Your Music and People: creative and considerate fame

by Derek Sivers

Every creator has the same problems with marketing.

How do you call attention to your work?
How do you get your creations into people’s minds and hearts?
How do you get fans to tell their friends?
How do you charge money for your labor of love?
How do you get the media to help?

Derek Sivers was a professional musician before he started a music distribution company that helped 150,000 musicians sell their music to over four million people. So after years of living the problems, he was able to learn the solutions.

“Your Music and People” shares a successful philosophy of getting your work to the world by being creative, considerate, resourceful, and connected.

It’s not just for musicians.

Though it uses music as the example, it is meant for any creator trying to reach people.
Early readers called it one of the best books ever written on business marketing.

Example points include:

Business is just as creative as music.
Marketing is an extension of your art.
Marketing means being considerate. Focus on others.
Being weird is considerate.
People skills are counterintuitive. To be helped, be helpful.
Persistence is polite.
Call the destination and ask for directions.
Get specific about what you want.
Be extreme and sharply defined. Proudly exclude most people.
Money is just a neutral representation of value. Be valuable to others — not just yourself. People like to pay.
Nobody knows the future, so focus on what doesn’t change.

The first 10,000 early buyers of “Your Music and People” have posted hundreds of 5-star reviews at his site — but it is now being released to a wider audience.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Music, Self Help, Philosophy, Audiobook, Personal Development

132 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published May 1, 2022

About the author

Derek Sivers is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising quotable insights and pithy succinct writing style.

Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity.

Sivers’ books (How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: https://sive.rs/

Reviews

[Allysia K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and potent! I love how digestible this book is, delivered in a series of small pieces. I took tons of notes. The gist of it is this: be a real human being, make friends, and be unique and unforgettable.

[Jeff Paal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who is seriously pursuing any type of creative endeavor that involves connecting with an audience needs to read this book.

It is written from the perspective of musicianship and the music industry but can just as easily apply to writing, acting, etc.

[Ron Suhodrev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome advice about personal marketing that can fit none musicians just as well. Written in Derek Sivers' unique style.
Also, the audio version is amazing

[Miguel Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely read for creatives and specially musicians. Great pieces of advice and quite succinct.

[Bruce De Meester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased, but I love how Derek writes with transparency, pragmatism, and direct he is.

Also to note, he's a profound flexible thinker who'll change your views on the world with his writing.

. You can use them for every industry you would like to work in.

[Stephen Heiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the title. Of course Derek comes from the music industry so that's what he will most competently refer to, but he's using that industry as a backdrop to talk about life and business, specifically the creative kind. Just like his recent "Hell Yes or No" book this is built of micro-essays which you can easily access via vanity URLs. A few of my favorites:

"Everything that seems depressing can be flipped to work in my favor." sivers.org/flipstick

"Someone sees you carrying a guitar and asks, 'What kind of music do you play?' You say, 'There's no way to describe it. You just have to check it out. We're playing next Thursday night at 11. You should come.'

Imagine reversing the situation:

You meet a man that says he's running a small business. You ask what his company does. He says, 'There's no way to describe it. You just have to check it out. We're open next Thursday for just one hour. You should come.' Would you really bother to go check out his business if he couldn't even tell you why you should? Of course not!" sivers.org/whycare

"Songwriters try to write a timeless standard that will resonate with everyone. But what good is that if nobody hears it because your music is too normal?" sivers.org/no-bullseye

"Loudly reject 99%. It signals who you are. When someone in your target 1% hears you proudly excluding the rest, they'll be drawn to you." sivers.org/exclude

"Look at the long careers of David Bowie, Miles Davis...Joni Mitchell, or Paul Simon. Each went through sharply-defined phases, treating each album as a project with a narrow focus. Be sharp as a knife, cut through the pile of apathy, and make a point. Do this every year or two, and you will have a wide variety in the long run." sivers.org/rounded

