Think the music industry is dead? Think again! With more music festivals popping up in 2015 than in any previous year before, the music industry appears to be alive and well. With the advents of modern recording technology and their increasing affordability, it has never been easier to break into the music industry.

There are many different jobs available to those looking to break into the music industry. One of the biggest sources of revenue in the current music industry is touring. While the possibility of illegal file sharing and MP3 downloads has greatly reduced the number of physical record sales, a number of live concerts and music festivals is at an all time high. These concerts provide a wide variety of jobs for all those involved.

The first and most obvious job is that of the artist. Whether a singer/songwriter or a full on band, the demand for live music has never been higher.

After the artists, the second most important positions in the live music industry are those of the booking agencies. Because artists tend to want to focus on actually writing and performing music, they often hire someone with many insider connections and knowledge of tour routes to handle the booking of their shows. These agents typically take a small percentage of whatever revenue the artist brings in as an exchange for handling all of the logistics and negotiations that take place when booking a show.

Another potential option for breaking into the music industry would be to hold a festival. Festivals are typically 1-3 days and take place over a weekend. Some of the biggest festivals in the United States include Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and Coachella. These festivals sometimes have attendances of over 100,000 people and can draw in enormous profits. Do not be surprised to see these festivals grow even more in the coming years as their potential skyrockets and more patrons of these festivals become interested in the music scene.

As festivals continue to grow, the need for other entertainment options than just music will continue to grow. Many companies have exploded in the past few years that do nothing but travel to various festivals throughout the summer and build art installations. These installations can range from small live painting outfits to enormous geodomes that can house hundreds of people.

The festival art installation is still a relatively untapped market that holds many potential openings for anyone looking to get involved. Festivals will pay enormous sums of money in order for their festival to stand out from the crowd and be remembered. If you’ve got the skills or know of anyone that is handy with building and art, this could be one of the greatest ways to break into the burgeoning music industry.

Many people have stated that the music industry is not growing, and that artist revenues have fallen tremendously over the past 20 years. This statement holds true for artists that are making millions upon millions of dollars. Their revenue has certainly decreased. However, the new music industry has given rise to what many are calling the “Middle-Class Musician.” This is someone that is making a full time living through music, but not necessarily making the kind of revenue that was once associated with rock star size acts. These people tend to make a living doing what they love without having to deal with the enormous pressures of fame.

The music industry will continue to hold many opportunities for years to come.

–  Guest Contributor

Marketing and direct communication with potential and loyal customers increases the return in sales. A top method of creating stronger relationships through marketing is with emails. This allows you to stay in touch with those interested in what you offer while allowing you to develop and maintain a personal connection. Continuous information through campaigns allows you to build strong connections while offering awareness of your brand. If you are planning out email campaigns, then you will want to keep these following tips in mind.

1. Build a Plan. Before you send out your first email, you want to make sure you have an overall map of what you want to say. Even though each email should be unique, they should follow a sequence of information. Each reveals something unique about your business while remaining congruent with reminders as a continuation from one email to the next.

2. Stay Personal. Most consumers are overwhelmed with advertisements and information that come into their Inbox. You will want to plan out your campaign with a personal touch. Defining target markets, knowing specific interests and communicating from your viewpoint will help to deepen your connection with potential customers while allowing them to build interest in your products and services.

3. Focus Your Information. At times, businesses make the mistake of wanting to tell their potential customers everything about their business. In emails, information is usually glanced at quickly before it is read thoroughly. Grab your customer’s attention, keep one focus in each email and don’t divert with other concepts. This allows your emails to effectively create responses because of the focal point you communicate to others.

4. Calls to Action. Each email should contain at least one call to action, if not more. Correspondence with you, visiting your website or buying your products or services are staples of your email. Even though your customer wants information, they also want to know what to do about the information you give. By telling them what you expect, you will have more clicks and responses.

5. Subject Lines. Email campaigns that you create need to be catchy. They can easily be missed if the information seems irrelevant or boring. Make sure you have subject lines that speak to the individual while grabbing their attention.

With a high quality plan and focus, you can easily begin to boost the recognition of your business. Email campaigns are designed as a direct and strong marketing tool to gather the attention of your target market. With a specific approach, you will easily be able to guide your customers to your business products and services, build personal relationships and increase your sales.

– Staff Writer

Robert Bernstock left Kraft Foods Inc., to join the team at Campbell Soup Company. For the next thirteen years, Robert F Bernstock held a number of leadership positions. He served as the President of the North American Grocery division, President of the International Grocery division, and Executive Vice President of Campbell Soup Company, which is the second highest ranking position in the corporation. Robert F Bernstock is also the former President of the Mailing and Shipping Services division at the USPS.

Bob Bernstock is an accomplished business leader with a track record of success in a wide range of industries. He has more than two decades of corporate leadership experience, and has demonstrated strong strategic and operational capabilities, and consistently delivered superior financial results.

Over the past twenty years Bob Bernstock has been a Named Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of eight separate public companies and government enterprises with sales revenue and/or market capitalization greater than $1 billion. These eight organizations include: the United States Postal Service, Scotts Miracle-Gro, the Pantry Convenience Stores, Vlasic Foods International, and the Campbell Soup Company. The industry and sector experience of Bob Bernstock during his career spans; food and beverage, household consumer products, lawn and garden,  logistics, e-commerce, information technology, and telecommunications.

During his twenty year tenure as a corporate leader, Bob Bernstock has held the positions of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), President and Chief Operating Officer, Division President, and General Manager. As a Board Member with five public companies, Bob Bernstock has many years of experience as a Chairman of Compensation Committees and as a Chairman of the Governance Committees. He has also been a member of Audit Committee on several occasions.

Bob Bernstock has lived in several cities across the United States and has also lived in Canada. In each of these geographies Bob Bernstock has volunteered his time and been a member of local civic and non-profit organizations. These organizations include the United States Council of Competitiveness (Washington DC), Rowan College of Business Administration (New Jersey), Philadelphia Tennis Patrons, Conference Board of Canada (Toronto), and the Columbus, Ohio Chamber of Commerce.  Bob Bernstock received a B.A. from Hamilton College and an MBA from Harvard University.

Robert Bernstock has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College, as well as a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard University. He began his career in 1974 as an Assistant Product Manager with General Foods Corporation, and over the next eight years he held a number of positions with increased responsibilities. Robert Bernstock worked for over two years in venture capital, and then elected to join the Campbell Soup Company as the Director of Marketing for the Swanson Frozen Foods division.

Over the next thirteen years, Robert Bernstock would serve in a variety of important leadership positions at Campbell Soup Company. The leadership positions Robert Bernstock held included: President of the North American Grocery division, President of the International Grocery division, and Executive Vice President. During his time with Campbell Soup Company, Robert Bernstock also served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian business, which was headquartered in Toronto.

Robert Bernstock held leadership positions at some of the most well-known companies in the U.S. He served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Vlasic Foods International, as well as the President and COO of Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. Additionally, Robert Bernstock served as the President of the United States Postal Service’s Mailing and Shipping Services division. This division of the USPS was responsible for more than $70 billion in annual revenues. Robert Bernstock has also served on the Board of Directors of nine companies, public and private.