AWAL is a music service for independent artists based in London. They've just launched a five-part series on their blog on how to invest well in artists own career, which is simply excellent.

There's one point, in particular, we wanted to highlight, and that is the structure of how to invest in your operation. PR doesn't make sense to do if there isn't a product to promote (like a tour or an album), and it doesn't make sense to start promoting a tour if that brand isn't there yet.

They break the complicated process of managing money for launching a career into steps that are so clear, it almost becomes obvious how to navigate this tricky terrain.

This infographic they created breaks the whole process down to three levels: 

• establishing the foundation (of music, sound, identity → the brand)
• building building building (contacts, network, getting the word out) 
• go as loud as you can (get press, professional marketing, ads, etc) 

The first three posts are out now, and we would definitely recommend reading this series carefully for anyone who's in the early stages of establishing themselves.