5 Mistakes New Music Artists Make and How To Avoid Them

Whether you’re an aspiring pop star, rap star or rock star, if you are a new music artist, you’ll presumably be aspiring to be the best in your field.

However, regardless of the industry you’re in, like everyone who is just starting out or in the early stages of career growth, at some point in time you’ve probably had many questions as to whether you’re on the right path.

To help you on that journey, here are 5 common mistakes that new music artists make, and how you can avoid them.

Mistake #1 - Being precious with their best music.

Most artists that are committed to achieving their goals and succeeding in the music industry at some level, are always writing, producing or working on something new.

As a result of what is colloquially known as the ‘hit ratio’ (e.g.: 1 in 10 songs you write will be hits), you’ll probably have a few ‘hit songs’ in your arsenal, essentially, a song that is ‘the one’ that will catapult you to new heights of fame and stardom.

Mistakenly, like a lot of artists, you’ll be saving that song for ‘the right moment’ to release it, as it would be wasted in any other scenario. The problem is, no one will ever hear that song and as a result, you may never get that ‘moment’ you’re waiting for.

Sometimes, you need to be your best foot forward to attract the best opportunities that will lead to the fame and success you seek.

Mistake #2 - Not being consistent with releasing music.

You release a new song in March, then another in April, then…. Nothing. May, nothing, June, nothing and so on. You then pop up in October, almost out of nowhere, with a new song release to tie into Halloween, the problem is, any momentum built up with the first 2 releases has had the steam taken out of it and those new listeners you collected have had their attention caught (and retained) by someone else, releasing more consistently.

Quality is always important, more so than quantity, but don’t let that stop you from creating a consistent release schedule with what you have. Work out what you can realistically commit to doing in the course of a year – whether that’s 2 song releases or 4 – then make a plan and stick to it.

1 song release every 4 months (3 songs in a year) is consistent, whereas 2 songs in 1 month, nothing for 4 months, then 1 more song release in Q3 for the same year is very random, and in the early stages of your career, consistency is key – once per month, once every 3 months, you decide, but fans will stay engaged for longer when they see you more consistently.

Mistake #3 - Following current trends and sounds too closely.

It is great to keep up to speed with what is current and to immerse yourself in the 'scene' in order to help you stay relevant, however, there is a balance to be had.

By jumping on to the hottest new trends every time one comes around, you can easily lose your own sense of identity and as a result any commitment from an invested audience that is keenly following your journey and interested in what is unique and original about you.

Whilst you don’t want to risk becoming too insular and stuck in your own bubble of creativity that may be behind the curve, you also don’t want to get too focused on what is ‘current’ and what everyone else is doing.

Usually, by the time a niche sound becomes mainstream, the niche audience that built it are probably already moving on to the next sound coming through.

Mistake #4 - Not collaborating enough with their peers.

Most artists emerge during a period of time with other artists who should be considered their peers – whether by year, decade, age range or trending soundscape, that peer group is who you should be aiming to build relationships with, collaborate with and ‘come up’ with collectively as the next generation of future stars.

However, more often than not, many artists are reluctant to collaborate with their direct peer group, instead opting to either stay within their own group/camp (if they have one), or striving to connect and work with the current superstars who may already have a 10 year career head start on them.

Now, unless you are in similar social circles, or having a ‘moment’ of your own, many of those ‘superstars’ will be reluctant to share their social capital with you for little or no benefit to themselves.

Mistake #5 - Not performing live.

We are well and truly in a digital age and many artists are thriving just by performing in their bedrooms, then sharing those recordings on whatever social media platform happens to be the zeitgeist of the youth at the time.

The problem with that is, whilst you may enjoy some months, even years, of viral success in a digital eco-system, eventually, in order to truly have career longevity, people will want to connect with you in person, they will want to see you in the flesh and as it stands, live shows are still an important step to conquer when it comes to local and global domination in the music industry, regardless of your musical genre.

Also, being a good live performer not only gives you a chance to connect with real fans and create real valuable experiences, but it can also enhance your recordings too – live performance and studio performance are two unique skillsets to have, and both should be respected and worked on equally.

Summary

Whether you are top tier, selling thousands of tickets and generating millions (or billions) of streams, or you’re just starting to get your name and music out there to attract your core audience, be open, be adaptable, but stay committed to the core of your identity and your so-called ‘personal brand’.

The music industry is constantly evolving, but if you stay committed to growth, development and new ideas, not only will you avoid the pitfalls of repeating common mistakes made by many new music artists, but you’ll become a better artist as a result!

Subscribe to the mailing list on the website to get more updates like this and other exclusive content.

If you liked this, share to your network!

#DreamBelieveAchieve

LEON HAYNES DISCLAIMER / NOTE

·       Before committing to any deals, offers or proposals, take a few moments to ‘check-in’ with yourself and your gut instinct, never feel under pressure to make a decision on the spot.

·       Always, get professional advice (legal, financial or industry specialist) before entering into any agreements.

·       By reading this article, you agree that this is only for informational purposes and not to be considered as legal, financial, or professional guidance.

·       We endeavour to ensure the information provided is accurate and helpful, however, we cannot be held liable for any actions you take as a result of the information provided or for any errors or omissions. Any recommendation or other information that is followed by the reader is at their own risk.

·       Any links (hypertext link or other referral device) used are provided solely for the use and convenience of you and does not represent any endorsement, association or recommendation by us.

·       In no event will we be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this site.

·       All information contained and provided is intended solely to provide guidance on matters of interest for the personal use of the reader.