The music industry has spread its presence in the freelance industry. Now, you can find people pursuing their career in music as freelancers and earning handsomely. However, making it huge in this industry is not a piece of cake, considering the level of competition one can find over here.
Making a good career in music requires more than just determination. You need to consider many other factors such as educational qualifications, experience, profile accounts and what not which help in the identification of your music-related skills in the community.
In this article, we will provide some guidance to potential as well as experienced freelance musicians out there. The tips provided here offer an insight into what makes one a successful musician in one of the most competitive communities in the world. Follow each one of them sincerely and you should be able to achieve high goals in life.
So, here are 7 tips for musicians should follow to establish a successful career:
- Get A Day Job
Working as a freelance musician might be a bit tough in the beginning, as there is a lot of initial struggle involved. It is, therefore, recommended that you get a day job.
Getting a day will help you support your freelance music endeavors. Moreover, your musician jobs might help you connect with people having significant connections of a career in the music industry, and such people can help you get recommendations and gigs.
You have to go slow when trying out your skills in this industry. For sustaining yourself and your music career, you need money as well as connections. A day job is something which will help a great deal in this.
If you can get a paid internship under a well-established musician, that would be great. Find out about such internships and start interning for building a base. In this case, you will have both money and experience.
2. Get Yourself On Freelance Websites And Other Music-Related Websites
You should know that marketing is what gives you visibility in any industry. You need to market your skills almost everywhere on the Internet, and one such way of doing so is through online accounts on various relevant websites.
There are many freelance websites which offer great work opportunities to freelancers and clients. All you need to do is create an informative profile featuring your portfolio and submit applications for relevant jobs. Some of these websites include guru.com, freelancer.com, and worknhire.com.
Lately, many music-oriented websites have emerged which allow musicians to market themselves such as SoundCloud. In fact, YouTube has been key to the development and success of many freelance musicians. You should study these websites thoroughly and start making and selling your music over there. Just expose yourself to the public and you will get offers.
3. Keep Contacts With Your Employers
Whether you have or have not been in the industry for long, you should maintain contacts with those who have been good to you and helped you in career development. Generally, freelancers get short-term projects with clients, but it is these clients who are closely involved in the industry. So, you might not be working with them anymore, but you should nevertheless talk to them periodically and ask them about projects they might recommend.
Socialization is a crucial factor which can immensely help you in leading a successful life as a musician. Considering the irregular flow of income in the freelance industry, getting connected with previous clients ensures consistency in work. These clients might end up recommending you to other people, and you might end up getting better work opportunities than you expected.
4. Aim For Versatility In Music
It is not compulsory for you to excel in every genre, but you should try aiming for versatility. Music is ever-changing—a genre which is popular now may become a thing-of-the-past in the near future. So, it becomes all the more important for you to keep yourself updated and trained.
You need to put yourself out of your comfort zone. If you love jazz, you should consider engaging in other genres such as metal or pop. There is nothing wrong in trying; you can worry about the results later on.
The thing is when you aim to earn big, you cannot be too picky. Even if you are a superstar in the music industry, throwing too many tantrums will run you into trouble. So, try incorporating new things into your skill set and market yourself as a musician everyone should hire for their gig.
5. Be Proactive
Gigs come and go every minute, and you should keep yourself ready all the time to pick up gigs whenever possible. In case nobody has approached you for a gig but you are aware of some event happening, you should approach the managers on your own. Talk to them or anyone who knows them and get yourself signed up.
There is a lot of traveling involved in the life of a musician. If you become lethargic and choosy about what you pick, then you will become less visible to the public eye. Your primary task should be to make yourself indelible in the minds of people—and the only way to do that is through proactive marketing.
6. Do Not Give Up On Music
The music industry can be tough for many, especially freshers. The struggle is real and it might break the determination of many. However, we advise you to fight disappointment bravely and do not stop trying.
To excel as a freelance musician, you need to keep trying relentlessly. Failure to get a gig a number of times should not stop you from trying again. If you are talented and you know you are talented, then you will reach where you belong.
Many times, you will work with people who would put you down and complain about your skills. Consider their feedback constructively and do not pay heed to nonsensical chatter you can quite intelligently filter out.
