It’s something that all artists have heard at one point or another – it’s all about who you know, not what you know. It is a frustrating, but true fact, and like it or not, networking is something you will have to confront at some point if you want to advance in the music industry.
This can, however, be quite a daunting prospect. How do you go about approaching big-name influencers and record labels? How do you open more networking opportunities for yourself? Here are the top five tips on how to network as a musician.
Use social media
The beauty of this day and age is that you can network wherever you are – at gigs, at work, at home in your pyjamas! Social media makes it very easy to find those that you wish to connect with, and who is aligned with the field you want to break into. Of course, be sensible about it. ‘Don’t try messaging Beyoncé or Drake – obviously, you are not going to get a response as an independent musician’, says John Wendt, brand manager at Essayroo. ‘Contact artists who are at a similar career level as you, and ask their advice on how they managed to get signed, produce their music, and promote themselves as an artist.’
Keep it brief and ask questions
Make sure you ask plenty of questions of the person you are connecting with, whether it is face to face or online. Not only does it allow you to get to know as much as possible about the artist in question, allowing you to build a better relationship, but will also make them feel as though you are genuinely interested in them and their music – making them much more likely to give you valuable information on how they managed to make it! Additionally, keep your pitch about yourself and what you do brief and concise. Don’t go on and on – try using some online tools such as Via Writing and Boom Essays, to provide quality copy and edit your writing, so you will have it down to a fine art.
Get out in the open
While social media is great, there is no substitute for some proper face to face action. You should be going and playing in local venues to people in your community as much as you possibly can. ‘In the early days, play as much as you can in different venues’, says Stephanie Collins, communication manager at Elite Assignment Help and Studydemic. ‘Exposure is crucial, so take every opportunity to play at open mic nights, charity events, pub quizzes, anything!’ Mingling around people in the industry, as well as other musicians, means that you will be surrounded by a wealth of advice and knowledge that can help you progress. However, take the chance to play in non-music related venues too – it will help you engage a new set of potential listeners and stand out in a less saturated market.
Remember, it’s give and take
There’s some truth to be had in the idea that you get back what you put in. This is true in networking. If you offer your help to others, they will be much more willing to return the favour at a later date – accruing these long-term, mutually beneficial connections is absolutely vital, not least because word travels fast in the music industry, and don’t want to get the label of being a taker! For example, give a well-known blogger some gig tickets or a free album if they post on their site, perform at a charity event for free and it could result in promotion for you down the line, lend musical equipment to other local bands when they’re in need and you could find them coming to your aid when you most need it.
Be sure to follow-up
If you meet someone at an event and get chatting, make sure you get some contact information from them. No matter what people say in person, they often forget to follow-up on it, and you really don’t want to let a golden opportunity pass you by! If you have their information, the power is in your hands to reignite the conversation, and you can hold them to what they said. Try and include little details from your conversation to show that you were properly listening. To sound as professional as possible, try using tools such as State of Writing or UKWritings; these aids will help you write in a more business-like fashion, and give your correspondence the edge that it needs.
Networking in the music industry is an unavoidable fact, and it can be very difficult to do when you first start out. However, the more you do it, with the help of these tips, you will easily find your stride, you’ll be surprised how naturally it comes!
More Music Business articles @ The Blogging Musician.
Courtesy of Freddie Tubbs
Freddie Tubbs is a communication manager at Academized. He regularly takes part in online marketing and communications events and contributes posts to Paper Fellows and Australian help blogs.