The music business is a hard and unforgiving business where only the best survive. People who have made it in the field of music were the ones who set high goals and settled for nothing less. Either one of two paths awaits the many musicians who don’t have the proper guidance. After years of struggle and frustration resulting in disappointment, they never get anywhere in the music business, or they give up and go back to the disappointing and unfulfilling day jobs that they so desperately want to quit. Of course, you don’t want such a fate so here are some essential tips that, if followed, will ensure that you will have a long and lucrative career.
Know your audience
Your success as a musician depends mainly on your fans and supporters. To genuinely have a lucrative music career, you should take the likes and dislikes of your fans into account. In short, you have to make music that your crowd will love. Record labels don’t make rock stars anymore. To be successful and effective in the unforgiving business of music requires a unique and one-of-a-kind brand your crowd can identify with. You must be aware of the location, age group and other specifications of your crowd to adjust your acts according to them and make your music brand immortal.
Make connections with the right people
For a long and lucrative music career, one of the most important things is connections. The music business runs on relationships. Knowing the right people will fuel your music career more than any other factor. Both the quality and quantity of your relations matters. You should consider working on creative projects with your fellow musicians, or you can also perform live acts with them to get the attention of local promoters. One of the best tactics to understand the ins and outs of the music career is to intern at a music company or record label early on in your career. This will give you access to many musicians and promoters who could be useful for your career later on.
No one can make it in the music business alone. You will also need the help of people who are experienced and can help you achieve your goals. Like any other business or sport, you will also require a mentor to guide you through the difficult times that lie ahead. A mentor will do so much more than just give you information. A true mentor will make you able to take advantage of your strengths and will help you improve your weakness, and your mentor will make sure that you always follow a path in the direction of your goals.
Be versatile
Versatility is an essential requirement in the music business; we all know that getting a break in the business is not easy. So, you should be prepared to go different directions with your music at least until you have established your unique music brand. You should be ready to take jobs just to keep your dream alive. Don’t shy away from playing wedding gigs or writing jingle––all these experiences will help you develop a unique brand for your music.
Do online promotions of your music
Of course, online promotion is a necessity of a lucrative career, but the most critical factor is promoting your music through the right channels. Creating and maintaining a website for your brand is very important, and you should also keep an active appearance on social media. Consider promoting your music on music websites such as Spotify and Soundcloud. These websites are responsible for a significant amount of music content distribution these days. You should also promote your music on social media websites like Facebook and Instagram. Many singers and bands today have been discovered from such sites. Doing internet promotions on the right channels can assure a more substantial and younger fan following.
Be prepared for a TOUGH RIDE
Remember, the bills aren’t going to pay themselves while you’re out in the world pursuing your dreams of becoming a star. It’s “go big or go home” in this business. So don’t walk out of your day job just yet. Let your career gain some momentum first. Like any other endeavor, in the music business, you have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Once a steady pace is achieved, then you can put your all into your dreams.
Be your own competition
Most likely you think that every musician is your competitor, and to be successful you have to beat them. But the truth is that there is hardly any competition in music––almost every musician has their unique brand that can’t be compared to any other. The only real competition is yourself. Learn to compete against yourself and try to be better than you already are. Most bands and musicians stop struggling when they reach a point where their income stabilizes, which puts their music career to a halt. You should keep working harder to become better than you already are. Constant hard work is the only thing which will ensure a long an lucrative music career for you
Don’t give up
Your career, like any other, will see some ups and downs. You will run into problems along the way. Don’t get rid of the guitars and drums just yet, if you are in a rough patch. If you keep working hard, you will find that success is just around the corner. You have to maintain high goals for your career. You must not settle for anything less than what you want in a failed attempt to be realistic. Life is too short to set insignificant, uninspiring and meaningless goals that are unworthy of your ambition. Having such a misguided mentality will have only one effect on your career––it will make sure that you never reach your full potential.
This article was written by PETER THOMPSON, who is a little too obsessed with music and musical gadgets. He loves traveling and enjoys time with his friends. He regularly posts at themusicianlab.com.
