From Bedroom Artist to Industry Professional: How to Build the Right Music Network
You’re talented and have the drive to make it big, but despite all your efforts, nothing sticks. You’ve got a decent following on social media, you’ve done a few local gigs, but you’re still far away from making a living out of music.
Why’s that? The answer is simple: the industry works on connections. This means that industry professionals (managers, labels, and booking agents) rarely cold-source talent from an inbox. They rely on peer recommendations, track records, and pre-existing momentum.
As an aspiring professional musician, you need a solid network to reach the right people. If you’re unsure how to go about building one, we’ve got a few easy-to-implement tips.
How To Find and Enter the Big Circles
The music industry is massive, so you need to find your people. Even the up-and-coming artists you see going on tour, and perhaps wish you were in their place, have a team behind them. Producers, managers, promoters and other industry professionals all play a role in building an artist’s career and getting their music in front of the right people.
In the music industry, nothing happens in a vacuum. So, if you’re ready to get out of your bedroom and make some real changes, here are the steps that’ll help you get started:
Network Amongst Your Peers (First)
You have to crawl before you walk, right? So don’t go knocking on C-suite executives’ doors first. Instead, connect with local peers like other artists, session musicians, and local sound engineers.
These are the people who will later on recommend your music to a producer or help you get included in a major project that may launch your career.
Connect with Local Venue Operators
As a musician, you need real-life experience in front of an audience, and local venues (bars, art spaces, coffee houses, etc.) that hire unknown artists are the best solution.
The good news is that you don’t have to leave your bedroom for the outreach. Nowadays, with the help of platforms like GTM AI, you can automate the entire process, from finding the right businesses to connect with to sending out a personalised message that fits the venue’s specifics.
In short, you can design your own AI assistant and have it hard at work, while you focus on creating amazing music.
Maintain Professional Digital Assets
Your digital presence is your 24/7 storefront and proof of capability. Before an industry professional, whether a manager, booking agent, producer, festival talent buyer, or label A&R, replies to an email, books a call, or listens to a demo, they perform a background check on your digital footprint.
So, the best thing you can do for your future career is create an easily navigable Press Kit (EPK), make high-quality master audio files available, and ensure your active social channels are publicly accessible.
Be Easy to Find
A solid real-life network and digital presence increase your discoverability as an aspiring music professional. You want everyone in the industry to know your name (or brand), and the only way to do that is to put in the work and make yourself as easy to find (and book) as possible.