STAR

Focuses on the single.

JOURNEYMAN

Focuses on the body of work.

STAR

Goes for immediate success.

JOURNEYMAN

Thinks about the long haul.

STAR

Says yes to everything.

JOURNEYMAN

Is worried about their credibility. Only says yes if it enhances the long term career.

STAR

Does privates.

JOURNEYMAN

Does privates, if they can get the work. Everybody’s beholden to the rich people with bucks.

STAR

Does sponsorship deal with anybody who comes to the table.

JOURNEYMAN

Does sponsorship deal only with a like-minded company.

STAR

Views tour as a way to clean up monetarily.

JOURNEYMAN

Views tour as a way to bond with fans.

STAR

Doesn’t bitch about success, is grateful they have it.

JOURNEYMAN

Complains the game is stacked against them, can’t stop complaining about streaming payouts and Ticketmaster. This works for no one, best to do the work and be glad anybody is paying attention.

STAR

Signs with major label. It’s the only entity that can generate that kind of heat and publicity.

JOURNEYMAN

Is fluent financially. Knows reality is more important than image. Doesn’t sign with major label unless it needs radio and publicity, neither of which pay many dividends unless you’re in the Top Forty. Better to keep one’s options open and take the lion’s share of the revenue. Ownership is everything if you’re playing for the long haul.

STAR

Sees music as a stepping stone to something else, it’s all about the Benjamins

JOURNEYMAN

Sees themselves as a musician.

STAR

Spends a lot on recording. 1% makes a difference between a stiff and a hit.

JOURNEYMAN

Spends little on recording, it’s about catching lightning in a bottle.

STAR

Has a rigid, pre-programmed stage show.

JOURNEYMAN

Has a fluid stage show built on unexpected surprises, every night is different, which is why the audience needs to go more than once.

STAR

Has flashy clip for single on YouTube.

JOURNEYMAN

Has lyric video on YouTube, but has tons of live clips.

STAR

Speaks one to many.

JOURNEYMAN

Speaks one to one. It’s amazing how much one single fan can catapult your career. You don’t know who these people are, keep in contact to get lucky.

STAR

Has his label look at the Spotify data.

JOURNEYMAN

Looks at their own Spotify data. Data is everything, it tells you what is reacting, where it’s reacting, which tells you where to focus your efforts, tour and…

STAR

Goes from track to track.

JOURNEYMAN

Puts out a plethora of material. It’s about creating a body of work that someone can explore if they’re interested. Might put it out as albums, but this is a bad course if there’s only one album every year or more, best to put out a continuous stream of music.

STAR

Is shooting for the moon.

JOURNEYMAN

Is bunting, to get lucky.

STAR

Headlines the festival and then is forgotten.

JOURNEYMAN

Plays every festival it can, year after year, honing its live act hoping to infect people.

STAR

Plays to the last row.

JOURNEYMAN

Plays to the front row.

STAR

Has a famous manager, who oftentimes manages multiple acts..

JOURNEYMAN

Has a manager most people have never heard of who works 24/7 managing this one act, maybe one more.

STAR

Has an agent who promises movie and TV roles.

JOURNEYMAN

Doesn’t care about movies and TV, has an agent who cannot only get gigs, but thinks about the career.

STAR

Makes a splash and is then forgotten.

JOURNEYMAN

Sneaks up on you, is hiding in plain sight, and then goes supernova.