If you decide to become a professional musician then the one thing that you can be quite certain of is that you will face stiff competition. This is because you are participating in an industry where there are very few openings but thousands of people vying for those spots.
Now, while this may sound discouraging, there is no need for you to give up on your dream. Instead, you need to focus on standing out in a crowd and making producers and managers sit up and take notice of you. If you are curious how you can go about doing this, just check out the tips below…
Find Your Own Sound
It can be easy to be boxed in by the restrictions of genres but it is important for you to truly experiment with what you want your ultimate song to be. Remember, no one needs another Beyoncé, Sam Smith, or Adele – the music industry already has such artists. So, figure out how you are going to introduce people to a new sound.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to reinvent the wheel – it is perfectly fine to have a similar singing voice or melodies as other artists. What you need to do, nonetheless, is find your niche. For instance, let’s analyse Alessia Cara’s career for a moment. Now, on the surface, she may seem like just another pop singer. However, she broke the mould by singing deeply meaningful lyrics that embolden young people in particular. By doing so, she created her very own sound.
Keep Improving Yourself
It doesn’t matter if you are a great singer or musician – you can always get better. This, however, will only really be possible if you make an effort. So, consider all of the ways that you can improve yourself, according to your current capabilities. Let’s say, for instance, that you are a talented singer and maybe, you even write your own songs. In this case, you should find a way to improve your talents even more – how about you learn to play a guitar? This way, you will be a total act rather than just some performer.
At the same time, you can take songwriting classes or even try to improve your stage presence by doing dramatic theatre. If you would like to have a pop act, dance classes are a good option to improve your choreography abilities. The list goes on with all of the different ways that you can give your skills a boost.
Create the Right Image
As you can probably attest, an artist’s image is often 95 percent image. While most people are interested in the kind of music that artists make, they are just as concerned with how the musicians look, act, and communicate. This is where your brand image comes in.
The first thing that you will have to figure out is your overall attitude – just remember to portray your own personality as much as possible. This way, it won’t feel like you are keeping up an act for most of your career. Will you be sweet, slightly rebellious, be an activist, or be a carefree, hippie-like musician?
Once you have sorted this out, it is time to start dressing the part. For congruence purposes, it is a good idea to support your on-stage persona with appropriate hair, clothes, and even makeup. If you look at Jack White, for instance, he has fully embraced an early blues/jazz era and sticks with suave suits. Joan Jett, on the other hand, has adopted the bad-girl rock star persona, complete with leather jackets and a don’t-care haircut.
Build Up Your Online Presence
These days, you can’t really become famous if you don’t have an online presence. That being said, it isn’t as simple as just setting up a few social media accounts and updating it occasionally. First off, you need to figure out what platforms are actually suitable for you. Since you are a musician, it is best to stick with YouTube and Twitter, for now. These give you the opportunity to showcase your music while also being able to stay up to date with fans. On the other hand, if you are a more visual person, you may find that Instagram is a better substitute.
When you first start posting on your profiles, it is important to make them relevant. Sure, you may have a lot to say or share with people but they may not be interested just yet, as they don’t know you. What you should try is a tactic similar to that of pop sensation Shawn Mendes. Believe it or not, he first got his start in Vine. He used to post six-second clips of him covering various popular tunes.
However, he made sure that he chose the right songs and the right part to sing so that he could showcase his talents properly. By doing this, he was able to gain more followers and more interest. In turn, this landed him record deals from some of the biggest labels in the industry.
Create Your Own Website
The other thing that you absolutely need to do is to set up your own website. This may sound like a lot of work but it is well worth the effort. Why? Well, see a musician’s website is like a resume and a showcase gallery all rolled into one.
For potential fans, a website will be the portal through which they can understand you better as an artist. They will be able to read your biography, listen to your music, and interact with you in a myriad of other ways.
For record labels, it is a chance for them to determine your star power. Not only can they see what you have to offer, they will also be able to get some idea of what you would be like as a fully represented artist.
It is because of these reasons that you should make it a point to create a website that is high-quality from start to finish. If technology isn’t really your forte, you may want to get a more experienced friend to help out with this venture.
This is what you need to know if you are looking to stand out from the sea of other musicians. By taking these steps, you will be able to garner more attention and hopefully, bolster your career. So, go ahead and make the necessary changes now.
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