Always work on improving your musical skills. It’s not essentially about learning more techniques, or increasing the size of your musical jargon. Think about what a professional musician really needs to know and do musically. Enrolling yourself to learn music online can be extremely beneficial. Not only do you learn new tips and tricks but also enhance what you already know.

You should carry on to improve your overall musical skills, but if you want to start a successful music career you will need to specifically practice your ability to play well consistently in a variety of higher-pressure situations. Playing your instrument well at home is one thing, but playing well consistently in the studio or on stage is completely different, thus the training and practicing required to play well in those professional environments are also very different.

Invest in yourself and learn

Part of starting a music career is realizing that it starts with investing in yourself first. Whether it’s time or dedication, you have to be willing to put in the work to learn and get things done. Joining online music classes can help a lot. As they say, time is of the essence. You’re investing time into the creative aspects of music production or learning the business. You will be doing a lot of learning so prepare yourself.

You will have to do things yourself. This is one of the major challenges because the responsibility of personal progress is in your hands. No matter how talented you are, it takes learning and experience to develop a strong foothold in the music industry. You need to know what to look for in others and what to expect from their services.

Know Your Goals

It may sound too obvious, but is it? Concentrate on short-term goals initially. It doesn't matter if you're further along in your music career or just starting out - whatever you need to do next requires the first step. Identify it. Then identify the next few steps after that.

 If you're a musician who has never played a show before, maybe getting an opening slot at a local show is your first objective. If you would like to start a label, choosing a name and doing the paperwork required to start a business within the next few weeks is a good first step. Once the official procedures are done, figure out exactly what you'd like to complete in the next coming months, break it down into steps, allot aims for each step, and then, most importantly, do it. Having small goals and accomplishing them will make you feel a lot more productive than dividing your attention to focus on a truckload of incomplete ideas.

Make sure you have a way to make a living (day job)

In today’s time of pop culture, the idea of leaving everything behind and heading to the big city to pursue our passion is glamorized. Unfortunately, and pretty often, it’s more make-believe than reality. Your priority should be to do something that pays the bills to keep you afloat while you do music on the side. It may perhaps not be clever to drop everything and try to make a living off music right away. Unless you’re already financially well off or have built up a strong base through another industry .A few people may like the idea of going all in without anything on standby since they feel the pressure to survive will help motivate them to make it doing music full-time.

Since we all have bills to pay and other adult-ing to do, we don't feel like having a day job is that bad. There are artists who probably work a 9-to-5 and then play music or perform at shows in the evenings. Success in the music industry has many different paths so embrace your unique journey. This transition into a full-time musician is a process so make sure you have ways of sustaining yourself. You can put a day job to work for your future by interning or working in a position related to music. Even taking music classes online as a side gig to supplement income could help as well. 

Establish your artist/brand identity

You need to create who you are as a brand to make it easier for people to identify and distinguish you from other artists. You need to know this to market your music to the right audience. Your brand or artist identity can evolve and change, just as we normally do as individuals. But it’s important, especially early in your career, to start with something that is authentically you to build around and commit to it.

It should be an authentic part of yourself that makes it easy for people to associate and connect with you. Forming your brand and identity helps prospective fans decide if your music resonates with them. Remember that your music is not for everyone. The tricky part is to try and sum up what you’re all about in a short line or sentence. All this simmers down to communication and openly declaring who you are through your brand. Identity and communication is the only thing that someone can clasp on to and reflect a part of their identity.

Stop waiting for a record label

Willy Wonka is not going to knock on your door with a golden ticket, and no Oompa-loompas are going to do the hard work for you. Don’t assume that major labels know the mysteries of the industry, or that signing a record deal is even a good idea. Even Justin Bieber worked his way up before being recognized on YouTube.

There is always a risk, even the musicians who sign to a major record label may never actually end up releasing music. The thing about labels is that they can drop an artist as quickly as they signed them. These days, major labels barely ever sign an artist if they don’t already have a successful independent career behind them, so concentrate on doing your own thing and don’t worry about chasing a golden ticket deal.

Online platforms are a bonus

These past two years have been one of the most successful years for the music industry, thanks to streaming. Major labels are earning enormous amounts per day just from streaming sites, so make sure you’re uploading your music up there. There are countless social media strategies you can use as a musician, but the idea is you want to put out content as much as you possibly can and interact with the people that are already interacting with your content. Consistency and Quality is key here.

Promote your profile and reach new fans, getting play listed on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music is a priceless (literally) way to put your music in front of new listeners. Who knows, your songs or pieces may probably be trending or TikTok or Instagram Reels.