| Are you in the music industry and you are finding | | | | the change but it didn't really challenge me in anything |
| your future in this business less and less secure? | | | | other than a physical way. Anyway it turned out that |
| Have you put your CV out there but you are getting | | | | this job was also going to be on the chopping block |
| very little interest? Do you have a wealth of | | | | very soon as new technology would be replacing the |
| experience but you are seeing the industry constrict | | | | contractors. |
| and tighten with each month? Dealing with reduced | | | | What would I do now? |
| budgets, more competition, the fear of illegal | | | | I know a hell of a lot about music. I can name most |
| downloads, downsizing and redundancies makes your | | | | of the albums by all of the greats of jazz, soul, |
| music career a very stressful place to be. | | | | reggae, rock and so on but who needs that? |
| Some will forge ahead and make their place in the | | | | So I tried again to get a music job and applied for |
| elite of this business but there will be many who will | | | | yet more jobs in music retail without any success. |
| have to completely rethink where the future lies. | | | | Then I found my answer. |
| The music industry has changed forever and there is | | | | And it was nothing I had even considered before. I |
| no going back to the halcyon days of unlimited | | | | discovered the incredible world of the internet and |
| promotional budgets, overseas junkets or big | | | | how the online marketing business had not been |
| bonuses. | | | | affected by the recession or by the digital |
| I would like to offer a solution to your difficulties but | | | | technology that had ravaged the music industry. In |
| first I will tell you my story. | | | | fact the advances in the internet world meant that |
| My name is Mike Morgan and I fell into the industry | | | | the market was exploding globally. |
| at a young age as a musician and passionate music | | | | Here was something that was growing at an |
| fan. I worked in music retail jobs and found that I did | | | | incredible rate and that needed as many motivated, |
| it well. I worked my way up to management and | | | | creative and passionate people that you could find. |
| was given responsibility for marketing albums, buying | | | | And best of all you only need to be yourself and to |
| and assisting other managers. I worked for a couple | | | | interact with people from all over the world. |
| of major chains and after a trip to New York and the | | | | How good is that? |
| inspiration I took from the record stores there I was | | | | You get to work from your own home. All you need |
| approached to be a partner in a new boutique music | | | | is a laptop and a phone and you can create a lifestyle |
| store. The store was fantastic and covered most of | | | | that most can only dream about. You get to spend |
| the music styles I was really passionate about. | | | | that most important time seeing your family grow |
| But it wasn't making money. | | | | and they know who you are! You spend time on the |
| For a few years we persevered but in the end it | | | | things that you love when you want to. You have |
| wasn't creating the lifestyle we had hoped for. After | | | | more time for friends, family, pursuits or whatever |
| a protracted period of stress and animosity I was | | | | you decide. |
| out of there and wondering what to do next. | | | | This really is an amazing alternative to desperately |
| Nice timing! | | | | trying to hold on in an industry that will never be the |
| I approached wholesale music companies, retail | | | | same again. |
| outlets and even radio stations but they weren't | | | | I am very grateful that I found a company that |
| interested. They were all going through a stage | | | | embodies all of my beliefs and aims and that I look |
| where they were using natural attrition to reduce | | | | forward to every single day. There are a million |
| their own costs. | | | | opportunities in the internet marketing world but be |
| So I opted to do a fairly menial job that got me | | | | careful to find the right one. I spent months |
| outdoors and meant that I could work physically for | | | | researching all of the opportunities I could before |
| a change without the 7 day retail hours. I enjoyed | | | | deciding on the one I use. |