Whether you’re an artist or a manager, you will have to navigate the same landscape of the music industry. The music world is definitely a complicated place, but if you stick to your principles, you’ll be just fine. Want to find out how to maximize your effect in the music industry? Keep on reading for 5 great tips on how to succeed in the music industry!
1. Never burn bridges
Burning bridges, aka cutting ties with someone in a bad way over a disagreement, is unfortunately not uncommon in the music world. However, if you want to be successful in this field, you’ll notice that those that have a long lasting and healthy career in the music business don’t burn bridges with people. Sure, things may go wrong, and you may decide to not work with that person again, but throwing oil on the fire and making everything unfixable with the other party is not a good solution for long term success.
2. Don’t get entitled
Just like any other industry, the music world is a hierarchy. However, the hierarchy can be a lot more emotional in music. People often feel that they are owed compensation for all the time they’ve put into the music industry, even though it doesn’t necessarily work like that - the music industry doesn’t care how long you’ve done what you do. All that matters is how well you can do it in the present moment.
3. Don’t get jealous
Moving on that note, it’s a common situation in the music business for newcomers to be handed huge opportunities. Don’t let this get to you! That’s just how it works. Instead of focusing on the negatives and getting jealous, think about what those people did to get to where they are. It’s easy to often dismiss everything as politics, but most of the time when you look deep, you’ll find that it’s a lot more complicated than that.
4. Be humble
Humility will take you a long way in the music industry. It’s easy to start talking about yourself and your achievements, but always make sure to keep them in perspective. The success of the music industry is a communal effort, and if you start taking credit for other people’s work, it will definitely get noticed. Be realistic and be humble on your journey!
5. Don’t take the journey too seriously
Regardless of what your position is, don’t forget the reason why you got involved in music in the first place. It’s easy to get stuck in mental thought traps about having to be the best all the time. Step back and remember that at the end of the day, we’re all on our own journey, and that it’s good to take a break from the mental pressure sometimes.
Thanks for reading the Stagent blog! We hope that these tips will stick with you for the rest of your career in music, and that we helped you on your way.
