5 Reasons Why Most Musicians Fail To Break Into The Music Industry
The music industry is a competitive field. More importantly, what should you do right now to jump on the train to become successful in this tough business? What should you do right now to get your name out there in the market, score more gigs, get into the band you want, be able to quit your day job to do music full-time, also make a decent living as a pro musician?
You’ve probably asked yourself these questions before, you’re not the only one. Everybody wants to know the answers you probably do as well. You’re probably wondering what needs to be done in order for you to have a successful music career.
The thing is, people often forget the most important question, “What are the things you should NOT do if you want to build a successful music career?” Music is difficult and complicated to master, with the right knowledge, you can become an expert. Knowing what you should not do as a musician is as important as knowing the DOs, staying focused on it will help you reach your goal a lot quicker.
The music industry is tough enough already. So, instead of putting up a list of what you should do, this article will explore the mistakes that you should not make if you want to build a successful music career.
5 biggest mistakes that will put your music career at risk
Mistake #1: Taking Career Advice From The Wrong People.
Why is it wrong?
Taking advice from people who don’t know how to build a successful music career can be very dangerous and harmful. Many people who are not experienced in starting and growing a successful music career can give you misinformation or wrong advice. These musicians don’t have the big picture understanding of what it takes to make your mark, so they’ll tell you that things like networking will get them ahead. What these approaches can do, is hold back progress for someone else just as much as themselves.
As a young or upcoming musician, you may not have enough experience to know what it takes for your music career. This can lead people into giving you misleading advice that isn’t always correct which could potentially hold back the success of someone’s musical journey.
What you should do instead?
The music industry is not any different than other professional industries, it requires expertise and attention to detail. If you want your career as a musician or songwriter to be successful, then seek out those who have been through the process before, who have already reached the rank you aspire. These experts will tell you exactly what works for them when they are at various points during their own journeys towards success – follow these guidelines carefully so yours will unfold beautifully.
Mistake #2: Having A Full-Time Job While Doing Music On The Side.
Why is it wrong?
We all know that if you’re going into music, then there’s no possible way for things to go smoothly. You’ll probably have heard the advice “have a backup plan” which usually consists of getting another job in something unrelated or just barely connected with what you do as a musician. This leaves us with the only option of trying to build the dream of a successful music career on nights and weekends.
You may want to consider a different plan if you’re aiming for a successful music career because this path will make it a lot more difficult for you to achieve your dream of becoming a professional musician. Here’s why:
- Many day jobs take up your most productive hours in the day (the time when you have a lot of energy). This means that if an individual has any aspirations to pursue music professionally, they will only be able to work on their craft for a little time and energy left every week. Starting a family will leave even less time for building upon an already budding music career.
- The music industry is tough, especially if you want to make a living off of your tunes. Most musicians have no experience running a business; they don’t know how they can replace their day jobs with a musician’s income- which means that it’s possible for them to get stuck at one type of work until retirement. This messes up all those dreams we’ve had on pursuing a music career.
What you should do instead?
- Learn how to make a decent living as an entrepreneur in the music industry as soon as you can. Build your own stable,and secure career by learning skills that will take you from the beginner’s level through professional musician status over time. Learn how to make money from your passion by building multiple streams which will lead you to secure financial roadmaps.
- Want to learn how to earn money while you pursue your music career? Teaching a few musical instruments lessons per week is easier, you also earn more per hour for teaching than you would with most day jobs. You can work fewer hours and spend more time practicing or performing.
Mistake #3: Pursuing A Music Degree In College.
Why is it wrong?
The music school will not help you build a successful music career. You may learn how to play your instrument well, but very little about getting deals with record labels, or making money through other means like merchandising, or making money from gigs, It takes more than just knowing some scales or chords. There’s so much that goes into making your dream come true: from getting record deals through promoting tours and gigs that pay well.
What you should do instead?
Seek out a proven music career mentor who can help you reach your full potential in the industry. Your mentor must have a vested interest and knowledge about how they succeed so that he or she will provide resources not only for yourself, but others like yourself. By studying with such people when it comes time to start building success stories of their own; is saving money on tuition fees by becoming successful much faster than before because we’re able to learn everything needed right away without having wasted too much time going back through all those old lecture notes again just waiting around doing nothing until graduation day came.
Mistake #4: Focusing On Promoting Your Music Online Without Making Sure That You Already Have A Local Following.
Why is it wrong?
This might sound surprising, but the number of followers you have on social media is not what impresses music industry executives. A strong local fan base and traffic to your own personal website, will help get them interested in working with you. They are less impressed by the number of followers you have online, here’s why:
- It’s not easy to build a local following in a smaller area than it is to obtain followers scattered all over the world.
- You can’t underestimate the power of local followers. Why? Local followers from your area are more likely to be fans of the music you create, who come to shows and buy your record. These individuals have real value for record companies, because they can make an impact with their following.
What you should do instead?
The best way to build and grow your local following is to perform regularly. Playing live creates a sense of community and belonging for both you as an artist, also those who come out on tour with their favorite band every so often; or just because it’s Saturday night at an open mic venue down the street from where they’re living. Building up that regular performance schedule will give fans more opportunities than ever before – not only do they get quality time spent in the front row experiencing music, but these shows strengthen relationships between artists and potential local followers; it helps you to get noticed.
Mistake #5: Breaking Into The Music Industry Through Trial And Error Method.
Why is it wrong?
For many musicians, trial and error is their only method for learning about how the music industry works. This can be frustrating, because it often results in a lot of wasted time as well as ruining any chance at success you may have had with your project. Not understanding the ins and outs of being in this industry is what holds back so many aspiring musicians. The trial-and-error will get you nowhere, instead, it slows you down, and narrows down your opportunities to succeed.
As a musician, it’s important to know the business side of music. Record companies, music promoters, and publishers are not always the most patient people. They want to work with musicians who understand their business side of things so they can get deals done quickly without wasting time, or teaching you something that you should’ve learned already, especially about what’s happening within this industry.
What you should do instead?
Music is an industry that values creativity and hard work. Educate yourself on how the music business works, so you can avoid making mistakes detrimental to your success in this competitive field, such as relying too much on guesswork or thinking there’s one way when really every option has been tried before. With these knowledge gaps filled in, it will become easier for people with dreams such as yours to come true through understanding what makes others successful at creating a career out of their passion; taking cues from them might even help get closer towards achieving those goals.
