Now more than ever, artists have the power to build their brands and become successful on their own terms. For this to happen, one must be diligent, and more importantly, knowledgeable.
Thanks to the folks at Pigeons and Planes, here are 9 things every indie artist can do to better their chances at success.
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
It’s disturbing how many new artists think that it’s easy to achieve Beyoncé-status fame. That wasn’t an overnight success, but rather years upon years of dedication, practice, lost record deals, and more.
Know your worth… but remain in reality.
CREATE INTERESTING CONTENT
What make you unique? Why should people pay attention to your art?
Figure that out and create good and intriguing content that showcases who you are.
STOP TRYING TO GET A RECORD DEAL
Contrary to popular belief, a record deal isn’t an instant check. In reality, most artists who sign record deals fade into obscurity for many different reasons: their A&R rep leaves the company, the label can’t agree on the direction of YOUR career, release date fluctuation, intellectual property rights, etc.
If you want a lasting career on your terms, even if you do end up signing a record deal, it is up to you to cultivate it. Sorry; no free rides in this business.
SUBMIT TO BLOGS
Your best bet to break as a new artist is to get your music out to those with platforms to get it out to the public. If your music is good and the site chooses to highlight it, that’s free promotion for you.
If you want to know the right way to go about this, Pigeons and Planes also has a great resource here.
DEVELOP YOUR FASHION SENSE
First impressions are everything, and the general music consumer is super shallow. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but people will anyway.
Utilize Pinterest and various fashion blogs to develop your personal style if you can’t afford a stylist. If you’re trying to sell yourself as a good artist, you need to dress like one.
UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA
You need to connect with those who will eventually buy your art. It’s that simple.
Plus, two words: free promotion.
ASSEMBLE A MARKETING PLAN
If you think that you can just create something, throw it on the internet and it will go viral… can I interest you in this random ball of lint that’s on sale for $37,000?
All jokes aside, marketing is the key to your success. You could have the best product ever created, but it is useless if no one knows it exists. If you don’t know how to do this, find people who do.
BE EFFECTIVE AT PUBLIC SPEAKING
If this isn’t a strong skill of yours, try taking classes in public speaking or improv. You can’t be an artist if you have stage fright; audiences will eat you alive.
MAKE GOOD MUSIC
One-hit wonders are a dime-a-dozen, but artists with staying power know that their art is the foundation to their entire career.
When it’s all said and done: to be remembered as a good artist, your content has to be first.
