This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. My Step Up to the Spotlight Program will take you step-by-step through the artist development process–the same process I’ve used to help my clients win Grammy Awards, get featured in Rolling Stone, secure major licensing deals, get signed to management and labels, and live the dream. 

Every serious passionate artist needs an artist development plan. It is not optional. Without it, months and years will pass without accomplishing what you need to create a career in music. Not having a plan is only delaying the work that needs to be done and further delays your achievements and success.

Artist Development is the process a musician goes through to develop their craft and the skills necessary to build a professional career in the music industry. The process involves, vocal training, songwriting, A&R direction, development of sound and direction, artist persona development, image and branding, music and video production, live performance development, marketing message and career planning and strategy.

Is it something you can achieve on your own? Yes. Is it significantly better and could you shave years off your climb working with a team like ours? Yes.

Each artist requires a different approach depending on their level of skill and where they are with their music. It’s quite involved but all under the umbrella of artist development. Voice, songs, artist brand, career.

As an artist developer I create a plan to help the artist uplevel their music to the level where they stand out in the marketplace. This is necessary to attract the opportunities you need to move forward with your career. Knowing the best next steps is key.

The perfect place to get started is my 6-week kickstart artist development program here: Step Up to the Spotlight

I officially got into artist development in 2007 after being a vocal coach for 20 years, when I created my first online program Step Up to the Spotlight 6-week Artist Development Program. Over the past 15 years of running this program, I’ve continued to perfect and tweak the content and this new version of Step Up is now in its best form ever serving thousands of artists worldwide.

Further down, I’ll share some snapshots of some key turning points I’ve helped artists with that significantly improved the course of their careers in half of the time it would have taken them on their own. Some got record and management deals – some built their own empire. They all moved forward exponentially.

Let’s dive into the 11 Pillars.

 

1. Artist Development Assessment + Timeline

The first thing I want to establish when working with an artist is — where are you on your path? Each artist needs a personalized plan to fit their needs.

Are you an:

1. Aspiring Artist
2. Emerging Artist
3. Established Artist

Next, I want to establish a timeline from where you are now to the next phase of your development or career. There are phases and stages for each artist. It’s important to touch on all of the skills and knowledge required to excel in your career. It’s also important to do it in the right phases so as not to jump ahead or fall behind when those aspects are not relative to where you are right now – and also not to miss anything vital. For instance — focusing too much on social media before you have music out which takes your focus away from the foundational elements of becoming a really good singer, songwriter and performer – without which no amount of marketing will make up for. Or on the other end — focusing too much on your musicianship when you need to be out in the world more! Knowing the exact right things to do for you at the right times in your career can not only save time but a lot of heartache and delays.

Working with an artist development expert like myself brings decades of experience from working with thousands of artists at all levels of their careers, over multiple genres which will help you reach your goals in half the time – and with much more success.

You can get started right now with instant access to Module 1 of my Step Up to the Spotlight Kickstart 6 week Artist Development Program

2. Developing Stellar Musicianship + Skills

Your voice, your songs, your musicianship, and your performance skills are the bedrock of a successful career. Without even one of them, you’re not ready to fly – not yet! Work on your music, every day – even if it’s just for 20 minutes. If you really want this, you have to have the motivation and dedication to devote time to your development. It’s critical.

Track your progress with our Daily Regimen inside our Free Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program. It’s in Module 1 waiting for you here.

Every artist has holes in different places that they need to fill in to round out their skills. I design a regimen for each artist depending on the skills they need to develop. When you work with me privately I get you on track quickly and efficiently.

I also help those that procrastinate and have trouble with their daily schedule – which is a huge problem for many emerging artists. It usually has to do with not knowing where to start, or what is most important to work on – or — it’s based in emotional regulation or trauma-based issues. I know, I’ve been there myself. I have lots of tricks and holistic solutions up my sleeve!

