The music industry has changed a lot in recent years. The internet has levelled the playing field and gives artists a direct line to their listeners. This is great but does mean there is more competition than ever. Major labels still dominate the charts, but there are lots of paths to building a successful and sustainable career as an independent artist.
Build A Team
Every artist needs a strong team around them. Just because you’re independent, it doesn’t mean you have to do it all on your own. Look for people you can trust, who understand what you’re trying to do, and who can do the job. You can choose to work with family and friends, as long as they are accountable for the responsibilities that you give them. Having a solid team in any situation, especially if you’re signing with a major label, gives you leverage, as you already have a safety net and foundation.
Define Your Own Success
The main problem of being an independent artist is competing with artists on major labels. It’s your job to replicate the resources that these artists are provided with by their label. In reality, the two sides of the industry are separate worlds and there isn’t any real competition. The more important thing to do is define what success looks like for you. Work out what that is and keep this in mind. Try not to compare your progress to anybody else’s. If you do, you’re only going to feel defeated. Whether success for you is selling out a venue or booking a great Recording Studio, focus on your goal and work towards it every day. As long as you’re making music that you love and it’s connecting with anyone else, it won’t be time wasted.
Don’t Rush Your Releases
Plan your releases in advance to give you time for marketing. Releasing our music with a good distribution partner is just the beginning. There’s a lot of competition for placements, so you need to have a solid plan for how you will tell your story and drive fans to engage with your music. Take advantage of the information your partners can provide. Check the data regularly, ask questions, look out for trends, and use all this to make better decisions about everything from choosing the right date to release your next album to planning a tour.
Don’t Rush Into Signing A Deal
If you ever decide to sign a deal, then you need the right leverage to get the terms that you want, so you can make sure that the decision has been made the right way and is actually going to benefit you. Labels need an artist more than you need them, which is an important thing to keep in mind. Being independent means you are the one benefiting, as everything goes directly to you, your manager, your band, and your team. Nothing has to go through a label. Being signed can be a great opportunity, but make the choice carefully.
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