So, you’re feeling stuck. Maybe you feel like your music career isn’t going anywhere.
I know what that’s like. That was me for a full decade.
But, over time, I’ve realized there are three big mistakes I was making. And these mistakes were causing me to be unhappy with my music career.
Please, for your own sake, avoid these three things…
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You Expect To “Hit It Big”
Maybe in the old days, it would make sense to get the attention of a record label.
They could give you money to record your album. They’d fund your nationwide tour. And they had a marketing budget you could only dream of as an indie musician.
But that’s not how things work anymore.
High-quality recording equipment has become so affordable and portable, anyone can record music at home.
You can book a tour all on your own, maybe even crowdfund it.
And for marketing, all you need is a creative idea, a camera, and a little help from your friends.
Getting signed to a major label nowadays is like winning the lottery. Except it’s a lottery that can backfire bigtime.
Here’s how record labels work…
They’ll sign you — along with a bunch of other artists — and dump money into a small project for each of them, usually a single.
They’ll market it, get it on the radio, and see how it performs. Basically, they’re trying to see what music will stick.
And if your music isn’t sticking — if people aren’t streaming it and radio stations aren’t spinning it — you might find yourself being held hostage by the label.
What often happens, in this case, is that the label will release your record, but they won’t put any effort into promotion.
Even if you’re music is really good, if there’s another artist with music that performs better, that other artist will get more attention from the label.
Here are some common reasons a major record label may put you on the back burner:
- Your single may have performed well but not well enough
- The person who originally signed you has left the label and you’re left without a voice at the organization
- The label could’ve been bought by a bigger company who doesn’t care about discovering lesser-known artists
But most artists get dropped before their contract is up. In fact, just 0.2% of artists signed to a record label stay signed through their contracts.
The other 99.8%? Dropped. Most of those artists don’t even get to release an album.
And as long as you’re under contract with that label, you can’t release the music on your own.
Granted, there are certain (usually smaller) record labels that actually care about their artists. They may have a small roster they’re fully dedicated to, or they may offer one-off options like a 360 deal.
And that exposure can be really helpful for independent artists.
But here’s what I’m getting at: if you’re banking your entire music career on “hitting it big,” you’re going to be very dissatisfied.
Not only is it rare to get a big break from a major label, but it’s also not a guarantee of having a sustainable music career.
Building a career in music is up to you.
You’re Not In The Moment
Think back to when you first got into music.
The first time you picked up your instrument, made your first beat, or performed for the first time. Remember when the newness of music was exciting.
Whatever it was, I can almost guarantee you were fully present.
You were probably doing it just because you enjoyed it.
So what happened? Why is music such a struggle today?
This is what I think…
I think we can get too caught up thinking about how to turn our passion into a paycheck. We think so much about how to navigate this crazy music industry that we forget our roots.
We forget to really enjoy music and be present with it.
I find myself doing this often. I’ll think more about my future and less about my present. More about my career and less about my cathartic hobby.
Now, let me be clear. I’m not against making a career in music. This blog is all about building a music career one step at a time.
But there’s a balance.
You need a plan for your music career, but you can’t forget your passion. You need goals, but you also need your gut instinct.
And when you have a plan that helps you be present and move you toward your goals, that’s a win-win.
You Don’t Have A Plan
I spent 10 years being the type of musician I thought I should be. I just followed the path everyone said was best.
It took me that long to finally create a plan, a way forward for me personally.
And in the past 2-3 years, I’ve made more strides in my career than in the previous 10.
All thanks to making a plan. It seems too simple to actually work, but it really has been working.
How does having a plan help?
By knowing where you’re going and how to get there, you’re able to focus on today.
For me, because I’m not so stressed about my overall career (because I have a plan), I have more brain space to create right now.
So here’s how you can create a music career plan for yourself:
- Figure out your Big Picture, where you want to be long-term
- Set clearly attainable, small goals that will move you toward your Big Picture
- Brainstorm how you can move toward your goals today
That’s an extremely simplified method for creating a plan, but it’s a start.
I actually made something called the One-Thing-A-Day worksheet to help me plan out my career. You may have seen me mention it before and that’s because I totally believe in it.
And you can grab it for free below (scroll down ↓).
So, if you’re making any of these three mistakes…
- Planning on getting signed
- Stressing about the future
- Lacking direction
…You’re not going to be happy with your music career. Guaranteed.
FREE career-planning worksheet
Figure out your Big Picture. Set attainable goals. Move forward today.