The reason I put these three books together is that they’re a trilogy. Through Austin Kleon’s years of creative work, he seems to have gleaned a lot of insights that have helped him create more and better art. And in these books, he passes along to us what he’s learned.

Steal Like An Artist is all about the creative process and allowing other artists to directly influence you. It’s about being proud of your work yet not thinking too highly of yourself.

Because there’s nothing new under the sun. Everything is a remix. We’re all recycling centers putting our own creative spin on the plastic bottles and tin cans we find.

Show Your Work! is all about sharing what you’ve made, even making the “sharing” part of your creative process. It sends the message that you shouldn’t wait until your art is perfect and polished before releasing it to the world, because it will never be perfect and polished according to you.

Get it out there. Show people what you’re working on. Get feedback and get better.

And finally, Keep Going is how to stay creative and motivated in a crazy and sometimes discouraging world. Kleon offers both philosophical approaches and practical things you can do to not lose heart as someone who makes art.

This trilogy has inspired me to create more stuff, feel freer to share it with people and to build up a thick skin of endurance. Those three attributes — creativity, engagement, and longevity — will serve you well in any music-related career.

These reads are perfect for literally any musician, Producer, Songwriter, A&R Rep, or a music business person.

Also, they’re good for people who aren’t fans of long books with lots of words. Kleon, a Visual Artist, includes plenty of photos, doodles, and hand-drawn charts to make his points clear.

Paul Zollo is a Songwriter and Author, and his book Songwriters On Songwriting should probably be on the shelf of every Songwriter. It’s a collection of interviews he did over the years with some of the most respected Songwriters, like Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen, and many more. Probably none of us will get the chance to sit in a songwriting class taught by one of these Songwriters. But this book is the next best thing.

Motivational: that’s the word I’d use to describe this book if I could only choose one word. It’s not that Zollo wrote anything motivational — it’s hearing how these Songwriters approached songwriting and the insights they shared that makes this book one that will inspire you to do more songwriting.

It definitely got me to dive headfirst back into intentional songwriting.

This book is for Songwriters — that’s obvious. But it can also be good for music PR or marketing people because it can help them get into the mind of the Songwriter they may be representing. It can be difficult for non-Songwriters to understand where Songwriters are coming from, but this book can help clear some things up.

Although not everything in How to Make It in the New Music Business is evergreen (that’s what second and third editions are for!), much of it will work regardless of how the “new music business” changes. Songwriter/musician Ari Herstand has been a full-time musician for a while and shares what he’s learned in this thick book.

It covers recording, releasing albums, building a fanbase, playing shows, touring, sync licensing, and knowing how to use the internet effectively. He also goes through a bunch of business-growth stuff, like promoting your music, asking versus begging for support, and getting press.

Herstand gained notoriety through his blog for musicians, Ari’s Take. Thousands of DIY musicians have been trusting his advice, lessons, and insights for years. This book seems to be the culmination of that.

You can make this your music business bible. There’s so much info inside it, you’d do alright if it were the only book you referenced when releasing an album, collecting royalties, and crafting your public image.<

This is all good news for your career because the business and marketing side of being an indie musician can be very confusing. And that can make your music career lethargic. This book, though, can clear up a lot of “how to” questions, injecting your career with caffeine.

This book would help any independent musician — it covers pretty much every aspect, from recording to touring to get sync license placements. So whether you’re a studio rat or a trained monkey on stage, this book is for you.

It could also help Band Managers because there’s an entire section on booking and promotion, one on touring, and one on how to get sponsors.

Outliers by Author and thinker Malcolm Gladwell is all about success, luck, and opportunity. It’s the book where he talks about the famous 10,000-hour rule, which is that greatness comes only after doing 10,000 hours of the thing you’re great at.

Using anecdotes and statistics, he paints a picture of success being mostly luck and just being somewhere at the right time. He says after you get so good at something, your skill no longer helps you — at that point, you just need an opportunity to show your skills.

And a lot of that is luck. Even being born in the wrong month or in the wrong place can hurt your chances of success, Gladwell says.

That might sound discouraging, but, to me, it’s freeing. As a musician, this idea that a lot of our road to success is not paved by us frees me up to just create. Create art because I enjoy it. Yes, we should try to take every good opportunity and become as great as we can be at our craft. But some things are just out of our control.

And that frees me up to create for the joy of it. If this idea makes you angry, maybe you’re in this for the wrong reasons — maybe success is not why you should be in the music industry.

I think this book is mostly inspiring, so if you need a fresh and objective look at the idea of success, this book is a good place to start. It shows you that hard work and a drive to be great can (but not always) lead to great success.

Outliers can help boost your music career by freeing you up to create the best art possible and letting the outcomes be what they are.

This book would be good for anyone in a music-related career, but especially the people who create music. Songwriters, Session Musicians, Producers — they can all benefit from Gladwell’s view of success.

You may have never heard of Rob Bell, but he’s a Writer, Philosopher, and former Pastor. So his book Drops Like Stars deals with, not surprisingly, profound ideas. It’s all about how creativity and life difficulties talk with each other.

“It is the difficult and the unexpected, and maybe even the tragic, that opens us up and frees us to see things in new ways,” reads Bell’s website. “Many of the most significant moments in our lives come not because it all went right but because it all fell apart. Suffering does that. It hurts, but it also creates.”

In Drops Like Stars, he writes about how upheaval can lead to deeper creativity, how failing in life can lead to art you’re more proud of, and how subtracting things can often be part of the creative process.

It’s a book that will really make you think, but it’s one that could easily help you create more meaningful art.

Like some of the other books on this list, Drops Like Stars is one that is meant to free you up to create, to push you to new creative places. And anytime a book does that, people who create art should read it. It will only help their career.

Anyone who creates music can benefit from this book, but especially those who’ve had a rough life thus far. I think Songwriters specifically can learn from this book — they typically are the ones talking about profound thoughts or life insights within their songs. I’m a Songwriter, and I know this book was good for me.

So if you’re looking for inspiration — especially if you’ve had a difficult life — this book will understand you.

In this book, the iconic music producer Rick Rubin reflects on the essence of being a creative individual.

While his insights transcend the realm of music, they serve as a profound source of inspiration for any musician.

In today’s music landscape, it’s common to become fixated on streams, followers, and view.

And this book serves as a reminder not to lose touch with the profoundly meaningful creative aspect of making music amid the pressures of the industry.

Being a career musician involves business and marketing. And while those are important aspects of success, it’s easy to let those take over your focus. This book can help shift your focus back to the creative aspect of music. It can remind you of why you started creating in the first place.

Any musician (or creative person) who feels bogged down by the business and marketing side of being a musician. This book will redirect your focus to the creative process.

Delve into an exhilarating and uplifting blend of recollections, music, and inspiration with Jeff Tweedy, the frontman of Wilco and a New York Times bestselling author.

In this exploration, Tweedy shares fifty songs that have profoundly impacted his life and unravels the real-life stories behind them.

Gain insights into the symbiotic relationship between music and life as Tweedy reflects on the profound ways in which they intertwine.

By understanding the real-life stories and inspirations behind these songs, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the creative process and draw inspiration for your own songwriting. Tweedy’s reflections on how music intertwines with life can give you guidance on finding authenticity in your work and navigating the challenges of a music career.

This book would be most helpful and/or interesting for songwriters, career artists, Wilco fans, and music nerds.

Dave Grohl, a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his contributions to Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, has experienced and witnessed so much.

So the stories in this book span the entirety of his career, chronicling his journey from the early days to his current legendary status.

While undeniably a fantastic read for fans, it also serves as a captivating exploration of the grunge movement and the rock scene, offering insights into the music landscape from the ‘80s and beyond.

It’s always helpful to hear stories from artists who have navigated the music industry and made a career for themselves. By reading about Grohl’s experiences – and seeing that he’s a genuinely good human – you may learn how to carry yourself in the studio, on stage, and when doing business as a musician.

Obviously, fans of Nirvana or The Foo Fighters would love this book, but any aspiring musician would get helpful insights from this book.

In his exploration of George Harrison, renowned Beatles biographer Philip Norman delves into the complexities of Harrison’s troubled life and successful yet underappreciated career.

Despite being perceived as a minor talent compared to the songwriting giants John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Harrison crafted timeless songs like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Here Comes the Sun.”

His solo debut album, All Things Must Pass, achieved remarkable success, earning a place on numerous lists of the 100 best rock albums ever.

In contemporary assessments, music critics now position him among the revered sixties guitar gods, sharing the pantheon with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Jimmy Page.

Learning about Harrison’s work ethic and creative inspiration can encourage you to pay attention to your inspirations, and maybe you can borrow some songwriting tips from him.

It’s for Beatles fans and George Harrison fans, but it’s also a must-read for songwriters, band members, and lead guitarists.

In this book, Trotter (AKA Black Thought of The Roots) goes beyond merely narrating a captivating and emotionally charged portrait of the artist during his formative years.

Instead, he presents readers with a courageous example of what it truly looks like to lead an examined life.

Through vibrant stories, Trotter unfolds the compelling narratives of four influential relationships that played a pivotal role in shaping him – connections with community, friends, art, and family.

Each of these relationships forms an intricate tapestry of love, discovery, trauma, and loss, contributing to the fabric of his life story.

An examined life can lead to creating more interesting songs, a greater awareness of what you want as a musician, and an overall more fulfilled life. All things that can help you build a successful music career.

This would be an interesting read for fans of Black Thought or The Roots. But it’s also an insightful read for any and all songwriters and musicians, as well as people in other creative endeavors.