Contents:
Know to criticise yourself
there's no shortcuts, you need to Work Hard
Have a clear vision of success.
You’ll hear “no” more than “yes”
Be creative, be yourself
Promotion, time management is essential.
Love what you do
Keep your emotions in the studio
I know where you’re coming from, I’ve been there. It’s not easy being an indie artist trying to break through.
There are so many things to contemplate and focus on. Being creative in the studio, choosing the right look and sound, and wondering what the fans and critics think about your music, as well as how to reach listeners, how to get on playlists, how to get noticed, how to grow your fan base and how to become a better artist.
The music industry is tough, and the numbers are against you, but anything is possible.
I know it's hard for independent artists trying to kick off their music career so...
In today's music industry, it doesn't matter if you have a major record label deal or you are an unsigned artist, you can DIY everything and still get the golden ticket.
it's all about the right approach, the right work ethics and staying focused on the target.
Here are 8 tips to help make it in the music industry:
1. Know to criticise yourself
A new song for an artist is like a newborn for a mother. Both would love them no matter what, but the difference is an artist’s song needs to be loved by others in order to gain success and spread.
If you are just starting out in the music industry, you are most likely to hit some bumps along the way when releasing music. Not all of your new music that you’ll release will be a masterpiece. Practice makes perfect, and it takes a lot of time to develop an objective listening to your own songs.
As I said, you won’t find a mother who thinks her baby is not beautiful. Learn how to review your song after it’s done. Don’t be afraid to fix the bass channel or the vocals if needed, and find your weaknesses and make them better. Be open to listen to other musicians and criticism. Your music is not perfect, it could always be better.
Knowing to listen to a professional review is essential, but listening to someone who doesn’t have knowledge or background in music can also be productive.
Even if your listener doesn’t say anything, look at their behaviour while they're listening to your track. Do they open up their cell phone after a minute, or do they tap their feet along to your song?
Don’t ignore what other people say about your music, but find the right balance between listening to what others say while still keeping your original vision.
2. There's no shortcuts, you need to work hard!
One of the most important things is to work hard. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Money can get you some shortcuts on the way but it's still 95% hard work.
If you are serious about your musical career, you should act like a professional even if you are not. Figure out how much time you can afford to work on your music every day. If you would like to be an artist full time, don’t wake up to work at 11:00 am as this is not what a pro would do. Set your goals, decide when, what, where, and be organized.
Find out who your audience is, where is it located, how much money you need to invest to get where you want, work with a calendar and plan at least one year ahead, maybe even two, and set your objectives.
In the studio you should be on top of things, know your music composition, melodies, production and try to improve from song to song. The more music you'll create and release, the better chance you'll hit your targets.
Read our blog on 8 Tips On How To Produce Better Songs
I always say to my friends that being an artist or a musician isn't much different from being a successful carpenter or an electrician. If you work hard you will succeed.
Successful people usually worked hard to get where they are today.
3. Have a clear vision of success.
It may sound cliché, but I think this one is the most important.
You need to know where you want to go. Like a person driving a car, if you don’t know where you’re going, you will never get there.
Know what success looks like for you and visualise it in your mind. Do it every other day, and don’t sink into pessimist thoughts as nothing good will come out from them.
Thoughts create your reality.
Read this book:
“The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Dr. Joseph Murphy
It will change your life.
4. You’ll hear “NO” more than “YES”
It’s a tough industry. There are so many artists out there trying to break through.
Curators, bloggers, and successful channel owners are receiving hundreds of songs to review every day. Most likely, you will hear “no” a lot throughout your musical career, but that’s okay. Don’t be discouraged, and keep on working hard and getting better with each song you release. It’s all a matter of numbers and statistics; for every 100 submissions you will send, there’s an X percentage of yes, and your goal is to raise that percentage.
Try to figure out why your music was rejected. In some cases, it’s not even related to your music. For example, maybe the record label you reached out to was fully booked with artists, or a radio station doesn’t play your kind of genre. Sometimes, it is related to your music. Always listen and learn from the no’s you get, so that next time they’ll turn into a yes.
5. Be creative, be original, be yourself
Nobody wants to listen to a copy of “Kygo,” or someone who sounds just like “Jay Z” or “Metallica.” More often than not, listeners prefer the original. You might get some limited success by imitating other artists, but it won’t open your path to being an original artist.
Finding your own sound is crucial. Don’t overthink what someone else would think about your music. Be creative, be bold, be original, and most importantly, be yourself and become a proud original independent artist.
An original sound usually grows out of creativity and courage.
6. Promotion, time management is essential.
Your time is valuable. If you are spending too much time doing social media promotion for your songs instead of being in the studio, then something is wrong. You’ve signed up to be an artist, not a promoter.
Our platform “One Submit” was born and designed to handle this issue by saving time and providing resources for artists to gear heard and get on Playlists, blogs, radio stations and more. Just so you can get back to the studio and create more songs.
Our platform is a one-stop-shop for artists who want to promote their music.
In addition, in order to attract new fans, artists must have a social media presence.
Using social media platforms, making music videos and playing live concerts can help increase your fan base and help you out in the music business. Make sure you are using a digital distribution like Cd Baby or DistroKid to get on streaming services, Make sure you are doing that for each one of your music releases, check out your profile on the streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer etc.. Create great press releases and try to be everywhere you can.
7. Love what you do
If you are not passionate about what you’re doing, you are in the wrong place.
Creativity and originality are born out of passion. You must focus heavily on your music career and really love what you do. If you're in a band, make sure you guys are having fun every time you meet to jam. It’s a long way till the finish line, and if you are not motivated by the power of the love of music, you won’t get anywhere.
8. Keep your emotions in the studio
In the studio, artists being emotional is essential as music is born out of feelings. People consume music that has strong deep emotions that they can relate to.
Outside of the studio however, it’s a business like any other one.
Rational decisions are required to make the right calls, and choosing the right promotion for you, finding the right people to work with, and understanding the industry and your genre are very important. Work like a pro, set up a business plan for the next year or two, and use clear objectives and a detailed timetable. It will help your business become organised while also having a successful release.
Work hard and enjoy the process.