I went into the research for this assignment without a clear idea of what I wanted my future music career to look like. I study production with jazz and have broad interests; I like to explore all aspects of music. This includes areas of production, engineering, management and promotion, as well as areas of performance and composition. This is evident in my current portfolio of released music. It contains only tracks that I am the sole producer, songwriter and performer.
These thoughts are relevant to this research portfolio because they have drawn me towards researching the industry of independent music. The focus of my writing here will therefore be on being an independent, self-producing artist. I cannot yet say whether I intend to focus my career on this aspect of the music industry, but exploring it helps develop my ideas of what I want my future to be.
To specifically define this career: by saying “independent”, I am referring to an artist who is not signed to a major record label. This implies self-management of many aspects of the career. I am also exploring the focus of being an artist who is the primary songwriter, performer and producer of all of their music.
This appeals to me because I enjoy the freedom of independence. For example, Walzer (2021) explores the creative benefits of an independent artist. One such type of artist is referred to as the “bedroom producer”, in which the relaxed working style (no limited studio time, no dealing with stressful management decisions) leads to a powerful flow of creative ideas, as well as reducing pressures that could detract from focusing on critical listening. This is a strong example of why the career interests me; I would like to have the freedom to develop skills with a focus on the music that I want to exist.
What are the (academic and professional) qualifications and/or experience required to enter the profession?
When researching the experience required for this profession, I noticed that most sources had no mention of academic qualifications. I had an understanding that a career in the music industry does not require specific qualifications; however, I was still surprised to discover that it was often not even considered. Green (2002:5) discusses how popular musicians acquire knowledge via what she calls “informal learning practices”, whereby musicians pick up skills outside of formal music education. Green claims that, despite the increase in formal music education for popular music, this is how the majority of mainstream popular musicians have gained experience. This is a useful perspective to understand. That is not to say that I think my music production degree will be useless. My takeaway from this research is that I cannot expect having a degree to automatically start this career, but the skills I pick up and connections I make along the way will undoubtedly be helpful alongside an understanding of how to build a career.
What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success within the profession?
As an independent musician, it is important to stand out to succeed. Hracs (2015) explains that there has been an increase in access to materials required for music production: music can be created at a low budget in a home studio with less necessity for expensive recording studios, and promotion can be done for free over social media. As a result of the ease of producing music, there is now a significantly larger number of artists. White (2020:1) describes this by saying that, in the pre-digital age, the music available was “essentially finite”, whereas now the amount of people who are now distributing their music is “basically infinite”. She goes on to say that, although anyone could have a successful career, it is necessary to “truly be great” in order to stand out among the vast volume of artists. She highlights the importance of understanding promotion, authentically connecting with fans and understanding your own goals before starting to build a career.
My takeaway from this is that creating good music is not the only thing that goes towards becoming successful. It is also important to understand how to promote myself, in such a way that I always understand what I am doing and why I am doing it.
What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?
An independent musician can expect a heavy load of duties and responsibilities. If a musician is not signed to a major record label, they could be required to manage most aspects of their career themself. This extends beyond just the creation of music. White (2020) describes important aspects of the profession, such as marketing via email and social media; managing business affairs, including dealing with contracts and splits; ensuring royalties are being collected; setting up releases and organising touring. If I intend to follow this profession, I need to understand the importance of all of these skills. Even if I can write, produce and perform flawless music, it would be very difficult to build a career without developing an ability in these responsibilities.
What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?
Being an independent musician can come with difficulty navigating legal issues, such as collecting revenues and dealing with contracts. The Musician’s Union (2023) advises to get agreements in writing. It is important for all agreements to be clear and have documented evidence. This is because it is possible for issues to arise, such as fees not being paid, and if a contract is in writing, it is much easier to recover. The MU also advises to join PRS, MCPS and PPL. These organisations ensure that royalties are paid to the right person. All of these are relevant to this profession because it can involve songwriting as well as performance and recording rights. Furthermore, the MU (2024a) offers advice and assistance for potential legal and financial issues, such as contract advice and pay rates, which will be a useful resource in this profession.
What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?
In this area, promotion is essential, not exclusively because it is necessary to succeed, but also because I would personally like to grow an audience. When researching marketing and promotion, it is very important to select up-to-date sources due to the rapidly evolving nature of the music industry. Owsinski (2020:21-24) claims that music is currently in a structure called “Music 3.0”. Earlier structures of music business (“Music 1.0”) involved an artist signed to a record label that was responsible for promotion; however, the current structure—since around 2010—allows for direct communication with fans. This reduces the necessity of a record label, allowing direct marketing and two-way communication with the audience, which opens up many potential marketing and promotional aspects.
One important avenue for promotion is social media, specifically through platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. White (2020) advises spending 1 hour per business day on social media, giving time to connect with fans without getting lost in addictive platforms. She gives advice on how to spend this time: it is good to reply to comments, to keep interactions positive, and make posts engaging, which is helped by using tags to draw attention.
