Pulling Up Roots Too Soon Can Kill the Growth of an Independent Artist

by Cari Cole

Artists no longer need to live in NYC, L.A., or Nashville in order to pursue a music career. In fact, it’s probably advisable to stay put at least a little longer before venturing out into a more competitive market. Developing a name for yourself locally can go a long way to building a loyal base of superfans and can eventually carry over to nearby markets allowing you to tour regionally before setting your sights on the bigger picture. Bookers and club owners want to see you outgrow the venues you play, not struggle to get into the best places in town only to play to a half empty room. Don’t neglect local radio, especially the college stations. Don’t just send in your record, offer to do in studio performances. Look into public access TV programs. Some colleges with music or television production classes look for acts to use as “test subjects” when they teach studio classes, assignments and term projects, so make yourself available and word will spread among the students.

The biggest question to ask yourself before making a move, is “Have I tried everything I can as an artist in my current place of residence? In this digital age where connecting with people across the world is easy as ever, it’s better to relocate when you’re more fully established and have officially reached that next level both musically and financially. Now more than ever, we’re seeing artists across all genres making a noteworthy impact right from their home cities, and that’s a trend that will continue as the power of the internet grows.

Therefore, it’s essential that you spend enough time in your local area not only perfecting your craft, but also developing a real fanbase that will support you once you’re truly ready to take that next step in your journey. Test the waters online while still growing your home base by doing a YouTube Vlog for fans, streaming a performance on one of the many available concert sites, and joining an online support group that introduces you to artists across the country (and globe) like our Artist Success Circle online music mastermind. Developing a community of artists from which to draw wisdom from the collective experience is worth its weight in gold.

All too often I see artists make the move to major cities only to end up in the same place in their careers (or further behind due to more expenses). I’ve also seen artists make the move and it turned out to be the best thing they’ve ever done for their careers. It seems that the common denominators of their success is threefold. Beware of thinking that a move to a music town will be the answer to “making things happen” without having these 3 things in place.

1. Exhaust all possible outlets and business connections in your hometown and build a serious following online first.

Don’t kid yourself, developing relationships is the key to growing your career. If you’re an introvert, grow them slowly, but you may want help by joining online communities and growing your connections to other artists and industry who can help.

2. Choose the right music city for your genre and artist community.

Below, I’ve listed the biggest music towns and what genre they are more known for so you can target the best city for your music.

3. Make meaningful connections to friends, other music artists and industry contacts before the move.

In other words, spend the time establishing real relationships to move into a ready made community of people.

Biggest 3 U.S. Music Cities
Los Angeles: Pop, Rock, Metal, Electronic, Singer-songwriter, Songwriter
New York: Pop, Urban, Hiphop, R & B, Electronic, Singer-songwriter, Songwriter
Nashville: Pop Country, Songwriter, Bluegrass, Americana, Singer-songwriter

Smaller U.S. Music Cities
Austin: Singer-songwriter, Rock
Miami: Pop, Dance, Latin
Atlanta: R & B, Urban, Hiphop, Pop
Seattle: Alternative Rock, Grunge, Singer-songwriter

Biggest International Music Cities
London: Singer-songwriter, Pop, Electronic, Rock, Alternative, Roots
Sydney; Rock, Pop, Country, Singer-songwriter
Berlin: Dance, Electronic

Remember, the move itself won’t make things happen. Make sure you have cultivated a strong catalog of songs, and grown your career as much as you can right where you are before you move.

Ultimately the only real thing that makes your music career happen is the quality of your music, songs, your record and live show, as well as your ability to get out there, build your career and grow a team of the right people that can help you. Get yourself in the business instead of on the outside looking in. You can do that from anywhere if you are resourceful.