with countless tours booked, records released and deals signed, and loving every minute of it.

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