Indie Artist’s Hobby.
There are no hard and fast rules or a guide that works universally for all aspiring artists, who are looking to escape from the confines of their mother’s basement and make it as a professional recording artist. There are, however, several steps that should be taken to ensure that you are doing the best you can for future success. These steps include, but are certainly not limited to: finding a team of professionals who have faith in you and your music, developing an identity as an artist by branding your stage name and music accordingly, and creating a product that will sell itself.
Whether you’re an independent artist or signed, it all falls on you. So you have to have an immediate team that multitasks and knows its roles. As discussed in my blog Laws for Success of Indie Artists, when you sign, look for a label that understands your brand not just because they got a lot of money for you. You also need to build your relationships and stay persistent. Your immediate outlets of people help you carry on. It will take whole lot to build that so strong, but it works. More than anything, you must have good music and keep challenging yourself to be great.
No offense to the major labels, but stay Indie and get your paper up before you even consider a major label deal. Trust me, you won’t regret it! Putting yourself at the mercy of a major label is career suicide, unless you’re the rare few. And I am going to tell you more about being successful independently, now.
Humbleness and Hard Work
Remain humble in your speech; let your actions do the talking.
For all aspiring indie artists to make it big enough in their chosen career to make it out of their granma’s basement and into a label’s boardroom, a lot of hard work and other things are required, including a bit of luck. Yes, I am not going to deny that luck has an important role to play in our success as well. Now don’t tell me you think your favourite star is The Most Talented person ever born!
For starters, keep a realistic head on your shoulders. That is absolutely required. If your head isn’t right, you have an inflated perception of yourself or of the game. This bubble will burst very soon, and you will end up bankrupt and drunk. You don’t want to do that to yourself! Be humble, be yourself and don’t follow every advice or every industry trend. Keep working hard, and this hoar work is not to boast about. Like I said above, let your actions do the talking.
Remain Visible
By ‘visibility’, today people understand just one thing- online presence. Many aspiring artists take to their social networks to send links out to people who in most cases consider that spamming. In reality it’s all about creating a balance. I am not going to say Internet is not important and influential. I have written a series of articles on the importance of social media for indie artists. But networking, performing and building a fan base are all equally important. Concerts, shows, performances, road shows, tours, all of these should form a part of your professional life, as and when possible; they add value and bring experience.
It’ Your Business
Being an indie artist has never been easy! More so now when every out-of-college kid wants to take up music and tour around the country. It can get overwhelming at times. Remember that this is a full-time job and it is your own business. I have discussed this in detail in my blog It is Your Business. You have embarked on a business journey that needs to be handled correctly in order to become rewarding. How you avoid fatal errors that indie artists and bands commonly make remains to be learnt. However, the number one misconception I have noticed in all artists is that they think others owe them because they made a song. Just because you made a song does not make it a venue’s responsibility to pay you all of a sudden. Yes, this is the truth of the situation. In order to get a paid booking, you must be able to sell tickets, alcohol or a product for that venue or company. You must invest in yourself and your business until revenue starts being generated, simple. If you are not getting paid to perform, then you have not invested enough in yourself, period. The indie route is a smart route and can be done on a small budget, but it is still a budget. Until you realize this and make smart investments into your ‘music business,’ then it is a hobby, not a business.
