Every musician wants to make it big. If you’ve ever picked up a guitar, you’ve probably dreamed of becoming the next Kurt Cobain. However, as you may know, it’s not that easy to become a successful musician, especially during the early stages of one’s career. The road to fame and fortune has plenty of potholes that will make your journey difficult. However, you have to keep in mind that if you know how to strategize, nothing can stop you from growing as a musician. That said, here are five ways on how you can succeed as a musician using all the tools at our disposal in this day and age:
1. Find the Right Channel
Back in the day, you had to record a demo, send it to a record label and pray that your career takes off. These days, musicians have more options thanks to platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube that we can use to promote our work. Additionally, social media is also a great way to get your music out there. You need to find out who your target audience is and which platform they are most active on so you can reach them. Doing this will help you establish a fan base quickly, which is a priority of any up and coming artist.
2. Know What Your Fans Want
Now that you know which platform you need to focus on, the next thing you will need to think about is how you can promote your brand using the features and tools of that platform. Typically, an artist’s follower count says a lot about how successful they are, as it tells you how many are interested in what that artist has to offer. However, you have to keep in mind that every artist has a different path, meaning they have different fan bases they need to cater to. Therefore, you need to figure out what your fans want so you can give it to them. For example, if the majority of your listeners are young and want to interact with you on a more personal level, you may have to allow them to get in touch with you via social media.
3. Track Your Progress
Once you know what you want to focus on, you will need to keep a close eye on those metrics and use them as a way to gauge your progress. If you don’t do this, you won’t know where you are in your career, which in turn will make it hard for you to achieve career growth. For example, you may have one hit song that has been played one million times, but you don’t have anything else to follow it up with. The longer you wait to capitalize on your initial success, the less likely it is that you will be able to reach new heights. Therefore, you need to know when the ball is in your court, which is why you need to keep tabs on what’s happening with your career first.
4. Let the Audience be a Part of Your Success
The life of a musician is all milestones, as they indicate how far you’ve come. These milestones are also a cause for celebration and they should be viewed positively by you and your fans. You should show your appreciation to them, as they made your success possible! We recommend that you host some special events to let your fans know that they are a big part of your journey. It doesn’t have to be anything grand, just a sincere thank you video on your social media is enough!
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Change
As you can see, most musicians typically stick to what works and they keep producing the same content over and over until they become redundant. When this happens, it’s only a matter of time before they start to lose fans, which will lead to their downfall. To avoid this scenario, you need to adapt to the shifting trends of the market while retaining your own unique style. It’s normal to see your follower count drop when you try something new, but you must not let that deter you from your goals.
