7 Proven Steps to Build Your Dream Music Career: The Ultimate Artist Development Guide

7 Proven Steps to Build Your Dream Music Career: The Ultimate Artist Development Guide

Artist development is a process that helps musicians and artists grow their skills, develop their brand, public profile, and industry opportunities. It involves various aspects such as vocal training, songwriting, musicianship, sound and direction (A&R), artist identity, image and branding, music production, live performance and live show development, positioning in the market, career planning and strategy.

This process involves the key elements of creating an artist’s success in the marketplace. Artist development is mainly accessible through personalized coaching, workshops, residencies, and bespoke programs offered by organizations and independent practitioners.

Artist development is not about pointing out flaws but about growth, refinement, curation and securing success and longevity. 

Every serious artist goes through an artist development process where their music, talent and brand is curated by professionals. Not going through a development process only delays achievements, opportunities, and success. The process varies depending on the artist’s budget and availability—but a very specific regimen and plan should be followed for anyone who wants to sing and make music for the world to ensure the ultimate success of that project. 

Nutshell of the 7 Proven Steps to Build Your Dream Career 

• Exceptional Artistry + Musicianship
• Performance + Recording Skills
• Development of a Strong Song Catalog + Curation of Music Releases
• Artist Brand Development   
• Develop Niche Audience + Community
• Career Development: Build industry relationships + opportunities
• Build a Sustainable Income + Revenue 

Let’s dive in. 

1. Exceptional Artistry + Musicianship

The success of your music is based not on marketing prowess, but on the strength of your music. 

The number one thing any artist should focus on first is becoming the very best singer, songwriter, musician, performer and recording artist possible.

Try this:  

• Plan out your daily musicianship regimen in your schedule
• Here is the best Daily Regimen to build exceptional artistry and musicianship:
  • Vocal technique: 20 minutes minimum *using the Cole Vocal Method. Learn more here.
  • Vocal rehearsal: 30-60 minutes
  • Musicianship / theory, instrument practice: 30 minutes
• In addition – add weekly:
  • 2: 60-90 minute songwriting sessions
  • 1: Vocal / song demo. You will want to get good at recording basic voice/piano-guitar or track demos to improve your voice, songs and recording skills. Every song you write should be demoed well to build your song catalog.

2. Performance + Recording Skills

An artist is only as good as their performance or their music. 

Ever go to a show and fall more in love with the artist from their performance? That’s the way it should be to build a strong audience. 

Here is my recommendation to build your performance skills as well as develop a strong live show (if you are going for “performer” vs. a songwriter or career writing for sync). 

Try this:  

• Set up a weekly rehearsal with you and musicians if you have them. Weekly rehearsals to run a set of material will build your performance skills. Simulate live performance by filming and reviewing.
• Try adding in interesting moments, musical interludes, backdrops, props, musical and vocal moments as well as banter and quick quips and stories to make your show entertaining.

3. Development of a Strong Song Catalog + Curation of Music Releases

The core of your career revolves around a strong song catalog and the expert curation of your music. This process—often overlooked by independents who are working in isolation—is the key to building success in your career. 

The secret of your success lies in the quality of your songs, and the curation of your sound and direction.  

Try this:

• Songwriting: write and study songwriting. The success of your career lies in the quality of your songwriting.
  • Take as many songwriting courses as you can. Learn from those who are further than you.
  • Get pro feedback on your songs, don’t write in a vacuum.
• Get A&R Development to evolve and curate a stronger sound and direction for your next project. 

This blog is a starting point in the right direction. To get started putting all of these pieces in place, get my full Artist Development Plan here in my Step Up to the Spotlight Kickstart Artist Development self-study program. Click here to learn more.

To get professional expert A&R sound and direction, here are two options that can help:

• Set up a Private custom A&R Profile Session where we build it using our curated process. Learn more here.
• Join our Signature Songwriting Circle held once a year on Zoom (live program) in late July. Learn more and join the waitlist here. 

4. Artist Brand Development   

The development of the artist’s brand, message, and visual identity is an important element of the connection with fans and the industry. It is a curated process that takes time, dedication, and attention. 

