As an artist In the music industry, you will create many different assets in your career. Your songs, your brand, your merchandise, they all have innate value and serve as potential revenue streams. Broadly speaking they fall under four categories. Here is a non-exhaustive list to give you some context.
Tangible Assets:
- Musical instruments (guitars, pianos, drums, synthesizers, etc.)
- Recording equipment (microphones, audio interfaces, preamps)
- Studio gear and acoustical treatments
- Computers, software, and digital workstations
- Performance equipment (amplifiers, PA systems, monitors)
- Merchandise inventory (CDs, vinyl, t-shirts)
- Touring vehicles and equipment trailers
- Real estate (personal studio spaces, rehearsal facilities)
Intellectual Property:
- Song compositions and lyrics (copyrights)
- Sound recordings (master rights)
- Arrangement and production rights
- Band name, logo, and branding (trademarks)
- Album artwork, graphics and visual assets
- Music videos and visual content
- Website domains and digital platforms
Revenue Streams:
- Royalty income (performance, mechanical, sync)
- Publishing catalogs
- Digital streaming revenue
- Licensing agreements
- Performance and touring income
- Merchandise sales
Business Assets:
- Distribution deals and contracts
- Publishing agreements
- Record label relationships
- Management and booking agency contracts
- Fan databases and mailing lists (emails)
- Social media accounts and followings
- Industry relationships and network
Our goal for this chapter is to organise as many of these assets as we can within your Musician OS, without a system to manage them, you’re leaving money on the table. Based on what stage your career is at you may or may not have a lot to add. The idea here is to organise everything you can.
