Shattering the Myths Surrounding the Music Industry

Shattering the Myths Surrounding the Music Industry

The music industry has changed drastically in the past two decades and because of all these changes there are a lot of myths surrounding the music industry and how to succeed.  It’s time to shatter some of those myths so that you can pursue your career in the industry the right way.

Myth #1:  You Need to Live in a Music City

Years ago if you wanted to be signed to a record deal you had to chase record executive in New York, Los Angeles or Nashville.  With the internet that is simply not the case anymore.  You can be successful regardless of your location.

Myth #2: You Need to Be Young

Is being young an advantage?  Probably, but there are still plenty of musicians who are over 30.  At the end of the day record labels care about talent that can sell records it is a business just like any other and it want a product it can sell.  You can reach success at any age with talent and hard work.

Myth #3: Nobody Buys Music Anymore

This is where the changes in the music industry are most evident.  Today people buy more music than ever they just do it far differently.  The days of counting album sales are mostly over, rarely do albums sell millions of copies anymore, however singles do.  If you want to make it in today’s music industry then you need to understand how it works.  The distribution channels and revenue streams for an artist are far different.  You need to build your audience differently.  For instance the track “Gangnam Style” that was released several years ago made the artist far more money from his 2 billion views on his YouTube channel than it ever did from album sales.  There is still plenty of money in the music industry it is just earned differently by artists.  Here is how that works.

Myth #4:  You Need  a Degree in Music

Studying music won’t hurt your career but there are plenty of successful musicians who didn’t attend Julliard.  There is a lot that is required to earn a living at music and you will have to work on all aspects of your talent.  You don’t need a prestigious degree to make it in the world of music.  Learning from excellent teachers will help you every bit as much.

Myth #5:  You Need Connections in the Industry

Connections always help but talent will take you further.  You need to have something to offer that will make people want to buy your music.  Building a reputation in the industry as someone talented who is also reliable and hardworking won’t hurt either.