Image by Darrell Miller via Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0
We know that being a DIY musician is far from easy. Going out into the music industry on your own is intimidating at times, but it can be so rewarding in the end. In this new series, we're giving you a quick roundup of our best tips and advice from experts every Monday to help you become a better DIY musician.
1. Change your sound by creating limitations
"If you start every song by strumming some chords on your guitar, then a lot of your songs will end up sounding pretty similar. Sometimes, simply switching up your songwriting routine can be enough to set you off in a new musical direction." – Casey van Wensem, freelance composer, musician, and writer
From: How to Challenge Your Signature Sound (And Why You Should Do It)
2. Find discipline in your music career (and just do it)
"One of the fastest ways to build discipline for your musical career is to force yourself into a position where you must be nothing less than disciplined. Put yourself into a sink-or-swim situation where you have to either be more disciplined or risk failure." – Dylan Welsh, musician and writer
From: 5 Ways to Become More Disciplined About Your Music Career
3. Don't be "that guy" in the studio
"You are you, and we're going to do everything we can to get you the best product possible, but there are just some things that aren't a matter of plugins, time-aligning tracks, and twisting knobs. Knowledge is half the battle, and understanding that fact is going to make us all a lot happier and more productive." – Aaron Staniulis, sound engineer, musician, singer, and songwriter
From: 8 Signs You're Being "That Guy" in the Studio
4. Focus more on your audience than yourself
"Once you enter that stage, remember that it's no longer about you anymore. It's about them and how you make them feel. This is your audience, and their hope is to be taken away from their everyday life for just a few hours to enjoy some live music that they can truly connect with." – Christine Occhino, founder and artistic director of The Pop Music Academy
From: 3 Tiny Tweaks That Will Make You a Much Better Performer
5. Be consistent with your brand across all channels
"Your brand manifests when it's repeated consistently and pervades all aspects of your band, including posters, T-shirts, album art, videos, stage persona, etc. Once your brand is recognizable, it is yours." – Christiana Usenza, musician and dancer
From: 8 Ways to Build and Strengthen Your Band's Brand
6. Expand your horizons beyond music
"While you should spend time studying the industry, reading plenty of articles, listening to music all the time, and networking whenever you can, it's a good idea to have interests outside of music to take your mind off the job. You can choose what you like, but try to make it something equally as productive that will help train you to always be doing something." – Hugh McIntyre, pop music journalist
From: 4 Habits of Successful People That All Musicians Should Adopt
7. Don't settle for mediocrity in your music career
"This dream has to be deeply personal. If it's not, you won't be willing to do whatever it takes to make it come true. Before attempting anything, that desire has to be into place. Otherwise, you'll be wasting time and energy." – Anthony Cerullo, freelance writer and keyboard player
From: Why So Many Talented Musicians Will Never Be Successful
