SAE Magazine 13-3

166 PRODUCTION & KNOW HOW // THE RESPONSIBLE ARTIST T raditionally when we are more concerned with being cool and hip, the astute profes- sionals around us are working on getting better at what they do. It is fair to say that fashion trends of today will be replaced with something else tomorrow. So you can be stylish but focus on what really matters: credibility, profile, skill, and income. If you believe it is not about the money then go back to bed and ignore the rest of this article. If you do not earn a sustainable living from some- thing it is nothing but a hobby. Playing a set once a week as a DJ will not earn many of us a living. Have you noticed successful DJs, producers, audio engineers, and musicians are businessmen and businesswomen as well? If they are not, they may well employ extremely business savvy people to manage their affairs. Why? Because if they do not, they cannot earn a living from their art, and it is then simply a hobby. The world is too large and full of people for your talent to be easily discovered from your bedroom or studio. Apple is one of the most successful brands in the history of the planet yet it spent $1 billion on adver- tising in the last financial year. If Apple is investing this amount of time and money in further development of its brand, don’t you think you should be making an investment in establishing yours? An investment in this context does not have to be money. It can be your time and energy, as you can only spend money if you have it. Many folk believe that a b is not so. A brand can be a Branson is a brand, as Virgin, is. Talent and skill alone do n years of dedication and co Always remember that a r earned. A career will never be so free from a mate’s hard dr cebook or off the back of a

SAE Magazine 13-3

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