Take action, that's the essential advice she would give to all these young artists who are starting out. Go for it, don't wait for the perfect "timing". A philosophy of life that has served her well so far.

No, it is not an option

After her remarkable career on the show Star Académie in 2012, Andréanne A. Malette made her debut with Productions J, a big company that managed her career 360°. "I was lucky or unlucky not to be the priority project," assures the artist who graduated from the École nationale de la Chanson. "So I got my start there as a producer by organizing meetings and the agenda, choosing my musicians, the photographer or the director for the album. I had a lot of freedom, but I didn't go at my own speed and I was often faced with refusals."

After a first album released in 2014, the contract was terminated by mutual agreement in 2015. "Without offense to what I experienced with them, I came out of there dancing with my arms in the air and I took a deep breath for the first time in a long time. It had become distressing not to have control over my career."

Independent and stronger

From then on, the singer started looking for a manager only to quickly realize that the chemistry wasn't working with him. She was going to self-manage. Then, she looked for a producer for whom she would create a professional demo to submit. While she was at it, she was going to self-produce. The same pattern was repeated for the licenses: she would be better served by herself!

In her new role as producer/manager/editor/director, Andréanne A. Malette takes matters into her own hands and follows all the training offered, whether it concerns marketing, taxation, sales, show distribution or business models. "The training offered by organizations such as SPACQ , ADISQ , UDA , the Conseil québécois de la musique or SOPROQ is numerous, but underused," she notes.

To get into action quickly, the singer founded Les Productions NIA in 2016 and created two show concepts one after the other: a series of interactive concerts (which would lead her to the selection of the twelve tracks for her second album) and the Feu de camp Tour .

Let's talk #business!

This journey not only gives the artist an extraordinary background, but also makes her a reference in the popular song industry. Not a week goes by without a young artist wanting to self-produce asking her to go for a coffee to get some advice.

Even today, the singer never goes on tour without her audiobooks… “Recently, I listened to the ones about managing a web community… I created a university in my car to make the most of my time spent on the road. I still have so much to learn!”

“Producing and managing all aspects of my career has become a way for me to differentiate myself from others,” she adds. “I wanted to make sure that it was highlighted in my press relations. I also do it on my social networks with #BusinessMonday . I am not the first, nor the only one, but perhaps the one who has managed to market it well.”

Aim for balance

Today, Productions NIA does business with around twenty subcontractors, including an assistant who allows Andréanne A. Malette “to have a life and avoid burnout,” she admits.

The biggest challenge? Making time for artistic creation, while also taking care of the administrative aspects and management. “For 15 years, I have composed an average of 12 songs per year. These last three years have been rather deserted. My goal is to eventually reach 33-33-33 for my life as a producer, my life as an artist and my personal life.”

Does she consider herself an entrepreneur? “I think I still have some scabs to eat. I like the term artrepreneur in English. With strong women like Danièle Henkel and Arlene Dickinson as role models, I aspire to succeed in my entrepreneurial career while maintaining a balanced family life. It’s a big challenge, but I intend to try!”