How can you be a successful musician?

[JohnLeyo]

First: Artist Development

Take classes, workshops, find a Talent Coach, etc. Study your craft, practice every day, take it seriously. Your work ethic is as important as your talent.

Second: Build relationships

This doesn’t just mean “networking.” It means building actual friendships with people. People want to work with their friends. This is especially true in the music and entertainment industry.

Third: Build an audience

If you want to be an Artist, then marketing/promotion is everything. Start by working on what you’re marketing - great image, songs, visual media, incredible live show, etc. Do your best - on your own at first - to connect with fans and give them as “personal” an experience as possible. Then, hire a publicist, manager, booking agent, and anyone else who can expose you to a larger audience.

If you’re a musician who wants to be hired as a studio musician and/or touring musician, then work hard to become an amazing, versatile player, and again - build relationships. Move to a “music” city, like Los Angeles, NYC, Austin, Nashville, etc.

If you’re interested in audio engineering/music production, study and master your craft, then move to a music city. You’ll likely start out on the bottom, but with great skills and a strong work ethic, you’ll move up quickly.