Balancing feedback from fans and industry pros on your music. How do you navigate the conflicting opinions?

Never take to heart criticism from someone you wouldn’t ask advice of in the first place. That said, as much as we think of our music as art (and it is), the industry sees it… and you!... as product. You need to find the right balance. I always listen to constructive criticism (emphasis on CONSTRUCTIVE) from a valued source. I may not always act on it, but hearing it helps me grow. The fans are who lift you up & support you, so as long as it isn’t mean-spirited, I’m open to that too. It helps me lean in to what they’re connecting with in my music. Building a team of pros who get you+your vision is key. In the end, the decisions are mine but part of the artistic journey is absorbing what’s around you and spitting it back with your own flavor

The music business has many different layers ranging from local artists to regional artists to professional artists and I don't think I'm doing the layers true justice. The local layer truly consists of how many people you can draw to the venue and bar. There are many great and terrible bands that have huge followings at this layer. They all want you to sound like the artist you're covering, and they all have opinions that can easily sway you. In the mid layer, your expected to have your sound and write or have writers and frankly expected to starve until you get that sound that get you to the pro level. The pro level requires a sound and now you must have a look that the record companies look for. But they want all final decisions

Chacun ressent et cherche une émotion ou une énergie propre lorsqu'il écoute (consomme?!) de la musique. Un "fan" peut tout à fait aimer ou détester une particularité que l'artiste n'avait pas consciemment créé. Cet angle peut donc apporter des feedback surprises, que l'artiste peut choisir d'écouter ou au contraire considérer que c'est hors propos dans sa démarche

Not everyone likes everything. If you are playing at a professional level, know how to tune a guitar etc..the rest is subjective. The guy sitting in the back of the bar with his expert opinion: Where is 'your band' playing tonight sir?

Je demande très souvent des feedbacks de pro (parfois payant). Le plus important finalement pour moi est la quantité et la tendance, plutôt que la qualité. Etant donné que chaque pro a une vision très spécifique (style, besoin, positionnement marché ,etc... Il est probable que certains feedback soit pertinents en soi, mais hors de propos par rapport au projet de l'artiste.

en effet, l'artiste doit avoir sa propre vision artistique, qui ne devrait pas (en théorie?!) être vulnérable au regard des autres. Bien qu'il soit très souvent pertinent de recevoir les feedbacks pour s'améliorer; c'est la responsabilité de l'artiste de bien les solliciter (au bon moment, bonnes personnes,...) et de savoir les prendre en compte ou rejeter si hors propos.

At our agency, we've seen hundreds of artists come and go over the last decade+, and it's always a good sign when constructive criticism is absorbed properly. When there's a conflict of opinion, like this "Fan vs Industry" scenario, the answer depends on context. If feedback directly affects fan experiences and there's a clear majority in what your audience is telling you - listening can be a good idea, if it doesn't compromise your creative integrity. If you're listening to peers/industry pros, don't change just because they're successful - especially if the feedback is informal. If they don't know the full context of you and your situation, you can get bad advice from a good brain. What's worked for them could be totally wrong for you.