TOP MISTAKES UPCOMING ARTISTES MAKE WHEN TRYING TO BREAK-IN

There are many pitfalls on the path to success, and that is particularly true in the music industry.  To be successful in this industry, there are several things you need to know NOT to do, so you don’t prevent yourself from achieving your desired level of success.

1.      WRONG IMAGE, RIGHT MUSIC:  I have said this over and over again; image is everything in this business.  Not paying attention to the image you project both on and off stage can be a grievous mistake. You’ve gotta look and act the part.  Appearing unkempt on the red carpet and at media events, no matter your genre, is NOT a good image.  

2.      DEPENDING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA ONLY:  Yes the social media gets you some online attention. But it’s only a TOOL.  The social media is ONLY A PART of the whole online promotion process, it is not everything!  So rather than obsessing over the number of facebook friends you have or the number of twitter followers you have, why not invest in your own website, and ensure that it attracts traffic?

3.      SORROUNDING YOURSELF WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE: If you are very serious about  building a great career in music,  Surrounding yourself with people who are negative, lazy and lack ambition, is a serious mistake.  Be mindful of the company you keep, ditch hangers on who are only interested in clubbing with you and been seen with entertainers and popping champagne.  You must surround yourself with like-minded artistes. 

4.      NOT RAISING ENOUGH MONEY:  whether you like it or not, in the Nigerian Music Industry, Money makes things happen.  And the general truth is that, it takes money to build a music career. Music promotion and publicity is not cheap. Even if you’re doing it yourself without hiring a publicist, you still need a steady financial base to make the most impact.

5.      NOT CONNECTING WITH INDUSTRY HEADS:  The industry is all about who you know and who knows you. But it’s not enough to be known at face value only. You need to establish a connection, a relationship with important contacts you make in the industry.  You don't want to simply know people or be known, you want people who know you to have a real deep connection with you so that you are always on the top of their mind when opportunities present themselves.