3. Building the Right Song Catalog

Your songs are a big piece of your career. Whether you write your own songs or are looking to, you should. I used to tell my early vocal students that if they want to be successful in this business that they need to learn how to write songs. One of those young artists was Jess Best who I started working with when she was 11 – all the way through to the age of 18 when she then went away to music school at Wesleyan. So she became not only an amazing singer but a really strong songwriter. Here’s a link to her song More on Spotify at over 5,000,000 streams. What if she hadn’t started writing with me in her teen years? It would have taken her much longer to be where she is now.

Building a strong song catalog starts with writing – a lot. In our Signature Songwriting Circle we teach you how to write for yourself as an artist and VIP seats get to write with me and my expert songwriting team who has written with John Legend, Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson, FINNEAS and many more. Learn more here.

4. A&R Direction: Developing Your Sound + Direction

Finding, refining or developing your sound and direction is EVERYTHING. Think of Alanis Morrisette before Jagged Little Pill? Or Lady Gaga at the Bitter End before she was Lady Gaga? They hadn’t found themselves yet. It starts by examining and exploring your natural instincts, leaning into that and then amplifying what you find alongside the guidance from experts who will be able to mine the gold from your hidden natural talent. Every artist has a unique expression and gifts to bring that are often missed or not expressed early enough.

Over decades of being an artist myself as well as guiding other artists, I developed a unique therapeutic but brand-centric system that helps artists find what is unique about them. When you really find who you are as an artist it’s a transformative process that brings an inner and outer confidence.

“Working with Cari Cole and her incredible team has been the most valuable experience of my music career. When I came to Cari and the CCVM team I was confused and frustrated. I was without a clear plan that I felt passionate about in releasing my next music project. I had no idea joining the Signature Songwriting Circle would be the first step to creating my best catalog of work so far! Through Cari’s guidance, development and connection to this community of talented writers and artists, I found myself in my art again. I also found beautiful and lasting relationships with other artists and writers in the international music community. If you are feeling stuck and alone in your artistry or music career START HERE. The resources, connections and industry professionals provided to you through Cari Cole’s programs are priceless. Whether you want to improve your vocal performance, songwriting, artist direction, catalog development or work on a solid business plan that’s aligned with you, Cari and her team will get it done with you. Thank you so much Cari Cole, for everything.”

~ Alexayndra @_alexayndra

Being in the industry for a little bit it’s super easy to lose your way. I created a company of artists that are here to help other artists. Our goal is to help you find your unique voice using our experience over 3 decades in music, our expert ears and our kind supportive guidance.

Read more about our artist development process here.

5. Recording + Production

Knowing when to put music out, in what capacity is key to developing the connection with your listeners. It starts by taking the temperature of your career. Is it time for a couple of Singles, an EP or an LP? What does your audience need from you and why?

I see artists hop too much on trends. Like thinking singles will build your career more. But singles don’t create a career because it’s not a body of work for your listeners to sink their teeth into. Singles are good initially, but it’s not going to do that much for you. Singles should be released in a sequence (2 or 3 8 weeks apart) followed up with a 7 song EP or 10 song LP depending on where you are at in your career. At a certain point an LP is really important to put you on the map.

And then there’s the issue of finding the right producer. Those of you who have music out in the marketplace know exactly what I’m talking about. Working with the right producer and professional team that knows how to help you carve a unique sound and make a record that make a statement and carries a strong message that can help you stand out in the marketplace is essential. I have a customized A&R experience that works with the artist to develop their unique sound and direction for the record before they go to the producer. This gives you a chance to really dive into the sound you want to create and helps give the producer a nice solid direction from the start eliminating any grey areas or confusion. Then we help to find the right producer who is able to deliver that sound.

Read more tips on what’s next for your career here.

6. Artist Persona + Branding

This is the fun stuff! Building the artist persona, finding the right name, building out the branding or rebranding is such a key element in the impacting listeners and building your community.

Here’s an example of an amazing artist I worked with and how we worked some brand magic together.

