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Just how difficult is it to rise to the top in the music industry. You may recognize that paraphrased line from Drake in the collaborative track, Forever. The now legendary rapper claimed he didn’t need to be signed to get his recognition as a musician. But let’s be honest here, it’s not as if Drake rose from nothing to become a rapper. He already had several notable appearances as an actor. That’s a little different from rising from nowhere to the top without any help from key figures in the music industry. Essentially, this means that you’re self-publishing and while many musicians do start off that way, these days it is quite rare. Particularly when we’re living in an age where record deals are granted as prizes for winning a TV show popularity contest.

So, what does it take to earn your place in the music industry without signing on a dotted line?

No Fear

If you’re going to be a star without any help from producers and other artists, you better be ready to face the music. You need to be able to put yourself out there. Say what you will about Justin Bieber, but that was a kid who rose to fame through Youtube videos. Can you imagine how many negative comments those videos would have received on a daily basis? We’re sure the legions of fans helped but you do have to be fearless if you want to succeed. You can not be afraid of getting rejected because no artist you ever respected was scared of the sound of silence, nor teases and taunts.

Cash To Burn

You will need to be willing to invest in your own art. Don’t forget, if you’re representing yourself you’ll have to produce your own music. You’ll need the tools to do this and services for selling it on and offline That’s easy today thanks to companies like Nationwide Disc. Companies like this are truly a lifeline for independent artists because they give them an affordable way to represent themselves. You can record your music, transfer it to CDs and sell in bulk. If you’re going to do this, you’ll definitely need to build a profile online. Make sure that you have places where people can find info about you and possibly buy your music. At least give them the option of not downloading it for free by ripping it off Youtube.

Something Original

This means that you need to be bring something unique and different to the table. Ideally, you should be writing your own music and lyrics. You can make a name for yourself performing covers, but you won’t be able to make money off those covers unless the songs exist within the public domain. And, if you do create something original, you better make sure you protect it. No matter how unknown you think you are, it is worth investing in copyright protection because eventually, someone could like your sound. Rather than signing you up, they might just steal it for someone who they already represent.

As you can see then, it is possible to start a career as an independent artist. If you want to turn your passion into a future, this is the place to start.

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