“I’ve written a song. I’ve recorded it. I’ve released it. So what’s next?”

This is a common question we get from our TOTB community. To be perfectly honest, our passion and focus is not on the marketing and business side of the industry. BUT . . . we do have years of experience in this crazy biz and of course, we want to help you all as much as we possibly can.

So we are going to take a quick detour from writing land to talk about our experiences in the music industry and how we’ve learned to navigate the maze.

First, the bad news. 

We have no easy solutions to offer you.

We wish we did because you can bet we’d be all over them if they existed. But the truth is, they don’t. And if you come across anyone offering you a quick and easy solution to having success with your music, hide your wallet and RUN. 

Things are CONSTANTLY changing in the music industry and many of the things that worked for us 10 years ago don’t work anymore. We’ve had to adjust, learn new skills, and accept some things we never thought we would.

It’s a learning process and we’re right there with you learning. 

But now for the good news! 

There are plenty of things about the music business that have never changed, and we believe will never change. These are things that we come back to again and again; the golden rules of how we conduct our business and the map we follow to find success and new opportunities.

These are long-term, big picture goals here. No recipes for overnight fame. But these things + good music and a little bit of pixie dust = the recipe for true long term success with your music. 

So without further ado . . . 

5 MUSIC CAREER ESSENTIALS

1. PRACTICE PERFORMING LIKE YOU PRACTICE YOUR INSTRUMENT.

Get out there and play, play, play. Play open mic nights. Open for bands at your local venue. Set up a house concert in your town. Play live on instagram every Thursday night. Take every opportunity you can to hone your craft as a performer and get out in front of more people.

Remember that—just like playing an instrument or singing—performing is also a skill that needs to be honed. That way, when you finally do get that opportunity to open for somebody big, you are more than ready. You don’t want to be working out the kinks of your live show in front of thousands of people.

Plus, it’s your number one best chance to win over new people in a way that is more long-lasting and meaningful than any other. AND it leads to #2. 

2. BE A GOOD PERSON/FRIEND.

For every bit of success we have had, every TV or commercial placement, every co-write, every band we’ve opened for, every artist we’ve played with and every record we’ve played or sang on, 95% percent of those can be traced back to a friendship.

And not just a we-comment-on-each-other’s-Instagram-posts friend. We mean a confess-your-darkest-fears and laugh-till-you-almost-pee-your-pants type of friend.

Being a great writer and musician is obviously a huge part of what makes someone successful. But being a good person? Well, that’s what seals the deal when somebody is thinking about working with you. Why bring out a total stranger on tour when they could bring their bestie?

Meet people in your field. Become part of a community. Help create opportunities not just for yourself, but for your peers. Genuine, true relationships in the business have really been essential for us and so many people that we know in the music world. 

3. KEEP CREATING CONTENT.

You obviously have to keep promoting the music you just released, but you can’t just post every day reminding people to listen to the same song. That’s going to get old fast.

It’s so important to keep creating and have a steady flow of new content to post about and point people back to your existing music! This can be an official music video, an acoustic live video, a download of the original demo, a blog post about the making of your song, and interview with your producer, etc. etc.

And it’s never too soon to start working on more music. Quantity leads to quality, friends. The more you make, the better you’ll be. And the more you make, the more chances you’ll have to get people to listen.

4. BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

OK, this is, like, a whole lifetime of work wrapped into one little tip. We know this is a biggie and easier said than done.

But for real.

Be yourself.

Don’t mold yourself to be more like another artist, to fit what a label or manager wants you to be, or meet anyone else’s expectations.

The reason an artist is successful isn’t because they copied someone else. It’s because they were 100% true to themselves and they owned their individuality.

  We’ve written and worked with many artists and have seen quite a few caught up in trying to be the next “insert whoever is the super popular right now.” In our experience, those people are not the ones that end up having amazing careers. The ones who are unapologetically and unwaveringly themselves are the ones who rise to the top. 

5. DON’T WAIT AROUND FOR YOUR BIG BREAK.

We’ve both had opportunities that seemed so massive and perfect that we swore our “big break” was on the horizon. And we’ve both learned the hard way that those opportunities are not always what they are cracked up to be.

People LOVE to promise fame and success to young, struggling artists. The big lesson we’ve learned is that success, for us and for so many of our friends and peers, has been a result of years of hard work and perseverance, not a result of one “too good to be true” opportunity or one convincing record exec who says you’re going to be the next big thing.

And sure, people do get those big breaks sometimes! But there are always hills and valleys, and you just can’t coast uphill for very long without pedaling your feet and getting a little sweaty.

No matter what kind of golden opportunity you’re handed, the most important thing is to just keep working your buns off if you want to keep the momentum going.   

We know these things may not be easy, but they are essential.

This is a difficult industry! But you’re in it because you love it. And if you’re really dedicated to making sure your music is heard and loved by people all over the world, these are the things we know to be universal truths. 

We hope you find this helpful. Let us know what you think in the comments. Do you have any suggestions you’d like to add? We’d love to hear from you.   

xo 
Allie & Bess