#1 - The troll
Wherever you go the troll will follow. You might as well learn how to deal with it.
There is a troll under every bridge for a reason.
Without him (or her ✊)…… going from where you are (this side of the bridge), to where you want to be (the other side of the bridge), would be incredibly easy.
And if it were easy, it wouldn’t be life. And if it wasn’t life, it wouldn’t be beautiful.
[Intro music]
Hello, and welcome back to “how to make money from your music”. I am your host, your personal horror guide, and your distant friend, Michael Gilbride.
*weak applause + scattered coughs*
Today we’re vanquishing the NUMBER ONE thing that stands in the way of someone making money from their art.
The troll that lives under the bridge….. no, not @charles0504958678685 on TikTok who said he wishes he could “hear ur natural voice w/o autotune”…
Your insecurities.
For example, money is one of the most common insecurities for artists. They know they need it to survive, but they fear what “making money” means both morally and ~creatively~ 🌈.
But I’m here to burst the bubble, making money doesn’t change who you are. That’s why people who get rich are often disappointed because…. well wherever you go, there you are.
I’m from a small town (the motherland, land of my ancestors, home of my people, Scranton, Pennsylvania 🫡⚔️💥 ).
So when I first moved to New Jersey in 2017 to become a corporate bond trader, I was worried I’d lose my down-to-earth, man of the people, super humble, salt of the Earth kinda vibe.
But nothing happens when you get paid for something. It usually feels pretty rewarding if you worked hard for it.
But becoming an absolute freaking tool just because you made some money isn’t required, it’s a personal choice. With it comes the responsibility of using it wisely…..
….which leads us to our first troll.
Out of the shadows of the first bridge emerges a grotesque but surprisingly clean smelling troll that looks exactly like me (BUT IS NOT ME).
“Fear ye, fear ye, I am the troll of responsibility, all shall quake in my presence”. - the troll adjusts his glasses.
He looks absolutely shattered. It’s actually been a hard week for him.
Do you:
Conquer
Avoid
BTW I’m assuming that you think this is a rhetorical question, there is nothing wrong with choosing to avoid a troll.
The only time that is dangerous is if you don’t acknowledge it as your choice.
But I chose to avoid a lot of trolls in my life. I left finance because I didn’t feel like I belong. I could’ve worked harder to put myself out there, but I didn’t. I own that.
And I’m happy I did, because it led me right here, talking to you.
Isn’t that just lovely.
So not every troll is to be vanquished immediately (or ever maybe…. I’m still figuring that out myself). But whatever you choose, acknowledge the choice.
*You raise your sword to the sky*
“I choose to conquer thee, you disgusting fat pig”, you shout back at the (now clearly pretty emotionally rattled) troll.
You charge the troll of responsibility. The troll screams cause he was bluffing. He actually just ate dinner and his stomach is making the rumblies.
You engage in battle. The troll is surprisingly strong despite his surprisingly delicate wrists.
The battle drags on.
The troll is doing that thing where he lays on the ground with his legs up and he tries to kick you whenever you come close.
You’re tired, and annoyed.
Do you:
Double back and find a different route (AVOID).
Continue fighting
Again, neither is wrong. If I knew it was going to take 10 years to fight one troll, I might avoid it too.
It all depends on what you want and how quickly you’re attempting to get there. But whatever you decide, acknowledge it and own it.
While engaged in battle, don’t complain about it. It’s wasted energy you need for the fight. Either avoid, or give your entire soul to the battle.
You eventually gain the upper hand. The troll of responsibility keeps asking for a “time-out” saying he has to take his multi-vitamin, but you raise your sword to deliver the death blow.
The trolls screams, dropping his daily pill divider on the ground in horror.
“WAIT!!!! Have mercy… For I am but a troll and yes I am annoying and mean, deep down I’m just a baby troll that wasn’t held enough as a child so I spend my time making sure no one leaves me by crossing this bridge.”
Aw, poor self-aware troll.
Do you:
Kill the troll the troll of responsibility (he was mean after all).
Spare the troll
(If you just killed a troll that looks exactly like me, plz comment your full name below so I know who to report to the police.)
More importantly, according to the rules of my universe that you’re CHOOSING TO PARTICIPATE IN….
If you kill a troll, it multiplies.
You just end up with two trolls complaining that their shoulder “hasn’t felt right since he tried playing basketball two months ago”…
“I choose mercy” you say as you lower your sword.
The troll cries. The troll laughs. The troll wonders who put him on this planet.
But now…. forever in your debt, the troll happily lets you pass and wishes you luck on your travels.
(He also owes you one which doesn’t hurt either.)
So what’s the stupid point of my stupid story?
Before you start building a business, you need to learn how to make decisions.
If you choose to avoid something because it makes you uncomfortable, then choose it.
I started this SubStack when I realized filming a YouTube channel was going to be really uncomfortable for me. I was insecure and it was showing on camera. I didn’t want to conquer it, so I did something else that I felt more comfortable doing.
I’m glad I did that, because I enjoy this much more than whatever freak-a-zoid shows up on camera when I try to film myself lolllllll.
So to go back to the “troll of responsibility”… if you aren’t ready to conquer the responsibility that comes along with making (and spending) money, then be honest with yourself, and don’t try to monetize your music.
It will only ruin it for you.
Either pay someone to build a business around your art, or make art with no expectation of monetizing it. Both are great options depending on your own goals.
Avoiding business is like me avoiding the YouTube video… I knew it would be a longgggg time before I ever enjoyed it, so I stopped.
And I feel NO SHAME, I FEEL NOTHING. I’m joking. I feel alright. Little reflux today and a sore neck.
BUT…
If you are ready to conquer the troll of monetizing your music, then continue along with me.
“When does the business training start” you ask?
It already has.
Onward ⚔️🫡
Michael from Mad Records
Benjamin says he is from Pensilvanya too and he says he has never heard of u ;))) although he was given one way ticket to land of the binanı he was surprised to see this girl actually did something good and show him around etc… location based studies to be continued