Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in music but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dan Barracuda, a music producer, composer, and mixing and mastering engineer based in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My customers are independent musicians and bands, as well as sync/stock libraries that license my compositions.
Tell us about yourself
I've been playing music for almost 20 years now. Born into a Peruvian family that values hard work, food, and good art. I was drawn to music thanks to my brother and my parents - but it was Metallica that inspired me to pick up the guitar.
I got the songwriting/composing bug early on. I just loved the fact that you can create ideas on the guitar that will affect the way people feel. It's like a superpower. After high school, I attended UMass Amherst to study Marketing & Psychology, but I was too busy composing music between classes and on the weekends. I wrote over 2,000 musical ideas at UMass. Music was the thing for me, and I knew it deeply. In the years after college, I learned how to produce, engineer, and market my music through YouTube (you could call it YouTube University or YTU). I got good at mixing and offered to mix others' songs for free at first while I built up my portfolio. After doing this for a couple of years, I was able to increase my rate over time.
In tandem with this, I started exploring instrumental guitar music, specifically Spanish & Classical guitar. Since March 2021, I've amassed over 17 million streams on Spotify. Most of my compositions also live in sync/stock libraries that license my music. What motivates me each day is my love for what I do and my love for others. My gratitude for the skills I've built and my ability to move people.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Making a good living in NYC solely on music work and still having the time to do other things I love.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
It can be lonely because no one is as involved and invested in the business as you are.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Develop self-caring habits that will ground you and keep you centered from the ups and downs.
- Connect with others, meet people, collaborate, and learn from others in your industry.
- Work hard every day, but make time for breaks and doing other things because your mind needs space.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.danbarracuda.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanBarracudaMusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danbarracuda/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbarracuda/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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