The Music Industry for Indie Artists.
When we follow the social media accounts of bog artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and other popular bands and musicians, we read or hear about the music industry and also follow the journey of these artists. However, these popular musicians don’t encapsulate the reality of music industry, which is not solely about beautiful things like major records, tour and concerts.
As discussed in my post Gender Equality in the Indie Music Industry, one prominent issue in our industry is gender inequality. Though, at first glance, it may not seem so. There are so many female names that have become synonymous with success. There are many women here that make the industry proud.
Next, indie artists usually gain their fame when a major producer notices their talent. But before becoming big star, it’s all about performing in little bars and doing gigs. There are artists who want to make it big like the popular artists we know now, and there are also those whose sole purpose is to improve their music no matter what kind of audience they have, big or small.
If you have dreams of making it to the music industry where you get to record your songs in a studio and produced by major record label, you have to know these things about the music industry.
Don’t Get Carried Away
The yacht, mansions and success stories are most of the time a spun to make the business looks like it’s easy to get there and be successful. Music videos, news shows, concert videos and magazines have all the glamour and hype. Music business is not an easy path to wealth. Don’t be blinded by this glamour. Focus yourself on making quality music and that can also help you pay your bills. If you only want to be there for the money, there are quicker paths to follow.
Help Yourself First
We have Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms for indie artists to post their songs and stories online. Bands, solo artists and song writers have the opportunity to generate audience and engagement because of these tools. Professionals in the music industry such as agents, managers, producers and labels are attracted to musicians who work hard and accomplish things on their own. In this generation, there’s no excuse for aspiring musicians to not have a pre-existing fan following. If you want to step up your career, do something about it. No matter how special or talented you are, these professionals won’t give you the ticket to stardom if they don’t see any initiative. If you want others to help you, help yourself first.
Learn Before You Earn
When you’re a beginner it’s not always about how much you earn but what you learn. We often hear stories from aspiring musicians about their anticipation of how they’re going to get paid before they gain any experience. These people always grumble and complain about not getting paid, or about conducting tutorials for free. However, experience is the best kind of payment you’ll get. It is the most important thing you need to have in order to gain respect from professional musicians. The more experience you have, the greater your chance of being paid. These experiences will help you survive in the music industry.
Choose Contracts
Don’t jump at the first contract that comes your way. Even though you’ve been waiting for it for quite a while, spend time thinking about it and how it can go on. It is not going to be the last contract of your life. Don’t sign anything that you don’t understand and agree on. If you feel rushed and pressured to sign the contract, don’t sign it.
Nothing is for Free
All those precious hours and thousands of dollars won’t be worth it if you give your songs for free. When you have invested time and money in writing your songs, recording it, producing it and selling on the market, don’t ever give it for free. Venturing into the music industry as an indie artist will take a lot of effort, so you better do what you’re best at and give your best. Know the things that matter and know the things that don’t.
Tip: music industry will never give you what you deserve, but what you negotiate for. So, negotiate well.
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