The future of the general business, casuals, jobbing musician has changed, is changing; it's "changed!"
Every decent enough musician is introducing themselves, and their product, to an over-saturated marketplace.
With so many services appearing the same, I see two differentiators amongst the majority.
Groups are competing for being the lowest cost provider.
Amongst the minority, I see two differentiators.
Longevity in the marketplace. A small number of musicians have been in the market for more than four years.
Bands with the highest number of bookings per year appear to enjoy themselves a lot more.
How does this impact the customer?
The customer gets watered-down choices making it more challenging to determine who's the answer to their question. They have to work harder to find the diamonds in the rough.
The quality of musicianship matters less and less. Not every customer possesses enough knowledge to make sense of the difference.
Customers make purchasing decisions with the minority. The ones in the market place with longevity are safe. The ones who appear to enjoy themselves are safe and look like them.
I'm not suggesting that we quit, throw in the towel, and not try to gig. I am suggesting that we understand the market, what's needed, and go against the grain.
The beginning of a series on the marketplace and your role within it starts now.
