How to Become a Successful Independent Artist: 5 Effective Strategies

Becoming a successful independent artist without any major record label backing you up is a pretty stressful and intense thing to do on your own. Especially, if you are new to this and are not taking any professional help from any promotional sites. However, with these easy and quick strategies, you can most definitely reach there. If you already know how to write, and record high-quality music and if you are ready to put it in the work to see results, then you are already halfway there.

Now let’s move on to the strategies and see how you can take help from them:

1. Always prioritize networking: 

Let's face it, we are living in the world of the internet, where every business is so easily accessible and visible. Everybody would agree on one thing, it is always more about who knows you, than who you are or what you are capable of doing. When it comes to prioritizing, networking should take the same place for you, as an independent artist trying to be successful in writing original music. But the real question is how you can do that. How can you build up a strong network that will work beneficial for you? 

    ● Join collaboration sites 

If you are not sure where to start, some of the most famous sites where you can find creative people are - Kompoz, SoundBetter, ProCollabs, etc. these sites are an excellent start and will allow independent artists like yourself to collaborate with both big and small names that will put you on the map. Connecting with reliable and attested artists can be a real game-changer for artists who are trying to put out their names.

So, take your time and foster positive professional relationships with - 

a) Musicians

b) Songwriters

c) Music producers

d) Sound engineers

e) Vocalists 

    ● Reach out to people in person and online

To increase your chances, in addition to joining these sites to gather potential musical collaborations, you can also take a direct approach and reach out to people directly online. You can join several Facebook Groups for musicians in your music genre and attend local festivals. Moreover, be intentional and direct about who you spend your time with. 

You would be surprised to know a simple thank you message can give you how much leverage. Appreciation, kindness, and recognition, where it's needed and due are always counted as charming traits for networking. 

 

2. Leverage your social media accounts: 

You must be living under a rock if you are yet to realize how powerful social media can be. So, after you have prioritized networking, it is time to focus on your social media and its usage. If you can afford it, letting a professional run your social media account will work great. But, as an aspiring independent artist, hiring a social media manager might not be in your budget. Which means, you are going to the job yourself. 

Focus on the social media platforms you are planning to promote yourself

Ideally, you must have an account on every social media platform, but managing even one social media platform is a lot, so start small. Then work your way up and take at least 2-3 social media platforms to focus on. Social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. 

Post quality content, but consistently

Once you have figured out which accounts you will be focusing on and will be growing, it is time to gather the best marketing tactics for them. You can boost your social media platforms with professional promotion services but still, you need to be consistent there. Your content will only be great if it contains - 

a) Entertainment

b) Information

c) Inspiration 

You also need to be regular on social media, which means not posting three times on a lazy Saturday, but posting 2-3 times a week. Consistency is the only key when it comes to gaining social media followers and becoming popular on platforms. Posting on Wednesdays and Fridays is a much better and more effective option than posting five times on the last day of the week. 

 

3. Build a brand image:

Being a successful independent artist is about [performing on stage when thousands of fans cheer your name and sing your song back to you. But at the same time, it is also about building a business. For businesses, the thing that matters the most is the brand image, so your focus should be building your brand's name from scratch. 

Now you might ask, what is your brand? It is your voice, your vibe, and your image. You must ensure that your brand extends from what you sound like or how you dress to what you stand for and the message you want to portray in your music. So, start focusing and figuring out who you are on stage and which version you are getting ready to sell. You are selling a product and that product is your image and your music. 

 

4. Manage your brand yourself:

If you are going to become a successful independent artist, the first thing you need to learn is to manage your music and brand, without a label. You can start by thinking about what a music manager might do for you and prioritize those tasks. Being a successful and great musician is much more than making great music. 

a) Create and then stick to a strict schedule

b) Create a weekly, monthly, and yearly budget

c) Set realistic, and achievable goals with rigid metrics

d) Set up a daily routine

e) Hold yourself accountable 

 

5. Create legal protection:

As a professional in the industry, or any successful person in any business, there is one thing in common, everyone is out there to make a profit off of you. As an independent artist, the industry is much more ruthless, and if you do not protect yourself, you will be left with nothing but crumbs. 

Hire a good lawyer

The first step in protecting yourself starts with getting yourself a good lawyer. Never sign a contract without knowing every single detail, no matter how little that is and sometimes it is impossible to understand without the help from a professional. So as soon as you can get yourself an experienced entertainment attorney.  

Trademark your art 

You might have heard about copyrights and yes, they exist to protect your rights in the industry. Even though copyrighting your music is optional, it should not be for you. You should start by trademarking your artist’s name and logo and then move on to your work. 

 

In conclusion, these strategies are proven to be crucial if you want to become successful as an independent artist, so start today. Your great music alone will not help you become popular. Also, Music Promotion Club can help you to fulfill your dream to be an independent artist. So start your Journey with Music Promotion Club and grow your career as an Independent artist.