Case Study 1: Simrit

When Simrit came to work with me, she had a beautiful album out and a nice small following of devoted listeners. She performed mostly in yoga studios at the time or at yoga festivals. At that time she was wearing a Sikh turban – part of the spiritual practice she follows. It was on the cover of her album at the time. I asked her if she wanted to continue to play to that niche audience or expand out, and given she wanted to reach a bigger audience, we started to develop her brand – and we started with her image. Simrit found these beautiful headdresses that female singers in Greece would wear and started designing her own. They evolved to the beautiful ones she wears today. We also worked on her sound to fit the direction she wanted to move in. This was a big piece of helping her to design a sound that really spoke from her soul. We also worked on opening up her already beautiful voice and giving it more strength and power. Working with Simrit was a beautiful experience. She is such a lovely heart and a big light for people. She went from performing to 75-100 people to filling rooms of 5000+ and playing big festivals. One of my favorite artist development experiences.

“Working with Cari has not only propelled my career, but it has also changed my life in the most profound way. She has shared with me how to empower myself through my own persona and music. She never stops giving. The passion, love, and care that she shows for my success is rare and very powerful. I receive a transmission each time I read her blogs, emails and take her very interactive courses: I’ve taken 2 already, and I continue to keep up with her offerings. She sincerely has my best interest in mind…I can feel that. I trust her, and that is so helpful in this world…to know that someone’s got my back like that. You can’t put a price on someone or something that projects success from the depths of their heart and soul.”

~ Simrit, simritkaurmusic.com

7. Creating a Artist Business Plan + Pitch Deck

Every artist going into the business needs a business plan. You can Google them to get an idea of how to get started.

Your business plan starts with your Mission Statement and your Story. Your Mission Statement is what you want your music to do for your listeners. The community of people you want to serve. The reason why you do music. It should have your heart in it.

Your Story is the building of your story about who you are as an artist. It comes from your life. Not so much about how you got into music but choosing key elements from your life and parts of your story that make you stand out.

For instance right now I’m building a story about an artist Alexayndra (mentioned above in #4) who is from Salem, Massachusetts. She grew up amidst tarot and crystal shops and has paranormal experiences. We are building the story of her to attract the right audience for her. It’s very exciting to see her step forward into her authentic voice and mission as an artist.

She started in our Step Up to the Spotlight Program and following that joined our Signature Songwriting Circle where we do this in a group environment that has some private sessions to develop the sound, artist persona and direction. And then later in private sessions at our label services company we built a 21 page Artist Business Plan that she can take to a label or an investor with all 3 Phases of her brand and product line built out. It’s really cool! For more information reach out to our team at info@caricole.com.

~ Alexayndra @_alexayndra

8. Record Release + Marketing Message and Strategy

Every time you release a new product in the marketplace it’s an opportunity to introduce yourself to a new audience and/or reintroduce yourself to your existing audience.

The record release plan needs a strong marketing message for the record and for each individual single (that fits under the umbrella of the overall artist marketing message.) This is crucial, because the music won’t completely speak for itself. It’s the message and the visual that will make people click play or not. It’s an art.

Start by writing out your record release plan and marketing message and the strategy you want to use — how you will release. On what platforms and for how long. All of the details you can think of — and plan at least 6 months ahead of a release. The key is building out your marketing message – the key elements that makes people click “play” and opt-in to your world! There’s a lot to do, but without the right marketing message and visuals releases can fall flat. You want to ensure that hard work will pay off. Think “what’s in it for them” – not you! People respond to content that connects with them and offers some value.

At our label services company ccvm.co, we design a release strategy and help artists get organized to plan ahead so they can make more impact and have more successful releases that build opportunities for them. Releases are the starting point to excel your career and a great opportunity to grow your music in the world – when it’s done right.

9. Build the Right Team + Marketing Partners

Living the dream in music is all about planning ahead, getting into the nitty-gritty details, putting out a high level product — and finding the right people to work with. Who is your dream team?

