Bedroom Producers Are The Future Of Music, But How Do They Build Their Careers?

The music industry has always been difficult to navigate, but it’s plain to see that this is a market which has been suffering for years. Since the dawn of the internet, the world of music has struggled to keep up with this fast-paced digital world. The problem isn’t the music itself. People are consuming more songs than ever. Of course, that’s part of the actual problem; music is so readily-accessible online that it can be hard for musicians and music companies to profit from it. YouTube music videos make songs accessible for free, and streaming services charge low monthly prices for unlimited access to millions of songs. It’s no wonder that the music industry, as a whole, has been losing billions in revenue with every passing year.

So, where does that leave artists? Well, despite musicians being the creators of art pieces which are loved by millions of people around the world, it’s often the creator who profits the least from their work. This has made the music industry appear quite unattractive to young musicians who want their songs to be heard. There are millions of hobbyists around the world who love to make music, but it can be hard to commit on a full-time basis if you’re not getting paid. What’s the answer? That will be discussed in this article. Here are some things to consider if you want to become a successful independent artist.

You need decent equipment.

Firstly, being a bedroom producer doesn’t mean that you have to settle for bad equipment. If anything, it means the opposite. Without the backing of a big label, independent artists have to do more to prove their worth to people. You have to show that you don’t need a big budget to achieve the same thing as professional musicians on the charts. Of course, you are going to need to make a few investments for your guitar gear. Start with a decent DAW. It’s so important that you use good software to create your music. You might have written a fantastic song on your acoustic guitar, but if you record and mix it badly, then people won’t want to listen to it. A catchy melody is only one piece of the puzzle, but that's if you've managed to write one.

You might also want to get a decent speaker. A good producer knows that their songs have to sound good on all mediums. People use all manner of audio devices to listen to music in the modern age. Some people listen to songs on high-quality noise-cancelling headphones. Some people like to blast their tunes out on a low-quality phone speaker. You need to test your music on multiple audio devices to ensure that it’ll sound good to all of your listeners. A decent speaker is important because you want to make sure that the sound translates well to a loud sound system. You don’t want your songs to sound bad at parties. You could check out the ION Road Warrior if you’re looking for a reliable Bluetooth speaker. That way, you could play your tunes on a decent speaker system and pay attention to the way the mix sounds.

You need to be multi-talented.

This might sound demanding, but it’s true. You’re competing with plenty of talented singers, songwriters, and producers in this industry. You need to be multi-talented if you want to stand out. Perhaps you have a wonderful voice and you know how to write a nice song on the guitar, for example. That isn’t going to be enough to help you stand out. You need a unique brand to make it in the music industry, and there are plenty of singer-songwriters in the world.

So, you need to be good at producing, as well. You should also have a strong stage presence. You should let your personality come across on social media and in live performances; that’ll help audiences to connect with you. You might even want to learn to play more instruments to diversify your sound. It’s never too late to learn the piano, for instance. Being able to advertise your music well is essential, too. As an independent artist, you need to learn to do everything by yourself. That can be quite overwhelming, but it can also be quite liberating. Plus, you can always get help from other people. You could hire a live band to help you play on stage, and you could even look for a manager to help you market yourself well.

You need to be patient.

Some musicians master all of the things discussed above, but they still don’t get their big break. After a while, many people give up on their dreams, but those who stick at their craft are rewarded in some sense. Okay, some musicians might only achieve minor success; not everybody can be as big as Elvis or Billie Eilish. There’s only room for so many artists at the top of the industry. The world of music is overwhelmingly large. People have a vast sea of options, and that means plenty of good, great, and wonderful artists go largely unheard. That’s why you need to be patient because you can’t choose your time.

A lot of it comes down to luck. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time, as stereotypical as that sounds. Still, perseverance is crucial. If you put the above advice into practice on a regular basis (focus on advertising, in particular), then you’ll start to get people’s attention. It can be a gradual road to the top. It might appear that artists emerge out of nowhere, but the truth is that most of them work at their craft for years before they’re finally noticed. Billie Eilish was mentioned above. She’s young, and she appears to be an overnight success, but think about that for a second: she was making music years ago and had a following that numbered in the thousands. That’s a lot of people, but it’s insignificant in comparison to the millions of fans she has in the present day. It just goes to show that good music is only part of the equation. Sometimes, you just need the right timing. If Billie had quit in the early days, she would have missed out on future opportunities. So, don’t be disheartened. Cherish every minor success. You never know when major success could come along.