As a musician with an undying love for creating melodies, you might feel like your heart and soul belong solely to the music. This passion is indeed a prerequisite for anyone who wishes to make a mark in the relentless and cutthroat music industry. However, to truly make music your career or to find your audience, you need more than just passion. Success requires the formulation of goals – both immediate and long-term – that are as diverse and detailed as the notes on a sheet of music.
Transform your nebulous dreams into concrete plans and targets
The depth and detail of your goals can be the difference between an unfulfilled dream and a successful music career. Goals give your abstract aspirations structure and clarity, morphing them into tangible strategies, benchmarks, and achievements. Being passionate about music is crucial to excel as a songwriter or performer. But merely wishing to “make it” in music is akin to an undefined chord – it lacks clarity and direction. What does success in music mean to you? Is it being able to sustain solely on your music earnings? Getting signed to a particular label? Or perhaps touring a few months each year while headlining at your favorite local venue? Every artist is unique, each having their own personal interpretation of success in music. Therefore, the initial step in setting goals for your music career is to define what success means to you.
Once you have a clear vision of your ultimate goal, the next step is to establish short-term objectives and plans aligned with your larger music career aspirations. This could range from setting a deadline for composing an album to planning tours to specific locations with the aim of catching the eye of labels and industry bigwigs. If you’re a budding artist, your objectives might revolve around securing gigs in your local scene or releasing your debut track. Remember, crafting detailed goals involves strategic planning and logistical work, which might feel alien to you if you’re accustomed to spending your days immersed in melodies and chord progressions. However, dedicating time to this task can yield significant, career-altering results. Dream big, but also set small, achievable objectives that can be accomplished on a weekly or monthly basis. Fulfilling these smaller goals creates a momentum that can propel your career forward.
In the vast expanse of the music industry, opportunities are aplenty. Whether it’s your local venue scouting for an opening act for a major headliner or a music supervisor seeking the perfect song for a TV show scene, opportunities are out there. However, they won’t simply land at your feet. Musicians who combine business acumen with motivation often seize these opportunities first, even if their musical talent doesn’t quite match yours. Artists who balance their passion for music with smart, detailed career goals are typically the ones stirring up excitement in their local scenes and gaining access to opportunities not available to every band.