Being Indie is a Business

Being Indie is a Business.

In my last blog It is Your Business, I have written about the importance of professionalism in being a successful indie artist. It is also important to be financially prepared to launch yourself in the industry and sustain until money starts flowing in. Here are some more points that will help all indie artists and bands to manage their ‘business’ of being indie better.

Limitations

Remember that you are working towards being a star, which has some limitations. Whatever the stars do is, by default, good and high quality. Please do not post videos with disclaimers like “bad sound, I was sick” or “low quality, shot on a flip phone”. If you know it is bad, don’t publish it. Neither on YouTube, nor on your website. Brings us to another important thing that every star must have. A website. It establishes your authenticity as a professional musician and is in most cases your first impression to potential bookers. Contact HyperEffects for your website requirements.

Start from Scratch

There is always a requirement for performers at festivals that cannot afford them. As I have written in my blog Music Festivals, in the initial stages of your career, be prepared for voluntary performances. Yes, you might not get paid for your gigs at music festivals, but don’t let that hold you back. Most music festivals don’t pay the budding indie artists for their performances, yet they are often well-attended and the most sought-after events for undiscovered talent. All you are going to earn is fans and followers; but again, you might get noticed by someone who has the capability to change your life. Remember to carry CDs of your work (if you have any) to the festival to sell to those who are awed by your performance. Add information for them to connect with you online.

You are in this to make money. Please remember this as you move up the ladder. For the sake of us all, don’t think that because music is art, it should be free. When a venue lets you perform, it earns profits from your performances. Please let those profits flow back to you. We need to create a world where we would no longer have venues expecting us to work for free.

Appearance

All of us understand that the world around us is more fake than original. Nobody looks for talent until talent makes itself visible. Appearance is very important. As I have written in my blog Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks, a very important bit of free merch available to all the artists is their face and their body language. Not all of us are gifted with good looks, but your style can woo your fans and keep them thinking about you long after the event. Pay attention to the young crowd, especially the opposite gender and don’t forget to dedicate a line or two to some of them. They will get you a gang of college going fans. Work on grooming yourself not just professionally but also personally.

Another important part of ‘appearance’ is professionalism. My blog Tips and Tricks talks about the importance of a professional bio. If you don’t have a professional bio, don’t waste your time trying to book with establishments that probably have hundreds of requests in the pipeline. Know that a good professional bio, which is a specific type of bio, is much more important than you currently think. You can learn about it online.

Also very important in maintaining a professional image is a website for yourself or your band. In this age of computers, having your own website is an absolute necessity. To create and manage a website, there are companies like HyperEffects that can help you. They help you connect with your target audience efficiently. Hyper Effects is one stop for your website, marketing and cyber development requirements. It helps you to create a website to display your talent or sell your indie music or indie art. Their websites are easy to navigate. All you need to do is to make sure you have a bio, up-to-date images and videos and probably a link to your music when you contact them.

These are just a few points that you can keep in mind because they scratch the surface of the local music scene. You will find many more to handle as you move on. Please share your experiences in the comments section and I will add them in my future posts to make it easy for the other budding and established indie artists and bands. After all, we are an ever-evolving industry and it always helps to learn and grow together.