Executive Summary

The purpose of this business plan is to demonstrate the potential income earned through a successful musical record single release. This is intended to gain investment funds on behalf of said artist, in exchange for a portion of the profits of the expected returns. This is in no way a guarantee of income, but a risk to be considered by a sophisticated investor.

Revenue

In order to outline the details for such a campaign, an understanding needs to be met in regards to the music industry in general, and the genre of music for the said artist. The entertainment business is a very profitable one, existing in an industry that generates billions of dollars a year for musicians, executives, writers and publishers alike. There are multiple avenues of growth regarding the business model of a successful company and the same goes for a successful artist.

In order to generate revenue as a musician, an aspiring artist has 5 basic forms of activity that needs to be mastered:

1. Single Distribution2. Music Licensing3. Shows/Concert Tours4. Merchandise Sales5. Endorsement Deals

Each one of these is a separate stream of income that the artist can collect assuming they generate enough support from music consumers (fans) and industry executives.

Platforms

Before the artist can generate income in the aforementioned fashions, a legitimate music platform needs to be established, along with, generally, a strategic marketing plan outlining specific target goals to reach in the music campaign, as well as a target release date. Without a complete platform, an artist suffers the potential for funneling money into a project that cannot be sustained. Liken it to a crew of sailors who attempt to throw out cargo to save a sinking ship, yet have not plugged the holes. Below are the following platform components that every musician should have before commencing on his or her career:

1. Registered copyrights for all music2. Associations with relevant music publishers and licensors

3. Active online presence4. Effective public relations support5. Relevant distribution platforms

Marketing and Promotion

Once these platforms are established and in effect, the artist can go ahead and promote their work! In order to do this, an effective marketing strategy needs to be implemented, as mentioned earlier. Without proper marketing, the artist will not gain the exposure he or she needs to convince music listeners to consumer their product via sales, or music licensors to implement their product for commercial use. In order to create as much exposure as possible, the artist should factor in the following marketing strategies:

1. National, Regional and Local radio exposure

2. Positive features and placements in relevant media outlets

3. Collaborations with established artists or talented up-and-comers

4. An effective college marketing plan

5. Consistent interaction with fan base

Without these strategies, and possibly more, the artist does not stand to successfully capitalize on his time and capital investment.