The amount of work necessary to start a music career in today’s DIY music industry can seem overwhelming. So, I decided to create a list of essential tasks that should be completed by every artist, and then order them by priority. The ranking of this list may differ slightly depending on your personal situation, but it is the priority I would recommend to a management client and in this case, it is the order in which I will proceed with my own performance career.
Writing everything on a list helps tremendously with keeping a vision on track and for an artist to keep moving forward. Just keep checking things off the list one by one and eventually, the goals become closer and closer!
Here is how I decided to prioritize these items. I acknowledge, that I may be pursuing many of these concurrently, however, I will continue to refer to this priority list as much as possible as I move along. All the while I will keep you updated if they change or if new items are added.
- Song Selection
- Song Preparation
- (Song Research)
- Website
- Blog/Newsletter
- Mailing List
- Social Media (Which ones? All of them? Set up start using…)
- Demos
- YouTube Channel
- Photos
- EPK One-Sheet
- Leads/Prospective Performance venues
- Equipment
1-3 I decided to start with the songs because, in my opinion, the music has to be at the heart of everything. Selecting the right songs, practicing, playing, and repeating will build momentum. (Song research is listed here mostly for me because I intend to incorporate a lot of music/song history into my shows. This is obviously not necessary for every artist.) Along these lines, take every opportunity to play for people, friends, family, parties, or even online. Putting a little pressure on yourself in front of others will help you reduce nerves, judge audience reaction, set order, musical arrangements, and much more prior to formal performances.
4. Website- This is listed next because I believe that ARTISTS, should be in control of how and when they make contact with their fans. The website is most definitely the next necessary step. A website allows the artist to collect contact information and speak directly to followers. Even in the age of social media dominance, this is important because it cannot be controlled by an algorithm. Make sure you have a clear Call-to-Action on your site such as mailing list/newsletter sign-up forms. With a website, your contact list stays with and belongs to you. The chance of contacting one’s followers by email versus social media is shockingly higher.
Want a place to find websites tailored for musicians? - bandzoogle.com is the absolute best place to go!
5. Blog/Newsletter- The blog or newsletter is next because it allows me to create content immediately and create a reason for people to follow my journey right away, even before I start to create musical content. My thinking all along with this was to bring my audience along for the entire trip, so this seems logical. Everyone starts from nothing, so why not show what the beginning can look like and show the growth of everything? This is where you start to cultivate your superfans/evangelists. The fans that tell everyone they know about you, and come to every show or buy all of your merchandise.
If you are intimidated by the blog, at least start a newsletter that comes out regularly updating your growing fan list of upcoming events will be very helpful in many ways!
6. Mailing List- The mailing list is born directly from the blog/newsletter. Once people visit the website, I want a reliable and effective way to let them know when new content or events are occurring. Social media is simply not enough or effective by itself. Mailing list first- THEN social media.
7. Social Media- Social media is VERY important and it should be used by today’s artists. Which one? All of them? That is a discussion for another blog post. However, it is best to create consistently on the platform you are most comfortable with as well as the one that best matches your audience demographics (another blog post coming on this). I will try to constantly create posts that drive traffic to my WEBSITE! For me, Facebook is the starting place for a variety of reasons that I will discuss in a future post. That is where I will dedicate most of my social media time to start.
8. Demos - Every artist should have the best demos of their music that they can afford to create posted on their website. Everyone starts somewhere. Remember that the demo you create today doesn’t have to be your forever demo. You can always change to others as you are able to afford better studios or equipment. Most likely your skills will improve as well. Additionally, your musical vision or direction might change, and your demo should reflect that as well. Don’t stress over it, just make the best one that you can and get it on your website. (Why not use the process to create content for your website and social media?)
9. YouTube Channel - Yes, I know it is a form of social media. However, I think it is fair to say that it is its own beast. You need it, and your audience and prospective clients will demand it. So embrace it and use it to drive viewers to your website!
10. Photos- Much like demos, get the best photos possible. If you can afford a professional, then do that. If not, keep them simple and clear. Additionally, your photos should also reflect your artistic vision. In other words, if you are performing Dirt Emo, don’t use a picture with a jacket and tie. Think about what your musical themes are and use colors and clothing to match that vibe.
11. The Electronic Press Kit (EPK) and One-Sheet are absolute necessities. You need to build these items so that anyone who might want to book you for a gig, interview, podcast, article, etc. can find your information easily and succinctly. This needs to be clean and well done. For many talent bookers, this will be where their decision to book you or not is made. For many writers/journalists, this is where they will find most of the information used in their pieces.
12. Contact Prospective Leads- This is last because I believe in making a strong first impression. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It is important that you demonstrate professionalism. After all, you are asking professionals to take a risk on you. They are making a judgment about whether you can deliver as a performer. One of the best ways to do that is to show that you have put the appropriate amount of time into everything you do. That starts with your website and the content you create there. If you have all of the things I have listed above, then you are ready to rock with the best!
13. Equipment- For me, this did not appear earlier on my list because I had mostly everything I needed to complete my equipment list. I recently secured a set of speakers that fit my situation perfectly from a trusted source, so I am all set. If you aren’t, then the more time you have to scour Craigslist, Reverb, or Facebook Marketplace - the better. Picking up things when you find good deals is much better (and cheaper) than the night before the gig! You will have to decide for yourself where to prioritize this item. It will be different for everyone.
Conclusion
So, this is as short as I could make the “first steps” list. They aren’t written in stone either. Some of the priorities could be different for different artists, but this is a pretty strong set for most and especially fitting for me.
I’ve clearly got a lot to do! Is there something I missed on this list? Please let me know in the comments section. Let me know your thoughts, I value your opinion. What you have to say may help someone else, so don’t be afraid to share!