Music was much simpler before the advent of the Internet and smartphones. The days of recording an album, handing it off the label and heading for the financially supported tour are way behind in this technology-driven era.
The competition in the music industry has always been cutthroat deep down and nowadays almost every part of being a musician has extremely become more complex. Musicians are found themselves recording and producing the album, writing and recording videos, marketing and promoting music on social media sites, trying to understand the bizarre world of royalty payments and working in such an industry where the long-standing structures are constantly changing.
However, the necessities and requirements for being a successful musician are in flux, you should consider the following:
Be Real, Be Yourself
Telling the truth from the heart is the basic part of being a musician. It has been proved through decades of observation, that songwriters achieve success only when they showcase authentic work and face failure when they are deceitful. In music and art, power comes from authenticity and being authentic means being genuine and not fake.
Put your heart and uniqueness into the music and don’t run after what people like. Audiences are tired from self-promotion, false positivity and endless indulgence into social media. Modern-day fans demand access at all hours to your social media and they can sniff out bogus accounts right away. You are now in charge of your own promotion and have the power to choose how to present yourself.
When you speak your mind, the response can be incredibly awesome.
Invest in Your Skill
As a musician, your success is based on your abilities, rest is the icing on the cake. If your talent is not enough to draw the audience, then you shouldn’t be establishing your brand and marketing your music. Work on your skills of music instead until you are ready. It is hard to find an artist who hasn’t worked hard for the fame he deserves.
Continue investing in your talent even after you are proficient enough to draw the audience. What is unique in your talent? What draws the audience to your show? What is your music that brings the fan to view your videos? Keep working and investing in this talent and keep growing your fan base.
Talent is a multiplier, the more you invest more is the yield.
Educate Yourself
It is very important to educate yourself not just to hone your musical skills but also to understand the music business. The music business is not an easy calling. For decades, artists are losing millions of dollars because they lack the business knowledge to notice unfair practices.
Now, with music business courses and various programs in contemporary music colleges and information online, you can attain the education and knowledge to manage your career and finances.
If you want to be successful in music, educate yourself.
Get a Grip on Your Fear, Critics, and Fault-Finders
It is said that bad is stronger than good. You must have observed that you tend to keep hold of negative remarks in striking detail but gloss over the positive emotions. It is quite natural, it happens with everyone. You are much likelier to remember negative criticism over applaud.
No matter what you do and how good you are, ultimately you will be judged. Don’t let haters get under your skin and hold back your progress. Overcome your fear of being judged and criticized. Focus on the journey and not the feedback.
Ignore your negative critics till they fade away.
Never, Never, Never Give up
Undoubtedly there are now more opportunities for musicians to stand out without needing millions of dollars but the competition and saturation have also increased a lot. Making music and reaching out to fans have become easier, but making money from music has become harder. The music industry has become far more complicated to tame.
These difficulties and hardships give you the temptation to give up. Just don’t, hold yourself and believe in yourself. All musicians struggle with such problems. Even the big stars had to navigate through this business and had to compete for attention. This is a part and parcel of being a musician and being in the music industry.
Never stop trying and believing, never give up, your time will definitely come.
Bottom Line
By emulating these attributes, you can come closer to the stardom. None of your talent and what all you have learned will matter if you don’t know how to get your music out there and earn from it.
