Have you ever heard the saying, “The music industry isn’t a lottery”? If you want to make it big in this world, you can’t sit around and wait for it to happen. Luckily, we’ve got some info here for you to start making the right moves to create your own success story.
Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset, taking a proactive approach and attracting artist managers are just some of the things that will help you take the right steps to create a bright music career for yourself.
Have you got an entrepreneurial spirit?
Entrepreneurial spirit may not be the first thing you think of if you’re an inspiring artist. When someone says entrepreneur, you may think of business meetings and Excel sheets, but being an independent artist is essentially running your own business. Without the business suits, unless that’s a look you’re going for.
This mindset goes beyond creating music—it involves thinking like a business owner and actively seeking opportunities to grow and expand your brand. As an emerging artist, nurturing a more business-centric mindset means taking initiative, being resourceful and always looking for ways to stand out, all attributes that can take you a long way in this industry.
Take a proactive approach
We know that deep down you already know this, but waiting for opportunities to come to you isn’t enough. You can’t wait for your big break; you’ve got to go out there and smash a couple of plates on your own.
Actively seek out opportunities, network with industry professionals, be willing to put in the necessary work to advance your career—you’ll get much closer to your goal in a much quicker time frame with this mindset.
Whether it's reaching out to venues for performance opportunities, collaborating with other artists, or using social media to build your fanbase, being proactive will bring those daydreams closer to your reality.
What are artists managers looking for?
Here are three key qualities artist managers typically look for before deciding to work with someone:
- Good music
- An entrepreneurial mindset
- Being mindful of outcomes
Having a unique sound and music of a high-quality is undoubtedly the foundation for everything. Your music should resonate with people and demonstrate your special artistic vision.
Secondly, possessing an entrepreneurial spirit, as we detailed above, means being willing to take risks, think creatively, and grab opportunities to grow your career.
Being mindful of what you put into your music career and what you expect to get out of it shows that you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. It’s all good spending £££ on social media ads, but if that only converts to a couple more streams on Spotify, was that the best decision you could have made?
Advice for emerging artists
For emerging artists looking to break into the music industry,
- Approach things as if you know nothing about them: Start everything you set your mind to with a fresh pair of eyes. This will allow you to stay open-minded and discover new things and perspectives you may not have considered.
- Have a business hat: Being an artist is pretty much the opposite of being a businessperson, but those skills aren’t completely useless to you. Make sure you have the necessary skills to pull out when you need to so you can create freely with peace of mind.
- Think long term: Thinking long term not only shows managers and possible labels that you know what you want but will also help you to make the best decisions for your career.
- Don’t be afraid of strategy: This ties into the business hat point, but creating strategies, especially when it comes to marketing, will give you a clearer direction and, ultimately, more people listening to your music.
- Find your own opportunities: Reach out to collaborators and network with industry professionals (like Music Industry Mondays!). Don’t be afraid to go down a couple of unconventional avenues either. Exposure is exposure. Make your own path.
Questions an artist manager may ask you
When considering working with an artist manager, be prepared to answer questions such as:
- What have you been up to for the past couple of years?
- What kind of music do you make?
- What are your plans for later this year?
- What are your five-year goals?
- What's your plan to achieve those goals?
- How much money are you making at the moment?
- What makes you unique as an artist?
- If you want a label, why do you want one?
Make sure you have some thoughtful answers ready to go, no matter who asks. It will show your readiness and commitment to your music career and make you attractive to any artist manager prospects.
And if that still isn’t enough, you can join us at the Music Box in person for another Music Industry Mondays live event. Check out our events page here!