Navigating COVID19 as a Musician

The landscape of the Music Industry has drastically changed recently for musicians and venues all over the world. Live shows and touring have been canceled until further notice or postponed leaving us scrambling to adapt yet again within a constantly evolving industry. If you are a musician that primarily makes money through live performances and merchandise sales it is time to rethink your strategy towards making money as a musician. 

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Digital content and live streaming have boomed in the wake of COVID19. Now, more than ever it is crucial to be putting out top-notch “quarantine content” to keep your fan base entertained. Here are a few practical tips to staying healthy and active as a musician during the COVID19 outbreak.

5 Tips For Musicians During COVID-19

1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. 
   • Seriously? We shouldn’t have to tell this one…WTF…Ok with clean hands find out how to stand out as a musician amongst the digital static. Oversaturation in digital content creation is a constant concern; quality becomes all the more important in standing out amongst the crowd. Use this time away from distractions to hone in on delivering quality content to your audience.

2. Practice Social Distancing
   • We are very fortunate to live in a time in which we can easily connect with the world at large using technology. Being physically distant from your friends and fans does not have to mean being disconnected. The options made available by technology are vast in scope and widely available spend some time figuring out what streaming platforms and audiovisual set up works for you.

3. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
   • Regularly disinfect frequently touched surfaces to stop the spread of COVID19. This is not just limited to the obvious phones and keyboards; this also includes musical instruments especially in environments where multiple people could be using the same instrument. 

4. Only go out if it is necessary 
   • Realistically speaking we all will eventually need to travel somewhere. Let’s face it COVID19 is the millennial dream giving us time to live the hermit lifestyle so many of us have been craving! Remember when you used to go to work every day and wish you could have spent the entire day recording? Now you can; use this time wisely. Services such as Mobcrush make streaming to multiple platforms at once a breeze; It’s almost as if there is no reason to leave the house again.

5. Be compassionate, cautious and patient 
   • COVID19 has radically changed how businesses operate, how schools teach, how companies work and how musicians perform. There’s going to be many discomforts during this time and many new things we will have to adapt to. Be patient with yourself and others. Do your best to stay focused but don’t be too hard on yourself; take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Use this time to re-strategize your audience approach and find new and unique ways to reach your fans. 

Remember to stay home, stay safe, stay sane and stay healthy.