Reality Check

You can be incredibly talented and still feel like your music career is stuck. This is not because you aren’t working hard. It’s not because you don’t believe in yourself. It is because most of us are building our careers inside music industries that were never built for emerging artists in the first place. We talked about these gaps in the music industry in Episode 1 of the ArtistSnacks Podcast!  But this post will take you deeper with reflective exercises and resources to help you move forward:

  • It’s not just about what the gaps are.
  • It’s about what you can start doing today to close them!

Haven’t heard the episode yet? Listen here:

What’s Actually Holding Us Back?

On the podcast, we discussed four big gaps that stop music creatives, especially in the Caribbean and other emerging music markets such as Africa, from growing sustainable careers.

Now, I’m going to help you figure out which gap is affecting you most right now.

Here is where we get practical!

image of gaps in the music industry

Go through these four prompts and check the one that feels most real to you.

  1. Artist Development Gap:
     I’m still figuring out my brand, my audience, and how to present myself as a professional artist.
  2. Management Gap:
     I don’t know if I’m really ready for a manager, or I’m not sure what a manager should actually do for me.
  3. Information Gap:
     I’m unsure where my royalties come from and I’m struggling to find music business advice that makes sense for where I live.
  4. Policy & Infrastructure Gap:
     I feel like the system in my country doesn’t support artists and I’m not sure how to build without proper funding or government support.

 👉 Pause here!

Which gap hit you? Write it down or say it out loud. This is the gap you need to close first!

What to Do About It

Depending on which gap you’re facing, here’s what we recommend:

If you’re in the Artist Development Gap:

Start working on your artist brand
 Think beyond your image! What’s your story? What vibe should your audience instantly feel when they see or hear you?

Try this:

  • Write three words that describe your sound, your image and your story.
  • Want help? Check out the Artist Brand Creation Workshop (Coming Soon).

If you’re in the Management Gap:

Assess whether you’re actually ready for management
Managers are business partners, not miracle workers. You need to have a foundation that a manager can then build on.

Try this:

  • Write down 3 things you’d hand over to a manager if you had one tomorrow.

Grab the free Artist Readiness Checklist 

artist readiness checklist for gaps in the music industry blog

Want more? Check out our Managing the Music Artist Course.

If you’re in the Information Gap:

Learn how digital royalties and music money really work.
Most artists are missing easy payments because they simply aren’t registered in the right places.

Try this:

  •  Google: “The MLC royalties registration” and ask: Does this apply to my region? If not, what’s my local equivalent? You should ensure that you understand the types of royalties that are due to you and have created systems to collect it.
  • Learn more in our Collecting Your Coins (Coming Soon).

If you’re in the Policy & Infrastructure Gap:

Figure out how your country’s music ecosystem actually works.
 Even if support is limited, knowing what’s available helps you work smarter.

Try this:

  • Find out what music-related grants, organisations, or policies currently exist in your country.
  • Dive into our Crescendo Course! Learn how to scale your music business despite policy gaps (Coming Soon).

Take It Further: Join the Community

Don’t just read, build with us.

✔️ Share which gap you’re working on in the ArtistSnacks WhatsApp Community.
 ✔️ Connect with other music creatives who are navigating the same challenges.
 ✔️ Get free tools, templates, and episode drops before anyone else.

👉 Join the community here → ON WhatsApp 

Listen to the Episode

The podcast episode gives you the full breakdown of these gaps and why they exist.
 🎧 Listen to Episode 1 → Tap to Listen

Final Thought

You don’t need to figure it all out today.
 You just need to know where you’re stuck and take the next best step.

Let’s build smart. Let’s build together.