How to Grow as a Musician | Enroll Now | 1500 Sound Academy icon
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Breaking into any field can be tough, but learning how to grow as a musician is extremely difficult and can take years of hard work, as well as a little luck. From advocating for yourself to properly mixing your own sound, there’s a lot to learn about the music business. At 1500 Sound Academy, we want to encourage artists to explore their craft and get the most out of their skills. If you want some advice and tips about how and why you should pursue a music business education, we have the knowledge you need to succeed in a difficult industry.

GAIN A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO EFFECTIVELY INCREASE EXPOSURE

When you’re thinking about how to grow as a musician, it’s important to think about the sale of your music. From playing songs on the radio to making them available on streaming platforms, there’s a lot you can do to increase engagement. Reviews are great, but many people don’t go out of their way to search for good music, so you need to get your work out there for people to hear. In your journey to learn about the music business, the best lesson is to increase your exposure as much as possible.

Like any other business, marketing is crucial. After all, the music industry is incredibly saturated with hopeful people, and even the most talented artists often struggle to stand out from the massive crowd. A huge part of learning how to grow as a musician on a professional level is first knowing how to reach your audience.

Besides the obvious importance of building a fanbase, record labels and other industry professionals want to work with artists who are already established. While there are occasionally unknown artists who get scooped up by sheer luck, the simple truth is that if you want to be known, you have to make yourself known first.

These days, building a strong social media presence is one of the best ways to market yourself. Additionally, releasing music on popular platforms like Soundcloud and Bandcamp is a great way to get some exposure. However, just putting out content is rarely enough when it comes to learning how to grow as a musician at a professional level. You need to learn about specific marketing techniques that allow your online presence to be seen.

An important thing to learn about the music business is that social media marketing, while important, isn’t the only tool in your kit. You should build a solid website and email list, release physical versions of your music, and connect with other content creators, radio stations, and podcast hosts. And, of course, playing live is a fantastic way to market your music.

musician on a keyboard

IMPROVE YOUR NETWORKING SKILLS

Networking is crucial in most professions, and it’s even more so in the music industry. When you’re learning how to grow as a musician, it’s important to develop relationships with the right people. Whether it's a producer at a record label or other talented artists, other people can be a helpful asset as you seek to break into the music industry.

Networking is an art. It’s not enough to just attend events and schmooze it up. Sure, you might get lucky, but many music industry professionals are jaded and can recognize someone who’s just trying to benefit themselves. The best way to network is to be the person benefiting others. For example, booking local concerts is a great way to meet other artists and industry insiders.

Part of discovering how to grow as a musician is being a participant, not just a performer. If you support other artists, they’ll support you back. One thing that you'll quickly learn about the music business is that it’s all about reciprocity. If you make it a point to help other artists out, they’ll probably end up returning the favor eventually. Look for ways to uplift others, and it’ll come back around.

DON’T GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF

The music industry is notorious for exploiting artists and their work. If you’re new to the industry, you should keep your guard up. Learn about contracts, copyrights, licenses, and all the other legality involved in the music production process. From recording original tracks to music distribution, learning how to grow as a musician includes learning how to advocate for yourself.

Signing music industry contracts is a career step many up-and-coming artists dream about, but it’s not always champagne bottles and limousines. In fact, contracts can be quite harmful to your career if you’re not careful. Countless musicians have lost the rights to their music because they signed on for a bad deal. Before you even consider signing anything, it’s critical that you know your rights as a musician.

MAKE MONEY

Most people in artistic professions don’t choose their career path specifically for the money, but everyone wants their efforts to be sustainable, right? The unfortunate reality is that for many starving artists, a big part of learning how to grow as a musician is learning how to pay the rent at the same time! As you learn about the music business, you’ll quickly realize that even many successful musicians work other jobs to pay the bills. Getting a music education is so important if you want your passion to also be your main profession.

Of course making money as a musician is easier said than done so you might need to get creative. for example say producer. could reach out rappers and try sell your beats. the problem that there are countless other producers doing same thing.

A major component in discovering how to grow as a musician who makes money is figuring out less common ways to provide value. For instance, instead of just trying to cold sell your beats, you could make a YouTube channel where you provide tutorials on how to make the beats, and then include a link on where to buy existing beats or inquire about custom commissions.

Sure, becoming an online teacher may not be your dream job, but it’s a great way to generate some income and gain exposure while doing what you love. This is just one example of many. Making money as a musician can take many forms—it’s not always just releasing records and going on tour. Learn how to grow as a musician who can make a living first; once you have some cash, you can fund your passion projects.

OPEN YOURSELF UP TO MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Maybe you started off as a lead singer in a band, but the more you learn about the music business, the more you realize you like producing. When you explore all avenues in your journey to become a musician, you open yourself up to multiple opportunities. You may not make it as a lead vocalist, but you might have the chops to create a unique sound singing with or backing up other vocalists.

Putting yourself into new situations is an essential step when exploring how to grow as a musician, as it helps you gain a deeper understanding of your own abilities and your options, which can give you a better chance of making it in the industry. And, like any other business, honing in on your unique niche is a fantastic way to stand out.

For example, say you’re a guitarist and your goal is to become a studio session musician. There are a lot of guitarists out there, so landing the gig could be extremely difficult. However, guitar skills translate to other stringed instruments, so you could also try to book yourself as someone who plays banjo, bass, sitar, and mandolin (just make sure you brush up on your chops first). Or, if you’re a producer, your knowledge of DAWs like Ableton Live would translate well if you wanted to DJ events.

As you learn how to grow as a musician, your sound will naturally develop and evolve over time. However, it’s important to realize that not all paying gigs are going to want your unique sound. One thing to learn about the music business is that versatility goes a long way when it comes to earning a paycheck. Being able to wear many hats as an artist will open up new avenues for you to explore, and the more you expand your horizons, the better you’ll get.

Enroll in a Music Business Class Today

Above all, remember to work with passion and take pride in your craft. Like anything else in life, if you’re determined to learn about the music business, you have to be the one to take that first step forward—nobody’s going to do it for you. While there are many pitfalls in learning how to grow as a musician, people do make it, and so can you. Learn more by enrolling in 1500 Sound Academy’s online courses and take your music career to a whole new level.