If you love creating and listening to music, you have a dream of pursuing it as a legitimate career. While you may not be the next global pop star, the music business has an incredibly diverse career selection, so you can certainly find a profitable path forward.
However, it’s still a very competitive industry, and a lot of dedication and hard work will be necessary to plow forward. What matters most is getting your foot in the door. Today we’ll talk about some tips for breaking into the music business and carving a path to the top.
Find Your Niche
Before you make any big moves, consider what you want to accomplish in the music industry. Are you a skilled technician with a knack for live sound design? Maybe you do better in a studio setting? You could have an eye for upcoming talent and the ability to bring out artists’ creative abilities, like Three Six Zero management guru Mark Gillespie.
Getting started, it can be helpful to analyze your strengths and weaknesses honestly, then dedicate your time to the skill set you feel is most natural to you personally. That way, you can build your skills faster, giving you more experience upfront, and accelerate your progress.
Read up about the music industry’s various facets and see what jumps out to you as an enjoyable and lucrative career. You could work as an attorney, a sound engineer, a music journalist, a producer, a composer, a financial manager, or any number of other careers related to music that don’t involve you standing under the spotlight.
Of course, nothing teaches as well or as quickly as experience. Get involved in your local scene and put together as many shows and projects as possible. You will learn things by making mistakes and improving on the lessons of the past.
Put Yourself Out There and Be Persistent
Networking is essential in every single industry, especially in the music world. You are the brand you represent, and your reputation needs to be built up and polished to perfection if you want that big break.
Go to networking events in person and make connections online, and make a great first impression every time. Find ways to speak to producers and managers, do internships, and reach out to people to set up informational interviews. Put in the work, and you will start seeing opportunities pop up left and right.
Like with all of life’s challenges, rejection is to be expected and something you need to be prepared for. You’ll likely be up against many other qualified candidates, and things will often not work out as planned. Rejection stings, but don’t let it keep you from trying again. The universal life advice applies here better than ever: don’t give up.
Work to improve your skills and put yourself out there, and eventually, persistence and passion will pay off. Many big names in Hollywood and New York had to wait years before they gained recognition, so stay focused and remain on the path you set out for yourself.
Change with the Times
The music world is constantly evolving and responding to market trends, so it’s in your best interest to stay current and adaptive to new information and technology.
Be on all the applicable social media sites, create content of your own, and always be willing to throw away ideas and strategies that no longer serve you. Legacies are always rising and falling in the music business, so put yourself in the best possible position to succeed by staying relevant and tech-savvy. When you finally reach your goal, you’ll be on top of the world.