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It’s important to remember all artists were unsigned at one point, so don’t give up, keep working hard and apply some of these tips to your work! For unsigned artists, the key is to remember nothing good comes easy and it’ll hard work!
Advice for unsigned artists
Be yourself
As unsigned artists, of course, you have influences and other artists who inspire you to carry on and pursue a career in music, but don’t copy them. The idea of record labels is to find the new best thing, not a new copy of someone people already know.
Stand out
Many unsigned artists find they’re stuck in an industry where everyone is the same. Being different will help you stand out, make people take notice before you even start to sing and perform, make them want to be interested.
Create a fan base
Fans are going to be the people that help you get success, so make sure you have a lot of them. Without fans, there’s no one to create a buzz about you as unsigned artists! The best way for you to build up a fanbase is to make sure you engage with them, respond to their comments, say thank you for their positive comments and post regularly. Gigs and social media are your tools to build your fan base.
Utilise social media
It’s not going anywhere so as unsigned artists, utilise it; it’s one of the only tools that will help you stay relevant, so learn to love it. It’s an easy way of getting the word out with very little effort. Instead of spending ages compiling a list of people to e-mail you can show off your new video to all of your social media pages with a couple of clicks of a button. With the likes of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube becoming increasingly important to the music industry, as unsigned artists you’d be foolish not to use them to your advantage. It’s important that you keep a synergy between your image on stage and across your social media so your brand is consistent and professional.
Gig regularly
Gigging is an excellent way for unsigned artists to get their name out there. Make sure you’re a known name at your local venues; you never know who’s going to turn up to one of those open mic nights. Gigging regularly also gives you a sense of who you’re trying to target your music at and which songs work with the audience. Again work hard to promote any gig that you organise or a promoter gives you. Promote before, during and after. Be creative with promoting and make each gig unique.
Take merchandise everywhere
Many unsigned artists fail to realise the potential behind selling merchandise. Make sure you have merchandise with you everywhere you play, that way you’re always ready to attract new fans who may not have seen you play before. It’s also vital for you to give out your demo CD for FREE. Everyone loves a freebie and you never know the guy who got dragged along to see you play might end up listening to it on repeat.