Mutumbu

Choosing Your Market: The Economic Reality of Artistic Direction
by Divine Verkijika

Choosing a proper creative/business fit for your career is definitely one of the toughest decisions an artist will have to make. On one hand people who ask you remain "original" to those who ask you to "sell out", most at times, none actually offering you any investment, with consequences only you will have to live by.

Contrary to popular opinion, artistic direction is not only a question of art but also of business. Not all music genres and styles address an equal market size. Not all manners of expression address the same market. Music genres are not only about music, but the ecosystems in which they thrive. Hence by choosing a certain manner of expression; you also choose to a very huge extent your market cap.

Each marketplace also requires different forms and levels of engagement, behaviour, lifestyle, worldview, business environment etc, and understanding yourself, becomes crucial to know where you best fit.