Start with your artist mission statement. Did you know that your artist mission statement sets the tone and stage for your artist brand? It’s a great way to gain clarity on the reason why you do music, help to solidify your artist brand voice, and hit reset for your next project. 

Gaining clarity here will help you to set the tone for your artist identity making it easier for an audience to self-select as a fan and turn fans into true fans. 

Try this to get started writing your mission. 

• My mission as an artist is to: _________________ (fill in the blank.)
• My music is about: _________________ (fill in the blank.)
• Music helped me to: _________________ (fill in the blank.)
• I hope to help others with my music and community: _________________ (fill in the blank.)
• I want other people to know: _________________ (fill in the blank.)

After you’ve answered the question, formulate it into a well written paragraph. Use your mission statement to inform all of the copy on your website, and social content as a baseline for the main points.  

Then extending from your mission statement work on your brand pillars to create content that aligns with your mission. 

5. Develop Niche Audience + Community 

Every artist who is pursuing the industry in some capacity needs a presence online with a website and social profiles. This is the first step to developing an audience and community. Even if you are a songwriter and not pursuing a career as an artist, this is an important part of building a business.  

The next step is to develop the niche aspect of the artist and brand to attract and develop a niche audience that leads to building a community of supporters and fans. A mistake in marketing is to cast “too wide of a net” trying to capture everyone and speaking to no one in particular.

Try this:  

• The big secret is that your niche audience is you.
• Write up a profile of your attributes; the kind of person you are; the things you like, read, watch, subjects you are interested in—and you will profile your audience.
• Then create content and music that that audience wants and speak directly to them as you would a best friend. 

These are the steps to start building your niche. To dive in more to finding your niche as an artist get my full Artist Development Plan here in my Step Up to the Spotlight Kickstart Artist Development self-study program. Click here to learn more.

6. Career Development: Build industry relationships + opportunities

One of the biggest issues I see today that is holding artists like you back, is the lack of career development. Artists release a record and then rely upon social media to get the word out—and that’s all fine and good, but social media does not build your career. 

You need a plan and a full knowledge and understanding of the industry, how it works and how to build toward the right relationships and opportunities to help you grow. 

Try this:  

• Work with mentors, consultants, coaches. Take programs, invest in your knowledge, don’t operate in isolation.
• Attend music conferences. These are great places to build relationships with other artists as well as industry professionals in a live setting. It also keeps you up-to-date with what is happening in the industry. These kinds of conferences are always inspiring and motivating! Don’t miss out on critical information you need to grow.

This blog is a starting point in the right direction. To get started putting all of these pieces in place, get my full Artist Development Plan here in my Step Up to the Spotlight Kickstart Artist Development self-study program. Click here to learn more.

7. Build a Sustainable Income + Revenue

This is the final step for an artist who really wants to make a living with a career in music. Whether you want to pursue a career writing for sync or as an independent artist, you’ll want to put plans in place to build a sustainable income and actual revenue. 

Try this:  

• The first step is to be sure your songs are registered correctly with all of the organizations you need to build revenue.
  • Copyrights: Register your songs for copyright tracking to earn revenue. In the U.S. register with the copyright office. Learn more here.
  • PRO: Performing Rights Organization to collect performance and sync royalties. In the U.S. register with either ASCAP or BMI (I am an ASCAP member and recommend them over BMI.)
  • Sound Exchange to collect digital royalties. Learn more here.
  • MLC: Mechanical Licensing Collective to collect digital audio mechanical royalties. Learn more here.
• For a deeper understanding and exploration of how to establish and build revenue streams get Emily White’s book: How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams here.

If you want to learn the latest methods in artist development that are working in the music industry right NOW — Join our upcoming Free Masterclass May 22, 2025: The Ultimate Artist Development Plan for 2025: How to Build a Career That Wins Awards, Gains Notoriety and Industry Recognition. This is a one-time event — register here.

* Attendees get my Artist Development Checklist for 2025. Learn more and sign up here: