Industry pundit and analyst Andrew Dubber has famously said that, "If you want to make the music that moves you, that will hopefully create meaning for people, and that will perhaps earn you a sustainable living, then you have chosen risk, and you will have to be as smart with the entrepreneurship as you are with the music if you want to survive and thrive." Saying that entrepreneurship rules apply to artists isn't always the most straightforward concept though; it means that you can't make things that fans will not pay for, start insisting they should, and then complain that their are morals to
blame—if and when fans file-share your music.

Being a successful musical entrepreneur, in other words, means not trying make to altering the behaviors of your fans a part of your business strategy. But what else?  There are often common factors in the start-ups and businesses that do well compared to those that struggle. Here is a list of eight things artists should strive to do or remember when they are "working with" their avid fans: 

1. Think Niche.
2. Serve Your Needs First.
   
3. Stand Out.
4. Craft a Story.
5. Don’t Fear Technology.
6. Delegate.
7. Learn Everything You Can. Never. Stop. Learning.
8. Be a Work In Progress. 
   

More details on these great concepts here.