Embarking on an Independent Music Journey: The Unseen Challenges and Triumphs
The motivation behind this blog, my blueprint, and my unwavering passion for staying independent as an artist, stems from an incident that occurred around two years ago in November 2021.
This pivotal event nearly derailed my career as a producer/DJ just as it was beginning to take shape.
Allow me to provide some context:
- It's 2020 and I just started releasing my own music.
- Slowly but surely each new song I released seemed to outperform the previous one.
While my friends were busy enrolling in universities or stepping into their first jobs, I was venturing into the unknown as a full-time DJ/producer.
To me, success was synonymous with securing a record deal.
It was a badge of honor, a validation I craved from both the industry and my social circle.
When record labels started reaching out, my world changed.
The initial offers from eager labels soon gave way to interest from more prestigious indie labels.
Until finally the moment I had been dreaming of an established international agency got in touch. I was thrilled; for me, this was like receiving an acceptance letter from Harvard.
The label was interested in acquiring the rights to one of my latest tracks
They lured me in with enticing promises, like using David Guetta’s marketing strategy and promised me opportunities to perform across Europe
Swept up by these prospects, I signed the deal, and subsequently, the track was re-released through their distribution channels.
This turned out to be one of the most devastating mistakes I ever made, and it almost ended my career as an artist.
A Timeline of Lessons Learned
- 3-Month (post signing): My track's performance nosedived under the label's promotion. My attempts to communicate were met with vague responses, leading to mounting frustration.
- 8-Month (post signing): Deciding to reclaim control, I invested in personal promotion strategies, significantly boosting my music's traction. "Forever," the track signed to the label, became a standout, highlighting the importance of self-promotion and strategic marketing for independent artists.
- 12-Month (post signing): I released my debut album, a culmination of two years of hard work, to exceptional streaming success. This milestone reaffirmed my commitment to my music and the path I've chosen.
- Post-Album Release: A copyright claim from the label threatened my career, claiming rights they didn't have. This legal challenge tested my resolve, but with support, I fought to clear my name, emphasizing the value of copyright knowledge for musicians.
- The Outcome: Overcoming this ordeal reinforced my dedication to independence in the music industry, underscoring the significance of self-reliance and strategic planning for artists.
Revitalizing My Music Career: A Strategic Comeback
After overcoming a challenging period, I was more determined than ever to revitalize my music career, completely independently.
Over the last 3 years I spent thousands of dollars and thousands of hours, experimenting, researching and testing all kinds of different promotional strategies and tools, showing me what works and doesn’t work. This led to me developing my strategy which enabled me to get to where I am now.
While I was excited about how well things were going, I wasn’t sure if it was actually due to my strategy, my music or just pure luck.
This all changed however when my roommate, who saw my success started to show an interest in pursuing a career in music as well.
I decided to help him at every step to test to see if my strategy works for others. I can now proudly say that it not only worked like it did for me but actually much faster.
Within a year he was able to quit his job and is now at 500k listeners.
With that proof, I have also started helping other artists grow their audience which has given me even more experience.
I realized I had become that person I was desperately looking for when I started out and didn’t have a plan.
I now know that there is a way to succeed independently but If I wanted to share it with as many people as possible, I would split myself into millions of copies.
For that reason I have made the decision to put everything I have learned, my whole strategy from A-Z, into a step-by-step blueprint (link).
I designed this blueprint to not only help beginners, but artists in any stage of their career, making it simple to understand and follow.
Why the odds are in your favor now more than ever
Today's music landscape is the most saturated it's ever been, with an unprecedented level of competition. Spotify receives around 100,000 new song uploads daily.
While this may seem daunting, it's important to understand that at the same time we find ourselves in an era, where making a living as an independent artist is more achievable than ever before.
The graph below illustrates a key trend: the market share of annual streams for major record labels is steadily declining year after year.
Platforms like TikTok offer a free and powerful way to build your career and promote your music.
Plus, the flexibility to market your songs with any budget means you can essentially become your own record label, reaching millions of listeners worldwide with greater ease.
The message I want to leave you with is that there is a path for you to stay independent.
In my blog (ultimate guideline - first one) you receive an introduction of some of the main rules, however if you want to follow my step by step journey you can purchase my blueprint here (link).
If you enjoyed this blog post feel free to sign up to my newsletter here where you’ll be notified when these are written and if i write more stuff (link).
You can buy my blueprint here.
If you already have purchased it, please leave a review.
If you want some really useful freebies as an independent artist which i spent ages creating for now charge, snatch them up here.
Until next time,
Nico.
Share:
The Ultimate Guide to Music Marketing for Independent Artists
THE MAKING OF THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST BLUEPRINT