10 Steps to Build a Sustainable and Successful Career as an Independent Musician

10 Steps to Build a Sustainable and Successful Career as an Independent Musician

Building a sustainable career in music requires a combination of skill development, strategic planning, and a strong understanding of the business side of the industry.

Here are key steps and insights gathered over the years of mentoring artists. This is the important short list of what you need to get off the ground and grow your career.

1. Clarify Your Vision and Goals

Start by reflecting on why you make music and what long-term success looks like to you.

• Define the “why” before the “how.” This will help you maintain motivation during tough times and stay committed to your craft.
• Then write out your bigger goals. What would you like to achieve most? This will help you stay focused on the bigger picture.
• Next, write out your smaller goals. What are the next three things you need to get in place? This will help you stay focused on the important things while moving towards your bigger goals.

2. Develop Your Sonic Sound and Direction

Find the music sound and direction you want to make. It’s important to have a musical identity and a clear sound and direction to bring people along the journey with you. Start by exploring the types of music that resonate with you and the kind of music you sound best making.

Next, identify the emotions and themes you want to convey and discuss. This will help you develop a unique sound and style that feels personal and aligned with who you are while being engaging.

3. Develop Vital Skills

Your career is based on your talent and the skills that develop that talent. Your voice, your songs, your musicianship (yes, theory), your performance, recording prowess alongside your marketing, branding and business skills.

But if you really want to be a master at this, it’s music first.

Start by identifying the skills you need to develop or improve and dedicate time to theory and practice. This confidence in your skills allows you to focus more on the creative aspects of your music and uplevel the quality of your musicianship. It’s what success is based on, and skipping over this will not serve you well.

People love great music. They stand in line for it, share it with all of their friends, and play it on repeat. Becoming a great singer, songwriter, and performer is at the foundation of your success.

4. Invest in Lessons, Tools and Equipment

Don’t try to do it all on your own. You can start that way, but you’ll absolutely need professional guidance if you want to do this for a living.

Depending on your career stage, invest in the right tools and equipment that align with your stage and your goals. This includes both music production gear and business tools like a website, email marketing platforms, and social media scheduling tools.
You can start small and build as you go. Spending more at the wrong stage can break the bank and is not worth it.

I know artists who perform and record with the Shure 58. It’s not even a condenser mic, but they get great vocals because they have worked on their voice to produce a great sound. The mic only goes so far—it’s really the voice that translates above the equipment.

For those ready to invest in something more, go for it. Great equipment will improve the quality of your recordings, but it won’t compensate for skills that are not strong enough.

5. Become a Good Songwriter and Build a Strong Song Catalog

Building a strong song catalog is one of the most important elements of your career. Songs are assets in the business. Your career will only go as far as the quality of your songs can take you.

Writing good songs will pave your way. Become a really good songwriter by training, taking courses, working with mentors, and getting professional feedback.

The formula for success I use at my label when developing catalogs and album song lists is to write two to three times what you need to pick the cherries. This way you are doing some test marketing to see what songs stand out. Before you chose your final songlist, have your top mentors and fans vote on the top songs out of your bigger list. You’ll be surprised at the feedback as artists picks are often not the most commercial. This gives you the opportunity to know what songs will land before you invest.

6. Develop Your Artist Brand

Your artist brand is your beacon that broadcasts who you are to the world. It’s one of the most important aspects (after the quality of your music which everything is based on first) that will help you build a sustainable career.

Branding is the combination of how you present yourself, your music, and your values. It’s important to think about your aesthetic, the mood and energy you want to create, and what sets you apart from other artists. It’s hard to brand yourself and important to learn the guidelines of branding from professionals in music. Music has it’s own rules for branding that when followed will help yield results.

We help artists with branding inside our Step Up Artist Development Program (Module 3) and my Artist Sanctuary Membership where we go deep into branding and direction.

Learn more about Step Up to the Spotlight 6-week Artist Development Program here.
Learn more about the Artist Sanctuary Membership for Musicians here.

7. Create and Release Broadcast Quality Music

I do not agree with releasing music all the time. Many marketers talk about releasing music consistently to keep your audience engaged. But what they fail to realize is not only does this burn musicians out, but it also creates releases that are not connected to a greater body of work which can dilute the impact. Singles are good in between albums, but not as a marketing strategy on their own.

Quality over quantity is proven to win the race over time in an artist’s career. Big artists still release albums —for a reason. It’s a collection of material that they had time to curate that is aligned with who they are. This ensures the quality and success of a release.

Be sure to release well-mixed and mastered broadcast-quality music for streaming platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music.

When you want to share music before that stage, the best way is to release “demo” stage material on Soundcloud. For example, on Soundcloud, artists put “Demo” in the song title to identify the stage of a song.

8. Create Relationships With Music Professionals and Musicians

In the age of social media, it’s so easy to be distracted by platforms that promise exposure. But social media is only a PR tool that gets the word out, it is not the way to build your career. The way to build a real career is by building relationships—whether you live in a music town or not.

Building relationships with other artists and industry professionals can open doors and provide new perspectives. The most important events you should attend are music conferences. This is the way you meet industry professionals face-to-face as well as build your network of musicians and songwriter friends.

There are a ton of conferences, but my top recommendations in the U.S. are the ASCAP Experience (and no, you don’t have to be an ASCAP member to attend, it’s open to everyone) and the Durango Expo (or Ventura conference). I met an insane amount of artists and industry at these events, including finding my manager when I was pursuing music.

For music conferences in the United States:
Click here for more information about the ASCAP Experience.
Click here for more information about the Durango Songwriters Expo

For international music conferences:
Click here for more information about Midem
Click here for more information about MiCannes

In local settings, it is also helpful to attend local shows, reach out to other musicians, and set up collaborations to build networks and creative exploration.

9. Understand How the Business Works

Running a music career involves being a CEO of your own small business. It’s important to understand how the business works including how royalties work, how to manage bookings, finances, contracts, and publishing. The music business is a complex set up that is not easy to understand—and understanding these aspects is extremely essential for long-term success.

I highly recommend Emily White’s book: How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams. You can find it on Amazon all over the world. Click here to buy in the U.S.

10. Stay True to Yourself and Focus on Personal Growth

Growth as an artist comes from staying true to yourself, embracing the process, and finding fulfillment in the journey. This authenticity helps in building a loyal fan base.

The music industry is constantly evolving, so staying adaptable and open to new opportunities is crucial. Be flexible, eager to learn, and able to pivot to build a career. This includes being open to different genres, platforms, and business models as you continue to grow and learn on your way to success.

Prioritizing mental health and personal growth is absolutely essential for sustaining a career in music. It helps in maintaining a balance between creative work and personal well-being.

By following these steps and maintaining a consistent and authentic approach, you can build a sustainable career in music.