"The difference between success and failure can be as simple as keeping in touch." sivers.org/kit

"After attending over a hundred conferences in twenty years, I can tell you from experience that only about 1% of the people ever follow up. Therefore, 99% of them wasted their time and money. Please don't be in that 99%. Everything happens in the follow-up. Remember this, and you'll do well." sivers.org/conferences

"It comes down to one observation: Are your fans telling their friends? If not, then don't waste time promoting it yet. Keep working, improving, and creating, until your fans are telling their friends about you." sivers.org/purplecow

[Keshav Bhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Derek Sivers. His writing is succinct, powerful & memorable - Anything You Want is one of my favourite books, and one I re-read every year. Though this book is aimed at musicians seeking success, it has some brilliant pieces of wisdom that can be applied to anyone anywhere. I can't wait to get the hard copy & share a more in depth review soon. But definitely a great read!

[Adam Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s about music and musicians... but it’s not JUST about music. Honestly I think this is a marketing book in disguise. Very relevant to me right now, as I am approaching releasing a creative project to the world.

[Tudor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good bits of advice, tailored for people in the music industry, but which also seem to apply to people working in the entertainment industry in general.

Short book, worth a read :)

[Marcey Rader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Derek Sivers is a professional musician, writer, and founder of CD Baby. Your Music and People isn't just for musicians, almost anyone that needs to market themselves (and who doesn't?) could benefit. I'm a Derek Sivers fan and enjoy listening to his interviews. This would have easily been four stars with a few edits. I like Derek's voice and felt like he was talking to me, but every single one of the 88 chapters had this musical interlude which, I swear, made the book an extra ten minutes and just became annoying to me. It also had this woman's voice saying Chapter X and, maybe because it seemed a little gratuitous, or there were just so many chapters, I got bored with it. Aside from that, his book was fun and inspiring. One takeaway from me - Don't be vague about what you do. Example: Hey, what kind of music do you play?
Oh, it's really unique. You should come to check it out next Thursday at 9:00 pm.

If you are a business owner and someone said...
Hey, what kind of business do you have?
Oh, it's really unique. Come check it out on Thursday for one hour.

Would you go?

[Laci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Sivers' work, his essays are short, to the point and always relevant.

While I am a marketing professional and not a musician, I took many important lessons away from this book, and plan on re-reading it as soon as I can process the first time.

Something I implemented after reading this is working on eliminating distractions - in a world of social media and constant push notifications this can be extremely difficult, but I like the concept of "deep vs shallow work" and want this to be a theme in my work going forward.

An excellent read and I'd highly recommend to anyone wanting a fresh perspective on productivity and success.

[Peter Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek one of my faves. I'm not a musician but this book is so much more than music. It truly is a business book. I find his style of writing to be calming. For some reason it helps me reset and think things through. I can't recommend his books enough.

(Honestly, I read his book "Anything you want" once or twice a year!)

[Saif · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a super refreshing read! It exposed me to possibilities that I just didn’t think of and put some of my gut feelings into words.

I especially loved how universal the advice was. Music was a great metaphor throughout the book. I found myself replacing the examples with relevant ones from my own life.

Oh and the succinctness of it all. I pretty much highlighted the entire book! Had to take breaks every few pages just to absorb things.

Now comes the hard part where I need to  sit down and actually do the work.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oustanding collection of Sivers' essays. If you've read his essays on sivers.org, you know the type of deep and counterintuitive thinker he is, and how he's able to succinctly frame deep ideas.

I highly recommend to anyone in the work of creating something. The book is nominally for musicians, but I'm not a musician, and I took a lot of notes. I'ver ordered the hard cover from Derek and plan on re-reading as soon as I have it, it's that kind of book.

[Thomas Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek is back And is just as profound and concise as he was in “Anything You Want” one of my favorite and most read books.

Music and your people is for musicians but the mindful reader can easily apply this advice to all manner of artistic or creative endeavor.

