Minneapolis music agent Chad Higgins and local music artist Ryan Kemp talk about common issues with marketing in the industry and how to prepare ahead.
By: Theo Franz
November 12, 2023
The Minneapolis music scene is saturated and hard to break through if you’re a young and desperate artist, but it is not impossible. Sometimes, it takes an extra step, another angle of approach, to get your name recognized throughout the city.
That extra step can be as simple as focusing on your brand. Yes, your entire brand.
According to the CEO of Time Music Agency, Chad Higgins, the most overlooked aspect of breaking into the music industry is making sure the small things are done correctly.
“The details matter, every little detail,” Higgins said. “From the logo to the album covers, everything has to be thought ahead of time.”
Young artists, like Ryan Kemp of the Parachutes, have enough time to prepare for the future but often lack easily accessible resources.
“We don’t have a graphic designer for the Parachutes,” Kemp said. “We got a logo designed through a friend a while ago, but all the album covers and social media posts are done by us or another friend who is volunteering for the night.”
Kemp added that, with the current status of his band and personal schedule, he had a hard time putting the effort toward further exploring future marketing opportunities with the Parachutes.
“We’ve played at several gigs around the city but haven’t released any big projects,” Kemp said. There are some things behind the scenes that are holding us back from putting out a bigger more complete project, but I wouldn’t say we are scared to do so.”
Higgins has worked in the music industry for 30 years. He knew he wanted to work in music ever since he was in high school. He started his career at the bottom, taking out the trash at a nearby studio, and then worked his way up to running one of the largest music providers in the state of Minnesota.
“Artists have to be oriented in their organization. You cannot go out into the market with an incomplete product,” Higgins said. “Take for example the Washington Commanders. They dropped their original name and stuck with the ‘Football Team’ for years. They did it to make sure everything was in check: logo, merchandise – making sure that none of it goes against any trademark laws – social media, even the concessions… And if you want my opinion on musicians, I believe album release dates and their covers is an overlooked aspect by many, especially the smaller artists.”
Being involved with the music business for three decades has given Higgins a perspective on the marketing techniques that elevate artists further into the industry.
When asked about how artists should market themselves at the start of their careers, Higgins said the solution does not have to be drastic, high quality or overpriced.
“If you’re a student and looking for a cheap option, go with another student, help another student out,” Higgins said. “Go to someone looking to add to their portfolio and go ‘Hey, we’ll get you free tickets to some shows if you help us create logos and designs for merchandise.’”
Higgins also underscored the need to develop a clear plan before launching into the music industry, which generally lacks organization or a clear pathway for new artists.
He said he often sees artists enter the scene without a concrete plan – only to underperform as a result. He wants artists to avoid the underperforming stages by taking their time to practice their craft of making music and learn more about the identity and personality of their band before launching their marketing campaign.
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