How to accomplish your goals in the music industry

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If you wish to accomplish your goals within the music industry, you first have to understand that your reputation amongst everyone else is the most valuable asset you have. After all, it’s the perception of how people view you. Whether it’s online, at a show, or any other event, you essentially want people to view you in accordance with your dreams & ambitions. For example, if you wish to be a producer who cares deeply about their fanbase, it’s a good idea to reply to every message & comment you receive. Without a reputation, nobody will take you seriously – and therefore it’s unlikely you’ll fulfill any goals in which you may have.

As your music career grows, and you reach more people, one thing that is likely to happen is your music will begin impacting people. Whether it’s getting them through a tough situation, or being the soundtrack to their Friday night, it’s truly an amazing feeling knowing that people around the world are falling in love with your music. In this article, we’re going to discuss 3 techniques that you can use to accomplish your goals in the music industry, and the impact that they will have on your career as a music producer.

Firstly, you have to understand that hard work & talent are the two variables that will significantly determine your success. If you’re not prepared to put in (potentially) thousands of hours into making your ambition a reality, you may as well give up now. The truth is that there is no “easy formula”. Instead, you have to put in a lot of work to achieve your dreams. Many producers these days talk about how they are “the next big thing” or how “they’re about to change the game”. Yet in the majority of those cases, only a minority of people are actually going to succeed due to a strong work ethic. Whether your goal is having strong finances, playing several shows a week, or simply being able to live from your music career, a strong work ethic is absolutely crucial to success. Whatever your goal, understanding that working hard will lead to success should be a motivational factor towards setting aside several hours per day in order to focus on your music career.

Next, it’s worth noting that you do not in fact need a college/university degree in order to pursue the majority of careers within the music industry. Unlike 20 years ago, where you needed a degree just to be a sound engineer in order to look somewhat credible, it is almost the exact opposite in the modern age. Due to the ease of communication between two parties (thanks to technology), it is easier than ever for producers to communicate with sound & mixing engineers for their music. Instead of focusing on a college education, it’s worth building a strong portfolio of work that you can use as a case study. For example, a sound engineer should try and work on as many tracks as possible in order to perfect their skills. Plus if they’ve worked with notable clients, it certainly makes them credible within the music industry – leading to potential leads.

Or alternatively, if you want a job at a particular company, you should be aiming to provide as much value towards the decision makers as possible – so that they are able to become familiar with your name. Although getting coffee for Martin Garrix’s manager every single day initially sounds horrific to most people, it provides some great networking opportunities to speak with people that you otherwise wouldn’t. Essentially, you need to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

In contrast, going to school can be a truly phenomenal thing – if done in a meaningful way. The education system in the majority of the world is fundamentally broken at its core principles. eg. It’s absolutely pointless learning every American President when we can just google who they are. Dedicated music production schools such as Icon Collective & BIMM allow music producers to be taught by industry leaders so that they’re able to perfect their craft in order to achieve any ambitions in which they may have. With the ability to network with a multitude of other people within the music industry, the opportunities are almost endless when attending a specialist music production school.

The truth is that these 3 methods are just a small fraction of the methods that somebody could use to achieve their goals within the music industry. Whatever your ambitions are, it’s certainly worth writing them down so that you’re constantly reminded of what’s important to you within life. Likewise, never let anybody tell you that you’ll never achieve something. Hard work, gratitude, and talent are 3 strong factors that will lead to success if you’re good enough. Most of you are young. Most of you have decades ahead of a life still to live. Take time to understand what you truly want, and stop at nothing to achieve it. Good luck!