I remember when I was 19, waitressing and going to music school in New York. I was in a rock band and wanted to take voice lessons. I went to a handful of teachers before I found the one that clicked. And she was the top teacher at the time teaching all of the emerging and successful rock stars in the world. I remember Cyndi Lauper had her lesson right before me. She was in “Blue Angel” at the time – this was before she broke through with her single “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” I got to watch all of that happen and learn a ton working with my coach. Also my coach was more expensive than the others, but I wanted the best and knew she could get me there faster. Remember, I was a waitress, so it was hard to part with those dollars every week, but I’m so glad I stuck to it. I ended up getting signed to a record deal, debuting my record at Carnegie Hall and getting a standing ovation at Town Hall in front of Whitney Houston’s mother among winning many awards – I was living the dream, which happened because I invested in the right team. From a vocal coach to cowriters, to producers, mentors, strategists, management, marketing team and possibly a label or your own admin team – finding people that believe in you and your music is key.

Working with mentors in the industry can help you find those key team players and partners. I recently worked with an artist who has an amazing new record and was looking for help with birthing the record to the world. In our work together I found a key marketing partner for his music with a targeted audience to launch his new music to. We are building out his marketing message to reflect what the record is about to connect with new and existing audiences. It’s an exciting moment to see it all come together.

10. The Right Industry Introductions

The music industry is a small place but it’s also a big place. For artists there are lots of choices these days for who to work with. But not everyone can do something for you! Its important to look for people or companies that represent your genre when it comes to labels, licensing and marketing partners. Different genres have different pockets of professionals to work with – and it is smart to connect with people who like the same kind of music.

For instance, I have artists coming to me looking for licensing and I try to explain to them that they need to find the kind of licensing company that releases music similar to theirs but isn’t overloaded with artists in that genre. It’s because music companies tend to resonate with the sound that the President or Founder likes (if they are active). You’ll see it across the board. And that is a good thing for you, because the you can seek them out by listening to the artists they represent. Same with marketing companies. I like to intro new artists or re-emerging artists to companies where like-minded artists are. Works most of the time and builds great industry introductions and relationships. And — I help the artist get everything ready so when we make that introduction the artist is ready!

11. Building Career Opportunities

As an artist first, I’ve been through the entire artist development process from soup to nuts myself. I have also guided thousands of artists through the process taking them from obscurity to working in the business, getting management or label deals or build their own team. I work alongside many artists helping them build career opportunities and manage their own empires.

Case Study 2: Rainsford

I met Rainsford when she was 19 turning 20. She was living in New York and auditioning for musical theatre. She needed a voice coach to work on her voice. So we started off with vocal technique and building a stronger instrument. Rainey has a gorgeous alto honey-toned voice and I got her singing more healthfully and expanding her tone and range. As a songwriter and artist myself I was curious about whether she wanted to write songs. She started bringing me her journal entries and we started writing songs together. We wrote a 22-song catalog and one of them ended up in a film at Sundance where we flew out to perform. She got signed that night to a record and development deal, right from the stage, I barely had time to put my guitar in its case and off she went! That kicked off her career and now she is playing big stages and living the dream.

“Cari seems to have an innate sensitivity towards people’s true selves. I think that is why she is such a great co-writer. When I first started bringing Cari lyrics, I was thrilled to find out just how intuitive and talented she is as a musician and songwriter. While I was embarrassed at first to let someone read what seemed like my diary, Cari was not at all judgmental. She has helped me get to the bottom of my messages and is able to see the parts of my songs that need some work. Cari saw and believed in my potential, I think, even more than I did. She has helped me put together my sound and style as an artist. With her guidance, I signed a record deal and my career has taken off. She is a friend, and mentor, and her steadfast commitment has changed my course as an artist for the better.”

~ Rainsford, rainsfordmusic.com

Get started here: Step Up to the Spotlight 6 week Kickstart Artist Development Program