Thanks again Derek for challenging and encouraging!

[Dave Applegate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your Music and People is less about music and more about how to succeed at any artistic endeavor (including building a product.) It's a quick easy to digest read. I picked up a handful of gyms. The UFO/Hobo marketing idea was pure genius. I'd recommend this book to anyone trying to build something.

[Jethro · Rating 5 out of 5]

In typical Derek Sivers fashion, he gives clear advice, specific to an industry that is surprisingly applicable to many other industries.

Great ideas and thoughts. Things were said in a different enough way that they got me to think of some changes I need to make in my business planning.

[Dustin Schermaul · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book! All the good info compressed into only whats needed. The title says its for musicians or people working in the music industry, but everything can also be applied to other jobs/industries aswell. A great book again! Thanks so much Derek!

[Christina]

For anyone honing their art whether or not in the music industry, Derek offers considerate and at times contrarian advice backed by personal experience. It's hunches of intuition, connected and narrated. The advance marketing for the book and check-out experience was delightful on its own.

[John Jolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a musician, but assumed there was plenty of life/business advice for non musicians. I was correct. Good stories, good anecdotes, good ideas and good thoughts. Overall a good book and concise. An easy read. recommended.

[Jon Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Derek’s easy to digest books on creativity and considering fame is a hit in my eyes. Straight to the point, no fluff, and some wonderful takeaways. I’m not a musician, but I bought this book knowing how I could apply everything in what I’m trying to build. Thanks Derek!

[Demetrius Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great food for thought for all musicians! I absolutely loved how the author got straight to the point. He could have belabored every chapter, but he left me with just what I needed to know, without endless commentary. Many of the key points can be applied to industries beyond music.

Key Takeaways:
> A lot of this book had to do with promoting your music and succeeding within the industry. Super helpful! But for me personally, the biggest takeaway was that less than 15% of my time should be spent on this aspect, given where I'm at in my journey. This is a self-assigned percentage. The point is, the author recommends not focusing heavily on this until your music is at a level where friends and fans are telling others about it on their own (without you asking them to). This is a signal that your craft is ready to be promoted. If it's not there - spend energy creating music, not trying to manufacture hype.
> Come up with a unique and detailed explanation of your music. You won't get any attention with a bland or unthoughtful answer to "what kind of music do you make?"
> Ask people on the inside what it takes to get to where you want to go. This can apply to music or any other industry.
> Set a goal for the number of people you want to meet in a space. Be genuine and get to know them. The number of people you meet will determine your success. Adult life is closer to high school (relationship-based) than college (achievement-based).
> People send business to people they like.
> Avoid putting people on a pedestal, as it can prevent real friendship.
> Persistence is key in getting people to look at your work. Don't be discouraged by no response; people are busy. Follow up two times.
> Small gifts go a long way - especially for those who feel unappreciated. Be generous, you're going to see the same faces in your industry for years to come.
> Ask for favors and advice, people get ego boosts from knowing things.
> When promoting, don't bark. It doesn't work. Be smarter if your promotion strategies aren't working.
> When promoting via email - keep it to something that can be read in 10 seconds, with contract info to talk more.
> When promoting via text or in person - ask if the person has time to chat about it. This shows a respect for their time, and will ensure you have them with their full attention.
> Don't act big. Be vulnerable. Don't act corporate. Be weird and prove you're a real person.
> Think "what is my audience wanting to get out of this" for performance or work.
> Creativity doesn't end with the end of a song - think about the marketing as creative too.
> Add mystery to your music. When using lyrics, write everything you want to say and then remove every other line.
> You will never fail if your approach is always "let's see what happens" in relation to creating and connecting with others.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sivers mostly takes a counterintuitive approach to marketing yourself, your product and so on. His approach is more to engage with and promote other people and in so doing help yourself.
At least that's what I got in the early stages. I found as I went on that the bitsy nature of his writing made me glaze over what could have been good advice. And there was so much advice that in spite of his telling his readers to focus on what they love doing, which is their music, I can't see how they'd come away from this book not thinking I just don't have enough time to do everything Sivers suggests.
Perhaps that's the point. We have to focus on our music/writing/art primarily, and on a few of the things Sivers discusses. If we don't, we'll burn out quickly.
I did start making notes on the book in the early stages when his suggestions seemed more doable. By the time I'd finished I'd stopped taking notes and just read to the end, feeling slightly exhausted. It may be that I'm too old to take up much of what he's suggesting. I need to stick to the simple!

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Derek writes a book, I buy it. I don’t care what it’s ostensibly about, because it’s about living well and intentionally. He’s thoughtful and to the point. This, or any of his, could have been five or six longer books; that’s not his style. Derek’s thoughts are tight and well packaged; there’s always something to chew on. To do it, you’d best set the book down and chew. Or bask in the barrage and see what resonates most for you.

Spoiler: The most powerful idea is the last one: does it drain you or excite you? Sivers first (if I’m citing accurately) first spoke to it in 2009 ( https://sive.rs/hellyeah ) and in 2020 wrote a whole book on the topic ( https://sive.rs/n ) Permission to apply it at the tail end of a lot of candid talk about the mechanics of success will be a balm for some, or many. If the “right” things drain you, they might not be right for you right now. And they might be a net loss instead of a net gain. Your inner landscape sets the scene for your version of the game.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I needed to read. Relevant to what we do as serious and aspiring musicians, with real-life tokens of wisdom and not at all overwrought with lofty ideas. The sections/ideas I hope will cut through some of my blocks:
- getting your music out to people is "considerate",
- describe your music to make people curious (rather than an accurate description),
- "marketing as an extension of your art", and
- the importance of maintaining and growing your relationships with ppl and your audience.

Pick up this book if you're a creative entrepreneur!

[Robert Roose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sivers, who has been active in the music industry for years, gives tips on how musicians can break through, but his advice is applicable to anyone engaged in creative pursuits seeking a larger audience. Despite being a small book (less than 80 pages), I had to put it down a few times. Not because it was bad, but because Sivers doesn't beat around the bush. His advice is clear, concise, and focused. That's why I needed some time each time to process and absorb it. I think I've highlighted about 30% of the entire book, so that indicates why it deserves this appreciation.

[Rhounage · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! Highly recommended, especially to young artists. Some of the things discussed in the book: Make mystery in and around your music. Be helpful to others in any kind of way, your time to receive help will come too. Don't bother looking for new opportunities until you can show some level of success in what you do. Sometimes, a simple thing like "treating someone a pizza" can change your future! Stop complaining, but rather try to make a difference yourself in making things better. Describe your art in a memorable way. Be open to advice but, follow the advice that excites you.

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, fascinating read. I took lots of notes! A sort of self-help diy music industry book that tells you stuff that both feels like secrets and common sense at the same time…but the common sense isn’t common until you learn it. The advice is occasionally contradictory but in a way that feels ok, because in the end, he’s telling you a lot of things that you need to figure out how to make work for yourself and your own needs.

[Gregory Offner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone even remotely interested in music as a business should read this

Whether the medium you’d like to pursue professionally is art, or music, or music as art…anything creative really. The critical conclusion you must arrive at is, ultimately it’s a business. Derek has put forward a compilation of observations and behaviors that are both relevant and valuable to anyone who wants to be more successful (and derive more enjoyment from) the business part of music.

[Kyle Wojcik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm no musician by any means (other than being an absolute beginner at guitar), but Sivers gives great insight in how one can succeed (and thrive) in the music business.

It's not specific to music however, the knowledge within could be applied to any job or any field, which I found super helpful.

Being able to look at the music industry through an entirely different light will help me share the music and albums I love with others in a much better way.