What sets Chance the Rapper’s success apart from all other artists? Aside from his trailblazing music, he could be the only Grammy winner that’s at present not signed to any label and doesn’t sell his music. Instead, he streams it without cost.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Chance revealed, “I never wished to sell my music, because placing a price on it put a limit on it and inhibited me from making a connection.” To all aspiring musicians out there, this could serve as a lesson which you can make it in the industry even with just your SoundCloud account to help you.
However far the industry has come, there are still some people with preconceived notions on the way to break into the music business — and some of them are pretty outdated. So, let find out 5 music industry myths to boost your career.
1. Submitting Demos Will get You Signed
To be honest, there have been some artists that received signed this way. But considering today’s digital age, most of the present big names gained attention by posting their songs and musical performances online, like Justin Bieber, Panic at the Disco, and even Adele.
Additionally, submitting demos (especially unsolicited ones) is less likely to help you break into the business. According to a report from Music Industry How To, record labels aren’t likely to listen to the no-name demos they obtain. They have other more efficient methods of looking for new talent and music.
Moreover, record labels are advertising and marketing machines. They focus more of their efforts on marketing their talents’ music and picture. While they do have a group that scouts for fresh blood, it’s highly unlikely that any of them are scouring via demos.
Having said that, you’ll likely be more successful just placing your music online and trying to gain a following. An effective way to get began is to buy SoundCloud Plays, which can attract more attention to your music. This exposes your tunes directly to the people who would wish to listen, and that’s what matters.
2. Televised Singing Contests Will Make You Successful
The glitz and glamor are certainly tempting, however, there are also many drawbacks, and the vast majority of contestants end up upset. When you don’t make it past the initial choice, then you begin all over again.
And when you think everything works out for the contestants that win, think again.
A perfect example could be Javier Colon, season 1 winner of The Voice. After winning, Colon launched the single “Come Through for You” under the Universal Republic. Despite winning the highly rated show, Colon’s album only managed to sell 9,974 copies in its first week. Colon eventually left the label, revealing in an interview with BuddyTV lack of support was what prompted him to go away.
The truth is that these contestants are also tools to help increase the ratings of the show. While being on a reality singing contest exposes you to large viewers, the sad fact is most of the people watching are more followers of the show rather than high-up record producers scouting for talent.
3. Having Connections In The Business Guarantees Success
Without a doubt, there are necessary people running the music business. However considering their status, it could not be simple getting close to them (much less getting acquainted). If by some miracle you do get to rub elbows with a few of these people, you’ll still have to prove yourself with unique music that’s worthy of their time.
Think of it this method: no matter how large the stage, you still want the talent to fill it up. Moreover, the time it takes trying to get close to the right people may have been used for more productive pursuits, like honing your talent or constructing your fanbase.
Another advantage of not getting in touch with influential music insiders right away is you still retain creative control over your music and your career, something that some older musicians regret not having completed.
4. A Large Following on Social Media = Money
Unfortunately, there’s more to it than that. Not to say that this strategy has no chance of success at all, however that relies upon totally on the way you market your music and image on social media. Even the most successful artists these days still try to establish a strong social media following and work hard to maintain it.
There are some aspiring musicians today that have put off their followers due to their odd social media habits. A few of the habits that followers find disagreeable embody “me marketing,” focusing on the wrong people, utilizing the same messaging strategy on every social media account, and forgetting about honing their music.
While social media is necessary, just ensure it doesn’t take over all your time. You still need to work in your music to ensure that your followers (and anyone else) to take you seriously as a musician.
5. Landing a Record Means You’re Done, You’re a Success
If you think about it, being a chart-topping successful musician is a full-time job. Even when you did sign with a major record label, that just means you have more people helping get your music out. Again, as we’ve talked about before, you should always work in your music because when you set the expectation of your viewers they’ll drop you if you fail to deliver.
Just take a look at some of today’s pop stars. Lots of the successful artists didn’t take long to launch a second album after their first became successful, even while knowing how tough it may be to follow up the success of the first album.
The best artists are always evolving. Switching up your music and studying new styles can take lots of work, however, what else would you expect? After all, wouldn’t it be boring if all of your albums sounded alike? Maintain that up, and it won’t take long for you to blend into the background.
Myths Busted
If there is anything to study from the digital era, it’s that there are more methods and avenues to break into the music scene than ever before.
Streaming sites are some of the most helpful tools for aspiring musicians. You need to definitely have a SoundCloud account to publish your tracks, and a good way to get more attention on the platform is to buy SoundCloud Plays. The more Plays your tracks have, the more engaging they’ll be to customers and record execs — and that’s no myth.
Study the truth about the music industry myths, and use it to assist push your musical career as quick as it could go.