5 Ways to Get Your Music Discovered
Have you always dreamed of making a living off your music? While earning a living income as a professional musician will always be difficult, the internet has made it much easier for artists to get discovered. That is, if you’re willing to put in the work. Getting your music in front of as many people as possible is all about putting yourself out there, working hard, and treating your musical career like the business it is. Here are some great tips from Chords for a Cause to help you turn your music hobby into a full-time career!
Create a Business Plan
Independent professional musicians are business owners. If you want to make real money doing what you love, you must treat it as a business! Start by writing up a business plan detailing all of the steps you need to take to reach your business goals. This process will encourage you to think carefully about what you want to achieve with your music career and how you can carve out a niche for yourself in the highly-competitive music industry. Your business plan should include a description of your business, what type of funding you need, and how you intend to build a following around your brand.
Focus on Branding
Once you’ve formulated a business plan, it’s time to think about branding. Having a consistent and recognizable brand will help people relate to your music and identify with the songs you produce. Graphic design is an important element of branding. To get started, create a well-designed logo that you can use to establish your brand elements and make a strong first impression when people find your music online. Find a logo maker online that you can use to create your own logo for free instead of paying for graphic design services. Online logo design tools make it easy to create a compelling and recognizable logo regardless of your design skills.
Network with Other Creatives
Networking is an essential element in any business strategy. As Soundfly explains, networking is how you build relationships within the music industry, opening the door to new opportunities and growing together with other creatives. Networking involves creating genuine relationships. As such, it takes a lot of time and work! One way to start your networking journey is by reconnecting with old friends or acquaintances. You can find past classmates with the help of online tools that make it easy to search for people in old school records.
Send Your Music to Everyone
If you want to get your music in front of the right people, you have to send it to anyone who will listen. More specifically, you’ll want to show your music to people who are in a position to share it with your target audience. You can submit your music to music blogs, Spotify playlists, record labels, talent scouts, YouTube channels, podcasts, and radio shows. For your best shot at catching someone’s attention, make a point of submitting your music to as many individuals and agencies as you can.
Play Live as Much as Possible
Of course, playing live is another great way to get your music in front of people. The more often you play a live show, the greater the chance of someone influential coming across your music and spreading the word about what you do. Not sure how to get more music gigs? The Balance Careers suggests getting to know the music scene in your area and getting in touch with venues and promoters willing to give a shot to up-and-coming musicians. Look for local bands that may need a supporting act or touring bands looking for openers!
Getting discovered as a musician won’t happen overnight. But as long as you work hard and keep trying, you’re bound to get noticed eventually. Treat it like a business and try to see your music career from the perspective of an entrepreneur. Your career will take off before you know it!
Music has the power to bring people together and change lives. Volunteer with Chords for a Cause to help share all the wonderful possibilities of music with the rest of your community!