The glitz and glamour of celebrities in the music industry makes it a dream for many. So how can you go from being on the outside to getting into the music industry and making music your profession? Here are some tips based on how the most successful artist have broken through.
Decide What You Want To Do
The first step is getting clear on what it is you want. Do you want to be the artist that is performing on stage or in the studio, or do you want to become a music producer? There are tons of different ways to be “in the industry” and some don’t even require a strong musical ability.
When you have a solid idea of exactly what you want to do you can move on to the next step, which is making yourself more marketable and starting a grassroots awareness campaign for yourself.
Create a Music Portfolio
People need to see what you are capable of, either your future fans if you’ll be performing, or others in the music industry if you’ll be behind the scenes. If you are going to be an artist it’s as simple as showing them what you can do. Nowadays it’s easier than ever to make an online music portfolio of your best work.
If you plan on producing music, you’ll need to find an artist to work with and showcase your skills as their official producer. The end result is the same, you’ll want a promo package that shows off what you worked on directly and the artist can vouch for your skill set.
Use Social Media
Some of today’s hottest up-and-coming music producers and artists got their foot in the door by sending out samples of their work through social media directly to big names in the industry. For the foreseeable future this seems like a viable way to cut the line and basically break into the music industry by knocking directly on the door.
Be Persistent
You might not get the answer you’re looking for based on sending out just one demo to one artist. You need to be persistent and keep sending out more and more demos until somebody likes what they hear. It’s a numbers game, and it might take dozens or even hundreds of attempts before you get your big break.
Create More and More
Don’t just make a small portfolio and then sit back on your laurels thinking this will be enough to do the job. Keep making more and more great music and this will increase your chances of success. By making more music you are essentially creating a bigger net to catch the fish that could be The Big One you’ve been waiting for.
Don’t Focus On Time
We promised you the quickest way to get into the music industry, but you definitely don’t want to put so much time pressure on yourself that you start to stress out. Music is an art form and it’s not a race, everybody is on their own path and will reach success on their own timeline. Just relax, let the music flow and everything will work out for the best.
