How Musicians Stand out from the Crowd and Succeed in 2024

Being an independent musician has a lot of benefits, but it isn’t easy either. There are 3 keys to success for music artists that are tried and true though. Today, there are more opportunities than ever before, that helps to level the playing field for musicians. This also creates a very competitive, and dense field. So how can a musician stand out from the crowd? We often write up tips for musicians, in terms of specific promotional techniques or tools to use. But there are some tried and true traits that successful musicians all have. This article is more about positive traits and keys to be a successful artist. It will read like a motivational speech, meant to help lift artists up. If you need a little extra support, to stay motivated and focused, then keep reading.

The 3 main points we lay out here, will seem very obvious to many. But, we will add extra pointers within them to further elaborate. Plus, some of the easiest things, that we all should know, can be forgotten at times. It’s good to focus on these main concepts as an artist, as they are standards that breed success in todays music industry.

3 Keys to Success for Music Artists

• Be Authentic & Original

• Consistency Is Key

• Persevere & Be Resilient

Simple right? On the surface, yeah, many of you may think you’ve already mastered these 3 keys to success for music artists. But some of this may come easier to certain artists, and be difficult to others. We listen to a lot of music promotional podcasts and analyze successful artists often. The most common thing we hear, and notice, is that in 2024, authenticity is the most important thing. Think about the pages you follow, or artists you like. You’re not going to be into some poser, or somebody that seems to be faking it. We all want to connect with something real. An artist doesn’t have to be the best singer, or a virtuoso on guitar. They have to be REAL, that carries a lot of weight.

Of course, there has to be a certain base level of talent for any artist to succeed. The music has to be good, but what’s considered to be good by one person, is very different to another. We’re firm believers that real, quality made music, will connect with somebody. Creating that connection and being real, is what really matters. Looking at yourself realistically and critically, to determine if this is for you or not, is also part of being authentic. Now let’s dive in to the finer points between these 3 important traits.

How To Be Authentic & Original

Look in the mirror, how are you seen? No, there isn’t a formula to being authentic. But, there are certain things you can avoid and areas to focus on. The way you feel inside, isn’t always put out in to the world the right way. Knowing how you come across, looking at yourself in the mirror, is important. Stay true to your heart as a person. Don’t try to fake it to appease to anybody, people see through that these days. You don’t want to pretend to be like somebody else that’s popular already anyways, they already exist. Being yourself, that’s unique, that’s what will get you ahead as an artist. Creating real music, the way you want. That’s one of the greatest benefits of being an independent artist. You’re in charge of the sound you create. Don’t think about the fans or the promoters and what they want. Do what you want, and the ones that are meant to connect, will.

Don’t chase trends, make them. Being authentic, is often being a trend setter. Create your own path. Following the same path everybody else takes, will just get you to the same old destination. Forge your own way and create your own destination. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, wear your heart on your sleeve. Share who you are with your fans through your music, and through your social pages. Posting that kind of authentic, real content, is what people like to consume.

Authentic Lo-Fi Content Creates More Engagement

Create Lo-Fi content, don’t overproduce your videos. Just being in front of the camera and being yourself is all ya really need. Lo-Fi content statistically receives more streams and interaction than overly produced videos on social media. This is because it’s more real, people seek out real connections. Creating Lo-Fi content, is a great way to allow your authentic self to come out.

Authenticity matters behind the scenes with networking too. Collaboration with other artists and promoters is a huge part of any independent artists job. Being a legit, authentic person, goes a long way when creating those positive connections that will help you to succeed. Don’t be a flake, be real with others. Respond to emails, don’t leave people hanging. Treat others how you would like to be treated. We’ve worked with artists that were such a pleasure, that we threw on free promotion too. Then we worked with some that weren’t fun to deal with at all, and just did what we were paid for and moved on. Being a good person will give you another leg up on others and make them want to work with you.

How to be Consistent as an Artist

Consistency is always the key to success. Not just for artists, but in anything you do. But specifically as a musician, this typically relates to the content you put out on social media and your marketing strategy. Also, how consistently you release music. If you aren’t releasing much music, find ways to re-plug older releases. Create new shorts related to an older song, or release a deluxe version of an album. Also, posting videos of you performing the older song at a recent show is always great content.

Learn how to successfully schedule your next music release here »

Be organized and utilize the proper tools to stay consistent. We have pushed solid marketing schedules before for releasing new music. To truly be successful, it takes a lot of consistent content pushed to your socials and mailing list. Optimize your Email marketing here.I know, social media isn’t always fun for musicians. But there are tools that can help. Using a platform like ArtistBee is great for artists, as it makes it easier to create quality posts, and schedule things out better. Any way you can keep your marketing organized, will be a huge asset to remaining consistent. Don’t just push some crap out there though, quality content is still king. So if you can’t post daily, a few posts a week that are higher quality, is still fine.

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Creating a schedule for yourself and your marketing, will help. Sit down and plan out when you want posts to go out, when you want marketing emails to be launched. Then, have a day a week (at least) to sit and schedule that content to be released over the next week. This way, you have the other days to focus on your music (and probably day job).

How to Persevere and Be Resilient

Disappointment and tough times are part of every musicians journey, it’s all about how you handle it. We’re all going to get knocked down when pursuing our dreams. For an artist, it’s even more common. Because, you’re putting yourself out there. This will bring praise, and of course others that don’t like it. The internet is a cruel place, don’t allow any mean comments or negativity get you down. Every successful musician has had to grow thick skin and push through the hardships to succeed. For you, maybe it’s touring around in a beat up van to do your gigs. Or perhaps, you had a disappointing music release. That’s okay, art is subjective, just because you loved it, doesn’t mean everybody else will. Sometimes, maybe you were just ahead of the times and that song or album will find it’s way to being appreciated later on.

Remember, this is you’re dream! Enjoy the process.

What really matters, is that you remember every day that you’re doing what you love. You aren’t doing it to be famous, not doing it to get rich. You’re doing it because it’s your dream. So keep putting yourself out there, keep making music. Smile at the haters and appreciate those that get you and really connect with your music. We appreciate you, so do your real fans. Have a good support system around you. They will lift you up and keep you focused on the mission at hand. Not everybody gets a chance at living their dream. Enjoy this moment in your life and make the most of it.

Stay positive and throw away the negativity. We hear a lot from artists that hate social media, and how to succeed in today’s music industry you basically need to be an influencer. Well, it’s true to an extent. But if you don’t adapt with the times, you’ll be left behind. So make the best of it, you don’t have to use social media the way others do. Be authentic like we said in the beginning, be yourself, use social media your way to connect. This will make things more enjoyable for you and ultimately, create more of a connection. It’s all in how you view things, there are parts of being an independent artist that aren’t fun, but don’t be a no person. Don’t just say you refuse to do something on principle. It won’t benefit you, you’ll just be left behind. Find a way to look the tasks you don’t enjoy with a positive outlook and you’ll find success.

In Conclusion

If you’re authentic, consistent and resilient, that is how to succeed in music today. Again, this is assuming that you have some talent and your music is legit. But you wouldn’t be here learning how to succeed in music if that wasn’t already the case. Learning how to better yourself, and hone your craft, is a big way of finding success in the music industry. If you’re looking for some help to further promote your music, we’re here for you. Need some advice, hit our contact form and we will be happy to help.

[There are affiliate links within this post. We earn a small commission if you decide to purchase anything through the services we link to. We do a lot of work to verify the affiliates we recommend are beneficial for independent artists to succeed and hope they help you out!]

Find more promotional music tips that we’ve written up here »