However, there are online marketing methods other than social media. White (2020), as well as Owsinski (2020), recommend creating a both website and an email list to communicate with the audience.
Furthermore, Owsinski (2020:41) highlights the importance of understanding one’s own brand. He names three “pillars” for building a brand: familiarity, which means that potential fans have to know who you are before they go on to check out your music; likability, meaning that people have to like something about you; and similarity, meaning that fans should feel like you represent them. These ideas about developing a brand are important for me to consider before I attempt to sell my image.
The research that I have done into marketing and promotion has significantly developed my understanding of how promotion in this profession works, and I hope it will be very useful in building my career.
What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with?
Working in this industry can give rise to many personal challenges. One useful resource for understanding these challenges is the wellbeing guide from the Musician’s Union (2024b). For example, they have a page of burnout in the context of working as a musician, giving causes such as emotional demands of networking and lack of consistency in work hours. I am glad that I came across this resource because I know that I am likely to face these challenges.
To further understand intellectual and personal challenges, I considered the experiences of musicians that I look up to. For example, in an interview with independent folk musician Will Wood, by Maloney (2022), he talks about the difficulties of having an image on social media. He states that “it’s hard to want to pursue the arts with things being how they are in our culture right now.” This is an important point to consider; building a career via social media platforms that have their own issues can be a challenge. In another interview with Bringin’ it Backwards (2022), he explains the problems that come with modern fame, saying that “it sucks to be seen as something other than just a person”. This point is something that I need to be aware of if I intend to grow a public audience. This links with research on fandom culture. Stever (2009) discusses categories of fans. This includes pathological fan intensity, where research has suggested that obsession can impact on a fan’s health. To explore the psychology behind how an audience thinks of an artist is an important step in why the struggles described by Will Wood might arise.
What career-progression/development opportunities are available within the profession?
Processes of career development in creative industries can be different to other professions. There is usually no prospect of promotion or corporate ladder to climb. Growing as an independent musician is a process that is not defined by clear steps (for I example, I do not intend to sign with a major record label), but it is still a process. Because of this, it is important to have an understanding of how to define progression in the profession. White (2020) describes steps that can be taken after building the foundations of a career. This involves planning live shows, touring, and organising merchandise sale. This is a potential route to be taken in my chosen profession as it would help build a stronger, more sustainable career. White also emphasises the importance of continuing marketing, which involves collecting data upon success in order to continue success in the future, as well as ensuring all revenue is being collected as one’s career grows.
This was a useful point to research; it is tempting to exclusively focus on how to start in the music industry. The beginning is very important, but it will also be helpful to understand how to build a career from there.
The research that I have done for this assignment has been a significant step in understanding my potential future. I have developed my understanding of what needs to be done to build a career in the creative industries; I am more equipped with the methods required to take my career to its next step.
In the near future, I plan to develop my online marketing strategy and do further research in order to build the foundations of a career in the music industry while I am a student.
Bibliography
Bringin’ it Backwards (2022) Interview with Will Wood (Will returns!). Bringin’ it Backwards [Podcast]. 11 June https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/interview-with-will-wood-will-returns/ [Accessed 7th January].
Green, L (2002) How popular musicians learn: A way ahead for music education. Routledge.
Hracs, B (2016) DIY in decline? The survival strategies of contemporary independent musicians in Toronto (Economy, Governance, Culture Working Paper 4/2015). https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52bef855e4b016fb8a82a250/t/57054da8044262c8d872d675/1459965353148/Hracs%2C+B.+J.+%282015%29+DIY+in+decline%3F+The+survival+strategies+of+contemporary+independent+musicians+in+Toronto.pdf [Accessed 7th January 2025].
Maloney, C (2022) RGM introducing – we interview American artist Will Wood. RGM, n.d. https://rgm.press/rgm-introducing-we-interview-american-artist-will-wood/interview/ [Accessed 7th January 2025]
Musician’s Union (2024a) Legal advice and assistance. https://musiciansunion.org.uk/membership-benefits/legal-advice-and-assistance [Accessed 7th January 2025].
Musician’s Union (2024b) Musicians’ wellbeing guidance pack. https://musiciansunion.org.uk/health-safety-wellbeing/mental-health-and-wellbeing/musicians-wellbeing-guidance-pack [Accessed 6th January 2025]
Musician’s Union (2023) 5 things to do to build your career in music – advice from Musician’s Union [Blog post]. The Unsigned Guide. n.d. https://www.theunsignedguide.com/blog/734-5-things-to-do-build-your-career-in-music–advice-from-musicians-union [Accessed 7th January].
Owsinski, B. (2020) Social media promotion for musicians, 3rd edition. Bobby Owsinksi Media Group.
Stever, G.S. (2009) Parasocial and social interaction with celebrities: Classification of media fans. Journal of media psychology, 14(3), pp.1-39.
Walzer, D. (2021) Towards an understanding of creativity in independent music production, Creative Industries Journal, 16(1), pp. 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/17510694.2021.1960705
White, E. (2020) How to build a sustainable music career and collect all revenue streams. 9GiantStepsBooks.
