What do you need to be a successful "Artist"?
24/06/23 09:11
So you want to be a star?!
Let's get this straight right out of the gate - making a sustainable living out of being an 'Artist' is one of the hardest things anyone could ever do. But, although it seems harder than ever, having a career (at least in the short term!) probably never been easier! You just need to know a few things first. So let's explore.
1. Define your product.
Business 101 - to make a sustainable career, you need a 'product' to sell. If you're making money from music - you and your music are the product. So what is your product going to be?
This shouldn't be too hard - you know what music you love to make. Are you Rap, Rock, Country? Decide early what your music direction is.
It would also help to define 'you'. Largely, music follower will connect with your music because they connect with you. So define who you are for your followers.
2. You'll need some financial backing
This is where the rubber hits the road, it's takes money to make a product and you'll need high quality people to help you make a high quality product. It doesn't have to cost a fortune (and we keep our daily fees low to support emerging artists) but it will cost you to make records that your audiences will enjoy.
You could ask for a loan from family, friends. You could take out a formal loan with a bank. You could take on a financial backer. The deal with the latter is that the bank will loan you money and earn from the interest; a financial backer might either do the same or take a %age of your earnings. (Did you know that signing a record deal might get you money in advance, but they'll own your music for life?!)
3. Get prepared to play live.
As you're recording your music and making your album, be prepared to start playing live and building your audiences. Get onto the bills of festivals alongside acts just like you, where you might be able to make new fans and followers our of their fans and followers. The thing you need, ultimately, is to be in front of good quality audiences. This is where
