A lot of people want to be a successful music artist who is rich and famous; they see their favorite artist or even artist who they think sound like shit and some may think, “If they can make it, I know I can”.
If you are one of these people then you are absolutely correct. Everyone has the ability to make it but as you and I know, everyone won’t.
Persistence
Now to get to the point, the number one reason that most people don’t make it isn’t the lack of talent but the lack of persistence.
What you have to realize not only as an artist but as a human being, is that there are 7 billion people on this planet, no matter what you choose to do, there will always be a group of people that like how you do it.
Even if you do something that you think is crappy, there are going to be people who either think it’s hilarious or that don’t think it’s crappy at all because believe it or not, there are millions of people who think and act just like you do.
The only thing missing from any one person’s formula is exposure; the more people know about you the higher the chance of someone seeing and liking you which equals more fans.
Doing anything for a lengthy period of time can make anyone want to give up when trying to accomplish a goal and that’s what makes accomplishing them special.
Most people only see the outcome but never the journey it took the person to get there.
Whenever you are ready to give up think of the most untalented successful person you can and then do some research on how they made it; 9 times out of 10 it was rough and from my experience harder than any struggle I had to endure while trying to make it (professionally) to this day.
You could be right around the corner from success and give up, now that’s a scary thought, that’s like accidentally washing the winning lotto ticket. So be persistent and 90% of the battle is won.
Study, Study, Study
Study your craft but don’t study it too long, studying too long leads to never doing anything you’ve just studied. Study other musicians, study artists that you love and artist that you hate.
It’s obvious why you would study artists that you love, but why artists that you hate? Think about it, you hate this artist for a reason, find out in detail why you hate this artist and try everything you can not do what they’re doing.
Remember what I said earlier, there are tons of people like you, so if you don’t like them there are a million others that don’t as well.
Don’t just study artists but study music itself, a lot of people don’t understand music theory and everyone doesn’t need to-to become successful but understanding it does make things a lot easier.
Not only does music-making become easier, but this also adds to your credibility, there are too many “artists” out there that don’t know how to count bars and if you can’t count bars how can you make a track?
Literally, Just Do It!
The truest words ever were trademarked in 1988, you may think of it as just a catchy phrase but in reality, this is the secret to success. What am I talking about you might ask, Nike’s- Just Do It slogan.
People become successful by going after that great idea or dream they had in their heads and just doing it. Don’t worry about the mistake you might make or not knowing how to do it the best.
Most importantly, when – and I say when because it will happen- you compare yourself to who or whatever and start having doubt, don’t let it stop you.
By all means, keep yourself going and know that progress is a slow process but you can be as good if not better than whatever you’re comparing yourself to.
Don’t study until you think you’re ready, just do it. Don’t ponder on the thought, just do it. When you say you are going to release a mix-tape, just do it. If you say you want to record from home but don’t know how and don’t have the equipment, stop making excuses, get the equipment, learn it and do it. When there is a will there is a way and you can’t win if you don’t play.
Breakdown
- Be Persistent
- Study Your Craft
- Just Do It
If you follow these steps, then you can’t lose, only a few will actually follow these rules and that’s what makes them special. If you are one of the few that follows these rules and after a couple of years are in the same position that you were when you started, have that plan locked and loaded. Nothing is worst than growing old with regrets.