Almost every other kid wants to become the next global pop star or a rapper who is appreciated by all listeners around the world. While most dream about it, some of them also successfully achieve this dream and turn it into reality. In order to become a successful music artist, you definitely need to be great at your craft because the competition is simply too high. But other than making good musical products, there are many other aspects that you need to consider in order to become an established musical persona in the industry. Here’s a complete guide for you to embark on your musical career in 2024.
• Find Out Your Potential Place in the Industry
Do you want to become a singer, a rapper, a composer, or a diversified artist with dynamic talents? Well, there is no ‘wrong’ answer in this case but whatever you choose, you must be certain and confident about it. It is crucial to find your position in the industry that defines your musical creations and individuality. You can become a solo artist or work in a band; either way, you have to opt for a path that you will follow to precede your career. The scope of creativity is endless and it can open new doors of opportunity. Do not worry about the future and focus on ‘now’!
• Set Goals for Your Music Career
It is always better to set certain goals in your career rather than aimlessly making music that nobody listens to. Setting goals will help you save a lot of time and reach your prime soon. Climbing the ladder of success gets easier when you are able to set long-term goals and actually achieve them. Not every music artist will have the same goals and you can start with small, such as dropping a debut EP within the next 6 months. Aim for the moon and never refrain from dreaming big.
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• Invest in Growth
Money is one of the biggest concerns for rising artists but being willing to invest in your growth is the first thing a music artist must learn. Whether you need more studio time, get your website created, or need your merchandise to get printed; money is a prime requirement in every case. Start saving early to support the initial phase of your music career. It is a risk that you need to take so that you gain a higher return on investment. Once your career starts flourishing, you can always roll back your earnings in the musical investments. You can also seek help from investors and record labels but before that, you need to have some solid material.
• Create a Spectacular Online Presence
In this digital age, creating a strong online presence is not just important but also compulsory for every music artist to gain exposure and popularity. The moment listeners get to know about you, they are going to search you on Google for more info and you must provide that through an ample digital footprint. Other than creating a music website, post your music on social media platforms, utilize short-form videos to feature your song, submit music blogs, pitch journalists, and do everything that improves your presence and visibility on the search engine result pages. Utilizing SEO strategies is the best option here.
• Networking is the Key to Popularity
Other than your musical skills, you also need to improve your networking skills since network and contacts can help you find more opportunities. You need to establish connections with people who are already part of the industry as well as fellow rising artists who are trying to grow just like you. Starting from booking managers, and organizers to tastemakers, playlist creators, and sound engineers; try to create a strong contact list whom you can ask for help or collaboration. Be friendly with all and stay updated to find your breakthrough.
• Learn How to Distribute Your Music Online
When your musical creations are done, the next step is to distribute them through major music streaming platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and others from where you can monetize your content and earn royalty based on your streams and plays. For that, you will need a music aggregator or distributor who can help you share your music with major outlets such as Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, and many others. Some of the popular DSPs or distributors are, DistroKid, TuneCore, CDBaby, Ditto Music, etc to name some.
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• Gain Knowledge about Music Copyright Laws
Your music is not just an artistic creation but also a power asset that allows you to gain money from it and someone might want to copy it without giving you any credibility. That is why knowing copyright laws for music is highly important to prevent infringement legally. ASCAP and BMI are such Performance Rights Organizations that can help the artist gain copyright for their music as in owning a patent of what they make. If anyone copies your music without permission, you can gladly sue them.
• Develop a Business Mindset
Even though you are pursuing your artistic pleasures through music, you will be a part of the entertainment business, and having a business mindset is crucial for that. Other than creating high-quality music, you also need to create a marketing plan, and promotional strategies, define audiences, establish a musical brand, and many other activities that help you get recognized as a professional music artist. You might even need to hire someone to manage to keep track of everything.
Concluding Thoughts
Becoming a professional music artist in this competitive digital era is not an easy task. While there are many obstacles in a music career, the reward is high too. Always be humble no matter how popular you become and show your gratitude to the fans as they can make you become that next viral artist. In case you find it difficult to handle everything alone; hire professionals who can help you.
